Tommy Lloyd

[Fishclamps]

Well don't forget Tommy LOVES Krivas and thinks he has huge potential when healthy. People can say Henri played himself into the starting role for next season but I dunno...

[pc in NM]

Any chance Henri is willing to come back?

I was getting attached. Willing to kick Krivas to the curb to keep Henri. But if it’s a money thing, I will take Burries, Krivas and Awaka combo vs overpaying Henri

"Willing to kick Krivas to the curb"...

... and one wonders why these kids would even consider money over "loyalty".

[dmjcat]

Henri and Bradley more than anyone needed to be priority keeps.

Bradley? Did he enter the portal too? Or just a forgone conclusion?

Bradley is not in… but he’s being recruited to enter. I’m saying there should have been a wall built around those two as returning starters, especially with Koa.

What ridiculous drivel.

Have you got an extra $4-5M of NIL for CTL to do that??? Or are you willing to cease pursuing the Peats/Burries of the world to "Build a Wall"??

Of course if CTL stopped recruiting 5 Stars you would be the first one to complain. Go back to Wildcat Authority and spread your genius around there.

[Chicat]

[Alieberman]

Not that is was ever easy... but this has got to be fucking rough on head coaches.

Not only do you need to recruit high school players year round, you need to be re-recruiting your own players each year, recruit portal players every year

Then make sure the NIL is getting dealt with.

Oh then there's actually coaching the team... and actually develop players... and then having to answer why you can't recruit, didn't build the perfect team, have players transferring out... are getting outspend by other programs NIL and aren't building a wall around certain players... whatever that means.

Tommy Llloyd is doing a hell of a job... its modern day College Basketball that makes his job impossible

[SCCats]

This is the new world. It will be money that talks from now on.

No doubt. It’s just dawning on me more and more (“I may be a slow learner, but I do eventually learn”) that “college basketball” is basically gone. It’s now just “semi-pro”, “second division” type stuff.

And I don’t watch semi pro, second division type stuff.

Definitely feels like a weird moment in my 35 years of Arizona Basketball fandom.

[Chicat]

its modern day College Basketball that makes his job impossible

Not impossible, just way way harder if he doesn’t have adequate help. All the things you listed shouldn’t be solely on his shoulders, and if they are, then the AD isn’t doing its job of putting the infrastructure in place so Tommy isn’t negotiating with agents when he should be scheming to take on the next opponent.

[Fishclamps]

Not that is was ever easy... but this has got to be fucking rough on head coaches.

Not only do you need to recruit high school players year round, you need to be re-recruiting your own players each year, recruit portal players every year

Then make sure the NIL is getting dealt with.

Oh then there's actually coaching the team... and actually develop players... and then having to answer why you can't recruit, didn't build the perfect team, have players transferring out... are getting outspend by other programs NIL and aren't building a wall around certain players... whatever that means.

Tommy Llloyd is doing a hell of a job... its modern day College Basketball that makes his job impossible

Especially the portal players, it's basically a smash and grab because everyone is fighting for the same people and you only have a very limited time to scout them.

[dirtbags]

its modern day College Basketball that makes his job impossible

Not impossible, just way way harder if he doesn’t have adequate help. All the things you listed shouldn’t be solely on his shoulders, and if they are, then the AD isn’t doing its job of putting the infrastructure in place so Tommy isn’t negotiating with agents when he should be scheming to take on the next opponent.

yeah, that's why so many HCs have been asking for a general manager on staff. let the GM handle both ends of NIL, revenue sharing, and retention stuff so the head coach can focus on Xs & Os, game planning, and player development. the problem is that, ironically, with NIL & the house settlement, athletic departments are financially pinched and having to operate leaner with fewer headcount. i'm surprised someone hasn't tried to profit from this shitshow and rolled out some sort of virtual GM enterprise AI fucking tool to help handle or automate this. not to give anyone ideas or anything bc it will probably be terrible.

[TheCat]

I ain’t here to bury us, but Tommy not even able to keep his own developed prospects projected to be a 27-30 mpg starter on a potential Final 4 squad and likely NBA 1-rounder next year basically has me 100% lost on any sort of strategy Lloyd might have.

You don’t recruit Koa for Krivas. That’s an awful fit. You need skill flexibility and versatility and athletic roll finishing next to Koa at the 5. Quick reactions.

This is truly an awful loss. Undercuts our upside by wins in both the regular season and March.

Henri and Bradley more than anyone needed to be priority keeps.

It isn't Lloyd strategy it is the players trying to maximize their financial situation. Maybe that is why you don't understand Lloyd's strategy because it has nothing to do with him.

Look at the players in the portal. Player's of the year in their divisions, 5 star freshman that did not go pro but were widely considered successful.

I will make a prediction right now. St John's will have the highest ranked portal haul of all teams. Why? Because they have a billionaire benefactor that has stated publicly that St. John's will never lose a recruit strictly because of NIL.

This is now a transactional business and even if a player loves his team he will be convinced that they are not doing enough for him and that the love only runs one way. Agents get paid on what you get and really don't care if the staff you are going to will further your development. You are a commodity to them. If Mara (UCLA) has been told he is a $2-3M dollar transfer what do you think Henri has been told? This is money for their families and themselves. No one blames them for maximizing or protecting either. It is just sad for the rest of us.

[azcat49]

Long for the days where Lute wouldn’t recruit you unless you stayed at least two years even though you were a sure one and done (Mike Bibby)

[TheCat]

The other team that is going to absolutely crush it in recruiting and portal is BYU. One BYU recruit who is the top rated recruit next year reportedly got $7M (Flagg $4.8M). They are floating in money for both. You know it is going to get ugly when ASU is bringing in top notch players like they did last year. If you saw the documentary Pitino: Red Storm Rising St. John's assistants talk openly and with astoundment that a good player went from $500K to over a $1M in a year. They were amazed.

[dmjcat]

Good read on NIL/Portal and its effect on coaching at the college level

https://apnews.com/article/march-madnes ... 6d378329ac

[84Cat]

Good read on NIL/Portal and its effect on coaching at the college level

https://apnews.com/article/march-madnes ... 6d378329ac

Haha, I just read this and was coming to post it

Why college basketball coaches say the game no longer has the same appeal

Love this one: coach Tom Izzo last week called the portal a “urinal”

[dovecanyoncat]

Fleshpot mosh pit petrie dish

[Djcat]

This is money for their families and themselves. No one blames them for maximizing or protecting either. It is just sad for the rest of us.

This. Can’t blame any players for wanting to better their circumstances.

The whole system is broken but no one seems to be able to fix it. And to be fair, the admins are just rolling with what the judges been decreeing.

[pc in NM]

This is money for their families and themselves. No one blames them for maximizing or protecting either. It is just sad for the rest of us.

This. Can’t blame any players for wanting to better their circumstances.

The whole system is broken but no one seems to be able to fix it. And to be fair, the admins are just rolling with what the judges been decreeing.

There's been so much trashing of the NCAA in recent (more, actually) years; unfortunately, the ability of the NCAA to enforce rules and regulations has been undermined by both NCAA ineptitude and member/fan criticism.

[Chicat]

Can’t blame any players for wanting to better their circumstances.

The whole system is broken but no one seems to be able to fix it. And to be fair, the admins are just rolling with what the judges been decreeing.

There's been so much trashing of the NCAA in recent (more, actually) years; unfortunately, the ability of the NCAA to enforce rules and regulations has been undermined by both NCAA ineptitude and member/fan criticism.

Nothing is more responsible for the NCAA’s powerlessness to govern their own product than their previous intransigence and insistence on going to court to stop student athletes from being compensated, rather than just working with them to come up with a revenue sharing system.

Fan criticism has zero to do with it. No fan saying the NCAA sucks has a gnat’s nuts’ worth of influence in comparison to judges and juries repeatedly telling them that they can no longer gain all of the profits and benefits of the labor of young men and women without giving them something in return beyond a scholarship.

[JMarkJohns]

The NCAA has strategically allowed if not fostered the chaos. They were losing every court battle and decided to literally do nothing while allowing everything, up to and including a system that now pays teenagers via 1099 with no recourse or infrastructure to make sure they are accounting and paying proper taxes, where athletes can get cash NIL deals under the table, etc.

They want the shitshow so Congress steps in and grants some form of anti-trust and they can return to a similar amateur process as before but with regulated allowances of pay and transfer. They have petitioned Congress for Anti-Trust exemption twice already.

I think the tax angle could be the best bet for Congress to look into helping. Can’t be having clueless teenagers committing tax fraud because the process is so unregulated.

[JMarkJohns]

Not sure why my last posts double posted. Yesterday and today. Probably my impatience tapping as it loads or something.

[Postmaster]

What if they start doing multi year deals? Then you might have a little stability.

[pc in NM]

What if they start doing multi year deals? Then you might have a little stability.

"Multi-year deals" between the student-athlete and whom? My understanding is that "NIL" (Name, Image and Likeness) deals are NOT for actually playing for the university. I believe a player could have an NIL while playing for the U of A, and, if/when transferring, could then maintain that "multi-year NIL " contract, and theoretically could even negotiate more while playing elsewhere.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... deals-work

What is NIL in college sports? How do athlete deals work?

College athletes weren't always allowed to make money off their athletic ability. It wasn't until 2021 that the NCAA changed rules to allow students to profit from their name, image and likeness -- otherwise known as NIL. In 2025, McNeese men's basketball team manager Amir Khan became the first student manager to sign an NIL deal. The Cowboys would go on to win their first men's NCAA tournament game in an upset victory over Clemson.

What exactly is NIL?

"NIL" stands for "name, image and likeness." It refers to a person's legal right to control how their image is used, including commercially. In college, student-athletes have long been prohibited from making deals to profit from their fame, so they forfeited their NIL rights by signing on with college sports teams. Three years ago, a combination of NCAA rule changes and state laws restored NIL rights to college athletes, and they've been making sponsorship deals ever since.

In other words, the NIL "deals" do not contractually include actually playing for a university, but are an available, but not necessary, benefit for a player playing there

Who oversees the deals?

A combination of school policies and state laws dictate what deals athletes can make. In states with no oversight, the NCAA has universities write policies for their own athletes. Some common school requirements are that athletes get business advice or training before making deals, or preventing them from promoting certain products. State laws are primarily focused on preventing NIL deals from being used as recruitment tools. Schools can't pay students directly, but some states have murky laws surrounding just how involved a school's booster club can get.

Do athletes get agents or or business advisors?

Yes, every athlete is allowed to hire professionals to help with marketing, legal issues, tax laws and other business dealings. Many schools also offer training and resources to athletes directly, often in the form of early-season classes on NIL law and basic business practices.

Do athletes have to report deals to their school or another authority?

Most colleges have policies that require athletes to report the details of any potential deals with their schools, and some must get school approval before signing. Several schools reserve the right to keep their athletes from advertising certain products, like drugs and alcohol.

Why do the rules differ between areas? Will that change?

While several states now have NIL laws or have proposed bills to implement them, the content is far from uniform. Like any state-by-state legislation, local lawmakers have taken different approaches to prioritizing local businesses and incentivizing top athletes to choose universities within their borders.

The NCAA has expressed concern that, without a federal law, enforcing its own NIL rules could violate antitrust rules -- so while the organization has hoped that Congress will pass a federal standard, there's no national set of rules.

[dovecanyoncat]

What if they start doing multi year deals? Then you might have a little stability.

"Multi-year deals" between the student-athlete and whom? My understanding is that "NIL" (Name, Image and Likeness) deals are NOT for actually playing for the university. I believe a player could have an NIL while playing for the U of A, and, if/when transferring, could then maintain that "multi-year NIL " contract, and theoretically could even negotiate more while playing elsewhere.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... deals-work

What is NIL in college sports? How do athlete deals work?

College athletes weren't always allowed to make money off their athletic ability. It wasn't until 2021 that the NCAA changed rules to allow students to profit from their name, image and likeness -- otherwise known as NIL. In 2025, McNeese men's basketball team manager Amir Khan became the first student manager to sign an NIL deal. The Cowboys would go on to win their first men's NCAA tournament game in an upset victory over Clemson.

What exactly is NIL?

"NIL" stands for "name, image and likeness." It refers to a person's legal right to control how their image is used, including commercially. In college, student-athletes have long been prohibited from making deals to profit from their fame, so they forfeited their NIL rights by signing on with college sports teams. Three years ago, a combination of NCAA rule changes and state laws restored NIL rights to college athletes, and they've been making sponsorship deals ever since.

In other words, the NIL "deals" do not contractually include actually playing for a university, but are an available, but not necessary, benefit for a player playing there

Who oversees the deals?

A combination of school policies and state laws dictate what deals athletes can make. In states with no oversight, the NCAA has universities write policies for their own athletes. Some common school requirements are that athletes get business advice or training before making deals, or preventing them from promoting certain products. State laws are primarily focused on preventing NIL deals from being used as recruitment tools. Schools can't pay students directly, but some states have murky laws surrounding just how involved a school's booster club can get.

Do athletes get agents or or business advisors?

Yes, every athlete is allowed to hire professionals to help with marketing, legal issues, tax laws and other business dealings. Many schools also offer training and resources to athletes directly, often in the form of early-season classes on NIL law and basic business practices.

Do athletes have to report deals to their school or another authority?

Most colleges have policies that require athletes to report the details of any potential deals with their schools, and some must get school approval before signing. Several schools reserve the right to keep their athletes from advertising certain products, like drugs and alcohol.

Why do the rules differ between areas? Will that change?

While several states now have NIL laws or have proposed bills to implement them, the content is far from uniform. Like any state-by-state legislation, local lawmakers have taken different approaches to prioritizing local businesses and incentivizing top athletes to choose universities within their borders.

The NCAA has expressed concern that, without a federal law, enforcing its own NIL rules could violate antitrust rules -- so while the organization has hoped that Congress will pass a federal standard, there's no national set of rules.

Policies/requirements/strictures are clearly a part of the arrangement so, I'm guessing, covenants are involved. This is about as close to a binding contract as you can get.

[pc in NM]

What if they start doing multi year deals? Then you might have a little stability.

"Multi-year deals" between the student-athlete and whom? My understanding is that "NIL" (Name, Image and Likeness) deals are NOT for actually playing for the university. I believe a player could have an NIL while playing for the U of A, and, if/when transferring, could then maintain that "multi-year NIL " contract, and theoretically could even negotiate more while playing elsewhere.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... deals-work

What is NIL in college sports? How do athlete deals work?

College athletes weren't always allowed to make money off their athletic ability. It wasn't until 2021 that the NCAA changed rules to allow students to profit from their name, image and likeness -- otherwise known as NIL. In 2025, McNeese men's basketball team manager Amir Khan became the first student manager to sign an NIL deal. The Cowboys would go on to win their first men's NCAA tournament game in an upset victory over Clemson.

What exactly is NIL?

"NIL" stands for "name, image and likeness." It refers to a person's legal right to control how their image is used, including commercially. In college, student-athletes have long been prohibited from making deals to profit from their fame, so they forfeited their NIL rights by signing on with college sports teams. Three years ago, a combination of NCAA rule changes and state laws restored NIL rights to college athletes, and they've been making sponsorship deals ever since.

In other words, the NIL "deals" do not contractually include actually playing for a university, but are an available, but not necessary, benefit for a player playing there

Who oversees the deals?

A combination of school policies and state laws dictate what deals athletes can make. In states with no oversight, the NCAA has universities write policies for their own athletes. Some common school requirements are that athletes get business advice or training before making deals, or preventing them from promoting certain products. State laws are primarily focused on preventing NIL deals from being used as recruitment tools. Schools can't pay students directly, but some states have murky laws surrounding just how involved a school's booster club can get.

Do athletes get agents or or business advisors?

Yes, every athlete is allowed to hire professionals to help with marketing, legal issues, tax laws and other business dealings. Many schools also offer training and resources to athletes directly, often in the form of early-season classes on NIL law and basic business practices.

Do athletes have to report deals to their school or another authority?

Most colleges have policies that require athletes to report the details of any potential deals with their schools, and some must get school approval before signing. Several schools reserve the right to keep their athletes from advertising certain products, like drugs and alcohol.

Why do the rules differ between areas? Will that change?

While several states now have NIL laws or have proposed bills to implement them, the content is far from uniform. Like any state-by-state legislation, local lawmakers have taken different approaches to prioritizing local businesses and incentivizing top athletes to choose universities within their borders.

The NCAA has expressed concern that, without a federal law, enforcing its own NIL rules could violate antitrust rules -- so while the organization has hoped that Congress will pass a federal standard, there's no national set of rules.

Policies/requirements/strictures are clearly a part of the arrangement so, I'm guessing, covenants are involved. This is about as close to a binding contract as you can get.

But what exactly does the contract commit the athlete to do? I see nothing that currently would commit the athlete to play at the school - with the possible exception that, if the athlete leaves the school, the contract might be voided...

... But nothing that could force the athlete to stay, or pay a "buyout if choosing to transfer

[dovecanyoncat]

What if they start doing multi year deals? Then you might have a little stability.

"Multi-year deals" between the student-athlete and whom? My understanding is that "NIL" (Name, Image and Likeness) deals are NOT for actually playing for the university. I believe a player could have an NIL while playing for the U of A, and, if/when transferring, could then maintain that "multi-year NIL " contract, and theoretically could even negotiate more while playing elsewhere.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... deals-work

What is NIL in college sports? How do athlete deals work?

College athletes weren't always allowed to make money off their athletic ability. It wasn't until 2021 that the NCAA changed rules to allow students to profit from their name, image and likeness -- otherwise known as NIL. In 2025, McNeese men's basketball team manager Amir Khan became the first student manager to sign an NIL deal. The Cowboys would go on to win their first men's NCAA tournament game in an upset victory over Clemson.

What exactly is NIL?

"NIL" stands for "name, image and likeness." It refers to a person's legal right to control how their image is used, including commercially. In college, student-athletes have long been prohibited from making deals to profit from their fame, so they forfeited their NIL rights by signing on with college sports teams. Three years ago, a combination of NCAA rule changes and state laws restored NIL rights to college athletes, and they've been making sponsorship deals ever since.

In other words, the NIL "deals" do not contractually include actually playing for a university, but are an available, but not necessary, benefit for a player playing there

Who oversees the deals?

A combination of school policies and state laws dictate what deals athletes can make. In states with no oversight, the NCAA has universities write policies for their own athletes. Some common school requirements are that athletes get business advice or training before making deals, or preventing them from promoting certain products. State laws are primarily focused on preventing NIL deals from being used as recruitment tools. Schools can't pay students directly, but some states have murky laws surrounding just how involved a school's booster club can get.

Do athletes get agents or or business advisors?

Yes, every athlete is allowed to hire professionals to help with marketing, legal issues, tax laws and other business dealings. Many schools also offer training and resources to athletes directly, often in the form of early-season classes on NIL law and basic business practices.

Do athletes have to report deals to their school or another authority?

Most colleges have policies that require athletes to report the details of any potential deals with their schools, and some must get school approval before signing. Several schools reserve the right to keep their athletes from advertising certain products, like drugs and alcohol.

Why do the rules differ between areas? Will that change?

While several states now have NIL laws or have proposed bills to implement them, the content is far from uniform. Like any state-by-state legislation, local lawmakers have taken different approaches to prioritizing local businesses and incentivizing top athletes to choose universities within their borders.

The NCAA has expressed concern that, without a federal law, enforcing its own NIL rules could violate antitrust rules -- so while the organization has hoped that Congress will pass a federal standard, there's no national set of rules.

Policies/requirements/strictures are clearly a part of the arrangement so, I'm guessing, covenants are involved. This is about as close to a binding contract as you can get.

But what exactly does the contract commit the athlete to do? I see nothing that currently would commit the athlete to play at the school - with the possible exception that, if the athlete leaves the school, the contract might be voided...

... But nothing that could force the athlete to stay, or pay a "buyout if choosing to transfer

You see nothing because you're not reading the legal language of any particular contract. But within the article you linked, there's no explicit prohibition of language that could include specifications of, say, a performance period [season] or a project area [NCAA sanctioned basketball venue] (common terms in my historical government contracts, just as an example). Until we get to dissect one of these NIL arrangements we have no idea what's going on.

[dirtbags]

i think @postmaster might have been referring to multiyear pseudo-employment contracts with the institution? whatever the new grant-in-aid agreement is that will replace the now-gone letter of intent (NLI). apparently, athletic departments are anticipating the outcome of the house settlement and are signing their own NIL contracts with athletes. those deals include penalty clauses and force buyouts if a player transfers before the end of their contracted deal. some even include forfeiture of an athlete's compensation simply for entering the portal by a certain date.

an unnamed big12 school, for example, is requiring a 50% buyout on a player's remaining compensation, and an ACC school's contract stipulates a full refund on their money. the B1G has an MOU template for its member programs that incurs penalties for damages in the event of a transfer. it also gives schools the ability to incentivize and penalize payments based on the athlete's performance, which is something that is not allowed in NLI deals today.

it is assumed that programs will pick up the tab on these buyouts when a player transfers, similar to pro sports or with coaches, but with no standards or rules in place there are no guarantees that the athlete won't get stuck paying for it out of their own pocket. it's also assumed by many that these buyouts will be unenforceable, but i could see a mid-major or even a low P4 program with little to lose doing the risk/reward calculus and entering litigation, if it came to that.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/619727 ... t-clauses/