2025-26 College Hoops Thread

[GoldenEagles03]

Dwyane Wade trying to get NIL checks from Marquette for past name image and likeness? 😅

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWCiAGykfOz/?img_index=1&igsh=NGF0aXlmdGljMXRh

[The Equalizer]

Dwyane Wade trying to get NIL checks from Marquette for past name image and likeness? 😅

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWCiAGykfOz/?img_index=1&igsh=NGF0aXlmdGljMXRh

It sounds more like he's talking current revenue, not past use.

If the Spirt Shop is selling Wade jerseys in 2026 or MU is using his name to recruit for the 2027 incoming class (not basketball, but overall student body), he makes a good point.

 

[GoldenEagles03]

It sounds more like he's talking current revenue, not past use.

If the Spirt Shop is selling Wade jerseys in 2026 or MU is using his name to recruit for the 2027 incoming class (not basketball, but overall student body), he makes a good point.

 

Ya I don't know if they do, but I know the jerseys they sold in the past weren't allowed to have names so it was just a number.

[MuggsyB]

Howard only down 4 at the half. 

[Billy Hoyle]

Howard only down 4 at the half. 

Now down 31

[Jay Bee]

It sounds more like he's talking current revenue, not past use.

If the Spirt Shop is selling Wade jerseys in 2026 or MU is using his name to recruit for the 2027 incoming class (not basketball, but overall student body), he makes a good point.

 

wat

[wadesworld]

wat

Right. We don't sell Wade stuff in the Spirit Shop. Only RGV gear.

[MU82]

The Athletic's Will Leitch writes pretty convincingly about how NIL has made college basketball better.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7126636/2026/03/19/march-madness-college-basketball-nil-popularity/?

From the column:

In a world, though, where college basketball players are not only paid but also paid at highly competitive rates — in many instances, more than they would get paid as an NBA benchwarmer or second-round pick — suddenly, the next generation of NBA stars are in college for the entire world to see. Thirteen of the top 14 picks in Sam Vecenie's most recent mock draft will all play in this year's tournament, and the only one who won't, North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, is because of injury. (There's only one player in Vecenie's first round, the New Zealand Breakers' Karim Lopez, who did not play college basketball in 2025-26.)

But this doesn't mean college basketball has become a feeder league for the NBA. Players who might have risked leaving college early for the draft despite only a second-round projection can stay and make money, which leads to the sort of traditional college star we'd lost for nearly a decade: a guy who sticks around for years (just maybe not on your preferred team), excelling in the sport despite not quite being NBA caliber, populating rosters everywhere. Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg, a first-team All-American, is precisely the sort of player college basketball traditionally loses, a projected mid-to-late-first-round pick who, because of NIL, stayed and ended up powering a fantastic Michigan team to a No. 1 seed while being one of the more magnetic personalities you'll see in this tournament.

You've got high school recruits flocking to campus again, established stars sticking around, and you've got international players realizing American college teams are a logical (and financially lucrative) place to build your brand and play in front of roaring crowds. This is ultimately advantageous to the NBA as well; these players are now pre-branded, already in the public consciousness of the average sports fan. The NBA won't have to explain to us who Darryn Peterson or Darius Acuff Jr. is.

[Zog from Margo]

State Senate passes bill to use tax dollars to fund UW athletics and to exempt player deals from public records disclosures. Fiscal responsibility?

https://captimes.com/news/education/nil-bill-would-help-uw-but-athletics-problems-linger-mnookin-says/article_c5aa5ac4-90b3-4175-b4ea-8973f24feb1a.html

[WhiteTrash]

The Athletic's Will Leitch writes pretty convincingly about how NIL has made college basketball better.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7126636/2026/03/19/march-madness-college-basketball-nil-popularity/?

From the column:

In a world, though, where college basketball players are not only paid but also paid at highly competitive rates — in many instances, more than they would get paid as an NBA benchwarmer or second-round pick — suddenly, the next generation of NBA stars are in college for the entire world to see. Thirteen of the top 14 picks in Sam Vecenie's most recent mock draft will all play in this year's tournament, and the only one who won't, North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, is because of injury. (There's only one player in Vecenie's first round, the New Zealand Breakers' Karim Lopez, who did not play college basketball in 2025-26.)

But this doesn't mean college basketball has become a feeder league for the NBA. Players who might have risked leaving college early for the draft despite only a second-round projection can stay and make money, which leads to the sort of traditional college star we'd lost for nearly a decade: a guy who sticks around for years (just maybe not on your preferred team), excelling in the sport despite not quite being NBA caliber, populating rosters everywhere. Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg, a first-team All-American, is precisely the sort of player college basketball traditionally loses, a projected mid-to-late-first-round pick who, because of NIL, stayed and ended up powering a fantastic Michigan team to a No. 1 seed while being one of the more magnetic personalities you'll see in this tournament.

You've got high school recruits flocking to campus again, established stars sticking around, and you've got international players realizing American college teams are a logical (and financially lucrative) place to build your brand and play in front of roaring crowds. This is ultimately advantageous to the NBA as well; these players are now pre-branded, already in the public consciousness of the average sports fan. The NBA won't have to explain to us who Darryn Peterson or Darius Acuff Jr. is.

I think Will is a little late to the party, but good for him.

[muwarrior69]

The Athletic's Will Leitch writes pretty convincingly about how NIL has made college basketball better.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7126636/2026/03/19/march-madness-college-basketball-nil-popularity/?

From the column:

In a world, though, where college basketball players are not only paid but also paid at highly competitive rates — in many instances, more than they would get paid as an NBA benchwarmer or second-round pick — suddenly, the next generation of NBA stars are in college for the entire world to see. Thirteen of the top 14 picks in Sam Vecenie's most recent mock draft will all play in this year's tournament, and the only one who won't, North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, is because of injury. (There's only one player in Vecenie's first round, the New Zealand Breakers' Karim Lopez, who did not play college basketball in 2025-26.)

But this doesn't mean college basketball has become a feeder league for the NBA. Players who might have risked leaving college early for the draft despite only a second-round projection can stay and make money, which leads to the sort of traditional college star we'd lost for nearly a decade: a guy who sticks around for years (just maybe not on your preferred team), excelling in the sport despite not quite being NBA caliber, populating rosters everywhere. Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg, a first-team All-American, is precisely the sort of player college basketball traditionally loses, a projected mid-to-late-first-round pick who, because of NIL, stayed and ended up powering a fantastic Michigan team to a No. 1 seed while being one of the more magnetic personalities you'll see in this tournament.

You've got high school recruits flocking to campus again, established stars sticking around, and you've got international players realizing American college teams are a logical (and financially lucrative) place to build your brand and play in front of roaring crowds. This is ultimately advantageous to the NBA as well; these players are now pre-branded, already in the public consciousness of the average sports fan. The NBA won't have to explain to us who Darryn Peterson or Darius Acuff Jr. is.

Better for the players and P4 college basketball, but I have my doubts if its better for Marquette or the Big East. Let's see if the league and Marquette can bounce back next season. 

[MuggsyB]

Michigan is just too big for SLU.  When Cadeau plays well they're a problem.

[muwarrior69]

Michigan is just too big for SLU.  When Cadeau plays well they're a problem.

I guess they'll be too big for us when we play them next fall.

[wadesworld]

Better for the players and P4 college basketball, but I have my doubts if its better for Marquette or the Big East. Let's see if the league and Marquette can bounce back next season.

We know.

I guess they'll be too big for us when we play them next fall.

Yeah. We have no clue what either roster looks like. But we're a mid major now so no chance we compete.

[willie warrior]

We know.

Yeah. We have no clue what either roster looks like. But we're a mid major now so no chance we compete.

Low major.

[Scoop Snoop]

We know.

Yeah. We have no clue what either roster looks like. But we're a mid major now so no chance we compete.

He's already laying the foundation for failure and apparently wants to be the first to predict it. Give him some credit for being proactive.

Oh, and thanks for noticing him. 

[MU82]

I guess they'll be too big for us when we play them next fall.

[muwarrior69]

We know.

Yeah. We have no clue what either roster looks like. But we're a mid major now so no chance we compete.

We know the 4 guys returning lost 20 games, 14 in a crappy Big East, and we have no way of knowing how the incoming class will perform and as you acknowledged Marquette is at disadvantage financially so I wonder if we'll get the transfers we need to actually compete to make a difference when all the P4 schools will be going after those same players. This off season will tell us a lot to see where the program stands compared to our competition.

However, you're right. We don't know what the roster looks like and if the transfers and incoming class can make a difference I'll gladly eat crow. At least my crow will have a nice taste, otherwise the crow we'll all eat will leave a bad taste in all of our mouths.

[MU82]

The field for next season's Maui Invitational isn't as strong as the crazy-good field was when we played in it in 2023. But it's better than I expected it to be after all the discussion about how these events were going out of style:

Arizona, BYU, Clemson, Colorado State, Ole Miss, Providence, VCU, and Washington.

[Uncle Rico]

The field for next season's Maui Invitational isn't as strong as the crazy-good field was when we played in it in 2023. But it's better than I expected it to be after all the discussion about how these events were going out of style:

Arizona, BYU, Clemson, Colorado State, Ole Miss, Providence, VCU, and Washington.

Hot take with no knowledge other than gut feeling, but Washington is very good next year

[Scoop Snoop]

Hot take with no knowledge other than gut feeling, but Washington is very good next year

This is a perfect example of the Scoop Way. Screw the Butler Way. The Scoop Way is a lot more fun.

[Jay Bee]

Hot take with no knowledge other than gut feeling, but Washington is very good next year

Might just be the gerbil.