Online threats, harassment affecting college basketball players in NIL era: ‘Just leave us alone’

Indiana star Oumar Ballo shared Thursday after the team’s Big Ten Tournament loss to Oregon that he has received death wishes, death threats and other “crazy” messages this season after transferring in from Arizona. 

Ballo is believed to have been one of the higher-paid players in college basketball this season through NIL after earning All-Pac-12 honors the two seasons prior, and he says he has repeatedly been the target of online harassment during his time in Bloomington, a year he described as “mentally draining.”

“All we’re trying to do is win for these people, but we lose one game, two games — the next thing you know, your DM is crazy,” Ballo said. “You know, like death wishes, like death threats and stuff like that. Like nobody wants to live like that, you know. And I hope people change stuff like that, because this is not helping anybody. 

“At the end of the day, we are human beings and we have feelings, you know? Just like you, you wake up, go to work, and someone is wishing nothing but the worst for you and your work. You know, it’s mentally draining, and nobody want to deal with that for a whole five-month season.”

Ballo’s comments echoed a similar sentiment shared from Kansas State’s Coleman Hawkins earlier in the week after the Wildcats fell to Baylor in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament, likely leaving them on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Hawkins fought through tears as he admitted social media affected his play this season.

“I really wanted to come in and impact the program,” Hawkins said. “I’m sorry for crying, but shit, this shit hurts, but I really wanted to come in and impact the program. And, you know, some of the stuff, the outcome obviously wasn’t what we wanted. But you know, if someone asked me if I regret coming here, I tell them, you know, I don’t regret being with my team, the coaching staff, the people I met. 

“I feel like I let a lot of people down. I feel like I did a poor job of letting people talk about me. It affected my play, and it was evident all year. And I wish I could just go back and block out everything, not for myself, but for the team, so we could have had a more successful year. But I mean, this is a learning lesson for me, and I wish the best for the future of this program.”

Indiana enters Selection Sunday at 19-13 overall and one of the last four teams in the 68-team field according to Jerry Palm, though they are in serious jeopardy of missing March Madness. The team struggled earlier this year with seven losses in an eight-game span before finishing 5-3.

Kansas State lost six straight to start the 2025 year before winning six straight — only to lose four straight.

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Both the schools are believed to be among the most competitive in college basketball in terms of NIL resources, meaning both Ballo and Hawkins are presumably well-compensated for their services. But the trickle-down effect of that economy and all that comes with it has left players exposed to online badgering from fans and even gamblers.

“It’s too much to take in, for players and for coaches,” Ballo said. “I hope, man, it changes, because it’s time. Like, they’re not helping us. They’re not helping anybody. … If you’re not cheering for us, just leave us alone, because at some point you have life, you know. Go take care of that and let us handle our work.”