What it really costs to build a championship caliber team

[Vinny]

  On 3/14/2025 at 6:53 PM, royalfan said:

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.  

Expand  

If we had an extra million say, would you go get a $1 mil player, or swap say three 400k guys for three 700-750k guys? 

[cornfed24-7]

  On 3/14/2025 at 7:17 PM, Vinny said:

If we had an extra million say, would you go get a $1 mil player, or swap say three 400k guys for three 700-750k guys? 

Expand  

Easy choice for me. Swap for three 750k guys. 

[millerhusker]

Kansas State has one of the highest paid rosters in the country. Hawkins ($2mil), Onyenso and Achor combined to make $4+ million, according to Shams Charania. McDaniel made $800k. So that’s a $6+ million dollar roster. And they finished below .500. 
 

Would be interesting to know what Wisconsin’s NIL budget is for basketball. I would guess AJ Storr and Chucky Hepburn’s combined earnings this year were almost as much as Wisconsin’s entire roster. 

[basketballjones]

  On 3/14/2025 at 4:04 PM, cornfed24-7 said:

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?

Expand  

That doesn’t matter. 
 

You guys are all insinuating coaching/X’s and O’s just does not matter anymore. Spend the most money = winning. That’s what you’re all saying. 
 

Even by all your logic who are so obsessed with NIL/1890/Spending money - we should have, at the very minimum - been in the big 10 tourney. I doubt we’re bottom 3-4 in spending in the conference. Especially if you do any “cost of living” adjustments. I mean, if we are, then F me I guess. But I don’t think we are. 

[B-town hoopsfan]

Evaluate better and be more flexible on what we do defensively….NIL be damned….stop redshirting guys that could contribute too 

[basketballjones]

  On 3/14/2025 at 6:53 PM, royalfan said:

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.  

Expand  

Maryland would agree, ha. 

[basketballjones]

  On 3/14/2025 at 8:21 PM, B-town hoopsfan said:

Evaluate better and be more flexible on what we do defensively….NIL be damned….stop redshirting guys that could contribute too 

Expand  

Fwiw, and @hhcmatt has convinced me on this, I highly doubt those guys redshirted because they were told to. In 2025 you gotta imagine they directly chose to. 

[B-town hoopsfan]

  On 3/14/2025 at 8:26 PM, basketballjones said:

Fwiw, and @hhcmatt has convinced me on this, I highly doubt those guys redshirted because they were told to. In 2025 you gotta imagine they directly chose to. 

Expand  

Burn the redshirts halfway through the year then when it was painfully obvious we had no bench to speak of….the chances that 5th year is spent here are so small IMO that redshirting them did nothing for us. 

[hhcmatt]

  On 3/14/2025 at 8:29 PM, B-town hoopsfan said:

Burn the redshirts halfway through the year then when it was painfully obvious we had no bench to speak of….the chances that 5th year is spent here are so small IMO that redshirting them did nothing for us. 

Expand  

 

We had a very deep bench, it's just that the options weren't very good.  If they guys redshirting were better options, they wouldn't have redshirted.

[cozrulz]

  On 3/14/2025 at 8:29 PM, B-town hoopsfan said:

Burn the redshirts halfway through the year then when it was painfully obvious we had no bench to speak of….the chances that 5th year is spent here are so small IMO that redshirting them did nothing for us. 

Expand  

 

It doesn't seem like many freshman across the league are getting very many minutes.  So redshirt or maybe get 6 minutes a game?  It would be different if we didn't have the guys in front of them.

[Faux Mike Peltz]

I think Janowski would’ve helped us this year. To what extent? Not sure. 

[Navin R. Johnson]

  On 3/14/2025 at 6:53 PM, royalfan said:

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.  

Expand  

 

The trouble with that philosophy is that Sam H will run out of eligibility soon!

[AuroranHusker]

  On 3/14/2025 at 9:08 PM, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

The trouble with that philosophy is that Sam H will run out of eligibility soon!

Expand  

 

Justin Bolis has a lot of eligibility remaining, though.

 

[Navin R. Johnson]

  On 3/14/2025 at 9:42 PM, AuroranHusker said:

 

Justin Bolis has a lot of eligibility remaining, though.

 

Expand  

 

I would be happy if Bolis gives us Sam's production.  Trouble is he would probably want more NIL money.

[AuroranHusker]

  On 3/14/2025 at 9:48 PM, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

I would be happy if Bolis gives us Sam's production.  Trouble is he would probably want more NIL money.

Expand  

 

Fred needed a few 6'-4"+ sons.

[Navin R. Johnson]

  On 3/14/2025 at 9:52 PM, AuroranHusker said:

 

Fred needed a few 6'-4"+ sons.

Expand  

 

If I run into him I will randomly ask him to get on that

[AuroranHusker]

  On 3/14/2025 at 10:01 PM, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

If I run into him I will randomly ask him to get on that

Expand  

 

It prolonged Fran McCaffrey's coaching career, why not.....

 

[cornfed24-7]

  On 3/14/2025 at 8:17 PM, basketballjones said:

That doesn’t matter. 
 

You guys are all insinuating coaching/X’s and O’s just does not matter anymore. Spend the most money = winning. That’s what you’re all saying. 
 

Even by all your logic who are so obsessed with NIL/1890/Spending money - we should have, at the very minimum - been in the big 10 tourney. I doubt we’re bottom 3-4 in spending in the conference. Especially if you do any “cost of living” adjustments. I mean, if we are, then F me I guess. But I don’t think we are. 

Expand  

Not at all. But I think it's foolish to think we will get a coach with such superior X's and O's capability it negates a 2-3 million dollar short fall in relations to what other teams spend to be competitive to be in the top 25. 

 

Does that absolve Hoiberg from his failures? Nope. Do I think if we switch him out with another coach we will get better results? Nope. Not with that desparity in spending.

 

The first thing a potential new coach is going to ask is what is our NIL budget? What quality coach wants to sign here with that kind of shortfall?

 

Now if you frame it as Hoibergs definitely not the guy and I want to buy a Powerballs ticket chance of hitting the jackpot in hiring a coach fine. I mess with the lottery. 

 

 

[Vinny]

  On 3/15/2025 at 3:00 PM, cornfed24-7 said:

 

 

The first thing a potential new coach is going to ask is what is our NIL budget? What quality coach wants to sign here with that kind of shortfall?

 

Expand  

This is my stance exactly. If we’re so far behind in NIL, we better not fire the guy who took us to the tourney for the first time in a decade last year, and almost got us there again this year. No one would come here as things stand.

[The Polish Rifle]

  On 3/15/2025 at 3:49 PM, Vinny said:

This is my stance exactly. If we’re so far behind in NIL, we better not fire the guy who took us to the tourney for the first time in a decade last year, and almost got us there again this year. No one would come here as things stand.

Expand  

That’s negotiable. Iowa this year is a perfect example. NIL funds for Fran dried up. Devries and McCollum will demand a level of NIL investment and I’m guessing donors will line up to back it. Fred seems like a good dude but I can’t see him being the “rally the donors” type like Matt Rhule is. 

[Huskerpapa]

  On 3/15/2025 at 4:14 PM, The Polish Rifle said:

That’s negotiable. Iowa this year is a perfect example. NIL funds for Fran dried up. Devries and McCollum will demand a level of NIL investment and I’m guessing donors will line up to back it. Fred seems like a good dude but I can’t see him being the “rally the donors” type like Matt Rhule is. 

Expand  

Hmm.  I wouldn't undersell his ability in that realm.

[The Polish Rifle]

  On 3/15/2025 at 4:26 PM, Huskerpapa said:

Hmm.  I wouldn't undersell his ability in that realm.

Expand  

I’m sure he is well liked and hits the links with donors from time to time. But Rhule seems like the type that will grind away for an extra dime. There’s also human nature of giving attention to the shiny new toy. Fred’s been here for 6 years, we’ve been bad to okay - hard for me to believe donors are lining up to donate to basketball NIL.

[Vinny]

Am I hearing that Fred might be some sort of energy vampire?

[Faux Mike Peltz]

Loesner brings the energy. 
Fred’s demeanor is calm and steady, except when it’s not. Just ask the whiteboards

[HB]

  On 3/15/2025 at 4:52 PM, The Polish Rifle said:

I’m sure he is well liked and hits the links with donors from time to time. But Rhule seems like the type that will grind away for an extra dime. There’s also human nature of giving attention to the shiny new toy. Fred’s been here for 6 years, we’ve been bad to okay - hard for me to believe donors are lining up to donate to basketball NIL.

Expand  

 

We have donors very willing to donate to basketball NIL.  The problem there aren't enough of them, and many of them are constantly getting hit up on all fronts--football, facilities, etc.   It's "hey , we have an interior lineman from Notre Dame and we need a hundred grand from you (or your business) to get him."  Then it's "hey, we have a post defender we can get but we need a hundred grand from you to do it."  These relatively few individuals and entities are the "usual suspects", who do pretty darn well and resist donor fatigue pretty staunchly.  Fred has the support of these folks.  We just need more of them, as there's only so much they can do.