Mitch Barnhart defends UK's deal with JMI, acknowledges brand protection in NIL deals

[blueheretic]

Possibly....maybe he can't recruit or doesn't recognize top talent....but I think his real problem is he can't close.

He has been recruiting Stokes, Holt, Collins, etc. from this year's senior class, and Wilson from last year's. And he DID bring in guys like Yaxel Lendeborg and Donovan Dent EARLY on from this past year's transfer portal.....so I think he recognized that they were gamechangers who were worthy of adding to the roster. I think his problem is he can't close the deal. Now why that is the case is anybody's guess. Maybe he doesn't recognize their true worth and value and just how much they would mean....or maybe he thinks they are replaceable (which gives merit to what you're saying about not recognizing top talent). Or (and I did read or see this somewhere, from a fairly reliable source....KSR, Aaron Torres, Field of 68 AD, etc) that he is "too emotional", and that he tries to sell "the brand" more so than their role with the team, their future, etc. Who knows. I'm not claiming to know anything...just throwing it out there as food for thought.

I've read/heard that as well.

[blueheretic]

I don't know what is true. I do know that the current situation is untenable.

Kentucky is going to be worse next year if something doesn't change to the positive and no amount of closing threads for no reason will resolve that.

[Matt Dillon]

By being a disruption, I assume you mean not agreeing with you and/or posting in the manner of a retired septuagenarian with no sense of humor.

I think you know what I mean. You do remember the PM's we exchanged?

[Catsrock]

Possibly....maybe he can't recruit or doesn't recognize top talent....but I think his real problem is he can't close.

He has been recruiting Stokes, Holt, Collins, etc. from this year's senior class, and Wilson from last year's. And he DID bring in guys like Yaxel Lendeborg and Donovan Dent EARLY on from this past year's transfer portal.....so I think he recognized that they were gamechangers who were worthy of adding to the roster. I think his problem is he can't close the deal. Now why that is the case is anybody's guess. Maybe he doesn't recognize their true worth and value and just how much they would mean....or maybe he thinks they are replaceable (which gives merit to what you're saying about not recognizing top talent). Or (and I did read or see this somewhere, from a fairly reliable source....KSR, Aaron Torres, Field of 68 AD, etc) that he is "too emotional", and that he tries to sell "the brand" more so than their role with the team, their future, etc. Who knows. I'm not claiming to know anything...just throwing it out there as food for thought.

This is sensible. And certainly possible. But to me it doesn’t rule out the possibility that JMI’s restrictions are THE reason he’s not closing. The above kids were interested enough to show up for the visit. By all reports things were going fine. So IF they are showing kids around campus, selling the product and all is good but the last thing to do is sit at the table and line out the final offer and get a signature, then the kids agent says no other school is restricting and controlling his NIL earnings potential and they walk away, then JMI was the problem with closing. But again—I’ve not been sitting at that table and do NOT know what’s turned so many of them away.

BTW—Yaxel and U-M are certainly tearing it up. Dent and UCLA hasn’t beaten anyone more impressive than UK beating IU and St. John’s. Demary and UConn are looking good, but I don’t really recall how close Demary was thought to be to signing here.

[SportsFan]

BTW—Yaxel and U-M are certainly tearing it up. Dent and UCLA hasn’t beaten anyone more impressive than UK beating IU and St. John’s. Demary and UConn are looking good, but I don’t really recall how close Demary was thought to be to signing here.

Yaxel was THE one guy that I really, REALLY wanted... and with how Michigan is doing I think we're seeing why.

I would have been fine with Dent or Demary, but make no mistake,I wanted one of those two. Lowe wasn't even on my radar. After seeing Lowe's wiry thin build and checking out his stats, I saw why. Guys shouldn't average 17+ PPG on 37% shooting.

[Catsrock]

I won’t pretend that I had ever paid much attention to Yaxel before he was in the portal. But, yeah, from all the scouting reports on him he was certainly at the top of the heap in the portal. I, too, was disappointed to miss on him. And now everyone sees it. At this point though—who can say even he could fix our current mess? Might take Trae Young and Steph Curry shooting 3’s to fix this.