The NCAA is a very different place now than it was just a few years ago. Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari has seen the evolution firsthand, as the legalization of NIL deals for student-athletes created multi-millionaire college athletes who have more incentives to continue staying in the college system and make NIL money instead of graduating after four years.
This has also changed the competitive balance of Division 1 Men’s basketball, as teams are playing 18-year-old freshmen against 25-year-olds, with some even having pro experience. Calipari is feeling the negative effects of this the most, as he’s renowned for his work with freshman prospects, who he makes NBA-ready instead of trying to develop them with a four-season championship window in mind.
Calipari slammed the new NIL system in a recent press conference, giving teams an incentive to find loopholes just to play grown men or former professional athletes in the NCAA for a competitive advantage in March Madness.
“25, 26, 27, beards, kids in the stands, on their second wife. Yeah, this is a little bit different. Then you say, well, why are they staying in school so long? For the money. I don’t blame them. I do not blame them. It’s our fault that we have nothing that prohibits age. Make it 25.”
“Kids transfer five times, why? It’s the same reason. Can I get more money somewhere? That’s why if you put your name in the portal when you’re on my team, you’re out. I’m not going to be extorted. You know where we stand on things.”
“It’s, yes, harder with freshmen. Now, we just brought in three five-star freshmen, all physically able to guard 24- and 25-year-olds. If you’re not physically able to withstand a 25 or 26, it’s really dangerous. But the three that we just signed, they’re all — I can call them beasts.”
You either win as freshmen with Calipari, or you don’t win at all, as the xx-year-old encourages his best players to go to the NBA while replacing them with new freshmen. There have been 62 NCAA players to have played under Calipari before making it to the NBA, including the likes of Derrick Rose, Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, De’Aaron Fox, and many more.
Calipari has three freshmen on his team right now as the Razorbacks prepare for their March Madness Sweet 16 matchup against the Arizona Wildcats. The veteran coach is likely going to encourage his freshmen, such as Darius Acuff Jr., Meleek Thomas, and Trevon Brazile to declare for the NBA Draft at the end of the season. Acuff is projected to be a lottery pick, while Thomas and Brazile are projected to be second-round picks.
Calipari is referring to the modern NCAA practice of top players seeking transfers to other Division 1 schools in hopes of a better NIL deal or for more eligibility years, given the complex rules the NCAA is employing. He’s also likely referring to instances like former Detroit Pistons draft pick James Nnaji leaving professional basketball to join Baylor University despite having NBA experience. The same was done by Charles Bediako, who spent three seasons in the NBA’s G League before returning to the NCAA.
paying players is mando but nikkas 25+ playing college sports is corny
