R.J. Hampton’s path to the 2020 NBA Draft certainly caught the attention of basketball fans all over the world.
Nearly a year ago, Hampton declared his intentions to eschew the traditional, one-and-done route for a five-star recruit like himself and opted to play professionally overseas for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL as part of their ‘Next Stars’ program.
Citing his disillusionment for the recruitment process and solely focusing on the game of basketball, Hampton’s decision follows what we’ve seen from other high school players over the last-decade or so. The biggest difference, though, in the case of Hampton is that he met all the academic requirements and even reclassified a year before.