College Basketball NIL Rankings: Top NIL Players In March Madness

College Basketball NIL Rankings: Top NIL Players In March Madness
Fact Checked by Nate Hamilton

With the zaniest month of the college basketball calendar officially underway combined with the official launch of North Carolina sports betting, the next few weeks will provide ample opportunities for men’s and women’s players to make a name for themselves across a handful of TV networks.  

That influence will ultimately allow a host of players to cash in on the NCAA’s “NIL” (or Name, Image, and Likeness) allowances, where players can cash in on the use of their image while they’re enrolled in college.  

The ability to market specific companies is tied to the unique ability of a given player to excel on the court while also possessing the right combination of social media clout and digital prowess to cash in fully on said likeness.  

While teams like the UConn Huskies (+370), Houston Cougars (+550), Purdue Boilermakers (+600), UNC Tar Heels, and Arizona Wildcats (+1300 each) are the national leaders when it comes to title odds on national sportsbooks like ESPN BET North Carolina, the actual players that take the court this month are the ones that can more immediately cash in on their success during March Madness.  

With that in mind, BetCarolina.com broke down which MBB players have the top NIL potential this spring, headlined by stars from Duke and UNC:  

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College Basketball NIL Rankings: Top NIL Players In March Madness

Rank* Player Team On3 NIL Valuation Combined Social Media Followers**
1 Jared McCainDuke Blue Devils1.1 Million2.8M
2 R.J. Davis North Carolina Tar HeelsUndisclosed206K
3 Zach EdeyPurdue BoilermakersUndisclosed72K
4 Dalton KnechtTennessee VolunteersUndisclosed24K
5 Jamal SheadHouston CougarsUndisclosed39K
6 DaRon Holmes Dayton FlyersUndisclosed20K
7 Robert DillinghamKentucky WildcatsUndisclosed888K
8 Caleb LoveArizona WildcatsUndisclosed415K
9 DJ Wagner Jr. Kentucky WildcatsUndisclosed181K
10 Justin EdwardsKentucky WildcatsUndisclosed64K
11 Antonio Reeves Kentucky WildcatsUndisclosed39K
12 Mark Sears Alabama Crimson TideUndisclosed18.4K
13 Tristen NewtonConnecticut HuskiesUndisclosed21K
14 Tyler KolekMarquette Golden EaglesUndisclosed20K
15 Aaron BradshawKentucky WildcatsUndisclosed8.7K
16 Elliot Cadeau North Carolina Tar HeelsUndisclosed255K
17 Omaha BiliewIowa State CyclonesUndisclosed39K
18 Hunter DickinsonKansas JayhawksUndisclosed117K
19 Stephon CastleConnecticut HuskiesUndisclosed30K
20 Ja’Kobe WalterBaylor BearsUndisclosed55K

*Rankings based on NIL Valuation from the website On3.com 
**Social media following includes Instagram, TikTok and X

See BetMGM.com for Terms. Must be 21+ to participate & present in NC only. New Customer Offer. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 7 days. Gambling problem? Call 877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov.

Which NCAA MBB Player Has The Top NIL Value?

The most valuable NCAA MBB players when it comes to NIL potential are Jared McCain of Duke and UNC’s R.J. Davis, with the former holding an NIL valuation (per On3.com) of $1.1 million, while the latter has no valuation but does have 206K followers on social media, which is the fifth most of the group.  

Other players that have the top NIL valuations at the moment in MBB are Zach Edey of Purdue, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, Jamal Shead of Houston and DaRon Holmes of Dayton, who all have between 20K and 72K social media followers (between TikTok and Twitter).  

Rounding out the national top 10 when it comes to NIL potential are Caleb Love of Arizona (and formerly of UNC), followed by Kentucky’s trio of DJ Wagner Jr., Justin Edwards and Antonio Reeves, with Dillingham having the highest follower count (888K), while none of the bunch have NIL valuations at the moment.  

Stay with BetCarolina.com as we follow this topic and give you the best North Carolina sportsbook promos to use when watching your favorite sports/teams. 

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Author

Christopher Boan

Christopher Boan is a lead writer at BetCarolina.com specializing in covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.

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