The Overseas Model Just Took Over College Hoops

Welcome to the New Era...Where NCAA Hoops Looks a Lot Like Europe

There was a time not that long ago when college basketball meant loyalty. Four years. One coach. One jersey. Maybe you redshirted, maybe you didn’t. But you grew up at that school. You fought for minutes, earned your keep, and by the end of it, you were family.

I lived that.

I spent my entire college career at Monmouth. Same school. Same coach. Transferring never seriously crossed my mind. That wasn’t the vibe. You didn’t jump ship after a rough season or a bad game. You toughed it out. You earned your way.

After school, I went to the G-League. Three years there. Same coach. Same grind. That continuity helped me develop my game, learn the business side, and prep for what was next.

Then I went overseas...and all that stability? Gone.

The Overseas Shift

Overseas basketball hit me hard. I never played in the same place twice. Not because I didn’t want to, but because that’s how it works. One-year deals. Zero guarantees. No loyalty. If a better, shinier, cheaper, or taller version of you showed up? You were out.

I remember playing in Australia. I’d just made the All-Star team. We went to the semis. I felt like the guy. I assumed, like an idiot, that they'd offer me a better deal for the next season.

They didn’t.

Turns out I was just a stand-in...I was the in-between guy. The placeholder between a multi-year import who’d lit up the league and the next Aussie big who would end up in the NBA.

It stung. I was shocked. But I got over it. Because that’s the overseas grind. Multi-year contracts are a luxury. Loyalty is rare. You chase money, bounce around, and fight for next season...every season.

Sound Familiar?

That used to be just the overseas world. But now? It’s happening in college.

Tyrese Rice said it best:

“College hoops has turned into Europe hoops. New coaches every few years. Reconstructing entire rosters each year with 2-4 people staying. High expectations to win nonetheless. Players looking for big money no matter the situation. This is literally every season in Europe.”

Facts.

We’re watching the overseas model take over the NCAA. Teenagers are now living the same short-term, high-pressure hustle we did in our mid-20s overseas.

The transfer portal is a revolving door. Coaches are rebuilding rosters every spring. High school kids who would’ve been mid-major steals are going D2, D3, NAIA, or JuCo...not because they aren’t talented, but because rosters are filled with grown men.

Rick Pitino said it himself. Coaches don’t want kids anymore. They want men. They want vets. Same as overseas.

The Grind Got Younger

What used to be a climb, start low, work up, earn your shot, is now the new norm for 18-year-olds. One-year deals. NIL money. Performance expectations with no time to adjust.

Overseas guys used to chase that next contract. Now so do freshmen.

It’s wild. It’s also the new reality.

So what do we do?

We adapt. We guide. We support. That’s what OverseasX was built for...helping athletes understand the game they’re playing... on and off the court.

Because the business of basketball? It’s not waiting for anyone to catch up.

Until next time,

Kevin Owens