Gordo: Underwood, Schertz, Gates navigate treacherous hoops marketplace

After Illinois was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, veteran wing player Tre White seemed excited about what the Fighting Illini could do next season.

“I’m fiery right now,” White told the Illini Inquirer. “I feel like I can go play another game. ... I know we’ve got a good group of returning guys, but it’s just going to be a great summer full of work, and I’m excited to bring this pain into next year.”

And then White entered the transfer portal.

So it goes in college basketball these days. Coaches have an opportunity to execute a complete one-year rebuild — as Brad Underwood did at Illinois for this season and Josh Schertz must accomplish at SLU for next season.

But coaches like Underwood watch a potentially strong returning nucleus evaporate before their eyes.

The Illini knew Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley were one-and-done players, passing through Champaign for one season en route to the NBA. Yet Underwood believed he could build around a nucleus of skilled center Tomislav Ivisic, rugged guard Kylan Boswell, elite rebounder Morez Johnson Jr. and the slashing White.

Things change. Johnson is departing too, so Underwood and his staff have a longer shopping list.

Players are making the most of their court-ordered free agency. Even middling producers at lesser programs have an agent these days, looking to get paid before their “student-athlete” days end.

In college basketball’s golden days, most successful players stuck around good programs. They built a relationship with the coaches, befriended teammates, rocked the campus social scene and built booster connections.

Those who transferred usually followed a logical pattern. Players exited after a coaching change, mid-major stars stepped up to power conference schools and major college subs sought more playing time.

Today’s players transfer even when they are entrenched in a winning program. Some simply chase the highest dollar, like Coleman Hawkins departing Illinois after four years for his disappointing (but highly lucrative) stint at Kansas State.

Others just seem restless. White played at USC and Louisville before coming to Illinois — and now he is looking to make it four schools in four years. The sport is filled with such transients.

As the roster turnover intensifies, college programs must track player movement; coordinate back-channel tampering; raise and manage name, image and likeness funds; and negotiate with agents.

College administrators are hoping the NCAA’s revenue-sharing settlement will bring some order to the industry, but market forces rule. Boosters will resume under-the-table payments if need be.

While pundits ponder the future of college sports, coaches must cobble together rosters year to year in a chaotic environment.

Underwood currently has Ivisic and Boswell to build around. Potential role players like Ty Rodgers, Ben Humrichous and Jake Davis could stay too, if there is mutual agreement.

But Illinois needs to score big in the portal again.

“We are playing a national schedule every year, competing at the highest levels,” Underwood said. “We’re producing really good players who are really good people. I think there is a lot that our fans can be really, really proud of. We’re going to come back next year with a group of guys that are going to have the same goals and ambitions.”

Schertz has star center Robbie Avila to build around ... and not much else. Scorers Gibson Jimerson and Isaiah Swope have exhausted their eligibility. Larry Hughes II (who bailed on the Billikens midseason), Kilian Brockhoff, AJ Casey and Josiah Dotzler are in the portal.

The freshman class flashed a bit of promise with Amari McCottry, Dylan Warlick and Max Pikaar. Yet the challenge is massive for the Billikens, given the high NIL dollars that proven players are fetching these days.

Schertz must become more resourceful to build an upper-tier Atlantic 10 talent base.

Over at Missouri, Dennis Gates has only lost spare forward Aidan Shaw to the portal at this point. He currently has Mark Mitchell, Anthony Robinson II, Trent Pierce and Jacob Crews returning to lead next year’s team.

But Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill are done with college, and that’s a LOT of scoring to replace.

Can Gates retain and develop his five-man freshman class of a year ago, featuring point guard T.O. Barrett, wing players Marcus Allen and Annor Boateng, and centers Peyton Marshall and Trent Burns?

Can he fill his other needs (proven scorers, established post player) in the portal? Last year’s transfer haul triggered this season’s dramatic reversal from 8-24 to 22-12.

Missouri’s portal addition of 6-foot-11 Jevon Porter, the last of the star-crossed Porters, is mildly intriguing. Let’s see what else Gates gets.

As always, mid-major programs are dealing with defections. Brian Taylor II (SIU Edwardsville), Teddy Washington Jr. (SEMO), Dez White (Missouri State), Kennard Davis Jr. (SIU Carbondale) and Jadis Jones (Lindenwood) are among the players looking for a bigger stage on which to play.

As March Madness winds down, the mercenary madness cranks up.