What to watch: Hunter Dickinson vs. Donovan Clingan leads the weekend highlights - ESPN

Name, image and likeness (NIL) rules aren't perfect.

You could make the case that regulation might be necessary in the future. But NIL opportunities have also enhanced college basketball by allowing talented players to return to school and make the best decisions for their futures.

In a different world, Hunter Dickinson and Donovan Clingan might have entered the NBA draft after strong seasons a year ago. Instead, both returned. And now, UConn and Kansas will play one of the biggest nonconference matchups in recent years, when the Huskies travel to face the Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on Friday.

Marquette's Oso Ighodaro continues to boost his draft stock with an impressive start to his 2023-24 season.

And with USC, which will face Gonzaga in Las Vegas this weekend, Isaiah Collier, the top freshman in the 2023 recruiting class, per ESPN, will be the star on the Strip in this battle. Without NIL chances, he might have picked the Overtime Elite or G League route. Instead, he's in Los Angeles, making good money and leading Andy Enfield's squad.

Sure, NIL has its challenges and the concerns are valid. But the benefits shouldn't be ignored.

Here's why you should watch all of these players this weekend.

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Friday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2

The most impressive element of the extended success for the team that has established an NCAA record with 24 consecutive nonconference wins by double digits is that the Huskies have done part of this without Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins, two key players in last year's national title run. This season's group which extended and broke the record is different. In a multitude of metrics — adjusted defensive efficiency and shooting percentage inside the arc (65.9%, No. 1 in the