It's becoming more and more normal to see some of the top tier high school basketball recruits skip the college route to go in a different direction before the NBA. On Friday, 16-year-old Jalen Lewis became the most recent to join the group while also becoming the youngest player ever to turn pro.
Jalen Lewis is a consensus, five-star recruit who had interest from all the prominent schools like Duke, Kentucky and UCLA. Instead of joining one of those powerhouses, he chose the powerhouse that is Overtime Elite. And he got quite the payday to do so.
High school junior Jalen Lewis is signing a $1 million-plus contract with the new Overtime Elite league, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The 16-year-old becomes the youngest to ever turn pro in American basketball.https://t.co/uHBWwA3gx4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 9, 2021
Former Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie is now a coach for Overtime Elite and he seems pretty smitten on Jalen Lewis.
“I’d describe Jalen as an absolute difference maker, a rare talent, with a combination of size, athleticism, good hands and ball skills that impact plays on both ends of the court,” said Kevin Ollie, OTE’s Head Coach and Director of Player Development. There are no limitations to what he’ll be able to do in his career and through Overtime Elite, he’ll have the resources in place to help him reach his dreams.”
Lewis was California's top rated player for the Class of 2023 and standing at 6-foot-10, he stands to be a problem for opposing defenses for many years to come. He is the highest rated recruit to sign with the upstart league.
It's a trend that's becoming more and more popular and with the new NIL rules in place for the NCAA, it will be fascinating to see if top tier prospects like Jalen Lewis will still opt for an Overtime Elite path over college more and more in the future years.
Follow Us
Subscribe