Transfer Portal vs. Recruiting, retaining , developing

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Says an expert on dumb.

You shall be named the Savant of Cognizance, Dung Willie

[Viper]

But the real question is does Shaka beat RED?

...Gard does know ball

[Scoop Snoop]

...Gard does know ball

Oh shut up!

[79Warrior]

I'm less optimistic on the finances...

Donate to the NIL. Every dollar helps.

[Viper]

Oh shut up!

...but Shaka will get the W this December on home court. Guaranteed.

[MUDPT]

I see the foundation of Shaka's team and culture being chemistry, and someone coming in making $1 million+ before putting on a MU uniform would upend that, as it has other teams (Seton Hall last season, for example, SLU a few years ago, Fresno State women, Miami).

Fresno State women is quite the take.

[Scoop Snoop]

...but Shaka will get the W this December on home court. Guaranteed.

  We're good!

[avid1010]

I see the foundation of Shaka's team and culture being chemistry, and someone coming in making $1 million+ before putting on a MU uniform would upend that, as it has other teams (Seton Hall last season, for example, SLU a few years ago, Fresno State women, Miami).

I don't disagree...but we can surely name a number of cases where paying someone that kind of money paid off.  UCONN...

Again, I think Shaka is doing the right thing given the money MU has.  I'm a bit concerned with what that looks like moving forward, but he was obviously not worried enough to bolt to UK.

[MU82]

I don't disagree...but we can surely name a number of cases where paying someone that kind of money paid off.  UCONN...

Again, I think Shaka is doing the right thing given the money MU has.  I'm a bit concerned with what that looks like moving forward, but he was obviously not worried enough to bolt to UK.

How much money does UConn have? What have they paid specific players? How much money does MU have? What are your sources? Thanks in advance for your answers.

[CTWarrior]

I cannot think of anything that Shaka could do that would diminish my respect and appreciation for what he has done for the program and the university. If in five years they have not advanced past a S16 I will be very disappointed, but still strongly in his camp. My biggest interest for the program is to see the excitement level remain high because MU benefits from that exposure.

IMO, I have seen more very good to great basketball over the past two years than any time since the 1970's and I expect we will see more in the upcoming years. Shaka created excitement around the program extremely quickly and I want that to remain. To do so, I firmly believe it needs more success in March. Again, I firmly believe the excitement continues this year and this team may end up being the biggest surprise of the Shaka tenure at MU.

This cannot be understated.  Not only have we been very good under Shaka, we play a brand of basketball that is so much fun to watch. 

I mentioned toward the end of last season that I feared the 2023-2024 season would be the peak under Shaka, and I stlll fear that, but he has more than earned the right to try to prove me wrong for as long as he wants to stay in Milwaukee or 7-8 seasons, whichever comes first.

[Hards Alumni]

Based on the responses, I'm comfortable repeating:

The new reality is too new for any trend, and I haven't seen data suggesting Marquette can't compete.

Exactly.  Who knows what any school/org will be spending in five or even three years.

[avid1010]

How much money does UConn have? What have they paid specific players? How much money does MU have? What are your sources? Thanks in advance for your answers.

It's hard for me to respond to this without sounding like a tool, but I would be interested in a real conversation about this given that I'm sure there are people on this board that have had conversations with D1 athletes, former, athletes, coaches, etc. at a deeper level than me.

I know the family's of six current D1 players, have spoken with a few former players (one in great depth), and have spoken with a handful of D1 Assistant coaches or lesser staff members.

I believe UK offered more money to a encourage a kid to transfer (honestly telling him he would only play meaningful minutes given an injury) then some high level D1 school were giving their starting talent.  What makes this story interesting, is that the kid didn't take the $ because he wanted to showcase his skills at a lesser school in hopes of increasing his value overseas upon graduation.  I would think that happens often, and keeps a Kam Jones at MU...he has a lot to lose if a transfer doesn't go well.

Again, I love Shaka and his approach....wouldn't want MU to change a thing even if they had the money, but when I hear fans feeling Shaka isn't using the portal appropriately I'm not sure that's a possibility even if he wasn't worried about impact on culture.  I think they get outbid.  I admittedly don't know this to be a fact.

[Uncle Rico]

It's hard for me to respond to this without sounding like a tool, but I would be interested in a real conversation about this given that I'm sure there are people on this board that have had conversations with D1 athletes, former, athletes, coaches, etc. at a deeper level than me.

I know the family's of six current D1 players, have spoken with a few former players (one in great depth), and have spoken with a handful of D1 Assistant coaches or lesser staff members.

I believe UK offered more money to a encourage a kid to transfer (honestly telling him he would only play meaningful minutes given an injury) then some high level D1 school were giving their starting talent.  What makes this story interesting, is that the kid didn't take the $ because he wanted to showcase his skills at a lesser school in hopes of increasing his value overseas upon graduation.  I would think that happens often, and keeps a Kam Jones at MU...he has a lot to lose if a transfer doesn't go well.

Again, I love Shaka and his approach....wouldn't want MU to change a thing even if they had the money, but when I hear fans feeling Shaka isn't using the portal appropriately I'm not sure that's a possibility even if he wasn't worried about impact on culture.  I think they get outbid.  I admittedly don't know this to be a fact.

The counterpoint would be, they haven't had to use the portal.  They could have, but didn't have to.

I think no one knows how Marquette would fare in the portal having to rebuild a roster, ala, Wisconsin this year.  We can guess, but that's all it would be.

While Shaka built his first roster with portal additions, we need to remember that's pre-NIL.  I've been perplexed at the hand-wringing from some on scoop about his use of the portal considering how successful they've been in 3 years.

[Goose]

Rico,

There is little to question how Shaka has made things happen and I agree on the level of concern on not using the portal. I admit, he completely shocked me with approach that he has taken, but I am all in on his decision. That said, if a portal addition is added from time to time, I would be all in on that as well.

[MU82]

It's hard for me to respond to this without sounding like a tool, but I would be interested in a real conversation about this given that I'm sure there are people on this board that have had conversations with D1 athletes, former, athletes, coaches, etc. at a deeper level than me.

I know the family's of six current D1 players, have spoken with a few former players (one in great depth), and have spoken with a handful of D1 Assistant coaches or lesser staff members.

I believe UK offered more money to a encourage a kid to transfer (honestly telling him he would only play meaningful minutes given an injury) then some high level D1 school were giving their starting talent.  What makes this story interesting, is that the kid didn't take the $ because he wanted to showcase his skills at a lesser school in hopes of increasing his value overseas upon graduation.  I would think that happens often, and keeps a Kam Jones at MU...he has a lot to lose if a transfer doesn't go well.

Again, I love Shaka and his approach....wouldn't want MU to change a thing even if they had the money, but when I hear fans feeling Shaka isn't using the portal appropriately I'm not sure that's a possibility even if he wasn't worried about impact on culture.  I think they get outbid.  I admittedly don't know this to be a fact.

You don't sound like a tool. But you have had several posts in which I believe you have been overly alarmist, especially given what we know so far and what has happened so far. I bolded a part of this post for emphasis to show something that I very much agree with.

I am trying to be pragmatic about all of this - I obviously know it's happening, that big money is being spent in some programs, and that Marquette will never be the leader in that spending. But I have seen no evidence that I should be losing sleep over it, given what Shaka has accomplished so far. In that respect, I agree with Unk's response.

Maybe in 1, 3, 5, 10 years Marquette will be doomed. Or maybe we'll be thriving big-time. Or most probably something in between those extremes.

[Goose]

I think anyone that thinks MU is doomed due to NIL is making a very big mistake. First, I think there might be guard rails put into play somewhere down the line and it will level the playing field to some degree. Secondly, I have no concern over MU having MU to compete on almost every player that they would like to get or retain. That said, it does not mean they will win every time.

From what I know, it seems to me that MU has a great process in place for NIL contracts. It may end up looking like an outstanding process if guard rails are put into place because MU will have a head start on how to play the game. Not for one second do I think Shaka is losing sleep over MU NIL money. If he was/is, he had a couple of chances to go to the deep pocket programs this past spring.

[MU82]

I think anyone that thinks MU is doomed due to NIL is making a very big mistake. First, I think there might be guard rails put into play somewhere down the line and it will level the playing field to some degree. Secondly, I have no concern over MU having MU to compete on almost every player that they would like to get or retain. That said, it does not mean they will win every time.

From what I know, it seems to me that MU has a great process in place for NIL contracts. It may end up looking like an outstanding process if guard rails are put into place because MU will have a head start on how to play the game. Not for one second do I think Shaka is losing sleep over MU NIL money. If he was/is, he had a couple of chances to go to the deep pocket programs this past spring.

Yep.

Crean left (at least in part) because he felt Marquette couldn't consistently recruit with the bluebloods. Buzz left (at least in part) because he thought the new Big East wouldn't be viable. If Shaka didn't believe Marquette could compete at a national level, he probably could have doubled his salary elsewhere.

[The Sultan]

I think anyone that thinks MU is doomed due to NIL is making a very big mistake. First, I think there might be guard rails put into play somewhere down the line and it will level the playing field to some degree. Secondly, I have no concern over MU having MU to compete on almost every player that they would like to get or retain. That said, it does not mean they will win every time.

From what I know, it seems to me that MU has a great process in place for NIL contracts. It may end up looking like an outstanding process if guard rails are put into place because MU will have a head start on how to play the game. Not for one second do I think Shaka is losing sleep over MU NIL money. If he was/is, he had a couple of chances to go to the deep pocket programs this past spring.

The only way "guardrails" can be put in place is if the players are considered employees, form a union, and allow for a salary cap. But even a salary cap doesn't cap outside NIL deals. Given that, I doubt there are guardrails ever put in place. This is the system that the NCAA's ignorance has lead us to. And Marquette will have to manage like it always has.

That being said, Marquette is prioritizing its NIL money to keep its own rather than to get new transfers in. I doubt they were "outbid" by anybody, because I doubt they did anything more but kick the tires on a couple guys. And I think it is safe to say that if the first question out of a player's mouth was "what about NIL," the conversation ended pretty quickly.

[brewcity77]

Yep.

Crean left (at least in part) because he felt Marquette couldn't consistently recruit with the bluebloods. Buzz left (at least in part) because he thought the new Big East wouldn't be viable. If Shaka didn't believe Marquette could compete at a national level, he probably could have doubled his salary elsewhere.

Not sure if doubled is accurate, but there were three high profile jobs that tried to lure Shaka before settling on the coaches they hired. One an unquestionable blue blood.

[MUfan12]

Not sure if doubled is accurate, but there were three high profile jobs that tried to lure Shaka before settling on the coaches they hired. One an unquestionable blue blood.

Michigan, Kentucky, ?

[Uncle Rico]

Goose and Sultan are correct

[Goose]

Sultan

I do think there will be changes to how the NIL is handled and will become a bit less chaotic. It is out of hand at the moment, and something needs to be done, even if minor changes. If that happens, I think MU's model will be used by more programs.

[JTJ3]

Michigan, Kentucky, ?

Ohio State before they took the interim tag off Diebler.

[The Sultan]

Sultan

I do think there will be changes to how the NIL is handled and will become a bit less chaotic. It is out of hand at the moment, and something needs to be done, even if minor changes. If that happens, I think MU's model will be used by more programs.

I think schools will be "smarter" with their money as a couple of years experience will inform how they spend money in the future. But unless there is political involvement of some sort, any changes would not be able to be imposed from the outside.

And I would also argue that something does not need to be done. Its a free market. It will sort itself out.

[4everwarriors]

NIL is the ruination of college athletics, as we knew it, aina?