The home-town hero thing is very real and very lucrative.

I've seen some really great athletes come through BYU who didn't make it in the NBA/NFL but cashed in on their celebrity status. To put it gently, I've known some... "less than super smart" athletes settle in Utah County in careers that made them extremely comfortable.

I really think this is an overlooked angle because it's hard to quantify. But it's real. Saunders was poised to start next year at BYU and probably have a breakout year. And he was already a fan favorite on the verge of becoming THE fan favorite. Stay 4 years at a school... lead the team to something great... then if/when the NBA door closes you've still got keys to the city and job offers piling up.

When Yoeli decides he's had enough of basketball, watch what happens.