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Message: [QUOTE="southie, post: 5091149, member: 2527"] I get that this seems to be unchartered territory, and posters/fans are having a difficult time understanding the changes happening with NIL prior to a player entering college. Perhaps this is the first time there have been rumors of an actual NIL dollar amount for a girls' basketball high school senior recruit. I remember being stunned when top 2023 recruit Juju Watkins chose to play at Southern Cal over South Carolina and several over the programs who had been having so much recent success. Let's face it, Southern Cal hadn't had any national success pretty much all of Juju's entire life; and, it's not like Coach Gotlieb is considered an elite head coach based on her prior collegiate stops. So, why did Watkins choose to stay home? My guess would be NIL. This past April we read the rumors that Southern Cal found $800k in NIL for Stanford transfer, Kiki Iriafen. If that is true, it would make sense that Watkins received at least that much. Then you look at UCLA attracting all these elite recruits from coast to coast, and a bunch of elite transfers. Again, it's not like Coach Close has even made it to one Final Four while in Westwood. I can only assume NIL is playing a huge factor there. LSU was able to keep 2023 Mikayla Williams in-state. Prior year the brought in Flau'jae Johnson who even had a shoe deal with Puma (I think) prior to playing her first collegiate game. Texas Tech found over $1 million for Stanford softball transfer NiJaree Canady who hails from the state of Kansas. Texas Tech has had zero success or history in the sport of softball; that didn't stop a deal from being worked out. If they paid an out-of-state player that much for a sport that is not as well-supported in Lubbock, TX as women's basketball, they most likely will break the bank for an in-city girls basketball recruit who could instantly become the face of the program and help elevate it above its recent mediocrity. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach

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