In Reply to: Let me push back on your pushback. Yes, teams with the highest... posted by Born2BBruin on August 13, 2026 at 12:35:34
Not crap at all. I think most of us would agree that this is not an exact science. Some years, the team with the most money will surely win, and they definitely have an advantage. But I’d defend my position this way: while Arizona, Duke, Purdue and UConn all have healthy budgets, I think only UConn and Duke would be considered truly upper-tier in terms of spending. I remember Purdue’s AD saying something about their number not being particularly high, although I’m sure they paid Smith and TKR good money. Arizona had a bunch of freshmen, so who knows how much they paid them, although they did bring in some big names.
So yeah, I agree that neither Arizona nor Purdue is below the poverty line. But what those teams also have in common is that they’ve traditionally been very good basketball programs with very good coaches. So, IMO, it’s more than just money. Look at the other end of the spectrum. Teams like Ole Miss, Indiana and Kansas State were all reported to be big spenders last year. It didn’t seem to make a huge difference.
And that’s really all I’m saying: money, although obviously a big plus, is not the only factor. We shouldn’t treat it as if it is. And when coaches push that narrative, I sometimes feel like it’s an excuse.
From what I can tell, UCLA was slow to react to the changing landscape, but I give Cronin credit. It’s one of the things I think he’s done well. He’s out there hustling, and while maybe UCLA isn’t operating at a true top-tier NIL level, we are at least competitive. Dent and now Kusturica are proof.
But your point about the MLB minor leagues isn’t lost on me. It’s a solid point. While it’s not apples-to-apples, I’d compare it to high school recruiting. That’s why I think it’s going to be super important to continue bringing in guys you can develop, hold on to, and have play important roles when they become upperclassmen. Cronin has done that with Williams and Freeny. But last year, there really wasn’t anyone in that pipeline, and that concerned me.