It's heavily weighed on social media presence and how many followers you have, which would be closer to actual NIL the way it was intended to be. How much value would such and such company see in you if you were to ask you to advertise for them? Of course not perfect, JJ could have no social media presence but someone is going to still see the purpose in throwing him in a car commercial.
"For 2021 spring sports, however, this changes. If a team plays more than fifty percent of their games, an athlete’s season counts towards their eligibility. Spring sports have a cap since they don’t play a conference-only schedule."
Are we sure KeKe has another year if she wants it?
The money pot is not endless. Can't imagine it's easy going back to the people you have already asked to foot the NIL bill to keep Will Johnson, Graham, Grant, and plenty others. Now you are going to be held hostage by everyone else on the roster if you cave to anyone being discontent, especially when it would seem to me that he was already being compensated fairly well, and I imagine that number would have continued to grow once he achieved more.
Waller reportedly making six figures, that seems like Michigan isn't being cheap paying a kid in the two deep who had a chance to start next year as a sophomore.
Wasting a scholarship feels a bit harsh. There's 85 guys on scholarship (and NIL workarounds if needed), and not all of them are going to see the field. Assuming he was a good locker room presence, I wouldn't say he wasted a scholarship.
Perhaps some of the parameters should be that the NIL bucket is not infinite and acting as such could be poor roster management. Dusty May might have thought he was a fit, but not at the asking price?
The next kid to admit in the open that it was about the money will be the first, and I will become a fan because of the honesty. They can say it's not about the money all they want, and I'm sure kids take other things into account, but it's going to be a hard time convincing me that money isn't a major factor. Not that I fault them one bit either, stack the money as much as you can for as long as you can in case the NFL doesn't work out.
Ron Bellamy is about as Metro Detroit as it gets too. Also to the original post, who is Beau? Brandon I assume is Brandon Davis Swain?
As a side note, I find it incredibly petty when people (presumably high schools) get mad at a school simply for not recruiting their kids. College coaches have jobs to do, and it's to accumulate the most talent possible. Do they get evals wrong? No doubt. Unless they're being assholes to you, don't understand why you would hold a grudge.
Laila seems to be doing fairly well on the organic NIL front with deals with JBL, Peloton, Hanes, SoFi, a perfume company with 140K followers, and various other small businesses it seems. So this probably isn't about real NIL, and there's a significant enough amount to be had at the high end programs, or she just wants to win at the highest level. Based on Sam Webb saying there's a chance she could come back, I'm guessing it's about money. If it was about winning she would be gone gone because there's no doubt a top five team that would love her on their roster.
This one, as I believed we talked about before is indeed super confusing. My only thought would be that she's bailing because Laila is out and it's looking like a rebuild??? Unless there really is a culture issue, which would be surprising from my very outside lens it appears the girls play hard for and like KBA. (I know we truly don't know anything)
C'mon Sam, it's gotta be mostly over though. I have to imagine that she knows from playing with Angel Reese (LSU), Raven Johnson (South Carolina), Lauren Betts (UCLA), what type of money is out there to play at those schools and that there's enough to be made there that would make her leave.
They've long had her replacement in waiting on staff at Stanford, thankfully. I wondered this last night, but then read the press release Stanford put out.
"Negotiations are underway with Kate Paye, who played under VanDerveer from 1991-95 and has been a member of her staff for the past 17 seasons, to become VanDerveer's successor. Paye would become the program's fifth head coach beginning with the 2024-25 season"
There's a difference though between suggesting what it seems that SQ and other people at times have suggested, and what I think you're talking about. Yeah, if you're being competitive in pay with the going rate for other kids on the DL, OL, etc. in the class and then throwing the house at an elite QB I think you can make it work. UGA, OSU, Texas, and schools like that are probably throwing competitive offers across the board. This idea that Michigan though can get away only going hard at one or two positions and play the culture fit game with a toe in both waters feels like a recipe for issues. I don't have an opposition to paying kids money to come here or think it means that you definitely get culture issues, I think there's a way to do it where you pay kids and don't get issues.
How do you tell everyone else in the class that you had to pay the top 100 WR to come, but the top 100 corner/linebacker/etc that they should be fine not taking the same bag?
Well yeah, in terms of real and every day life there's no impact. But in terms of being a fan of the women's basketball team I don't enjoy three of the probably projected seven top rotation players leaving in the span of a week with Chyra, Laila, and Taylor Woodson leaving.
I get this, but is it odd that she was a high level prospect in high school, and that if this is what she wanted she didn't do this from the jump? Did she think she was going to make us this level of team to compete for a final four / national title when Michigan hadn't previously even made a Sweet 16 before she committed? I get that it's your one shot and all that, but it's still tough to do this to KBA and your teammates. Like you said, they were going to be a good team next year it wasn't like she was wasting away on a middle of the road P5 team.
I might be a bit too harsh, I agree. I really liked her, my thought was Elissa Brett gave us pretty close to what Maddie was (slightly worse 3 point shooting) and quality defense. You need Maddie Nolan's on your team, but didn't feel like a tipping point of putting this team at another level.
There's one other big piece leaving in Taylor Woodson, and I'm going to guess Syla and Olivia Olson aren't getting much/any NIL money to come to Michigan if I had to bet.
I'm hoping it's just the fact that there's a few places in women's hoops you can make good money, and Michigan just isn't one of them. As much as that would suck for KBA to have a player of that caliber who was here for three years leave, it's better than the alternative of culture issues/not liking KBA.
I think our opinions of Cam Williams and Maddie Nolan differ, and I don't view them as big losses and combine that with them giving us the four years they committed to it's less concerning. It is getting a little puzzling putting it all together I admit.
It's a chicken and egg thing though. I have no idea the market, but what if someone had a million dollars to give KBA for the 2025 class. Have to imagine she could at least get 3-4 top 20 girls right? Assuming SC, Stanford, LSU aren't handing ladies 250K to come to their school.. That feels like a really good base to get you to start making the elite eight/maybe a final four push.
It feels like women's basketball would be one of the best ROI in sports in terms of success. What does 250K get you in football? A four star who may or may not pan out in a sport with 22 starters, or you could get one or two top ten women's hoops recruits that will help you breeze past the other top 25 teams who are trying to make it to the next tier of teams. Now this would require someone caring about women's basketball that much, and I certainly do not have this money and never will tell/ask anyone how to spend their money.
Van Lith wasn't a fit as the primary ball handler, and Laila hasn't really been a primary ball handler and I don't think that's where she's best suited either. Considering they shoe horned Leigha Brown and Lauren Hansen into those roles the last two years even though they had played off ball their whole careers. So unless LSU moves Flau'jae to the point that would be another odd fit.
Michigan basketball is certainly not that, but it feels weird if this is the case. She knew what it was coming in, when she committed they had never been to a Sweet 16, and her senior year of high school they made their first, then as a freshman made the first elite eight. She was a top 30 player out of high school, and could have gone any number of places to win at that high level, but she chose Michigan...
Genuinely curious who you think the other excellent players they've lost are. Maddie Nolan and Cam Williams are solid players who aren't/didn't use their fifth years here. Taylor Woodson was a tough one a week ago.. But I don't think it's exactly a routine.
Pure point guard being what? Caitlin Clark's passing + vision is also off the charts. Now overall as a player I think it's not far off, since Paige is a really nice defender.
"Easily goes to JuJu" unsure about that, true shooting percentage is Caitlin by a good amount. Combine that with her vision, it's getting tough for me to see, especially the easily part.
This year they've lost four girls unless I'm missing someone. Elise Stuck, four year player likely getting a handshake.. Taylor Woodson, probably the biggest portal loss KBA's had.
Taylor Williams, very intrigued to know what happened. While nothing to write home about, is a decent bench option in the front court considering the roster was thin there and unsure what Michigan is capable of in the transfer portal, would be nice to have. Also odd that if her grad degree is a two year program, she wouldn't stick it out for that.
Cam Williams, similar musings. Year five on the way, so she just might be ready to move on? She entered her name in the portal last year and came back. I didn't love her game, seemed foul prone and only much of an offensive threat to score with any volume against the mid to lower teams on the schedule (minus the big game against Kansas) That being said, think you could do a lot worse than her and would have loved her on the roster as the the first/second big option off the bench.
Of the Williams I'd want Cam back more, but don't think I would necessarily want both back (portal options pending). I doubt they kill it in the portal to the point of getting two bigs that would have completely taken both of them of a role. Do think there was a world though in which the two additions would have pushed Taylor Williams out of any significant PT if Cam was back. Or even if one was really good, you'd have portal player, Cam + Chyra taking a good chunk of front court minutes.
They are the only reason I have tuned in for any NIT action. Selfishly have enjoyed the run (while they were snubbed for the Big Dance) it has made for good standalone viewing mid week.
On a side note, the timeout situation is out of hand. Taking TV timeouts at the under 17, 14, 11, 8, and 4 is absurd. Timeouts every three minutes to start is bonkers. Especially when the U17 could come at 16:11, and the next one at 13:48. What are we doing!
NC State vs. Duke did 15 million in viewers vs. LSU/Iowa ladies having 12.3 million. I love women's basketball and have enjoyed it more than the men's in recent years, but let's not let facts get in the way of agenda pushing. The women's growth in viewership is great and I'm all about it, but they aren't leading NCAA in viewers. They're definitely towards the top though in terms of individual games with the #2 and #9 most viewed game.
Recent Comments
What about the showing this year lead to this?
It's heavily weighed on social media presence and how many followers you have, which would be closer to actual NIL the way it was intended to be. How much value would such and such company see in you if you were to ask you to advertise for them? Of course not perfect, JJ could have no social media presence but someone is going to still see the purpose in throwing him in a car commercial.
Going to need an update on what this situation is where the item can't be shipped by the person who currently has it.
Incredible posting history. Kudos for being around for 14 years on a rival's website.
So cheap it kept Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Will Johnson, Rod Moore, Makari Paige, etc.
"For 2021 spring sports, however, this changes. If a team plays more than fifty percent of their games, an athlete’s season counts towards their eligibility. Spring sports have a cap since they don’t play a conference-only schedule."
Are we sure KeKe has another year if she wants it?
Always the optimist Juice!!!
Username checks outttt.
Oops, you are correct. I am editing it now.
The money pot is not endless. Can't imagine it's easy going back to the people you have already asked to foot the NIL bill to keep Will Johnson, Graham, Grant, and plenty others. Now you are going to be held hostage by everyone else on the roster if you cave to anyone being discontent, especially when it would seem to me that he was already being compensated fairly well, and I imagine that number would have continued to grow once he achieved more.
The next highly rated Belleville kid that plays well in college will be the first.
Were you asleep when Nate Marshall committed on Monday?
Waller reportedly making six figures, that seems like Michigan isn't being cheap paying a kid in the two deep who had a chance to start next year as a sophomore.
Can we use some of that NIL money for Laila Phelia ? 😭 (I know why it wasn't but I'm still sad for KBA)
Horns down.
My guy Magnus listed 28 names at the link.
"We'll shut up." - Warde
Wasting a scholarship feels a bit harsh. There's 85 guys on scholarship (and NIL workarounds if needed), and not all of them are going to see the field. Assuming he was a good locker room presence, I wouldn't say he wasted a scholarship.
Speak for yourself, I already bought tickets to the Alamo Dome to see our boys ruin Dan Hurley's three-peat attempt.
Really difficult to do with academic progress needed towards a degree to maintain eligibility.
The rankings are compiled by 15 year olds?
Perhaps some of the parameters should be that the NIL bucket is not infinite and acting as such could be poor roster management. Dusty May might have thought he was a fit, but not at the asking price?
The next kid to admit in the open that it was about the money will be the first, and I will become a fan because of the honesty. They can say it's not about the money all they want, and I'm sure kids take other things into account, but it's going to be a hard time convincing me that money isn't a major factor. Not that I fault them one bit either, stack the money as much as you can for as long as you can in case the NFL doesn't work out.
I'll match every dollar you do to pay these kids.
Ron Bellamy is about as Metro Detroit as it gets too. Also to the original post, who is Beau? Brandon I assume is Brandon Davis Swain?
As a side note, I find it incredibly petty when people (presumably high schools) get mad at a school simply for not recruiting their kids. College coaches have jobs to do, and it's to accumulate the most talent possible. Do they get evals wrong? No doubt. Unless they're being assholes to you, don't understand why you would hold a grudge.
I'll match every dollar you spend to get him here.
Laila seems to be doing fairly well on the organic NIL front with deals with JBL, Peloton, Hanes, SoFi, a perfume company with 140K followers, and various other small businesses it seems. So this probably isn't about real NIL, and there's a significant enough amount to be had at the high end programs, or she just wants to win at the highest level. Based on Sam Webb saying there's a chance she could come back, I'm guessing it's about money. If it was about winning she would be gone gone because there's no doubt a top five team that would love her on their roster.
This one, as I believed we talked about before is indeed super confusing. My only thought would be that she's bailing because Laila is out and it's looking like a rebuild??? Unless there really is a culture issue, which would be surprising from my very outside lens it appears the girls play hard for and like KBA. (I know we truly don't know anything)
C'mon Sam, it's gotta be mostly over though. I have to imagine that she knows from playing with Angel Reese (LSU), Raven Johnson (South Carolina), Lauren Betts (UCLA), what type of money is out there to play at those schools and that there's enough to be made there that would make her leave.
Just view it as a stint in the minors where he could still see the field and stay ready at Charlotte.
They've long had her replacement in waiting on staff at Stanford, thankfully. I wondered this last night, but then read the press release Stanford put out.
"Negotiations are underway with Kate Paye, who played under VanDerveer from 1991-95 and has been a member of her staff for the past 17 seasons, to become VanDerveer's successor. Paye would become the program's fifth head coach beginning with the 2024-25 season"
Hahaha I love it, that's wild.
There's a difference though between suggesting what it seems that SQ and other people at times have suggested, and what I think you're talking about. Yeah, if you're being competitive in pay with the going rate for other kids on the DL, OL, etc. in the class and then throwing the house at an elite QB I think you can make it work. UGA, OSU, Texas, and schools like that are probably throwing competitive offers across the board. This idea that Michigan though can get away only going hard at one or two positions and play the culture fit game with a toe in both waters feels like a recipe for issues. I don't have an opposition to paying kids money to come here or think it means that you definitely get culture issues, I think there's a way to do it where you pay kids and don't get issues.
How do you tell everyone else in the class that you had to pay the top 100 WR to come, but the top 100 corner/linebacker/etc that they should be fine not taking the same bag?
Well yeah, in terms of real and every day life there's no impact. But in terms of being a fan of the women's basketball team I don't enjoy three of the probably projected seven top rotation players leaving in the span of a week with Chyra, Laila, and Taylor Woodson leaving.
Chyra Evans is now in the portal an I'm am full on panicked at what the issue is.
I get this, but is it odd that she was a high level prospect in high school, and that if this is what she wanted she didn't do this from the jump? Did she think she was going to make us this level of team to compete for a final four / national title when Michigan hadn't previously even made a Sweet 16 before she committed? I get that it's your one shot and all that, but it's still tough to do this to KBA and your teammates. Like you said, they were going to be a good team next year it wasn't like she was wasting away on a middle of the road P5 team.
I might be a bit too harsh, I agree. I really liked her, my thought was Elissa Brett gave us pretty close to what Maddie was (slightly worse 3 point shooting) and quality defense. You need Maddie Nolan's on your team, but didn't feel like a tipping point of putting this team at another level.
There's one other big piece leaving in Taylor Woodson, and I'm going to guess Syla and Olivia Olson aren't getting much/any NIL money to come to Michigan if I had to bet.
I'm hoping it's just the fact that there's a few places in women's hoops you can make good money, and Michigan just isn't one of them. As much as that would suck for KBA to have a player of that caliber who was here for three years leave, it's better than the alternative of culture issues/not liking KBA.
I think our opinions of Cam Williams and Maddie Nolan differ, and I don't view them as big losses and combine that with them giving us the four years they committed to it's less concerning. It is getting a little puzzling putting it all together I admit.
It's a chicken and egg thing though. I have no idea the market, but what if someone had a million dollars to give KBA for the 2025 class. Have to imagine she could at least get 3-4 top 20 girls right? Assuming SC, Stanford, LSU aren't handing ladies 250K to come to their school.. That feels like a really good base to get you to start making the elite eight/maybe a final four push.
It feels like women's basketball would be one of the best ROI in sports in terms of success. What does 250K get you in football? A four star who may or may not pan out in a sport with 22 starters, or you could get one or two top ten women's hoops recruits that will help you breeze past the other top 25 teams who are trying to make it to the next tier of teams. Now this would require someone caring about women's basketball that much, and I certainly do not have this money and never will tell/ask anyone how to spend their money.
Edit, I see I was beaten to the punch.
Van Lith wasn't a fit as the primary ball handler, and Laila hasn't really been a primary ball handler and I don't think that's where she's best suited either. Considering they shoe horned Leigha Brown and Lauren Hansen into those roles the last two years even though they had played off ball their whole careers. So unless LSU moves Flau'jae to the point that would be another odd fit.
Michigan basketball is certainly not that, but it feels weird if this is the case. She knew what it was coming in, when she committed they had never been to a Sweet 16, and her senior year of high school they made their first, then as a freshman made the first elite eight. She was a top 30 player out of high school, and could have gone any number of places to win at that high level, but she chose Michigan...
Genuinely curious who you think the other excellent players they've lost are. Maddie Nolan and Cam Williams are solid players who aren't/didn't use their fifth years here. Taylor Woodson was a tough one a week ago.. But I don't think it's exactly a routine.
In fairness, JuJu did score more than Caitlin her freshman year.
Pure point guard being what? Caitlin Clark's passing + vision is also off the charts. Now overall as a player I think it's not far off, since Paige is a really nice defender.
"Easily goes to JuJu" unsure about that, true shooting percentage is Caitlin by a good amount. Combine that with her vision, it's getting tough for me to see, especially the easily part.
https://twitter.com/LevAkabas/status/1774813711556841526/photo/1
This year they've lost four girls unless I'm missing someone. Elise Stuck, four year player likely getting a handshake.. Taylor Woodson, probably the biggest portal loss KBA's had.
Taylor Williams, very intrigued to know what happened. While nothing to write home about, is a decent bench option in the front court considering the roster was thin there and unsure what Michigan is capable of in the transfer portal, would be nice to have. Also odd that if her grad degree is a two year program, she wouldn't stick it out for that.
Cam Williams, similar musings. Year five on the way, so she just might be ready to move on? She entered her name in the portal last year and came back. I didn't love her game, seemed foul prone and only much of an offensive threat to score with any volume against the mid to lower teams on the schedule (minus the big game against Kansas) That being said, think you could do a lot worse than her and would have loved her on the roster as the the first/second big option off the bench.
Of the Williams I'd want Cam back more, but don't think I would necessarily want both back (portal options pending). I doubt they kill it in the portal to the point of getting two bigs that would have completely taken both of them of a role. Do think there was a world though in which the two additions would have pushed Taylor Williams out of any significant PT if Cam was back. Or even if one was really good, you'd have portal player, Cam + Chyra taking a good chunk of front court minutes.
I'm just hoping it's homesickness.
They are the only reason I have tuned in for any NIT action. Selfishly have enjoyed the run (while they were snubbed for the Big Dance) it has made for good standalone viewing mid week.
On a side note, the timeout situation is out of hand. Taking TV timeouts at the under 17, 14, 11, 8, and 4 is absurd. Timeouts every three minutes to start is bonkers. Especially when the U17 could come at 16:11, and the next one at 13:48. What are we doing!
NC State vs. Duke did 15 million in viewers vs. LSU/Iowa ladies having 12.3 million. I love women's basketball and have enjoyed it more than the men's in recent years, but let's not let facts get in the way of agenda pushing. The women's growth in viewership is great and I'm all about it, but they aren't leading NCAA in viewers. They're definitely towards the top though in terms of individual games with the #2 and #9 most viewed game.
https://sportsnaut.com/college-basketball-tv-ratings-women-vs-men/amp/