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NCAA Championship Agent Selection Scenarios

Tonight, at 9:23 p.m. EST, the Kentucky Wildcats will battle the Kansas Jayhawks in the Championship Game of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Many of the players involved will be listed on NBA rosters in the very near future. Kentucky’s 6-foot-10 center/power forward Anthony Davis is as good as gone, and predicted by the masses to be the first athlete taken off the board in the 2012 NBA Draft. While Davis is the most intriguing player in tonight’s game, there are many others who could decide to leave their respective schools early, declare for this year’s NBA Draft, and select agents to represent them. Included amongst those who may make the jump are Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, and Kansas’ Thomas Robinson. Kansas’ Tyshawn Taylor and Kentucky’s Darius Miller will definitely be selecting their agents in the immediate future; they are seniors and will not be returning to their respective universities.

Who will Tyshawn Taylor, Darius Miller, and the underclassmen early entrants select as their agents?

Three Kentucky players were selected in the 2011 NBA Draft (not including Enes Kanter): Brandon Knight (#8 overall to the Pistons), Josh Harrellson (#45 overall to the Hornets), and DeAndre Liggins (#53 overall to the Magic). Knight selected Arn Tellem (Wasserman Media Group) as his agent. Interestingly, the only two players from the 2011 NBA Draft that I was never able to find agent information about are Harrellson and Liggins (see the full 2011 NBA Draft agent list here). Tellem does not necessarily have a history of representing many former University of Kentucky players, but neither do any other agents. My assumption is that Kentucky’s players will choose different agents. If Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist, Jones, and Lamb do declare for the NBA Draft (and they do not withdraw their names), I could see agents such as Bill Duffy (BDA Sports), Dan Fegan (Lagardere Unlimited), Leon Rose (Creative Artists Agency), and the aforementioned Arn Tellem putting in strong efforts to represent them. Also, do not count out Mike Higgins (The Higgins Group), who represents former Wildcats Kelenna Azubuike and Nazr Mohammed.

Three Kansas players were selected in the 2011 NBA Draft: Markieff Morris (#13 overall to the Suns), Marcus Morris (#14 overall to the Rockets), and Josh Selby (#49 overall to the Grizzlies). The Morris brothers signed with Tony Dutt in conjunction with a newer company named Rival Sports Group. Selby is represented by Andy Miller (ASM Sports). Many Kansas players have been drafted over the years, and Dutt’s name was not included as any of their agents of record. Is he now a contender for Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor after signing the Morris brothers? Jeff Schwartz and Sam Goldfeder (Excel Sports Management) have historically had a lot of success signing players from Kansas. They represent Mario Chalmers, Paul Pierce, and Cole Aldrich. Do not be surprised if they make a strong push for Robinson and/or Taylor. But Schwartz and Goldfeder are certainly not the only agents with a solid track record for recruiting in Kansas. Check out last year’s Kansas Basketball Agent Selection Scenarios to see some of the other agents who may be in contention to represent Kansas’ stars.

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.

2 replies on “NCAA Championship Agent Selection Scenarios”

Most of these guys probably already have an agent or two in mind well before all this occurred. A true agent or agency will stay the skidded and long haul for the client aka BoldGuy Sports Management. In today’s market agency like BoldGuy are hard to find and
better yet a true client is hard to keep. Time will tell and BoldGuy Sports will show they are the agency of the future here and now.

Josh Harrelson signed with Merle Scott from United Worldwide Sports and Entertainment in Miami, Fl.

Company site is unitedsports.us

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