to do with any lack of attention than anything. The womens game wasn’t close to where it is now when Florida went back to back without a superstar on their roster and I don’t recall the nation being consumed with their feat. I don’t think it really matters, anytime I’ve had a team I root for win a title I wasn’t concerned with how much attention the general public paid to it.
Preferably stars with engaging personalities who look good on camera.
Men's college basketball doesn't really have that person this season. Meanwhile, women's basketball has quite a few who meet the criteria, good personality and photogenic. Clark is at the top of the list because her basketball game is off the charts; but I've also seen Cameron Brink, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers on ads for major companies and their products this week. I haven't seen Zach Edey, Dalton Knecht, RJ Davis, et al doing the same.
It helps that the women stay in school because they and their teams develop identities. We get to know them. That adds to the appeal of the players and their teams when the personalities are appealing.
Next up: Hannah Hidalgo and Juju Watkins. They will be in college for at least two and probably three more years. Olivia Miles was positioned to be a next gen star, too... still might be. Appealing style of play. Appealing personality. Distinctive look. Really good team.
The last college men's college basketball player I remember being a publicity phenomenon was Zion Williamson, but he was gone after one season.
Why now? Because the quality of play in women's basketball has improved. The women still can't match the athleticism of the men, but they have more marketing appeal. Fans like men's basketball better than women's as TV ratings show throughout the season and in the early rounds of the tournaments. However, the days of a top four or five women's programs being far above all others are over. The regionals are competitive now, so they have the combination of good basketball and marketable stars working for them.
And big men in general are not as glamorized as players that handle the ball.
If he stays healthy he will be the biggest star on the planet
handle the ball and hit shoot from distance is a game changer and sets him far apart from Edey. Anyone that can do things that no one else can do is what draws the eyeballs. Caitlin Clark hitting shots from 30 feet is something no one else outside of Curry can do. You can't take your eyes off players like that because they do things that catch your attention at any point.
"Not in my house. No, no, no. Not today."
and Kareem. I could go on and on. I don't necessarily see big men as being less marketable.
Just watched it again. So good.
Eddy is from Canada, so he can't earn any money while here. 1 of the senators from Connecticut was introducing a bill to allow NIL money for athletes from foreign countries.
Pretty easily in today's day and age. Why can't they just pay his parents? Have him go home to Canada to shoot a commercial or do an interview and pay him handsomely for that.
That is where Zack collected his NIl which was just shy of two million.
Less incentive to transfer.