Look, I think it’s more than fair to acknowledge that the Texas Tech Red Raiders haven’t exactly been known for any sort of alleged defensive prowess. That’s something that goes back *checks notes* more than a few years. And it’s something that TTU really needs to address to take a step forward as a program.

Now, as the Red Raiders are rolling into 2025 with an improved roster (shoutout to the impressive success that Texas Tech’s NIL efforts have had) and a brand new defensive coordinator (shoutout to the Houston Cougars for getting Shiel Wood into the Big 12), there’s a chance that things improve.

Or, well, there’s certainly a hope that the defensive efforts can be something other than frustrating to keep up with. 

It looks like at least one Big 12 coach (anonymously) is wondering about this same sort of thing. How much can the Red Raiders improve their defense from the disaster that it was last season with the getting Wood to the coaching staff and the various new additions on the roster?

Big 12 coach anonymously wonders about the improvements that Texas Tech can make on defense under Shiel Wood’s guidance

When talking to Athlon Sports (in an anonymous fashion) one Big 12 coach took the opportunity to ponder and wonder about the impact that Wood and Texas Tech’s NIL efforts can have on the lackluster defense from a season ago.

“Can [Shiel] Wood come in and flip the defense with all that free-agency spending? They were a classic Texas Tech defense last year, and that’s not a compliment,” one coach anonymously told Athlon Sports.

And folks, that one anonymous Big 12 coach is without a doubt absolutely, positively correct. We’re talking about a defense that yielded 34.85 points per game to opposing teams. This is a defense that let Abilene Christian put up 51 points on them. 

Opposing quarterbacks threw for OVER 4000 yards against Texas Tech last season. This was a flat out bad defense. And maybe Wood and the new roster additions via NIL can help change that a bit. I don’t know. We’ll see soon enough.

In this modern era of college athletics, players are possibly as valuable as they have ever been.

It isn’t uncommon for a player, whether it be basketball or football, to be offered a massive payday before playing a single minute of action at their respective college. On Wednesday, Adidas took to social media to announce its 2025 high school NIL class, featuring recruits from both the 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes.

The class consists of eight of the top recruits in the country, headlined by 2026 five-star shooting guard Caleb Holt, who ranks as the No. 5 player in the country according to On3’s Industry Rankings on the men’s side, and Kate Harping, who ranks as the No. 2 player in the class of 2026.

There was plenty of drama during the final few days before the deadline for players to withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft and return to play another season of college basketball. While Washington State’s Cedric Coward made his intentions of staying in the draft known well before Wednesday’s deadline, others kept fans, coaches and NBA teams in suspense during the final hours.

Kentucky star Otega Oweh kept everyone guessing leading up to the Wednesday deadline. The potential second-round pick elected to return to Kentucky where he projects as a possible SEC Player of the Year candidate. 

Another contender for that award also turned down the NBA. Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford turned down a potential late first-round draft spot for NIL deal with the Tigers north of $2 million, a source told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.

2025 NBA Draft: Top late decisions of underclassmen deciding if they should withdraw or turn pro

Cameron Salerno

One of the biggest winners of the deadline was Michigan. Former UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg, the No. 1 ranked player in the CBS Sports transfer rankings, decided to withdraw from the draft and return to college basketball as an All-American candidate. Lendeborg led the nation in double-doubles last season and was projected as a late-first-round pick after a strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine.

Here are selected winners and losers for the deadline for players to make their NBA Draft decisions.

Winner: Michigan’s patience rewarded 

Lendeborg choosing to play another season of college basketball was one of the biggest surprises of the withdrawal deadline. It seemed like he had improved his stock enough to get selected at the end of the first round, but there is no such thing as a guarantee. Players who are projected as fringe first-round picks often rely on promises from NBA teams and their decision-makers to make a final call. 

Lendeborg received a NIL package believed to be in the neighborhood of $3 million to return to school, sources told CBS Sports. Michigan loved to play with its double-big lineup last season, and Lendeborg fills a clear need as a double-double machine. With another year for Lendeborg to improve his draft stock, all parties involved could be massive winners in a year from now.

Why Yaxel Lendeborg withdrawing from the 2025 NBA Draft to play for Dusty May at Michigan is right decision

Cameron Salerno

Loser: RJ Luis Jr. makes shocking draft decision

One of the biggest surprises of the withdrawal deadline was Luis staying in the draft. The Big East Player of the Year had a breakout season for St. John’s, but returning to school and raising his stock further would’ve been the best option. After all, when Luis entered the transfer portal, he was sought out by many top-tier programs. Add on how some of those schools may have become desperate late in the recruiting cycle, and Luis could’ve gotten paid and gone to a favorable situation in college. 

Nonetheless, it’s hard to knock someone’s dream of wanting to play in the NBA as soon as possible. The best-case scenario is he winds up as a mid-to-late second-round pick. Getting drafted in that range means you face an uphill climb to make an NBA roster and likely play most of the season in the G League. It was trending that Luis would never play another minute of college basketball for quite some time, but it’s still surprising.

Winner: NIL agents get paid

While players earning life-changing NIL money are the biggest winners, their respective agents are also cashing out. Several high-profile NIL deals have been reported this offseason. UCLA star Donovan Dent received around $3 million. Lendeborg cashed in on a deal around the same number. All-American PJ Haggerty bypassed the NBA Draft and transferred to Kansas State for a big payday. As my colleague Isaac Trotter wrote last month, the influx of spending comes on the heels of the House vs. NCAA settlement, which would create a full-fledged revenue-sharing model and potential de facto salary cap. In the meantime, everyone is getting paid.

Expected House v. NCAA court ruling and NIL impact on future teams being felt at 2025 Final Four (ask Auburn)

Isaac Trotter

Loser: Cedric Coward’s gain leads to Duke’s pain 

Duke probably wishes Coward never attended the NBA Draft Combine. That’s an exaggeration, but his performance at the event solidified his standing as a potential first-round pick. Coward transferred to Duke after entering the transfer portal but will never suit up for the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils moved quickly to replace Coward’s production with four-star forward Sebastian Wilkins and five-star International sensation Dame Sarr out of Italy. They’ll have the returning firepower needed to compete for a national title, but not getting Coward has to sting.

Winner: Florida is primed to make another title run

The reigning national champion saw its starting frontcourt of Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu withdraw from the draft to return to school. Their return solidifies Florida’s frontcourt depth as the best in the country. That group gave opposing teams nightmares during the NCAA Tournament. Add in transfers Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee, and you have a team capable of making another title run next year.

Alex Condon returns to Florida: Gators may have top frontcourt after big man withdraws from 2025 NBA Draft

Austin Nivison

Loser: Arkansas’ Adou Thiero moves on 

The good news for Arkansas coach John Calipari is his streak of players drafted in the first round is likely to continue. Unfortunately for the Razorbacks, that means  Thiero is not returning. Calipari’s streak started in 2008 when the Chicago Bulls selected Derrick Rose from Memphis with the No. 1 overall pick. During his 15-year stint at Kentucky, Calipari produced 37 first-rounders, 25 of which were lottery selections. 

Thiero is a fringe first-round pick. He has tools that will translate to the NBA, so it wouldn’t shock anyone if a team picking in the late 20s took a chance on him. All and all, Thiero is a big loss for Arkansas. He followed Calipari from Kentucky to Fayetteville and had the best season of his college career.

Winner: SEC stars run it back

Kentucky’s Oweh and Auburn’s Pettiford are both contenders for SEC Player of the Year. Pettiford primarily came off the bench during his freshman season at Auburn but was one of Bruce Pearl’s most impactful players. Pettiford’s role will increase significantly in his second season. Oweh was one of Mark Pope’s key commitments out of the transfer portal during Year 1 at Kentucky and he finished as the team’s leading scorer last season. The Wildcats made some splashes in the transfer portal, but getting a proven two-way talent like Oweh back is a major win for Pope and his staff. 

Tahaad Pettiford withdraws from NBA Draft: Sophomore guard returns to Auburn after Final Four season

Matt Norlander

Loser: NBA teams picking in the second round

The NBA Draft talent pool is shrinking with more players are returning to school. And why wouldn’t they? Players drafted in the second round face an uphill climb to make an NBA roster. Most of their time is spent in the G League. Players like Oweh, Karter Knox and Milos Uzan decided to run it back instead of taking the risk of falling out of the first round. It’s a smart decision on their part, but it makes life even harder on NBA teams in search of second-round gems. Expect an increased focus on international prospects in the second round going forward. 

As a blueblood program, the Texas Longhorns undoubtedly have the resources to build a powerhouse in Austin. But according to head coach Steve Sarkisian, the recent estimates of the program’s NIL budget have been wildly overstated.

Last month, Kirk Bohls of the Houston Chronicle reported via an anonymous source that Texas is set to spend “between $35 and $40 million” on their roster for the 2025 season, which would reportedly come both from the programs NIL collective and a proposed revenue-sharing model once the House Settlement that allows institutions to revenue-share with athletes.

On Tuesday, Sarkisian addressed these figures during an appearance on SEC This Morning at the SEC Spring Meetings, calling the reporting “irresponsible” and dismissing the idea that the Longhorns operate with that kind of financial firepower.

“What’s frustrating on that was that it was a little bit of irresponsible reporting,” Sarkisian said. “It was one anonymous source said that’s what our roster was. I wish I had $40 million on our roster, we’d probably be a little bit better team than we are. The idea to think that a lot of other aren’t spending money to get players, it’s the state of college football right now. It is what it is. And we’re fortunate, don’t get me wrong. We’ve got great support. Chris Del Conte, our athletic director, does a fantastic job. And our donors, people, are excited.

“We have been to the CFP two years in a row, and we’ve had 20-something guys drafted the last two years. So it’s been great. It’s been a great run. I wish I had another $15 million or so; we might have a little better roster. But what’s crazy about this day and age that you guys operate in. And I’ve watched this for 25 years now — the evolution of Twitter and social media, and podcasts. One guy writes an article from an anonymous source that says that’s what our roster is. Everybody ran with it. And I’m talking real publications, ran with it… Nobody asked me one question. Okay, sure, but if that’s the narrative you want to paint for our team. That’s fine, whatever.”

“It was a little bit of irresponsible reporting… I wish I had 40 million on our roster, we’d probably be a little bit better.”
@CoachSark talked about the report regarding the cost of his roster at #SECSpringMeetings!
@PeterBurnsESPN | @ChrisDoering | @JacobHester18 pic.twitter.com/0DZelKr9SK

— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) May 27, 2025

It’s worth noting that the House v. NCAA settlement, which could potentially allow programs to share up to $20.5 million annually with players, has yet to be finalized. Should it pass, Texas’s spending could edge closer to those reported figures.

For now, though, Sarkisian clearly wants to be the one fielding questions about Texas’s budget, not anonymous sources.

With revenue sharing seemingly on the horizon, much of the discussion surrounds football. However, basketball is set to get a nice piece of the pie. There has been speculation about, specifically, the Big East, maybe getting a bigger cut than other power conferences due to a lack of football presence.

Someone who might know is Sean Miller, the former Xavier head coach. Now leading Texas in the SEC, he was asked about the Big East possibly having a financial advantage. He did not appear too convinced, saying there is still a lot of unknowns.

“You hear that but me coming from there, I think if we’re here speculating on that toward that on them, they would be equally be speculating on what we’re doing down here,” Miller said at SEC Spring Meetings. “It comes back to this awkward, unknown part. You just truly don’t know, it is truly speculation.

“I know what you’re talking about but one of the other things I feel like is part of the SEC, certainly the University of Texas, is that you’re moving toward the future. You’re certainly going to be at the table. That’s a comforting feeling. There are other times where conferences, as much as they want to feel that way, they can’t because of the model we’re in and the power of football.”

Xavier actually did sport a football team once upon a time. However, in 1973, the school decided to shut down the program and there has not been much talk of revitalization. Basketball has been the key focus ever since and will continue to be so moving forward.

The same can be said for the majority, if not all, of the Big East teams. UConn football is currently in the FBS while Villanova competes at the FCS level. Even so, those two still consider basketball its No. 1 priority from an athletics standpoint. National championships have been produced in recent years as well.

Quite different from the situation Miller walked into. Texas is one of college football’s top programs and Steve Sarkisian currently has things rolling. The Longhorns will be a popular preseason No. 1 selection if not a national championship prediction.

Miller is still not ready to say the Big East has an advantage, though. He still sees plenty of advantages to being a head coach inside the SEC, getting a few more answers on the big picture questions.