How the AfterShocks will split their $1 million prize as TBT champions
The AfterShocks didn’t just win a championship trophy at Koch Arena on Sunday.
They also won a $1 million check, begging the question every Shocker fan seems to be asking: How will the team split the money?
In The Basketball Tournament’s earlier years, financial breakdowns were made public, showing a wide range of options. Some teams used tiered systems where star players, coaches or general managers earned larger shares than other. But in recent years, TBT has stopped requiring teams to disclose their payout structure.
The AfterShocks, however, offered clarity.
Their approach: equality.
Every player and coach on the championship roster will receive an equal share of the winnings. The structure — 13 shares between 10 players and three coaches — was established from the beginning, when former Shocker star Garrett Stutz went from a player on the team in 2019 to essentially the director of operations in 2021.
Since then, Stutz has prioritized transparency in all financial matters. One of his first rules was simple but rare in this kind of competition: no individual negotiating. Everyone would be treated the same. That meant no contracts, no pay disputes, no drama — just a unified team playing for each other.
But the math doesn’t end at $76,923 per person, the rough cut (before taxes) of 13 equal shares from a $1 million pot.
The AfterShocks plan to allocate a portion back to the sponsors and donors who have helped sustain the team’s summer runs. That longstanding support has made Wichita a premier host site and helped build the team into a mainstay for TBT. While exact figures haven’t been disclosed, Stutz signaled that the team will take care of those who have taken care of them.
And that’s only part of the team’s earnings.
The AfterShocks also get an undisclosed cut from the additional revenue generated by the six home games the team hosted this summer at Koch Arena. With more than 27,000 fans coming through the doors over the course of the tournament, the AfterShocks will also receive a separate payout from ticket sales.
That income, separate from the $1 million prize, is the result of an agreement negotiated by Stutz with both TBT and WSU. While the terms of the revenue split have not been made public, the arrangement ensures that AfterShocks players are compensated even in years when they don’t win it all. That money is typically distributed in the fall once TBT finalizes its accounting and takes its cut.
From that slice of revenue, the AfterShocks also give back. A portion is quietly returned to WSU to support the Shockers’ basketball program. It’s another part of Stutz’s larger philosophy: The team should not only represent WSU, but actively support it.
So while there’s no simple breakdown of who gets what, the AfterShocks’ guiding principle is clear: transparency, equality and giving back — to the players, the sponsors and the university that made it all possible.
How are the AfterShocks spending the $1 million?
Following the 82-67 win over Eberlein Drive to win the TBT championship, The Eagle spoke with the majority of the team to ask how they will be spending their share of the winnings. Their answers are as follows:
Zach Bush: “Big savings. If you know, I was a preferred walk-on so that requires substantial payment. So there’s some student loan debt that I would love to get rid of. My wife also has been hanging onto a car that’s about 16, 17 years old. So a new car might be in the mix for her.”
Chevez Goodwin: “I’m going to invest and save it. I want to stack my bread, make my money make money for me so I can retire and chill. I don’t want to buy some car or something like that. I’m going back overseas. I ain’t got time to pay for no car, I’m not going to drive it.”
Leyton Hammonds: “First, what I’m going to do is help my church, Social Dallas, get back into their new building. Second, I’m going to take my wife on vacation, duh.”
Marcus Keene: “I got a house in San Antonio and I want to get my second house in Houston, so that’s what I’m trying to work on now.”
Rashard Kelly: “My son wants a Nintendo Switch and some Chick-Fil-A, so I’m going to get him that. I can’t get Chick-Fil-A on a Sunday, but Monday morning, I got you, Vaughn.”
Markis McDuffie: “First of all, I’m going to save. I’ve got to be better with my money. So got to save, for sure. But then I’m going to have to go on a little vacation. I don’t know, I might go to Dubai. I don’t know, I got to do something sexy though.”
Marcus Santos-Silva: “I’m going to save most of it. The other half I’m most likely going to put in for a house with my fiance. Trying to get a house.”
J.R. Simon: “I’ve got my second kid on the way in two months, so it feels real good not to have to worry about buying diapers and some of the other necessities. Kids can get expensive, so super blessed with that. Obviously going to save some and have some other things to pay off, but this is a real blessing to be a part of this and win that money.”
Trey Wade: “I’m going to save. I didn’t play last year. I just signed in Hungary, so that’s great. But I’m looking to save and build my career back up and get it going again. If I can catch some time off and catch a nice vacation, that would be nice. And I might get my mom something nice too.”
James Woodard: “Make sure I take care of my kids, do something for them and make sure they’re OK for the near future. That will be my first thing, then I also want to help out my hometown community of Arcadia, Oklahoma. Try and invest in them.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2025 at 7:05 AM.
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