Tracking how the B1G is tackling the Portal

[macarthur31]

Inside the Hall is tracking B1G's scholarship players entering the portal.

Quick overall notes:

• NU and Oregon are tied with 7 scholarship players in the portal
• As of today, only Illinois, Iowa, MSU and Purdue have not lost anyone to the portal.

Quick Reax for each team:

• Indiana: Along with 5 in the portal, they have 6 seniors graduating. Of those hitting the portal, wing Nick Dorn is the most significant loss - he logged 53.8 %Min, 38% 3FG.
• Maryland: Just 2 hitting the portal, with 5 seniors graduating. Of those 2, only frosh big Aleks Alston did enough to get kenpom logged, and he only logged 16.3 %Min, and was low usage when playing.
• Michigan: Only frosh wing Winters Grady is hitting the portal, and he practically had a redshirt year (with the unfortunate side of losing a year of eligibility) only seeing 3.5% Min. They have 4 seniors graduating.
• Minnesota: Despite being a skeleton crew, 2 Gophs will burrow into the portal - and only rising junior big Nehemiah Turner got kenpom logged with just 3.0 %Min. They also have 4 seniors graduating, including workhorses Cade Tyson and Langston Reynolds.
• OSU: 4 Buckeyes hit the portal, with rising senior Devin Royal being the headliner (32 game starter, 75.6 %Min). Otherwise, it's little used players with B1G experience joining him. They have 4 seniors graduating, including rotation stalwarts Bruce Thornton and Christoph Tilly.
• Oregon: There's a firesale in Niketown - 7 scholarship players are out, headlined by '25 All-B1G 3rd Teamer Jackson Shelstad, and starter Kwame Evans, Jr. Rotation players like Dezdrick Lindsay and Wei Lin also depart. They have 3 seniors graduating, including Nate Bittle.
• PSU: They lose 6 to the portal, and if anyone cared, we'd ring the alarm bell because those include starters like Kayden Mingo, Freddie Dilione, Eli Rice and Dominick Stewart. Note promising frosh Melih Tunca also departs. Only Josh Reed graduates, but Mike Rhoades got serious rehab to do.
• Rutgers: They lose 6 to the portal, headlined by starter Dylan Grant, and joined by contributor frosh wing Harun Zrno. They only lose Emmanuel Ogbole.
• UCLA: Skyy Clark is looking to the portal, but still awaiting his eligibility case. Otherwise, they say farewell to 4 graduating seniors headlined by Donovan Dent, Tyler Bilodeau.
• USC: 4 Men of Troy are jumpin in the portal, but none of them were starters. That being said, it was a pretty chaotic year, so unsure if having so many return is necessarily a good thing for Coach Muss. They graduate 5, including AARP registrant Chad Baker-Mazara.
• Washington: The Huskies only have 4 entering the portal, but Zoom Diallo will be the most painful loss as Sprinkle's field general takes with him valuable experience and minutes. They graduate 3 seniors, among them rim protector Franck Kepnang.
• Wisconsin: 4 will be looking to punch a ticket out of Madison - headlined by John Blackwell and freshman starter Aleksas Bielauskas (I cannot confirm that is Lithuanian for "Tre Singleton".). Gard also says Bon Voyage to 3 graduating seniors - Nick Boyd, Andrew Rohde and Braeden Carrington.

 

[macarthur31]

Perhaps this speaks to the exodus in Oregon.

 

[TheC]

Perhaps this speaks to the exodus in Oregon.

I thought Oregon had infinite Nike money.

 

[NVAcat]

I thought Oregon had infinite Nike money.

This seems very surprising. I wonder if this is a smokescreen for something else. Altman pleading more or less extreme poverty just does not compute. There has to be more to this story even though Nike is doing pretty poorly with its stock down around 50%.

 

[Secho99]

I thought Oregon had infinite Nike money.

This was framed in a slightly misleading way. I don't think their budget has been reduced, I think they want to free up more for higher-tier players and thought they were giving too much to guys who didn't contribute a lot (other than Shelstad, I don't think they wanted to lose him). You can't pull scholarships but if you cut/pull NIL deals it's an effective way to push players out the door you don't mind losing. That said, I think they're only middle of the pack in the B1G on basketball roster budget. They put the big money into football.

 

[macarthur31]

This was framed in a slightly misleading way. I don't think their budget has been reduced, I think they want to free up more for higher-tier players and thought they were giving too much to guys who didn't contribute a lot (other than Shelstad, I don't think they wanted to lose him). You can't pull scholarships but if you cut/pull NIL deals it's an effective way to push players out the door you don't mind losing. That said, I think they're only middle of the pack in the B1G on basketball roster budget. They put the big money into football.

This checks out. Oregon now has 8 scholarship guys in the portal, and potentially a 9th joining tomorrow.

 

[Sec_112]

One thing I saw about the Bucky Badger portal.

Four of their top six scorers bailed out.

 

[Secho99]

This checks out. Oregon now has 8 scholarship guys in the portal, and potentially a 9th joining tomorrow.

They brought in Wei Lin, who was a 20+ PPG guy in the Chinese pro league, on what was likely a good-sized financial deal. He was terrible for Oregon, EvanMiya ranked him 150th of 153 qualifying players in the B1G this year. Lin is now in the portal, likely because Oregon doesn't want to pay him anymore. I suspect there's a lot of this going on around CBB.

 

[Hungry Jack]

One thing I saw about the Bucky Badger portal.

Four of their top six scorers bailed out.

Illini reportedly going after Blackwell to replace Wagler. IIRC, JB lit up Illinois for 30+ in their game at Champaign.

 

[macarthur31]

Iowa no longer is on the list of teams "unportaled."

 

[Catmandoo78]

Illini reportedly going after Blackwell to replace Wagler. IIRC, JB lit up Illinois for 30+ in their game at Champaign.

I read Duke and Michigan are involved too.

His dad played at Illinois and was on their 89 Final Four team. But methinks that price may end up being too steep for them to pay him and retain a lot of their roster. They’ll probably have to look elsewhere for better value.

 

[TheC]

Iowa no longer is on the list of teams "unportaled."

This system really makes no sense. So, this guy transfers to a new school.... has great success there including advancing far in the tournament.... a week after that all wraps up decides to transfer again. This system is so broken.

 

[Catmandoo78]

This system really makes no sense. So, this guy transfers to a new school.... has great success there including advancing far in the tournament.... a week after that all wraps up decides to transfer again. This system is so broken.

Not as bad as Blackwell… Wisky was his own big offer. He developed into a star over 3 years and bolts for a payday.

 

[EagerFan]

Most of these kids, probably either themselves or thru people in their world, realize they have almost no chance at a well-paying professional career, let alone a shot at the NBA. Why wouldn't they take a couple million bucks as juniors and seniors? It's just good business sense, selling high.

 

[Deeringfish]

Most of these kids, probably either themselves or thru people in their world, realize they have almost no chance at a well-paying professional career, let alone a shot at the NBA. Why wouldn't they take a couple million bucks as juniors and seniors? It's just good business sense, selling high.

Seems incongruent to me that the current administration is letting these guy into the U.S., taking good jobs away from Americans.

 

[techtim72]

If a team can't pull a scholarship - and I believe that is correct for the Big Ten and perhaps all of Div 1 - why are so many players leaving NU and other programs? They either all think they can get a bag, want more playing time, aren't in love with the coaching staff or their girl friend moved. I think many are delusional that they will find a payday and I think they are delusional that their old team will want them back if they don't find one.

 

[techtim72]

Seems incongruent to me that the current administration is letting these guy into the U.S., taking good jobs away from Americans.

Haven't got around to it yet.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

If a team can't pull a scholarship - and I believe that is correct for the Big Ten and perhaps all of Div 1 - why are so many players leaving NU and other programs? They either all think they can get a bag, want more playing time, aren't in love with the coaching staff or their girl friend moved. I think many are delusional that they will find a payday and I think they are delusional that their old team will want them back if they don't find one.

Because we recruit guys who care the most about basketball

 

[Catmandoo78]

If a team can't pull a scholarship - and I believe that is correct for the Big Ten and perhaps all of Div 1 - why are so many players leaving NU and other programs? They either all think they can get a bag, want more playing time, aren't in love with the coaching staff or their girl friend moved. I think many are delusional that they will find a payday and I think they are delusional that their old team will want them back if they don't find one.

They’re looking for a place they can win? Find a role that fits what they want to do? There can be many reasons. I don’t blame anyone who’s been on the team the last two years to decide they’d like to go win more games somewhere else.

 

[Mister G]

I read Duke and Michigan are involved too.

His dad played at Illinois and was on their 89 Final Four team. But methinks that price may end up being too steep for them to pay him and retain a lot of their roster. They’ll probably have to look elsewhere for better value.

84-88 and was a team captain, but not on the FF 89 team.

 

[techtim72]

They’re looking for a place they can win? Find a role that fits what they want to do? There can be many reasons. I don’t blame anyone who’s been on the team the last two years to decide they’d like to go win more games somewhere else.

Maybe but most teams are losing players, like half of Div 1 players I believe. That is an extraordinary number. Seems to me with this many there should be a lot of players worried about finding a spot and that staying and having a full ride at your current school isn't all bad. I guess I am speculating that coaches to a fair extent must be finding a way to force players out even though the rules say they can't. Either that or there are a lot of delusional players

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

If a team can't pull a scholarship - and I believe that is correct for the Big Ten and perhaps all of Div 1 - why are so many players leaving NU and other programs? They either all think they can get a bag, want more playing time, aren't in love with the coaching staff or their girl friend moved. I think many are delusional that they will find a payday and I think they are delusional that their old team will want them back if they don't find one.

Nobody at this level wants to be at a place that they aren’t wanted at. I don’t care what the parchment says.

 

[Secho99]

Just to show where things are at right now at the upper tiers, Louisville landed Flory Bidunga from Kansas and Jackson Shelstad from Oregon reportedly for somewhere in the $6-9 million range for the pair and they are supposedly close to adding John Blackwell. So probably $10-15 million for 3 guys.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Just to show where things are at right now at the upper tiers, Louisville landed Flory Bidunga from Kansas and Jackson Shelstad from Oregon reportedly for somewhere in the $6-9 million range for the pair and they are supposedly close to adding John Blackwell. So probably $10-15 million for 3 guys.

Papa John’s sells a lot of pizza.

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

If a team can't pull a scholarship - and I believe that is correct for the Big Ten and perhaps all of Div 1 - why are so many players leaving NU and other programs? They either all think they can get a bag, want more playing time, aren't in love with the coaching staff or their girl friend moved. I think many are delusional that they will find a payday and I think they are delusional that their old team will want them back if they don't find one.

Big Ten guarantees 4-year schollies (e.g. the Vassar ordeal) bit that is not uniform across D1. The general rule is that schollies are given on an annual basis.

 

[hdhntr1]

This seems very surprising. I wonder if this is a smokescreen for something else. Altman pleading more or less extreme poverty just does not compute. There has to be more to this story even though Nike is doing pretty poorly with its stock down around 50%.

Nike has not been doing well

 

[hdhntr1]

If a team can't pull a scholarship - and I believe that is correct for the Big Ten and perhaps all of Div 1 - why are so many players leaving NU and other programs? They either all think they can get a bag, want more playing time, aren't in love with the coaching staff or their girl friend moved. I think many are delusional that they will find a payday and I think they are delusional that their old team will want them back if they don't find one.

My guess is that is what was done at NU regarding Reid and potentially others, They can stay but their pay is significantly reduced so they move on of their own accord