It’s Monday morning, so it’s time for me to let you all know what’s been on my mind the past week. For another week, I’m going to run through some excellent reporting from Ross Dellenger for Yahoo Sports, this time about the SEC spring meetings and all the info that has come out of there. This one might be a little more wide ranging, since there isn’t one story’s worth of reporting I’m really diving into.

Let’s get started.

1. The first quote I saw that sent me reeling a bit.

“I have people in my room asking, ‘Why are we still in the NCAA?’”

That’s a quote from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.

I have talked before about splitting college football and college basketball off from the current system so that the Olympic sports can go back closer to what they used to be in terms of conferences and NIL and that type of stuff, which I stand behind. I think that would be a good idea.

This is not that.

The SEC is obviously powerful, it’s not powerful enough to stand on its own outside of the rest of college sports.

Would the conference seasons still be interesting? Sure. Would the conference tournament be interesting? Sure. Would any of it matter if the SEC can’t participate in the College Football Playoff, March Madness or the College World Series/Women’s College World Series?

No.

We can talk all we want, and the SEC administrators did a lot this week, about how much stronger the SEC is than the rest of college athletics, and for the most part, I agree. I don’t think the gap is as wide as it’s made out to be, but the SEC is an incredibly strong conference in just about every sport right now.

But to say it could stand on its own completely is ludicrous.

Back in February, I talked about the difference in television ratings between the NFL and college football. I’ll run back the numbers a little.

The Super Bowl this year had an average of 127.7 million viewers.

The College Football Championship averaged 22.1 million viewers (Michigan vs. Washington was the highest in CFP history, averaging 25 million. Weird how the two most watched didn’t involve the SEC).

The SEC Championship averaged 16.6 million. That’s a significant drop-off, though not as significant as I expected.

It did dominate the other conference championships, next up was the Big 10 at 10.5 million, but it’s not enough to say the SEC could make up the money it needs to by exiting the major tournaments.

Sankey didn’t say the SEC was really considering it or that it was a possibility, but the fact that people are even bringing it up in the room and Sankey thought it was worth bringing up in front of a major audience full of reporters is telling.

The SEC is strong, but it’s not that strong. I’m telling you guys from a slightly outside perspective having lived the first 27 years of my life nowhere close to the SEC, the rest of the country doesn’t care that much.

Growing up, I loved college football, so I had to care a little bit about the SEC because LSU, then Florida, then Alabama were winning all the time. But I wouldn’t have cared at all had they not been title contenders. And no one outside of the conference area is going to buy it if the SEC were to split off and claim “Our champion is the REAL national champion” especially since this type of move would assumedly come with NCAA teams being barred from playing SEC teams in the regular season as well.

2. There was a lot of talk about how the SEC should be more heavily weighted by the playoff committee.

Last Updated on June 2, 2025

Adidas has continued to stay ahead of the curve in identifying up-and-coming talent in basketball through name, image, and likeness initiatives. The global sports apparel brand has selected eight talented high school basketball players to headline the next chapter of its NIL roster. Each member will play a crucial role in building the legacy of Adidas’ 3SSB platform, which serves as the premier grassroots platform for Adidas Basketball, designed to showcase and support college athletes seeking to play at the next level.

This new edition includes:

• Kaleena Smith
• Adam Oumiddoch
• Bruce Branch III
• Oliviyah Edwards
• Kate Harpring
• Caleb Holt
• Taylen Kinney
• Anthony Thompson

Boys’ Basketball Stars Joining the Adidas NIL Wave

Caleb Holt, Taylen Kinney, and Anthony Thompson are the standouts that represent the 2026 class. Holt checks in as the second-ranked shooting guard in the class and is the top-ranked player in Georgia, per 247Sports. The Loganville, Georgia, product is known for his ability to get to the basket at will. Holt earned a gold medal as a member of the 2024 USA Men’s U17 National Team and is also a key player on the 3SSB’s Game Elite. 

Five-star point guard Taylen Kinney is one of two Overtime Elite members in the recent Adidas NIL class. Kinney plays for Overtime Elite’s RWE and 3SSB’s Wildcat Select team and is the fourth-ranked point guard in the 2026 class, per 247Sports, and the second-ranked player in Georgia. He is known for his ball-handling ability and scoring prowess. Kinney has built a strong presence on TikTok, boasting over 800,000 followers, and has gone viral for several TikTok challenges.

Western Reserve Academy’s Anthony Thompson is the top-ranked player in Ohio and the third-ranked small forward in the 2026 class by 247Sports. The five-star prospect plays for 3SSB’s Indiana Elite and is lauded for his versatility to play multiple positions and his 7-foot-3 wingspan.

Adam Oumiddoch is one of the top shooting guards in the 2026 class. The Arlington, Virginia, product plays for the Cold Hearts of Overtime Elite and 3SSB’s Wildcat Select. Oumiddoch has made a name for himself on the junior national circuit with USA Basketball and earned All-American honors as a freshman at Bishop O’Connell High School. Oumiddoch has one of the strongest social media followings of the class, with over 50,000 followers on Instagram. It is worth noting that Oumiddoch had a partnership with Adidas before the announcement of this recent class. 

Bruce Branch III is arguably the most talented player in the 2027 class. 247Sports has Branch slotted as the second-ranked player in the country for the 2027 cycle. The 6-foot-7 small forward out of Gilbert, Arizona, plays for 3SSB’s Compton Magic. Branch received high acclaim for his contributions to Perry’s Open Division state championship as a freshman. Branch is known for his athleticism and ability to score from three levels. 

Girls’ Basketball Stars Representing The Three Stripes

Kaleena Smith was the first high school women’s basketball player to sign an NIL deal with Adidas. Smith is the top-ranked high school prospect in the 2027 class by 247Sports. She plays for 3SSB’s 7 Days team and averaged one of the most impressive stat lines in 34.9 points, 6.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.2 steals per game as a sophomore. The Ontario Christian High School product earned the MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year and the Los Angeles Times Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year awards. 

Oliviyah Edwards is the top-ranked power forward in the 2026 class by 247Sports. The five-star prospect plays for Elite Sports Academy and 3SSB’s Northwest Greyhounds. What separates Edwards from the rest of her class is her elite athleticism, length, and rare dunking ability. 

Marist School’s Kate Harpring is the top-ranked player in the 2026 class by ESPN. The five-star prospect plays for 3SSB’s Southeast All-Stars and was instrumental in leading  Marist to a Georgia Class 6A state championship. One of the standout performances from Harpring’s championship run was her 45-point performance in the semifinals. Harpring is most known for being an efficient three-level scorer and defensive ability. She is also the daughter of former NBA player Matt Harpring.