Jim Boeheim on Darius Bazley's decision to skip Syracuse: 'I think it will cost him'

Dave Clark
Cincinnati Enquirer
Mar 18, 2018; Detroit, MI, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim reacts to a play in the first half against the Michigan State Spartans in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Boeheim was looking forward to Darius Bazley becoming a Syracuse basketball star. Now that he apparently won't play for the Orange or in the NBA G League in advance of the 2019 NBA Draft, Boeheim isn't sure the former Princeton High School standout will be selected in the draft's first round.

Boeheim and NBA scouts are in agreement that Bazley should have gone to Syracuse as he apparently had planned, according to a report from flohoops.com's Adam Zagoria.

"That always helps," Boeheim said Monday by phone. "You see any freshman that comes in, like we had Malachi [Richardson] and Tyler Ennis. When they have a good freshman year and their college team wins; that's a big advantage when you get an opportunity to move into the NBA.

"Now they'll have nothing to look at except the McDonald's Game and the limited games he played. I think he's got tremendous upside, but I think it will cost him. I think he could've moved into the first round with a good college year. I don't know if he can be a first-round pick now. They've got nothing to go by."

"I was very disappointed he didn't go to Syracuse," one NBA scout said.

Bazley announced in March that he would play in the G League instead of at Syracuse - the school to which he committed after decommitting from Ohio State. Bazley said earlier this week - according to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania - that he has reconsidered and decided not to play in the G League, instead using the year to train and prepare for his professional career.

Darius Bazley will not blaze G League trail

The 6-foot-9 forward explained in April that he was entering the G-League draft because it gave him the best opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA. Boeheim said he wished Bazley well, but insisted that the G League will never take the place of college basketball as a path to the NBA for a top prospect.

In March, Bazley missed Princeton's Division I regional semifinal loss to Wayne because he and senior teammate Dominic Pierce were suspended two games for leaving the bench in an earlier tournament win against Sycamore.

Bazley had 11 points and 7 rebounds in 17 minutes in the West Team's 131-128 win in the McDonald's All-American Game in Atlanta. He talked and played with a young boy with leukemia named Alex as he prepared for practice before the game.

Bazley was one of 12 players selected to the USA Junior National Team roster at the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit in Oregon. He was named to the 2017 Naismith Boys' High School Watch List.

Bazley participated in the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team minicamp in October.

Bazley transferred to Princeton after two seasons at Finneytown High School.

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