NIL/Transfer Portal

[Jim French Stepstool]

9 hours ago, Oxy said:

What amazes me is that there are 3 kids from one high school in Omaha, NEBRASKA who would be in the top 75 or so transfer kids in the entire portal/country (Chucky won't enter the portal...but still). Entire states of millions of athletes from California, NY, Texas, Florida, Ohio, etc. etc. etc. could enter the portal...and these 3 guys from Omaha are that good?!? Weird.

I could see Omaha churning out pretty good talent within a 2-3 year period. It's a big city, even though it isn't known as a hotbed of hoops talent. I agree that them all coming from the same high school is strange. I'm sure that's a function of kids nowadays being allowed to go pretty much wherever they want, as opposed to being limited to this-or-that district. And Bellview West HS has been either state champ or runnerup like twelve times in the last 25 years. A record like that recruits itself.

[CheezWizHed]

On 4/13/2024 at 12:44 PM, Jim French Stepstool said:

I could see Omaha churning out pretty good talent within a 2-3 year period. It's a big city, even though it isn't known as a hotbed of hoops talent. I agree that them all coming from the same high school is strange. I'm sure that's a function of kids nowadays being allowed to go pretty much wherever they want, as opposed to being limited to this-or-that district. And Bellview West HS has been either state champ or runnerup like twelve times in the last 25 years. A record like that recruits itself.

I would assume they have a very good development program also... not only the HS itself, but JR High, Grade School, etc... 

[Jim French Stepstool]

9 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

I would assume they have a very good development program also... not only the HS itself, but JR High, Grade School, etc... 

Probably. And maybe an unofficial but real tie-in with some AAU program in the area.

[MrTPlush]

Wisconsin has lost one of it's biggest bargaining chips in trying to get AJ Storr to come back. Sania Copeland, who is apparently AJ Storr's girlfriend, has transferred to Kansas to play basketball.

 

 

[stoutdude04]

33 minutes ago, MrTPlush said:

Wisconsin has lost one of it's biggest bargaining chips in trying to get AJ Storr to come back. Sania Copeland, who is apparently AJ Storr's girlfriend, has transferred to Kansas to play basketball.

 

 

On the contrary, distance makes the heart grow fonder! ;)

[Fear The Chorizo]

On 4/13/2024 at 3:25 AM, Oxy said:

What amazes me is that there are 3 kids from one high school in Omaha, NEBRASKA who would be in the top 75 or so transfer kids in the entire portal/country (Chucky won't enter the portal...but still). Entire states of millions of athletes from California, NY, Texas, Florida, Ohio, etc. etc. etc. could enter the portal...and these 3 guys from Omaha are that good?!? Weird.

It's a million or so people in the metro area, and Omaha proper is actually pretty darn diverse - plus its ties to Nebraska-Lincoln and Creighton have established some really good youth leagues/development programs for the major college sports (football, basketball, baseball).

Good spot to find polished/developed talent that can play at the D1 level....not necessarily an NBA or NFL hotbed, but a great part of the country to find college roster glue-guys.

 

 

[Jimbo]

On 4/16/2024 at 12:32 PM, MrTPlush said:

Wisconsin has lost one of it's biggest bargaining chips in trying to get AJ Storr to come back. Sania Copeland, who is apparently AJ Storr's girlfriend, has transferred to Kansas to play basketball.

 

 

The bigger story is Copeland leaving the program.  First I heard of this.  The second year in a row the second best player leaves.  One step forward, one step back.  Surprsied Leah Williams is still around.

 

[stoutdude04]

Rumors are Chucky is leaving Wisconsin.  Man the transfer portal stinks for fans.

[stoutdude04]

On 4/16/2024 at 12:32 PM, MrTPlush said:

Wisconsin has lost one of it's biggest bargaining chips in trying to get AJ Storr to come back. Sania Copeland, who is apparently AJ Storr's girlfriend, has transferred to Kansas to play basketball.

 

 

Storr to Kansas as well.

[CheezWizHed]

1 hour ago, stoutdude04 said:

Rumors are Chucky is leaving Wisconsin.  Man the transfer portal stinks for fans.

Yeah, Not that it would stop Chucky, but they really need to limit it to 2 years or something like that.  The every-year churn is very tiring already.  I wonder when schools will start offering 2-year NIL deals instead of what they have now?

[CheezWizHed]

2 minutes ago, stoutdude04 said:

Storr to Kansas as well.

I'm glad he isn't in the BIG10...

[nate82]

1 hour ago, stoutdude04 said:

Rumors are Chucky is leaving Wisconsin.  Man the transfer portal stinks for fans.

That is a bit concerning for the Badgers.  What is going on with the team that so many are leaving?  I don't believe it is a money issue there must be something else going on that the players don't like. 

[stoutdude04]

And Chucky officially enters the portal.  This era of college sports is really frustrating for fans.

[RedStickBrew]

52 minutes ago, nate82 said:

That is a bit concerning for the Badgers.  What is going on with the team that so many are leaving?  I don't believe it is a money issue there must be something else going on that the players don't like. 

I can’t wait to hear the explanation for Chucky leaving. The prior portal entries all made more sense. The fact that Chucky entered the portal this late seems to me to be about his possible frustration with putting the team together for next year and the inability for UW to not close on his high school buddy Fidler. 
 

It was reported last year that Chucky was getting offers from other schools so he could have left then or earlier this year if he wanted. Timing is certainly questionable IMO

[wildcat83]

I watched very little college sports last year, and will probably watch even less this year.  Hard to keep rooting for a new team every year, only to watch those kids leave the next year.  I totally get it from the kids perspective, I would chase the money too, but sure makes it hard to be a fan.

[MrTPlush]

1 hour ago, CheezWizHed said:

Yeah, Not that it would stop Chucky, but they really need to limit it to 2 years or something like that.  The every-year churn is very tiring already.  I wonder when schools will start offering 2-year NIL deals instead of what they have now?

They already do, but they can easily just leave after the first year. The only way it would force a player back is if you backloaded it and also massively outbid other teams. But good luck...too much competition for these players. It just doesn't make a ton of sense for the player. 

The Badgers just have to hope they can reload the talent. If not, they will quickly flop in the NIL era. Losing Storr and Hepburn aren't bad if you can replace them. I am sure it sucks to see Hepburn leave, but he is hardly something difficult to replace. Storr is a bit tougher, but they acquired him once...just got to use that same logic/strategy to find the next guy. 

 

Unless this is true, which would be bonkers. I wouldn't pay to keep him around at that price either.

 

[Underachiever]

47 minutes ago, RedStickBrew said:

I can’t wait to hear the explanation for Chucky leaving. The prior portal entries all made more sense. The fact that Chucky entered the portal this late seems to me to be about his possible frustration with putting the team together for next year and the inability for UW to not close on his high school buddy Fidler. 
 

It was reported last year that Chucky was getting offers from other schools so he could have left then or earlier this year if he wanted. Timing is certainly questionable IMO

$800k. That's your explanation. You might be overthinking this. It might have everything to do with Chucky, and money, and not something else. He may have entered the portal late because he hadn't been offered 800k until yesterday. Or he had given UW every chance to match it and they just told him they wouldn't. We will see how long he sits in the portal. I have no doubt that he will commit quickly. I'm guessing that an offer like that comes with an expiration date. Chucky was a great Badger. I am sad he is gone, but he wasn't going to make that kind of money in pro ball, maybe ever. 

[stoutdude04]

8 minutes ago, Underachiever said:

$800k. That's your explanation. You might be overthinking this. It might have everything to do with Chucky, and money, and not something else. He may have entered the portal late because he hadn't been offered 800k until yesterday. Or he had given UW every chance to match it and they just told him they wouldn't. We will see how long he sits in the portal. I have no doubt that he will commit quickly. I'm guessing that an offer like that comes with an expiration date. Chucky was a great Badger. I am sad he is gone, but he wasn't going to make that kind of money in pro ball, maybe ever. 

Supposedly, April 15th is the last pay day for NIL deals for this season.  So expect a few other big names to hit the portal potentially.

[stoutdude04]

32 minutes ago, MrTPlush said:

They already do, but they can easily just leave after the first year. The only way it would force a player back is if you backloaded it and also massively outbid other teams. But good luck...too much competition for these players. It just doesn't make a ton of sense for the player. 

The Badgers just have to hope they can reload the talent. If not, they will quickly flop in the NIL era. Losing Storr and Hepburn aren't bad if you can replace them. I am sure it sucks to see Hepburn leave, but he is hardly something difficult to replace. Storr is a bit tougher, but they acquired him once...just got to use that same logic/strategy to find the next guy. 

 

Unless this is true, which would be bonkers. I wouldn't pay to keep him around at that price either.

 

Saw this with regards to the $, that's a wild amount to me. Good for Chucky, bad for me the fan.

[RedStickBrew]

11 minutes ago, Underachiever said:

$800k. That's your explanation. You might be overthinking this. It might have everything to do with Chucky, and money, and not something else. He may have entered the portal late because he hadn't been offered 800k until yesterday. Or he had given UW every chance to match it and they just told him they wouldn't. We will see how long he sits in the portal. I have no doubt that he will commit quickly. I'm guessing that an offer like that comes with an expiration date. Chucky was a great Badger. I am sad he is gone, but he wasn't going to make that kind of money in pro ball, maybe ever. 

Yeah I have seen this now a couple times. I’m glad UW didn’t match that for a very average college PG. I don’t understand how this type of money is going to be sustainable for long. I can’t imagine this is going to be a good investment when all is said and done

[Jim French Stepstool]

59 minutes ago, RedStickBrew said:

Yeah I have seen this now a couple times. I’m glad UW didn’t match that for a very average college PG. I don’t understand how this type of money is going to be sustainable for long. I can’t imagine this is going to be a good investment when all is said and done

It really isn't an "investment" at all, because for the people most responsible for paying the freight--boosters--there isn't any tangible return on it. It's all about how high will you go, collectively, to get your jollies having a successful team to root for? Hepburn is rumored to be going to Louisville. I imagine there's a lot of frustration/desperation fueling this---it's a proud program used to winning that hasn't been good for quite some time.

Hard to look at him objectively right now since I'm a UW fan, but I'd say he was more than an average PG at the college level. His offensive #s were very average. His assist-TO ratio was excellent, competing against high level competition. And he was an excellent defender. But yeah, the 800K number as far as I can tell, is accurate. And not something UW should be interested in even considering matching.

[Samurai Bucky]

One thing I find amusing is the people who were calling for the players to get paid are the ones complaining the most about players transferring.

[Jim French Stepstool]

3 hours ago, nate82 said:

That is a bit concerning for the Badgers.  What is going on with the team that so many are leaving?  I don't believe it is a money issue there must be something else going on that the players don't like. 

Regarding Hepburn, it's a money issue.

They've lost 2 starters to the portal. One of whom hasn't stayed with the same team since, I believe, junior high. The other defections are people who weren't going to get playing time & wanted to go somewhere where they could do so. The possible exception to that is Essegian, but he's a wing who is clearly behind at least two other wings & doesn't want to come off the bench as a JR after starting two years prior.

Indiana & Illinois (along with many other schools) have had a ton of defections too. The system encourages it.

[Jim French Stepstool]

3 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

Yeah, Not that it would stop Chucky, but they really need to limit it to 2 years or something like that.  The every-year churn is very tiring already.  I wonder when schools will start offering 2-year NIL deals instead of what they have now?

I've mentioned this before, but IMO schools shouldn't have a thing to do with NIL. If it's going to exist it should be individual student-athletes being allowed to sell their name, their image, their likeness to advertisers for whatever fee they can extract. No school involvement. No school collective (slush) fund. If you're Caitlin Clark & State Farm wants you to do a TV ad, great. But during filming, leave your Iowa jersey at home. If schools are going to be allowed to pay players, fund X amount of dollars for a revenue-producing team, and distribute it evenly among scholarship athletes. Yeah, AJ Storr gets the same amount as Chris Hodges. Of course, it's gotten so far past that point that the suggestion sounds ridiculous. But had something of that ilk been done years ago maybe, just maybe we wouldn't be waist deep in something that's most likely unsustainable.

[RedStickBrew]

20 minutes ago, Samurai Bucky said:

One thing I find amusing is the people who were calling for the players to get paid are the ones complaining the most about players transferring.

So true. It doesn’t bother me that Chucky left at all. If you can get paid good for you. There are over 1600 players in the portal and only 300 or less have committed to play somewhere next year. Some of those players aren’t going to find homes but there are options for UW to replace the players they lost.

I also don’t believe this outrageous money is going to be thrown around every offseason. There is no way Hepburn type players are true program changers and donors are not going to pony up that type of cash every year for those type of players.