Back in the saddle

We're back with the biggest transfer news, NIL intricacies and more

Author

Mike Miller
April 17, 2023

We're back!

The crew got some much-needed R&R from its writing duties — even if the transfer portal never stopped. As a result, I won't cram a week's worth of portal news into the Daily. Most people probably got a decent amount of updates by following Jeff Goodman, Verbal Commits or Joe Tipton on Twitter, so we'll just focus on news from the last few days.

Let's get to it.

1. Mountain Men

West Virginia already snagged a new point guard in the transfer portal in Kerr Kriisa. Now it has an impact post player to match.

Edwards, a 6-11 center who averaged 14.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks for Syracuse in 2022-23, gives the Mountaineers an experienced, talented focal point down low — something they haven't had the past two seasons. Sure, Kriisa's there to hoist 3s and drop dimes, but expect Edwards to be the guy.

He sounds delighted about it, too.

"I mostly wanted to have a fresh start and a new challenge," Edwards told ESPN. "NIL isn't what I'm playing for. I didn't really want to get into this, but it doesn't seem that Syracuse as an organization is that into that. I'm not really sure what their plan is or what the school's idea is behind it. For me, it was something that they couldn't offer in that way."

West Virginia's still hitting the portal hard, too. It's hosting former Iowa State guard Caleb Grill now and is reportedly expected to bring in former Pitt big man John Hugley for a visit, even with Edwards' commitment. That could give Bob Huggins quite the roster for next season, one with size, athleticism, and more than a few characters.

The Mountaineers are gonna be quite the ride next season. And might even win the Big 12.

2. Florida adds another piece, plus other portal news

Todd Golden's first season in Gainesville featured a guard-heavy rotation around all-SEC center Colin Castleton. That won't be the case in Year 2.

Florida picked up Seton Hall forward Tyrese Samuel on Sunday, its third big man added via the portal in the past two weeks. He averaged 11 points and 5.9 rebounds last season.

He'll join former Yale forward EJ Jarvis and former Marshall center Micah Handlogten in the Gators' frontcourt. Pair them with new point guard Walter Clayton Jr. from Iona, and it's perhaps the top transfer class for 2023, even if they aren't the most recognizable names.

Samuel was far from the only portal activity over the past few days:

3. A peek inside the portal's machinations

There's no secret to the transfer portal. Schools have NIL collectives that help facilitate (or even lead) player movement between schools. An in-demand player could earn a deal that fetches anywhere from $250,000 to $400,000. But that's not every player.

Among the 1,400 players in the portal, On3.com estimates that about half are there purely because of NIL. It's not exactly how a market economy works, but it's awfully close. The schools that have a large NIL collective pot to use — On3 reports that a program in one of the top 10 conferences has an average budget of anywhere from $500K to $1 million, with the upper echelon schools at $2.5 million or more — might pay one player what a mid-major school has for an entire team.

Market value is determined essentially by whatever one collective is willing to pay a player. Players (and their advisors) and collectives often make decisions in a vacuum with incomplete information about what else is going on in the transfer portal and NIL landscape. During a visit to a school’s campus, a player who entered the transfer portal might meet with a member of the school’s affiliated collective to discuss potential financial opportunities, or even to negotiate. Also, keep an eye on coaches and players who are represented by the same agency, who might then unite through the transfer portal.

There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to the number and value of agreements between a collective and the men’s basketball players on a roster – “The bigger question is to ask, ‘What’s your budget?’” Belzer said – although many collectives try to offer at least some compensation to every player, or at least every scholarship player. Some might focus just on rotation players or the most important starters, based on factors such as years of eligibility remaining, production and a player’s projected fit on the next season’s roster.

SANIL recommends $75,000 for a high-major starter. The second tier of compensation is around $50,000, then a third around $25,000 and finally there’s a drop-off for the players who comprise the final spots on a roster. A smaller budget means smaller individual deals on a percentage basis.

None of it's surprising, but it is a fascinating read because it clearly illustrates how the process works and how some programs might approach the portal. Do you target one player and move quickly? A couple of potential role players and try to beat the market? Or do you wait and figure out who the market is undervaluing?

Good luck to all the smaller school out there.

It's hard to Love Michigan's move

Caleb Love, right or wrong, took the brunt of the blame for North Carolina's sub-par season. He needed a fresh start for next year and elected to transfer to Michigan. But the Wolverines were also a sub-part team in 2022-23. So how's this going to work out for Juwan Howard? Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman debate.

Links as you marvel at Kawhi Leonard.

Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily! If you have a news tip or feedback, email us at [email protected].