washington huskies Men’s basketball wasted little time in hiring a new head coach after firing Mike Hopkins late in the season. The program identified Danny Sprinkle as the top candidate after an impressive debut season leading Utah State, and the two sides agreed to a deal after the Aggies were eliminated in the Round of 32 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
With the program poised to make the jump to the Big Ten in the 2024-2025 season, Washington knew it needed to make a big impact in the transfer portal with the hiring of a new coaching staff. The Huskies have only appeared in the NCAA Tournament once in Hopkins’ seven seasons as coach, finishing 50-46 overall over the past three years. This team couldn’t be competitive in the Big Ten without a major infusion of talent, but Sprinkle found it with a little help from his NIL fund in Washington.
Sprinkle’s best player at Utah State, Great Osobole, committed to Washington over Louisville and Texas Tech. Osobor wasn’t going to commit to the Huskies just to follow their longtime head coach. Washington needed to open the checkbook to acquire him, and they did. Osobor signed a $2 million NIL contract with Washington, according to ESPN’s John Giboney.
This is a new NIL record in the transfer portal, at least as far as publicly known.
BREAKING: Great Osobor, the most available player in the transfer portal, has committed to Washington, George Langberg of GSL Sports Group tells ESPN.
Osobor becomes the highest-paid player in college basketball, already signed to a $2 million NIL contract. pic.twitter.com/W6EwRj65PC
— Jonathan Gibboney (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2024
The $2 million payout shatters the highest amount reported for a player in the transfer portal so far this year. Indiana reportedly paid former Arizona center Umar Barro $1.2 million to finalize the deal last month. John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks have reportedly offered former Florida Atlantic star Jonel Davis a contract bonus of “more than $1 million.”
Osobor waited for most commitments in the portal until the team became desperate.was ranked as 7th overall player on the 247 Sports portal, Osobor is currently the only uncommitted top-30 prospect not flirting with the NBA Draft. He was the top uncommitted player left on the board, and Washington made him an offer he couldn’t refuse to stay with the Sprinkles.
Osobor began his college career at Sprinkle affiliate Montana State University as a little-known recruit from England in the 2021-2022 season. The 6-foot-8 forward was a reserve player his first two years with the Bobcats, but his physical play and impressive scoring efficiency made him seem like a mid-major star in waiting. . When Sprinkle departed for Utah State ahead of the 2023-2024 season, he took Osoball with him, and he quickly transformed into one of the best forwards in college basketball.
In his one year at Utah State, Osobor averaged 17.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 60.4 percent from the field. Sprinkle and Osoball led the way for the Aggies, who had a great performance and finished in first place. mountain west They went 28-7 overall, 14-4 in the conference, won the NCAA Tournament, and finished the season ranked 22nd in the final AP poll.
Osobor isn’t a huge shooting threat from deep, but his combination of scoring after the basket and ability to manipulate handoffs off the dribble makes him an ideal interior fulcrum for a college offense. He is outstanding offensively and can easily score points on putbacks, which often forces teams to send him to the foul line. Osobor isn’t very quick laterally, but he knows where to be and is able to compete defensively by avoiding contact.
It’s amazing to see a college player legitimately paid $2 million, but Osobor can actually use that money. This is a great example of why NIL is so great for players and can create a feel-good story. Via ESPN:
Osobor, whose father is a taxi driver and mother is a caregiver for the elderly, arrived in the United States without much fanfare and, despite spending his first two seasons there, changed his life in his final year of college eligibility. You will get the opportunity to earn money like. Big Sky Conference bench.
Washington made some other great additions earlier in the offseason. Freshman Zoom Diallo is a super-fast guard who could be a very intriguing long-term player, and Jace Butler is a talented four-star shooting guard. The remaining players in the transfer portal include talented four-star shooting guard Jace Butler, Butler guard DJ Davis and Rhode Island guard Lewis Courtright.
Big Ten teams need physical big men, and Osoball could be that for Washington. The entire team will revolve around his skill set. Washington had to pay top dollar to acquire Osobor, but this would be the perfect deal for both player and team.
