RJ Hampton has signed a contract with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League.
Hampton is the No. 5 prospect in the class of 2019. Hampton's decision comes as a surprise after he cut his college recruitment list in recent days to Kansas, Memphis and Texas Tech. He had also previously considered scholarship offers from Duke, Kentucky and others.
Hampton becomes the first American player to willingly forgo college for playing international basketball, unlike players such as Brandon Jennings, Emmanuel Mudiay and Terrance Ferguson, who signed overseas amid concerns regarding their academic or amateur status.
"My No. 1 goal is to play in the NBA," Hampton told ESPN. "I wanted to be an NBA player before I ever wanted to be a college player. This is about getting ready for the next level faster and more efficiently.
"Both of my parents went to college. My mom got her master's degree. Education is a big thing in our family, but this is about focusing 100 percent on basketball. You can always go back to college, but there's only a short window as an athlete where you can play professional basketball, and I want to take advantage of that. I think that challenging yourself on a daily basis is the best way to improve."
