NIL delivers a big win for college basketball

Move over John Calipari, Bill Self and Mark Few. The best recruiter in college basketball is now NIL.

In the first spring of the Name, Image and Likeness era, Kentucky center Oscar Tshiebwe, the consensus national player of the year, on Wednesday announced he will return to Lexington for another season. Tshiebwe is the first Wooden Award winner since North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough in 2008 to decide to return to school the following season.

Tshiebwe’s announcement follows another recent decision by a high-profile big man, North Carolina’s Armando Bacot, to return to school next season. Had Bacot not turned his ankle in the final minute of the national title game against Kansas, he may have delivered the Tar Heels another national title and earned Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors.

“When people talk about NIL deals being a good thing for college sports and college athletes, this is a prime example,” tweeted Mit Winter, a Kansas City-based sports attorney. “One of college basketball’s marquee players will play another year, and he doesn’t have to miss out on getting paid while doing so.”

The return of both to two of the sport’s preeminent programs will put substantial dollars in their pockets – perhaps close to seven figures apiece – and also juice the college basketball season because of bonus star power at two blue-blood schools. 

Both have plenty of on-court motivation to delay a pro career. Tshiebwe can help UK redeem itself after a shocking first-round upset loss to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s. And Bacot can help North Carolina make another run at the national title in the second season of the Hubert Davis era.

But it would be naïve to think NIL potential – which never before has been a variable for college players with pro aspirations – did not play a role in their decisions. It’s unknown what specific deals may await the players, although Jeff Goodman tweeted that Tshiebwe may earn close to $2 million next season. Industry sources have told On3 in recent weeks that deals of at least $500,000 were being crafted by donor-led collectives to help keep some fringe draft prospects in school another year. 

“They would stay in school because they might get a half-million dollars over the next 12 months to stay and be a part of some appearances in the local community,” Blake Lawrence, the CEO and co-founder of Opendorse, told On3 in general recently about the landscape. “Those are real numbers. I’m being very open with you. If you’re borderline, staying in school could be a half-million-dollar payday.”

Another year in school enjoying an array of NIL opportunities, including autograph signings, meet-and-greets and perhaps apparel sales, could be more financially beneficial for borderline NBA prospects than being a second-round pick who winds up in the G-League. In fact, Bacot acknowledged that NIL potential was a factor, telling local media, “For sure, having that cushion and being able to make some extra money has definitely helped. It is great to be able to take advantage of this opportunity.”

As a native of the Congo, Tshiebwe encountered a thicket of complications en route to being permitted to monetize his NIL. But he announced in February that he finally was allowed to take advantage of NIL activities. And last month he launched his own apparel line on Kentucky Branded. 

With their returns, two of the sport’s most fabled programs look poised to challenge for the 2023 national title. That alone will increase the relevancy of a sport that has struggled to find oxygen amid the avalanche of early departures to the NBA. 

Peter Schoenthal, CEO of Athliance, which helps educate and protect universities and athletes from the challenges surrounding NIL, expects NIL to have a discernible impact on college basketball, which has been decimated for the past decade or so by the one-and-done era. Schoenthal said you’re increasingly going to see athletes realize, “ ‘Wait a minute, instead of going pro and playing overseas, or going pro and maybe not even getting drafted, why don’t I come back for another year, develop my game and I can make some NIL money, and I can become a better player?’

“You’re still going to have elite players [turn pro], but maybe with NIL we’ll see more players come back, which means the game will be better, we’ll have a better product and it could save college basketball.”