NIL and the recruitment of foreign players.

[Mdoggie]

With some players choosing schools with the best NIL opportunities (JuJu Watkins) and foreign players not given the same opportunities. Does the BY think UConn has gone the foreign route in order to get player (good players) who want to be team players and win championships. Geno has said that when recruiting a player and the first thing they ask about is NIL, UConn will cease the recruitment. Opinions?

 

[Ozimoto]

Each player and their situation is unique, so their approach to NIL is based on their personal wants/needs (maybe the family finances play a part in the decision). I am not going to judge a kid's choices in that regard. Having said that, Geno will recruit based on his values as a coach and what he wants his program to be, as is his right and his obligation to himself and the university.

Based on my knowledge of Geno (based on nothing more than what I have read about him), I think he looks for character and basketball fundamentals in his recruits. It is not surprising that he is looking at overseas players more these days as those players come from a system approach that stresses basketball fundamentals in a way that kids are not getting in the US from high school and AAU play unless they are lucky enough to play for exceptional coaches. I don't think he prefers foreign players simply because they aren't eligible for NIL.

I don't think Geno has a problem with NIL per se, seeing as how he has two of the hottest NIL prospects in women's college basketball on his team. However, if a kid's focus is on NIL over the team or playing basketball the way Geno wants the game to be played, then he won't be interested in them.

 

[Charliebball]

I think the idea is if the recruit is going to be a great player the NIL money will follow especially with UConn's notoriety........

 

[Bigboote]

Geno wants the best players for his system. I think he'd probably hang up on someone if one of the first questions she asked was what are the NIL opportunities at UConn. Paige and Azzi have done very well, but each is still there for the basketball, and neither will let NIL commitments get in the way of her basketball.

The only foreign players he actively recruited are Nika and Aaliyah. Dorka and Lou basically fell into his lap, and I doubt he could find any really good American-born players in August who could be admitted to UConn.

 

[pvdoggy]

With some players choosing schools with the best NIL opportunities (JuJu Watkins)

I am curious, did Juju say that she choose the school with the best NIL opportunities, or is this speculation from fans?

 

[Mdoggie]

I am curious, did Juju say that she choose the school with the best NIL opportunities, or is this speculation from fans?

No she didn’t, however Los Ángeles and Clutch sports (LeBron James) and the Trojan fanbase are an awesome fit. I expect to see her all over the television in this market much like we are seeing the USC QB. I believe USC also has an excellent media program, maybe that’s her route. What they don’t have is recent history in Womens basketball. They don’t make many recruits list. Strange choice for a baller.

 

[sun]

I am curious, did Juju say that she choose the school with the best NIL opportunities, or is this speculation from fans?

I think that it's totally untrue to link Juju's choice of school to NIL.
She signed an NIL deal with Nike one month before she chose to attend USC.
And that deal may have allowed her the freedom to choose any school that she wanted, which she had narrowed down to 3.
It's reported that she chose the Trojans because she's from Watts where her grandfather was a civil right activist, and he started a civil rights organization in south Los Angeles that is still active today.
That's why she announced that she is committed to social justice issues and the community of Watts.
She decided to attend college close to her home.

Juju Watkins signs with Klutch Sports for NIL representation

Sierra Canyon girls' basketball standout Juju Watkins, the top player from class of 2023, has signed with Klutch Sports Group for NIL representation.

www.latimes.com

Ted Watkins (1912-1993) •

Born into poverty and racial segregation in Meridian, Mississippi in 1912, Ted Watkins became a civil rights and union activist and led an anti-poverty agency in Los Angeles, the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC). Watkins left Mississippi as a young man to avoid a … Read MoreTed...

www.blackpast.org

No. 1 Recruit Juju Watkins Announces Massive Commitment

JuJu Watkins, the No. 1 women's basketball recruit in the nation, has committed to join the USC Trojans program in 2023, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The

thespun.com

 

[Mdoggie]

I think that it's totally unwarranted speculation & untrue to say that about Juju.
She signed an NIL deal with Nike one month before she chose to attend USC.
And that deal may have allowed her the freedom to choose any school that she wanted, which she had narrowed down to 3.
It's reported that she chose the Trojans because she's from Watts where her grandfather was a civil right activist, and he started a civil rights organization in south Los Angeles that is still active today.
That's why she announced that she is committed to social justice issues and the community of Watts.

Juju Watkins signs with Klutch Sports for NIL representation

Sierra Canyon girls' basketball standout Juju Watkins, the top player from class of 2023, has signed with Klutch Sports Group for NIL representation.

www.latimes.com

Ted Watkins (1912-1993) •

Born into poverty and racial segregation in Meridian, Mississippi in 1912, Ted Watkins became a civil rights and union activist and led an anti-poverty agency in Los Angeles, the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC). Watkins left Mississippi as a young man to avoid a … Read MoreTed...

www.blackpast.org

No. 1 Recruit Juju Watkins Announces Massive Commitment

JuJu Watkins, the No. 1 women's basketball recruit in the nation, has committed to join the USC Trojans program in 2023, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The

thespun.com

Spin it however you like. Los Ángeles is one of the best markets for NIL. USC is not the best for womens basketball.

 

[Kaizen]

I think that it's totally untrue to link Juju's choice of school to NIL.
She signed an NIL deal with Nike one month before she chose to attend USC.
And that deal may have allowed her the freedom to choose any school that she wanted, which she had narrowed down to 3.
It's reported that she chose the Trojans because she's from Watts where her grandfather was a civil right activist, and he started a civil rights organization in south Los Angeles that is still active today.

Ayanna Patterson has secured NIL representation ahead of her first season with UConn women’s basketball.

Patterson, the No. 4 ranked player in the 2022 class, signed with Klutch Sports Group.

UConn women’s basketball incoming freshman Ayanna Patterson signs with Klutch Sports Group for NIL representation

Ayanna Patterson has secured NIL representation ahead of her first season with UConn women’s basketball. Patterson, the No. 4 ranked player in the 2022 class, signed with Klutch Sports Group,…

www.courant.com

 

[Kaizen]

Juju Watkins signs with Klutch Sports for NIL representation

Sierra Canyon girls' basketball standout Juju Watkins, the top player from class of 2023, has signed with Klutch Sports Group for NIL representation.

www.latimes.com

Ayanna Patterson has secured NIL representation ahead of her first season with UConn women’s basketball.

Patterson, the No. 4 ranked player in the 2022 class, signed with Klutch Sports Group.

UConn women’s basketball incoming freshman Ayanna Patterson signs with Klutch Sports Group for NIL representation

Ayanna Patterson has secured NIL representation ahead of her first season with UConn women’s basketball. Patterson, the No. 4 ranked player in the 2022 class, signed with Klutch Sports Group,…

www.courant.com

 

[pvdoggy]

No she didn’t, however Los Ángeles and Clutch sports (LeBron James) and the Trojan fanbase are an awesome fit. I expect to see her all over the television in this market much like we are seeing the USC QB. I believe USC also has an excellent media program, maybe that’s her route. What they don’t have is recent history in Womens basketball. They don’t make many recruits list. Strange choice for a baller.

You have to start somewhere and it is not like USC does not have a history in wbb. Maybe she just likes to stay home and help build their program back up and NIL is a bonus. Some of the original Uconn greats chose Uconn when Uconn had NO history, much less recent history at that time. Personally, I am glad that talents are somewhat being spread out to more schools to make the competition more interesting.

 

[HopJim]

I hate the current NIL rules BUT if the coach has become a trusted advisor during the recruitment process, why wouldn't a player ask for his or her opinion and advice? Find it hard to believe that Paige and Azzi haven't had NIL discussions with Geno.

 

[dabears17]

Kiki Rice choose to go to UCLA to help them win a championship. Skylar Diggins supposedly had committed to Stanford, then at the last minute changed to Notre Dame. What would history be if Diggins had gone to Stanford? Stanford made the Final Four 3 times during Skylar's college career. How may championships does Stanford win if Skylar doesn't change her mind? I wasn't expecting Katie Lou to follow her sisters' footsteps to Stanford, but what if she did? Does Stanford have 2 or 3 more trips to the Final Four? Jenna Brown is a 5-star recruit who chose Stanford over Notre, didn't play much due to injuries, then transferred to Notre Dame for grad school.

I think the USC coach is over-rated, but she did bring Cal-Berkeley to the 2013 Final Four her second season as Cal HC, after being an AC there for 6 seasons.

More back to topic, Stanford has 3 foreign players on their roster, so there is a trend to bring in foreign players.

 

[visitingcock]

Southern Cal is in JuJu’s hometown. That CAN still matter.

 

[Carnac]

Juju Watkins IS "the real deal." I've commented on her this summer. I've seen her twice in person. The reputation that precedes her IS NOT false praise. She was deemed the best of ALL the other members of her class. There are some very good prospects in the 2023 class.

To twist the NFL's former head coach (Vikings) Dennis Green's rant around a little bit......."she is who we think she is." Watkins is uber-talented. IMO, she could have played D1 college ball THIS year, and held her own. She can do it all with a high BB IQ.

She will be a 4-year starter at USC. I also predict she will be a 1st round draft pick in the 2027 WNBA draft lottery. I'm going to follow her during her time at USC. Unless USC lands another high-profile player, the best USC will do is appear in the conference championship game every year. Stanford and Arizona share the "cat-bird" seat in the PAC12. I might even attend a home game or two. The Galen Center is only a 45 min drive for me.

 

[Mdoggie]

N

I hate the current NIL rules BUT if the coach has become a trusted advisor during the recruitment process, why wouldn't a player ask for his or her opinion and advice? Find it hard to believe that Paige and Azzi haven't had NIL discussions with Geno.

Who said they haven’t?

 

[Charliebball]

Spin it however you like. Los Ángeles is one of the best markets for NIL. USC is not the best for womens basketball.

I'm not against college players getting paid for their efforts but this NIL stuff is getting out of hand .............making decisions solely based on who will pay the most money just seems destructive to college sports in the long run.......here's an example in football that I find distasteful all around.......

Florida collective 'reneged on $13m NIL deal' with Jaden Rashada

An NIL collective at Florida, called the Gator Collective, had offered a contract to the four-star quarterback worth a massive $13 million before trying to renege on the deal just one month later.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Kaizen]

I'm not against college players getting paid for their efforts but this NIL stuff is getting out of hand .............making decisions solely based on who will pay the most money just seems destructive to college sports in the long run.......here's an example in football that I find distasteful all around.......

Florida collective 'reneged on $13m NIL deal' with Jaden Rashada

An NIL collective at Florida, called the Gator Collective, had offered a contract to the four-star quarterback worth a massive $13 million before trying to renege on the deal just one month later.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"I would venture to say the Gator Collective is paying more guaranteed money than any group in the country," Eddie Rojas, a former Gators baseball player and head of the Gator Collective, said in April. "When I write a contract, I want to make sure that we actually have the money in our account."

It doesn’t appear that Rojas’ group did have that money, as they reneged on the deal with Rashada. The Athletic states that the deal had presumptive support from one of the Gator Collective’s top boosters, Hugh Hathcock, who donated almost $13 million last year.

But on Dec. 7, Rashada received a letter from Rojas wishing to terminate their deal. While it’s unclear the exact reason why that happened, the Gators’ football program was caught by surprise as they are not allowed to know specifics of NIL deals with players.

Florida could lose top recruit after massive NIL deal creates controversy

Jaden Rashada, a four-star quarterback recruit, signed with the Florida Gators to begin his college career next year. But his reported $13 million NIL deal was reneged on.

www.foxnews.com