Name, Image, and Lots of money: HoopsHD interviews Jeff Smith of the MESA Foundation NIL collective

Posted on September 19, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The marketplace for college athletes to engage in Name/Image/Likeness (NIL) deals was created in 2021 after the NCAA v. Alston case and now it seems like every college is ready to start spreading the wealth. There are already more than 100 “collectives” either in operation or being formed. They allow alumni/fans/whoever to donate money to assist a specific school in creating opportunities for student-athletes to make some money off of their celebrity. We have reached out to many collectives and will try to interview representatives from as many of them as possible to see how each of them operates. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Jeff Smith of the MESA Foundation NIL collective, who discussed what his group is about and what it has accomplished so far.

You are the President and co-founder of an NIL collective called “MESA Foundation” that was formed last year: how complicated was it to create (if at all), and why did you do it? We saw the need to have a response to NIL that seemed to be clearly taking off at rapid speed and were specifically concerned what the impact would be on the San Diego State basketball program. Starting it up took time and commitment but the real challenge has proven to be spreading the word to fans/supporters to get them to understand they need to take a more active role than most are used to. MESA is community-based and helps the underserved parts of San Diego: that part of “how we do it” has been amazing and very well received.

Your focus is on basketball: how/why would you decide to open it up to other sports? We have no plan on involving other sports: our plate and time demands are full as it is while we try to broaden the exposure of what we are doing. We have to ensure that our athletes truly participate in our various events and community efforts. That is considerably more manageable with our focus on just the basketball programs. The men’s program is the most widely recognizable and followed of all San Diego State sports, which definitely translates into a bigger and more direct impact on helping to raise awareness for the charitable causes we associate with.

How excited were your members for the Aztecs’ run to the title game last spring, and what was your own favorite memory from that magical season? It was an amazing run and it certainly helped bring awareness and shine a light on the team. People were watching which allowed us to communicate our message to the folks that were curious about NIL and considered supporting it. We still struggle with reaching a broader support base and have grown through our own media efforts and by the people that have joined and recognized the need to make sure this is successful spreading the word. If this is going to continue and we are going to remain competitive we really need institutional support, which we are pushing hard for. NIL is new and SDSU (like many schools) has been tentative to take the steps in promoting what we are doing and the need to support. We are at the point where that needs to take the next step and we are hopeful that it does.

What kind of connection does your group have with current coach Brian Dutcher/former coach Steve Fisher? We are in constant contact with them so that they are aware of what we are doing. They are huge supporters of MESA being successful. There are limits on what they can do but they have become active promoters. We had an event last weekend at the Del Mar Racetrack with both coaches and the players interacting with our members. The school is showing signs of recognizing the importance of MESA’s success to SDSU athletics and specifically the basketball programs and we will continue to look to the coaches to really communicate that message to the loyal fan base of Aztec followers.

Your website says that you are more about charitable organizations than commercial enterprises: how so? We have partnered with some of the most well-known organizations throughout San Diego. We did a youth camp for children of active duty military at Camp Pendleton and another camp with Inter-tribal sports: the Native American Community is huge here with I believe more area tribes than any other place in the country. We held another camp with the Police Department and their STAR/PAL program along with the Boys & Girls Club, and recently put together an opioid/fentanyl public service announcement in partnership with the US Attorney’s Office. We are doing a Walk for ALS and a blood bank drive on campus later in September to bring awareness to blood marker testing for Sickle Cell Disease with more events planned in the future.

What is the biggest difference between your own experience on campus a few decades ago vs. your son’s experience as he begins his own time as an Aztec? I was a student a little over 30 years ago. We did not have cell phones or really personal computers so I would start with that! The access/communication is just worlds apart and the facilities are different as well. Viejas Arena did not exist back then so the school has changed almost entirely for the better…although in a lot of ways it is still the same SDSU.

People are obviously free to do whatever they want with their hard-earned money…but do you ever have any second thoughts about whether you should be encouraging your donors to do something else like fight cancer/reduce homelessness? We never look at this as an “either-or” situation and would never encourage folks to choose to give to MESA over another charitable cause. Most alumni live in the area, are fans of the school/basketball team, and can watch the impact that the players are making on many different organizations rather than just picking 1 group. It seems to be a win from all directions and we have received nothing but positive feedback so far. You hear a lot about what is rumored to be going on behind the scenes with other NIL efforts at other schools, but I am proud to say that we are truly involved with many charities and community organizations and are putting in real time and effort to help those groups and their causes.

Do you think the NIL model will be as effective at a MWC school, and what is the biggest difference between your collective and those at high-major schools (if any)? There are some regional/conference-based differences so it is not always limited to Power 5 conferences. There are a lot of things you can do in Southern California. We do not have a single or small-group donor model because that is not San Diego or San Diego State: our primary focus is on expanding our platform to people who might not give $100,000/year but rather $100-$1000 or whatever they can afford. We try to make it accessible to everybody but at the end of the day our strength is in our numbers and the undeniable support the team has in this community. We are very different from most other schools but we think that is what will make ours a more sustainable and more broadly supported model.

Earlier this year we saw a basketball team’s season suspended (New Mexico State) and a football team’s coach fired (Northwestern) due to hazing: how concerned are you about entering contractual relationships with teenagers who might end up behaving badly? Not at all. One of the primary reasons we decided to take our approach is due to the type of athlete that our coaches bring in to play at SDSU. Anyone who follows us knows that we have a specific type of team-branded basketball that is based on defense and selflessness. We are trying our best to mirror that “team first” approach to what MESA is doing. Our agreements are performance-based: the players have to post on social media and have to participate in events if they want to get compensated and continue to be a part of MESA. They do have “good citizen” clauses in their agreements but we have not had any issues and definitely do not expect to have any in the future.

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Name, Image, and Lots of money: HoopsHD interviews Aaron Whaley of the Omaha Bull Market NIL collective

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The marketplace for college athletes to engage in Name/Image/Likeness (NIL) deals was created in 2021 after the NCAA v. Alston case and now it seems like every college is ready to start spreading the wealth. There are already more than 100 “collectives” either in operation or being formed. They allow alumni/fans/whoever to donate money to assist a specific school in creating opportunities for student-athletes to make some money off of their celebrity. We have reached out to many collectives and will try to interview representatives from as many of them as possible to see how each of them operates. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Aaron Whaley of the Omaha Bull Market NIL collective, who discussed what his group is about and what it has accomplished so far.

You are the chairman of an NIL collective called “Omaha Bull Market” that was formed last year: how complicated was it to create (if at all), and why did you do it? It was fairly complicated and not an easy process: the hardest part was to make sure we were in line with the NCAA/university. We wanted to partner with the university without infringing on any trademarks. The administration has been really great to deal with and they understand the value in it.

You own a real estate inspection and consulting business: how helpful is your background to running the collective (if at all)? That is 1 of my many businesses. I previously owned a real estate development company before selling it and have sat on several committees at UNO. Various UNO supporters that I have worked with in the past inquired whether I had any desire to do it: I did not at 1st, but my partner Matt Smith helped convince me to do it the right way. We heard some rumblings in town about people who were doing things that we did not like, which put me over the edge. I consider this my full-time job because the real estate manages itself. I was looking for a way to give back after having a great academic/athletic experience.

You played football at Simpson College in Iowa: how would your experience have been different if there was NIL money back then? We probably would not have received any money in D-3! I love that NIL is available but hate the way that some of the big schools are doing it,

Do you think the NIL model will be as effective at a WAC school, and what is the biggest difference between your collective and those at high-major schools (if any)? A lot of the numbers you are hearing are not actual numbers. I have been told that most schools are not filling out the compliance forms, so I do not know if the numbers you hear on TV are real. We have hockey players making enough money that they decided to return to school rather than go pro. I wish there was a database that everybody contributed to so that we could evaluate everything clearly. Is the 2nd-string lineman at a D-1 school making $100,000? I doubt it. We are doing deals that make sense and provide ROI to the businesses or our charitable partners in the community.

What kind of deals have you been able to work out so far? Most of our deals are tiny but we are doing some bigger deals. We do small deals of $500- $1000 or below, which helps because ⅓ of our athletes are not on scholarship. 1 of the biggest parts of my job is educating people. We are working with 1 athlete who does not have dental insurance, so we are trying to find him a couple of NIL deals to help him pay his dental bill. This is real-life NIL: I facilitated a deal with 1 female athlete who needed gas money to get home to see her family. I cannot get behind some of the 6-figure deals that some of the collectives at the biggest schools are doing. I’m a businessman at heart and if the deal provides ROI and the athlete and the business are happy it makes sense but that isn’t always the case. I am actively working on 14 deals that are sitting on my desk. We are working with doctor’s offices to car washes to local restaurants. The deal flow has definitely picked up and it is starting to come full-circle after people hear that we can do a 3-figure/4-figure deal. 1 company we are working with wants to bring awareness to mental health and is working with a few athletes on that.

In addition to basketball you work with hockey/women’s soccer athletes: why did you decide to do non-basketball sports? We are not specific to 1 sport: our very 1st deal was with a woman’s soccer player, and we also have a couple of basketball deals. The outdoor volleyball game at Nebraska last month brought a bunch of deals to our women’s volleyball players. I just wanted to make sure that everyone was included: I have 2 younger kids and we go to as many different UNO sporting events as we can. I like to be inclusive: I realize that the smaller sports are not getting deals as big as men’s basketball, but I like to spread the wealth when possible.

Your collective’s logo/brand contains a bunch of fascinating elements: what makes it so special? I cannot take any credit for that. We have a great graphic designer named Bob Lausten helping us out and Matt/I also strongly believe in bringing in students to help us out. We adopted the phrase that “we are doing NIL for all of UNO not just athletes”. We wanted everyone to know that we are Omaha-centric, so I love the fact that our website says it is “for athletes for fans for Omaha”. We separated the UNO “O” logo to make horns on our bull so that we would not infringe on any trademarks: it is still striking enough to be recognized as UNO. The “Bull Market” references spending and evokes a sense of strength and confidence which is how we want Omaha fans to feel about our athletes. We are here for Omaha and our logo certainly shows that!

You offer several membership levels ranging from $25/month to $10,000/year: what kind of extra perks do people get for being at the highest level? Access to athletes/special tailgates is the biggest perk. We have a silent partner who donated a suite to us at certain times throughout the year for basketball/hockey parties, and I sometimes give up my courtside tickets if we have members who want to attend a game. For $50/month we do “Bull Market Exclusives” which gives our members exclusive access to different players so that you really get to know them in a more personal way than just watching them on the field. We are getting the most reaction to that, which only requires a minimal investment: we try to drop 1-2 exclusives/week and will start our basketball content in the weeks ahead. We are different from most places and are pretty passionate about what we are doing even though it is pro bono.

People are obviously free to do whatever they want with their hard-earned money…but do you ever have any second thoughts about whether you should be encouraging your donors to do something else like fight cancer/reduce homelessness? I do a lot of charitable things and do not take any salary but am passionate about sports. I would never pressure anybody to donate because I know there are plenty of great charities out there, but we are doing this for the right reasons. We had a men’s soccer player who felt terrible about getting $500 so he went out and treated his entire team to dinner. My family has always taught me to give back and there are multiple ways to do so. We have our boots on and are working hard to do NIL for Omaha athletes the right way that benefits our athletes, charities, and business partners.

Earlier this year we saw a basketball team’s season suspended (New Mexico State) and a football team’s coach fired (Northwestern) due to hazing: how concerned are you about entering contractual relationships with teenagers who might end up behaving badly? It is a big concern so we do the best we can to vet everyone. All the athletes have to provide their social media accounts/information. I do not know if we will run into that (and I hope we do not) but we try to do our due diligence. I am a huge believer in everyone being nice to everyone else but there is no certainty in the world and will deal with it as it comes.

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Name, Image, and Lots of money: HoopsHD interviews Paul Grindstaff of the A-Mountain Sports NIL collective

Posted on September 17, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The marketplace for college athletes to engage in Name/Image/Likeness (NIL) deals was created in 2021 after the NCAA v. Alston case and now it seems like every college is ready to start spreading the wealth. There are already more than 100 “collectives” either in operation or being formed. They allow alumni/fans/whoever to donate money to assist a specific school in creating opportunities for student-athletes to make some money off of their celebrity. We have reached out to many collectives and will try to interview representatives from as many of them as possible to see how each of them operates. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Paul Grindstaff of the A-Mountain Sports NIL collective, who discussed what his group is about and what it has accomplished so far.

You are the founder of an NIL collective called “A-Mountain Sports” that was formed last year: how complicated was it to create (if at all), and why did you do it? As is usually the case in a new industry, there were a lot of people facing the same challenges. At A-Mountain, we were fortunate to have somewhat of a template based on relationships with individuals and collectives at other schools, among them SMU and the PonySportsDTX collective. Other conversations with collectives and their leadership have created something of an open source dialogue across the landscape.

Your focus is on every sport: why did you decide to do that rather than just focus on 1 specific sport? When we 1st got started we had a couple of 1-off deals with men’s basketball, dating back to our upset win over UConn in the 2022 NCAA tourney. New Mexico State hired Jerry Kill as their football coach at the start of that season and we were approached by people interested in contributing to a number of different sports. To the extent there is interest, we are happy to get involved in all sports: for example, this year we are placing an emphasis on women’s basketball.

What kind of connection does your group have with Coach Jason Hooten/Athletic Director Mario Moccia? We are really fortunate because Mario has given us open-door access and tacit endorsement. I remember a road trip last year where we lost to Coach Hooten’s Sam Houston team. When Coach Hooten arrived here he mentioned that there was zero NIL activity at his former school so we discussed what assets he would have at his disposal in New Mexico.

What kind of deals have you been able to work out so far? On the football side we have just under 30 deals and will wind up with 15 basketball deals this year, which is an increase from last year.

You played football in college: how would your experience have been different if there was NIL money back then? I played D-2 football so I think that my experience would have been the same! That being said, I know some D-2 schools that have an NIL presence so you never know. It is more of an intentional approach to fundraising so I have had conversations with multiple athletics directors at my alma mater about how they could try to do that.

You went to grad school at SMU: how do you feel about their recent announcement that they are joining the ACC next year? It has been a long time coming: I used to be the fundraising chair of the “Mustang Club” at SMU. What is remarkable is the number of significant stakeholders who have bought in. I remember when Chad Morris became football coach after June Jones: his pitch was that it was an arms race that we would lose unless we had better facilities. On the flip side, I remember Mike Locksley stating that his players would be willing to dress in garbage cans if it meant more NIL money for them!

You offer 5 membership levels ranging from $100 to $1,500 per month: what kind of extra perks do people get for being at the highest level? The #1 thing we can offer is access to players so 1 of the most popular/easy things are “player partner dinners”. A player partner dinner consists of a group of 2 to 3 student athletes and 5 or 6 business leaders, collective contributors and the like. Of course, these sorts of things are only allowable with an NIL deal in place. This kind of setting allows the student athletes and contributors to have a different kind of dialogue, one that we hope will lead to a worthwhile relationship. We have seen business connections, job opportunities, life mentoring and professional internships come out of these sorts of things. We also have players do appearances at businesses: all of the access complements the players’ own experience and helps set them up for life after ball. I saw a quote from the mayor of Oxford, MS: “We want our Rebels to not just be athletes but also active contributing citizens to the community.” That is exactly what we hope to foster in Las Cruces. Other things include events with players and coaches, and those sorts of things are always expanding.

People are obviously free to do whatever they want with their hard-earned money…but do you ever have any second thoughts about whether you should be encouraging your donors to do something else like fight cancer/reduce homelessness? We never talk about doing things in absolutes and have a forthcoming non-profit partner that will give us a philanthropic bent. There was a fear that philanthropy that would have otherwise gone to the university could get cannibalized but the data shows that is not the case. Each sport has its own “excellence” fund that is used by each coach at their discretion. I tell folks that we are not trying to divert funds: we just want to give them options to help by buying tickets, supporting our teams, and winning games. After a New Mexico State basketball game culminating in a big win for example, people will go out and about and visit our local breweries/ice cream shops. The entire community benefits from success on the field and court.

Do you think the NIL model will be as effective at a CUSA school, and what is the biggest difference between your collective and those at high-major schools (if any)? There are essentially 3 levels of NIL: there are about a dozen schools that are “other-worldly”, a level like ours where we are “in the game”, and a level below us for schools who are “not in the game”. We are not going to go out and target an All-American PG but even within each conference it is different: Liberty/Western Kentucky are big NIL players in the CUSA.

Earlier this year we saw a basketball team’s season suspended (New Mexico State) and a football team’s coach fired (Northwestern) due to hazing: how concerned are you about entering contractual relationships with teenagers who might end up behaving badly? The agreement is governed by the contract and according to the legislation there is a quid pro quo that cannot include on-field performance. However, it can include stipulations such as being a good citizen and conforming to the school’s code of conduct. Last week all of our student-athletes went to a hazing workshop that they were required to attend. As with any business or organization, I would love to highlight all of the positive things that are likely to come to pass. That said, just as with any contractual relationship, it is an absolute must to discuss expectations consistent with upholding the expectations of the community, the institution and the collective and its contributors.

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Name, Image, and Lots of money: HoopsHD interviews Frank Ambrose of the Saints March On NIL collective

Posted on September 16, 2023 by Jon Teitel

The marketplace for college athletes to engage in Name/Image/Likeness (NIL) deals was created in 2021 after the NCAA v. Alston case and now it seems like every college is ready to start spreading the wealth. There are already more than 100 “collectives” either in operation or being formed. They allow alumni/fans/whoever to donate money to assist a specific school in creating opportunities for student-athletes to make some money off of their celebrity. We have reached out to many collectives and will try to interview representatives from as many of them as possible to see how each of them operates. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Frank Ambrose of the Saints March On NIL collective, who discussed what his group is about and what it has accomplished so far.

You are the co-founder of an NIL collective called “Saints March On” that was formed last January: how complicated was it to create (if at all), and why did you do it? The bones of it were simple to put together. The harder part was establishing a donor base and reaching out to businesses. There was a lot of confusion at 1st so we just tried to get out there and tell our story to our athletes. My wife and I are very passionate about our schools/sports and are semi-retired: I felt that NIL could help differentiate Siena as a mid-major. We have a huge season ticket holder base and passionate fans who will help us carry the program further.

Your LLC operates as a “not-for-profit”: why did you decide to set it up that way? We got advice that this would be more beneficial than doing a 501c3. It is basically a shell company but we stated that we do not take any money out of it. It also meant that we could do more than just public service: we want to create a marketing company for the players and allow them to interact directly with businesses. It gives us a broader opportunity to move from a donor-based organization to a sustainable business collective.

You majored in finance at Siena a few decades ago: how has the athletic program changed from then until now? When I was there we had recently moved up to D-1 so we were just getting our feet under us. The biggest change happened with our success in the late-1980s. We upset Stanford in the 1989 NCAA tourney and have brought in some players who made us something special. People looked at us and showed that you could get to the big-time: Jalen Pickett started with us, then burst onto the scene at Penn State, and just got drafted by the defending NBA champs. It is now a stepping-stone for players who want to go pro, which was not the case when I was there.

Your background is in technology/investing: how helpful is your skill set to the functioning of the collective? My time in the start-up world was the most relevant because that is basically what NIL is: you build your product/messaging/marketing. I also have the network to find other people who can help us out pro bono, which is important because we direct 90% of our money to the athletes.

Your focus is on basketball: how/why would you decide to open it up to other sports? We just got a lacrosse-specific donation so now those men’s/women’s teams are a part of it…but basketball is the sport that we think can advance all of our athletic teams. We did a deal with a company called myNILpay that allows people to donate directly to any athlete in exchange for an NFT token. This is an example which shows that if an athlete wants to build their brand then we can provide them with the tools to do it, but at the very least we want to educate the athletes/coaches: it is a big part of what we have been doing.

While your group is not affiliated with Siena you stated that you “work closely” with the college on NIL compliance/disclosure elements: is it easy to balance the independence with the alignment? It is because of the relationship we have built with the athletic department. We use them as a resource for questions/compliance and it would be difficult if we did not have that access. Rules change all the time and you can get sideways pretty fast even if you are not doing anything intentional.

What kind of deals have you been able to work out so far? We have deals with all of our basketball players through the collective: they sign with us in exchange for work like signing autographs/making appearances/doing certain things on social media. If a business wants to arrange a commercial with a player then we can also facilitate that. It gives us a lot of flexibility: we can source charity appearance work without having to structure every single opportunity.

People are obviously free to do whatever they want with their hard-earned money…but do you ever have any second thoughts about whether you should be encouraging your donors to do something else like fight cancer/reduce homelessness? I have a passion for what has transpired with student-athletes over time: it was very unfair for schools to use the product that these young men/women produced without giving them a financial benefit. Now we teach kids how to take these lessons into the business world after they graduate. The NCAA and institutions they support have gotten disproportionately wealthy on the entertainment product of these student-athletes and now it is time for the athletes to more directly benefit from their hard work and talent. Not everyone will go pro but they can all earn some income during college.

Do you think the NIL model will be as effective at a MAAC school, and what is the biggest difference between your collective and those at high-major schools (if any)? I think the NIL model can be successful at the mid-major level: the biggest difference is simply dollars. A lot of what you see in the press are the “1% athletes” who get the 6-7 figure deals. We are solidly in the space for a D-1 mid-major and we let our coaches know what is available to them budget-wise and then let them decide what they want to do. NIL is at the very end of the recruiting/retention chain: student-athletes want to be in a good place, get playing time, etc. If the 1st thing on their mind is an NIL deal then they are probably not right for our program.

Earlier this year we saw a basketball team’s season suspended (New Mexico State) and a football team’s coach fired (Northwestern) due to hazing: how concerned are you about entering contractual relationships with teenagers who might end up behaving badly? Maybe I am biased but I have an enormous amount of faith in our coaching staff and the kind of young adults that they recruit. We have kids who are mature beyond their age and my wife and I could not be more impressed with the ones that we have met. Anyone can trip up and make a mistake but they have been very good about understanding the morality clause in their contact. We do not have any concerns based on the infrastructure at the school.

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Vermont G Emma Utterback

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Jon Teitel

We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to prepare for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Vermont G Emma Utterback, who talked about facing UConn in the NCAA tourney last March and her expectations for this season.

In 2020 you made the conference all-rookie team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? For me it was the confidence that my coaches instilled in me to take over the program and turn it around: that really allowed my game to soar. My teammates trusted me with the ball, which can be difficult for a freshman.

Last year you were top-5 in the conference in both PPG/APG: what is the secret to being a good PG? I just want to make plays, be it for myself or others. My ability to get downhill has helped me do that and when defenders collapse I just find the open shooters around me. Getting those extra reps and building team chemistry has helped me get my assists up, but I can also create for myself.

Take me through the 2023 postseason:
In the America East tourney title game you scored 18 PTS in a 38-36 win over Albany en route to being named conference tourney MVP: was the game as ugly as the final score sounds, and what did it mean to you to win a title? It was not the prettiest game to be honest but it showed how great our defense was. We were able to mess up their offense and as long as you can score 1 more point than your opponent then you did what you needed to do. Defense is our bread and butter.

In the NCAA tourney you scored 13 PTS in a loss to UConn: what is it like to face Geno Auriemma in Storrs in March? It was surreal to face the Huskies and I was star-struck for about 5 seconds but then focused on trying to beat them. UConn is such a talented team with players like Azzi Fudd who I have looked up to for awhile.

A few days after that loss you and Delaney Richason announced that you would both be using your 5th years of eligibility: how close have you 2 become since 1st becoming teammates as kids in Indiana? We grew up about 40 minutes from each other and have been AAU teammates since 5th grade. We get along and know each other’s games very well. We have great chemistry on and off the floor and she is my best friend.

You were co-captain last year: what is the key to being a good leader? My role is to create interpersonal relationships: if you do not build that bond 1st then whatever you say will go in 1 ear and out the other. I try to take the underclassmen to lunch and get to know them so that they understand if I get on them during practice it is coming from a place of love.

Your schedule includes games against Providence/North Carolina: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I am very excited for UNC because they have a historically good program. We are not expected to win but we can put everything out on the floor because we have nothing to lose. Providence will be a tough game and Quinnipiac also has a good program…but we have gotten a lot better and we will be prepared.

You already have your degree in Public Communication with a specialization in Media and Journalism and are now getting a Masters in Public Administration: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? This is the 2nd year of my Masters program so I got a taste of the schedule last year. It involves doing a lot of work on your own so it has taught me the importance of time management. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be last year but I am very excited to get my degree this spring.

You have tens of thousands of followers on social media: what impact has NIL had on your life either on or off the court? NIL has been a very cool experience for me. I did not start out by actively searching for deals but I have coached an AAU team for the past 2 years and have helped train young girls of all ages from kindergarten through high school. Former Vermont star Ernie Duncan has a program called “Duncan Hoops” and he recruited me to help him train the younger athletes, who have paid it forward by coming to some of my games. I love taking what I have learned and giving it to others and am very thankful for all of the opportunities I have received.

Your father played college football and your sister plays college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? It depends who you ask! My dad was a freak athlete who also ran indoor track.

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? The main goal is to make it back to the NCAA tourney but it starts with trying to get better in any way that I can. I want to improve my perimeter shooting and have some other personal goals that I keep private. Last year we had some stuff that did not go our way, but if we are more prepared this year I think we have a chance to get a higher seed if we can win some of our big non-conference games. The baby steps to get there are important.

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Season Preview: HoopsHD interviews Kentucky SR G Maddie Scherr

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Jon Teitel

We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of the college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to prepare for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Kentucky SR G Maddie Scherr, who talked about being a great FT shooter and her expectations for this season.

In 2020 you were named a McDonald’s All-American but the game itself was canceled due to COVID: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Cameron Brink/Paige Bueckers/Caitlin Clark/Angel Reese/other)? I have played against that whole class since we were all little but it is such a talented group that it was an honor to be included.

As a freshman at Oregon you made the Sweet 16 in 2021: what is your favorite memory from that postseason run? It was just a fun experience despite COVID. I knew that I had to step up and play as a freshman. We had high expectations and it was so fun to keep winning games with my teammates.

Why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Kentucky? A big part of it was wanting to be closer to home. The older I get the more I appreciate seeing my grandparents in the stands. I also really hit it off with Coach Kyra Elzy.

You were top-5 in the SEC last year with 110 AST/55 STL: what is the key to being a good PG? Just your ability to understand the game. I have been fortunate to have good trainers/coaches my entire life who helped grow my basketball IQ: when to pass the ball, how to tell your teammates where to go, etc. I watch a lot of film to get mental reps, which is a huge key.

You also finished the regular season as the SEC leader with 91.8 FT%: what is the secret to making FTs? Lots and lots of practice. When I was in high school I would make 25 and had to end on 5 swishes in a row with no rim, which added a LOT of extra reps.

In the 2023 SEC tourney you set a school record with 6 BLK in a win over Alabama: how do you balance all of the different aspects of your game? It just comes from doing whatever you can to help your team win. My role here has allowed me to do all of those things. A lot of it is just effort: not quitting on plays or taking time off. As I get older I have become more aware of that aspect of the game.

You are 1 of 5 seniors/grad students on the roster: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? My experience is important but we have a lot of other leaders on this team, which takes some pressure off of me. Everyone has been good at being vocal so I do not need to do that all of the time. I do not look at it as pressure because I want to be in that role.

The SEC has had 3 different schools appear in the past 6 NCAA tourney title games (South Carolina twice/Mississippi State twice/LSU once): do you feel that it is the best conference in the country? Absolutely! I might be a little biased but playing in the Pac-12 was different. We have a really talented league that is very physical/tough.

You will be playing in the Paradise Jam during Thanksgiving weekend: how excited are you to head to the US Virgin Islands?! We are very excited for that and it is always something to look forward to: some warm weather in November!

What are your goals for this season, and what are your expectations for this season? We want to be at the top of the conference and I think that we can do it. We have a whole lot of experience and raw talent so if we can figure out how to put it together then we can be really good.

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