The transfer portal for college basketball is set to reopen in just three weeks. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that this window can be a game-changer for teams looking to level up. Programs that master the art of portal acquisitions can transform overnight. Now, most transfers tend to happen during a player’s junior year, meaning sophomores like JuJu Watkins still have time before they make any big moves. 

But as this cycle approaches, all eyes are on how programs go about it, and one coach in particular has a fiery warning for those ready to throw cash around like confetti. But before we dive into that, you must know that the NCAA is about to get even stricter on NIL spending. Starting next season, schools will likely be working with a $20.5 million cap for NIL revenue-sharing across all sports. 

That leaves a maximum of $3.5 million to $4 million for basketball at top-tier programs looking to max out their budgets. With that in mind, this year’s portal season could see some schools playing it smarter rather than just richer.

Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, aka Coach Yo, isn’t holding back on her thoughts. She made it crystal clear: “The days of just throwing $$ to players and not evaluating what your ROI will be is over. Be careful about putting your job on the line because ‘so and so’ told you that school be offered a certain amount. It has to make sense!” 

This basically means that just because someone says another school is offering big money doesn’t mean it’s true, and if you’re handing out NIL deals like candy without thinking long-term, you might not be around to see the consequences. And we’ve already seen how some of these massive NIL deals aren’t always worth the hype.

Take Coleman Hawkins, for example. The Wildcats secured him from Illinois with a $2 million NIL deal. But his BPM (Box Plus-Minus) has dropped from 8.8 last season to 5.8 this year—still solid, but definitely not $2 million solid, per Professor Noah Henderson in an SI article. 

The University of Washington made a similar bet, paying Mountain West Player of the Year Great Osobor a $2 million NIL payout. And yet, his impact hasn’t exactly set the Big Ten on fire. Meanwhile, mid-major programs operating on a fraction of those NIL budgets have outperformed both KSU and Washington. 

It’s making people ask if these sky-high NIL deals are worth it.

Coach Yo isn’t just warning coaches, though. She’s also sounding the alarm for parents and players. “A lot of people either don’t understand Rev share and the changes that are coming, or they just going to lie! My advice to players/parents—your move just can’t be financial! A lot you will be promised won’t happen if you deal with a slickster.” 

However, while it shouldn’t be the only thing guiding a transfer decision, money talks. Just ask Chisom Okpara. The junior had everything going for him at Harvard—great academics, a solid team, and a good social life. But in April 2024, he entered the transfer portal. Suddenly, schools like Auburn, Texas, Stanford, and Vanderbilt were lining up, throwing around figures between $200,000 and $500,000 in NIL money. 

By May 22, he was off to Stanford. If this were five years ago? He’d probably still be at Harvard. That’s how much the economics of college basketball have shifted. However, Trojans fans shouldn’t be worried. JuJu Watkins is probably not going anywhere. USC is making sure of that. She’s already securing historic deals right where she is, and with her star power, they’ll just keep rolling in. 

Amidst it all, appreciation from all over the hoops world keeps coming her way. 

Stephen A. Smith thinks JuJu Watkins  should be getting the Caitlin Clark treatment

Caitlin Clark has been dominating headlines, but Stephen A. Smith has a question: Why isn’t JuJu Watkins getting the same love? He’s been vocal about the fact that the USC star is every bit as dominant as Clark was at Iowa, yet she’s not getting nearly the same amount of media attention.

“When are we gonna start talking about [Watkins] the same way we talk about Caitlin Clark?” he asked, straight-up. And he’s got a point. Watkins is leading the NCAA in scoring—again—and has carried the 26-2 Trojans to elite status. 

Stephen A. rattled off her numbers—over 27 points per game as a freshman, now 24 per game in her second year. “If you look at her skillset, her ball-handling ability, her driving ability, her shot-making ability, this sister is something special,” he said.

And he’s not the only one hyping her up. Even Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who caught USC vs. UCLA in person, had high praise. “JuJu Watkins is one of one. She’s incredible. First time seeing her play in person, but obviously, I’ve watched her before. She lived up to the hype.”

The sophomore guard has dropped four 20+ point games in USC’s last five outings, including a ridiculous 38-point explosion against UCLA on February 13. She’s the front-runner for National Player of the Year, and at this point, it’s safe to say she’s locked in as one of the best to ever do it at USC.

The chances are very high that she is staying loyal to the Trojans. By the time she heads to the WNBA, JuJu Watkins might just go down as one of the greatest to ever suit up in college hoops and for the same program throughout her collegiate career!