STrib: Gophers returnees Dawson Garcia, Parker Fox and Mike Mitchell Jr. provide needed stability

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BleedGopher

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Per Marcus:

Dawson Garcia's eyes widened when he saw reports about former Illinois men's basketball center Coleman Hawkins' $2 million name, image and likeness (NIL) deal to sign at Kansas State.

Garcia is back with the Gophers to chase major accolades and postseason success with his home state Big Ten program. But it was difficult to turn down deals worth hundreds of thousands more through the transfer portal.


"It's definitely hard when there's temptations all around," the 6-11 senior from Savage said after Monday's practice. "You get into a thing mentally with comparisons that I'm way better than a kid who is getting way more money than me. That's just natural and human nature."

The return of Garcia and fellow seniors Mike Mitchell Jr. and Parker Fox provides some comfort this summer for fourth-year coach Ben Johnsonafter several players left to chase more lucrative NIL opportunities elsewhere.

The Gophers, who finished 19-15 and reached the NIT second round last season, welcome eight scholarship newcomers, but they lost six players, including starters Pharrel Payne (Texas A&M) and Elijah Hawkins (Texas Tech) to the portal and Cam Christie to the NBA draft.

"You don't get bent out of shape about it," Johnson said. "Some of these guys had some significant financial opportunities. I can't necessarily fault them for pursuing something like that they were able to potentially get. It's our job to adapt and figure out how to find the next best piece."

m.startribune.com

Gophers' Dawson Garcia, Parker Fox, Mike Mitchell Jr. provide stability

Minnesota men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson has several newcomers at summer practice, but three returning players — Dawson Garcia, Parker Fox and Mike Mitchell Jr. — provide a steady foundation.
m.startribune.com m.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!
 

They're well compensated doing what they have dreamed about, but I can't imagine the pressures on a college coach in this landscape. Elsewhere in the article:
"Nonstop calls until that last day when the portal closes [on May 1]," Mitchell said. "It's real tough because you have a lot of stuff thrown at you. "
Kind of ironic that Ben supposedly got the job because he could recruit those local kids and the proof of that all split on him with rumors of being very unhappy.
 

Mulligan said:
They're well compensated doing what they have dreamed about, but I can't imagine the pressures on a college coach in this landscape. Elsewhere in the article:
"Nonstop calls until that last day when the portal closes [on May 1]," Mitchell said. "It's real tough because you have a lot of stuff thrown at you. "
Kind of ironic that Ben supposedly got the job because he could recruit those local kids and the proof of that all split on him with rumors of being very unhappy.
Click to expand...
Unhappy with Ben or unhappy with NIL opportunities?
 

Mulligan said:
They're well compensated doing what they have dreamed about, but I can't imagine the pressures on a college coach in this landscape. Elsewhere in the article:
"Nonstop calls until that last day when the portal closes [on May 1]," Mitchell said. "It's real tough because you have a lot of stuff thrown at you. "
Kind of ironic that Ben supposedly got the job because he could recruit those local kids and the proof of that all split on him with rumors of being very unhappy.
Click to expand...
Wouldn’t “non-stop calls until the portal closes” be tampering? Mitchell wasn’t in the portal and shouldn’t have teams calling him.
 

goldenboy said:
Wouldn’t “non-stop calls until the portal closes” be tampering? Mitchell wasn’t in the portal and shouldn’t have teams calling him.
Click to expand...
Not if they’re agents. I imagine at least the sleaze is what is the worst part.

They probably get kids to leave schools and then return barely more or contingent deals that never materialize. NCAA rule change this year indicates that the “bait and switch” was a significantly used as reasoning for allowing negotiations in writing. Which is what leads me to guess that’s whose calling….

If so, Maybe a licensing system is in order; if an agent calls those outside the portal they cannot represent anyone.
 


It's almost a miracle that we still have Garcia.

If he would have left too...would you guys still be all on-board with this?
 

Big impacts to the second round of the NBA draft going forward. Hawkins model is going to be common place I would guess. Test the waters in the NBA draft, enter the portal, broker a NIL deal worth more than second round NBA draft money, wait until the last second to withdraw from the draft if it doesn't look like you are going to be a first rounder.
 

jovs said:
Big impacts to the second round of the NBA draft going forward. Hawkins model is going to be common place I would guess. Test the waters in the NBA draft, enter the portal, broker a NIL deal worth more than second round NBA draft money, wait until the last second to withdraw from the draft if it doesn't look like you are going to be a first rounder.
Click to expand...
This is going to be my strategy too!
 





goldenboy said:
Wouldn’t “non-stop calls until the portal closes” be tampering? Mitchell wasn’t in the portal and shouldn’t have teams calling him.
Click to expand...
If teams were the ones making the contact directly, absolutely. But I am sure they are savy enough to make sure it can't be tied directly to the programs.

But yeah, if a guy isn't in the portal he shouldn't be getting contacted by other teams or individuals trying to induce him into transferring. But until players are willing to call out specific teams and individuals who are doing this, we all know it will keep on happening.
 

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