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NIL may be getting ready to bite Carolina basketball again.
When you hear the name Tyzhaun Claude, think of James Okonkwo. Claude is the transfer from Georgia Tech who accepted a remaining scholarship to play for the Tar Heels this coming season. His data is for a good-sized kid but not a legit big man who may get as much playing time as Okonkwo, the last man in the rotation last season.
When Claude’s commitment was announced, it came from his “agent” in a social media post. Since agents don’t work for free, that means Claude must have gotten some NIL money. But it can’t be much considering his one good season at Western Carolina.
What it does say is that Carolina is paying SOME NIL money, which was unknown with Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan. The assumption is that R.J. Davis had mega offers from other schools but returned for his super senior season, presumably, for an amount similar to what Drake Maye got to come back last year.
And that can put the Tar Heels into an uncomfortable position with higher-rated recruits, a number of which are already including Hubert Davis’ program in their top five or top ten lists. Remember, Hubert and his staff sell the big brand and exposure of UNC Basketball, which is good enough to draw interest from most big-time prospects.
But how many of the coveted big men did they get out of the transfer portal? Zero.
Case in point, Coleman Hawkins went to Kansas State, a long-time also-ran in the Big 12 that could be a contender for conference and national honors by paying Coleman and other transfers big bucks. That kind of bidding war is the last thing Davis will get into if he remains true to his roots of programs run by Dean Smith and Roy Williams.
No one but Maye’s family is sure how much Drake received from a bunch of wealthy alums who passed the hat when they decided to show appreciation for his decision to come back for his last college season. And so far, a dollar amount to reward R.J. Davis hasn’t even been suggested in the (social) media.
The only NIL figures we’ve heard about any Tar Heel athlete come from Armando Bacot who has said publicly he made “over a million” dollars. And most of that stemmed from AB’s intelligence and the marketing chops he’s always had.
Surely, five-star signees Ian Jackson and Drake Powell got something, but it can’t be as much as the returning ACC Player of the Year and first-team All-American Davis, who deserves whatever the amount and maybe more since his value is established.
If you haven’t noticed, Carolina has been ranked in the top 10 in some preseason polls and one respected blog picks the Heels to finish first in the ACC ahead of Duke, which is loaded with 10 highly ranked freshmen and transfers.
Is that realistic without the ilk of Bacot, Ingram and Ryan?
Featured image via Todd Melet
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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