Jamal Mashburn Agrees -- NO EXCUSE for the Kittens

[blueheretic]

https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/jamal-mashburn-takes-shot-at-kentucky-they-look-like-kittens-more-than-wildcats/

“At the end of the day, when you spend $22 million in NIL, there has to be some accountability. Why are you going out there – not to say that all these guys are not good players, but when I look at $22 million, you’ve got to find a stud or two that you can play off of. … I’m not seeing [an alpha] quite yet because the alpha is usually the one that takes control of that locker room.

“And I’m hearing the head coach, Mark Pope, doing a lot of taking control of that particular locker room. When it’s not player-led, that’s going to be difficult to transition from a head coaching standpoint to get the guys going.”

Dan Issel lit into them as well.

HARD!

“I was talking to (Louie) Dampier yesterday. I told him that it looked like to me, that Mark went down to the New York Athletic Club a half-hour before tip-off, got 10 guys who had never played together before, and put Kentucky uniforms on them,” he said. “There was not one aspect of that — not one — game that would lead me to believe they’re going to be a decent team this year.”

I agree. You spent that much money and this is the best you can get? HUH!

[Pobilly]

Cannot argue with the locker room situation. If what Mash says is true that goes back to Cal's worst teams when there was no one willing to take the lead in the locker room or on the floor. Yes we have talent but we are like a lost ball in high weeds, its there but can you find it so you can play ball.

[Jaxcat]

Still early. There is more talent on this year's squad than last and I was satisfied that we had a good year last year. We're missing our anchor PG and, if he doesn't return at full strength, I don't believe we'll end up with a great season. If he does return, I think we have the talent to be E8, if not better. Don't think they're championship caliber, but closer than last year's team, imo. I believe Pope will get some of the issues ironed out and we'll see better basketball, for the most part, going forward.

[thebluestripes]

Rick said the 22 mill number wasn't right but mash cites the number like its fact.. So who's right?

[blueheretic]

How does Rick know? How does Mash know?

I question it.

If they did spend that much and got no superstars, I question how we're spending those huge sums.

[South jones]

Still early. There is more talent on this year's squad than last and I was satisfied that we had a good year last year. We're missing our anchor PG and, if he doesn't return at full strength, I don't believe we'll end up with a great season. If he does return, I think we have the talent to be E8, if not better. Don't think they're championship caliber, but closer than last year's team, imo. I believe Pope will get some of the issues ironed out and we'll see better basketball, for the most part, going forward.

I think if you make THE EE or the FF you don't always have to be the best team. There are a lot of factors that help determine the championship.

[WeWant9]

With NIL, no one really knows the exact totals. Mashburn is just quoting what we have all heard about this team. Pitino might have a better understanding but he might be trying to protect Pope some. If I had to guess, UK isn't that far off from the rumored amount we have all heard about.

I do think the lack of a player taking the lead is causing issues. Mashburn is spot on when he says its going be difficult when its not player led. I think most thought Oweh would fill that role, but I am not sure he is cut out to be a team leader like that. Hopefully someone steps up soon, cause Dec isn't going be easy.

[Kennyskywalker34]

I wish athletes pay was not disclosed. Or in this case NIL team total. If I hear for 22 Mil they should be better one more time I think I will puke.
Funny thing is the majority of the people complaining about 22 Mil probably didn't contribute a dime.
Who cares how much money someone makes?

[blueheretic]

I wish athletes pay was not disclosed. Or in this case NIL team total. If I hear for 22 Mil they should be better one more time I think I will puke.
Funny thing is the majority of the people complaining about 22 Mil probably didn't contribute a dime.
Who cares how much money someone makes?

Then what is the purpose of paying them?

Why not just pay anyone any amount of money?

It's a budget. You get only so much funding. You should use that funding to put together the best team possible.

There should be accountability.

Otherwise, why even have the damn season, the players, the program, the coach any of it.

The "the money doesn't matter" attitude is insanity. ***Of course, it matters.***

I don't care how much a player makes individually. I care about the strategy of the spend. I care that they are using it to bring in the best players and create the best team possible. That is the PURPOSE of spending the money. They aren't paying these kids because they look good in a jersey. They're paying them because it is an investment. What is the return on that investment? If they aren't looking at it like this, then Pope and his crew should be fired.

How can one not care? It's the whole reason for the game now. NIL and that NIL spend is the future. Fail at that and you become CCNY. Don't know who that is? There's a reason. They are no more.

The question needs to be reframed.

It's not how much a certain kid got paid. Although that is part of it.

It's how much is the spend and how is it being spent.

[Kennyskywalker34]

Then what is the purpose of paying them?

Why not just pay anyone any amount of money?

It's a budget. You get only so much funding. You should use that funding to put together the best team possible.

There should be accountability.

Otherwise, why even have the damn season, the players, the program, the coach any of it.

The "the money doesn't matter" attitude is insanity. ***Of course, it matters.***

I don't care how much a player makes individually. I care about the strategy of the spend. I care that they are using it to bring in the best players and create the best team possible. That is the PURPOSE of spending the money. They aren't paying these kids because they look good in a jersey. They're paying them because it is an investment. What is the return on that investment? If they aren't looking at it like this, then Pope and his crew should be fired.

How can one not care? It's the whole reason for the game now. NIL and that NIL spend is the future. Fail at that and you become CCNY. Don't know who that is? There's a reason. They are no more.

The question needs to be reframed.

It's not how much a certain kid got paid. Although that is part of it.

It's how much is the spend and how is it being spent.

Does everyone at the job you do know how much you and everyone else makes?
. Why is it only sports that has salaries public?
This should be private. Again I do not care how much money Kentucky or any other team spends on their roster. That is between the players and the people who donate the money.
. Why should that be mine, yours or anyone else's business?

[blueheretic]

Does everyone at the job you do know how much you and everyone else makes?

Where I work, there is a range. You can look it up. Easy.

You don't know exact but you have a basic range.

Hell, that's pretty much every place I've worked ever.

Why is it only sports that has salaries public?

This is not true.

US Military
Congress
President
Public Utilities
Post Office
Governor
Some CEOs have published salaries
Public School and University employees
Government Service (GS) Jobs
Pretty much any elected official
Judiciary
Nonprofit executives



All kinds of salaries and compensation packages are public.

This should be private. Again I do not care how much money Kentucky or any other team spends on their roster. That is between the players and the people who donate the money.
. Why should that be mine, yours or anyone else's business?

Oh....I don't know.

Public Law

Full Disclosure Policies

FOIA

Truth in advertising



However, I don't know what you are talking about since no one knows exactly how much these professional athletes are being paid. No one actually knows how much the NIL spend was for Kentucky Basketball. So, really, not sure what you're question actually is. lol

Bottom line, though. If you don't care about this, you don't care about winning. The manner in which these funds are dispersed and deployed will determine whether Kentucky Basketball ever again reaches a Final Four or wins another NCAA Championship.

Those things don't just happen magically.

[Jload]

The leader of this team this summer and going into the season was Lowe every one you heard from said so. It's hard to be the kind of leader you need to be when you can't get on the floor. If he can't play I agree somebody else has to step up. Who hopefully Oweh. The man was in a boot all summer with a bad turf toe injury. I had one my sophomore year in college and it pretty much ruined my season . People that have never had one have NO IDEA how debilitating it can be. IF you want ,take a hammer and hit your big toe with it and then try going out and running jumping and make sharp cuts and see how you do. I'm not ready to give up on him just yet

[Kennyskywalker34]

Where I work, there is a range. You can look it up. Easy.

You don't know exact but you have a basic range.

Hell, that's pretty much every place I've worked ever.



This is not true.

US Military
Congress
President
Public Utilities
Post Office
Governor
Some CEOs have published salaries
Public School and University employees
Government Service (GS) Jobs
Pretty much any elected official
Judiciary
Nonprofit executives



All kinds of salaries and compensation packages are public.




Oh....I don't know.

Public Law

Full Disclosure Policies

FOIA

Truth in advertising



However, I don't know what you are talking about since no one knows exactly how much these professional athletes are being paid. No one actually knows how much the NIL spend was for Kentucky Basketball. So, really, not sure what you're question actually is. lol

Bottom line, though. If you don't care about this, you don't care about winning. The manner in which these funds are dispersed and deployed will determine whether Kentucky Basketball ever again reaches a Final Four or wins another NCAA Championship.

Those things don't just happen magically.

So how much money do you donate to Kentucky?

[blueheretic]

$400,000 per year.
$20 per year.
$2M per year.
$.40 per year.

Again, it doesn't matter. It's one of the myriad of wrong questions. Thinking like this is one of the reasons that Mitch Barnhart and Stoops are behind the power curve in the NIL landscape. It's limited thinking. It's not how much a fan gives on any individual level. That seems difficult for you to grasp and I get it. It requires critical thinking. That's not taught been taught in American schools for a few decades now. Unless you're older, it's probably not your fault.

What matters is how they deploy those funds.

Deploy them poorly, you get a scheit team. Deploy them wisely, you can get a Final Four or a Championship.

I really don't understand how this is so difficult to comprehend. It seems such a simple concept. I guess it's beyond some folks to think strategically or, even, tactically.

I'll let ChatGPT explain it:

What is the importance of NIL funding deployment in winning a National Championship in Collegiate basketball?

Three-sentence takeaway

SHORT ANSWER:

NIL money matters a lot for winning a men’s hoops title—not just the size of the pot, but how you deploy it. The most reliable ROI is (1) retaining your core another year, (2) landing 1–2 elite portal pieces at guard/center, and (3) keeping the rotation intact through March; schools that do this best (e.g., UConn’s recent runs) pair NIL with continuity and fit. The new House v. NCAA settlement and revenue-sharing era make NIL strategy even more central: schools will have an annual pay cap alongside NIL, so roster-builds become front-office work, not booster chaos.

LONG ANSWER:
What wins titles in the NIL era


1) Retain stars and starters (biggest edge).
Paying to bring back all-league guys for one more year often beats paying for brand-new talent; it preserves schemes and late-game chemistry. UConn’s back-to-back model leaned heavily on continuity + selective adds (e.g., Karaban returning, targeted transfers), while its collective actively fundraised to keep the core.

2) Buy scarce skills in the portal (shot creation, rim protection).
NIL lets you solve for your two biggest holes with 1–2 transfers; Miami’s Nijel Pack deal was the early template for paying market rate for a need. Miss on fit, and you burn budget and minutes; hit, and your ceiling jumps a seed line.

3) Keep the rotation whole from November ? April.
NIL isn’t just acquisition—it’s retention. In a landscape of heavy portal churn, money smooths role disputes and keeps 6th–8th men engaged; AP and analytics writers have chronicled how NIL + portal volatility reshaped rosters and why stabilizing your eight is competitive gold.

4) Operate like a front office (compliance + caps).
Post-House: schools can pay athletes directly under a cap (~$20.5M per school to start in 2025–26), while NIL deals continue. That shifts emphasis from booster-only collectives to cap-aware roster budgeting and compliant contracts (endorsement value vs. pay-for-play).

---

Deployment playbook (how to spend the next dollar)

1. Retention first: price out your returners before chasing the portal. Replacing a known 25–30 usage guard usually costs more than keeping him. (Guide star: fundraise specifically for “Run-It-Back” packages.)
2. Two premium solves: reserve budget for one creator (PnR, late-clock) and one big (rim deterrence + lob/OR). Everyone else should be cost-controlled role fits.
3. Culture hedge: allocate a small pool for in-season retention (role adjustments, incentives tied to real NIL activations) to avoid February attrition.
4. Guardrails: codify deliverables (appearances, content) so deals pass the “real endorsement” test as guidance tightens.
5. Blend with revenue sharing: use institutional dollars for baseline stipends/roster floors, and NIL for market-rate premiums on scarce skills.

---

Common mistakes (why “big NIL” loses)

• All splash, no fit: overpaying one star who kills spacing/defense. (Several bluebloods “won” NIL headlines, lost in March.)
• Ignoring continuity: five shiny newcomers ? a team; you can’t buy February reads overnight.
• Pay inequity without a story: locker-room resentment when roles and NIL logic don’t match.

---

Bottom line


NIL isn’t a trophy by itself—it’s an allocation game. Title favorites spend first to retain elite production, then to solve two shortages in the portal, and they protect March continuity with smart, compliant deals—now coordinated with school-administered payments under the House framework. Do those three things, and your odds to cut nets go way up; miss them, and a bigger checkbook won’t save you.

?


If you ask the same ignorant question again, I can't help you. You've decided to remain ignorant of the NIL landscape. Again, I can't help you with that. You're like the SEC Schools which decided to fight integration in the 60s. Instead of accepting the inevitable, they entrenched and fell behind. Unfortunately, they sucked Kentucky into their ignorance and lunacy.

No, I'm not calling you a racist. However, it's the same concept. NIL is as inevitable a force in collegiate athletics now as integration was then. Some schools accepted it and moved forward to great success. Others fought it or were too mired in old thinking and fell behind. Some eventually recovered. Some did not.