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Agent Selection Scenarios: Kentucky Basketball

This Friday will make or break my bracket.  Going into the NCAA Tournament, I knew I would have to make a bold move in order to have a chance at winning, but I wanted to pick a team I thought legitimately had a chance of making it to the Final Four.  That team is the University of Kentucky, which I believe has the talent to make it to Houston, but has to beat a very powerful Ohio State basketball team.  Kentucky beat my Florida Gators in the SEC Championship game and may just have what it takes to knock off the Buckeyes.  Here are some fairly recent UK alumni who have made it at the professional level.

  • 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.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

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