You don't have to read through the lines too much to understand that the pick-up in Hoops recruiting is, in part, driven by Adidas's willingness to invest resources in Rutgers basketball. It sounds like the NIL money for Ace and Dylan is coming from Adidas...which begs the question of 'Why are they viewing Rutgers as a good partner'?
Let's be honest, Rutgers athletics does not have a sterling reputation nationally (see: Athletic article) and the basketball program is far from a 'name brand' like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, etc. So the fact that Adidas decided to throw their weight behind the basketball program is quite impressive and I wonder what the thought process was in terms of generating a return on their investment.
I suspect the following played a role:
Let's be honest, Rutgers athletics does not have a sterling reputation nationally (see: Athletic article) and the basketball program is far from a 'name brand' like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, etc. So the fact that Adidas decided to throw their weight behind the basketball program is quite impressive and I wonder what the thought process was in terms of generating a return on their investment.
I suspect the following played a role:
- The upward trajectory of the program over the past few years
- A belief that Pikiell is someone worth investing in and partnering with
- The raucous environment of Jersey Mike's Arena/RAC
- Rutgers location near New York City
- Being in the Big Ten and playing other name brands
- The hope that they catch 'lightning in a bottle' and that Rutgers turns into the next Fab Five. If Duke has an impressive year, it's just another year of Duke being Duke. But if Rutgers pops on the national stage with a bunch of high level, young players, it might register a bit more broadly and get more attention and publicity. For what is, from their perspective, a relatively small investment, I could see the upside being worth it.
