ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV

While Arizona was scheduled to bring in Kansas big man Bryson Tiller for a recruiting visit this week, college basketball analytics guru Evan Miyakawa posted that the going price for Division I transfers is up roughly 65% over last spring — and that centers are commanding the biggest compensation packages.

Saying he built estimates via how the 30 teams using his Front Office Suite inputted NIL values for each of their players and recruiting targets, Miyakawa wrote that centers are being paid 61% more than a point guard who has a comparable impact.

That’s thanks in part to the loaded frontcourts that propelled Arizona, Michigan, Florida and Duke to dominant seasons in 2025-26, Miyakawa said.

According to the Field of 68, elite big men such as Kansas-to-Louisville transfer Flory Bidunga are commanding prices in the $4 million to $5 million range. That's about what players taken in the 15-20 range of last June's NBA Draft are making this season.

“Since we live in a copycat league, other teams are trying to replicate this by stocking up on extra big men,� Miyakawa wrote. “Predictably, this has led to some pretty outrageous asking prices for bigs all across Division 1.

Miyakawa wrote that teams might find more value in pursuing smaller players, noting the success Vanderbilt had with a lineup that used four players who were 6-7 and under, saying “many teams who overspend on bigs trying to chase the Michigan blueprint will end up being disappointed with the production they get from their rosters.�

Still, a player such as Tiller could be an athletic and financial fit for Arizona men's basketball. Miyakawa told the Star that he estimated Tiller’s market value in the $1 million to $1.5 million range, meaning the Wildcats could potentially work him into a roster budget that was believed to be around $10 million last season.

There’s probably less doubt about Tiller's potential fit on the floor. UA coach Tommy Lloyd has long preferred playing two big men at once and he’s losing Tobe Awaka and (probably) Koa Peat from his 2025-26 frontcourt.

Plus, Lloyd has witnessed Tiller’s ability firsthand.

On Feb. 9, when Kansas hosted Arizona without star freshman Darryn Peterson, Tiller collected 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks while hitting 2 of 5 3-pointers to help the Jayhawks beat the Wildcats 82-78.

For the season, Tiller averaged 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds while often playing alongside Bidunga in the post, though his production declined toward the end of the season.

Tiller had only two points on 1-for-6 shooting in Kansas’ return game against Arizona at McKale Center on Feb. 28, a game UA won 84-61. He also averaged only 3.9 points over his final seven games — and he was benched for the second half of Kansas’ loss to Houston in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals.

Before visiting Arizona, according to 247, Tiller visited Missouri and Miami.

CBS praises Dixon

CBS’s Isaac Trotter gave Arizona a “B+� for its acquisition of former North Carolina guard Derek Dixon, who committed to the Wildcats following a visit to Tucson over the weekend.

Trotter wrote that Arizona will have striking perimeter size when the 6-5 Dixon lines up with 6-6 incoming freshman Caleb Holt and 6-7 sophomore Ivan Kharchenkov (assuming Kharchenkov returns) while Dixon also shot 39.7% from 3-point range last season.

That “will be a valuable addition for this shooting-starved Arizona roster,� Trotter wrote. “His release looks pure both off the catch and off the bounce.�

As a ballhandler, Trotter noted that Dixon posted a 2.4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio as a freshman with a ton of on-ball responsibilities, with a “pocket pass in his arsenal� that will help in UA’s pick-and-roll offense.

“But there are some red flags,� Trotter wrote. “Dixon isn't that fast or explosive off the bounce, which led to some struggles to get to the paint and finish in traffic. He shot just 28% at the rim, and over 79% of his shots were jumpers. That's a tough life to live. If Arizona can help Dixon become more of a complete player, he will outperform his contract.�

ABOR to consider Lloyd, Bennett contracts

The Arizona Board of Regents is not only scheduled to vote Thursday on UA’s proposal to pay Lloyd $37.5 million over the next five seasons, but also a five-year deal for new ASU men's basketball coach Randy Bennett that is worth roughly half as much.

ASU has proposed paying Bennett $3.5 million next season, with $100,000 annual salary escalators that would bring him to $3.9 million in 2030-31. Lloyd’s new deal calls for $7.19 million next season with varying raises that would pay him $7.81 million in 2030-31.

Both coaches have similar academic and performance bonuses, though Lloyd would get $1 million for a national championship and Bennett $600,000, while Bennett has an additional academic bonus for players that Lloyd does not. Bennett can earn at least $25,000 if one player enrolls in ASU’s honors college and up to $75,000 if five or more do.

ASU has still not held an introductory news conference for Bennett, who was sidelined with an unspecified health issue after being hired away from Saint Mary’s, but the school released a video this week in which Bennett spoke of growing up in the Phoenix area when ASU had standouts such as Fat Lever, Byron Scott and other eventual NBA players.

"When I was coming through high school, this was a power,� Bennett said. “It's my vision of what Arizona State basketball is.�

Coincidentally, Bennett might have a chance to build the Sun Devils around a former Arizona forward: Paulius Murauskas, who transferred from UA in 2024 and became an all-WCC pick for the Gaels after both of the past two seasons. Louisville has also been recruiting Murauskas, who entered the transfer portal after Bennett left the Gaels.