Name, image and likeness.
Dee Brown, the former Illinois basketball star, says he truly doesn’t think a whole lot about it — until he is regularly reminded by others.
“People always come up to me and mention something about it,” Brown said of today’s fans bringing up what he might have made in NIL as a college player. “But I stick to talking basketball and the different eras of the sport.”
The original intent of NIL — Name, Image and Likeness — made some sense.
NIL was simply put in place to be a personal branding opportunity for the college athlete. As a result, they would have the ability to profit off their identity. In a billion dollar college sports industry, NIL was put in place to recognize the value of the athlete, allowing them to be financially empowered.
But it went haywire quickly with no real guardrails or rules in place. As it became virtually unregulated, financial figures far surpassed anything anyone expected and rapidly turned into something it was not intended to: pay-for-play.
With compensation for athletes basically doubling every year since NIL arrived in 2021, the dollar amounts being thrown around in recent years has been pretty mind-boggling. We’re talking $1 million student-athletes who play roles off the bench.
“No doubt I’ve thought about it, because people bring it to my attention,” Brown admits. “But I will say this … I am happy and thankful that I played in the era that I did. I wouldn’t be the person I am today, and I wouldn’t have the genuine love for the game if I hadn’t played in the era that I did.
“I’m not saying the kids don’t have it now, but if I made that much money as a college kid? I’m not sure I would have had the same motivation and hunger that I did. I know myself. Plus, I think you kind of miss the chance to be a real college student.”
For some it wouldn’t have mattered a whole lot. Jalen Brunson is in the middle of a $156 million contract with the Knicks. Anthony Davis has made over $350 million in his career. So adding a few million more in their college days doesn’t move the needle a whole lot financially.
But for many others — we’re talking elite players who were game-changers at the college level — missing out on the college dough is a tougher pill to swallow, particularly for those not quite good enough to cash in NBA checks.
After hearing what college players in the transfer portal and top incoming freshmen received over the past several months, while also talking to many college basketball coaches for their takes, here are several individual scenarios of past Illinois prep greats.
Starting with the aforementioned Brown, who would have been the poster boy for all that NIL was intended to be for the student-athlete, here is how the plot may have played out at different points in the college careers of various well-known players.
Dee Brown, Illinois (2005)
The Illinois legend could have asked for the world in NIL compensation two decades ago. In theory, Brown was the quintessential Name, Image and Likeness student-athlete with his popularity, personality and marketability.
Fresh off an iconic Illinois basketball season, it was a perfect storm for Brown in the spring of 2005.
A senior-to-be, Brown had just helped lead the Fighting Illini to a 37-2 record and a national runner-up finish. Fellow star Deron Williams and leading scorer Luther Head were off to the NBA. Illinois would have had to do whatever it took to keep Brown, a preseason All-American who every program in the country would have coveted.
Also, on top of the straight pay-to-play compensation, this would have been the rare player who would have been richly rewarded and compensated for actual real endorsement deals.
Possible NIL value following junior year: $5 million
Cameron Krutwig, Loyola
Flashback to the 2017-18 season. The big man was a central figure for a Cinderella Final Four team as a freshman, playing 23 minutes a game while averaging 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds a game. Krutwig’s star was just beginning to rise.
Remember, this was a Loyola program playing in the Missouri Valley Conference at the time. With the limited resources in place, there would have been no way for coach Porter Moser to keep Krutwig in the fold for another year.
But Krutwig would have also been a different type of portal target, a niche big man, who would have had a few less suitors as his game wouldn’t have played ideally in, say, the SEC. Nonetheless, he’s finding a spot somewhere at the high-major level for a couple million.
Possible NIL value following freshman year: $2.1 million
Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
This one could have dramatically changed the course for both Ulis and Kentucky, following the 2015-16 season.
As a sophomore in Lexington, Ulis turned in an All-American season. The former Marian Catholic superstar did it all as both the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC. He averaged 17.3 points and seven assists a game as the 5-9 floor general set the UK single-season assists record.
His stock was never going to be higher, especially for a player at his size, and he declared for the 2016 NBA Draft after just two college seasons. Phoenix took Ulis in the second round with the 34th pick. He played 133 career NBA games, making a little over $2 million.
A returning All-American at a crazed-Blue Blood like Kentucky? Even with his ceiling as high as it could possibly be, the temptation to return to Kentucky — and be really paid — would have been more than just tempting. In the end he played 133 career NBA games, making a little over $2 million in salary over two seasons. If he came back to Kentucky?
The college player returning for another season is the scenario we are seeing more and more today due to the NIL dollars.
Possible NIL value following sophomore year: $3.5 million
Jacob Pullen, Kansas State
The dynamic scoring guard was a bit overlooked coming out of Proviso East. But he instantly made an impact, upping his scoring average from 9.7 points a game as a freshman to 13.9 as a sophomore.
Already at a high-major program, Pullen would have been compensated early in his career. But after putting up 19.3 points a game as a junior in 2009-10, Pullen could have entered the portal to gauge his value and set the market for his services as a senior.
Possible NIL value following junior year: $2.8 million
Bryan Mullins, Southern Illinois
Mullins, the former Southern Illinois head coach and current DePaul assistant, would be a unique case study in this NIL-pay era.
Mullins didn’t put up whopping numbers. But following his sophomore season, his value would have still been extremely high as a winning point guard for a NCAA Tournament team that reached the Sweet 16.
With Mullins, a tough, savvy, defensive stalwart as a lead guard, it would have been all about a high-major program and the coaching staff valuing everything to do with winning. Even while averaging just 6.3 points a game as a sophomore in that 2016-07 season, his stock would have been high –– too high to stay in Carbondale for another season.
Possible NIL value following his sophomore year: $750,000
DJ Cooper, Ohio
The former Seton Academy star immediately took the Mid-American Conference by storm. He averaged 13.5 points a game as a freshman while leading the league in assists with 5.9 per game — and helping Ohio to a NCAA Tournament upset win over Georgetown with 23 points.
Could Ohio have kept Cooper? Probably not. But let’s say Ohio managed to keep the point guard for one more season. He again put up a league-leading 7.5 assists a game as a sophomore while upping his scoring to 15.8 points a game.
Cooper is certainly out the door and heading to a high-major for the next two seasons.
The possible domino effect would have been interesting? Ohio doesn’t go to the Sweet 16 during Cooper’s junior season at Ohio, and coach John Groce isn’t in position to take the Illinois job in the spring of 2012.
Possible NIL value following sophomore year: $1.8 million
John Shurna, Northwestern
People forget the type of career and impact the former Glenbard West star had at Northwestern. He scored over 2,000 career points and is the second all-time leading scorer.
But would the Wildcats have been able to keep Shurna in the fold after he averaged 20 points and seven rebounds a game as a sophomore in the 2009-10 season? The education and degree does help.
Although Northwestern isn’t a program known to be swimming in NIL dollars, the Wildcats have done a nice job keeping their recent stars, namely Boo Buie and Nick Martinelli, out of the portal.
Possible NIL value following sophomore year: $2.5 million
Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State
One of the real underrated players to come out of the city, the 6-3 guard was a star at Illinois State. He finished his career with 1,838 points while making 278 three-pointers. But the Redbirds would have not been able to keep him around for more than two years.
Eldridge averaged 9.5 points a game as a freshman for coach Porter Moser, who was fired at the conclusion of the 2006-07 season. With his coach fired, the belief was Eldridge might leave.
Newly-hired Tim Jankovich put together a coaching staff that included Paris Parham — Eldridge’s high school coach at Phillips — and the standout stayed and went on to explode as a sophomore. With production (15.8 points a game), efficiency (39 percent from three) and explosive athleticism to boot, keeping Eldridge any longer would have been impossible on a Missouri Valley Conference NIL budget.
Possible NIL value following sophomore year: $1.8 million
Jared Brownridge, Santa Clara
Does anyone even realize the 6-2 sniper from Waubonsie Valley is the second all-time leading scorer in Santa Clara history with 2,313 points?
Remember, this is a program that has produced NBA players Steve Nash, Kurt Rambis and recent NBA star Jalen Williams.
Brownridge played all four seasons at Santa Clara. But he could have left the West Coast Conference school at any point and cashed in after putting up a whopping 20.5 points a game as a freshman. He also shot an incredible 43 percent from three that freshman season while making a ridiculous 95 three-pointers.
While Santa Clara does have some financial resources playing in the WCC, Brownridge would have had to test the waters at some point. And after that phenomenal freshman season in 2013-14? Someone would have blown the number past what Santa Clara could have likely afforded.
Possible NIL value following freshman year: $2 million
Keifer Sykes, Wisconsin-Green Bay
The former Marshall star is a prime example of the type of career you’ll never see again in a conference like the Horizon League. The 5-11 point guard thrived immediately as a freshman, stayed all four years and scored over 2,000 career points.
Let’s just say coach Brian Wardle was able to keep his young star around for one more year following a freshman season where he averaged 11.2 points and 3.3 assists a game. The electric Sykes was certainly out the door after putting up 15.9 points and 4.3 assists a game as a sophomore.
High-major programs would have been courting Sykes in the spring of 2013.
Possible NIL value following sophomore year: $850,000
Patrick Miller, Tennessee State
The strong, relentless guard from Hales Franciscan averaged an Ohio Valley Conference-best 23.7 points a game as a senior in 2013-14. In today’s college basketball world it would have never happened –– and those poor TSU fans would have missed out on one of the greatest individual seasons in program history.
Possible NIL value following junior year: $500,000
DePaul’s recruiting Class of 1998
DePaul basketball was floundering in the late 1990s. Enter coach Pat Kennedy.
True story. As I was sitting with Kennedy at the old Morris Shootout in the summer of 1997, just a short time after he had been hired as DePaul’s new head coach, we engaged in a very open conversation on recruiting.
I asked him, “How are things on the recruiting front?”
The charismatic Kennedy responded with as much excitement and confidence as any coach could possibly have.
“Great. We are going to get him, him and him,” Kennedy answered as he pointed out three separate players in the Morris Fieldhouse that summer day. “And I also have this little point guard from out east we’re going to get who you’re going to love.”
The players? Quentin Richardson, Lance Williams and Bobby Simmons –– three city stars ranked No. 9, No. 24 and No. 26, respectively, in the country — and mighty mite Rashon Burno, who played for Bob Hurley, Sr., at St. Anthony’s in Jersey City before a year of prep school.
But how much would that freshman class have cost in today’s dollars?
For where DePaul was as a program at that time — the Blue Demons were 3-23 in the 1996-97 season — an overpay would have been necessary to keep the local stars home and out of reach of Blue Bloods and Big Ten powers. The numbers would be staggering for the average fan to see as it would cost DePaul right around $5 million for the four freshmen.
Possible NIL values following sophomore year: Quentin Richardson ($2.2 million); Lance Williams ($1.5 million); Bobby Simmons ($1.2 million); Rashon Burno ($450,000).
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-10-06 18:12:51
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