Who won (Texas, Illinois) and lost (NCAA) the men's hoops offseason?

The men's college hoops offseason has been a wild ride, and it's clear that some programs made major strides while others took steps back. The Texas Longhorns were big winners, landing top talent like forward Timmy Allen and guard De'Quan Finn, while also bringing in highly touted freshman forward Jabari Dysinger. On the flip side, the Illinois Fighting Illini made savvy moves, reeling in transfers like guard Ty Rodgers and forward Coleman Hawkins, bolstering their roster for a potential run in the Big Ten.

The real loser of the offseason, however, has to be the NCAA. With the constant drama surrounding name, image, and likeness (NIL) policies, the governing body has struggled to keep up with the changing landscape of college athletics. As players continue to assert their rights and capitalize on their fame, the NCAA's restrictive rules have only served to drive more attention to the issue. With multiple states now passing their own NIL laws, it's clear that the NCAA's stance is no longer tenable – and that change is coming, whether they like it or not.

So what's next? Keep an eye on how these programs perform on the court, as Texas and Illinois look to make noise in their respective conferences. Also, watch for further developments on the NIL front – will the NCAA finally relax its rules, or will players continue to find creative ways to get paid? One thing's for sure: this is shaping up to be a fascinating season, and we'll be here to break it all down for you.

Originally reported by espn.com. PlayerNews adds analysis for sports & fitness readers.