Katz’s Corner: How to Strengthen NIL Contracts

The same response continues to be thrown back at me: Until there is collective bargaining, it won’t change. 

Don’t hold your breath — especially since there is no sign that a union is on the horizon, or even some sort of governing body. And who would be representing the coaches or the NABC? Would it be Craig Robinson, the head of the National Association of Basketball Coaches? Would it be Charlie Baker, the NCAA president, or would it end up being a conference commissioner, since this would have to represent all sports, not just men’s basketball? 

There is no end in sight on this issue. Congress has its hands full with larger matters, and even with an executive order that will likely be challenged in court, there doesn’t seem to be an answer to the issue of player movement and contracts. 

I don’t begrudge the players for trying to seek the highest dollar amount. But I will still continue to say that players who weren’t stars have tended to regret leaving. 

Need a few examples?

Jamarques Lawrence left Nebraska, went to Rhode Island for a season, and then returned to help the Huskers have a historic season (hit the game-winning three-pointer at Illinois, a 20-0 start, No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and a first-ever NCAA Tournament win and Sweet Sixteen appearance). 

How about Jamichael Davis? He professed his loyalty to Rutgers after returning from a year away at Georgetown. Credit Steve Pikiell and staff, much like Fred Hoiberg and his staff at Nebraska, for welcoming back a player who bolted on the team the previous year. 

And then there is Denzel Aberdeen, who left the national champion Florida Gators to go to Kentucky. He has announced he is returning to Gainesville to finish his degree and hoping for a waiver to play one more season for the Gators. 

Colin Chandler followed his head coach Mark Pope from BYU to Kentucky. Guess where he’s now going back to next season? Yup, you guessed it, BYU! 

Flory Bidunga Inks With Louisville and 12 Other SignIngs Out of the Portal

Flory Bidunga and Jackson Shelstad team up, PJ Haggerty joins his fifth school in five years and more big offseason developments

Maybe this one is a stretch, but I will include it anyway — Tru Washington. He played two years for Richard Pitino at New Mexico. Washington didn’t follow him to Xavier, but instead went to Miami. 

And now I’m sure you won’t be surprised where he’s heading next: Xavier — to play once again for Pitino. So, I will consider this one another bounce back to a former coach, even if it’s not the same school. 

The Chandler example is going back to the same school, albeit for a different coach. 

What these players, and hopefully others, are seeing is that the potential for a lifetime attachment to the school and its alumni will and should outweigh the short-term gain of a quick one-season payday. 

The top retentions (so far) 

• Credit reigning champ Michigan, of course, for quickly retaining multiple players from its title-winning roster, starting with Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney. LJ Cason will stay and rehab from his ACL, and the quotes from Morez Johnson Jr. about having no issue returning to Michigan — if he doesn’t go to the NBA Draft — are positive. 
• Rodney Rice was likely going to return to USC, as the Trojans helped him rehab from a shoulder injury. So that news makes the Trojans an immediate NCAA Tournament possibility. 
• Houston coach Kelvin Sampson got Joseph Tugler back, which immediately maintains the interior for the Cougars. 
• Texas did the same with the return of Matas Vokietaitis. He will immediately be one of the best bigs in the Big 12. 
• Tahaad Pettiford is running it back for Auburn after the Tigers’ NIT title. That’s a sigh of relief for second-year coach Steven Pearl. 
• If UConn can put together a package to keep Braylon Mullins, as is being discussed, instead of him trying to be a mid-to-late first-round pick, the Huskies will maintain their status as a preseason top-10 team and favorites in the Big East.

Early transfer winners

1. Louisville: The Cardinals picked up two potential first-team All-ACC players in Oregon point guard Jackson Shelstad and Kansas big man Flory Bidunga. Pat Kelsey is hustling.
2. Michigan: The Wolverines will be very active, and picking up JP Estrella from Tennessee fills an important frontcourt void. 
3. Texas A&M: The Aggies love to play in the 90s and 100s and there is no question that PJ Haggerty will have a green light playing Bucky Ball. He could put up massive numbers now that he’s reached his final destination (one would think) after stops at TCU (only six games), Tulsa, Memphis and Kansas State. 
4. Illinois: Brad Underwood is flourishing with Europeans, and getting Providence’s Stefan Vaaks, a native of Estonia, is a great pickup. Vaaks will fit right in with the Illini Eastern European crew. 
5. Tennessee: SEC fans will get to know the name Tyler Lundblade. The Belmont sharpshooter is the top three-point marksman in the portal by percentage. He will flourish in the Rick Barnes system. 
6. Xavier: Pitino needed to upgrade the talent pool and he has done just that by adding Tru Washington and shooting wing Ruben Dominguez from Texas A&M.
7. Providence: Bryan Hodgson has made an immediate impact in the portal with the pickup of San Diego State’s Miles Byrd, the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, and Dink Pate, a G League scoring guard. 
8. Houston: Love the pickup of Dedan Thomas Jr. from LSU. He’s exactly the type of hard-nosed player that Kelvin Sampson can maximize. 
9. Maryland: Tomislav Buljan was one of the best freshmen that got no love this season. The Croatian freshman averaged 13 and 10 and will make an immediate impact for the Terps. 
10. Creighton: Alan Huss saw up-close the impact Oswin Erhunmwunse could have when he was playing for Providence. The Bluejays desperately needed a rim protector and they got one in Erhunmwunse. 

Ranking new coaching hires that didn’t make Seth Davis’ list:

1. Luke Murray, Boston College: Murray helped Dan Hurley win two national titles and coach in a third championship game in four seasons. The Eagles have missed on every coaching hire since Al Skinner was forced out. This is the first time (sorry Steve Donahue, Jim Christian and Earl Grant) where there is legit buzz about the program again. Murray is an offensive whiz, which the Eagles definitely need. 
2. Ben Jacobson, Utah State: Jacobson coached at Northern Iowa for 20 years and was always in the mix in the Missouri Valley Conference. Utah State continues to churn out winners, regardless of coach. And I fully expect Jacobson to thrive with the Aggies in the new Pac-12. 
3. Scott Cross, Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets have lacked structure and some semblance of continuity. Cross can deliver that after running a highly successful program at Troy. He got Troy back to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season after losing his best player, Tayton Conerway, to Indiana this past season. Cross runs a very disciplined program and the Yellow Jackets need that now more than ever. 
4. Mickey McConnell, Saint Mary’s: Randy Bennett’s decision to leave for Arizona State opened the job for McConnell. Saint Mary’s is in a precarious position and needed someone who understands the area, the school and the marketplace. The WCC is changing rapidly with the departure of Gonzaga and the additions of Denver, UC San Diego and, in 2027, UC Santa Barbara. McConnell can continue the Australian pipeline and ensure the Gaels stay in the thick of the WCC title race. 
5. John Groce, Charleston: The easy question to ask is, why would Groce take a lateral move from Akron to Charleston? Nicer weather? I will say that Groce is a proven winner who maximizes his talent base. He continuously had the Zips as one of the best teams in the MAC and took them to four NCAA Tournaments. He only made one NCAA tourney in five seasons at Illinois after two in four years (including a Sweet Sixteen) at Ohio. He is no stranger to a one-bid league and will regularly have Charleston in contention for a CAA title.