• Kelenna Azubuike – Mike Higgins (The Higgins Group)
• Eric Bledsoe – Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency)
• Keith Bogans – Michael Harrison
• DeMarcus Cousins – John Greig (SportsTalent)
• Chuck Hayes – Calvin Andrews (BDA Sports)
• Jamaal Magloire – Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Nazr Mohammed - Mike Higgins (The Higgins Group)
• Jodie Meeks – Unrepresented
• Daniel Orton – Ara Vartanian (Vartanian/Simmons Sports Management)
• Patrick Patterson – Odell McCants (Capitol Sports Management)
• Tayshaun Prince – Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• Rajon Rondo - Bill Duffy (BDA Sports)
• John Wall – Dan Fegan (Lagardere Unlimited)

Many people expected John Wall to sign with Leon Rose of CAA last year based on Coach Calipari’s supposed cozy relationship with Rose and his buddy William Wesley (who now has an official position as a Coach Agent with CAA).  However, as noted above, Wall signed with Dan Fegan.  Does that give agents outside of CAA hope to recruit effectively at a school with Coach Cal at the helm?  BDA Sports has a few UK graduates, as does Mike Higgins.  Odell McCants jumped on the scene last year with Patrick Patterson.  Will he be able to leverage that relationship to get more UK blue blood?  Enes Kanter was supposed to play at Kentucky this year, but had to sit out due to an NCAA ruling.  Expect him to be a lottery pick.  Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight may also be lottery picks if either or both decide to leave early.  They are both very talented Freshman that can certainly improve their Draft stocks if they stick around at UK; however, based on their potential, they both will be sure first rounders if they leave early.  My hunch is that at least Knight sticks around at least one more year.

Agent Selection Scenarios: Kentucky Basketball from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• Cole Aldrich – Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Darrell Arthur – Jerry Hicks
• Mario Chalmers – Sam Goldfeder (Excel Sports Management)
• Nick Collison – Mike Higgins (The Higgins Group)
• Drew Gooden – Dan Fegan (Lagardere Unlimited). Formerly with Calvin Andrews (BDA Sports)
• Xavier Henry - Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group)
• Kirk Hinrich – Jeff Austin (Octagon)
• Darnell Jackson – Roger Montgomery (Montgomery Sports Group)
• Sasha Kaun – Justin Zanik (ASM Sports). Currently playing for powerhouse, CSKA Moscow.
• Raef LaFrentz – Mike Higgins (The Higgins Group). Retired.
• Paul Pierce – Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Scot Pollard – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports & Entertainment). Retired.
• Russell Robinson – Bob McClaren (McClaren Sports). Playing for DKV Joventut in Spain’s Liga ACB.
• Brandon Rush – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports and Entertainment)
• Wayne Simien – Leigh Steinberg. Retired.
• Jacque Vaughn – Jeff Austin (Octagon). Assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs.
• Julian Wright – Rob Pelinka (Landmark Sports Agency)

Kansas produces professional basketball players.  This is only a partial listing of the many high quality basketball players to come out of the Jayhawks program in the past couple of decades.  No one agency dominates the school, and there is quite a wide spread of agents who have been able to effectively pitch their services to Kansas players.  Excel Sports seems to have a nice mix with two younger players in Mario Chalmers and Cole Aldrich, along with the best in the group, Paul Pierce.

Power forward Markieff Morris should be drafted in 2011.  The senior is 6’10, 235lbs, and puts up over 13 points per game.  Marcus Morris will not definitely leave, but if he does, he is likely to be selected above Markieff.  Josh Selby is a very talented young shooting guard, but the Freshman will likely stick around for at least one more year.  If not, he could be taken in the first round.  Thomas Robinson has a lot of potential and will be returning to Kansas next year as well.  If Tyshawn Taylor leaves, he could be a 2nd round pick, but he also has one year left if he chooses to play it out at Kansas.

Agent Selection Scenarios: Kansas Basketball from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Yesterday, Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal tweeted that O.J. Mayo, the Memphis Grizzlies guard going into his sophomore season in the NBA, has dropped both his marketing agency and contractual advisor.  His representation for team contracts was Leon Rose of Creative Artists Agency.  Mayo’s marketing agency was LRMR Marketing, a company that has LeBron James on the board.

Mullen tweeted that CAA confirmed Mayo’s termination of CAA, but we still do not know exactly why Mayo chose to start fresh on marketing and contractual help.

O.J. Mayo had a terrific rookie season that included averages of 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 38 minutes per game.  And I am sure that many agents were in his ear throughout the year.  That would be a solid reason for why Mayo would drop smaller agencies for names like CAA and LRMR.  In this case, Mayo has dropped some big dogs, and we will wait and see who will be the replacements.

In case you have a short memory, Mayo was represented by BDA Sports before people found out about Rodney Guillory, a runner for BDA Sports and Calvin Andrews, gave money to Mayo while he was an NCAA student-athlete.  Andrews was suspended by the NBPA and Mayo started looking for new representation.  The rumor was that it was a race between Leon Rose and Andy Miller, with Rose winning out in the end.

And now we are once again left to wonder who Mayo will choose to become a part of his team of advisors.

Mayo Is Searching For A New Combo Of Advisors from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

O.J. Mayo has affected a lot of peoples lives.  He has given the town of Memphis hope that one day the Grizzlies will be a contender.  He gave BDA Sports Management a scare when there were allegations of a connection between BDA employee, Calvin Andrews, leading to Calvin’s one-year suspension by the NBPA.  Bill Duffy lost Mayo as a client, but continues to have success acquiring new talent.  And then there was Tim Floyd.  For a long time, Floyd’s name was generally kept out of the media.  The Mayo scandal revolved around names like Andrews, Rodney Guillory, Louis Johnson, and Bill Duffy.  But then, on May 12, 2009, Charles Robinson and Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports dug up some dirt on Coach Floyd.  Only a month later, and Floyd is on his way out of the University of Southern California.

After such a long break in the O.J. Mayo debacle, things have started moving very fast again.  With Floyd’s resignation, which he claims was based on a new lack of enthusiasm, questions surrounding USC’s recruiting tactics have once again hit center stage.  Will Floyd’s resignation save or futher damage USC’s reputation in the eyes of NCAA investigators?

USC Would Take The Floyd If It Came With No Mayo from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Calvin Andrews has been suspended by the NBPA for one year and its disciplinary committee may take further action in the future.  It was obvious that Calvin’s and BDA’s name would be hurt by all of the negative headlines, but with a full-year suspension and the potential for an even larger penalty, what will this mean for Andrews, BDA, and Bill Duffy?  They lost Mayo (who eventually signed with Leon Rose) and may be blocked from recruiting many one-time potential recruits due to a large kick to their reputation.

On May 23rd, I pointed out that the NBPA was starting to get serious about enforcing many of its regulations and that a penalty would probably be assessed to Andrews if he knowingly/recklessly/negligently supplied funds to a runner/handler who then passed them onto Mayo.  The NBPA’s investigation into Mayo’s recruitment must have dug up some facts that led it to believe that Andrews played an active role in Guillory’s recruitment method.

BDA’s NBA Draft grade of C- may start to look rather generous.  What will be BDA’s plan now that Andrews cannot represent his clients for at least a year?  Who will fill in the gap?  How will Duffy restore his agency’s integrity?

Running Calvin Andrews Into Trouble from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

1. Wasserman Media Group (Arn Tellem, BJ Armstrong, Dan Tobin, Greg Lawrence, Thad Foucher, Bob Myers) – The WMG team had an unprecidented draft.  BJ Armstrong stole the show by representing the #1 overall pick, Derrick Rose.  Because BJ was always mentioned with Rose, many looked over the fact that he is also the primary agent for #14 pick, Anthony Randolph.  Quite a first year for the one-time Chicago Bull.  Arn Tellem did not do too poorly himself.  Danillo Gallinari went higher than many had anticipated during the week.  While Tellem may not be “listed” as the primary agent for many of WMG’s 7 first round picks, you have to believe he had a heavy hand in persuading the players to go Wasserman’s way.  Add to the stable Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Maarty Leunen, D.J. Augustin…yeah, this one is easy…Grade = A+
2. Priority Sports (Mark Bartelstein, Aaron Mintz, Brad Ames) – Forget A-Rod vs. Canseco, T.O. vs. the media, and Shawn Chacon vs. the Astros GM.  I want to see Tellem vs. Bartelstein.  If you had to ask me which two names currently dominate the NBPA agent landscape, it would have to be these two fellows.  If your last name starts with a “B”, chances are, Bartelstein represents you.  His company got J.R. Giddons drafted in the first round, way above where I thought he would go.  At the same time, Trent Plaisted slipped a little further than Bartelstein probably hoped he would.  The company definitely jumped for joy when Brandon Rush became a lottery pick.  Overall, Priority had another solid showing.  Grade = A
3. BDA Sports (Billy Duffy, Calvin Andrews, Rade Filipovich) – The biggest news leading up to the NBA Draft had maintained the spotlight for quite some time: O.J. Mayo fired Calvin Andrews and BDA Sports after NCAA violations came to light regarding Mayo’s acceptance of money through a runner for the agency.  In my mind, BDA had to do quite a lot to rebound from that devastating news, which may continue to get worse if further sanctions are placed on the agency.  I do not feel like they ended up very happy.  Besides losing Mayo, James Gist was picked later than expected, but Goran Dragic was taken right about where he was predicted to go.  Overall, 2008 was a disappointing year for a company that used to be right up alongside Priorty.  Grade = C-
4. Excel Sports Management (Jeff Schwartz, Sam Goldfeder) – For a long time, mock drafts had Jerryd Bayless projected as a top-4 pick.  It is not Schwartz’s fault that Bayless slipped as draft day approached; Bayless was probably being hyped a little bit too much beforehand.  Having a lottery pick is always a win for a sports agency, and Excel must be happy that Bayless went in the top 14.  Having two lottery picks is even nicer…Kevin Love is also a client.  The true icing on the cake is that Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was taken at the beginning of the second round.  Mbah a Moute was not even a lock to be picked at all.  Grade = A
5. Montgomery Sports Group (Roger Montgomery) – Not a bad draft for a man who only represented four guys going into last Thursday.  Sonny Weems was taken higher than expected and Darrell Jackson went right about where he was predicted to land…and to a team that desperately needs some help.  I have no criticism for Roger, but until he breaks into the first round, I am unable to give him an A.  Grade = B+
6. Creative Artists Agency (Leon Rose, Andre Buck) – It was looking like CAA was going to be left out of the first round shuffle until the aforementioned O.J. Mayo affair went down.  But even more surprising is that CAA ended up with two lottery picks.  The second is Jason Thompson, who has Andre Buck as his primary advisor.  Who could have predicted that the Rider forward would be selected twelfth overall?  The only thing holding me back from giving CAA an A+ is the slipping of CDR (Chris Douglas-Roberts).  Tenth pick in the second round?  Something went wrong there.  Grade = A-
7. ASM Sports (Andy Miller, Justin Zanik) – Serge Ibaka, Sasha Kaun, Omer Asik, J.J. Hickson, Marreese Speights, Deron Washington, and Richard Hendrix all got drafted.  It seems like ASM has not gotten its due praise because WMG has been taking all of the headlines.  Someone hire a PR expert for this company, ASAP!  Between WMG and ASM, how does anyone else compete?  Sure, James Mays and David Padgett were not selected, but I am sure that they will find a team to play for.  Grade = A+

Grading The NBA Draft (By Agencies) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Me: What made you want to go from being an athlete represented by an agent to an agent representing professional basketball players?

BJ Armstrong: It was to have a complete understanding of the business. Being a former player, I was very interested in understanding how this all works from a business standpoint: how teams are run, how decisions are made, and overall, how the operations of business are run. Having a complete understanding of the business of sports was what I was most interested in. I began to see the perspective of the role of sports representation. Honestly, I kind of stumbled into my current position as an agent; I didn’t seek it. It was just something I understand and I am happy to be in this profession.

Me: Take me through your recruiting process.

BJ Armstrong: One thing I definitely have understood is that there is no way to know everything and that there is no recruiting regiment. Every situation is different. You have to address what each client feels is most important. The recruiting process is really about delivering on each client’s concerns. What I have learned is how to function in an environment where there is really no certainty at all. There is no stability and there are never any guarantees. You must always be ready to go and function on your toes. I wish I could tell you that I had a brochure, but instead, it’s about having the phones open and to be ready to go from that point forward. An agent must always be able to address concerns quickly.

Me: A lot of people predicted that Derrick Rose would sign with Leon Rose and CAA. How long before you signed Rose did you start recruiting him, and what do you think made him go with WMG over a CAA?

BJ Armstrong: I have known Leon Rose for a long time, and Leon is excellent at what he does. Additionally, the people at CAA excel in what they do; I have the utmost respect for them. My signing of Derrick Rose was like anything in life, I think it was just luck. I played in Chicago. Derrick is from Chicago. I really wish I could put my finger on it and say that it was something we offered and something that other agencies did not offer. Luck and being in the right place at the right time are the only things I can attribute it to. I think the timing just worked out.

Me: Is there any particular reason that Derrick Rose picked you as his primary agent over Arn Tellem?

BJ Armstrong: Again, I think that Derrick chose me largely because I played in Chicago and he grew up in Chicago watching me play. There was a time in Chicago where I played on some pretty good teams. The things that happened in that city as he was growing up probably left a mark on him. Again, I believe that I was the beneficiary of good timing. Derrick and I even played the same position. Sometimes things just line up…you can’t plan it. I think we just had a few similarities in our background that made it all work out for a lot of different reasons.

Me: Do you have any relationship with William Wesley? If so, what is your general impression of his role in professional basketball?

BJ Armstrong: I have known Wesley for over 20 years. I knew him back when I was playing in the late 80s. I have a great relationship with Wes and I have no problems with him whatsoever. He was a part of our family when I was playing in Chicago, when I was traded…I have always known him. He has been nothing but a friend to me since I entered the NBA. He’s been with us forever. It’s just Wes…he’s there. I still see him; he is everywhere. You see him at sporting events, venues, games.

Me: What is your response to David Falk’s recent comment that signing players is becoming less about what you have to offer to the client, and more about paying athletes and/or people close to them in order to represent them?

BJ Armstrong: I guess that is possible from his perspective. More importantly, he would have to answer it in more detail from his experiences. It is interesting that I have gone through the process of representing clients as an ex-athlete. I am certainly not naïve to think that the possibility of corruption isn’t there. I think David would really have to clarify his statement, though, because certainly you cannot say that it’s the only realm of possibility. It’s not the only way that things are done in this business.

Me: How important is it for an agent to understand the socioeconomic condition of a basketball player’s family?

BJ Armstrong: As a profession, we place a lot of emphasis on solving peoples problems. It’s very easy for me to identify a socioeconomic problem, but the solution is to help someone else understand how to fix the problem instead of solving it for him. What I’m most interested in doing is offering solutions that my clients can put into action by themselves. When I entered this business, my main goal was to help people become self-sufficient instead of do everything for them. I want to help them understand the business, what is fantasy and what is reality. Once you understand how the business works, then you have an opportunity to play the game. If you don’t understand how it works, then you can only identify the problems. If WMG doesn’t help its clients to become self-sufficient players, then we aren’t doing our jobs. I was very fortunate to come into sports representation with Arn Tellem; he has helped me understand the business in the same way that we help out clients find solutions to their problems. It was a very refreshing idea that he would help me help myself and not tell me what to do. We are about building men here. The most important idea is to help them get organized on the floor and off the floor. Anyone can tell you what the problems are, but helping them to function in this situation is a whole different thing.

Me: Would you ever represent someone with a history of baggage?

BJ Armstrong: I am not here to judge what has happened in a person’s life. All of our relationships are based on being forthright, radically honest, but more importantly, we are going to ask them to be responsible and be accountable. We are going to do our part by doing the very best that we can, but we are also going to ask our clients to do something as well. We ask our clients to work in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation. We ask them to be just as involved in this relationship as we are. With that, I have found that when people contribute to the success, you have a chance. If you want to be successful here, you have to have commitment from both sides. We work with these kids every day, we have to be honest with one another, and we must work under a spirit of collaboration and cooperation. Whatever happened in the past, that’s the past. This is a business of now. Now is all that we have.

Me: Have you had any contact with O.J. Mayo since he dropped Calvin Andrews and BDA, and what are your feelings on what has recently transpired?

BJ Armstrong: I have not been in contact with O.J. I am a person who deals with the facts. I don’t know what has happened. I have only heard about the situation in the same way as the general public. I only deal with what I know. There were a lot of things that were said, and from what I understand from just talking with the kids, O.J. is a terrific kid and I wish him all the best. I hope it gets resolved for everyone involved. I hope that we move on and focus on the positives instead of the negatives.

Me: What are some examples of post career opportunities that you have lined up for your current clients/athletes?

BJ Armstrong: I encourage these young men to educate themselves. They will find their interests and will have an opportunity to do whatever it is that they want to do. I notice that they are interested in a variety of things, but due to their extreme time commitment to basketball, their other interests that they have get put to the side. I always, first and foremost, have emphasized that our clients pursue their education, get their degree, and from there, move onto whatever field they choose. After education, we can go about our business of continuing the theme of being self-sufficient.

Me: What types of events, duties and/or roles as an agent have been different from what you might have thought before entering the business?

BJ Armstrong: That is very simple. This is a 24 hour job 7 days a week. You must be on your game all of the time. There is no 9-5, there is no set theme, there is no description. I find that very exciting. You get an opportunity to live in an uncertain environment. With this job, there is no correct or wrong way. You have to be ready to go, because you never know what is going to happen. You never know if a player gets injured, cut, is expected to go here but gets traded there. The uncertainty of the job encourages you to be incredibly organized and you have to be able to function in an environment where there is no certainty. I happen to rather enjoy having to always be ready to deal right now.

Me: Do you think former players like you, Lee Malchioni, etc. have an advantage in the sports agent industry because of your former playing experience on the big stage?

BJ Armstrong: My parents always told me this: Without the benefit of experience, you are not going to know what to do. Even today, I remember my parents telling me that. Experience is an advantage in any profession. Having a mentor gives someone a huge advantage in life. Until you touch a hot stove, there is no way to truly know how it burns. I take full responsibility for the stewardship of attracting people who want to reach their potential. When you are trying to reach that potential, you try to contact someone who has excelled in that profession. You don’t ask a librarian to help you become a Navy Seal. I wish that I could’ve asked someone like me the same questions when I was playing.

Interview With The Agent: BJ Armstrong from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Immediately, we know that BDA Sports and Calvin Andrews will be hurt by what has transpired. Mayo has dropped BDA and is currently in the process of looking for new representation. Early word is that the finalists for winning the job of representing Mayo are Leon Rose and Andy Miller. It should only be a matter of time until we find out who will win the battle, with the NBA Draft quickly approaching. If Worldwide Wes is involved, then my prediction is that Leon Rose is the more likely suitor to win.

But what about BDA, Bill Duffy, and Calvin Andrews? The NBPA recently suggested that it will start to enforce some of its regulations. If it is found that BDA and/or Calvin Andrews acting in his role as an employee of BDA knowingly/recklessly/negligently supplied funds to a runner/handler who then passed them onto Mayo, the BDA employees and the company may be at risk of a penalty. That penalty may come in the form of a monetary fine or even a temporary suspension from representing clients.

At the end of 2005, NFL agent David Dunn was suspended by the NFLPA for eighteen months for trying to steal clients from his former partner, Leigh Steinberg. The NBPA may need to take similar action if it truly wishes to rid itself of an issue that drastically needs to be approached. In fact, the state of California may have a suit ready against BDA based on its Miller-Ayala Act (regulatory legislation in Cali instead of the UAAA). In the wake of the recent interview with David Falk, discussing the price it costs an agent to approach a player, the NBA is in a dire need to reverse its negative image. Corruption seems to be running rampant in a league that already has a tough burden of proving its value and strength based on lower-than-desired ratings and a thug mentality stereotype. Is it too much of a stretch to think that Lon Babby Bill Duffy, Calvin Andrews, and/or BDA may be suspended by the NBPA or receive a heavy penalty from the state of California if found to have indirectly contributed money to an NCAA student athlete?

I can only imagine what the ongoing investigations into this controversy must look like. I will let that settle itself out and not predict its outcome. One thing we know is that top legal counsel for the NBPA who appears to have acted as an attorney for BDA in the past, Gary Hall, will not have any part in sorting this all out. But what about O.J.? It seems like his draft stock will not be hurt. If he is anything like what Michael Wilbon describes him as, then this story really shouldn’t affect his value.

“He was the nicest, sweetest kid you could hope to meet. Said hello and then hugged me, even though he’d seen me call him a ‘punk’ on television. He was polite, engaging, answered every question with ‘Yes, sir’ or ‘No, sir.’ He said: ‘I would just love for you to spend some time with me, just talking. . . . Could I have your card and just be able to call or talk to you? I’ve got the pre-draft camp [in Chicago] coming up, a whole new world.’”

The fact that O.J. may have taken some money from a handler does not invalidate the fact that he displays strong character. And it definitely does not diminish his game in any way. So, Mr. Mayo, if you are still looking for an agent and have not yet limited your choices to Miller and Rose as suggested, then give me a call. I promise that you will not have to go through my non-existent secretary.

A Shabbat Shalom: Memorial Day Weekend Wrap-Up will be coming to you shortly. I still have a bunch of stories to get through.

BDA Sandwiched With Mayo? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

• Marc Edelman takes a shot at explaining what you must do if you want to become a sports agent. Thanks for the shout-out! [Sports and the Law: On Becoming A Sports Agent].
• Athletes are starting to turn their entourages into salaried employees [Entourage Economics].
• Aaron Goodwin will represent WNBA #1 overall pick, Candace Parker, for marketing purposes [Sparks' Parker meets with Leslie, L.A. media].
• Pat Calathes’ draft stock is rising fast [All-Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, First-Team].
• Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur enter their names into the draft pool. Rush will sign an agent…Arthur may not [Rush can't return to Kansas after declaring; Arthur hasn't hired agent].
• Jeremy Pargo out of Gonzaga will test the waters without an agent [College basketball | Gonzaga's Jeremy Pargo to explore pro option].
• O.J. Mayo, on the other hand, will be represented by Calvin Andrews of BDA Sports [USC's Mayo hires sports agent as he prepares for NBA draft].
• Rob Pelinka got Eric Gordon, Excel Sports picked up Jerryd Bayless, and WMG gets a bunch more including the Lopez Twins [Bayless signs with Jeff Schwartz, other agent signings].
• Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore have fired WMG and early signs point to Adu going with IMG for future representation [Changes for Adu].
• We cover athletes constantly switching their agents, sports agents changing their employment, but what about that whole entertainment side of the industry? [Behind the talent-agency shakeups].
• Forbes explains that baseball teams keep making more and more money [The Business Of Baseball].

This week’s featured post takes you into the life of a big time player in the sports and entertainment industry. Check out a day in the life of Glenn Toby by clicking on the Featured tab on the right sidebar.

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The Kansas Jayhawks and the Memphis Tigers are set to tip off the 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship tonight at 9:21PM EST, and until that time, many newspapers and blogs will be writing about the two teams and their players, and contemplating which team that wears the color blue will come out victorious. One common thread will be that Kansas, as a school, has more experience when it comes to making it this far in the Tournament. Kansas has been in the Championship Game eight times, including this year. For Memphis, this is only the team’s second visit to the final game. Kansas has won it all twice, been in the Final Four thirteen times, made the Tournament thirty-seven times, and has eighty Tournament victories. Memphis has never won the Championship, and does not rank close to Kansas in any of the other categories discussed above. But throw all that information out of the window, because it does not matter. Tonight is anybody’s game.

Instead of making predictions like every other sports blog, I decided that it would be interesting to look at the individual top players at each school that are currently on the court and those that have graduated to play in professional ball. What sports agents have dominated Memphis and Lawrence? Which agents have a comfortable relationship with the Championship Game coaches? Are there other people at each campus that may be influencing players?

Kansas Jayhawks in the NBA and their agents:

• Nick Collison – Mike Higgins (SFX)
• Drew Gooden – Calvin Andrews (BDA Sports)
• Kirk Hinrich – Jeff Austin (Octagon)
• Raef LaFrentz – Mike Higgins (SFX)
• Paul Pierce – Jeff Schwartz (Excel Sports Management)
• Scot Pollard – Mark Bartelstein (Priority Sports & Entertainment)
• Wayne Simien – Leigh Steinberg (Steinberg & Moorad)
• Jacque Vaughn – Jeff Austin (Octagon)
• Julian Wright – Rob Pelinka (SFX)

Memphis Tigers in the NBA and their agents:

• Earl Barron – Mark Termini (Mark Termini Associates)
• Rodney Carney – Chris Emens (Octagon)
• Shawne Williams – Happy Walters (Immortal Sports)
• Lorenzen Wright – Andy Miller (ASM Sports)

It was not an easy task to find out the agents of all of the players listed above. After a quick glance at the names and the agencies listed above, it seems like representatives from Octagon and SFX will have some nice seats in San Antonio. I am sure that Jeff Austin and Mike Higgins will be in attendance, but I doubt that they say a word to each other. Which Jayhawks will they be fighting for? DraftExpress.com currently lists Darrell Arthur going #20 in the first round and Brandon Rush being snagged at #25 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft. Will either player (or both) sign with Octagon and/or SFX?

Then there is Memphis and its three stars that are suggested to be selected in the 2008 NBA Draft. DraftExpress.com has Derrick Rose being the 2nd overall pick, along with Chris Douglas-Roberts (CDR) being picked at #15 and Joey Dorsey going in the middle of the 2nd round. The list of agents for the current Memphis NBA players does not suggest that any particular agent/agency has an advantage for this year’s talented crop of Tigers. But as far as Memphis is concerned, the history books need to be swept off the table and it must be realized that this is an entirely new organization.

The landscape in Memphis was redone in 2000, when the University named John Calipari its new basketball coach. He led the team to win the NIT Championship in 2002 and then took Memphis to the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and 2004, something the Tigers were not used to. In 2006, the Tigers got a #1 seed in the Tournament, and Calipari realized that it might have been time to return to old friends with heavy influence in the basketball community.

Ever hear of a guy named Worldwide Wes? If not, I suggest you read this GQ article on him. The heading describes William Wesley as, the most connected, most discreet, most influential man on and off the court. Not a bad guy to have on your side. In fact, there may be a lot of validity in equating the success of this year’s Memphis Tigers team with Calipari’s connection to Wesley. Don’t think that Calipari has been working with William? Why else would he say that Wesley is a goodwill ambassador for the University of Memphis program? Wesley openly roots for Memphis to win and has been instrumental in bringing relations between Memphis basketball and China.

The sports agent point of all of this is that besides having a strong connection to Calipari as a coach, Worldwide Wes is a big fan of Leon Rose as an agent. None of the four Memphis Tigers currently playing in the NBA are signed with Rose, but you may see some or all of this year’s Memphis draft class signing with the basketball agent if William Wesley has his way. It seems like if there is one player out of the three Memphis ballers leaving for the draft this year that is least likely to sign with Rose, it is Joey Dorsey. I have seen reports linking Wesley with Rose and Douglas-Roberts, but have come up empty in any connection with Dorsey.

I cannot wait for the game tonight. I honestly have no idea who is going to win. But for me, the most exciting period for me is after the game is over and players start to make their decisions on representation for the 2008 NBA Draft. Stay tuned as we update you on the agent signings by both teams’ draft-entry players.

Who Will Represent The 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules