NIL
Michigan House rep introduces bill to sidestep NCAA NIL ruling
MSU alum and Michigan House Representative D-9th District Joe Tate introduced a bill on June 12 to limit NCAA regulations on name, image and likeness payments to college athletes. Tate, a defensive lineman at MSU from 2000-2003 and former Michigan speaker of the house, presented HB 4643 to block the NCAA, athletic conferences and universities from interfering […]


MSU alum and Michigan House Representative D-9th District Joe Tate introduced a bill on June 12 to limit NCAA regulations on name, image and likeness payments to college athletes.
Tate, a defensive lineman at MSU from 2000-2003 and former Michigan speaker of the house, presented HB 4643 to block the NCAA, athletic conferences and universities from interfering with athletes looking to collect on NIL funds.
“There are conflicts with the Michigan statute that we have on the books allowing student-athletes to take advantage of their name, image and likeness while they are at the university that they are participating in and as a student,” Tate said. “It prohibits any entity from limiting a student-athlete’s ability to take full advantage of their name, image and likeness.”
On June 5, a settlement in the House v. NCAA case made way for athletic departments to pay student-athletes directly from university funds, ushering in a new era of NIL in college athletics. The ruling limited the power of third parties and NIL collectives to pay student-athletes.
The bill would circumvent this ruling, allowing athletes and third parties to determine a “fair market value” according to Tate.
In congruence with the House settlement, the NCAA is asking power conferences, including the Big Ten, to comply with the NCAA rules even if it means breaking state laws like HB 4643.
It is unclear how this will unfold between the NCAA and states in the coming months. Industry leaders have called on Congress to enact a law preventing student-athletes from becoming employees and provide the NCAA with antitrust exemptions.
The president of Charitable Gift America and a prominent NIL collective, Dr. Tom Dieters, sponsoring MSU athletes like baseball’s Joseph Dzierwa, said the new bill would allow for athletes to earn compensation without the limits of the university or NCAA.
“The new NCAA rules, and they’re not laws, put a cap on compensation or can even prevent the student from getting an NIL contract altogether,” Dieters said.
MSU tennis standout Ozan Baris said there is an overwhelming amount of uncertainty in the NIL space and stated this bill would put an end to that.
“That’s where NIL is always so beneficial,” Baris said. “It gives me that place where I can play tennis and not have to worry about the financial stress of a financially burdening sport at times.”
Tate has experienced the difficulty of being a student-athlete and states they deserve the same rights that other students receive. “I know the dedication, sacrifices and challenges that come with balancing academics, athletics and personal growth,” he said.
Without the limits imposed by the House v. NCAA case, National College Players Association Executive Director Ramogi Huma said the bill could lead to increased recruiting at universities in the state.
“Student-athletes and their families look at a lot of factors whereas to decide where you go to school,” Tate said. “If Michigan is open for business, for student-athletes being able to take advantage of NIL, I would imagine that would be a tool to attract talent into our universities across the state.”
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On MLB draft day, Tyler Bremner was thrilled to go second. And he wished his mom was there
Instead of celebrating a milestone strikeout record with his teammates, Tyler Bremner took the historic ball in his possession, packed up his car and drove south. There was only one person he wanted to see that evening. This was on May 9 — two months before the Los Angeles Angels would make him the No. […]

Instead of celebrating a milestone strikeout record with his teammates, Tyler Bremner took the historic ball in his possession, packed up his car and drove south. There was only one person he wanted to see that evening.
This was on May 9 — two months before the Los Angeles Angels would make him the No. 2 pick in the MLB Draft.
One of college baseball’s elite arms, Tyler stayed at UC Santa Barbara for his junior season so he could be close to his mother, Jen, who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2020. He’d received interest and NIL offers to transfer, but rebuffed those opportunities at every turn.
Those five-hour drives through the night were what mattered most in his life. Not power programs, TV exposure or extra cash in his pocket. He wanted to see her, and sit by her bedside and play guitar to ease her pain.
On that night, his mom was no longer strong enough to attend games, as she had countless times over his baseball journey. The cancer was making each day more and more painful. She knew, and her family knew, that her life would soon end.

Tyler with his mother, Jen. (Photo courtesy of Tyler Bremner)
She watched on a stream as her son struck out 10 batters — surpassing the school’s all-time record on a Friday night against Loyola Marymount. Bremner didn’t stay after the blowout win. They had two more games that weekend, but he had somewhere more important to be.
He had a baseball to deliver to his biggest fan.
“It was hard,” Tyler said. “But it was the right thing to do. I was happy I was able to have that opportunity. That time was huge for my mom. Everyone told me that when I got here, she lit up and she had a lot more energy. I’m happy that I was able to bring her that joy.”
Jen Bremner died on June 11, five years to the day after she was first diagnosed.
When Bremner was taken in the draft, barely a month later, it was a moment of pure shock and joy. He wasn’t supposed to be picked that early. And the video of him finding out captures the emotion better than words can describe.
What the video didn’t show were those same people just 72 hours prior, all gathered in the exact same location, inside that same San Diego home. There, they held a celebration of life ceremony for Jen. She was 55 years old.
Tyler Bremner and his family’s reaction to being drafted No. 2 overall by the Angels in the MLB draft ❤️ pic.twitter.com/cDlfquPkHb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 13, 2025
Growing up, everyone always told Tyler that he and his mom were one and the same. She was an emotional person, expressive of how she felt at all times. That’s why she became Tyler’s most important confidant. He went to her with everything.
“I feel like we were really connected in that way,” Tyler said. “If I had a problem off the field, if I had a problem on the field. Mentally, trying to get through struggles as we all do, she was that person that I went to all the time.”
Triple negative breast cancer is a rare form of the disease, where typical breast cancer treatments aren’t effective.
Following Jen’s diagnosis, Tyler’s father, Jason, held a family meeting with their three kids, then much younger. He leveled with Tyler and his two sisters. He told them that every moment with their mother would be “bonus time.” They didn’t know how much time she had left.
“We have to make sure that we’re making that clock count,’” Jason said. “‘As a family, we all made the decision that, when it’s needed, we’re all going to have to make sacrifices. To make sure that we push the clock as far as we can, and that the time we have is useful and meaningful.”
Her battle teased hope of a full recovery. Following 18 months of chemotherapy treatment, the cancer was held at bay. Not in remission, but for more than two years her condition remained stable.
It was only a year ago that she received a stage four, terminal diagnosis, indicating that her cancer had spread.
She continued rigorous weekly treatments, but not because it would increase her chance of remission. At that point, recovery was not medically possible. Those treatments were to extend her time, as physically painful as it was. She wanted to make it as long as she could, specifically to make it to July 13.
“That was her dream,” Jason said. “To see her son drafted.”
Now, after her death, Tyler is determined to keep her story alive, and to fight for a cause that has become extremely personal to him.
“She would tell me all the time, ‘If you’re able to have that platform later in life, and you have eyes on you, I want you to use it for good,’” Tyler said. “‘I want you to spread awareness on cancer, and spread awareness on my story.’ I’m definitely going to try to honor that.”
He had come into the year after an elite sophomore season, going 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA, and was projected as a potential early draft pick. But the start of his season threatened to derail all of that. By the end of March, he’d posted a 4.24 ERA, without any double-digit strikeout performances.
The Angels considered both his on-field performance and his personal situation, knowing that his family’s tough times might have impacted him. They still believed in him. And over Bremner’s final seven starts, that faith paid off. He posted a 2.91 ERA, while striking out double-digit batters six times. There’s a correlation, he believes. As his mother’s condition worsened, his pitching got better.
“I think it got real for him and everybody around the program really fast, what was going on,” said UC Santa Barbara head coach Andrew Checketts. “I feel like he had another gear, and he left it all out there on the field.”
That’s because pitching wasn’t an escape for Bremner. It was a way to connect. Every time he took the mound, he’d get on a knee and have a conversation in his head. He’d remind himself, “She’s proud of you. She’s watching you. She’s fighting for you.”

Jen Bremner followed every one of Tyler’s games closely. (Courtesy of Tyler Bremner)
He’d draw a heart on the mound — the same way she drew it. He plans to get a tattoo of it, as well.
In the moments where things got tough, he’d go back to that. He’d look at the heart and internalize his reason for drawing it. That would reset him, he said, in a way that’s tough to explain.
If he can make it to the big leagues, he’ll do the same thing. He’ll draw that heart, he’ll have that conversation. And he’ll know that she’s right there alongside him for a moment she made possible.
“I’m not a religious person,” Bremner said. “Up until this point, I haven’t thought much about what the afterlife is, or if that’s even a real possibility. But this all unfolding this way has genuinely strengthened my belief in the whole thing.
“I know she’s here.”
(Top photo courtesy of Tyler Bremner)
NIL
Martin Supports Trump Executive Order to Better Protect College Sports, Student
HARRISBURG – Sen. Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) voiced his support for an Executive Order signed by President Trump on Thursday that will help protect student-athletes and college sports, including paving the way for uniform standards for Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) agreements. The Executive Order creates a national standard for NIL that prohibits third-party, pay-for-play payments […]


HARRISBURG – Sen. Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) voiced his support for an Executive Order signed by President Trump on Thursday that will help protect student-athletes and college sports, including paving the way for uniform standards for Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) agreements.
The Executive Order creates a national standard for NIL that prohibits third-party, pay-for-play payments to college athletes while protecting the practice of athletes being paid fair-market compensation for making brand endorsements.
Martin sent a letter to President Trump in May requesting review and consideration of a federal solution to address NIL agreements to protect student-athletes and address urgent threats facing college sports.
Martin also sponsored Senate Resolution 350, which was approved by the Senate in October. The resolution urged Congress and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to work collaboratively to ensure NIL policies nationwide have uniformity, fairness, transparency and oversight.
NIL deals allow student athletes to make money by selling rights to use their name, image and likeness. These contracts were prohibited by the NCAA until a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court ruling (NCAA v. Alston) reversed the NCAA’s restriction.
A fact sheet published by the White House pertaining to the Executive Order notes: “Without Federal action to restore order, ongoing lawsuits and a patchwork of state NIL laws risk exploiting student-athletes and eroding the opportunities provided by collegiate sports.”
“As an author of one of the first NIL laws in the country, it became evident quickly that if all states aren’t playing by the same rules, then state lawmakers would continue to have to play whack-a-mole and react to whatever every other state tries to do to gain an advantage each year,” Martin said. “That definitely doesn’t create a level playing field and is not good for the long-term health of college athletics across this country. I’m grateful that President Trump’s Executive Order puts us on the right track to protect college sports, and more importantly, protect our college athletes.”
CONTACT: Jason Thompson
NIL
Trump signs order to clarify college athletes’ employment status amid NIL chaos | Washington
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Greg’s Five Takeaways from the Belichick Takeover at ACC Kickoff
CHARLOTTE — On the final day of ACC Kickoff 2025, the conference’s big preseason event, North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick‘s presence created quite the scene at the Charlotte Uptown Hilton. Inside Carolina’s Greg Barnes and Tommy Ashley got together afterwards to discuss their takeaways on Belichick and the Tar Heels from Thursday afternoon’s event. Watch the full […]

CHARLOTTE — On the final day of ACC Kickoff 2025, the conference’s big preseason event, North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick‘s presence created quite the scene at the Charlotte Uptown Hilton. Inside Carolina’s Greg Barnes and Tommy Ashley got together afterwards to discuss their takeaways on Belichick and the Tar Heels from Thursday afternoon’s event. Watch the full conversation above and scroll down for Barnes’ five key takeaways.
1. The Belichick Takeover
Barnes: “This is probably ACC Kickoff No. 20 that I’ve been to, and the the sheer number of media members following Bill Belichick was just something to behold. The room that we were in is 1,800 square feet – a partitioned off ballroom – and right around Bill Belichick, there were more than 100 media members crammed in. It got to the point where there were so many people in there, the ACC made the decision that instead of it just being your typical media scrum where everybody was trying to ask a question at the same time, they had to set up a (moderated) Q & A session, which I’ve never seen before in these breakout sessions. It speaks to the volume of interest around Bill Belichick and around this North Carolina program.”
2. Different Media, Different Belichick
“It is a different type of media than the pro crowd. The Northeast media for NFL can be brutal, and I don’t think he’s seeing that here. … We see examples of how Belichick is embracing the college football landscape as it is right now. Of course, we’re still six weeks away from kickoff, so a lot will change between now and game one for Bill Belichick and how he handles the media. But so far he’s been very receptive. He was willing to meet with the UNC media separately this morning, kind of spur of the moment, which is a very nice thing to do. So it is a little bit different than what we’ve come to expect of Belichick during his New England time.”
3. Players Staying Focused
“Thad Dixon was at the table beside Belichick, and I thought it was very funny that when you had this huge media scrum around Belichick, there’s maybe six or seven guys talking with Dixon, and he was asked about it, he just looks over to his right and kind of laughs and says, ‘Hey, look at this, this guy’s a living legend.’ So the players understand that. You can hear when they talk about their coaching staff, especially Belichick, they understand who he is and what he’s done, and there’s the utmost respect there. I think the ability to function beneath the surface and let Belichick handle all the PR stuff is a very good thing, because there’s going to be a lot of pressure on this program this year. If Belichick can take that attention and own it for himself and let the players do their thing underneath, that’s going to be best for the program in the years to come, because they’re going to receive more spotlight than they ever have.”
4. Showcase Opportunity
“I was in school for for Judgment Day, and I was covering the team during the 2010 offseason hype, but I don’t know that I’ve seen what we’re seeing right now. That 2010 team had the potential to be really good, like top 10 good. I don’t think this team’s anywhere near that, but because you’ve got Bill Belichick and his staff, that just brings in so much more interest. It’s going to be an opportunity to really showcase the program. Belichick made an interesting comment when somebody asked him about what he’s doing to impress recruits that come in for visits. He said, ‘We’re not trying to over hype anything.’ The opportunity is through the roof, and so I think that’s what this year is about. Can this work? That’s the question, and that’s why there’s so much interest.”
5. Pressure to Win Starts Now
“When you look at what North Carolina has done in terms of financial commitment for the program, you don’t pay a guy $10 million just for his name. You pay somebody $10 million as a salary because you expect them to win quickly. Now even Nick Saban at Alabama struggled a little bit in year one, but I think there’s an expectation that the team is going to show that they are much better coached, that they are going to be better. I do think they are going to win games this year — the ACC, the schedule are not strong. When you talk about financial commitment, you’ve got to see some results. We’re already seeing results in terms of the media and the PR, now they have to put some wins behind it.”
NIL
Donald Trump issues college sports executive order for NIL
NIL Explained: How College Sports Changed Forever Super Agent Leigh Steinberg breaks down how NIL has changed college sports forever, in an interview with “The Sports Professor” Rick Horrow. SEICon President Donald Trump issued an executive order on July 24 that attempts to create a national standard for NCAA name, image and likeness programs. The […]


NIL Explained: How College Sports Changed Forever
Super Agent Leigh Steinberg breaks down how NIL has changed college sports forever, in an interview with “The Sports Professor” Rick Horrow.
SEICon
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on July 24 that attempts to create a national standard for NCAA name, image and likeness programs.
The order is Trump’s latest entry into a debate that has embroiled the NCAA since NIL rules went into effect in 2021, ushering in a wild-west era of college sports that has come under increasing scrutiny by local and national legislators.
Broadly focused on efforts to “save college athletics,” the order also seeks to preserve and support “expansion of opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports.” Most of the NIL money is given to athletes in football and men’s and women’s basketball.
The settlement in the long-running House v. NCAA case went into effect July 1 and allowed schools to directly pay college athletes through a revenue-sharing model.
In May, Trump appeared poised to create a commission co-chaired by former Alabama coach Nick Saban and influential Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell with a directive to explore and address major issues facing college sports. But there have been no announcements regarding that directive.
This week, a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives aimed at restructuring rules around the administration of college athletics passed two committees and is expected to move to the House floor when the summer recess is over in September.
Speaking at a National Press Club event in Washington earlier in the day, before the order was signed, NCAA President Charlie Baker was asked about possible executive order on college sports. He said he was open to ideas, but “our focus needs to be on the legislative process.”
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, who along with many in college sports has been advocating for federal intervention, told USA TODAY Sports last week, “The President is going to do what he wants to do.”
“I’ve read things on social media, but I also read that there would be a presidential commission,” Sankey added. “So the question with an executive order is if (Trump) does, and then what it is, and then we’ll go from there.”
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101 Things to Know About the 2025 Men’s College Basketball Offseason
Perhaps no sport’s offseason is harder to follow than college basketball. Nonstop player movement, coaching changes and recruiting wins bombard you all spring, not even slowing down for the previous season’s Final Four to conclude. But after all the chaos of April and May and some quiet time to digest it all in June and […]

Perhaps no sport’s offseason is harder to follow than college basketball. Nonstop player movement, coaching changes and recruiting wins bombard you all spring, not even slowing down for the previous season’s Final Four to conclude. But after all the chaos of April and May and some quiet time to digest it all in June and July, the march to Nov. 3 is very much underway. We’re officially 101 days from the college hoops season tipping off, and Sports Illustrated will help you catch up on everything you might have missed this spring. Consider this the SparkNotes to the college hoops offseason, the 101 names and storylines that will shape the 2025–26 season when it tips off in three months.
Coaching changes
The usual makings of a wild coaching carousel are the domino effects, a few big jobs at the top of the sport opening whose hires create serious trickle-down. And while there was no domino quite like last year’s wild SMU premature firing that eventually led to John Calipari leaving Kentucky, the three top jobs that opened created significant movement.

Domino No. 1: Texas fires Rodney Terry
Even after strong work as interim head coach in 2023, Terry (1) was never on solid ground at Texas. It seemed a foregone conclusion as the end of the season approached that athletic director Chris Del Conte would make a change, even as the Longhorns snuck into the Big Dance in the First Four. Del Conte parted with Terry during the first weekend of the NCAA tournament and almost immediately struck a deal with Xavier’s Sean Miller (2), who seemed set on a return to a big job after things ended poorly at Arizona. That opened the Xavier job, and while many expected a reunion between Xavier and Chris Mack (3), a second straight coaching reconciliation was never on the mind of Xavier AD Greg Christopher. Instead, Xavier joined the pursuit of New Mexico’s Richard Pitino (4), producing a wild day in which several open jobs (Xavier, West Virginia and VCU) all sent delegations to Albuquerque with hopes of landing Pitino. The Musketeers won, bringing Pitino-vs.-Pitino battles to the Big East in 2026 and beyond. New Mexico then landed one of the top mid-major names of the cycle in Eric Olen (5), fresh off a 30-win season at UC San Diego, while UCSD eventually promoted from within with Clint Allard (6).
Domino No. 2: Indiana and Mike Woodson part ways
Woodson (7) was under big pressure to win this year after a disappointing 2024 and massive NIL investments in the ’25 roster. The Hoosiers flopped, and by early February the separation process had begun. Coincidentally or not, the first game after Woodson’s end-of-season departure was announced was against Michigan and Dusty May (8), the Hoosiers’ pie-in-the-sky candidate as a former Bob Knight manager. After big swings like that one, IU eventually settled on a more realistic set of candidates and picked Darian DeVries (9), who had great success at Drake and a solid first season at West Virginia despite being plagued by injuries.
DeVries’s departure added insult to injury in Morgantown, W.Va., after a shocking NCAA tournament snub and sent AD Wren Baker on a third men’s basketball head coaching search in two years. The pool was a bit different this time, but Baker opted for familiarity and hired Ross Hodge (10) from North Texas, who Baker had worked with before in Denton, Texas. North Texas stayed in the family to hire Hodge when Grant McCasland left for Texas Tech but went outside this time, bringing in Daniyal Robinson (11) from Cleveland State. The Vikings, meanwhile, replaced him with Rob Summers (12), most recently an assistant at Missouri.

Domino No. 3: Villanova’s inevitable Kyle Neptune dismissal
It was never going to be easy for anyone to replace Jay Wright at Villanova, but Neptune (13) always appeared in over his head. Three years without an NCAA tournament berth made this move a necessity. The Villanova search provided the most drama of any this cycle as Kevin Willard (14) worked through the decision to leave Maryland as the Terrapins played deep into the NCAA tournament. By the Terps’ Sweet 16 game against Florida, it seemed obvious that Willard was departing, creating an awkward environment that included fans booing Willard as he headed to the team bus prior to the game. Despite his inability to make a smooth exit (dating back to his Seton Hall departure), Willard’s experience in the Big East makes this hire make sense.
The Maryland opening came at a less-than-ideal time after Willard chased AD Damon Evans out of town. With limited top options available a bit later, not many candidates with northeast ties and no AD to shepherd the search, it became the perfect opportunity for frequent job-hopper Buzz Williams (15) to swoop in. Williams has made a career of departing on his own before wearing out his welcome, and has won at a fairly consistent level across three different jobs. The Aggies made a run at Chris Beard (16) but instead went less flashy with Samford’s Bucky McMillan (17), who will bring his patented “BuckyBall” run-and-gun approach to College Station, Texas. Samford replaced him with Lipscomb HC Lennie Acuff (18), and the trickle-down finally stopped when Acuff was replaced by Trevecca Nazarene HC Kevin Carroll (19).
Four key changes in the ACC
The ACC was at the heart of the carousel with four changes, all at programs that have had recent success. The first change came before the season, when Tony Bennett shockingly announced his retirement at Virginia in the preseason. His replacement, Ryan Odom (20), delivered the Cavaliers their biggest tournament heartbreak as the head coach at UMBC in 2018 and has since become among the top up-and-comers in the business. Plus, he has deep ACC bloodlines with his father, Dave, a former Virginia assistant and longtime head coach at Wake Forest.
NC State making a change was not on preseason Bingo cards considering the Pack were coming off a Final Four appearance. But the discontent with the Kevin Keatts era that had been festering for years before that shock Cinderella run reappeared quickly in a miserable 12–19 campaign. After ditching your Final Four head coach, a splash was needed and gotten: Will Wade (21) returns to the big time in Raleigh after dominating at McNeese for the last two years.
The ACC’s other two moves came with well-timed retirements: Miami and Florida State each saw septuagenarian leaders depart and replaced them with mid-30s assistants. In Coral Gables, Fla., the choice was Jai Lucas (22), a recruiting ace from Texas who has spent time on staff at Duke and Kentucky. At Florida State, AD Michael Alford brought home Luke Loucks (23), a former Seminoles player who grinded his way up in the NBA as an assistant with Golden State and Sacramento.

A pair of Big Ten homecomings
Some hires just feel destined, and that was very much the case for two Big Ten changes. Niko Medved (24) was a potential choice last time the Minnesota job opened but became the surefire choice after a great run at Colorado State. Perhaps not wanting him to land elsewhere might have contributed to the Gophers finally deciding to pull the trigger on firing Ben Johnson. The Minnesota alum from a family of Gopher fans will now try to reignite a program that has sputtered in recent years. Meanwhile, Iowa targeted and landed an Iowa City native in Ben McCollum (25), who was the hottest name this cycle after leading Drake to an NCAA tournament win. It was a huge win to bring him home after interest from some of the top jobs in the sport.
Roster retention
Perhaps the biggest story of the offseason was the NIL boom, which saw the number of million-dollar-paid players explode and roster budgets jump, in many cases, into eight figures. Sustainable or not, those massive budgets completely changed the calculus for players who traditionally would’ve turned pro, in some cases even coaxing potential first-round NBA draft picks to return to college for another year.
JT Toppin (26) will challenge AJ Dybantsa for the crown of highest-paid player in college basketball this season. The defending Big 12 Player of the Year got a reported $4 million payday to head back to Lubbock after emerging as one of the sport’s most dominant bigs last season. He’d likely have been a second-rounder had he entered the draft. He and Christian Anderson (27) provide quite the returning nucleus for McCasland.

Purdue’s nucleus had less NBA buzz, but as stars go, you won’t find many bigger-name returners than Braden Smith (28) and Trey Kaufman-Renn (29), a pair of preseason All-Americans who give the Boilers a clear national title case.
And after a trip to the title game a year ago, Houston got back all three starters with eligibility remaining, with JoJo Tugler (30) and Emanuel Sharp (31) announcing early before Milos Uzan (32) surprisingly headed back to school after a poor showing at the NBA draft combine.
Among the other college stars who chose a big payday and another year of development over the pro ranks:
Alex Condon (33) and Thomas Haugh (34): The Gators’ star sophomores are back for more. Expect Haugh to slide down to the wing at times to accommodate jumbo lineups, but he and Condon often closed games together at the four and five, respectively, with great success.
Tahaad Pettiford (35): Auburn’s stud freshman on a team of veterans is now back as the leader as a sophomore. He took his NBA decision to the 11th hour after a strong combine showing and will look to be more consistent in his second college season.
Labaron Philon (36): Philon had already informed the Alabama staff he was closing the book on college but got cold feet in the hours leading up to the decision deadline. He likely would’ve been an early second-rounder but can boost his stock as the unquestioned star in Tuscaloosa, Ala., this season.
Isaiah Evans (37): Evans had some elite flashes as a bench sparkplug at Duke as a freshman and now will be a featured option offensively as a sophomore. Few are more dynamic as shooters in the college game.
Otega Oweh (38): Oweh exploded from role player to star by transferring from Oklahoma into Mark Pope’s system at Kentucky. He could be one of the SEC’s top scorers as a senior.

Kylan Boswell (39) and Tomislav Ivisic (40): Two pillars of last year’s Illinois team return and give coach Brad Underwood some rare continuity. Expect a big year from Ivisic in particular in his second year of college hoops.
Richie Saunders (41): Much of the BYU attention will go to Dybantsa, but Big 12 coaches consistently rave about Saunders’s impact. He’s the perfect Robin to Dybantsa’s Batman in Provo, Utah.
Bruce Thornton (42): The Ohio State point guard has been the subject of relentless portal rumors for two years running but is sticking around for his senior year. He’s a ludicrously efficient offensive weapon hoping to punch his first ticket to the NCAA tournament this season.
Josh Hubbard (43): Hubbard has already tallied north of 1,200 career points but has stayed loyal to Chris Jans and Mississippi State. There’s a good chance he’ll lead the SEC in scoring.
D.J. Wagner (44) and Karter Knox (45): Both these guys likely expected to be one-and-dones out of high school but now enter their third and second college seasons, respectively, as proven SEC commodities. Knox could explode after showing serious flashes down the stretch.
Transfer portal
In the first spring since 2020 without the added boost of COVID-year players, some expected the transfer portal to slow down. But the combination of the huge influx of money into the market and the Diego Pavia ruling that gave almost all former JUCO athletes an additional year of eligibility (46) meant things stayed chaotic.
Few staffs were prepared for the market boom. But in talking to coaches around the country, two schools are consistently mentioned as being ahead of the curve: Michigan and Louisville. The Wolverines needed some good fortune, with top transfer Yaxel Lendeborg (47) spurning strong NBA interest in May to matriculate in Ann Arbor, Mich., but struck quickly to land a rebuilt frontcourt with Lendeborg, rebounding machine Morez Johnson Jr. (48) and top shot blocker Aday Mara (49). Plus, May added what the Wolverines believe will be their point guard of the future in North Carolina transfer Elliot Cadeau (50). Louisville had already shown it would be ready to spend with its work in the high school and international markets, but hit the ground running in the portal with three electric backcourt additions: Xavier’s Ryan Conwell (51), Virginia’s Isaac McKneely (52) and Kennesaw State’s Adrian Wooley (53). The three made 273 threes at a mark north of 40%. If you’ve enjoyed watching Nate Oats’s Alabama teams in recent years, you’ll love this iteration of the Cards.

Two other market-setters were teams with two of the highest budgets this cycle: St. John’s and Kentucky. St. John’s boosters, led by billionaire Mike Repole, armed the Red Storm with resources few could match, allowing Rick Pitino to add some of the most proven talent in the portal. Among them, former star forward Bryce Hopkins (54), athletic freak Dillon Mitchell (55) and dynamic scorer Ian Jackson (56), a former top recruit. They also added shooting after their woes from distance a year ago, with Arizona State’s Joson Sanon (57) and Stanford’s Oziyah Sellers (58) joining the fray. Kentucky’s biggest-name portal get was projected top-10 pick Jayden Quaintance (59), one of the elite rim protectors in college hoops. Jaland Lowe (60) joins from Pitt to solidify the point guard spot, and swiping Denzel Aberdeen (61) from Florida with a package believed to be north of $2 million was also a win.
10 more portal stars worth highlighting
62. Bennett Stirtz, Iowa: Arguably the best player to move this cycle, Stirtz followed McCollum to Iowa. He’s squarely on NBA radars and almost singlehandedly gives the Hawkeyes a chance to climb the Big Ten pecking order.
63. Donovan Dent, UCLA: Dent was one of the best guards in the country at New Mexico a year ago and now returns home to Southern California to star for the Bruins. Going from Richard Pitino’s up-tempo offense to Mick Cronin’s more grind-it-out approach will be an adjustment.
64. Boogie Fland, Florida: Long expected to be a one-and-done, Fland’s stock slipped after missing most of SEC play with a hand injury. Still, he’s among the most dynamic guards in the sport when at his best and should be a great fit in Florida’s offense.
65. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee: Gillespie’s a Tennessee native who decided to return to the state after a big junior year at Maryland. Expect the Vols offense to not miss a beat in the post–Zakai Zeigler era with Gillespie in tow.

66. Oscar Cluff, Purdue: Cluff’s one of the top post-up players in the sport and no coach does more to get his big guys involved than Matt Painter. The South Dakota State transfer gives this Purdue frontcourt much-needed physicality.
67. Darrion Williams, NC State: The crown jewel of Wade’s first roster in Raleigh is Williams, who was among the Big 12’s best players a year ago. He’s a matchup problem because of his physicality and skill level and should cause ACC coaches plenty of headaches.
68. PJ Haggerty, Kansas State: Haggerty’s recruitment wasn’t exactly smooth, with astronomical financial demands as well as the desire to be a full-time point guard slightly diminishing his market. In the end, it’s a coup for Jerome Tang and Kansas State to add one of the sport’s most productive guards after a disappointing 2024–25 season.
69. Silas Demary Jr., UConn: UConn needed to address its point guard position this offseason and got its top target in Demary, who’ll draw comparisons to Tristen Newton as a bigger playmaker who can knock shots down from three.
70. Xzayvier Brown, Oklahoma: Porter Moser’s shark-like maneuver to hire away St. Joe’s assistant Justin Scott and bring with him Scott’s stepson Brown, one of the most electrifying guards in the country. He’ll make losing Jeremiah Fears to the NBA a lot more manageable.
71. Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana: Wilkerson’s recruitment was a high-stakes battle for DeVries to prove he could recruit against other elite programs. DeVries won the battle and now can look to incorporate one of the sport’s best shooters into his first Hoosiers squad.
International imports
College basketball’s international explosion continued this offseason, with almost every top program at least dabbling in the overseas markets to hunt for top talent as NIL paydays make college a more attractive option for top international players. Ten names to know:
72 + 73. Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grunloh, Virginia: Odom built a highly impressive frontcourt with two high-profile overseas pros. De Ridder’s resume is perhaps the best of any import this cycle, having averaged nine points and five rebounds per game in the Spanish ACB last season, one of the top leagues in the world. Plus, he’s already 22 years old. Grunloh is the higher-upside prospect, an elite rim protector who has drawn NBA attention out of his native Germany.
74. Dame Sarr, Duke: Perhaps the top pro prospect from overseas, Sarr’s a projected first-round pick who’ll get a big payday and more consistent playing time at Duke than he’d have gotten with Barcelona. He’s an impressive defensive prospect with versatility and feel for the game.

75. Mihailo Petrovic, Illinois: Petrovic was one of the top players in the Adriatic League in 2024–25, the star of Mega Superbet’s squad that is sending several players to top college programs. He’ll plug in as the starting point guard in Champaign, Ill., on a team with tons of international (and Balkan) flavor.
76. Omer Mayer, Purdue: When he signed with Purdue, many expected Mayer to be Smith’s understudy at point guard for a year before taking the reins in 2026–27. But after a massive spring and summer that has featured impressive performances at Hoop Summit, the U19 World Cup and U20 Eurobasket, Painter will have to find ways to get him on the floor early.
77. Hannes Steinbach, Washington: A big reason to buy a second-year bounceback for Danny Sprinkle is Steinbach, a double-double machine from Germany who put up big numbers late in the year in the BBL. Expect him to earn early time at the four and five for the Huskies.
78. Ivan Kharchenkov, Arizona: An 18-year-old like Kharchenkov getting consistent run in the EuroLeague is a strong sign of things to come. He’s a potential one-and-done college guy if things break right.
79. Luka Bogavac, North Carolina: The Montenegrin sharpshooter will be 22 when the college season starts and has a proven track record as a scorer, averaging just shy of 15 points per game in the Adriatic League this season.
80. Neoklis Avdalas, Virginia Tech: Avdalas had plenty of suitors from the highest levels of college hoops after a solid showing at the NBA combine in May, but Virginia Tech wooed him thanks to a strong relationship with his camp and the opportunity to play a big role. The playmaking wing should be an impactful addition for a team that was in desperate need of a talent injection.
81. Sananda Fru, Louisville: Fru and Vangelis Zougris add some physicality to the Louisville frontcourt. At 6′ 10″ and nearly 250 pounds and coming off a strong year with Braunschweig in the German BBL, expect a smooth transition to college hoops.
Top freshmen to follow
The 2025 high school class, particularly at the top, is among the best in recent memory, with three No. 1 pick–level talents and several others that could make a massive impact on college hoops. Here are 10 you’ll want to track.
82. AJ Dybantsa, BYU: The most high-profile of BYU’s massive investments in the NIL space was Dybantsa, who’s believed to be one of, if not the highest-paid college basketball player ever. With that comes major expectations, but the dynamic wing scorer who has drawn comparisons to Jayson Tatum has the game to back it up. And even ignoring the money, BYU is a strong fit, with a head coach in Kevin Young who has NBA experience and a strong roster around him.

83. Darryn Peterson, Kansas: Kansas has had just one top-10 pick in the last decade. Peterson should be the second and will likely challenge to be the Jayhawks’ third No. 1 pick of all time. He’s nearly the perfect modern guard prospect, with high-level positional size at 6′ 6″ with a 6′ 11″ wingspan and elite ball screen capabilities. Among the highlights from his senior year was dropping 61 points in a game against Dybantsa’s Utah Prep team.
84. Cameron Boozer, Duke: Boozer is the most productive and winningest high school prospect in quite some time. He won four Florida state championships, three Peach Jam titles, two gold medals and has been a walking double-double in every setting. Can he deliver Jon Scheyer a national championship after last season’s heartbreak?
85. Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville: A late growth spurt has lifted Brown from an electrifying but undersized potential college star to a clear one-and-done. He arguably outplayed Dybantsa on Team USA at the U19 World Cup this summer and seems poised for a monster freshman season for Pat Kelsey and the Cards.
86. Nate Ament, Tennessee: While a bit more raw than some of the other elite prospects in the class, Ament’s ceiling is as high as anyone in this high school class. His length, fluidity and shotmaking ability are rare, and he’ll be led by the same man who coached Kevin Durant in college: Rick Barnes.

87. Darius Acuff, Arkansas: Calipari spent years pursuing Acuff, first to Kentucky and then to Arkansas. He’s a big-time bucket-getter capable of taking over a game with his scoring ability, and he should have a big role from Day 1.
88. Caleb Wilson, North Carolina: The Tar Heels went all-in to get Wilson, a versatile forward who fits the modern game extremely well. He guards multiple positions, has good feel for the game and has more offensive abilities than he showed last summer in AAU as a role player on Boozer’s dominant Nightrydas squad.
89 + 90. Brayden Burries and Koa Peat, Arizona: The Wildcats have two potential one-and-dones in Burries and Peat, two of the more polished talents in the class. Peat’s a bowling ball of a forward who constantly creates mismatches in the paint, while Burries is an elite scorer who should be a bit more college-ready given he turns 20 in September.
91. Braylon Mullins, UConn: The UConn program has been quite the destination for sharpshooters in recent years. Mullins is next in line after torching nets throughout a decorated high school career in Indiana. Don’t be surprised if his draft stock rises the way Kon Knueppel’s did at Duke a year ago.
Early season games to watch
College basketball has often been maligned in recent years for its slow start to the season from a scheduling standpoint, with a quiet opening night and limited high-level games to watch in November and December. There have been strides made on that front this year. Here are 10 nonconference games you’ll want to keep an eye on.
92. Arizona vs. Florida, Nov. 3: The defending champions playing a serious foe on opening night is a great thing for the sport and will be a strong early litmus test for the Gators’ new-look backcourt.
93. Kentucky vs. Louisville, Nov. 11: One of the sport’s premier rivalries has more juice this season than it has had in quite some time, as two squads with second-year coaches and big talent injections look to take the next step as national title contenders.
94. Purdue at Alabama, Nov. 13: The first big early test for a Boilermakers squad that enters the year with title expectations, and an incredibly juicy point guard battle between Smith and Philon.
95. BYU vs. UConn, Nov. 15: Dybantsa’s homecoming game of sorts comes in the form of a trip to TD Garden in Boston to take on the Huskies.
96. Houston vs. Auburn, Nov. 16: Two Final Four squads meet at the end of the season’s second week in a good early test of Houston’s No. 1 candidacy.
97. Duke vs. Kansas, Nov. 18: Peterson vs. Boozer at Madison Square Garden? Sign us up.

98. Duke vs. Arkansas, Nov. 27: This Thanksgiving night showdown in Chicago is a huge early opportunity for Calipari’s squad in what figures to be one of the most-watched games of the season.
99. Florida vs. UConn, Dec. 9: This year’s Jimmy V Classic is loaded, with the headliner being this showdown between the last two programs to win a national championship.
100. Louisville at Tennessee, Dec. 16: A pair of potential top-15 teams and top-five picks battle in this one with Brown leading the Cards to Knoxville, Tenn., to face Ament and the Vols.
101. St. John’s vs Kentucky, Dec. 20: Pitino and Pope making a game happen has been discussed since both got their respective jobs, and now it will happen in high-profile fashion in Atlanta.
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