What's happened?

[BrewCity83]

rgoode57, you're mistaken if you think MU is not paying its players large sums of NIL money.  Shaka may not be dropping the million-dollar bag to land the 5-star recruit (there aren't many of those guys out there), but he's taking care of our guys.  He just goes about it a different way. 

The Auburns-Alabamas-Kentuckys-Tennessees all have football players to use up huge chunks of their NIL money.  So although they have huge alumni bases to contribute NIL funds, they also have many more NIL "mouths to feed".  Marquette has basketball, so we've gotta pay maybe a dozen guys.

[NCMUFan]

So, you're gonna stop watching when MU is winning NCAA Tournament games?

I have 6+.  Meaning the Big East and NCAA Tourney is the + when we advance.  If you are anticipating us getting a bye and going to the Big East final, then add 2 more games.  If we run the table in the NCAA tourney, that is an additional 5 games.

[Billy Hoyle]

Allow me to clarify my previous comments a bit.



But, those teams all have one other thing in common - huge NIL programs.

.

Do you know who else has a huge NIL program for basketball? Indiana. So do Kansas, Washington, Kansas State, North Carolina, and Texas. How are those teams doing this season? Is the NIL investment paying off for them?

The teams you mentioned have huge NIL programs but often they're throwing money at recruits. We know Memphis offered big dollars to Kam and yet he stayed. There is a difference between throwing money at recruits to get them to commit and guys currently on the team being compensated handsomely. There was a "day in the life" video with Chase where he was driving a BMW X3 (on a campus where one does not need a car to get around). I don't know his family's financial situation so maybe that was for him purchased by his parents, but my guess is that is a NIL benefit.

One interview I saw with Shaka regarding portal demands is that he tells guys when they get to MU they will have the opportunity to earn NIL. Do you think Kansas is glad they shelled out $600k for AJ Storr before he played a game for them?

[MU82]

I have 6+.  Meaning the Big East and NCAA Tourney is the + when we advance.  If you are anticipating us getting a bye and going to the Big East final, then add 2 more games.  If we run the table in the NCAA tourney, that is an additional 5 games.

I missed the + ... my bad!

[MuggsyB]

I'm not sure if I'd say we were "overrated" but I thought we had an advantage early in the season thanks to our roster continuity from the previous season. St. John's is a great example of peaking as the season has gone on, and their roster of transfers has acclimated and come together. Purdue, the other high major who didn't take any transfers, is going through similar issues as the season has gone on.

With all due respect Billy, I don't buy the "roster continuity" argument.  I've watched a lot of our early games.  Great players are great players.  At the beginning of the season Kam was playing like the best player in the entire country.  And it wasn't just his statistical output and efficiency, his stellar play filtered to every member of our team on the offensive end.  It led to way more open space and easier decision making from every area on the floor. 

Fast forward to now and it's night and day.  And the reason it's such a drastic difference is Kam has far less confidence in his jump shot which allows teams to sag and pack the paint.  He also doesn't look nearly as confident in his interior shots.  The bottom line is we're not making shots and our offense is stuck in the mud.  There's way too much dribbling, hesitation, and standing around with our thumbs up our asses in lieu of moving ourselves and the rock.  You add the fact that Jop, Ben, and Stevie are really struggling to score when they do have clean looks and the whole offense snowballs into a cataclysmic disaster.

In order for us to get out of this s-storm, Kam has to play like an All-American.  If he does, everything is exponentially easier.  If he doesn't, our margin for error is infinitesimal and the likely result will be early darkness. 

[Shooter McGavin]

Well said Muggsy.  Kam knows it as well based on that podcast.  Hopefully he's close.  I like the way he has been firing of late.  Much less hesitation.  Closer misses and a few more makes.

[zcg2013]

Kam mentioned on the pod that he let a few go and said they felt good and looked good and just hit the back iron. CM agreed. Normally Kam from the release you can get a decent idea of if it's going in or not. Gotta feeling he is close to going off again.