What’s ahead for UConn as it enters first ‘real offseason’ in portal, NIL era

[HooperScooper]

Reminder that no speculation on specific players on here. We all know changes are coming but let's wait until someone announces they are entering the portal before discussing.

“When our championship run started, Andre Jackson and (Adama) Sanogo and Hawk (Jordan Hawkins) – the portal just started when we added Joey (Calcaterra) and Nahiem (Alleyne). NIL wasn’t even a thing guys were talking about on our team,” Hurley said. “Even into 2024, like, we weren’t in hard-line NIL negotiations – no one even gave a (bleep) what their NIL was the last couple years.”

Those days have come to an end.

“We’ve got to make adjustments now, because things have changed,” Hurley said. “We’ve got to be able to win this part of the year that’s coming up right now in terms of putting an elite team together.”

What’s ahead for UConn men’s basketball as it enters first ‘real offseason’ in portal, NIL era

There will be plenty of conversations happening around the UConn men’s basketball program as it looks ahead to the 2025-26 season without the championship distractions.

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What’s ahead for UConn men’s basketball as it enters first ‘real offseason’ in portal, NIL era

 

[husky429]

It's good to see Hurley is willing to be flexible and change his game. Gotta be hard for a guy like him.

 

[NJHusky]

We couldn’t have a better coach. Imagine if he had SEC resources

 

[Kitaman]

I'd like to believe that at least one of our sophomores is capable of making the 'Solo' elevation. If one or more does then they would be our best option. Just imagine if Ross and/or Stewart made that performance jump.

Just saying there is some great potential with our experienced junior Champions.

 

[huskeynut]

Hurley and company know what they need/ want. They are more than capable of evaluating the talent in the portal.

 

[NHUConnfan]

We couldn’t have a better coach. Imagine if he had SEC resources

I think that's a double-edged sword. Plenty of examples of expensive players ending up at top tier programs only to be major issues in the locker room. Gotta find that sweet spot. I think UConn is close to that sweet spot.

 

[444JR]

More shots, minutes, and responsibility for Jaylin Stewart makes sense. He was very efficient shooting the ball in all the games where he was able to contribute as scorer:

• 16pts 7-9 FG vs Memphis in a 97-99 OT loss
• 16pts 4-7 FG vs UMES in a 99-45 win
• 10pts 4-5 FG vs Gonzaga in a 77-71 win
• 14pts 6-9 FG vs Villanova in a 66-68 loss
• 14pts 6-9 FG vs Creighton in a 63-68 loss
• 15pts 6-7 FG vs Depaul in a 72-61 win
• 9pts 3-5 FG vs Marquette in a 77-69 win
• 9pts 3-6 FG vs St. John's in a 62-68 loss
• 10pts 4-8 FG vs Seton Hall in an 81-50 win

 

[bendm]

Assuming what Hurley said is true, and none of our players cared about NIL before, then how can posters on here confidently state it’s competitive with the top programs? I always assumed players were taking the “Hurley discount” to play for him for less money than they could get elsewhere but apparently he isn’t counting on that anymore.

 

[superjohn]

Assuming what Hurley said is true, and none of our players cared about NIL before, then how can posters on here confidently state it’s competitive with the top programs? I always assumed players were taking the “Hurley discount” to play for him for less money than they could get elsewhere but apparently he isn’t counting on that anymore.

Because he's talking nonsense.

 

[Jaydumo20]

Assuming what Hurley said is true, and none of our players cared about NIL before, then how can posters on here confidently state it’s competitive with the top programs? I always assumed players were taking the “Hurley discount” to play for him for less money than they could get elsewhere but apparently he isn’t counting on that anymore.

You make a great point.

I can't imagine that aidan and tarris had no idea what the Indianas of the world were doing, though. I knew.

This year feels more crazy than last year though. It will be telling

 

[ColchVEGAS]

NIL is new. Until the ceiling is found, or capped, each off-season will be bigger than the last one. Just like professional sports, the next off season brings free agents that are looking to get more than the comparative player for in the previous off season received.

 

[Stinger92860]

Every player on every team will become a free agent. Crazy

 

[uconngb]

Every player on every team will become a free agent. Crazy

EVERY YEAR…..which is what these NCAA numbskulls didn’t contemplate when they decided to make them all pros. Imagine that now most pros make a longer term committment to their team than these “student athletes”

WHAT A JOKE

 

[RuffRuff]

Once the ecosystem is driven by agents all hell will unleash. When a kid can hide behind a human whose sole intention is to maximize NIL, it will all be dollars driven. It really is starting to get gross out there. Have heard that Toure has a 1mm deal from a Midwest prep school he’s likely to turn down, and that Arkansas has a 2mm dollar deal on the table.

Thats where we are these days. It behooves just about every kid out there no matter what the circumstances to portal. Hopefully something changes soon.

 

[uconnyankee]

I don’t blame the students. Who would argue for a kid to turn down $2M for a handshake or a ‘bet on yourself’ plan.

The system is broke.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I don’t blame the students. Who would argue for a kid to turn down $2M for a handshake or a ‘bet on yourself’ plan.

The system is broke.

All because the NCAA/UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS are trying to make sure the athletes aren't considered employees. Make them employees with contracts and the system will at least regain some stability. The NCAA/PRESIDENTS are just so unable to grasp the new reality. They're trying to slow walk change and it's killing the essence of what people have liked about college sports.

 

[Kenny11]

More shots, minutes, and responsibility for Jaylin Stewart makes sense. He was very efficient shooting the ball in all the games where he was able to contribute as scorer:

• 16pts 7-9 FG vs Memphis in a 97-99 OT loss
• 16pts 4-7 FG vs UMES in a 99-45 win
• 10pts 4-5 FG vs Gonzaga in a 77-71 win
• 14pts 6-9 FG vs Villanova in a 66-68 loss
• 14pts 6-9 FG vs Creighton in a 63-68 loss
• 15pts 6-7 FG vs Depaul in a 72-61 win
• 9pts 3-5 FG vs Marquette in a 77-69 win
• 9pts 3-6 FG vs St. John's in a 62-68 loss
• 10pts 4-8 FG vs Seton Hall in an 81-50 win

Stewart was not used well enough this year. He has some game to him but spent a lot of time standing in the corner. Several times he made a big play when the team was in a drought. I think he can have a very good junior season at uconn and he certainly needs to be recruited.

 

[temery]

I'll add a further disclaimer that if you play the speculation game, I'll ban your ass for a month, possibly for life. I'm tired of this shit. Just act like a adult.

every player has a right to decide their own future without being manipulated by this site or any site. Just leave them the alone and let them decide what's gonna happen to their future.

 

[HooperScooper]

I don’t blame the students. Who would argue for a kid to turn down $2M for a handshake or a ‘bet on yourself’ plan.

The system is broke.

 

[HuskyHawk]

One thought about the Portal is that the National Champion is really handicapped. It's like picking last in the draft. You have to wait so much longer to have access to the pool of players. So winning two years in a row didn't help us in the portal. Remember, we didn't do well after 2023 either until Cam entered the portal really late in the process.

So at least we don't have those disadvantages this year.

 

[Dogdeacon]

One thought about the Portal is that the National Champion is really handicapped. It's like picking last in the draft. You have to wait so much longer to have access to the pool of players. So winning two years in a row didn't help us in the portal. Remember, we didn't do well after 2023 either until Cam entered the portal really late in the process.

So at least we don't have those disadvantages this year.

Yes handicapped on timing, but offset by advantages that come with winning.
For example, to the extent Cooper Flagg was always going to Dook I believe that UConn winning back-to-back caused him to reconsider just a little bit. Or likewise when the Husky coaches locked in on a player the chances to get him were helped by the multiple championships. We want players that choose factoring heavily on the best place for them to win.

 

[NJHusky]

All because the NCAA/UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS are trying to make sure the athletes aren't considered employees. Make them employees with contracts and the system will at least regain some stability. The NCAA/PRESIDENTS are just so unable to grasp the new reality. They're trying to slow walk change and it's killing the essence of what people have liked about college sports.

They don’t care…it’s not their money

 

[Kemba15]

This article is stuck in the long thread but it applies to this one too. Could impending rev-share changes help Cinderellas in the future? 'Everybody will be in the game'

While NIL asks are getting out of control, this article says that some programs in power conferences will actually have less to spend on hoops due to how much they have to devote to football.

It explains why Willard would actually get more to work with at Nova than Maryland. And it says most BE schools are in good shape and have at least $5M to spend on hoops rosters based on revenue sharing figures.

Granted there’s still the issue of outside contributions but it’s well worth a read IMO

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yes handicapped on timing, but offset by advantages that come with winning.
For example, to the extent Cooper Flagg was always going to Dook I believe that UConn winning back-to-back caused him to reconsider just a little bit. Or likewise when the Husky coaches locked in on a player the chances to get him were helped by the multiple championships. We want players that choose factoring heavily on the best place for them to win.

Cooper wasn't in the portal. I think winning is a huge advantage with HS kids. Hence our great class coming in. It might be an attraction for some really high character transfers like Spencer. But it seems like most transfers are mercenaries out for the money, with everything else secondary.

 

[HCCForever]

Cooper wasn't in the portal. I think winning is a huge advantage with HS kids. Hence our great class coming in. It might be an attraction for some really high character transfers like Spencer. But it seems like most transfers are mercenaries out for the money, with everything else secondary.

Hard to blame the students when many coaches do the same thing. Look at Devries leaving Drake for West Virginia and then on to Indiana in a span of a little over a year. Or Kevin Willard using Maryland/Iowa/Villanova to get the best deal. Obviously, athletes have a much shorter timeframe to make their money.

 

[bendm]

Could impending rev-share changes help Cinderellas in the future? 'Everybody will be in the game'

This needs to be bumped to infinity. some noteworthy quotes:

Though Big East budgets are a fraction of those in the power leagues — their schools earn $4 million to $5 million annually in conference distribution compared to $40 million-plus in the P4 — Big East members are financially strong enough, with donations, university subsidies and basketball revenues, to share a portion of the $20.5 million.

As many as a dozen non-power league Division I schools — many of them in the Big East — are planning to spend at least $5 million on their men’s basketball roster next year, with a smaller group hoping to reach the $6 million and $7 million marks, those with knowledge of the plans told Yahoo Sports.

“In the Big East,” says Duke athletic director Nina King, “their basketball revenue-share portion will be a lot more than what those of us can do who have Division I power football programs.”

“Big East schools next year can pay $6 million or more to their basketball team,” said Houston athletic director Eddie Nunez, “and that’s a game-changer.”

Though he declined to comment on his distribution plan, UConn athletic director David Benedict believes that “at minimum” schools need $5 million for a men’s roster, $1 million to $2 million for a women’s roster and in the “neighborhood of $5 million” for a Group of Six football roster. Such figures, he believes, will put those teams near the top of their respective sports in the revenue-share era.

 

[boog204]

One thought about the Portal is that the National Champion is really handicapped. It's like picking last in the draft. You have to wait so much longer to have access to the pool of players. So winning two years in a row didn't help us in the portal. Remember, we didn't do well after 2023 either until Cam entered the portal really late in the process.

So at least we don't have those disadvantages this year.

Maybe I'm cynical, but I'd think pretty much everyone (including us) has some sort of feelers out there for potential "portalers." Hurley said at least 1/2 his team had already been contacted and in some cases knew where they were going with NIL talks. I'd imagine most teams already do this. Why else would guys enter the portal with "do not contact" if everything has not already been in motion?

 

[Deepster]

Pro - Hurley's strength is as a recruiter. You can assume that also translates to keeping guys he wants to keep.
Pro - We have a list of recent guys succeeding in the NBA.
Pro - We have lots of title success, including recent success. That starts to wither a little each year you fall short of conf/NCAA success.
Pro - Coaching staff and facilities. We match or beat anyone there.
Con - Other teams are drooling at grabbing guys with our pedigree.
Con - Our conference probably doesn't help all the time.
Con - Not sure how our NIL stacks up to elite competition when we/they really want someone.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Cooper wasn't in the portal. I think winning is a huge advantage with HS kids. Hence our great class coming in. It might be an attraction for some really high character transfers like Spencer. But it seems like most transfers are mercenaries out for the money, with everything else secondary.

It definitely helped with McNeeley, who was a late decommit. But again, a high school guy, not a portal guy.

There's a definite disadvantage in the portal for teams that make a run. Look at what St. John's was able to do already because they lost.

 

[HuskyHawk]

It definitely helped with McNeeley, who was a late decommit. But again, a high school guy, not a portal guy.

There's a definite disadvantage in the portal for teams that make a run. Look at what St. John's was able to do already because they lost.

That's the only point I was trying to make. We were disadvantaged in the portal the last two years and just got really lucky with Cam entering late and with Reed. This year we should be in better position.