I am not a very good Democrat. I have entirely too much respect for others in how they choose to spend their money. I have never felt compelled to decide that for others.

It is enormously different than how the LDS Church has operated IMO. I think that key decision makers, likely led and heavily influenced by President Shane Reese, have decided that from an overall ecclesiastical perspective of branding and perception BYU has more to gain by creating an atmosphere where good athletes, who can either abide or identify with BYU’s conservative social values regardless of religious affiliation, can come and develop before launching a pro career than BYU has to lose with the perception of gratuitous waste of resources. Above and beyond the reality that it is not “the widow’s mite” buying these athletes the athletes bring BYU exposure. I think that many fans are equating that with winning-and certainly there needs to be a level of success for there to be exposure and for good athletes to be interested in coming to BYU, but I am not sure that BYU wants to win national championships like Kansas. If BYU can consistently be part of the national conversation with exciting one and done type talent and win enough for players to keep coming, which will be significantly more NCAA tournament winning that BYU has enjoyed the last few decades, my instinct is the BYU administration will be content even if they never make a final 4. My guess is the fan base will whine like the women of Srbrnca in time if that albatross around BYU’s neck we share with Missouri never goes away.

Further, my instinct is BYU will continue to have 4-7 LDS kids still on the team and KY is hoping that core will provide the younger bucks the leadership, stability and focus that keeps team as the highest priority. That is a different dynamic for BYU and why I think it is more willing to put its all its eggs in one basket-it is looking to buy star power and then hopes its core that it hopes to find in its historical recruiting base will provide the support. Kansas is looking to buy its support as well.