Calipari Still Recruits Lovers of Basketball Not Just Money

Razorbacks' coach has embraced the current state of the sport but isn't completely in agreement of how it all goes down in recruiting with NIL on the line

Duke's Mike Krzyzewski greets Kentucky's John Calipari before the game in the Champions Classic Tuesday night. Nov. 6, 2018Kentucky Vs Duke Basketball 2018 / Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach John Calipari isn't one to shy away from his true thoughts on name, image and likeness either. Sure, he doesn't love it but does embrace it since one of the major drawing points to leave Kentucky was for the Razorbacks game changing monetary commitment to build a national championship winning basketball roster.

College sports has always been a money grab but it's greater now than anyone could've imagined pre-pandemic. Transfer portal, NIL, coach salaries, TV contracts and each program's revenue is larger now than at any point in history but it's given the athletes freedom to make money for themselves.

Players ability to line their pockets while in college is perfect, colleges have made money off the likeness of its student athletes for decades. Jerseys, albeit without names on the back, were licensed, sold and made the lots of money for a school, respectively but not much of that went into the pocket of the student putting his blood, sweat, tears and body on the line each day for a free piece of paper at the end.

In the recruiting world, top prospects are looking for jaw dropping amounts of money. In fact, No. 1 prospect AJ Dybantsa is rumored to have a $5 million deal just to sign with a BYU, according to Pete Nakos of On3.

Multiple sources tell @On3sports that No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa is expected to land an NIL package north of $3M and could get as high as $4M.

A source close to BYU said, “4 to $4.5 million is what they are prepared to pay.”

More: https://t.co/C5kyg92zQV pic.twitter.com/YrfXsECWVo

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) October 22, 2024

Arkansas was at one time in the mix for Dybantsa but Calipari doesn't seem to be in the business to throw that kind of money to just one player no matter how great they project to be. If money is at the forefront, he ends the conversation before it starts.

“If a kid says to me, ‘Well, what’s the number?’ Well, I’m probably not taking that kid,”Calipari said on Krzyzewski’s SiriusXM radio show. “What’s the number? My phone number? What number are we talking about? If that’s all it’s about, NIL, there are other places they can go.”

Coach K and John Calipari on the current state of College Basketball:

“You’re pros and I’m gonna treat you like pros.” pic.twitter.com/T7Ts3wyUrW

— Will Whitson (@willwhitson2) October 27, 2024

The Razorbacks' coach is clearly not against the paying of players. What he does do is hold them to a higher standard now that they are being compensated.

"I tell my guys you're pros, and I treat you like pros," Calipari said. "I tell these kids, and you're delayed, you're doing this great. I'm gonna find it. And they said, well, where would the money go? I said, I keep the money."

He went onto detail that while he is glad that players have the opportunity to be paid, the NCAA still isn't all about its athletes yet. His recent experience came at Kentucky as he dealt with Zvonimir Ivisic's eligibility.

"I’ll say this to you, Coach [Krzyzewski], I’ve tried to tell the NCAA, they’ve obviously never listened to me, but if they made decisions all based on the kids, they’ll all be right decisions. But they don’t. They make decisions on authority and controlling and other sports and all this [other stuff]."

The NCAA's instability and inconsistency to create a sustainable environment has driven away many of college sports biggest coaches. Legends like Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Roy Williams, Jay Wright, Tony Bennett and former Alabama football's Nick Saban have all retired in recent years thanks to college sports changing landscape.

HOGS FEED:

• Razorbacks will host major prospect for visit this weekend

• What Paul has brought to Ole Miss after years with Hogs

• Calipari shows lighter side in quick moments with Razorback stars

• Two tight ends kicked off Razorbacks; Depth affected for group

• Arkansas takes home two SEC weekly honors after Mississippi State win

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