By late May, most of the suspense evaporates in the world of college basketball recruiting but, in the case of 6’5 guard R.J. Hampton, that wasn’t the case. The multi-talented high school star was the last five-star prospect to announce his plans for the 2019-20 campaign but, on Tuesday, word broke that Hampton will skip college entirely in favor of a professional contract with the New Zealand Breakers of Australia’s National Basketball League.
RJ Hampton (ranked No. 5 recruit in ESPN Top 100) will forgo college to play professionally in Australia's NBL. pic.twitter.com/xWmh7V5RaF
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 28, 2019
Before Hampton took to the air to announce his decision, his father Rod spoke with Evan Daniels of 247Sports and shared thoughts about the decision and its motives.
“I think he’s ready, that’s why we weren’t going back to high school,” Rod Hampton said. “It’s never been a dream of his to play college basketball, it’s been a dream of his to use college basketball as a vehicle to get to the NBA. … He’s playing against grown men. He’s learning how to practice like a pro, and learning how to do everything like a pro and I just think those options outweigh going to college.”
Hampton himself spoke with ESPN and said watching Luka Doncic inspired him to take this path of playing professionally prior to joining the NBA.
RJ Hampton told ESPN that watching Luka Doncic playing for the Mavericks this season, in his hometown of Dallas, gave him comfort with the idea of bypassing college for professional basketball. pic.twitter.com/AXQarAK87n
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 28, 2019
Hampton held offers from the best programs in the country, with many believing he would ultimately sign with Kansas or Memphis. At this juncture, Hampton ranks as the No. 5 prospect in his high school class (according to the 247Sports composite) and he is set to follow a path set forth by Terrance Ferguson, who landed with the Oklahoma City Thunder as a first-round selection after spending a year in the NBL. Beyond that, Emmanuel Mudiay, Brandon Jennings and others have chosen to skip college in favor of a year abroad and it will be interesting to see how Hampton fares against professional-quality competition as an 18-year-old.
Beyond the implications for the youngster from Little Elm, Texas, Hampton’s choice could influence others, particularly with the mounting push-back against the NCAA (at least in some circles) and the growing opportunities for elite-tier high school prospects. For now, however, Hampton is the only member of the five-star group in 2019 that is choosing this avenue and his progress will be closely monitored.
