Little concerned with the underlying premise of this article. The Portal and NIL have fundamentally changed the way in which talent is acquired for hoop. EVERY coach at Cal now and into the future untill NCAA creates a new landscape will need to be "transfer-centric". Rather than ask "Will Mark Madsen's approach work" the better question is "Will Cal understand the new reality?" As others note below, the combination of NIL, Playing Time and the natural development of growing young men means that it will be critical to maximize the impact of transfers. Remember, you get two moves - once during undergrad and then one grad transfer.
All we can do at this point is wish him good luck in his recruiting endeavors. Getting seasoned guys who put up a winning record in year 1 is key. Elite freshmen, as stated by Jimmy, are unlikely to stick around. So it is time to evaluate the one-and-done phenomenon vs. the portal contributors who are more or less known quantities.
To turn a program around pro teams typically lean heavily on either transfers (free agents, trades) or development to get momentum then add in the other later. Makes sense for us to start with transfers since Madsen doesn't have an existing California pipeline (but has great potential to build one).
High school recruiting is going to become even more of a double edged sword…say Rodney Brown comes in and plays spot minutes as a physically overmatched FR…Madsen and staff work with Brown in the offseason, he puts on some weight, polishes up his mid-range game and he breaks out in year 2, averaging 13 ppg…next thing you know, a big program comes calling and offers the kid a $750k NIL deal, and unless you can match it, the kid is gone. Same thing could easily happen next season to Grant Newell.
Can Madsen find the right blend of transfer portal AND high school recruits? Will he land any elite HS players? We shall see…I like his chances to succeed, provided he has donor support. It’s how we got Aimaq - he may love Madsen, but he certainly didn’t just do him a solid. He’s getting paid!
"rookie contract" is not necessarily a long term liability... Jaylen Brown got drafted by the Celtics and he still says he loves it there. Getting someone in the door can be the first step to keeping them. Kids are going to move a lot from now on. Having a rep for being good at player development is going to help bring in transfers stuck lower on their current bench... sure Aimaq is getting NIL (I don't claim to know any details personally) but he's also got to figure that Mad Dog is going to help get him ready for the NBA... Besides, whatever else is going on behind the scenes, Cone's quote is that he's coming to CAL to play for an NBA style coach who can develop him as a player...
"Jaylen Brown got drafted by the Celtics and he still says he loves it there." ha, I live near Boston and this almost sounds like it couldnt be farther from the truth. Sports radio here for a stretch last month were debating if he's officially become the next Kyrie Irving yet (his good buddy), or if he'll eventually get to that level (though that's obviously an exaggeration, and they admitted it). He made some statements saying Boston fans are "extremely toxic," gets pretty vague and noncommittal whenever asked about his happiness here, his name was leaked in trade rumors a couple times, and it seems obvious to most he really doesn't like being seen as clear 2nd fiddle to Tatum. As a Cal fan first and foremost, I obviously root for him, but as a casual Celtics fan I can see how it probably wont be a fit long term and I wouldnt really care too much if he left and followed his bliss elsewhere.
We’re already seeing it…it’s just logical, at least in terms of where the game is at now. We saw it with Sturdivant, unfortunately. We didn’t have the NIL $ available to keep him.
The roster is going to be a fluid thing every year…it will be interesting to see…once you develop a kid, they’re gonna be a threat to bolt.
Both. People can donate money to specific, individual players through the portal website, OR to a fund for the sport (Men's Basketball, Football, etc.) in general. That money is then used to get individual players.
People can also donate money to specific sports through the University, and that money is used in support functions (costs associated with charter travel, etc).
Right now, what is most helpful to basketball is to start winning games...you do that by getting better players, so donating to the Men's Basketball NIL is crucial.
The amount of money these players get is unaffiliated with the school and completely confidential, unless they choose to make it public. For example, Nigel Peck went from K-State to Miami for $800K.
We don't really know how much NIL Cal is giving Fardaws Aimaq and Jalen Cone, but at this time they're going to be the team's two marquee players, so you can expect it to be a hefty chunk of the NIL donations Madsen had earned to date.
Madsen should have at least one seasoned assistant coach who is dedicated exclusively to high school recruiting, with a focus on California high schoolers
Little concerned with the underlying premise of this article. The Portal and NIL have fundamentally changed the way in which talent is acquired for hoop. EVERY coach at Cal now and into the future untill NCAA creates a new landscape will need to be "transfer-centric". Rather than ask "Will Mark Madsen's approach work" the better question is "Will Cal understand the new reality?" As others note below, the combination of NIL, Playing Time and the natural development of growing young men means that it will be critical to maximize the impact of transfers. Remember, you get two moves - once during undergrad and then one grad transfer.
Coach Braun started his team with transfers: Geno Carlisle, Thomas Kilgore and Michael Gill to name a few. Hope Madsen has similar success.
North Arizona guard Jalen Cone committed! #LFGoBears!
Huge get. Kid's a baller in the Jerome Randle mold.
https://247sports.com/Article/Northern-Arizona-Jalen-Cone-Mark-Madsen-transfer-portal-208116423/
Yes
Love what he says about Madsen!
He and Aimaq are two huge additions.
All we can do at this point is wish him good luck in his recruiting endeavors. Getting seasoned guys who put up a winning record in year 1 is key. Elite freshmen, as stated by Jimmy, are unlikely to stick around. So it is time to evaluate the one-and-done phenomenon vs. the portal contributors who are more or less known quantities.
100% agree.
To turn a program around pro teams typically lean heavily on either transfers (free agents, trades) or development to get momentum then add in the other later. Makes sense for us to start with transfers since Madsen doesn't have an existing California pipeline (but has great potential to build one).
Thanks Nick. Great article.
High school recruiting is going to become even more of a double edged sword…say Rodney Brown comes in and plays spot minutes as a physically overmatched FR…Madsen and staff work with Brown in the offseason, he puts on some weight, polishes up his mid-range game and he breaks out in year 2, averaging 13 ppg…next thing you know, a big program comes calling and offers the kid a $750k NIL deal, and unless you can match it, the kid is gone. Same thing could easily happen next season to Grant Newell.
Can Madsen find the right blend of transfer portal AND high school recruits? Will he land any elite HS players? We shall see…I like his chances to succeed, provided he has donor support. It’s how we got Aimaq - he may love Madsen, but he certainly didn’t just do him a solid. He’s getting paid!
Thanks again for the article, Nick!
who's on the staff? why don't we have more portal news? Get the next presser scheduled, we live in the 24/7 news cycle & demand instant gratification.
Yup, they're gone after their "rookie contract." And unlike in bigger programs they aren't leaving due to a logjam of talent above them.
"rookie contract" is not necessarily a long term liability... Jaylen Brown got drafted by the Celtics and he still says he loves it there. Getting someone in the door can be the first step to keeping them. Kids are going to move a lot from now on. Having a rep for being good at player development is going to help bring in transfers stuck lower on their current bench... sure Aimaq is getting NIL (I don't claim to know any details personally) but he's also got to figure that Mad Dog is going to help get him ready for the NBA... Besides, whatever else is going on behind the scenes, Cone's quote is that he's coming to CAL to play for an NBA style coach who can develop him as a player...
"Jaylen Brown got drafted by the Celtics and he still says he loves it there." ha, I live near Boston and this almost sounds like it couldnt be farther from the truth. Sports radio here for a stretch last month were debating if he's officially become the next Kyrie Irving yet (his good buddy), or if he'll eventually get to that level (though that's obviously an exaggeration, and they admitted it). He made some statements saying Boston fans are "extremely toxic," gets pretty vague and noncommittal whenever asked about his happiness here, his name was leaked in trade rumors a couple times, and it seems obvious to most he really doesn't like being seen as clear 2nd fiddle to Tatum. As a Cal fan first and foremost, I obviously root for him, but as a casual Celtics fan I can see how it probably wont be a fit long term and I wouldnt really care too much if he left and followed his bliss elsewhere.
Exactly true. Gotta keep recruiting our own players to retain them as we develop them. Players will constantly be assessing their own worth.
cue Jerry Maguire gif!
“Show me the money!”
We’re already seeing it…it’s just logical, at least in terms of where the game is at now. We saw it with Sturdivant, unfortunately. We didn’t have the NIL $ available to keep him.
The roster is going to be a fluid thing every year…it will be interesting to see…once you develop a kid, they’re gonna be a threat to bolt.
that's correct, Bob. Every player is a free agent, open to all offers from other outside NIL groups.
Both. People can donate money to specific, individual players through the portal website, OR to a fund for the sport (Men's Basketball, Football, etc.) in general. That money is then used to get individual players.
People can also donate money to specific sports through the University, and that money is used in support functions (costs associated with charter travel, etc).
Right now, what is most helpful to basketball is to start winning games...you do that by getting better players, so donating to the Men's Basketball NIL is crucial.
The amount of money these players get is unaffiliated with the school and completely confidential, unless they choose to make it public. For example, Nigel Peck went from K-State to Miami for $800K.
We don't really know how much NIL Cal is giving Fardaws Aimaq and Jalen Cone, but at this time they're going to be the team's two marquee players, so you can expect it to be a hefty chunk of the NIL donations Madsen had earned to date.
Madsen should have at least one seasoned assistant coach who is dedicated exclusively to high school recruiting, with a focus on California high schoolers