Top NIL teams in the NCAA tournament

[bigdog1002]

Kentucky roster was $20M according to multiple reports

 

[RuffRuff]

Some interesting tidbits from Dusty on how much recruiting has changed, for the good.

 

[bigdog1002]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...rosters-revealed-ahead-3rd-round-bracket-play

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Sure, but $$ for most programs is a the key criteria. Lloyd has the one advantage of being the best program out West, so he'd have an advantage getting the Cali & AZ kids.

I will be absolutely stunned if Lloyd is at Arizona two weeks from now.

 

[RuffRuff]

I will be absolutely stunned if Lloyd is at Arizona two weeks from now.

Same - he's basically formed a response every way possible around the UNC question without saying "no" directly.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25411427-sweet-16s-most-least-expensive-mcbb-rosters-revealed-ahead-3rd-round-bracket-play

 

[auror]

Same - he's basically formed a response every way possible around the UNC question without saying "no" directly.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25411427-sweet-16s-most-least-expensive-mcbb-rosters-revealed-ahead-3rd-round-bracket-play

It would be dumb of him to commit either way at this point. If you say no even if you 100% want to go back to Arizona, you lose leverage with Arizona and Arizona's boosters.

 

[HooperScooper]

Same - he's basically formed a response every way possible around the UNC question without saying "no" directly.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25411427-sweet-16s-most-least-expensive-mcbb-rosters-revealed-ahead-3rd-round-bracket-play

I keep seeing Houston in these article as one of the top spending teams. So what the heck was Sampson complaining about? Revenue sharing?

Kelvin Sampson bemoans Houston NIL budget: 'We're poor'

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said his top-10 team can't sign more recruits because the school's athletic department is "very poor."

www.espn.com

 

[caw]

This is the quote that matters, and the one that should change with the new rules. "It's not real NIL," one head coach with Final Four experience said, speaking to the obvious. "It's donors just paying out there to get the best team."

I don't think these numbers even reflect "real" NIL, like Solo Ball's Turbo Tax commercial, or the team in the Invesco. Silas has one with Nissan, and Malachi is in a State Farm ad with Sarah Strong. Those aren't "recruiting" NIL, it's the real thing, as intended. To know the actual NIL they'd need access to Instagram payments and other deals they can't see.

Was going to say, the Boozers have to be making a ton in real NIL that probably isn't counted in the articles. They are everywhere.

 

[Umami Zen]

I will be absolutely stunned if Lloyd is at Arizona two weeks from now.

Legit question-Why? NIL? Not sayin' your view is wrong. You're a West Coast guy with some insight

 

[RuffRuff]

I keep seeing Houston in these article as one of the top spending teams. So what the heck was Sampson complaining about? Revenue sharing?

Kelvin Sampson bemoans Houston NIL budget: 'We're poor'

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said his top-10 team can't sign more recruits because the school's athletic department is "very poor."

www.espn.com

Let's not forget about some of the scandals he was involved with back at Indiana - deep down, I think he's at least part slimeball and crying for more. He had three NC returners this year and 3 top 25 recruits - that's about as expensive a roster as it gets. He knows if he wants to compete these days, the 5 year Juwan Roberts aren't happening anymore.

 

[auror]

I keep seeing Houston in these article as one of the top spending teams. So what the heck was Sampson complaining about? Revenue sharing?

Kelvin Sampson bemoans Houston NIL budget: 'We're poor'

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said his top-10 team can't sign more recruits because the school's athletic department is "very poor."

www.espn.com

He's trying to play with the real big boys for 5*s. He lost a couple recruits I think they thought they'd land (Caleb Holt, Bryson Howard). They are likely also buoyed by 1 big booster (Fertitta), and if he's not giving they might actually see a pretty drastic reduction in spending.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Legit question-Why? NIL? Not sayin' your view is wrong. You're a West Coast guy with some insight

I don't have any inside information but I've heard what other people have heard - he doesn't have a great relationship with the AD, their basketball coffers aren't as robust as you would think for a school of their profile, Carolina has apparently been putting on the full court press, and he's done about as bad a job as anyone I can remember of putting to bed the rumblings that he's leaving.

 

[Umami Zen]

I don't have any inside information but I've heard what other people have heard - he doesn't have a great relationship with the AD, their basketball coffers aren't as robust as you would think for a school of their profile, Carolina has apparently been putting on the full court press, and he's done about as bad a job as anyone I can remember of putting to bed the rumblings that he's leaving.

I can buy that. Time will tell.

 

[RuffRuff]

I don't have any inside information but I've heard what other people have heard - he doesn't have a great relationship with the AD, their basketball coffers aren't as robust as you would think for a school of their profile, Carolina has apparently been putting on the full court press, and he's done about as bad a job as anyone I can remember of putting to bed the rumblings that he's leaving.

Uh hum, Kevin Willard....

 

[B1GEast]

Source added

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25412361-how-much-money-did-duke-spend-nil-cam-boozer-cbb-roster-latest-rumors-after-uconn-loss

 

[HuskyHawk]

Was going to say, the Boozers have to be making a ton in real NIL that probably isn't counted in the articles. They are everywhere.

Yeah, I think this is measuring the "recruiting" NIL from boosters, which mostly affects the portal and HS kids. That's going to get shut down. So teams with high turnover will be higher on the list.

 

[metsfan2323]

Some interesting tidbits from Dusty on how much recruiting has changed, for the good.

Our recent run of success does not happen without the transfer portal and doubtful Karaban stays 4 years without NIL.

 

[bigdog1002]

Our recent run of success does not happen without the transfer portal and doubtful Karaban stays 4 years without NIL.

Article I read (can’t find it right now) says that Hurley prefers to spend more money on the portal rather than throwing money at a bunch of high school recruits

 

[uh-no]

Article I read (can’t find it right now) says that Hurley prefers to spend more money on the portal rather than throwing money at a bunch of high school recruits

he's got a formula.

2 year guys from the portal as much as possible (newton, reed, demary, diarra, mahaney (though that didn't work out))
a 5 star or two who are probably OAD (castle, mcneeley, mullins)
journeyman type players who you keep on board with culture (ross, stewart, samson, karaban (though karaban is in a different class here...))
fill out with hungry last-chance transfers who want that taste of success (cam, malachi, joey california)


THat said, next year is interesting with a weaker recruiting class. Obviously reed and karaban and malachi are gone. I'd put 75% mullins gone, and maybe 33% demary gone.

So that makes the guaranteed need:
1 big
1 PG

WIth likely needing as well
a second PG
1 wing

Sorry...not that i want to be talking next year roster right now....but just trying not to go crazy here

 

[RuffRuff]

Article I read (can’t find it right now) says that Hurley prefers to spend more money on the portal rather than throwing money at a bunch of high school recruits

Makes a ton of sense.

Who knows how true this is, but I wouldn't doubt it. I can see the center market going through the roof given the success of the front court this year and the fact that many of these top teams will have to rebuild theirs. It makes me wonder how aggressive we can be given we'll have to pay Reibe.

 

[Price0809]

I'm at fault of putting another list up. This may be one of the most legitimate articles out there. This feels right.

• Arkansas
• BYU
• Duke
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Louisville
• Michigan
• North Carolina
• St. John's
• Texas Tech

The $10 million club: College basketball's portal recruiting hits unthinkable levels of financial chaos

The price of talent is spiking to record amounts -- again -- now with hundreds of millions at stake in college hoops' unregulated economy

www.cbssports.com

No mention of AZ anywhere. Could be why Lloyd is rumored to UNC.

Not sure how legit this is, but this list has Arizona at 11. Same guy tweeted the projected NIL for next season with Arizona ahead of UNC.

Top 10 Richest Rosters in 2026 NCAA Tournament Ft. $20,000,000 Worth Kentucky | College Sports Network

Kentucky and BYU are the biggest spenders in terms of NIL for their rosters for the 2025-2026 season, and both are in March Madness.

collegefootballnetwork.com

 

[bigdog1002]

Makes a ton of sense.

Who knows how true this is, but I wouldn't doubt it. I can see the center market going through the roof given the success of the front court this year and the fact that many of these top teams will have to rebuild theirs. It makes me wonder how aggressive we can be given we'll have to pay Reibe.

Money concerns notwithstanding, I like Bidunga A LOT

 

[RuffRuff]

Money concerns notwithstanding, I like Bidunga A LOT

I doubt we are even mentioned as interested. There will be a line of suitors amongst the top NIL schools - he's looking for $$ at this point. He'd be really interesting at the 4 for us.

I don't think Hurley will ever be in the game of having one guy in the locker room making twice as much as the next guy. Not his way.

 

[Donyell 360]

Which of UConn's expected returnees would you say are worthy of a bump in NIL compensation? Would any be worthy of a drop? In other words, who over performed and underperformed their contract and are they subject to renegotiation? Not knowing how much each makes it is impossible to say but my instincts are:

Ball - Decrease
Stewart - No change (he did not take a step forward)
Ross - Increase (clear improvement)
Demary - Slight increase (because I assume he is already well compensated)
Reibe - No change (didn't play enough to justify an increase but promising enough not to decrease)
Furphy - No change (I assume his compensation if any is minimal)

 

[ec33]

Correct. But now we have rev sharing and additional NIL. The additional NIL needs to be approved by the clearing house.

I have not seen a single comment from a coach (or anyone) that believes there will be any enforcement of this. Coaches seem to be expected the money to continue increasing.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Which of UConn's expected returnees would you say are worthy of a bump in NIL compensation? Would any be worthy of a drop? In other words, who over performed and underperformed their contract and are they subject to renegotiation? Not knowing how much each makes it is impossible to say but my instincts are:

Ball - Decrease
Stewart - No change (he did not take a step forward)
Ross - Increase (clear improvement)
Demary - Slight increase (because I assume he is already well compensated)
Reibe - No change (didn't play enough to justify an increase but promising enough not to decrease)
Furphy - No change (I assume his compensation if any is minimal)

It would be wrong to decrease Ball when he has played a good majority of the year hurt.

 

[RuffRuff]

Which of UConn's expected returnees would you say are worthy of a bump in NIL compensation? Would any be worthy of a drop? In other words, who over performed and underperformed their contract and are they subject to renegotiation? Not knowing how much each makes it is impossible to say but my instincts are:

Ball - Decrease
Stewart - No change (he did not take a step forward)
Ross - Increase (clear improvement)
Demary - Slight increase (because I assume he is already well compensated)
Reibe - No change (didn't play enough to justify an increase but promising enough not to decrease)
Furphy - No change (I assume his compensation if any is minimal)

Not sure it's as simple as that - market changes year to year, inflation, etc.

Separately, not sure how true this is, but we clearly pay for our coaches.

 

[Kemba15]

I don't have any inside information but I've heard what other people have heard - he doesn't have a great relationship with the AD, their basketball coffers aren't as robust as you would think for a school of their profile, Carolina has apparently been putting on the full court press, and he's done about as bad a job as anyone I can remember of putting to bed the rumblings that he's leaving.

Rumors that MJ has been part of the pitch to UNC as well

 

[uh-no]

Not sure it's as simple as that - market changes year to year, inflation, etc.

Separately, not sure how true this is, but we clearly pay for our coaches.

on the one hand, we had the best staff in the country IMO and 100% they earned every bit of those dollars.

OTOH, bringing in a new coach will free up some $ for NIL.

 

[ec33]

I don't have any inside information but I've heard what other people have heard - he doesn't have a great relationship with the AD, their basketball coffers aren't as robust as you would think for a school of their profile, Carolina has apparently been putting on the full court press, and he's done about as bad a job as anyone I can remember of putting to bed the rumblings that he's leaving.