What it really costs to build a championship caliber team

[basketballjones]

Does NIL money help first team all conference players make their free throws or stop them from late/over helping off 3pt shooters in over time with a lead? Or does it stop coaches from teaching doubling non threat posts and over rotating to non shooters to leave open shooters? Does it help put a 7’1” freak lob catch guy by the rim and not 25’ from the hoop trying to dribble? 

[Faux Mike Peltz]

Your point is well taken basketballjones. I agree. But I also think increased NIL would’ve given us better players, a scoring and shooting competent point guard vs Rollie and Uhlis.  Morgan is a good kid but is just not a tough rebounder. Our big men collectively this year were soft. Trade out Braxton or Morgan for a Queen or Julian Reese and our makeup of our team changes quite a bit. 

[Huskerpapa]

8 hours ago, basketballjones said:

Does NIL money help first team all conference players make their free throws or stop them from late/over helping off 3pt shooters in over time with a lead? Or does it stop coaches from teaching doubling non threat posts and over rotating to non shooters to leave open shooters? Does it help put a 7’1” freak lob catch guy by the rim and not 25’ from the hoop trying to dribble? 

Possibly.  When the right players surround that 1st teamer, it takes the pressure of having to be perfect to win.  The pass for an open look shot is then made.  The free throw at the end of the game is likely made, as the shooter is not worn out; having had to play 38 minutes every game.

I'm not making light of your good observation; rather, I'm simply pointing out that our supporting cast simply was not strong or deep this year.  That very well may be a byproduct of NIL $$$.

Edited 12 hours ago by Huskerpapa

[NUdiehard]

10 hours ago, basketballjones said:

Does NIL money help first team all conference players make their free throws or stop them from late/over helping off 3pt shooters in over time with a lead? Or does it stop coaches from teaching doubling non threat posts and over rotating to non shooters to leave open shooters? Does it help put a 7’1” freak lob catch guy by the rim and not 25’ from the hoop trying to dribble? 

 

Basically you're saying that if Nebraska coaches and players simply played and coached 100% perfect at all times, then Nebraska could complete just fine in the B1G.  Are you a coach?  If so, I want to come watch your games so I can see basketball played in its 100% pure form.  No mistakes, perfect schemes, no missed free throws ever, perfect box outs at all times, perfect spacing at all times and perfect defensive rotations.  100% pure basketball.  Lol.

 

Almost all the coaches in the B1G are top notch.  If Izzo can "buy" much better players, do we just expect Fred to coach circles around Izzo so that our scrappy bunch of hustlers can out run his thoroughbreds?  This is lazy thinking.  The only way to judge a coach by his winning percentage is if all other things are equal.  If they aren't equal, an if other coaches have a bigger budget to buy better players, its absurd to expect the coach with the lower budget to consistently still win with one hand tied behind his back.  I've been trying to point this out for two years now, glad it is finally coming to light.  At least now everyone can have a better understanding of where we stand and why things are the way they are.

 

The next question, of course, is why are things the way they are and how can it be changed.  To me, that is the much more interesting question, and one that nobody seems to want to explore or address.  And this includes all our journalists and Nebraska basketball analysts and writers.  There are still many questions about NIL and the upcoming revenue sharing program (many of which have been already asked in this thread) and even though we are now over two years into NIL, I have not seen one single journalist or Nebraska basketball writer shed any light on these questions.  Could be laziness on their part, but I think it is more than that.  I think they probably are instructed by the athletic department to not share this information because it reflects poorly on the athletic department and the hoops NIL program.  The only reason the AD would keep this information secret is if he knows it is does not reflect well on the program's NIL status. 

 

Here are just a few of the questions that I challenge any sports journalist, beat writer, podcaster, analyst (Washut? Just?  Wilson?) of insider to answer:

 

1.  What was Nebraska basketball's NIL budget the past two seasons?

 

2. What was the average NIL budget for B1G teams the past two seasons and what was the range from lowest to highest?

 

3. How are NIL allocations determined?  For instance, if 1890 has $10 million in donations, who determines how that $10M is spread throughout all the UNL programs?  Is Matt Davidson making these decisions?  Does the AD or the Athletic Dept. have any say in this (even if they are not "supposed to", do they do it behind closed doors?

 

4. I realize NIL donations to 1890 are often designated specifically to one specific team, but what about "general" donations that have no specific designations?  Who decides where those funds go?

 

5.  Here is a question:  Can coach Hoiberg donate to NIL for his players?  If so, can the Ath Dept work out an "arrangement" in which Hoiberg gets a "raise" of $3M and then it is "understood" that at least $2M of that will go towards NIL contributions.  You may laugh, but this is the type of "creative" accounting that must be considered to get an advantage.

 

6.  Are there any other possible "loopholes" for the Ath. Dept to "funnel" NIL money to the players?  If there is a way, I am sure other schools are doing it.

 

7.  On that vein, I have been saying for years that the AD should be directing the "donors" to donate to NIL rather than to the Ath. Dept. for things like "facilities".  The NU Ath Dept is flush with cash, and in a much better position than most other Ath. Dept. financially.  So why is the Ath. Dept asking for donations for "facility" upgrades that it could pay for itself? If revenue sharing to NIL is "capped", why not direct the donors to contribute to NIL (which is not capped) rather than facilities which can be paid for 100% by the Ath. Dept?  Or heck, just forget about the stupid facilities upgrades if they don't have the funds.  I guarantee 99% of Husker fans would rather have a winning team than a new scoreboard!

 

8.  What are the specific details involved in the new revenue sharing program that starts this year?  What is the "top" amount that can be contributed by the ath. dept.?  How is this amount calculated?  Is it the same exact dollar amount for every school?  Or is it based on what conference the school is in (in other words, does every B1G school have $20M, but maybe an ACC school only has $15M). 

 

9.  Let's assume NU has $20M of revenue sharing funds available starting this fall.  How are these funds allocated between all the mens and womens programs at NU? 

 

10.  Do the women get half of the money under Title IX (I don't think so, but this seems like a simple question to ask and answer).

 

11.  If not, who decides how much goes to each team?  Is there a formula?  is it based on roster size?  Will it be the same ratio every year?  Or will the AD just AD HOC a different ratio each year based on what he thinks best for that season? 

 

12.  How are other B1G schools deciding how to allocate the revenue sharing funds?  And how does our hoops mens team compare to the other teams in the B1G when it comes to revenue sharing funds available to players?

 

These are just a few of the many questions about Husker NIL that to this day remain completely unanswered (and maybe even unasked).  I'm sure there are many more that I will think of later, and many on this board will probably add.  I suggest we continue to ask these questions until we get answers.  We support this program and our team year after year after year.  At a minimum we at least deserve disclosure.  We may not like the answers, but at least tell us the truth so we can know where we stand and what we can realistically expect going forward.

 

Edited 10 hours ago by NUdiehard

[Navin R. Johnson]

22 minutes ago, NUdiehard said:

 

Basically you're saying that if Nebraska coaches and players simply played and coached 100% perfect at all times, then Nebraska could complete just fine in the B1G.  Are you a coach?  If so, I want to come watch your games so I can see basketball played in its 100% pure form.  No mistakes, perfect schemes, no missed free throws ever, perfect box outs at all times, perfect spacing at all times and perfect defensive rotations.  100% pure basketball.  Lol.

 

Almost all the coaches in the B1G are top notch.  If Izzo can "buy" much better players, do we just expect Fred to coach circles around Izzo so that our scrappy bunch of hustlers can out run his thoroughbreds?  This is lazy thinking.  The only way to judge a coach by his winning percentage is if all other things are equal.  If they aren't equal, an if other coaches have a bigger budget to buy better players, its absurd to expect the coach with the lower budget to consistently still win with one hand tied behind his back.  I've been trying to point this out for two years now, glad it is finally coming to light.  At least now everyone can have a better understanding of where we stand and why things are the way they are.

 

The next question, of course, is why are things the way they are and how can it be changed.  To me, that is the much more interesting question, and one that nobody seems to want to explore or address.  And this includes all our journalists and Nebraska basketball analysts and writers.  There are still many questions about NIL and the upcoming revenue sharing program (many of which have been already asked in this thread) and even though we are now over two years into NIL, I have not seen one single journalist or Nebraska basketball writer shed any light on these questions.  Could be laziness on their part, but I think it is more than that.  I think they probably are instructed by the athletic department to not share this information because it reflects poorly on the athletic department and the hoops NIL program.  The only reason the AD would keep this information secret is if he knows it is does not reflect well on the program's NIL status. 

 

Here are just a few of the questions that I challenge any sports journalist, beat writer, podcaster, analyst (Washut? Just?  Wilson?) of insider to answer:

 

1.  What was Nebraska basketball's NIL budget the past two seasons?

 

2. What was the average NIL budget for B1G teams the past two seasons and what was the range from lowest to highest?

 

3. How are NIL allocations determined?  For instance, if 1890 has $10 million in donations, who determines how that $10M is spread throughout all the UNL programs?  Is Matt Davidson making these decisions?  Does the AD or the Athletic Dept. have any say in this (even if they are not "supposed to", do they do it behind closed doors?

 

4. I realize NIL donations to 1890 are often designated specifically to one specific team, but what about "general" donations that have no specific designations?  Who decides where those funds go?

 

5.  Here is a question:  Can coach Hoiberg donate to NIL for his players?  If so, can the Ath Dept work out an "arrangement" in which Hoiberg gets a "raise" of $3M and then it is "understood" that at least $2M of that will go towards NIL contributions.  You may laugh, but this is the type of "creative" accounting that must be considered to get an advantage.

 

6.  Are there any other possible "loopholes" for the Ath. Dept to "funnel" NIL money to the players?  If there is a way, I am sure other schools are doing it.

 

7.  On that vein, I have been saying for years that the AD should be directing the "donors" to donate to NIL rather than to the Ath. Dept. for things like "facilities".  The NU Ath Dept is flush with cash, and in a much better position than most other Ath. Dept. financially.  So why is the Ath. Dept asking for donations for "facility" upgrades that it could pay for itself? If revenue sharing to NIL is "capped", why not direct the donors to contribute to NIL (which is not capped) rather than facilities which can be paid for 100% by the Ath. Dept?  Or heck, just forget about the stupid facilities upgrades if they don't have the funds.  I guarantee 99% of Husker fans would rather have a winning team than a new scoreboard!

 

8.  What are the specific details involved in the new revenue sharing program that starts this year?  What is the "top" amount that can be contributed by the ath. dept.?  How is this amount calculated?  Is it the same exact dollar amount for every school?  Or is it based on what conference the school is in (in other words, does every B1G school have $20M, but maybe an ACC school only has $15M). 

 

9.  Let's assume NU has $20M of revenue sharing funds available starting this fall.  How are these funds allocated between all the mens and womens programs at NU? 

 

10.  Do the women get half of the money under Title IX (I don't think so, but this seems like a simple question to ask and answer).

 

11.  If not, who decides how much goes to each team?  Is there a formula?  is it based on roster size?  Will it be the same ratio every year?  Or will the AD just AD HOC a different ratio each year based on what he thinks best for that season? 

 

12.  How are other B1G schools deciding how to allocate the revenue sharing funds?  And how does our hoops mens team compare to the other teams in the B1G when it comes to revenue sharing funds available to players?

 

These are just a few of the many questions about Husker NIL that to this day remain completely unanswered (and maybe even unasked).  I'm sure there are many more that I will think of later, and many on this board will probably add.  I suggest we continue to ask these questions until we get answers.  We support this program and our team year after year after year.  At a minimum we at least deserve disclosure.  We may not like the answers, but at least tell us the truth so we can know where we stand and what we can realistically expect going forward.

 

 

A good set of NIL questions.  I'm sure most of us are wondering the same thing.  The way things are going the answer to those questions will change year to year unless someone sets rules that all schools must follow but the reason we are in this situation is because schools were not following the rules set down by the NCAA and the NCAA did not consistently enforce the rules.

[HuskerFever]

Now hear me out...is there a possibility that we just don't pay for a coach, don't pay for a staff, and you just distribute that money across eight top players in the country and see what happens? 

 

[hskr4life]

To be fair to BBall Jones, he had been fairly critical (as have multiple others) on the defensive scheme we run for multiple years now. So this isn’t a recency bias from him with just this years team and players on the defensive side of things.

[hskr4life]

3 minutes ago, HuskerFever said:

Now hear me out...is there a possibility that we just don't pay for a coach, don't pay for a staff, and you just distribute that money across eight top players in the country and see what happens? 

 

We could still get a coach! We’d just have to find the right guy that our budget would allow. Like the Indians 

 

 

[Navin R. Johnson]

1 minute ago, hskr4life said:

We could still get a coach! We’d just have to find the right guy that our budget would allow. Like the Indians 

 

 

 

The movie wouldn't have been the same if they went by the Guardians back then.

[Dead Dog Alley]

36 minutes ago, hskr4life said:

To be fair to BBall Jones, he had been fairly critical (as have multiple others) on the defensive scheme we run for multiple years now. So this isn’t a recency bias from him with just this years team and players on the defensive side of things.

Why we were running that same defense up 6 in OT, when the only chance of losing was to give up some 3s, is a legitimate question.

[The Polish Rifle]

So a top 25 team costs roughly $5M. And we are roughly at $3M? That really doesn’t seem that bad. Revenue share will get us closer. Have Rhule go ring boosters doorbells with Fred and you’ll get an extra $1M by the end of the week. 

[basketballjones]

1 hour ago, NUdiehard said:

 

Basically you're saying that if Nebraska coaches and players simply played and coached 100% perfect at all times, then Nebraska could complete just fine in the B1G.  Are you a coach?  If so, I want to come watch your games so I can see basketball played in its 100% pure form.  No mistakes, perfect schemes, no missed free throws ever, perfect box outs at all times, perfect spacing at all times and perfect defensive rotations.  100% pure basketball.  Lol.

 

Almost all the coaches in the B1G are top notch.  If Izzo can "buy" much better players, do we just expect Fred to coach circles around Izzo so that our scrappy bunch of hustlers can out run his thoroughbreds?  This is lazy thinking.  The only way to judge a coach by his winning percentage is if all other things are equal.  If they aren't equal, an if other coaches have a bigger budget to buy better players, its absurd to expect the coach with the lower budget to consistently still win with one hand tied behind his back.  I've been trying to point this out for two years now, glad it is finally coming to light.  At least now everyone can have a better understanding of where we stand and why things are the way they are.

 

The next question, of course, is why are things the way they are and how can it be changed.  To me, that is the much more interesting question, and one that nobody seems to want to explore or address.  And this includes all our journalists and Nebraska basketball analysts and writers.  There are still many questions about NIL and the upcoming revenue sharing program (many of which have been already asked in this thread) and even though we are now over two years into NIL, I have not seen one single journalist or Nebraska basketball writer shed any light on these questions.  Could be laziness on their part, but I think it is more than that.  I think they probably are instructed by the athletic department to not share this information because it reflects poorly on the athletic department and the hoops NIL program.  The only reason the AD would keep this information secret is if he knows it is does not reflect well on the program's NIL status. 

 

Here are just a few of the questions that I challenge any sports journalist, beat writer, podcaster, analyst (Washut? Just?  Wilson?) of insider to answer:

 

1.  What was Nebraska basketball's NIL budget the past two seasons?

 

2. What was the average NIL budget for B1G teams the past two seasons and what was the range from lowest to highest?

 

3. How are NIL allocations determined?  For instance, if 1890 has $10 million in donations, who determines how that $10M is spread throughout all the UNL programs?  Is Matt Davidson making these decisions?  Does the AD or the Athletic Dept. have any say in this (even if they are not "supposed to", do they do it behind closed doors?

 

4. I realize NIL donations to 1890 are often designated specifically to one specific team, but what about "general" donations that have no specific designations?  Who decides where those funds go?

 

5.  Here is a question:  Can coach Hoiberg donate to NIL for his players?  If so, can the Ath Dept work out an "arrangement" in which Hoiberg gets a "raise" of $3M and then it is "understood" that at least $2M of that will go towards NIL contributions.  You may laugh, but this is the type of "creative" accounting that must be considered to get an advantage.

 

6.  Are there any other possible "loopholes" for the Ath. Dept to "funnel" NIL money to the players?  If there is a way, I am sure other schools are doing it.

 

7.  On that vein, I have been saying for years that the AD should be directing the "donors" to donate to NIL rather than to the Ath. Dept. for things like "facilities".  The NU Ath Dept is flush with cash, and in a much better position than most other Ath. Dept. financially.  So why is the Ath. Dept asking for donations for "facility" upgrades that it could pay for itself? If revenue sharing to NIL is "capped", why not direct the donors to contribute to NIL (which is not capped) rather than facilities which can be paid for 100% by the Ath. Dept?  Or heck, just forget about the stupid facilities upgrades if they don't have the funds.  I guarantee 99% of Husker fans would rather have a winning team than a new scoreboard!

 

8.  What are the specific details involved in the new revenue sharing program that starts this year?  What is the "top" amount that can be contributed by the ath. dept.?  How is this amount calculated?  Is it the same exact dollar amount for every school?  Or is it based on what conference the school is in (in other words, does every B1G school have $20M, but maybe an ACC school only has $15M). 

 

9.  Let's assume NU has $20M of revenue sharing funds available starting this fall.  How are these funds allocated between all the mens and womens programs at NU? 

 

10.  Do the women get half of the money under Title IX (I don't think so, but this seems like a simple question to ask and answer).

 

11.  If not, who decides how much goes to each team?  Is there a formula?  is it based on roster size?  Will it be the same ratio every year?  Or will the AD just AD HOC a different ratio each year based on what he thinks best for that season? 

 

12.  How are other B1G schools deciding how to allocate the revenue sharing funds?  And how does our hoops mens team compare to the other teams in the B1G when it comes to revenue sharing funds available to players?

 

These are just a few of the many questions about Husker NIL that to this day remain completely unanswered (and maybe even unasked).  I'm sure there are many more that I will think of later, and many on this board will probably add.  I suggest we continue to ask these questions until we get answers.  We support this program and our team year after year after year.  At a minimum we at least deserve disclosure.  We may not like the answers, but at least tell us the truth so we can know where we stand and what we can realistically expect going forward.

 

I would type a response to address all the things you’re putting in my mouth that I didn’t say, but my thumb broke trying to scroll through this entire post.

[basketballjones]

How many teams did we lose to, at home, that either 1. Had a worse record than us or 2. Probably don’t spend much or any more than we do in NIL?

[cornfed24-7]

1 minute ago, basketballjones said:

How many teams did we lose to, at home, that either 1. Had a worse record than us or 2. Probably don’t spend much or any more than we do in NIL?

I don't disagree with this. But then (1) how many did we win on the road that they had a better record than us or (2) spent more on than we do in NIL?

[The Polish Rifle]

9 minutes ago, basketballjones said:

How many teams did we lose to, at home, that either 1. Had a worse record than us or 2. Probably don’t spend much or any more than we do in NIL?

I’ve seen too many people see the high end number quoted in that article and conclude no coach could ever win here. The high end numbers are the Duke, UNC, Indiana money. We aren’t going to compete with that - like wise our expectations are no where near theirs. Our NIL goal should be middle of the pack in the B1G, seems like we are close if not already there? 

Edited 8 hours ago by The Polish Rifle

[hhcmatt]

Can tell you we have significantly less NIL than Indiana who we beat and significantly more NIL than Minnesota and we lost.  Dick-measuring the amount of money we can burn on this program isn't going to be the answer here because we're going to be out-$$'ed by at least 7 programs in this conference at all times. 

 

It's important to know what sort of identity/type of team we want to build because that allows us to focus $$$ on the important position(s) of that scheme.

After that, get creative. Having more money, missing out on guys, and then blowing that money on Braxton Meah is mismanagement.  Finding a guy like Justin Bolis because we were looking, that's good management. 

 

[hskr4life]

1 minute ago, The Polish Rifle said:

I’ve seen too many people see the high end number quoted in that article and conclude no coach could ever win here. The high end numbers are the Duke, UNC, Indiana money. We aren’t going to compete with that - like wise our expectations are no where near theirs. Our NIL goal should be middle of the pack in the B1G, seems like we are close if not already there? 

For me personally— a team with a top 25 attendance in the nation, that pays for itself, and already has a decent enough NIL budget should probably at minimum be top quarterish in the conference… even with our crappy history. The university needs to do all it can to create a winner for one of the top revenue generating sports.

 

I’d say top 5-6 for what we bring in basketball wise. That’s about top 3rd. To me— middle of the pack just in your conference for a money generating sport is a little low. Even with our history.

[cornfed24-7]

3 minutes ago, The Polish Rifle said:

I’ve seen too many people see the high end number quoted in that article and conclude no coach could ever win here. The high end numbers are the Duke, UNC, Indiana money. We aren’t going to compete with that - like wise our expectations are no where near theirs. Our NIL goal should be middle of the pack in the B1G, seems like we are close if not already there? 

The one coach was quoted saying 5mil to compete in the top 25. That's not high end. @Faux Mike Peltz said he had heard we are closer to 2mil. That's not close. 

[hhcmatt]

14 minutes ago, basketballjones said:

How many teams did we lose to, at home, that either 1. Had a worse record than us or 2. Probably don’t spend much or any more than we do in NIL?

 

We're out of the B1G tourney because we lost to almost all the other 7-13 teams in conference. Not imagining that Iowa, Minnesota, or Northwestern have more NIL than us.  You look at the guys USC recruited and can't say they're operating on some big budget.  Blew close games against the type of schools where they aren't outspending you. Bad roster build.  If we learned from it, we have enough of a blank canvas where we can do a better job this off-season.

[cornfed24-7]

1 minute ago, hhcmatt said:

Bad roster build

I think this is the season in a nut shell.

 

I hope the lesson Hoiberg learned is even if you strike out in your top guys in NIL your subsequent choices better still fit what you're trying to do as a team.

 

If the guys that do say yes are perceived to be "better" players, but do quite fit what it seems like you're trying to achieve you're sunk 

 

This season it was apparent Hoiberg doesn't seem to be willing to change up his philosophies to fit his players strengths. 

 

It was most apparent on defense. Teams this year swung ball to the corner, passed back once, then made a skip pass for an open 3.

 

Last year we could better defend that skip pass or disrupt the open shooter.  This year we weren't even close. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Faux Mike Peltz]

Robin Washut has stated in writing our basketball NIL was around 2.3-2.5 million. I believe it’s closer to 2.3 - but it should rise w rev share and hopefully a commitment from the peers that be to designate more to be competitive. 
Even an extra million will go a long ways, most rotational guys are easily commanding north of 250k per year. 
Let’s just say Nebraska got an absolute STEAL this year on Brice Williams. 

[HuskerFever]

1 minute ago, Faux Mike Peltz said:

Robin Washut has stated in writing our basketball NIL was around 2.3-2.5 million. I believe it’s closer to 2.3 - but it should rise w rev share and hopefully a commitment from the peers that be to designate more to be competitive. 
Even an extra million will go a long ways, most rotational guys are easily commanding north of 250k per year. 
Let’s just say Nebraska got an absolute STEAL this year on Brice Williams. 

 

Games from November to March (5 months) for $250K, while average pay for teachers get paid $55K in Nebraska.

[Nebrasketball1979]

1 hour ago, HuskerFever said:

 

Games from November to March (5 months) for $250K, while average pay for teachers get paid $55K in Nebraska.

 

Ha, yeah, the pay for teachers across the country is embarrassing; however, that doesn't mean it's unfair that athletes are getting paid at the level they are.  My wife is a teacher and I hope there is a day where millions of people are watching her teach so we can leverage that into a big payday for our family. 

[royalfan]

If we have less to spend, it is very important to spend it on the starting lineup and get creative to fill in the rest of the roster.  

[Vinny]

3 hours ago, The Polish Rifle said:

So a top 25 team costs roughly $5M. And we are roughly at $3M? That really doesn’t seem that bad. Revenue share will get us closer. Have Rhule go ring boosters doorbells with Fred and you’ll get an extra $1M by the end of the week. 

The revenue share is going to bump it up for everyone though.