NIL

Joseph Dzierwa’s decision to return to MSU pays off as MLB draft nears

MSU basketball’s Joseph Dzierwa pitches against Ohio State (video) Watch MSU junior Joseph Dzierwa pitch against Ohio State in April. Dzierwa is projected to be selected in the early rounds of the MLB draft. EAST LANSING – Michigan State baseball coach Jake Boss and pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde had said their goodbyes to Joseph Dzierwa. […]

Published

3 months ago

May 9, 2025

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EAST LANSING – Michigan State baseball coach Jake Boss and pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde had said their goodbyes to Joseph Dzierwa. They thought they had lost their star pitcher to the transfer portal and to Vanderbilt, a college baseball powerhouse which offered the limelight and a significant NIL package. No hard feelings. They understood.

“I was surprised as anybody when he called me and said, ‘I’m coming back,’ ” Van Ameyde said.

Dzierwa first called Boss on July 4th and asked to talk. The conversation that followed in Boss’ office said a lot about Dzierwa and his priorities.

“He thought he could have a bigger impact here at Michigan State,” Boss said. “And I’m certainly not going to argue with that.”

Dzierwa also thought he had more to give than he had and too many good relationships at MSU that he enjoyed and that benefited him.

“My teammates, just knowing that some of my best friends are here, and knowing that, it’s not necessarily that I didn’t give it all I had, but kind of leaving some stuff on the table,” Dzierwa said. “My sophomore year, looking back at it, I probably could have done more. This year, I told my dad, ‘Hey, man, I’m going all in on this. Whatever happens, happens.’ And that was kind of my focus. I want to give everything I have here. Not leave with any regrets.”

Based on the junior season he’s having, he won’t.

Dzierwa has been a bona fide ace in his final season for MSU. He’s 7-2 with a 2.20 earned-run average (second-lowest in the Big Ten), with 86 strikeouts and 19 walks and a league-leading WHIP of .99 in 73-plus innings. Major League Baseball has taken notice. Dzierwa is projected to be selected in the first two or three rounds of the 20-round MLB draft in mid-July.

With Dzierwa pitching every weekend, often on Friday nights, the Spartans are 25-22 overall this season, 10-14 in Big Ten play, tied right now for the last spot in the 12-team Big Ten tournament heading into the second to last weekend of conference play. MSU plays at 25th-ranked USC this weekend in Los Angeles, before hosting Minnesota next Thursday through Saturday (May 15-17) in a series that could determine the Spartans’ postseason fate.

In two of their remaining Big Ten games, they’ll have their 6-foot-8 lefty Dzierwa on the mound.

His journey at MSU is an argument for college baseball over entering the draft out of high school and going straight to the minor leagues.

Dzierwa was a three-sport standout at Otsego High School near his hometown of Haskins, Ohio, and a heckuva quarterback, playing for his father. Dzierwa had Division I interest in football from Mid-American Conference and Ivy League schools. He loved whatever sport was in season.

“But there was something about baseball, something about touching the mound every time,” Dzierwa said. “It’s just different.”

He could have gone the pro route out of high school — he was high enough on MLB radars. But it would have been a different road as a more developmental prospect and perhaps one he wouldn’t have been ready for.

“When he got here as a freshman, he didn’t say three words in the fall and we were a little concerned about him, honestly,” Boss said. “I thought he might be homesick. I thought he might be kind of overwhelmed here.

“And then watching him grow through all of that. He was better as a sophomore. The weight room was getting better. He’s starting to gain some weight. He was coming out of shell a little bit more. You could see more of his personality on the mound a year ago and then, this year. I mean, he’s the leader out there. Guys look to him. I think he likes that and embraces it. He wants that role. And I think he’s ready for what’s next.”

His pitching velocity, in the upper-80s when he arrived, now tops out in the mid-90s. He’s more than 50 pounds heavier, up to 215. He once ate seven peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during a doubleheader back when he was trying to put on weight.

“The size, being left-handed, and he’s got kind of a unique arm slot,” Van Ameyde said. “And it’s an arm slot that probably, with the increase of analytics in pro ball, has become an arm slot that the pro guys really seem to like. He’s a tall guy with that kind of lower slot. They like to use those guys to pitch up in the zone with fastballs. It gives the appearance to the hitter like (the ball is) rising.

“He’s continued to get better, because he’s been able to add pitches. … He’s been able to develop into a guy who can throw his fastball to all quadrants of the plate. He can throw the change-up just about anywhere in the plate. But he’s added those two breaking balls now, like a harder cutter that has really been a big pitch for him this year that he didn’t have really even last year as much. And then the slower, we call it a sweeper, it’s probably like a curve ball — it’s a slower pitch that we utilize to lefties just to get them off the fastball or get them off the cutter. He has pretty good command of everything. So it’s like a four pitch mix.

“And then he’s got the stuff inside that a lot of guys struggle with to compete — the confidence, the belief in himself, the desire. Like he wants to be a pro, he wants to be as good as he possibly can get. And he’s willing to do whatever it takes. Doesn’t leave any stone unturned.”

Dzierwa has become obsessed with analytics and learning that side of the game to the point that he’s become a go-to guy for his teammates in that area.

What’s impressed the coaches most, however, is how he’s handled the noise — the scouts, the interviews — and remained grounded and willing to share his gifts. That includes for a 6-year-old boy from Lapeer, Luca Wright, who’s battling leukemia. With every strikeout he throws, Dzierwa makes a donation toward Wright’s care, through his NIL collective, Charitable Gift America.

“I think God’s given me a gift and a talent to play baseball at a high level. And I think the reward has been some money and meeting a lot of people,” Dzierwa said. “I think God puts you on this earth for a reason, and for mine, I think I can impact people with the talent he’s given me.”

As for the NIL money he isn’t giving away, he’s trying to put back into his game.

“I had to see how good I could get here,” Dzierwa said.

His numbers and MLB draft projection suggests that was a wise approach.

“I’m biased, but I do think he made the right decision (to come back),” Boss said. “He turned down a lot of money. At the same time, I think he’s going to make a lot more money in the draft because he stayed. You’re rolling the dice a little bit if you would have went to a Vanderbilt or someplace else like that. You’re the new guy. You really have one year. If you come out, you don’t throw great maybe the first weekend, you could get bumped. And the next thing you know, you’re a midweek guy or a bullpen guy. And things change as far as the draft is concerned. That’s where the value was in throwing every Friday night (at MSU).

“There’s no question in my mind that he’ll be ready for pro ball because he’s taking ownership of what happens, and of his game. And when you get to pro ball, that’s all you’ve got. I mean, it’s you. And if you’re not dedicated to it, you’re not going to play very long. I think he’s going to play for a while.”

That’s the plan. Coming back to MSU this season — to work with coaches and staff he knew and trusted and teammates he cherished — was playing the long game.

“I took a pay cut, but I knew if I did everything I could here, I’ll learn more about myself,” Dzierwa said. “I think that’s going to help me a lot. When I made the decision, I thought it was going to help me a lot more long-term than short-term. And I think money is great and everything. But if you can impact people and have an impact on yourself, too, long-term, I think that’s a better outcome.”

MORE: Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State’s next athletic director hire and the challenges ahead at MSU

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch and BlueSky @GrahamCouch.

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Sophie Cunningham receives pro wrestling offer from Lakers owner Jeanie Buss

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has become one of the faces of the WNBA this season. Beyond her play on the court, Cunningham has blown up on social media and partnered with companies such as Adidas, Arby’s and Ring. Now, it looks like she has another job waiting for her if she wants it. Los […]

Published

33 minutes ago

July 31, 2025

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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has become one of the faces of the WNBA this season. Beyond her play on the court, Cunningham has blown up on social media and partnered with companies such as Adidas, Arby’s and Ring.

Now, it looks like she has another job waiting for her if she wants it. Los Angeles Lakers controlling owner and president Jeanie Buss, who also co-owns Women of Wrestling (WOW), would love to see Cunningham join the professional wrestling promotion.

“We would love to have [Cunningham] join us at [WOW],” Buss wrote on X. “She is talented, dedicated and a fierce competitor!!”

Cunningham, the seventh-year pro, has become an enforcer-like presence for the Fever this season. She notably came to the defense of teammate Caitlin Clark in the June 17 contest against the Connecticut Sun. During the third quarter, Sun guard Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye, resulting in a scuffle between the two teams. Cunningham later retaliated by committing a flagrant foul on Sheldon, and the two went at it before officials ejected both of them from the game.

“During that, it was just part of the game. I think the refs had a lot to do with that. It was a build-up for a couple years now of them just not protecting the star player of the WNBA,” Cunningham said of the incident. “At the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates. That’s what I do.”

Women of Wrestling interested in Sophie Cunningham

It caught the attention of WOW founder and co-owner David McLane, who sees a potential superstar in Cunningham. McLane, an Indianapolis native, spoke highly of Cunningham last Friday at the San Diego Comic Con.

“I’m from Indiana,” McLane said. “I’m from Indianapolis, and that’s the home of not only the second-best basketball team in the country this last year, but the biggest name in professional basketball today, Caitlin Clark. And Caitlin Clark has an enforcer. She’s the Marty McSorley to Wayne Gretzky, and she is a stunning athlete.

“I flew to Las Vegas and watched them in action against the Aces, and I would love to have Sophia Cunningham in WOW, because she takes down the competition, and she makes sure that Caitlin Clark is safe on the basketball floor. We’d love to have Sophie in WOW.”

Cunningham has appeared in 21 games this season. She is averaging 7.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

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K-State Baseball Summer Update – July 30

MANHATTAN, Kan. – A summer update of current and former Wildcats. MLB Will Brennan – OF – Cleveland Guardians Years at K-State: 2017-19 Brennan played 35 games for the Guardians Triple-AAA squad before he was recalled on May 12. In six games with Cleveland, Brennan is slashing .091/.231/.091 over 11 at bats. He was put […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 31, 2025

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – A summer update of current and former Wildcats.

MLB
Will Brennan – OF – Cleveland Guardians
Years at K-State: 2017-19
Brennan played 35 games for the Guardians Triple-AAA squad before he was recalled on May 12. In six games with Cleveland, Brennan is slashing .091/.231/.091 over 11 at bats. He was put on a 60-day injured list on May 22. The Colorado Springs product was drafted in the eighth round by the Guardians in the 2019 MLB Draft.

TRIPLE-A
Nick Martini – OF – Las Vegas Aviators (OAK, AAA)
Years at K-State: 2009-11
Martini played 43 games with the Colorado Rockies in 2025 before electing to free agency on June 2 and signed a minor league contract with the Athletics. With Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, Martini is slashing .265/.406/.401 with four home runs and 20 RBI.

Carson Seymour – RHP Sacramento River Cats (SF, AAA)
Years at K-State: 2020-21
This season, Seymour boasts a 3.86 ERA with a 4-8 record and opponents hitting .225 against him. He has struck out 90 against 39 walks, that included striking out a season-high nine over 5 2/3 innings against Tacoma on June 13. Seymour made his MLB debut on June 29, logging one scoreless inning against the Chicago White Sox and was sent back to Sacramento a few days later.

Jordan Wicks – LHP – Chicago Cubs
Years at K-State: 2019-21
In July, Wicks made two relief appearances for the Cubs, logging 6 1/3 innings before being option back to Triple-A Iowa Cubs. With Iowa, Wicks boasts a 4.10 ERA with a 1.4 overall record. The Conway, Arkansas native has struck out 50 this season in Triple-A, averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

DOUBLE-A

Blake Adams RHP Hartford Yard Goats (CO, AA)

Years at K-State: 2022

In 17 appearances (16 starts), Adams is 4-7 with a 6.45 ERA (48 ER, 67 IP) and 65 strikeouts. Alongside a 1.31 WHIP, Adams registers a 3.42 strikeout-to-walk ratio, recording season-high five-strikeout games on June 1 vs. New Hampshire and July 5 vs. Binghamton.

Kaelen Culpepper – INF – Wichita Wind Surge (MIN, AA)

Years at K-State: 2022-24

Culpepper was quickly promoted to Double-A Wichita Surge, following a strong start to the 2025 season with High-A Cedar Rapids. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Culpepper is slashing .333/.414/.510 with an .924 OPS for Wichita. He was named to the American League Roster for the 2025 All-Star Futures Game —the only Twins prospect named to the squad.

Brendan Jones – OF – Somerset Patriots (NYY, AA)

Years at K-State: 2022-24

Jones was promoted to Double-A Somerset on June 3. In 42 games for Somerset, Jones is slashing .238/.331/.449 with 35 hits that include seven doubles, three triples and six home runs. Jones has driven in 30 RBI and stolen 10 bases.

Zach Kokoska – OF – Hartford Yard Goats (CO, AA)

Years at K-State: 2019-21

Kokoska, who was drafted in the 10^th round by the Colorado Rockies in 2021, has produced a slash line of .187/.282/.393 in 2025 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI. Kokoska has produced nine multi-hit games.

Connor McCullough – RHP – Birmingham Barons (CHW, AA)

Years at K-State: 2020-22

McCullough came back from rehab assignment on July 1. Across five starts, McCullough posts a 0-2 record and boasts a 4.22 ERA, striking out 11 in 10 2/3 innings. He is holding opponents to a .214 average.

Tyson Neighbors – RHP – San Antonio Missions (SD, AA)

Years at K-State: 2022-24

After a hot start with High-A Fort Wayne where he owned a 1.18 ERA and averaged 15.49 strikeouts per nine innings, Neighbors was promoted to Double-A San Diego on June 11. In 13 appearances with the Missions, Neighbors boasts a 2-0 record with a 2.75 ERA. In seven relief appearances in the month of July, Neighbors has only surrendered one run (unearned) with 12 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings, limiting opponents to a .108 batting average.

HIGH-A

Nick Goodwin IF Vancouver Canadians (TOR, A+)

Years at K-State: 2020-23

In his third season in the minors, the Overland Park product is slashing .230/.346/.396 with 53 hits, including 10 homers and 38 RBI. He has produced 11 multi-hit games and eight games with two or more RBI, including three games with a season-high four.

Wesley Moore – LHP – Jersey Shore BlueClaws (PHI, A+)

Years at K-State: 2020-22

Moore has split time between High-A and Double-A in 2025, compiling an overall record of 1-4 with a 6.08 ERA and 27 strikeouts. With High-A Jersey Shore, Moore is 0-3 with a 5.68 ERA and three holds.

Dylan Phillips – LHP – Tri-City Dust Devils (LAA, A+)

Years at K-State: 2019-22

Phillips has split time between High-A and Triple-A in 2025, making his Triple-A debut on May 11. Overall, in 2025, Phillips boasts a 3.49 ERA with a 2-3 record and opponents hitting .235 against him. Against opponents in High-A, Phillips has registered eight saves with two holds with a 1.23 ERA.

Christian Ruebeck – RHP – Great Lakes Loons (LAD, A+)

Years at K-State: 2022

In 26 relief appearances, Ruebeck posts a 1-2 record with a 7.71 ERA and two saves. The right-hander has struck out 38 across 25 2/3 innings.

Jackson Wentworth – RHP – Vancouver Canadians (TOR, A+)

Years at K-State: 2023-24

Wentworth has a record of 1-4 with a 5.04 ERA. He has struck out 86 batters over 89 1/3 innings in his 19 starts with a 1.40 WHIP. Wentworth logged six innings of one-run ball with a season-high nine strikeouts on June 24 against Tri-City. Wentworth was drafted 158^th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2024 MLB Draft.

SINGLE-A

Brady Day – INF – Clearwater Threshers (PHI, A)

Years at K-State: 2022-24

Before being placed on a 7-day injured list on July 23, Day was slashing .261/.346/.348 in his second season with Clearwater, registering 60 hits and driving in 25 RBI. Day has produced nine multi-hit games, including three-hit performances on May 8 and May 10, both against St. Lucie.

REHAB ASSIGNMENT

German Fajardo RHP Modesto Nuts (SEA, A)

Years at K-State: 2020-23

Fajardo appeared in five games in 2025 with a 0.00 ERA in 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven and holding opponents to a .083 average. He picked up a win on May 17, striking out three in 2 2/3 innings. Fajardo, who signed as a free agent with the Mariners organization in 2023, was placed on the 7-day injured list.

2025 MLB DRAFTEES

Jacob Frost – LHP

Years at K-State: 2024-25

Frost was taken with the 315^th pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers to close out the round, becoming the ninth player in program history selected by the Dodgers.

Maximus Martin – INF

Years at K-State: 2025

Martin was selected in the 10^th round by the Boston Red Sox with the 298^th overall pick. Martin is just the second Wildcat ever drafted by the Red Sox, joining Robert Youngdahl (2011).

WILDCATS IN SUMMER BALL

Player	Position	Year in ’26	Hometown	League	Team
Adam Arther	LHP	JR	Altadena, Calif.	Cape	Harwich
Tazwell Butler	RHP	R-SR	Sandy Springs, Ga.	Cape	Harwich
AJ Evasco	INF/OF	SO	Lincoln, Neb.	NECBL	Newport
Austin Haley	INF/RHP	JR	Howe, Texas	Northwoods	St. Cloud
Shintaro Inoue	INF	SR	Yamaguchi, Japan	Cape	Harwich
Cadyn Karl	OF	R-JR	Edmond, Okla.	Appy	Elizabethton
Dee Kennedy	INF	JR	Fort Worth, Texas	Cape	Harwich
Donte Lewis	RHP/OF	SO	Pearland, Texas	Appy	Elizabethton
Adan Longoria	RHP	JR	Plant City, Fla.	Cal Ripken	Alexandria
Chandler Murray	INF	R-FR	Honolulu, Hawaii	Appy	Tri-State
Rohan Putz	OF	R-SO	Loch Lloyd, Mo.	Valley	Purcellville
Jack Quetschenbach	OF	FR		Futures	Westfield
Miles Smith	RHP	R-SR	Flintville, Tenn.	Appy	Bristol
Ty Smolinski	INF	SO	Gretna, Neb.	Appy	Tri State

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CBS Sports ranks Michigan’s Sean Magee among top college football executives

This article has been updated. Wolverines fans doubted the strategy of the team in many ways more than halfway through last season, in terms of recruiting and building out the future of the program. Then, Bryce Underwood, Elijah Dotson, Nate Marshall, Jordan Young, and Ty Haywood committed. And, to boot, Justice Haynes left Alabama for […]

Published

2 hours ago

July 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

This article has been updated.

Wolverines fans doubted the strategy of the team in many ways more than halfway through last season, in terms of recruiting and building out the future of the program. Then, Bryce Underwood, Elijah Dotson, Nate Marshall, Jordan Young, and Ty Haywood committed. And, to boot, Justice Haynes left Alabama for Ann Arbor — a stunning coup given his ability as a standout running back.

Then, fans were ecstatic and understood exactly why immediate results earlier in the year weren’t feasible. Because general manager Sean Magee was plotting and planning.

Magee came aboard for his second stint with Michigan football after Sherrone Moore was hired as the head coach, and he masterfully made move after move. Even when fans got a little antsy when the 2026 recruiting class appeared to be languishing behind some of the field, after the month of June, it became clear that Magee still knew what he was doing.

CBS Sports put together a list of the 21 best college football executives, and Magee was one of a select few who made the cut.

Sean Magee, Michigan

Associate AD for football and general manager

Magee landed the coup of the 2025 recruiting class when he orchestrated the flip of No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood from LSU. He has one of the most unique backgrounds in the space as a former Navy offensive lineman, Surface Warfare Officer and former chief of staff for the Chicago Bears. (…)

NIL attorneys and agents who have worked with Magee praise his intellect and ability to navigate potentially difficult negotiations. His arrival in Ann Arbor signaled a shift in Michigan’s approach, showing a greater willingness to be aggressive in NIL efforts to land top talent such as quarterback Bryce Underwood and five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola.

Magee came aboard, working with the foundation set by collectives such as Valiant and Champions Circle which had established themselves in the years while he was in Chicago. There are always numbers bandied about for certain players (like Underwood), Michigan insists that they’re not always accurate.

“First of all, there’s this random number that people throw out that they think Bryce got, which I don’t know where they got it from, but good for them,” Sherrone Moore said at Big Ten media days. “Bryce knows that. The conversation I have with Bryce is that, ‘Bryce, you come here, I’m not giving you anything. You have to go earn it.’ Verbatim out of his mouth, ‘I would want it no other way.'”

Surely, it was still a move made possible by NIL, and with Magee connecting with Larry and Jolin Ellison to make that recruitment possible after it was dead on arrival shows that much more of his prowess behind the scenes.

While there might not be any big, marquee transfers outside of Haynes, many appear to be flying under the radar, like wide receivers Donaven McCulley and Anthony Simpson. And, with a year under his belt, it will be interesting to see how he continues to modernize the football department from the inside.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: CBS Sports names Michigan’s Sean Magee a top CFB executive

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NIL

CBS Sports names Michigan’s Sean Magee a top CFB executive

Published

3 hours ago

July 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

This article has been updated.

Then, fans were ecstatic and understood exactly why immediate results earlier in the year weren’t feasible. Because general manager Sean Magee was plotting and planning.

CBS Sports put together a list of the 21 best college football executives, and Magee was one of a select few who made the cut.

Sean Magee, Michigan

Associate AD for football and general manager

Magee landed the coup of the 2025 recruiting class when he orchestrated the flip of No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood from LSU. He has one of the most unique backgrounds in the space as a former Navy offensive lineman, Surface Warfare Officer and former chief of staff for the Chicago Bears. (…)

NIL attorneys and agents who have worked with Magee praise his intellect and ability to navigate potentially difficult negotiations. His arrival in Ann Arbor signaled a shift in Michigan’s approach, showing a greater willingness to be aggressive in NIL efforts to land top talent such as quarterback Bryce Underwood and five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola.

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Jon Rothstein shares alarming outlook on Kansas, Baylor in changing of the guard in Big 12

There was a stretch in the Big 12 from around 2016 to 2023 where Kansas and Baylor could consistently find themselves among the top spots in the conference’s standings. That hasn’t necessarily been the case the past two years, though, and could continue into a third, as noted by Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports. Rothstein […]

Published

3 hours ago

July 31, 2025

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There was a stretch in the Big 12 from around 2016 to 2023 where Kansas and Baylor could consistently find themselves among the top spots in the conference’s standings. That hasn’t necessarily been the case the past two years, though, and could continue into a third, as noted by Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports.

Rothstein released a breakdown of the Big 12 on Monday on ‘Inside College Basketball Now’. That included one of his top-point in the conference being the recent downfalls of the Jayhawks and Bears amidst the new, expanded looks of the Big 12 in 2024 and 2025

“We have a changing of the guard in the Big 12 Conference because, for years, and other people took a seat at the table from time to time. But, for a long time, Kansas and Baylor were 1 and 1a in this conference with Bill Self, with Scott Drew,” said Rothstein. “I’m going to go through my Big 12 Preseason Power Rankings here in just a second, but I’ll tell you this. Kansas and Baylor are not picked in the top-five.”

Starting with Rock Chalk, Kansas has been, over the past two years, unlike the program they’ve been under Self, going 44-24 overall, including 21-17 in conference play, with a pair of first-weekend exits from the NCAA Tournament. Now, with a different-looking roster for this season, led by one of the top freshman in the country in Darryn Peterson, Rothstein has some questions as he had the Jayhawks at No. 6 in the Big 12 entering ’25-’26.

“Kansas is coming off the worst two years that it’s ever had under Bill Self, who’s a Hall of Fame coach who has won multiple national championships,” said Rothstein.

“I’ve got Kansas in the six spot. Now, people may, you know, throw their arms up in the air and say, ‘How can Kansas be in the spot?’. Well, let me tell you something. I know Darryn Peterson could be projected to be the top overall pick, right there with AJ Dybantsa, in the 2026 NBA Draft. Just because a player is projected to be highly selected in the next year’s NBA Draft does not mean that the team that he’s playing on is going to reach certain heights…Kansas is going to two All Big-12 caliber players. I feel confident saying that – Darryn Peterson and Flory Bidunga…Can those two players give Bill Self the ancillary support that he needs for Kansas to be vintage Kansas? Right now, I am somebody who always proceeds with precaution. I take a wait-and-see type of approach. Because you’re looking now at a Kansas team that doesn’t have a lot of returning personnel and has a brand new roster. I got to get to Lawrence in the preseason to take this, obviously, in first-hand.”

Then, Baylor is in a similar spot at 44-26 overall, also at 21-17 in league play, over the past two seasons as they too have not advanced out of the opening weekend of March Madness. Their roster turnover is then even more significant for this upcoming season, which is why Rothstein nearly had them outside his top-ten in the conference with the Bears at No. 9 for him in the Big 12 coming into ’25-’26.

“Baylor, okay, has not been to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since it won a national championship in 2021. And Baylor is going to be also in a situation where it is replacing its entire team from a year ago,” said Rothstein. “That’s right. Baylor didn’t just lose Rob Wright. Baylor lost everybody of significance from last season. It is a complete rebuild in Waco.

“At the nine spot, we go to the Baylor Bears, a program that did not return a single player from last year’s team that went to the NCAA Tournament and went to the second round. Rob Wright? Gone. Langston Love? Gone. VJ Edgecombe? Off to the NBA. Norchad Omier? No longer there. So, Scott Drew went to the portal. I think Baylor, and I’ve talked with their staff about this, has a chance to be a good defensive team, maybe an above-average defensive team. But I think Baylor, when it’s all said and done, will have to scratch and claw to make the NCAA Tournament.

With the respective slides by Kansas and Baylor, new teams have emerged to take those top spots in the Big 12. Houston (67-8, 34-4 in Big 12) is the prime example of that, having won three conference titles since their arrival into the league while also playing for a national championship this past spring. Iowa State (54-18, 26-12), Texas Tech (51-20, 26-12), Arizona (51-22, 29-11), and BYU (49-21, 24-14) have also succeeded with the Cougars, Cyclones, Red Raiders, Wildcats, and Cougars all having made a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight in 2024 or 2025. Those five teams also make up the top-five in the power ranking of the conference by Rothstein.

“The league has changed with Houston, Texas Tech, and BYU. These additions, with realignment a couple years ago, have completely reshaped the makeup of the Big 12 Conference. All three of those programs – Houston, Texas Tech, and BYU – went to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament last year. Houston went to the national title game, Texas Tech was inches away from being in the Final Four,” said Rothstein. “Those additions have disrupted things in terms of the Big 12 hierarchy. And now you’re looking at a season where Kansas is going to try to get back to being Kansas and Baylor is just trying, let’s be honest right now, to find a place in the NCAA Tournament.”

With their past success and two of the best coaches in the conference, Kansas and Baylor aren’t just out of contention completely. Still, things have clearly changed for each of them in relation to where they stand right now in this new era of the Big 12.

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NIL

How NIL Money Shapes G League: Keeping College Stars in NBA Path

The rise of NIL opportunities is reshaping player paths in both college basketball and the G League. Students are now incentivized to enhance their skills longer in college, benefiting from financial support while pursuing NBA aspirations. This has resulted in increased G League engagement, with many players like Drew Timme finding success stories after staying […]

Published

4 hours ago

July 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By the Numbers

Averaging $43,000 per year, G League salaries drive players to consider foreign leagues.
79 NBA call-ups occurred last year, with over half of NBA players now having G League experience.

State of Play

Rising G League call-ups indicate the developmental league’s growing importance.
Coaches and players are looking to leverage NIL funds to enhance G League opportunities.

What’s Next

As NIL dynamics evolve, more G League players may explore branding and marketing strategies to maximize their visibility and income. This transition could spur further collaborations with brands and sponsors, ideally allowing players to retain marketability post-graduation.

Bottom Line

Investing in NIL knowledge and brand building will be pivotal for G League players aiming to sustain financial security and career longevity. Empowering athletes with the right tools can enhance their prospects, both during and after their developmental league tenure.

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