Cougars

Last week, NBA legend Shawn Marion traveled to Abu Dhabi to support the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games, which featured two preseason games between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves as well as youth clinics and fan events.&nbsp;
Marion led a skill-development clinic for youth athletes from Dubai's NBA Basketball School &mdash; a year-round basketball program in the UAE for boys and girls ages 6-to-18. He also judged a dunk contest, met with fans and took part in other NBA events alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ray Allen, Tim Hardaway Sr., Gary Payton, Sam Perkins, Kenny Smith, Ronny Turiaf and Salah Mejri.
Marion is an NBA champion, four-time NBA All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection and one of just five players in NBA history to record 17,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals and 1,000 blocks (the other four are LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon). The Phoenix Suns recently announced that they'll retire Marion's jersey this season.
While in Abu Dhabi, Marion joined me on <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1710458099448811578" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my new show "Running Up The Score"</a> to discuss his legendary career, the Suns' decision to retire his jersey, Mat Ishbia's impact since buying the franchise, the globalization of the NBA, how the game has evolved, whether he'll get back into podcasting and more.&nbsp;
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You&rsquo;re currently in Abu Dhabi for the Mavericks-Timberwolves preseason games and to host a basketball clinic with kids from the NBA Basketball School in Dubai. How is your trip going?&nbsp;
Shawn Marion:&nbsp;"Man, the trip is going amazing. This is a new culture for me; I've never experienced this, never been here. We're in a different part of the world right now and, I mean, I can tell you this: this is a place I'll definitely be coming back to. This is truly awesome. And, you know what, they're very passionate about [basketball]. I just had this meeting; I just came from an office visit and they had like 250 employees, but everybody spoke different languages! There were 16 languages being spoken! That tells you how diverse it is here, and they really pride themselves on that here. It's pretty amazing."
The globalization of the NBA has been a big priority for the league for some time. From when you were playing to now, do you see a big difference in terms of the NBA&rsquo;s worldwide popularity and international support?
Marion: "Yes. I think as you look at the lay of the land right now, the NBA and basketball is a global sport. But the way that the NBA has been able to grow it, they're taking it to other levels. They're starting NBA Academies and having clinics all around the world, and that just helps it grow even faster. Of course, TV and social-media content help as well, but the level it's growing at right now is unheard of."
The Phoenix Suns recently announced that they are retiring your jersey. Congratulations!
Marion: "Thank you!"
How did you find out that news and what was your reaction?
Marion: "I'm gonna be very honest and candid. Mat [Ishbia] called me as soon as he took ownership of the team and he was like, 'I'm not doing some of the shit that's been done [before]. I'm going to take care of you and reward you by retiring your jersey. I'm a man of my word, and that's what I'm going to do.' That's exactly what he said, and he did! Yep, it was that simple."
Ishbia is quickly winning over fans &mdash; he&rsquo;s spending money, making it easier to watch games, honoring past legends like yourself and so on. What do you think of Ishbia and the fresh start in Phoenix from an ownership perspective?
Marion: "I love it, man. I got a chance to see the practice facility; it's literally not too far from the place that I still have in Phoenix and I ain't been able to see [it before]. I ain't feel like... I feel like a weight was lifted off my shoulders to a certain degree. He's making the transition so easy. And he wants all the players who paved the way and set the foundation for the Suns organization and helped build that team into what the city loves and admires [to be involved]. He just wants everybody to be a part of it, man, and I love it. I think it's awesome. He's doing some amazing things out there."
The Suns have so much talent with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic. What do you think of this year's team and do you think they can win it all?
Marion: "Man, I think they got a chance just like anybody else, but, of course, their [championship hopes] are probably a little bit more realistic than some other teams. I just hope they stay healthy. When you stay healthy, you give yourself a chance. That's the thing. A lot of teams deal with injuries, and they've been hit with the injury bug a little bit as well. But they've got Frank Vogel as the head coach out there now and he's a defensive-minded guy. They just made another trade and got some other pieces to add to it &mdash; Grayson Allen and Jusuf Nurkic. I think that happened while I was out here; I was at a meeting when I got the alert and I was like, 'Wow! They ain't playing no games right now!' Listen, at the end of the day, he's trying to give himself and the organization the best chance to win. That's what you gotta do."
You obviously helped change the game and were ahead of your time. Overall, what are your thoughts on the modern NBA?
Marion: "Listen, it's run-and-gun, it's feast-or-famine right now. We set the foundation for what [the game] is now. There's so much positionless basketball being played, and it's dynamic. You're seeing the transition and evolution of what we started back in my Phoenix days during the Seven-Seconds-Or-Less era. That's what we started, and that's what it is right now. And I don't see the game going back to two traditional big men ever again."
Throughout the 2000s, not having a specific position was a death sentence for a player; nobody wanted to be labeled a "tweener." Then, seemingly overnight, the NBA became obsessed with "positionless" players and the tweeners were suddenly the most valuable players. That's one of my favorite examples of how the NBA is always evolving.
Marion: "Here's the thing: people can say [they're positionless], but it don't mean they are. You know, to be a two-way player in this league is very rare, but to be a positionless player is even more rare. You could be a guy who can go out there and guard 1 through 5, but to actually do it &mdash; willingly do it &mdash; is a big difference! A lot of guys probably could do it, but they don't do it, you know? Right now, teams are playing positionless basketball because everybody's switching everything. Most guys don't really post up anymore either. It's all face-up game and jumpers. So, it's easy to just jump into that narrative and bandwagon, but if you look at the game as a whole though, it's more of a guard-heavy game now than it was prior to when we made that transition. It's just been a shift. A lot of bigs now don't post up anymore; they're face-up players [too]. That's the evolution of the game."
A few years so, you and I did some of the NBA Watch Parties together on Clubhouse. I also love that <a href="https://twitter.com/MainTeamSports2/status/1506615984173592589" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video where you jumped on Twitter Spaces</a> and educated fans about your career; it was incredibly entertaining. You're obviously passionate about this game. Have you ever thought of doing a podcast?
Marion: "Well, Alex, it's funny you say that. I actually had a podcast with one of my guys in Dallas, so I was one of the first guys to ever do it. I just didn't do any promoting or all of that stuff, but it was something that we did in the Mavs organization kind of early on &mdash; like way before everybody started getting into podcasts. And it was great! But the thing about podcasts is unless you got a set thing, you gotta create content all the time, and I was so busy focusing on trying to be a father first. That was my lane. And then I dibbled and dabbled in TV a little bit and thought about doing some broadcasting work, but, like I said, my priorities shifted because I'm a hands-on father. So, I couldn't keep doing it in Dallas because that was the situation, but I have thought about reopening that window.
"I do have a different side of the game that I like to talk about. I know narratives get created easily by the media, and we consume them and we digest them. It becomes part of our thought process of that player, of that team or whatever it is. But I was talking about this with one of my friends. I was telling him: it's easy for a [former] player to say, 'I can do this or that.' But what kind of player were you though? Because it's hard for a point guard to tell how to guard a big, or for a big to tell how to guard a point guard. But when I say it, I actually guarded all of them! I did it all! And I didn't just do it for a quarter or half a quarter. I did it for full games! So, when I sit there and I tell people that, people are like, 'Man, you know, I never thought about it from that standpoint.' I was like, 'Yo, I actually did this.' You know what I'm saying? Like, it's easy for somebody to say, 'I can guard somebody,' or, 'Oh, I'm a two way player; I can guard this player.' I'm like, 'Can you do it for a full game though?' I'm the only person ever to do it for full games."
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I love to ask players about big &ldquo;what-ifs&rdquo; from NBA history. There was a report a while back that you were nearly traded to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team deal that would have sent Kevin Garnett to Phoenix and picks to Minnesota. Is that true and, if so, can you tell that story?
Marion: "It is true. But Phoenix wasn't gonna do the deal. They didn't think it was viable because they would have to change their style of play instantly because we're two different type of players. So, they didn't want it. KG was in Minnesota at the time, and I would've went to Boston and he would've came here (to Phoenix). At the time, Boston was losing; I think they had a losing record at that time. I was like, 'Uhh...' But I mean, we have no control over that. Some of the rumors that come out about trades are actually true, but both sides have to agree to it. People throw out deals all the time, [teams talk] all the time, so there's plenty of hypotheticals out there.
"But you wanna hear an untold true story? I never really fully ever became a free agent except my last year playing when I signed with with Cleveland. When I signed with Dallas, it was a sign-and-trade, so I was still under contract basically with Toronto. It was a sign-and-trade deal, so I never really tested the free-agency market like that. So, what happened was I was about to be a free agent or get traded, and this was around that same time as those KG rumors. Kobe [Bryant] called me and said, 'If you're really gonna go out on the market and it's a possibility [that you're changing teams], I want you to come out to L.A.' So, we was texting and he was like, 'Yo!' It ain't happen because they didn't have the money to pay me, but that's a story that a lot of people don't know about."
I love those kind of stories and it's always interesting to think how those potential moves could have changed NBA history.
Marion: "Oh, there were a lot of situations out there like that where [trade talks] were open! It was pretty fun. When you look at the business of the NBA, man, the optimism and [hope] of what could possibily be is what makes it so fun and dynamic &mdash; een with the trade that just went down with Damian Lillard. It's funny, Paul Pierce actually predicted that. He called that in July. He said, 'If I'm Dame, I would try to get to Milwaukee.' It's funny that he said that and I could see it [from Lillard's perspective]. But do I think they're better? Ehh, they lost a lot for that trade, you know? [Jrue Holiday]. Grayson Allen was a great player for Milwaukee. He is a great pickup for Phoenix. He's a hell of a player, a great player, dude. Like, he does a lot of small stuff. He's a very tough guy. I like him. It's something about him that I like. I like the little Duke dudes with that little rough-and-rugged side! But he's one of those guys who can hit shots, he's gonna play defense and he competes. He's actually a lot better than people give him credit for. He ain't got a chance to really showcase his skills, but he can play. And if they use him the right way, he can help them."
For sure. Thanks for your time, I really appreciate it!&nbsp;
Marion: "Anytime, man. You know, we have great conversations and stuff. I might contemplate doing a podcast again. I gotta have the mobile equipment. We'll see; I don't know. I gotta have a great co-host. I like people who shoot [straight]. I told this to a reporter, so I'll give this to you. I told this guy who was recording me yesterday: when you are doing your interviews, do not ask the same questions and stuff that somebody else asks. Do not&nbsp;ask the same stuff."
I'm sure that gets really annoying.
Marion: "It's so annoying. It's okay to piggyback off of answers just to get some kind of content to create something in your own way. But don't ask the exact same questions. You sound you are a true fan. I know you are a true fan of the game. Like, you really love this. And so [you] ask the questions that you wanna know from someone in my position! Forget about the stuff that's already been out there already! Create your own. We all got a story to tell."
For sure.
Marion: "And the thing is, I love my former guys talking about ball and stuff, but some of them talk like they was way bigger and better than they were. Some of these guys were below-average role players, but they talk like they were superstars! I'm like, 'What did you... How good was you? What did you do?!' (laughs) I'm like, 'He was a role player!' He was a solid role player! And look, I became a role player. But you know...
Yeah, but that was because of your longevity. You had four All-Star years before that.
Marion: "Yeah, that's about longevity and understanding that you gotta sacrifice to win. That's the biggest thing, you know? And I could have easily averaged such and such, but I was like, 'You know what? They don't need me to do that. I don't have to do that. If we can win and I'm averaging 16, 17 points, I'm cool with that. We gonna win, so I'm good with that. Let's win.' That was about getting them Ws.
"But that's something to think about though. You asked some great questions. That's the lane to go into. Those are the things to ask &mdash; the hypotheticals or something you [researched]. Like, 'You know what, he was pretty good at this, how did you pick up on that?' or, 'What's something that you did differently than everybody else?' Those are different questions, not the same questions [we always hear]. We get repetitively asked the same questions time and time again. It's boring. It sucks. I'ma be honest: it sucks. I hate it. It&nbsp;sucks!"
I can't imagine how old that gets.
Marion: "One thing that everybody was constantly asking me about was my shot. Everybody seemed to want ask me about my shot. But listen, you know what's really messed up about that though? One media person said it, so it went rampant and every media person wanted me to replicate the answer, right? Whether I like it or not, or whether I enjoy it or not. I did so much on the floor, but you wanna focus on something that nobody talks about? Nobody in the league talks about that. Don't nobody in the league shoot the same! ... I [used to get] pissed off, but now I respond and it's fine. 'It don't matter, don't nobody shoot the same. Next!' But why would you wanna talk about my shot, but then you won't talk about how I just had 25-and-15!"
Or that you shot 39% from three-point range one year!
Marion: "You wanna discredit me and what I did just to talk about my shot? Got it. I totally understand. There's certain lanes and narratives that will be pushed. I totally get it. I'm an owner now, so I see exactly what lane [they're in]; it's all marketing strategies. I know how it works and I know who controls it. Being on this side of the business, I know how things work now. But it's all good though. And it's all love. Thank you."
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/MwvBnhrrzgs?si=2BRrY0Vaq8WWyAPe&amp;t=1676" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch the full conversation here</a>.
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Shawn Marion opens up about the Suns retiring his jersey, nearly getting traded to the Celtics, Mat Ishbia, the modern NBA and more.

Shawn Marion on Suns retiring his jersey, near-trade to Celtics, more

Aaron Gordon bristled at the notion the Denver Nuggets must operate the &ldquo;rust versus rest&rdquo; seesaw with 10 days between their Western Conference title celebration in Los Angeles and the start of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.
Rest?
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been working,&rdquo; Gordon declared about 15 hours after the Nuggets finally learned who they&rsquo;ll have to beat to secure the franchise&rsquo;s first Larry O&rsquo;Brien gold ball trophy. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like we&rsquo;ve had our hands back and feet kicked up.&rdquo;
Rust?
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been locked in, in the gym, working diligently,&rdquo; Gordon insisted. &ldquo;So, we feel like we&rsquo;re in a good space. It&rsquo;s been a good balance of work to rest. Happy we have home court advantage.&rdquo;
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/heat-nuggets-nba-finals-2023-fce89dc5b5dc30c9ffdc4c415b143121">Miami&rsquo;s 103-84 shellacking</a>&nbsp;of the Celtics in Boston in Game 7 on Monday night sent the Heat to Denver for Game 1 on Thursday night. Had the Celtics been the first of 151 teams to ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven basketball series, the Nuggets would have headed East for Games 1 and 2.
Instead, the Nuggets get to stay in the Mile High City, where they&rsquo;ve been since returning from&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-2023-nuggets-lakers-9f7a28f73a56c431672d840c93185b60">their 113-111 win</a>&nbsp;over the Lakers on May 22, and host a Heat team that&rsquo;s been playing every other night and won&rsquo;t have much time to acclimate to the city&rsquo;s mile-high altitude.
So, yes, Gordon acknowledged, he was actually rooting for Jimmy Butler to come to Denver this week, and not because he wanted to avoid Jayson Tatum, either.
&ldquo;You always want to keep home court,&rdquo; Gordon said. &ldquo;So, first and foremost what we worked for all season was to get home court advantage.&rdquo;
Top-seeded in the West for the first time in franchise history, the Nuggets have won all eight of their playoff games at Ball Arena, pushing their league-best home record to 42-7, while going 12-3 overall in these playoffs, including series clinching wins on the road against the Suns and Lakers.
The Heat haven&rsquo;t won in Denver since Nov. 30, 2016, but it&rsquo;s the Nuggets who are novices on this stage.
Miami has been to the Finals many times before, winning it all in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got the utmost respect for them. They fight and they scrap, they have no quit in them,&rdquo; Gordon said.
The Nuggets are one of six teams who have never won an NBA title. This is their first championship series appearance since losing to Julius Erving and the New York Nets in 1976, after which&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-aba-nuggets-9294860355b4db51adfb86ec3bce674e">the wonderful and wacky ABA was disbanded</a>.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.fanduel.com/theduel/posts/heat-vs-nuggets-prediction-odds-best-bet-nba-finals-game-1-01h1ph6xy2q4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fanduel Sportsbook</a>&nbsp;favors the Nuggets to win their first NBA championship over the Heat, who are the second No. 8 seed to make it this far. But coach Michael Malone repeated his admonition to his players not to pay attention to all the accolades or outside noise.
&ldquo;Well, as I told our team, forget the eight seed stuff,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;They beat Milwaukee 4-1. That team had the most wins in the NBA this year. They beat Boston 4-3 and they were up 3-0, the team with I think the second most wins in the NBA this year.&rdquo;
&ldquo;So, you get to the NBA Finals, it&rsquo;s not about seeding anymore,&rdquo; added Malone, &ldquo;and for those who are thinking that this is going to be an easy series, I don&rsquo;t even know what to say to you people.
&ldquo;This is going to be the biggest challenge of our live. This is the NBA Finals. We&rsquo;re trying to win the first NBA championship in franchise history, and it&rsquo;s going to be the hardest thing that we&rsquo;ve ever done, which is the way it should be.&rdquo;

With their opponent finally set, the Denver Nuggets talked about facing the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals.

Nuggets’ Malone says beating Heat will be ‘biggest challenge of our lives’

DENVER (AP) &mdash; The Denver Nuggets had all the ingredients for an NBA Finals run this season &mdash; Nikola Jokic&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-nikola-jokic-denver-nuggets-mvp-lebron-lakers-8e668572f9f43942175ded63e7a61832">all-around greatness</a>, Jamal Murray&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nuggets-jamal-murray-nikola-jokic-playoffs-lakers-e98c7ca3678569b768dd97f1373c1282">sweet ball handling</a>, Michael Porter Jr.&rsquo;s board crashing and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/JoelRushNBA/status/1647818068469645313?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">arc accuracy</a>, Aaron Gordon&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1607256906279559168?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">above-the-rim brilliance</a>.
The only thing missing was big-game experience.
Enter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers inside the NBA bubble in 2020.
The Nuggets acquired the sharp-shooting swingman along with veteran guard Ish Smith from the Washington Wizards last July in exchange for Monte Morris and Will Barton.
KCP, the quiet-until-he-needs-to-be player with a lethal outside shot, has been the calming presence on this squad that has sent Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis and LeBron James on early vacations and has designs on adding either Jimmy Butler or Jayson Tatum to that mix when the NBA Finals finally get here June 1.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s just the ultimate leader, ultimate professional, comes in every day and works extremely hard, holds everyone accountable,&rdquo; said fellow 2022-23 addition Bruce Brown Jr. &ldquo;But he is the only one on this team who has won a championship. He knows what it takes and what we need to do. So, we gotta listen to that guy.&rdquo;
Teammates and coaches say KCP isn&rsquo;t so much in your face as he&rsquo;s in your ear, dispensing advice, tips, guidance, encouragement and caution along the way as the Nuggets navigate a championship road they&rsquo;ve never been down.
&ldquo;I do it vocally, just talking, bringing that championship mentality that I have to my team now,&rdquo; Caldwell-Pope said, &ldquo;and just tell them in moments like if they go on a run, it&rsquo;s not the end of the day. Let&rsquo;s just get back to doing what we do. Like I say, it&rsquo;s all about being patient, being ready and defending.&rdquo;
The Nuggets&rsquo;&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-nuggets-2d7cb4bafca0a88ec802f0db48a58c8a">four-game sweep of the Lakers</a>&nbsp;secured the franchise&rsquo;s first Western Conference title and sent the Nuggets to their first NBA Finals appearance in their history and to their first championship series since they lost to Julius Erving and the New York Nets 4-2 in the ABA&rsquo;s last season in 1976.
Those two teams, along with the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs, joined the NBA in 1976-77 when the ABA disbanded. All the others reached the NBA Finals long before the Nuggets, who are appearing in their first league championship in their 47-year history.
They might not have made it without KCP, whose on-the-court contributions are what Nuggets superstar Jokic appreciates the most.
Caldwell-Pope was an integral part of the Lakers&rsquo; championship run in 2020, averaging 10.7 points and starting in all of LA&rsquo;s 21 playoff games. He helped the Lakers beat the Nuggets in five games for the Western Conference title in the bubble.
What he&rsquo;s brought the Nuggets isn&rsquo;t just that championship pedigree but performance, Jokic said Saturday.
&ldquo;Yes, he won a championship, but the best thing about KCP is he knows exactly what to do and where to be,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;And he&rsquo;s doing that in the first game, the 70th game, the playoff game, Finals game, whatever game, he always does what he&rsquo;s supposed to do and I think that&rsquo;s the best way to describe him.&rdquo;
Whether he&rsquo;s doling out tips or quietly going about his business, KCP has been a big part of the Nuggets&rsquo; longest playoff drive in their history.
He&rsquo;s averaged 11.7 points a game, up from 10.8 in the regular season, and 3.2 rebounds, up from 2.7, while reducing his turnovers from 1.1 to 0.7.
He&rsquo;s turned in some of his best work these playoffs on defense.
&ldquo;I feel like I&rsquo;m always on a tough matchup,&rdquo; Caldwell-Pope said. &ldquo;I pride myself on my defense. I look forward to being able to just get stops.&rdquo;
Which is why he said when the Nuggets opened the playoffs after a week&rsquo;s rest &mdash; two days shorter than their layoff before the NBA Finals begin Thursday night &mdash; that defense would be the primary driver to hoisting the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy.
The Nuggets sent James and the Lakers packing when Murray tied up the Lakers star on a drive to the basket and Gordon blocked the shot, securing Denver&rsquo;s 113-111 win in Game 4 for the franchise&rsquo;s first playoff series sweep in its history.
After their 25-point blowout of the Suns in Phoenix in Round 2, Jokic said the Nuggets were so focused they looked like a championship team. Then he caught himself: &ldquo;Well, I guess I don&rsquo;t know how a championship team looks. But I think that was how it&rsquo;s supposed to look.&rdquo;
Caldwell-Pope is the only Nugget who knows what winning an NBA ring feels like.
&ldquo;Everybody wants one,&rdquo; Caldwell-Pope said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the goal, to become a champion in this league. It&rsquo;s one of the hardest things to do.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s told his teammates that not only will it forever define them, it&rsquo;ll forever change them.
&ldquo;It changed me a lot, just as far as me being that leader that I am now,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And just being able to be focused in the moments as a professional and as a leader, you know, get my teammates focused and ready to play.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s a feeling he wants them all to experience in the coming days.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers, is playing a key role in the Denver Nuggets' NBA Finals run.

Caldwell-Pope's championship experience helping Nuggets in Finals run

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; There will be something missing from what should have been a festive occasion Monday night at Kansas, when the No. 5 Jayhawks celebrate their latest national championship before opening the new season against Omaha.
Namely, their head coach Bill Self.
Rather than following his team to the court for pregame introductions, Self will probably be sitting at home, forced to watch on TV while beginning a four-game suspension. Kansas officials imposed the punishment on its coach and assistant Kurtis Townsend as part of the fallout of a lengthy FBI investigation into college basketball corruption.
Norm Roberts, who spent six seasons as the head coach at St. John&rsquo;s, will serve as the acting coach.
&ldquo;Norm and I have been together off-and-on since &rsquo;95,&rdquo; Self said, &ldquo;and he&rsquo;ll probably be a voice that the players probably enjoy and respect hearing far more than they have been hearing.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s something (where) hopefully we can become more mature,&rdquo; he added, &ldquo;and if that&rsquo;s the case, it&rsquo;s still not good by any stretch. But I have to own it, though, and our players have to make the most of it, and I believe they will.&rdquo;
Self was allowed to coach the Jayhawks in their lone exhibition, when they overcame a sluggish start against Division II Pittsburg State in a 94-63 win. And the terms of the school-administered suspension allow him to coach the Jayhawks any day but game day, which means the Hall of Fame coach will still largely determine the game plan.
He just won&rsquo;t be on the sidelines against Omaha, North Dakota State and Southern Utah or a showdown against seventh-ranked Duke in the Champions Classic next week in Indianapolis.
Self and Townsend will be back on the bench to face North Carolina State at the Battle 4 Atlantis on Nov. 23.
&ldquo;Norm will go into the game knowing who the first big off the bench is, who the first guard off the bench is. He knows what plays we&rsquo;ll script,&rdquo; Self said, &ldquo;but he&rsquo;ll be in charge. He will be in charge. I&rsquo;ll be at practice, but everything that happens after 12 a.m., that&rsquo;s going to be Norm&rsquo;s call. And as a coach, you really hope nothing happens after 12 a.m.&rdquo;
Jeremy Case, who helped the Jayhawks win the 2008 national title, will be alongside Roberts on the bench. The Jayhawks also can use Joe Dooley, a longtime assistant and now director of student-athlete development, and Brady Morningstar, a former player who usually serves as the video coordinator, as fill-in coaches on game day.
Still, it&rsquo;s hard to substitute for a two-time national champion coach who&rsquo;s won more than 81% of his games at Kansas.
&ldquo;Norm will do a great job. The guy has been a head coach in the Big East,&rdquo; Self said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been together a long time, and there&rsquo;s a correlation in us being successful and who your coaches are, and we&rsquo;ve had the best staff. I don&rsquo;t know anybody can compare the staff we&rsquo;ve had over time, and Norm has been a huge part of that.&rdquo;
The suspensions, along with a series of recruiting penalties, were punishment for an infractions case that stems from a federal investigation in 2017 that led to the conviction of a shoe company executive, a middleman who worked with them and several assistant coaches. It involved Kansas along with Arizona, LSU, Louisville and North Carolina State.
When it came to the Jayhawks, the issue was whether representatives of apparel company Adidas were acting as boosters &mdash; the school contends they were not &mdash; when they arranged payments to prospective recruits. Kansas never disputed that the payments were made, only that it had any knowledge the inducements were happening.
The school asked that the case be decided by the Independent Accountability Resolution Process, which was created to handle particularly complex cases and acts outside the purview of the NCAA. But the soon-to-be disbanded panel has been painfully slow in its work, and it remains unclear when &mdash; or even if &mdash; there will ever be a conclusion.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t understand all the nuances that go on,&rdquo; Self said, &ldquo;and to be real candid with you, if I don&rsquo;t understand it, it&rsquo;s hard for anyone else to understand it, because I&rsquo;m right in the middle of it.&rdquo;
Rather than wait out the process, Kansas imposed penalties last week in a gesture it hopes will mitigate any additional punishment. Self will sit out the next four games &mdash; an important developmental period for his young team &mdash; and put his trust in Roberts, who hasn&rsquo;t been a head coach since he was fired by St. John&rsquo;s in 2010.
&ldquo;We have a culture that&rsquo;s been built here,&rdquo; Roberts said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been with Bill a long time. We kind of end each others&rsquo; sentences. And we talk about how faces change but expectations don&rsquo;t. Our players know our expectations are what they are at Kansas, and what we do on the court doesn&rsquo;t change.&rdquo;

Rather than following his team to the court for pregame introductions, Bill Self will begin a four-game suspension.

No. 5 Kansas opening season without Hall of Fame coach Self

This marks the first time that NBA opening-night rosters have at least 120 international players in consecutive seasons

NBA features 120 international players from 40 countries, 6 continents

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Iowa has had a first team All-American in three consecutive seasons, two for Luka Garza and one for Keegan Murray, raising the natural question about who the next star will be for the Hawkeyes and how quickly he can emerge.
Kris Murray, predictably, has everyone who follows the program staring straight at him.
The third-year forward has the sleek frame at 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, the unflappable demeanor on the court and the track record of sharp improvement after increasing his scoring average by more than nine additional points per game.
But the tendency for comparison is unavoidable for the human brain, never more in the analysis of sports, and the fact that Kris Murray is Keegan Murray&rsquo;s identical twin brother will hover over him as long as he puts on a Hawkeyes uniform.
&ldquo;If he didn&rsquo;t look the same as me, we probably wouldn&rsquo;t be having this conversation,&rdquo; Kris Murray said at Big Ten media day in Minneapolis. &ldquo;Nobody expected Keegan to make the jump he did when Luka left. I think that&rsquo;s kind of the big difference. We have a really balanced team this year.&rdquo;
Keegan Murray, who averaged 23.5 points to lead the conference last season, left Iowa after his sophomore year to enter the NBA draft. He was the fourth overall pick by Sacramento.
&ldquo;It was a good thing having Keegan in every single way, so I&rsquo;m not taking away anything from him,&rdquo; sixth-year reserve Connor McCaffery said. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s a lot of shots that were in that lineup that you have to make up. So now it&rsquo;s different guys coming in, every day in practice.&rdquo;
One look across the Big Ten this fall reveals a trend of departed stars, rosters still in a rather awkward state caused by the eligibility waiver for the pandemic season, the relaxed rules around transfers playing right away and, as always, the allure of an NBA career.
Only eight of the top 25 scorers in the conference in 2021-22 returned to their teams. Just nine of the top 25 most-used players in terms of minutes per game are back.
There are some established standouts on the consensus title contenders like Indiana&rsquo;s Trayce Jackson-Davis, Michigan&rsquo;s Hunter Dickinson and Purdue&rsquo;s Zach Edey who will headline every game they play in 2022-23, but there is a wide-open stage in the league for less-heralded players like Kris Murray, Wisconsin&rsquo;s Tyler Wahl or Rutgers&rsquo; Cliff Omoruyi to step up onto it.
The Big Ten had three top-10 draft picks, with Keegan Murray, Purdue&rsquo;s Jaden Ivey (No. 5) and Wisconsin&rsquo;s Johnny Davis (No. 10). Seven other players were drafted, including two each from Ohio State (Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell) and Michigan (Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate).
The transfer portal, of course, had exits around the conference with potential instant-impact arrivals such as Michigan&rsquo;s Jaelen Llewellyn (Princeton), Minnesota&rsquo;s Dawson Garcia (North Carolina) and Illinois&rsquo; Terrence Shannon Jr. (Texas Tech).
But the Big Ten has long been shaped by a core of established head coaches who have remained as committed as they can be in this era to running developmental programs.
Michigan State&rsquo;s Tom Izzo lost his top three scorers from last season but declined to pursue any transfer replacements &mdash; even with a nonconference schedule he called &ldquo;the most brutal&rdquo; he&rsquo;s ever had. The Spartans play Gonzaga, Kentucky, Villanova and Notre Dame, plus a trip to Oregon for the Phil Knight Invitational that matches them up against Alabama and likely two other tough opponents depending on how the bracket unfolds.
&ldquo;I choose the route I choose. I stand behind it,&rdquo; Izzo said. &ldquo;Chemistry, camaraderie, culture, loyalty are all really, really important to me. It&rsquo;s worked. New era? Maybe it won&rsquo;t work. But I like where we are right now.&rdquo;
Established coaches who have produced consistent success have more of a latitude to be patient, to be sure. Purdue&rsquo;s Matt Painter, Wisconsin&rsquo;s Greg Gard and Iowa&rsquo;s Fran McCaffery have all followed a similar philosophy. Ohio State&rsquo;s Chris Holtmann will lean on freshmen as much as ever, with prized rookies Bruce Thornton, Brice Sensabaugh, Roddy Gayle Jr., Felix Okpara and Bowen Hardman putting the Buckeyes at the top of just about all the Big Ten recruiting rankings.
This season, then, ought to serve as a test case of sorts for several of the conference&rsquo;s top teams as they put the value of stability up against some of the other powerhouse programs across the country who might be relying more on game-ready transfers.
&ldquo;We all make jumps year after year,&rdquo; Kris Murray said. &ldquo;The thing about Iowa basketball is we&rsquo;re always improving.&rdquo;

One look across the Big Ten this fall reveals a trend of departed stars, but there are more players set to shine this season.

Next wave of Big Ten stars primed to shine after many exits

At 14 years old, Moussa Diabat&eacute; moved to the United States to take the next step in his basketball journey. This meant leaving his family and friends in France as he chased his NBA dream.
&ldquo;Man, there were a whole lot of sacrifices," Diabat&eacute; told Basketball News. "I had to leave my country and my family pretty much when I was 14. That was a huge sacrifice that I believe not many people would make. And the friends that I had back home, all of those relationships that I made when I was younger, they pretty much disappeared because you aren&rsquo;t on the same time as them no more. You&rsquo;re playing basketball and trying to [chase your dream] and they&rsquo;re living a regular life, so you don&rsquo;t match anymore in what they like to do. That&rsquo;s how you lose contact with people and stuff like that.
"Also, you can&rsquo;t have distractions. When you&rsquo;re a regular kid, you have more opportunities to do that, but as an athlete who&rsquo;s trying to make something good out of it, you have to cut out all distractions. There have definitely been a whole lot of sacrifices, and all of the sacrifices come at home."
Diabat&eacute;&rsquo;s sacrifices would ultimately pay off, as he became a five-star recruit and received offers from nearly every major program in the nation. He committed to Michigan over Kentucky, Memphis and Arizona among others.
As a freshman with the Wolverines, Diabat&eacute; averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks, while shooting 54.2% from the field. After earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, Diabat&eacute; decided to enter the 2022 NBA Draft. The Los Angeles Clippers selected him with the No. 43 overall pick.
Basketball News caught up with Diabat&eacute; to discuss his draft-night experience, his skill set, his fit with the Clippers, which players he&rsquo;s modeled his game after and much more.
How was your draft-night experience? Were there any surprises or did things go as you expected?
Moussa Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Obviously, like every player, you probably kind of thought that you&rsquo;d get picked a little bit higher. But at the end of the day, I kinda knew which teams were pretty much interested in me. Even though I didn&rsquo;t know who was going to pick me, I still kinda knew who was pretty interested, so when you don&rsquo;t get picked by one team, you&rsquo;re like, &lsquo;Okay, now this next team might pick me.&rsquo; But no, it was a great experience overall and I&rsquo;m really excited and really happy about the Clippers picking me.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s been a few days since the draft. At what point did it sink in that you&rsquo;re an NBA player? Has it sunk in yet?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I ain&rsquo;t going to lie, I don&rsquo;t even think it has sunk in yet. I don&rsquo;t know what it is or when in my head I&rsquo;m gonna go, &lsquo;Okay, you&rsquo;re an NBA player now.&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t know! (laughs) I&rsquo;m just gonna keep going through whatever, but nah [it hasn&rsquo;t sunk in yet]. I was actually just thinking about that. But I just gotta keep working and keep getting better.&rdquo;
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How do you feel you fit with this Clippers team, and how excited are you to learn from guys like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and John Wall among others?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Man, I&rsquo;m really excited. Super excited. I was able to work out there and see how they are; I didn&rsquo;t see all of them, but some of my teammates have been coming in. It&rsquo;s a blessing and I&rsquo;m excited. At the end of the day, I&rsquo;m a player that they don&rsquo;t have on that team. I&rsquo;m just excited to be here, really. And I just gotta keep going, keep working, and obviously learn from the greats.&rdquo;&nbsp;
I <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/thunder-rookie-jaylin-williams-qa-im-willing-to-do-the-dirty-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently interviewed</a> Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Jaylin Williams, who&rsquo;s joining a team where almost all of his teammates are age-23 or younger. On the Clippers, you have a lot of veteran teammates and the franchise is focused on winning now. What&rsquo;s it like joining an older team, and what are you hoping to learn from those veterans?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I think overall, it&rsquo;s just learning how to win really. It sounds simple and everybody says it, but when you have players who have actually won and experienced that, I think you get to really find out what it takes. Especially the L.A.Clippers, they are really trying to build something and really make something happen, so it&rsquo;s definitely a different type of environment &ndash; whereas a team like OKC, as you just said, maybe is not the same environment. Even though they obviously want to win too, it&rsquo;s a different type of mood and environment all around. On the Clippers, with the players that I have around me, I just want to learn everything from them and take in little details.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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What is your message to Clippers fans, who may not be super familiar with your game yet?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to say too much, but just know: God willing, you&rsquo;re going to reap the fruits of this [pick]. I&rsquo;m going to give everything I have and put my all into that. So, hopefully, they&rsquo;re gonna get something good out of this (laughs).&rdquo;
A lot of players seem to want to play in Los Angeles &mdash; we see it all the time in free agency or when guys get bought out. That must be exciting, getting to play in L.A.
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;It is, for sure. I actually didn&rsquo;t have a [preferred city]; for me, it&rsquo;s not like a really big deal because I&rsquo;ve never really been into that. I don&rsquo;t really care; it could&rsquo;ve been Minnesota, Cleveland or Sacramento &ndash; it don&rsquo;t really matter. For me, it was just about being able to get on a team and really try to get better from that point on. But obviously L.A. is amazing and the weather is great. And compared to Michigan, it&rsquo;s definitely better (laughs).&rdquo;
Who are some players that you&rsquo;ve studied or modeled your game after over the years?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Over the years, I&rsquo;ll say a lot of Bam Adebayo, Pascal Siakam, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Kevin Garnett. Those are four players that I&rsquo;ve really looked up to. I watch a little bit of everyone. Tim Thomas, I don&rsquo;t know if you know him, but I watch a little bit of him. Serge Ibaka, I watch him from back when he was in OKC; that&rsquo;s another big one. Just players like that &ndash; all-around big 4s and centers who are able to move their feet, guard on the perimeter, be versatile and make a two-way impact.&rdquo;
I love the Tim Thomas shout-out. I feel like most 20-year-olds don&rsquo;t know Tim Thomas, so props for that. I&rsquo;m curious: How much has your game developed over the last few years?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;Oh man, I think my game has grown so much. If you talk to the people around me who have seen me play over the years, I think they&rsquo;d tell you, &lsquo;Moussa has changed a lot.&rsquo; From my freshman year of high school to my senior year in high school, and then from my senior year of high school to my first year at Michigan, it&rsquo;s just been me getting better each and every day. And as time goes on, it&rsquo;s like, &lsquo;Oh ok, Moussa is different from how he was last year!&rsquo; But yeah man, hopefully I will be able to keep up at that pace!&rdquo;
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Making the NBA is obviously your dream come true, but it&rsquo;s also your family&rsquo;s dream. They&rsquo;ve seen your journey and they&rsquo;ve made sacrifices of their own too. How are they reacting to you joining the Clippers?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;My friends and family are super happy for me, man. It&rsquo;s special for my family because they&rsquo;ve never had any athletes in the family, I&rsquo;m pretty much the first one, so it&rsquo;s definitely been a big-time celebration. Also, my friends are so happy. Let&rsquo;s just say: the path I took is one that nobody has taken before, so the fact that I&rsquo;ve been able to make it to this point is just huge. It sets an example and not just for basketball. I think people are going to be able to look at me and go, &lsquo;Okay, you don&rsquo;t have to take the regular path to make it.&rsquo; When most players go through the system and take the regular route, you kinda know what&rsquo;s going on. For me, there was this sense of [uncertainty], not knowing what was going to happen. Let&rsquo;s just say that it was really, really&hellip; interesting. At the end of the day, I&rsquo;ve learned a lot and hopefully that will keep helping me out.&rdquo;
You mentioned the sacrifices you had to make. Do you think you had to grow up quicker than most kids your age?
Diabat&eacute;: &ldquo;I definitely think so. Just being mature and knowing that there are certain things you can&rsquo;t do, that&rsquo;s a huge thing. I think that a lot of players have to grow up [fast] and, especially when you&rsquo;re a five-star, it comes with responsibility. You just gotta make sure that you always &lsquo;look good,&rsquo; kinda, in a way.&rdquo;

Moussa Diabaté discusses sacrifices he's made, his draft-night experience, his fit with the Clippers, players he’s studied and more.

Clippers' Moussa Diabaté Q&A: 'There were a whole lot of sacrifices'

With the 2022 NCAA Tournament right around the corner, it's time for conference tournaments to begin so teams can begin punching their ticket to The Big Dance in March.
Mid-major tournaments have already gotten underway, on Wednesday, five Power Five tournaments will have begun theirs to join the club.
(Editor's note: Check out our breakdowns of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-acc-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACC</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-big-12-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big 12</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-pac12-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pac-12</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-sec-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEC</a>.)
Since everyone will have their eyes on the best players in these conferences over the next few weeks, BasketballNews.com has highlighted each Power Five and its top 2022 NBA Draft prospects.
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Here are the names to look out for in the Big Ten.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jaden-ivey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaden Ivey</a>
Guard | Purdue
Height: 6-4 Weight: 195 Wingspan: 6-9
Class: Sophomore Draft Day Age: 20.4 Nationality: USA
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For the Boilermakers this season, Jaden Ivey is shooting career highs across the board and has propelled himself into top-three consideration. Ivey is a phenomenal athlete and a promising on-ball defender who has flashed great potential on the defensive end of the floor. His offense has taken a huge leap, as he's shown the ability to create space for himself, score on multiple levels and attack the rim at an elite level. Purdue is one of the best teams in America, and Ivey is a huge component of the team's success. He's one to keep an eye on near the top of the 2022 NBA Draft class.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/keegan-murray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keegan Murray</a>
Forward | Iowa
Height: 6-8 Weight: 225 Wingspan: 6-11
Class: Sophomore Draft Day Age: 21.8 Nationality: USA
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At 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Keegan Murray has a high motor and does a lot of the &ldquo;little things'' that contribute to winning, and he is a terrific defender. Despite shooting an inefficient 29.6% from deep last season, Murray has shot and scored the ball at a much higher rate this season. In addition, his ability to attack closeouts and score from multiple levels has allowed him to carry a greater offensive load. Murray is a candidate for National Player of the Year and has played himself into top-10 consideration in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/johnny-davis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johnny Davis</a>
Guard | Wisconsin
Height: 6-5 Weight: 194 Wingspan: N/A
Class: Sophomore Draft Day Age: 20.3 Nationality: USA
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​​At 6-foot-5, Johnny Davis carries positional size and has become one of the most reliable scorers in the country. He can take his defender to the rim, is comfortable operating in the mid-range and has shown consistency from deep. He isn&rsquo;t flashy, but is incredibly effective and decisive, which has resulted in a large jump in his free-throw rate. His combination of physicality and quick decision-making brings good versatility to his game. Davis has established himself as one of the best shooting guards in the country, and is a candidate for National Player of the Year. (Unfortunately, Davis was injured on a flagrant foul in Wisconsin's loss to Nebraska, but he <a href="https://wisconsin.rivals.com/news/wisconsin-s-johnny-davis-updates-his-status-following-ankle-injury?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly90LmNvLw&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGfnOvaHXMefZwK-Y1qixNRNWpcHZ58_iJZsW9xE-84bC3sW0LEE36tg26SbjL96eCm0KsX0lm9lVA0Wg2JKsB8aFO9nKAyIi0GHqnnPEOwxHkdSBjPGq9PFpcrVpqwN748XKy993U5BRQWbprUoYY04QXy4SDQ5_rCUw95XWaAg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believes he'll be ready to play</a> in the conference tournament.)
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/max-christie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Max Christie</a>
Guard | Michigan State
Height: 6-6 Weight: 190 Wingspan: 6-9
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.4 Nationality: USA
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A former five-star recruit, Max Christie came to Michigan State as one of the top-ranked freshmen in the country. At 6-foot-6 and 190 pounds, Christie possesses the ability to shoot and score the ball at a high level. It&rsquo;s also worth noting that he has some experience playing on the ball as a point guard. And although plays mostly off the ball for Michigan State, it is a good example of his versatility. Christie is a strong candidate to be a one-and-done prospect.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/ej-liddell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E.J. Liddell</a>
Forward | Ohio State
Height: 6-7 Weight: 240 Wingspan: 7-0
Class: Junior Draft Day Age: 21.5 Nationality: USA
Although he is a bit undersized for the position, the Buckeyes often use E.J. Liddell as a 4/5 in their lineups. He is physical and versatile on both ends of the floor, scoring both inside and out. He appears more comfortable in the mid-range and paint, which works well for his college system, but raises questions in regards to his translatability to the NBA. Liddell continues to fill up the box score and play with great effort and toughness. He has certainly carved out a spot for himself in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/malaki-branham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malaki Branham</a>
Guard | Ohio State
Height: 6-5 Weight: 180 Wingspan: 6-10
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.1 Nationality: USA
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Malaki Branham was ranked 35th in the 2021 RSCI recruiting class and, after a slow start, burst onto the scene in conference play. At 6-foot-5, he plays with patience, and is a smooth three-level scorer. He is comfortable operating in the pick-and-roll and mid-range, and has shown promise as a spot-up shooter. Branham is full of potential, and is hitting his stride as a scoring threat. He's certainly one to watch down the stretch.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/bryce-mcgowens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryce McGowens</a>
Guard | Nebraska
Height: 6-7 Weight: 179 Wingspan: 6-9
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.6 Nationality: USA
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​​Possessing positional size and length, Bryce McGowens has flashed space creation as a shooter with pull-up craft, ball-handling and the ability to elevate over defenders. Although he can be a bit streaky, the fluidity with his shooting mechanics are special. He is also a solid defender due to his length, athleticism and instinctual play. With his combination of great athleticism, shot-making and finishing craft at the rim, McGowens has been the go-to scorer for the Huskers this season.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/moussa-diabate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moussa Diabat&eacute;</a>
Forward-Center | Michigan
Height: 6-11 Weight: 210 Wingspan: 7-3
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 20.4 Nationality: France
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Standing 6-foot-11, 210 pounds and possessing an impressive 7-3 wingspan &mdash; while also being capable of moving fluidly &mdash; Moussa Diabat&eacute;&rsquo;s physical tools jump off of the page. While he is still a work in progress on the offensive end, Diabat&eacute;&rsquo;s talent and versatility on the defensive end stand out. Since Diabat&eacute; has been able to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/moussa-diabate-michigan-wolverines-on-the-rise-2022-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">properly showcase his talent and make the necessary steps in his development</a> throughout the season, he is a strong candidate to be a one-and-done prospect.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/caleb-houstan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caleb Houstan</a>
Forward | Michigan
Height: 6-8 Weight: 205 Wingspan: N/A
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.5 Nationality: Canada
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Caleb Houstan, a five-star recruit for head coach Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines, is a high-level outside shooter and a marksman who possesses positional size at 6-foot-8. Houstan's size, mechanics, shot-making are special, but there are questions about his versatility and consistency. He is one to monitor as the season wraps up, and is a viable floor-stretching option in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/trevion-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevion Williams</a>
Forward-Center | Purdue
Height: 6-10 Weight: 255 Wingspan: N/A
Class: Senior Draft Day Age: 21.8 Nationality: USA
Trevion Williams may be the best low-post scorer in the country. He has incredible footwork, craftiness at the rim and is always thinking a step ahead with the ball in his hand. He is also an impressive athlete at 255 pounds, as he's quick off the ground and runs the floor well. Williams is old school in the way he provides points, but he does the little things well. He has good vision out of the post, plays with a great motor and is the kind of player you want in the locker room. Williams has a great chance of earning a shot at the NBA level.&nbsp;
Others worth noting:
Kofi Cockburn | Illinois
Hunter Dickinson | Michigan
Zach Edey | Purdue
Ron Harper Jr. | Rutgers
Trayce Jackson-Davis | Indiana
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Matt Babcock highlights the top 2022 NBA Draft prospects in the Big Ten Tournament.

2022 NBA Draft: Top prospects in the Big Ten Tournament

When Michigan had Hunter Dickinson, a center, earn All-American honors as a freshman last season, finding another young big to pair with him was likely not in the mind of Wolverine fans. However, head coach Juwan Howard has brought in the most talented players irrespective of position.
That is seemingly the case with a consensus five-star recruit from IMG Academy, Moussa Diabate, who has become one of the biggest risers in scouting circles and is consistently climbing up analysts' draft boards this season.
So if you had your hopes up that your favorite NBA team could snag the 6-foot-11 center in the second round, you might want to begin tempering those expectations. Diabate is a long, surprisingly skilled big man with a 7-3 wingspan who has been on the radar of NBA scouts dating back to his time in France.&nbsp;
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Of Malian and Guinean descent, Diabate was born in Paris, where he began his youth basketball career at 12. He quickly opted to come to the United States at 14, and he joined perhaps the most vaunted high school basketball program in the country, Montverde Academy. After one year at Montverde, Diabate spent time bouncing around prep schools before eventually landing in Bradenton, Florida with the prestigious IMG Academy.
The move to join the Ascenders came on the heels of a successful FIBA stint with France. As an underaged player at the 2019 European U18 championship tournament, Diabate averaged 13.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks over seven games against the best players from Europe in his age group en route to a fifth-place finish.
Diabate's move to Bradenton helped reload a squad fresh off a championship at GEICO Nationals. During his junior season, Diabate found plenty of room to operate to the tune of over 14 points and 7 rebounds per game. This was in spite of playing with prominent big men Mark Williams (Duke), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Tennessee) and Zach Edey (Purdue). The Ascenders ran their way to a 19-7 record, and it looked like another GEICO national championship was on the horizon. That, however, would not come to fruition, as COVID-19 wiped out the season.&nbsp;
Headed into his senior season at IMG, Diabate penned his National Letter of Intent to head to Michigan, headlining the No.1 recruiting class in the country alongside fellow five-star recruit Caleb Houstan. Diabate chose the Wolverines over Kentucky, Arizona, Florida State and more. The Ascenders enjoyed another wildly successful season last year (21-3 overall) before falling to Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) in the semifinals of the GEICO Nationals. For his efforts, Diabate was named both a McDonald's All-American and Jordan Brand All-American, despite neither game being played due to COVID.
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Along with perhaps the most heralded Michigan recruiting class since the "Fab Five," Diabate arrived in Ann Arbor to an NCAA preseason top-10 team that returned Dickinson, an All-American. With such an accomplished team staple entrenched in Diabate's natural position, playing time was hard to come by early in the season.
In his first five games, Diabate only crossed the 20-minute threshold once. Over his last seven games, however, Diabate has averaged 24.0 minutes per game despite only logging 7 minutes against San Diego State before getting injured. Diabate has shown just what makes him so intriguing during those six healthy games.&nbsp;
I spoke with our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst, Matt Babcock, to get his thoughts on what the French big man could bring to the next level.
&ldquo;I watched Diabate last season when he was in high school at IMG Academy. I was most impressed by his physical profile, mobility and motor. This season, I&rsquo;ve watched a lot of film, and had the opportunity to see Diabate in person when Michigan played at North Carolina. I still like everything about him that I did before. However, I&rsquo;ve been pleasantly surprised, as he&rsquo;s shown me that he has more upside on the offensive end of the floor than I had initially thought. I think he has a chance to be a good NBA player.&rdquo;
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Rim-running, shot-blocking prowess and overall defensive versatility make Diabate a compelling prospect. I was able to see Diabate up close in Michigan's loss to the UCF Knights, and he flashed more skill than I had expected. He hit a three-pointer and a mid-range fadeaway in the post, and defensively, he switched onto guards often.
Watching Diabate during warmups was also very insightful, as I was able to get a better idea of who he is as a person. Diabate seems highly outgoing just by watching him do his post-up routine. Speaking with some folks around the team, there was nothing but positive reviews for Diabate.&nbsp;
It has been a meteoric rise up draft boards thus far for the 19-year-old from Paris. Diabate is certainly a prospect for the scouting community to watch. We look forward to continuing to track his progress here at BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;
Moussa Diabate is currently ranked No. 22 on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.

Grant Aqui outlines Moussa Diabate's recent success with the Wolverines and his journey to this point.

2022 NBA Draft: Michigan's Moussa Diabate is on the rise

In each of the last three seasons, the Iowa Hawkeyes have posted 20-plus victories with a win percentage over 64% and have earned an NCAA tournament berth twice (2020's was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
A common denominator of their success was the play of the Hawkeye legend, Luka Garza. During his time in Iowa, Garza was one of the most prolific and accomplished players in college basketball, earning Wooden and Naismith awards, multiple Big Ten accolades and All-American status. As Garza progressed over his career, his efficiency took off, and that threat became the engine of Iowa&rsquo;s offense. However, the end of his dominant run through college basketball was inevitable, as his number was raised to the rafters. He entered the 2021 NBA Draft and was selected by the Detroit Pistons with 51st overall pick.&nbsp;
So how did Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery replace an All-American and campus legend? It just so happened that he did it with someone already on the Hawkeyes' roster...&nbsp;
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Born to Be a Hawkeye
Keegan Murray and his twin brother Kris were born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as their father, Kenyon, was also a Hawkeye from 1993-96. After finishing their high school careers at Cedar Rapids Prairie High School, the twins chose to take a post-graduate year at DME Academy in Daytona, Florida instead of jumping right into college. It&rsquo;s clear now that the extra year left Keegan and Kris better prepared for the next level, and they both were able to follow their father&rsquo;s footsteps back to Iowa City and be a part of the success of Luka Garza&rsquo;s final season.&nbsp;
So far this season, Keegan Murray has answered the call as the Hawkeyes' new hyper-productive big man to fill the 6-foot-11, 265-pound void left by Garza &mdash; and at 6-foot-8, 225-pounds, the sophomore forward is similarly turning lots of heads, but with a twist. In 13 games played this season, Murray leads the nation with 24.5 points per game, while adding 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per contest on 59% from the field.
This leap in production is very impressive, but not unexpected. Murray earned All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors last season, recording some unique numbers as a reserve last season. As a freshman, Keegan was one of only five players nationally to amass 200+ points, 25+ blocks, 25+ steals and 15+ three-pointers.
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NBA Outlook
This year&rsquo;s draft is filled with multiple versatile forwards that range between 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-10, including Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith and Patrick Baldwin Jr. Over the first two months of the season, Murray has worked his way into the mix. His playstyle must be endearing to the Iowa faithful, as he plays with an endless physicality in the paint like Garza, yet is graceful when putting the ball on the floor in the half-court and transition.
Additionally, although Murray&rsquo;s three-point percentage looks to have taken a slide after a solid start to the year, his 35-point, 5-for-6 performance from beyond the arc to start 2022 against Maryland should still provide confidence in his jump shot. With translatable mechanics and improved free-throw shooting, there&rsquo;s enough evidence to suggest he&rsquo;ll continue to improve his outside shooting. Murray is on the trajectory of becoming a prototypical versatile forward that has proven to be a hot commodity in the NBA in recent years.
Our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has kept his eye on the Iowa sophomore. Here are his thoughts on the early season play of Keegan Murray:
&ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t do one thing that blows you away, as his game is pretty simple. He&rsquo;s a stretch 4 who has a nonstop motor. The guy makes things happen all game long by playing smart and hard. He&rsquo;s having an incredible season so far for the Hawkeyes. Murray averages over 24 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal per game. At this point, I have a hard time envisioning him slipping too far in the draft, as I think a lot of teams could use him.&rdquo;
While Murray likely hears his fair share of praises, he&rsquo;s probably also beginning to receive questions about how high his ceiling is. In games Iowa has played against high-level programs, his scoring percentages have taken a slight dip.
Murray had a particularly tough outing against No. 17 Iowa State, where he totaled only 9 points. In games against Virginia, Illinois and Iowa State, Murray averaged 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks on 41.3% from the field, 22.2% from deep and 58.6% from the free-throw line &mdash; all significant drops from the other 10 games he&rsquo;s been in so far. While most players have off games from time to time, the best players are expected to rise to the occasion against the best competition.
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Key Matchups
The good news is the season is far from over, and the Big Ten seems to be pretty wide open as conference play ramps up. Every game will be a significant test for the Hawkeyes, but Murray has more opportunities to silence some of these questions with critical games left on the schedule.
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On Jan. 13, Murray is taking on Indiana&rsquo;s Trayce Jackson-Davis, a junior with a similar frontcourt scoring role for Indiana. It&rsquo;ll be interesting to watch how Murray approaches a matchup against another 20-point scorer.
The rematch against Purdue on Jan. 27 has to be circled on Murray&rsquo;s calendar, as he missed the first matchup with an ankle injury. Iowa played a competitive game, but Murray feels like he would&rsquo;ve been a difference-maker in the 77-70 loss to the Boilermakers.
The pair of games against Michigan on Feb. 17 and Mar. 3 will be intriguing, with Murray matching up against potential draft picks Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabat&eacute;; both teams will be jockeying for position in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Iowa Hawkeyes have an 11-3 record in the first week of 2022, and a lot of their success can be attributed to Keegan Murray&rsquo;s play so far. Expect Murray to continue to turn heads as the team looks to fight for the top of the Big Ten once again.
Keegan Murray is currently ranked No. 14 on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.&nbsp;

Blake Hairston highlights Iowa forward Keegan Murray's massive leap in his sophomore year.

2022 NBA Draft: The rise of Iowa’s Keegan Murray

The&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/iman-shumpert-explains-how-lebron-ruined-basketball/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m gonna take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.&rdquo;
The infamous sentence by LeBron James that completely changed the NBA landscape back in 2010 had a greater effect on the league than you might think. Sure, it shifted the landscape of the league at that time, but the long-term impact was felt in the fact that players started to team up other more, forming super-teams and disbanding loyalty in the pursuit of a championship. LeBron&rsquo;s former teammate, Iman Shumpert, blames James for this shift in thinking. In fact, he believes James ruined the NBA.
&ldquo;'Bron ruined basketball. He thought he was making it better; I get him," Shumpert said. "Me personally, I loved the NBA for the loyalty that I thought was there. He basically knocked the fourth wall down like, 'The organization, they bullsh*tting, we doing what we want.' Great business move for sure, but when you think about it, outside looking in, like, I got people tweeting me right now [and] they're literally talking about owners and trades. It&rsquo;s like, bro, y&rsquo;all aren&rsquo;t supposed to be talking about none of this actually!"
It&rsquo;s ridiculous to say LeBron started super-teams with the 2010 Miami Heat because we have seen many teams with multiple All-Stars going all the way through history. But the Heat's Big Three was formed differently. Players didn&rsquo;t have the kind of power or leverage to go wherever they wanted and team up with their friends. Ownership groups and front offices had all the power, but LeBron broke the wall and showed that the players actually had the control.&nbsp;
Ever since then, players have been getting more and more power in the NBA, getting larger contracts, requesting trades, signing wherever they want, recruiting each other and simply sitting out if they don&rsquo;t want to play. All of this was unheard of in the NBA 15 years ago. But LeBron&rsquo;s push for player empowerment changed the complete hierarchy of the league and gave the steering wheel to the players. Some would argue that this was good for the league, while others would say it&rsquo;s destroying it. One thing&rsquo;s for sure: it has its perks and flaws.
While it&rsquo;s entertaining to see super-teams due to the abundance of transcendent talent playing together, some feel it kills the nature of the NBA. The league gets too centralized with only a few select elite teams, while the rest get the short end of the stick and no attention. That mainly happens to the small-market teams that don&rsquo;t have the appeal of the big cities to lure stars.&nbsp;
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It also killed loyalty and the romanticism that once graced the NBA, with every team having its star or two that were heroes of the city for their whole careers. Instead, nowadays, it&rsquo;s normal to see star players switch teams numerous times and look for their best situation, rather than sticking it out with their original team. Of course, there are exceptions; Damian Lillard is the obvious one.
Shumpert believes that fans look at the game differently and focus on the wrong things ever since James joined the Heat. Fans have always been interested in rumors and transactions, but there's no question that it reached a new level during the player-empowerment era. These days, some fans are more interested in what happens off the court than the actual games.
James' free-agency choice in 2010 will undoubtedly continue to be viewed as one of the most polarizing moves in NBA history.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Iman Shumpert discussed the effects of LeBron James' decision to join the Miami Heat.

Iman Shumpert lets loose on how LeBron 'ruined basketball'

The first calendar month of NCAA action is drawing to a close, and there were no shortage of prospect fireworks throughout the early nonconference slate.&nbsp;
Freshmen like Jabari Smith and Kendall Brown have consistently turned heads with their play, while returning stars such as Jaden Ivey showed tremendous growth. Of course, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren also dominate the conversation, culminating with their thrilling matchup on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas.
Matt Babcock was on hand for that game and many others. He and his scouting team recently updated <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>. Babcock answered a few of my questions about his board and his observations so far.
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What has Paolo Banchero done to solidify his No. 1 ranking on your Big Board?
Matt Babcock: I have seen Banchero in-person twice this season &mdash; on opening night in New York at the State Farm Champions Classic, and then just recently in Las Vegas versus Gonzaga. He was terrific in both games. The main thing for me that gives Banchero an edge over Jabari Smith and Chet Holmgren is his ability to create offense on his own. Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, he has a well-rounded game, but his ability to get buckets is something teams can build around. I envision Banchero being a big-time scorer in the NBA.&nbsp;
What has inspired you to move Jabari Smith up to second on your Big Board?
Matt Babcock: I recently watched Jabari Smith in Tampa, Florida when Auburn played South Florida. He didn&rsquo;t even have a great game, but he showed his talent and I was blown away. He does just about everything I&rsquo;d want from a versatile stretch four. He shoots the ball extremely well with range. He&rsquo;s teased his ability to score on three levels, and I think he has the potential to become an elite switchable defender. From an upside standpoint, Jabari Smith might have the highest ceiling of any prospect this year.
Aside from Banchero and Holmgren, who else stood out to you from the Duke vs. Gonzaga matchup?
Matt Babcock: That game was unbelievable! I feel lucky to have been in the building. From a scouting standpoint, it was almost overwhelming because between the two teams, there were so many NBA prospects. However, one player that really stood out was Wendell Moore from Duke. I&rsquo;ve watched Moore since he was in high school. He&rsquo;s gotten so much better. I initially thought he was just a tough, slashing player. In that game in Las Vegas, he showed so much more versatility than he has in the past. He actually showed some point guard skills, which surprised me. It was also very clear that he is the leader of that team. I have a lot of confidence in Moore right now. We decided to include him on our most updated Big Board as an early second-round pick.&nbsp;
Duke&rsquo;s sophomore center, Mark Williams, made a major impact in that game, too. He&rsquo;s so big and really uses his length to be a great defensive anchor and finisher around the rim. He&rsquo;s trending up in my book for sure.
I also thought Gonzaga&rsquo;s point guard, Andrew Nembhard, showed well. He isn&rsquo;t the quickest player, but he has good size and is just a solid floor general. I think he&rsquo;s improved quite a bit.
What makes Kendall Brown one of the hottest early risers in the class so far?
Matt Babcock: I&rsquo;m very high on Kendall Brown. He has positional size and is about as good of an athlete as I&rsquo;ve ever seen. He&rsquo;s already producing at a high level as a freshman for a very good Baylor team. I don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;s ever going to be a guy that&rsquo;s going to create a ton of offense on his own, but his elite athleticism and motor allow for him to make plays all over the court.
Which other freshmen have made significant impressions early in the season?
Matt Babcock: There are a lot of talented freshmen. Of course there are the players that we expected to be near the top of the draft, like Banchero, Smith, Holmgren, and Duren, but a few guys that have really caught my attention early on have been Moussa Diabate from Michigan, Max Christie from Michigan State, Matthew Cleveland from Florida State, and Bryce McGowens from Nebraska.
Which collegiate returners have shown significant growth from last year?
Matt Babcock: Coincidentally, the two names that come to mind first are both from the Big Ten: Jaden Ivey from Purdue and Keegan Murray from Iowa.
Ivey is a dynamic guard who is so athletic. He&rsquo;s a hawk on the ball defensively and is constantly attacking the rim with the ball in his hands. He&rsquo;s really improved as a playmaker, too. He&rsquo;s really an exciting player. Keep an eye out for his highlights.
As for Keegan Murray, he doesn&rsquo;t do one thing that blows you away, as his game is pretty simple. He&rsquo;s a stretch four who has a non-stop motor. The guy just makes things happen all game long by playing smart and hard. He&rsquo;s having an incredible season so far for the Hawkeyes. Murray is averaging over 25 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal per game. At this point, I have a hard time envisioning him slipping too far in the draft, as I think a lot of teams could use him.
I was actually planning to see both of these players in-person later this week when their teams play each other Friday night at Purdue, but I couldn&rsquo;t fit it into my schedule, unfortunately. I need to lock in a couple of dates so I can see both of them sometime soon.
Who's a player you would like to see more from before conference play gets started?
Matt Babcock: My schedule really came together nicely this season. I&rsquo;ll have seen most of the real high-priority prospects by the New Year. I&rsquo;d say the area where I feel least confident, at the moment, is with international prospects. I&rsquo;m heading out to Europe for a couple of weeks in January, though, so I will have an opportunity to see a lot of top guys then. There are also some prospects playing in Australia, whose league is just getting going right now. I likely won&rsquo;t be traveling there this season. I don&rsquo;t even know if I could go if I wanted to. But it will be nice to get some fresh film to watch and get caught up on those prospects.
What other non-NCAA prospects have made strong statements recently?
Matt Babcock: I think G League Ignite players Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beauchamp and Michael Foster are all doing a nice job. Jaden Hardy hasn&rsquo;t been playing as well as I had hoped he would, but I think it&rsquo;s just a matter of time for him to work through the kinks and become more comfortable. Also, Scoot Henderson has been incredible since he came back from an injury. He&rsquo;s not draft eligible this year, but next year, watch out &mdash; he&rsquo;s coming!&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m also planning to go to Atlanta in the next couple of weeks to see Jean Montero and the rest of the players with Overtime Elite. I worked for Overtime Elite as a scouting advisor for about six months. I helped get their scouting operations in order and their initial group of players set. So in addition to seeing Montero and the rest of the players there, I&rsquo;m looking forward to seeing all of my former co-workers and their brand new arena.

Matt Babcock explains some of the updates to his Big Board and highlights some of the top prospects he's scouted.

2022 NBA Draft: Q&A with Matt Babcock on early-season risers

College basketball is just around the corner, and when the season tips off on Nov. 9, the scouting season will truly kick into high gear.
BasketballNews.com Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock and his team of scouts have already been watching prospects in U.S. professional programs (G League Ignite and Overtime Elite) as well as abroad, and have made stops at college pro days and exhibition games. So even though the collegiate season has yet to start, they have already been hard at work scouting some must-watch players.
I asked Babcock some questions about what he has observed in the collegiate preseason, what he expects from the early stretches of play, and more. Be sure to also check out the BasketballNews.com <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
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1. From a scouting perspective, how much do you take away from college basketball preseason?
Well, I evaluate hundreds of prospects every year. I&rsquo;m in the information-gathering business, and there is an extensive process to be able to gather enough information and come to a conclusive evaluation of a player prior to their draft. During the preseason &mdash; depending on who I&rsquo;ve seen before &mdash; I know some players better than others, how many times I&rsquo;ve seen them and in what setting. If I&rsquo;m seeing a player for the first time, it&rsquo;s the first step in my evaluation process.&nbsp;
In those cases, I&rsquo;m really just trying to get a feel for the player&rsquo;s skill set, body type, movements and personality &mdash; essentially creating a platform to work off in order to be able to do a deeper dive on the player. If I already know the player decently, I try to get a pulse of where they&rsquo;re at in their development. Both scenarios are important to me. I carefully put together my travel and my day-to-day efforts to make sure I gather enough information on all of the relevant prospects by draft night. To make a long story short, I value seeing prospects in all different types of settings, including practices and scrimmages during the preseason.
2. What were the most significant changes you made to your recently updated Big Board?
I&rsquo;d say the biggest change was including some additional freshmen who I&rsquo;m somewhat on the fence about. I recently included Max Christie from Michigan State, Moussa Diabate from Michigan, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield from Tennessee. Projecting how a true freshman will do right off the bat can be extremely challenging. I spend a lot of time evaluating high-school prospects in an effort to get a head start on the evaluation process.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m confident that all of the freshmen we currently have on our Big Board have the tools to be NBA prospects this year, but there are so many variables that can affect their imminent draft status: How will they adapt to their new setting? What role will they play for their team? Different things along those lines. I make it a point to track freshmen closely because oftentimes it can go either way.
3. What opening week games would you consider to be must-watch for scouts?
I&rsquo;m kicking the season off with a bang. I&rsquo;m heading to New York City for the State Farm Champions Classic to see Kansas versus Michigan State, and then Kentucky versus Duke at Madison Square Garden. Obviously it&rsquo;s great from a scouting standpoint because I&rsquo;ll see a bunch of top prospects. But even just as a basketball fan, I&rsquo;ll get to see some of the best coaches in the country go head-to-head: Bill Self versus Tom Izzo, and then John Calipari versus Coach K. It doesn&rsquo;t get any better than that.
4. After seeing Kentucky and TyTy Washington recently, what type of impact do you expect from him?
I&rsquo;ve spent a lot of time watching TyTy over the course of the last year. I feel like he&rsquo;s one of those players who I&rsquo;m constantly higher on than the consensus. My latest trip to Kentucky kept that idea intact. In fact, I walked away even higher on him than I was before. Kentucky had a brutal season last year, but I&rsquo;m expecting for them to bounce back this season &mdash; and I think TyTy is going to lead the charge for them. They&rsquo;ll go as TyTy goes. That said, I think he&rsquo;s going to be a star player for them and subsequently become a lottery pick come June.
5. Which prospects moved the needle the most this preseason?
There are a few guys in my book who have impressed me and helped themselves recently &mdash; Max Christie from Michigan State, Oscar Tshiebwe from Kentucky and MarJon Beauchamp from the G League Ignite.
6. What college freshman not currently on your Big Board could possibly be included sometime soon?
I&rsquo;ve got my eye on a few. Nolan Hickman and Hunter Sallis from Gonzaga, Harrison Ingram from Stanford, Trevor Keels from Duke and Bryce McGowens from Nebraska. There are some others too, but those are names that come to mind first.
7. How does this year&rsquo;s G League Ignite team compare to last year&rsquo;s?
Last year, the Ignite produced two lottery picks in Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga. This year, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/babcock-takeaways-from-the-g-league-ignites-season-opener" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I&rsquo;m expecting</a> Jaden Hardy to be a high lottery pick, but I don&rsquo;t expect any of the other guys to be taken quite that high. However, I think they have more depth and overall talent top-to-bottom. We are currently projecting that Dyson Daniels will be a first round pick, Michael Foster is not far off and MarJon Beauchamp is doing some really good things early for them too.
8. Which international prospects have risen for you in recent weeks?
One player to keep an eye on is Ismael Kamagate, who is playing for Paris. He&rsquo;s a big, athletic rim-protector and rim-runner. Our international scout, and a former NBA scout, Jason Filippi, recently watched Kamagate and had the chance to interview him. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-qa-french-big-man-ismael-kamagate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">His Q&amp;A is up on BasketballNews.com</a>. Jason walked away impressed with Kamagate. He&rsquo;s not currently on our Big Board but I wouldn&rsquo;t be surprised if we ultimately included him.

Ethan Fuller checks in with Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock ahead of the 2021-22 college basketball season.

2022 NBA Draft: NCAA basketball season preview with Matt Babcock

&ldquo;They f**ked it up.&rdquo;&nbsp;
That was the main takeaway from both Draymond Green and Kevin Durant in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x6DjeJNd64" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inaugural episode of CHIPS</a>, a Bleacher Report show hosted by Green. &ldquo;They&rdquo; being Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and owner Bob Myers, and &ldquo;it&rdquo; being the Bay Area dynasty.&nbsp;
Green hosted his former teammate Durant to discuss their time together in Golden State. And while they covered a number of topics, they provided a new and interesting explanation for why the Warriors disbanded &ndash; and it wasn&rsquo;t their on-court confrontation. &nbsp;
Durant and Green had several run-ins in their three seasons as teammates. Durant is legitimately one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA &ndash; and everything we know about the best players in this game would indicate that they&rsquo;re all competitive. Green, too, is a hyper-competitive and outspoken player. Neither is shy about speaking his mind, so butting heads was inevitable.
Their most aggressive public feud took place in Los Angeles in a game against the Clippers in November 2018. Green held (and ultimately lost) the ball on a potentially game-winning possession, which resulted in a minutes-long exchange on the Warriors bench between the two.
There was already speculation about Durant leaving the Warriors prior to the dust-up in question; after the fight, it was assumed to be a done deal. And that assumption became a reality, as Durant left Golden State to team up with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn the following offseason.&nbsp;
In the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x6DjeJNd64" target="_blank" rel="noopener">24-minute-long episode</a>, Green directly asked if he was to blame for Durant&rsquo;s departure.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t the argument,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;It was the way that everyone&hellip; Steve Kerr acted like it didn&rsquo;t happen. Bob Myers tried to just discipline you and think that that would just put the mask over everything.
&ldquo;I really felt like that was such a big situation for us as a group,&rdquo; Durant continued. &rdquo;(It was the) the first time we went through something like that. We had to get that sh*t all out. I remember watching The Last Dance and when Scottie [Pippen] didn&rsquo;t go into the game, the whole team, in the locker room, said Scottie that was f**ked up that you did that. We needed that.&rdquo;
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So, there&rsquo;s a new narrative about Durant, Green and the Warriors &ndash; do we believe it? While the two agree that Kerr&rsquo;s inactivity and Myers&rsquo; punitive actions played a larger role in the team breaking up, Durant previously confirmed the role Green played in his departure, and it contradicts the message from their recent sit-down.&nbsp;
In an <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1189909935343013888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oct. 2019 appearance on ESPN&rsquo;s First Take</a>, Durant confirmed that the fight did in fact play a role in his departure. When specifically asked about the fight&rsquo;s role in his leaving, Durant replied, &ldquo;For sure, I&rsquo;m not gonna lie about it.&rdquo;&nbsp;
But it&rsquo;s worth noting that Durant appeared hesitant to relive the confrontation with Green. It&rsquo;s possible that he simply didn&rsquo;t want to explore it. Durant&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-is-thirty-five-ventures-examining-kevin-durants-businesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a savvy businessman</a>, and he understands the impact of confirming a rumor to the media, so feeding that narrative to the media was a major mistake if it was untrue.
However, in that same interview, Durant willingly elaborated on the main reasons for his departure &ndash; namely, an aging Warriors&rsquo; roster and the impending challenges of re-signing all major contributors. Maybe he was simply brushing past an uncomfortable topic that he wished would go away. And when it didn&rsquo;t, his displeasure toward the media probably grew. &nbsp;
Durant addressed his relationship with the media in his conversation with Green, too, revealing disappointment with it after learning that members aren&rsquo;t as knowledgeable as he assumed. &nbsp;
&ldquo;I felt like the media knew more than me,&rdquo; Durant said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;(But) some of the questions, they didn&rsquo;t seem so intelligent to me anymore,&rdquo; Durant continued. &ldquo;&hellip;This game is simple to me, so some of the stuff that y&rsquo;all asking doesn&rsquo;t move me the way it used to.&rdquo;
Durant is clearly resentful of the media, which could be partially due to how he was covered in (and on his way out of) Golden State. We&rsquo;ll never know for sure exactly how Durant felt about Green following the November 2018 incident and how much of a role it played in his departure, but that&rsquo;s fine. Durant&rsquo;s feelings about the confrontation seem to have changed, and that&rsquo;s fine, too &ndash; after all, time heals all wounds.&nbsp;
But Durant and Green clearly maintain a strong rapport, so it&rsquo;s fair to assume that the relationship was never as toxic as it was reported to be. And while Durant might be hard on the media at times, his issues with the media are probably valid.
He does know more. Snap judgments are made and stuck by. And some articles are written for views.&nbsp;
But for Durant&rsquo;s peace of mind, he should try to land on a more amicable way to interact with the media. The news cycle moves quickly. Other things will inevitably happen involving Durant resulting in major stories. He can react one of two ways &mdash; either be a part of shaping future narratives, or narratives can be shaped about him.
Regardless, the stories will run.

Green hosted his former teammate Durant on Bleacher Report's "CHIPS" to discuss their time together in Golden State.

Kevin Durant, Draymond Green bury the 2018 Warriors hatchet

Last week, I traveled to Fort Myers, Fla. for the 2021 GEICO Nationals Tournament, which included some of the best high-school talent in the country. 
After spending several days evaluating players, it became apparent to me that there are many young players in the classes of 2022 and 2023 to be excited about moving forward, including Jalen Duren, Jarace Walker, Dariq Whitehead, Jaden Bradley, Adem Bona, M.J. Rice, Eric Dailey Jr., Gradey Dick, Vince Iwuchukwu, Jett Howard, Caleb Foster, and Kanaan Carlyle among others. 
However, as an NBA Draft Analyst, I&rsquo;d like to highlight a handful of the top seniors in the class of 2021 who will likely be high-priority prospects on my watchlist next season for the 2022 NBA Draft.
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Kennedy Chandler
Sunrise Christian Academy | Committed to Tennessee
Quarterfinal vs. Prolific Prep: 11 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 6 steals, 7 TOV, 5/10 FG, 1/3 3pt
Semifinal vs. IMG Academy: 25 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 TOV, 6/8 FG, 2/3 3pt
Final vs. Montverde Academy: 9 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 1, TOV, 4/12 FG, 1/6 3pt
Although on the smaller side, Kennedy Chandler dazzled with his speed, scoring, and playmaking abilities at the 2021 GEICO Nationals, leading his Sunrise Christian team to the championship game where they came up just short, losing to a loaded Montverde Academy team. Chandler, a 5-star recruit and McDonald&rsquo;s All-American, is committed to head coach Rick Barnes and the University of Tennessee, where he will most certainly be a high priority for me to scout for the 2022 NBA Draft.&nbsp;
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TyTy Washington
AZ Compass Prep | Undecided
Quarterfinal vs. Wasatch Academy: 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 3 TOV, 6/16 FG, 2/7 3pt
Semifinal vs. Montverde Academy: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 0 TOV, 7/16 FG, 1/6 3pt
I have had the opportunity to watch TyTy Washington and his AZ Compass Prep team a lot lately, and as I continue to watch Washington, he keeps impressing me more and more. At 6&rsquo;3, Washington is not your typical star player, as he&rsquo;s not an elite athlete. However, his court vision, shot-making ability, and basketball IQ dramatically affects each game he plays in. Having recently decommitted from Creighton, Washington has become quite the hot commodity on the college recruiting front. I&rsquo;m not quite sure where he&rsquo;ll end up playing next year, but I do know wherever it is, I&rsquo;ll be going there to evaluate him some more.&nbsp;
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Caleb Houstan
Montverde Academy | Committed to Michigan
Quarterfinal vs. Oak Hill: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 TOV, 7/11 FG, 1/4 3pt
Semifinal vs. AZ Compass: 5 points, 7 rebounds, 0 assists, 4 TOV, 2/9 FG, 1/5 3pt
Final vs. Sunrise Christian: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal 6/12 FG, 4/9 3pt
A highly-touted prospect and McDonald&rsquo;s All-American, Caleb Houston showed why so many people within basketball circles are excited about his future. At 6&rsquo;8 and 200 pounds, it wouldn&rsquo;t surprise me to see some NBA scouts label Houstan as a &ldquo;tweener." However, I see him as a hybrid forward who can really stretch the floor with his outside shooting and provide defensive versatility. After seeing Houstan play for several days in a row, I, too, am excited about his future -- which will be taking him to Ann Harbor next season.&nbsp;
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Kendall Brown
Sunrise Christian Academy | Committed to Baylor
Quarterfinal vs. Prolific Prep: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0 TOV, 10/19 FG, 0/2 3pt
Semifinal vs. IMG Academy: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 2 TOV, 5/9 FG, 1/3 3pt
Final vs. Montverde Academy: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 2 TOV, 5/9 FG, 1/3 3pt
Although I had never seen Kendall Brown play in-person before, he quickly impressed me with his elite motor and athleticism, as he executed spectacular dunks and defensive plays regularly. He should be a welcomed addition to the national champion Baylor Bears as they look to reload (since they will most likely lose star players Jared Butler and Davion Mitchell to the NBA).
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Matthew Cleveland
Pace Academy | Committed to Florida State
Play-in round vs. Oak Hill: 30 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 TOV, 1 steal, 12/18 FG, 2/3 3pt
This was the first time I was able to see Matthew Cleveland in-person, and unfortunately, my sample size for evaluating him still remains small, as his Pace Academy team lost in the play-in game versus Oak Hill Academy. However, in the one game I saw, Cleveland was terrific, scoring 30 points while shooting 12-for-18 from the field and also grabbing 8 rebounds. At 6&rsquo;6, Cleveland was extremely assertive and efficient getting to the hole and finishing. He was also showed an ability to shoot the ball from outside, although I would like to see more from him in this area to have full confidence. Leonard Hamilton has put together a terrific program at Florida State that keeps pumping out pros. Matthew Cleveland may very well be next in line.
Others Worth Mentioning
Nathan Bittle&nbsp;
Prolific Prep | Committed to Oregon
Moussa Diabate
IMG Academy | Committed to Michigan
Nolan Hickman
Wasatch Academy | Committed to Kentucky
Langston Love
Montverde Academy | Committed to Baylor
Zach Clemence
Sunrise Christian Academy | Committed to Kansas

After attending the 2021 GEICO Nationals Tournament, Matt Babcock shares which players stood out to him.

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