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McDonald's Nuggets: Athlete compensation, Bama, commits

Alabama players celebrate their win over Kentucky.
Alabama players celebrate their win over Kentucky. (AP Images)

In this week's edition of McDonald's Nuggets, Dan McDonald addresses whether the NCAA will approve the much-debated name, image and likeness rule. He also declares Alabama the Team of the Week and unveils two Commits of the Week.

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MORE: Rivals Rankings Week: The biggest names in the 2023 class | A new No. 1 in 2021 | Big movers in 2022

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Will NCAA approve name, image and likeness rule? 

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There has been a lot of momentum in the past couple years to allow college athletes to profit off their own name, image and likeness (NIL). States have passed laws making it legal for them to do so, but it hasn’t yet passed by the NCAA. And based off some conversations I’ve had recently with college coaches, I’m skeptical that it will pass.

So, what’s the concern from college coaches? It has nothing to do with them not wanting players to make money. I truly believe many of them wish their players could get paid. The problem with players profiting off NIL is that schools and coaches can’t control who gets paid and how much they get paid. There is no doubt a star player at pretty much every Division I school in the country could find a way to make some money from local businesses. The concern from coaches is how they keep guys happy who might not take as many shots or play as many minutes or get interviewed by the media as much. If those players don’t get the deal from a local car dealership, that’s an easy reason for a kid to hit the transfer portal.

On the flip side, I have heard from others who think it should pass. They think it will spread out the top-ranked talent in each class and like the idea of players getting paid above board. We’ll have to wait and see which way it goes when the NCAA gets around to ruling on it. If the legislation does pass, don’t be surprised if you see that result in some top older coaches retiring and other top coaches looking for the first NBA job they can get.

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TEAM OF THE WEEK: Alabama

Nate Oats
Nate Oats (AP Images)

Alabama’s week started by knocking off in-state rival the Auburn Tigers at their place, and it was followed up by a big win over Kentucky at Rupp. It’s hard to draw up a much better week than that for Crimson Tide fans. Nate Oats has his team peaking right now with a 5-0 record in SEC play. However, it wasn’t all good news, as Herb Jones will likely miss a game or two and Jordan Bruner could be out for a few weeks, but this looks like a team that can win a couple games in the NCAA Tournament when it is at its best.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ALABAMA FANS AT BAMAINSIDER.COM

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TRANSFER COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Caleb Mills to Florida State

Caleb Mills
Caleb Mills (AP Images)

When Caleb Mills decided to leave Houston a couple weeks ago many thought he would wait until May to make a decision to get a better feel for what rosters look like and to give himself more options as not many schools have scholarships available right now. As it turns out, the opportunity to play at Florida State was too good to turn down, so Mills committed to the Seminoles earlier this week. The 6-foot-3 guard was averaging 9.8 points per game so far this season as he battles through injuries, but he averaged 13.2 points per game last season as a redshirt freshman. He’ll have three years of eligibility at Florida State.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA STATE FANS AT WARCHANT.COM

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2022 COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Corey Floyd Jr. to UConn

Danny Hurley continues to accumulate talent in Storrs as he landed a commitment from four-star guard Corey Floyd Jr. on Thursday night. The No. 107 prospect in the 2022 class picked the Huskies over Auburn, Florida, Miami, Providence, Rutgers and Wake Forest. At 6-foot-4, Floyd has a strong build and uses it well to finish in the paint and can do it with either hand. He’s also a pretty reliable shooter from deep. This is another quality addition for UConn.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH UCONN FANS AT STORRSCENTRAL.COM

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