Last Wednesday marked the beginning of the NCAA’s early signing period for high school seniors. As a public service, I offer the following guidance to young basketball players who committed to D-1 programs last week.
Dear Class of 2025 Basketball Signees:
Congratulations! You’re officially a Division 1 hooper. You’ve spent years in sweaty gyms and ricketty buses and now you get all the benefits you deserve — chartered flights, endless swag and fancy meals (including unlimited Uncrustables).
But wait, there’s more! I don’t know if you bothered to read every one of the 3,491 pages of the “Athletic Financial Aid Agreement” you signed last week, but starting in 2025, it will no longer be immoral for a school to pay you directly for your basketball services. “Pay for play” will be allowed — encouraged, even. Basketball is big business, and players will finally be cut in on the action.
And do you know what’s even better than money? More money!
It’s time you’re let in on a little secret: big businesses don’t give their existing workers juicy raises. No, the big checks go to shiny new people who are lured away from competitors. So usually the best way to secure the largest bag of money is to ditch your current gig and find a new one.
Lucky for you, the NCAA has established a quick and easy way to jump ship for a larger payday: the Transfer Portal, a magical place where the grass is always greener and cash flows like Gatorade.
I know you’re only a week into your commitment to your new school and this is all fresh and new. That hat you wore at the signing table in your high school gym still has tags on it after all. But trust me, it’s not too soon to start preparing for your first Portal experience.
To maximize your earning power, here are five things I want you to keep in mind over the coming months as you embark on your college journey.
1. Remember, You’re Always On TV
College sports is a TV show, and you’re constantly auditioning for a starring role. If you appear to be a good teammate who follows instructions, other coaches are going to notice you. Clap a lot. High five your teammates and fans and mascot. Say “my bad” anytime you (or better yet, someone else) screws up.
There’s nothing a basketball coach loves more than attention, so when he speaks, hold eye contact and nod and give him a “yes coach” here and there. Other coaches will see this and be insanely jealous. Basketball coaches secretly hate each other and want to take each other’s stuff.
2. Show Improvement
You’re going to have bad games. That’s just how basketball works. But plan to have those bad games in November or December, not March. You need to show improvement and development over time and your arrow needs to be pointing up when you enter the Portal. Players who perform in March are winners; December games will soon be old news.
3. Be Great at One Thing
When coaches sift through the Portal they are looking for particular skills to fill gaps on their roster. They aren’t looking for a player who’s pretty good at several things — they already have six or seven of those guys. No, they want someone who’s great at the one thing they need. Maybe it’s scoring, maybe it’s rebounding, maybe it’s diving into Bill Raftery’s lap chasing a loose ball. Figure out the one thing you’re best at and maximize that skill.
4. Be Memorable
Coaches want to win, but even more than that, they want to look smart. And signing someone from the Portal who the fans recognize is an easy way for a coach to look clever and effective. He wants his fans to shout “hey I know that guy!” at their screens when you’re introduced as his latest transfer.
So stand out. Get a wacky haircut, wear a headband, get a tattoo of John Wooden on your forehead. Be memorable.
5. It’s Not About the Money
Look, of course it’s about the money — or at least, it’s not not about the money. But remember this very important rule: Never, ever let people suspect that you are in it for the paycheck. Greed is acceptable for coaches and TV networks and conferences, not players.
The NCAA brainwashed the world to believe that amateurism is an important part of college athletics. As a result, many of us still find it unseemly for the players to get a cut of the profits. So if you want to be seen as one of the “good ones” you’ll need to pretend that you don’t really care about money, that you’re playing basketball because you love the game and your school and coach and teammates (until you get new ones who you’ll love even more).
If you follow this advice, I promise your first Transfer Portal experience will be a lucrative one. You’ll get a nice raise for your sophomore year, which will set you up for an even bigger payday your junior year. By senior year you’ll have so much money saved that you’ll be able to fly your friends and family to see you play in March Madness. (Don’t forget to ask for a postseason performance bonus!)
