Mocs

Today, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) announced their continued partnership in hosting the fifth&nbsp;annual Top 50 Basketball Camp. The camp will take place July 27&ndash;29 at Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. &nbsp; The best players from each conference will be featured at the camp in a model like the NBPA's Top 100 Camp. Players at the Top 50 Camp will participate in basketball skill training exercises and attend leadership and life development sessions off the court. &nbsp; "NBPA members have a true appreciation for HBCUs, and the Top 50 Camp is a great way for the NBPA to continue strengthening its connection with the HBCU community," said Purvis Short, the NBPA's Chief of Player Programs. "Our partnership with the SIAC and SWAC has given us a unique opportunity to host a productive learning experience for HBCU athletes to better themselves as men on and off the court." The camp also aims to cultivate and create coaching and talent pipelines for current and retired NBA players exploring the transition into careers in intercollegiate athletics. &nbsp; "The Southwestern Athletic Conference is elated to continue our partnership with the NBPA Top 50 Camp," said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland. "This partnership is an amazing opportunity for our student-athletes to participate in athletic and professional development initiatives that will positively impact them both on and off the court. This event has steadily grown and has quickly become a signature event that our student-athletes look forward to participating in on an annual basis." &nbsp; In addition to skill development and on-court drills, the camp will include a series of highly-competitive scrimmages and games, allowing the players to showcase their talent against the best of their neighboring conference. &nbsp; "I commend the NBPA for its commitment to HBCUs as The Top 50 Camp serves as a basketball combine for our student-athletes to showcase their talents while receiving instruction from current and former NBA players," said SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman. &nbsp; Camp participants from the SIAC include:
<table border="0" width="432" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">First Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Last Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">College or University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Aziel</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Blackwell</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kentucky State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Devin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Booker</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Eleik</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bowles</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Savannah State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Gregg</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Boyd II</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Steven</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dulley</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ashton</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Hawkins</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Spring Hill College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Martez</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jones</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Robert</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kendrick</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Fort Valley State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kong</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kong</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kentucky State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Myson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Lowe</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Fort Valley State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Steven</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Lyles</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Spring Hill College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Chris</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Martin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Clark Atlanta University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Joemel</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">McNair</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Morehouse College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jamir</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Moore</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Albany State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Sean</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Paige</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Central State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ayjay</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Plain</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Savannah State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Antwoin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Reed Jr</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Central State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kerry</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Richardson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Morehouse College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jordan</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Simpson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Albany State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Raevon</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Thomas</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Central State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Terin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Wofford</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Albany State University</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div>&nbsp; &nbsp; Camp participants from the SWAC include: &nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" width="432" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">First Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Last Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">College or University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Chase</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Adams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jaylen</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bates</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Florida A&amp;M University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Eric</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Coleman</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Zeke</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Cook</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State university</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dhashon</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dyson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bethune Cookman University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ken</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Evans Jr.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jeremiah</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Gambrell</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kolby</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Granger</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Texas Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Zion</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Harmon</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bethune Cookman University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">P. J.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Henry</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Texas Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Elijah</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Hulsewe</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bethune Cookman University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Byron</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Joshua</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jeremiah</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kendall</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">T. J.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Madlock</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Romelle</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Mansel</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kylen</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Milton</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">University of Arkansas Pine Bluff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Zytarious</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Mortle</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Texas Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Festus</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ndumanya</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Omari</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Peek</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dailin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Smith</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">D. K.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Thorn</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Cameron</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tucker</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ernest (EJ)</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Williams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Rashad</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Williams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">University of Arkansas Pine Bluff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Coltie</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Young</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

The NBPA, SIAC and SWAC will host the fifth annual Top 50 Basketball Camp from July 27-29 in Atlanta.

NBPA, SIAC and SWAC to host 5th annual Top 50 Basketball Camp

Here's the list of NCAA players who have as of April 6 filed for consideration as a candidate for the 2023 WNBA Draft

2023 WNBA Draft: Full list of prospects who have entered

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving hadn&rsquo;t arrived yet and Luka Doncic was out, so it was time for the Dallas youngsters to shine.
Josh Green and Jaden Hardy each scored career highs of 29 points and the short-handed Mavericks stunned the Utah Jazz 124-111 on Monday night after completing a trade for Irving.
&ldquo;Luka (and Irving) are going to have their amazing nights, but if we want to be a championship team it&rsquo;s about the rest of us being able to step up,&rdquo; Green said.
The Mavericks acquired the eight-time All-Star along with Markieff Morris from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
Irving and Morris arrived in Dallas on Monday to undergo physicals and were not available for the game. But their new team rallied behind Green, who averages 8.1 points, and Hardy, who scores 5.6 per game.
&ldquo;We believed we could win this from before the game even started,&rdquo; Hardy said. &ldquo;The Jazz didn&rsquo;t seem like they were taking it seriously. They came out late before the game to warm up, all nonchalant.&rdquo;
When Green was on the court, the Mavericks outscored the Jazz by an astonishing 39 points and won their first game in eight tries without Doncic, their leading scorer with 33.4 points a game.
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&ldquo;The guys believed and Josh set the tone,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;He understands how to play and he&rsquo;s not afraid of the moment.&rdquo;
Doncic (heel bruise) missed his third game in 10 days. The Jazz beat the Mavs 108-100 on Jan. 28, when the Slovenian star was out with a sprained ankle. This time the Mavericks bested the Jazz in nearly hustle category, including a 49-37 advantage on the boards.
&ldquo;It was exemplified when (5-foot-11) McKinley Wright was boxing out (Utah&rsquo;s 7-foot-1 Walker) Kessler. The physicality for us tonight was high, no matter how small we were out there,&rdquo; Kidd said.
After scoring 12 total points over six games, Hardy broke out for his career night and Dwight Powell added 12 points and a career-best 16 rebounds.
&ldquo;It was super fun,&rdquo; Hardy said twice with a smile that didn&rsquo;t leave his face for a long while.
Jordan Clarkson paced Utah with 26 points on 7-for-19 shooting and Lauri Markkanen added 19 &mdash; the first time he has failed to reach 20 points in the last 21 games.
&ldquo;They played better than us. They played harder than us. Give credit to them, but I don&rsquo;t think we were ready to play,&rdquo; Markkanen said.
The Jazz are now 7-5 on a stretch where they&rsquo;re playing 11 of 13 games at home, when they hoped to gain ground on teams like Dallas, but are now two games behind the Mavs.
The Jazz struggle when their 3s aren&rsquo;t falling and they often fail to get back on defense. The upstart Mavs led the Jazz 27-4 on fast break points.
&ldquo;This is the first game all season where I just feel disappointed in our focus,&rdquo; Utah coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;We just did not have the necessary focus and attention to the little things. They had 27 points in transition and 24 second-chance points and that&rsquo;s how we lost the game.&rdquo;
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As could be expected with different rotations and the end of the bench getting significant minutes, the Mavericks looked out of sync at times. But they started running at every opportunity and went on a 23-6 run bridging the second and third quarters to take a 75-66 lead.
The Jazz trimmed the lead to a single possession in the fourth quarter but could never catch the Mavs.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Wright finished his first start with a career-high 10 points. &hellip; Davis Bertans (left calf strain) and Maxi Kleber (right hamstring tear) were out. &hellip; Dallas outscored Utah on second-chance points, 24-12
Jazz: Jarred Vanderbilt, the subject of persistent trade rumors, missed his second game with back spasms. &hellip; Mike Conley, who had a game-high 11 assists, turned his ankle in the fourth quarter but continued to play after a timeout. &hellip; Utah went 6 of 31 from 3-point range but had a 62-42 edge in the paint.
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Josh Green and Jaden Hardy each scored career-highs of 29 points and the short-handed Mavericks stunned the Utah Jazz 124-111.

Green, Hardy help Mavs surprise Jazz 124-111 without Doncic

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Clemson wasn&rsquo;t able to escape on the road this time.
Makai Ashton-Langford had two key driving baskets in the closing two minutes and finished with 15 points to help Boston College beat the 20th-ranked Tigers 62-54 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t get my guys under control. I couldn&rsquo;t get them to relax. That&rsquo;s my fault,&rdquo; Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. &ldquo;For whatever reason, we just didn&rsquo;t do a good job tonight. I didn&rsquo;t do a good job as a coach.&rdquo;
On Saturday, Clemson escaped with an 82-81 victory at Florida State.
Jaeden Zackery added 13 points for the Eagles (11-12, 5-7 Atlantic Coast Conference). BC held Clemson to one meaningful field goal &mdash; and that came with 18 seconds left &mdash; in the final 13:16.
Hunter Tyson led Clemson (18-5, 10-2) with 22 points and Chase Hunter had 12. The Tigers fell into a tie in the loss column atop the ACC with No. 6 Virginia (9-2 ACC).
&ldquo;It was one of those nights where the other team played better than we did,&rdquo; Brownell said. &ldquo;We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds. We didn&rsquo;t share the ball much. When we got behind, we kind of panicked and hoped Chase and Hunter would bail us out. That&rsquo;s poor coaching.&rdquo;
The Eagles used a 5-0 spurt &mdash; with T.J. Bickerstaff hitting a free throw and getting a driving layup &mdash; to pull ahead 50-45 with just over five minutes to play.
Clemson sliced it to 50-47 before Aston-Langford made his two big baskets. He followed that by making two free throws with 32 seconds left.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s just about digging deep honestly,&rdquo; Zackery said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just all it was. We&rsquo;ve been kind of talking about it all season that we&rsquo;ve just got to come out and grind.&rdquo;
Trailing by 10 midway into the second half, the Tigers went on a 10-0 spree, tying it at 45 when RJ Godfrey hit both ends of a 1-and-1.
The Eagles had opened a double-digit lead twice in the opening six minutes of the second half, the later 45-35 on Prince Aligbe&rsquo;s foul-line jumper with 14:12 to play.
BIG PICTURE
Clemson: Off to a solid start in conference play, the Tigers were tested on the road for the second straight game after edging Florida State. It hasn&rsquo;t been easy for them away from home with a 4-3 record and with three away matchups against North Carolina, North Carolina State and Virginia to go, they&rsquo;ll need to get it straightened out of they&rsquo;re going to win the ACC regular-season title.
Boston College: The Eagles proved when they play defense that they&rsquo;re a tough out in coach Earl Grant&rsquo;s second season. A little more offense could make them very dangerous for top ACC teams to play.
&ldquo;I just tell the guys that we&rsquo;re just trying to build something,&rdquo; Grant said of his team&rsquo;s defense down the stretch. &ldquo;You are what you repeatedly do. You build habits.&rdquo;
ARRIVING LATE
In the first half, Clemson&rsquo;s man-to-man defense smothered the Eagles&rsquo; offense for the opening 10 minutes, holding them in single digits in scoring until just about the same time the student section finished filling up late, bringing some energy to a very quiet building.
BC&rsquo;s players then responded, closing the half with a 22-4 spree that turned an 11-point deficit to a 30-23 halftime edge.
SIDELINED
Both teams were missing key players. Guard Brevin Galloway, Clemson&rsquo;s fourth leading scorer at 10.6 points per game, was sidelined with an abdominal injury. For BC, guard DeMarr Langford Jr., who logs big minutes at the point, was out with a knee injury.
UP NEXT
Clemson: Hosts No. 23 Miami on Saturday.
Boston College: Hosts Syracuse on Saturday.

Makai Ashton-Langford had two key driving baskets in the closing two minutes and finished with 15 points to help Boston College win.

BC beats No. 20 Clemson 62-54; Tigers’ lead sliced atop ACC

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Grant Sherfield scored a season-high 30 points, and Oklahoma beat No. 2 Alabama 93-69 on Saturday in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge to end the Crimson Tide&rsquo;s nine-win streak.
Jalen Hill added a career-high 26 points, helping second-year Oklahoma coach Porter Moser to his biggest win with the program. Tanner Groves had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
The Sooners (12-9) had lost three straight, but against the Crimson Tide shot 58% from the field.
Rylan Griffen led Alabama (18-3) with 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Brandon Miller, who came in averaging 19.5 points per game, finished with 11.
NO. 3 HOUSTON 75, CINCINNATI 69
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Jarace Walker had a career-high 25 points and seven rebounds, and Houston rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat Cincinnati.
Walker, who scored 13 points in the second half, was 10 of 14 from the field. J&rsquo;Wan Roberts added 14 points and six rebounds, and Jamal Shead scored 13 points for Houston (20-2, 8-1 American Athletic Conference).
Houston has won at least 20 games in eight straight seasons under coach Kelvin Sampson.
Landers Nolley II had 24 points, including 6 3-pointers. Vicktor Lakhin added 15 points, and David DeJulius had 14 points and nine assists for Cincinnati (14-8, 5-4).&nbsp;
NO. 4 TENNESSEE 82, NO. 10 TEXAS 71
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Olivier Nkamhoua scored 27 points and Zakai Zeigler had 22 points and 10 assists to lead Tennessee over Texas in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Josiah-Jordan James added 14 and Santiago Vescovi had 12 for Tennessee (18-3), which led by as many as 22 midway through the second half.
Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice scored 21 to lead Texas (17-4). Marcus Carr and Brock Cunningham finished with 11 each.
NO. 5 KANSAS STATE 64, FLORIDA 50
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Keyontae Johnson had 13 points and 11 rebounds against his former team, Markquis Nowell flirted with the first triple-double in Kanas State history, and the Wildcats beat Florida in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Nowell finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Nae&rsquo;Qwan Tomlin also had 11 points. The Wildcats improved to 18-3 to match the 1972-73 team for the best start through 21 games in school history.
Johnson struggled from the field, going just 5 of 16 and even getting stuffed by the front of the rim during a windmill dunk on a second-half fast break. But it was nevertheless a special night for the senior forward, who collapsed on the Gators&rsquo; sideline due to a heart condition during a game against Florida State just over two years ago.
Colin Castleton scored 13 points for the Gators (12-9). Myreon Jones and Will Richard had 11 apiece.
NO. 6 ARIZONA 95, WASHINGTON 72
SEATTLE (AP) &mdash; Azuolas Tubelis had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Oumar Ballo added 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Arizona used a big second-half run to pull away to win its fourth straight.
Tubelis topped 20 points for the first time in five games and his rebound putback while being fouled with 4:29 remaining gave the Wildcats a 78-63 lead and sent Washington fans headed for the exits.
Kerr Kriisa added 18 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and Courtney Ramey scored 14 for the Wildcats (19-3, 8-3 Pac-12).
Keion Brooks Jr. led Washington with 25 points and Keyon Menifield added 21. But the Huskies (13-10, 5-7) suffered from too many scoring droughts and didn&rsquo;t have an answer for Arizona&rsquo;s 19-1 run in the early stages of the second half.
NO. 7 VIRGINIA 76, BOSTON COLLEGE 57
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Armaan Franklin and Jayden Gardner scored 18 points each and Virginia used a big first-half run to take control over Boston College for its sixth straight victory.
The Cavaliers (16-3, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed 18-15 before starting an 18-4 run over the next 11 minutes. Virginia put the game away with a 16-4 second-half spurt.
Quinten Post scored 24 to lead the Eagles (10-12, 4-7) and Makai Ashton-Langford added 12 points.
Virginia&rsquo;s Isaac McKneely finished with 12 points and Reece Beekman had 11 and eight assists.
NO. 9 KANSAS 77, KENTUCKY 68
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Wilson scored 22 points, including one in a series of huge 3-pointers down the stretch, and Kansas avoided its first four-game losing streak under coach Bill Self.
Wilson made 9 of 18 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds for Kansas (17-4), which finished even with Kentucky at 49% shooting. K.J. Adams Jr. added 17 points, Dick had 13 and McCullar 11 with 12 rebounds as the Jayhawks edged Kentucky 34-29 on the glass.
Oscar Tshiebwe had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Jacob Toppin and Cason Wallace each added 14 for Kentucky (14-7), which had won its previous four.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 81, NO. 11 TCU 74, OT
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Tolu Smith had 27 points, 13 rebounds and five assists to lead Mississippi State to an overtime victory.
Dashawn Davis added 16 points to help Mississippi State (13-8) snap a five-game losing streak. Shakeel Moore had 11, including six in overtime, while Cameron Matthews had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Tyler Stevenson also added 10 points off the Bulldogs&rsquo; bench.
Damion Baugh led TCU (16-5) with 19 points and Emanuel Miller had 13. Shahada Wells and Jakobe Coles each had 12 for the Horned Frogs and Chuck O&rsquo;Bannon had 10.
Davis&rsquo; 3 pointer with 55 seconds left in the second half gave the Bulldogs a 66-64 advantage. Emanuel Miller scored with 32 seconds remaining and then both teams missed chances to win in regulation.
MISSOURI 78, NO. 12 IOWA STATE 61
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) &mdash; Kobe Brown scored 20 points, and D&rsquo;Moi Hodge scored 17 points to help Missouri take down Iowa State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Brown scored 14 of his points in the first half and led Missouri (16-5) with 12 rebounds. Nick Honor added 12 points and DeAndre Gholston scored 10.
Jaren Holmes led Iowa State (15-5) with 19 points, and Gabe Kalscheur added 14.
The Tigers&rsquo; 78 points were a season-high for an Iowa State opponent in regulation; the Cyclones are 0-3 this season when allowing at least 70 points in regulation.
CREIGHTON 84, NO. 13 XAVIER 67
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Arthur Kamula scored 20 points, Creighton&rsquo;s four other starters finished in double-figures and the Bluejays earned their fourth straight Big East win.
Creighton (13-8, 7-3) steadily built a double-digit lead throughout the game and made 34 of its 60 field goal attempts (56.7%) before a sold-out crowd.
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 17 points, Baylor Scheierman had 14, Trey Alexander finished with 13 and Ryan Nembhard added 11 for the Bluejays, who avenged a 90-87 loss at Xavier on Jan. 11.
Zach Freemantle led Xavier (17-5, 9-2) with 18 points, followed by Colby Jones and Adam Kunkel with 13.
NO. 14 GONZAGA 82, PORTLAND 67
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Julian Strawther had a career-high 40 points, including eight 3-pointers, and Gonzaga pulled away down the stretch for its 16th consecutive victory over Portland.
Anton Watson added 17 points for Gonzaga (18-4, 7-1 West Coast Conference).
Strawther is the first player to reach 40 points for the Zags since Kyle Wiltjer had 45 against Pacific in 2016.
Portland (11-13, 3-5) was led by Moses Wood with 19 points. Juan Sebastian Gorosito, a freshman, finished with a career-high 17 points.
WEST VIRGINIA 80, NO. 15 AUBURN 77
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) &mdash; Erik Stevenson scored a career-high 31 points and West Virginia withstood a furious late rally from Auburn to win an SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchup.
The Mountaineers (13-8) have won two straight for the first time in a month. Jimmy Bell Jr. added 15 points for the Mountaineers.
Charles Barkley cheered on his alma mater from a courtside seat, but Auburn (16-5) couldn&rsquo;t overcome another slow start. The Tigers have lost two straight for the first time in two years.
Jaylin Williams led Auburn with 18 points. Johni Broome added 15 and Allen Flanigan scored 13.
NO. 16 MARQUETTE 89, DEPAUL 69
CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; David Joplin went 8 for 11 from 3-point range for a career-high 28 points, Tyler Kolek had 24 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds, and Marquette defeated DePaul.
Marquette has won eight of its last nine games, and moved into a tie with No. 13 Xavier atop the Big East.
Marquette (17-5, 9-2) pulled away in the second half. Oso Ighodaro had 10 points, making all five of his shots, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 13 and had 8 rebounds.
Umoja Gibson scored 25 points for DePaul (9-13, 3-8) on 8-of-12 shooting.
NO. 17 BAYLOR 67, ARKANSAS 64
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Keyonte George scored 24 points, including seven in a row down the stretch, and Baylor beat Arkansas in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Baylor (16-5) fell behind by as many as eight points in the second half after an early 11-point lead. But the Bears closed it out after Flo Thamba made two free throws for a 55-53 lead with 3:37 left.
LJ Cryer added 20 points and Jalen Bridges had 10 for the Bears, who won their sixth game in a row despite shooting a 34% (20 of 59) from the field. They offset the season-worst shooting from the field by making 21 of 24 free throws, including two by Cryer with 10 seconds left and two by George with 4.3 seconds remaining.
Ricky Council IV scored 25 points for Arkansas (14-7). Davonte Davis had 16 points, but missed the front end of a 1-plus-1 with 2.3 seconds left, though Joseph Pinion got the ball in the right corner only to miss wildly on a 3-pointer as time ran out.
HOFSTRA 85, NO. 18 COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 81
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Aaron Estrada scored 25 points and Darlinstone Dubar added 18 as Hofstra ended College of Charleston&rsquo;s 20-game winning streak.
The Pride (15-8, 8-2 Colonial Athletic Association) were down 28-20 early before rallying past the Cougars (21-2, 9-1), who had not lost since falling to then-No. 1 North Carolina on Nov. 11.
Tyler Thomas had 17 points and eight rebounds for Hofstra.
Ante Brzovic finished with 18 points to lead Charleston.
PITTSBURGH 71, NO. 20 MIAMI 68
PITTSBURGH (AP) &mdash; Blake Hinson tipped in a Jamarius Burton miss with 31 seconds remaining and Pittsburgh rallied past Miami.
The Panthers (15-7, 8-3 ACC) held the Hurricanes (16-5, 7-4) scoreless over the final 2:26 while closing on an 11-0 run to beat a ranked team for the third time this season to bolster its increasingly impressive NCAA tournament resume.
Hinson finished with 21 points for Pitt. Burton had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Panthers stunned Miami in front of a rare sell-out crowd at the Petersen Events Center.
Jordan Miller led the Hurricanes with 18 points. Isaiah Wong added 14 but Miami committed three of its 12 turnovers in the final 35 seconds as the Panthers stormed back.
NO. 21 FAU 70, W. KENTUCKY 63
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Weatherspoon scored 14 points and Florida Atlantic remained undefeated at home.
The victory extended FAU&rsquo;s winning streak to a program-record 20 games, which is now the nation&rsquo;s longest. The Owls&rsquo; 21 victories on the season ties their Division I record set in 2010-11. Western Kentucky (11-11, 3-8 Conference USA) has lost five straight.
Alijah Martin scored eight while grabbing seven rebounds for the Owls (21-1, 11-0).
Jordan Rawls led all scorers with 17 for W. Kentucky. Dayvion McKnight and Emmanuel Akot each had 16.
NO. 22 SAINT MARY&rsquo;S (CAL) 57, BYU 56
PROVO, Utah (AP) &mdash; Logan Johnson had 14 points and freshman Aidan Mahaney scored all 10 of his points, including a fade-away jumper just before the buzzer, in the second half and Saint Mary&rsquo;s (Cal) won its 10th in a row.
Mitchell Saxen had 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks for Saint Mary&rsquo;s (19-4, 8-0 West Coast Conference). Alex Ducas scored 12 points and Augustas Marciulionis added 10.
Dallin Hall was fouled on a driving lay-up attempt with 10.2 seconds left and made 1-of-2 free throws to give BYU a 56-55 lead but Mahaney took the inbounds pass, probed the defense before he drove the lane, stopped near the right block and pivoted away from the basket before hitting the winning jumper over the out-stretched arm of defender Fousseyni Traore.
Hall scored a career-high 23 points on 9 of 14 shooting but made just 3 of 6 from the free-throw line for BYU (14-10, 4-5). Fousseyni Traore added 11 points and eight rebounds.
NO. 24 CLEMSON 82, FLORIDA STATE 81
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Chase Hunter drove the lane and drew a foul, sinking the free throw, to help Clemson escape with a win over Florida State.
Hunter Tyson scored 27 points on 10 of 17 shooting for Clemson (18-4, 10-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which halted an eight-game road losing streak to Florida State. Hunter finished with 25.
Matthew Cleveland scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half for Florida State (7-15, 5-6), which made a season-high 13 3-pointers. Caleb Mills and Darin Green Jr. each hit four 3-pointers for the Seminoles. Freshman forward Baba Miller had his best game, scoring 11 points and pulling down four rebounds in 20 minutes.

A recap of Saturday's action in men's college hoops includes five upsets in the AP top 15.

Oklahoma's rout of No. 2 Alabama one of many top-15 upsets on Saturday

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Makai Ashton-Langford had 21 points and seven rebounds, hitting a 3-pointer with 36 seconds left in overtime to clinch a win Wednesday night for Boston College over No. 21 Virginia Tech 70-65.
Devin McGlockton added 18 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles (7-6, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have won back-to-back games to snap a four-game losing streak. It was Boston College&rsquo;s first win over a ranked team since 2020, making it the first for second-year coach Earl Grant.
Sean Pedulla and Justyn Mutts had 18 points apiece for Virginia Tech (11-2, 1-1), which had won six in a row.
NO. 1 PURDUE 74, NEW ORLEANS 53
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Redshirt freshman Trey Kaufman-Renn scored a season-best 24 points to lead Purdue past New Orleans.
Kaufman-Renn hit 8 of 10 shots and 8 of 10 free throws for the Boilermakers (12-0). The only other Boilermaker in double figures was Mason Gillis with 11 points.
The Boilermakers played without 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, who was sidelined by illness.
Jordan Johnson scored 17 points to lead the Privateers (3-8), who have lost five of their last six games. Tyson Jackson had 14 for New Orleans.
NO. 3 HOUSTON 83, MCNEESE ST. 44
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Ja&rsquo;Vier Francis scored a career-high 23 points and had 13 rebounds as Houston routed McNeese State.
Emanuel Sharp added 18 points while going 6 of 9 on 3-pointers for the Cougars (12-1), and Marcus Sasser hit 5 of 10 from long range and scored 17 points. The pair combined to shoot 9 of 14 on 3s in the first half.
Roberts Berze scored 13 points and Christian Shumate added 10 for McNeese State (3-10). The Cowboys lost their fourth straight game.
NO. 7 TEXAS 100, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 72
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Freshman Arterio Morris scored a season-best 25 points in just 18 minutes in Texas&rsquo; victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.
Timmy Allen and Marcus Carr scored 17 apiece for the Longhorns (10-1), whose 100 points were a season-high and their most since a 105-59 victory against Northwestern State on Nov. 10, 2017.
Jordan Brown, a 6-foot-11 forward, led Louisiana-Lafayette (10-2) with 20 points.
NO. 8 TENNESSEE 86, AUSTIN PEAY 44
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Olivier Nkamhoua scored 20 points to lead Tennessee to a victory over Austin Peay.
Santiago Vescovi had 18 points, shooting 5 for 5 on 3-pointers, and Jonas Aidoo set a career high with 10 points and matched his career best with nine rebounds as the Volunteers (10-2) cruised in their final tune-up before the start of Southeastern Conference play next week.
The Governors (6-7) were led by Sean Durugordon and Elijah Hutchins-Everett with 11 points each.
NO. 10 ARKANSAS 85, UNC-ASHEVILLE 51
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Graham scored a season-high 16 points and Arkansas breezed past UNC-Asheville.
Graham, who hadn&rsquo;t played more than 11 minutes in a game this season, logged 19 minutes and shot 8 of 10 from the field as the Razorbacks (11-1) shot 53.3% overall.
Arkansas was missing standout freshman Nick Smith Jr.
Taijon Jones led UNC-Asheville (8-5) with 14 points and Jamon Battle scored 10.
NO. 13 UCLA 81, UC DAVIS 54
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Clark had 18 points and 11 rebounds as UCLA returned from a productive East Coast trip to earn a victory over UC Davis.
Tyger Campbell scored 17 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 14 as the Bruins (11-2) won their eighth consecutive game.
Elijah Pepper scored 16 points for the Aggies (7-5), just under his 20-point average per game. Robby Beasley added 14 points and Ty Johnson had 13 points for UC Davis.
NO. 19 KENTUCKY 88, FLORIDA A&amp;M 68
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Cason Wallace scored a career-high 27 points to help Kentucky beat Florida A&amp;M.
Wallace scored the first seven points of the second half for the Wildcats (8-3) as they took a 69-48 lead. The Rattlers (2-8) answered with a 14-0 run, cutting the deficit to seven points on Jaylen Bates&rsquo; 3-pointer. Wallace steadied Kentucky with a jumper and an assist on Antonio Reeves&rsquo; dunk.
Bates led the Rattlers with 21 points and Dimingus Stevens added 13 points.
NO. 20 TCU 75, UTAH 71
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Emanuel Miller had 21 points and seven rebounds and TCU beat Utah.
Mike Miles added 18 points for the Horned Frogs (10-1), and center Eddie Lampkin had 10 rebounds in his return from a back injury.
Gabe Madsen made seven 3-pointers and scored 26 points &mdash; both career highs &mdash; for Utah (9-4). Marco Anthony added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Branden Carlson had 14 points and eight rebounds. The Utes have lost two in a row.
NO. 23 AUBURN 84, WASHINGTON 61
SEATTLE (AP) &mdash; Jaylin Williams scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half, Johni Broome also scored 18, and Auburn ran away in the second half for a win over Washington.
Chris Moore added 12 points and Wendell Green Jr. added 11 for Auburn (10-2), which shot 21 of 29 (72.4%) in the second half and led by as many as 27.
Keion Brooks Jr. led Washington (9-4) with 15 points and Koren Johnson scored 12.
SAN FRANCISCO 97, NO. 25 ARIZONA ST. 60
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Khalil Shabazz scored 26 points and San Francisco routed Arizona State to end the Sun Devils&rsquo; nine game winning streak.
The Sun Devils had entered the AP Top 25 poll on Monday for the first time since their No. 23 ranking on Dec. 7, 2020.
The Dons opened the game on a 24-2 run, had a 27-point advantage at the break and a 47-point lead with about six minutes left.
Isaiah Hawthorne added 19 points for San Francisco (10-4). Tyrell Roberts scored 14 points.
DJ Horne and Duke Brennan scored 12 points apiece for Arizona State (11-2).

A recap of Wednesday night's men's college basketball slate includes the upset-minded Eagles taking down the Hokies.

Boston College beats No. 21 Virginia Tech 70-65 in overtime

Two numbers supersede any statistics surrounding Klay Thompson's journey to the 2022 NBA Finals.
The first is 1,086 &mdash; the total days since Thompson last appeared in a Finals game. In that time, he tore an ACL and an Achilles tendon, missed two full seasons of professional basketball, returned to the Golden State Warriors and rejoined the starting lineup on another hunt for glory.&nbsp;
The second number is 6. Barring those two lost years, and despite a daunting road to recovery, Klay will appear in his sixth consecutive NBA Finals as a healthy player. We can debate the semantics of the streak, but I'd argue that Thompson's remarkable comeback makes his return as impressive as any of the 10 players in NBA history to make six or more straight title appearances.
Put bluntly: Klay is not supposed to be here. But the 32-year-old sharpshooter has overcome the odds and is once again the core of a potential Warriors championship. But it's been essentially three long years since Thompson shot that solemn free throw before hobbling off the court in Game 6 against the Toronto Raptors. Who is 2022 Klay, how is he similar or different from past years and how can he help assert the return of a Golden State dynasty?
Well, for those who haven't kept up with his performance all season &mdash; or for Boston Celtics fans &mdash; I suggest you prepare yourselves for the same Klay we've always known on offense.
Thompson struggled out of the gate in the regular season. He shot 38.5% from three-point range, which, while impressive on its own, is remarkably a career-low. He canned just 36.7% of his catch-and-shoot threes, the first time ever that he fell under 40%. But Thompson's slump was simply a slump, compounded by his ramping up from injuries and the absence of Stephen Curry due to his own ankle injury.&nbsp;
Since the playoffs began, the veteran is back up to a 39.9% clip from beyond the arc and 43.0% on catch-and-shoot treys. He's flying around screens in classic Klay fashion. According to Synergy, approximately 21.6% of Thompson's possessions this postseason have come off screens, more than any major rotation player in the playoffs. His mark of 1.17 points per possession ranks third behind Devin Booker and Davis Bertans.
One minor, interesting note: Thompson continues to struggle shooting from the corners. He made just 36% of his regular-season attempts, per Cleaning the Glass, and has fallen further to just 29% in the playoffs. Both are career lows. Obviously, this does not mean the Celtics should start sagging off Thompson or treating him any differently than they should treat an all-time great marksman. It's just a trend worth monitoring.
Thompson will keep on trucking from long range. However, there's one other notable change happening inside the arc that I wanted to explore. This is Thompson's shot chart from the 2021-22 playoffs to date, courtesy of Cleaning the Glass:
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-06-02-at-10-58-31-am_690w.png" alt="" width="345" height="327" />
Now, let's compare this to a shot chart from the 2018-19 postseason:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-06-02-at-10-59-41-am_690w.png" alt="" width="322" height="304" />
At first glance, these probably look pretty similar. It appears Thompson's threes are coming from all over this season, whereas three years ago, he largely shot from the wings. But more importantly, I'm focused on the change in frequency at the elbows. Thompson isn't shooting those nearly as much this year, and instead has an even stronger presence on the baseline. This will look more pronounced in a table (scroll right to view in full on mobile):
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Year</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Short-MR Freq. (Reg. Season)</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Short-MR Freq. (Playoffs)</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Long-MR Freq. (Reg. Season)</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">Long-MR Freq. (Playoffs)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2015-16</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">15%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">14%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">18%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2016-17</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">12%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">13%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">24%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">26%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2017-18</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">12%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">11%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">31%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">30%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2018-19</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">15%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">17%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">27%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">2021-22</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">19%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">24%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">20%</td>
<td style="width: 18.174771540469976%;">12%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Thompson's frequencies of shot attempts in the short-mid-range area (which would include those baseline attempts) are the highest they've been since 2013-14. Meanwhile, we're seeing a meaningful decline in those elbow attempts and long mid-range looks. It's not a direct correlation; an astonishing 50% of Thompson's shots have been threes (and 52% in the playoffs), meaning he's stretch some of the twos out to the arc. But some have also crept in toward the basket and the baseline.
One plausible theory is that the elbow area has been soaked up by presence of Andrew Wiggins. It's probably partially true, but Wiggins has removed most of those long twos from his arsenal. Thompson has also simply been extremely comfortable attacking closeouts from the corner.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/nz4ks5" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Thompson is a strong dude. He might not seek out contact like most scoring guards, but the 32-year-old can deal with opponents in his way. In several of these clips, he's actually using a bump to create a rhythm and generate some extra space. Thompson expertly darts off of the corner. He doesn't charge downhill, but instead takes a dribble or two to probe, position a defender and rise up.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/z3mbnu" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Sometimes, though less frequently, Thompson digs into his bag of post footwork. When he finds a size mismatch, the shooting guard can quickly establish positioning and fade away. That second clip is particularly impressive given Dorian Finney-Smith's size and length.
So, we arrive at this Finals matchup against the Celtics. Obviously, Golden State will look to get Thompson firing away from long range and maximize what he can do away from the ball. However, I'll also be intrigued by what the veteran can do in these sorts of situations.
Our Nekias Duncan expects Jaylen Brown to be the primary defender on Thompson to start the series. (Please prepare yourself by reading his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-finals-scouting-report-how-the-celtics-and-warriors-matchup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scouting report</a>; it also touches on Thompson's defense that I didn't get into here.)
That's an interesting matchup in this context. Can Thompson create the necessary separation against Brown for these types of shots, and is Brown up to the task defending them? Thompson should also find extra chances to use his size as the teams mix and match their lineups. If Thompson finds Derrick White or Payton Pritchard on him, for example, I wouldn't be surprised to see him try to take advantage.
One last point to monitor: Joe Viray, writer for SB Nation's Golden State of Mind, also wrote a phenomenal <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2022/5/30/23147089/nba-finals-warriors-celtics-series-preview-deep-dive-steph-curry-jayson-tatum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">series preview.</a>&nbsp;Viray mentioned that the Celtics allowed the most long twos of any NBA team in the regular season, sacrificing that zone to keep teams out of the paint and inside the three-point line. Boston will assuredly try for a similar pattern in the Finals. Does this mean we see more of Thompson attacking and a subsequent rise in more short and long mid-range shots?
We'll find out in a few short hours.
The Klay Thompson we've always known is about to make a spectacular Finals comeback with some additional tweaks to his offensive game. I simply cannot wait to watch him back out there.
THE OUTLIERS (a.k.a. other random interesting numbers I found in the void):
<ul>
<li>Another significant note from Nekias' <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-finals-scouting-report-how-the-celtics-and-warriors-matchup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">breakdown</a>: No team switched more off-ball screens per 100 possessions than the Celtics at 15.2. That battle between Golden State's movers and Boston's defenders will be a series-defining storyline.</li>
<li>One of the most important NBA streaks stays alive. Someone who played for the New York Knicks at one point in his career has now appeared in every single NBA Finals. Thank you Luke Kornet!</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Luke Kornet keeps one of the league&rsquo;s most amazing streaks alive by advancing to the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics. A former New York Knick has now appeared in 76 straight finals 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/Zy3Rd50ozj">pic.twitter.com/Zy3Rd50ozj</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1531285872297005058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

<ul>
<li>On a completely different note, someone please wear No. 29!</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
For the 4th straight year, nobody wore #29 in the NBA this season. <a href="https://t.co/57kH9vyqC1">pic.twitter.com/57kH9vyqC1</a>
&mdash; Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrumpledJumper/status/1530956383222435841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Klay Thompson makes a long-awaited return to the NBA Finals, where his road to injury recovery began in 2019.

NBA Stats Notebook: Klay Thompson is back, but what does that look like?

Jackson Frank breaks down the film and collaborates with Nekias Duncan and Mark Schindler to pick the 2021-22 All-NBA teams.

2021-22 All-NBA Teams: Praising this season's 15 best players

Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot and the new Flow blockchain, today announced that it has closed $305 million in new funding led by Coatue. 
The company received support from NBA legend Michael Jordan as well as current players and funds including Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Khris Middleton, Domantas Sabonis, Nikola Vucevic, Andre Iguodala, Kyle Lowry, Spencer Dinwiddie, Andre Drummond, Alex Caruso, Michael Carter-Williams, Josh Hart, Udonis Haslem, JaVale McGee, Thad Young, and Richard Seymour&rsquo;s 93 Ventures, as well as entertainment and music heavyweights including Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary's Sound Ventures, Will Smith and Keisuke Honda's Dreamers VC, Shawn Mendes and Andrew Gertler's AG Ventures, Shay Mitchell, and 2 Chainz. Other strategics participating include a16z, The Chernin Group, USV, Version One, and Venrock.
Additional investors in the round include: MLB players like Tim Beckham and Nolan Arenado; NFL players: Ken Crawley, Thomas Davis, Stefon Diggs, Dee Ford, Malcom Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Jordan Matthew, Devin McCourty, Jason McCourty, DK Metcalf, Tyrod Taylor, and Trent Williams; team ownership including Vivek Ranadive (Kings), and notable sports investors Bolt Ventures. This round of financing brings the total capital raised by the company to $357M.&nbsp;
The funds will be used to scale the Dapper Labs team to continue building out the NBA Top Shot vision, expanding the platform to other sports, gaming and entertainment experiences, and helping a new generation of creators develop engaging experiences using blockchain technology including NFTs. Dapper Labs will open its platform to other creators, brands and developers.&nbsp;
Dapper Labs&rsquo; NBA Top Shot is one of the world&rsquo;s fastest-growing marketplaces, with nearly $500 million in sales, more than 800,000 registered accounts, more than 338,000 customers with at least one NFT, and over 3 million transactions, less than five months into its open beta.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;NBA Top Shot is successful because it taps into basketball fandom &ndash; it&rsquo;s a new and more exciting way for people to connect with their favorite teams and players,&rdquo; said Roham Gharegozlou, CEO of Dapper Labs. &ldquo;We want to bring the same magic to other sports leagues as well as help other entertainment studios and independent creators find their own approaches in exploring open platforms. NFTs unlock a new model for monetization that benefits the fans much more than advertising or sponsorships.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;NBA Top Shot is one of the best demonstrations we&rsquo;ve seen of how quickly new technology can change the landscape for media and sports fans,&rdquo; said Kevin Durant, Co-Founder of Thirty Five Ventures. "We're excited to follow the progress with everything happening on Flow blockchain and use our platform with the Boardroom to connect with fans in a new way."
The success of NBA Top Shot also provides a proof point that Flow, the blockchain built to handle mainstream consumer applications at scale, can support mass adoption, which is something that separates it from its blockchain predecessors. In addition to supporting scalability, payment solutions on Flow provide a much needed ease of use for credit cards as well as cryptocurrency, and can keep customers safe from the fraud or theft common in cryptocurrency systems. Flow enables NFT marketplaces and other decentralized applications that need to scale to handle mainstream demand without extremely high transaction costs (&ldquo;gas fees&rdquo;) or environmental concerns.&nbsp;
&ldquo;NFTs are the first time anyone can create unique digital items that can live forever and be portable across different products anywhere the customer wants &ndash;&ndash; simple but game-changing,&rdquo; said Dieter Shirely, CTO of Dapper Labs and the author of the first non fungible token standard on which CryptoKitties was based. &ldquo;NFTs let people have real ownership in games and digital worlds for the first time. On a blockchain like Flow, NFTs can rewire the internet for the better.&rdquo;
Joining the NBA, other cultural leaders currently building experiences on Flow include Warner Music Group, Ubisoft, Warner Media, and the UFC, as well as thousands of third party developers, artists, and other creators. Products already live on Flow mainnet include Viv3, an art marketplace where visual artist Ben Mauro instantly sold out of $2 million in collectible cards; Blocto, a leading non-custodial wallet solution; and MotoGP, which held its first sold out drop last week.&nbsp;

Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant and many other athletes are investing in Dapper Labs, which is the company behind NBA Top Shot.

Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, others invest $305M in NBA Top Shot company

Each day, BasketballNews.com scours #NBATwitter to bring you the best tweets from the previous day. Some are insightful, some are just hilarious (so we had to include them).
Without further ado, here are the tweets of the day for February 12, 2021.
What Holiday Is This Again? 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Me helping my friends plan our their Valentine's Days <a href="https://t.co/wD5UziWlOv">pic.twitter.com/wD5UziWlOv</a>
&mdash; NBA Girl (@NiceSheehan) <a href="https://twitter.com/NiceSheehan/status/1359917672985743366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
You know what my big plans are for this weekend? Watching a 10-game slate of NBA hoops on the first Sunday without football, and I'm just fine with it!
You Make Me Smile 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
all i want for valentines day is for someone to look at me the way stanley looks at pascal. <a href="https://t.co/KCMjVc6AfQ">pic.twitter.com/KCMjVc6AfQ</a>
&mdash; din (@klooowry) <a href="https://twitter.com/klooowry/status/1360039027768983553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Stanley Johnson's expression towards an unassuming Pascal Siakam is reminiscent of all the girls in Ms. Vaughn's third-grade class <a href="https://youtu.be/RI4ptg7BlvU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being smitten over Billy Madison</a>. Alright, got that reference in there -- enough of this V-Day stuff...
Chilly Lilly 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
It stopped snowing in Portland but....Dame must not have gotten the memo because....he&rsquo;s....ice cold? Or no because the Sixers are facing some....inclement weather? Or no like...it stopped snowing in Portland but it&rsquo;s still raining 3s in Moda!!!!! Right guys hahahahhaha
&mdash; Blazers Legend Ashtyn Butuso (@lil_buts) <a href="https://twitter.com/lil_buts/status/1360073397992968192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Damian Lillard started last night's game with 19 points in the first quarter, then all of a sudden couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat. Luckily, Carmelo Anthony went vintage against Philly and carried the load in the fourth quarter.
White Are You Asking? 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Houston reporter asked Jimmy Butler what it's like to be surrounded by players like Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Max Strus. "You basically just named all the white guys on our team, which I love you for that," Butler said. "We've got some good players, man. I'm telling you."
&mdash; Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByTimReynolds/status/1360077959458140160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Really gritty guys, man. First ones in, last ones out. Gym rats, I'll tell ya. Not too athletic, but a lot of skill.
MVEmbiid?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<a href="https://t.co/WauJoJJefq">https://t.co/WauJoJJefq</a> <a href="https://t.co/w9Ol64S2dJ">pic.twitter.com/w9Ol64S2dJ</a>
&mdash; Jimmy (@_JimmyMcCormick) <a href="https://twitter.com/_JimmyMcCormick/status/1360036183288537089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Sure, we'll go with "politics." Although, the race is <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1359990563366440965?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extremely close right now</a> because LeBron continues to age backwards.
Put Some Respect on JTA 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Hi, I&rsquo;m Steph&rsquo;s teammate 🙋🏽&zwj;♂️, my names Juan. <a href="https://t.co/Rmjv7rsI6E">https://t.co/Rmjv7rsI6E</a>
&mdash; Juan Toscano Anderson (@juanonjuan10) <a href="https://twitter.com/juanonjuan10/status/1360117559392051201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Blatantly disrespecting a player who's started the last five games for the Warriors for some cheap humor? Nah. Like Draymond Green said a couple weekends ago, "I'm rockin' with Juan T."
Aussie Rules 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ben Simmons kept Damian Lillard scoreless for over 20 minutes tonight. 20 minutes. DPOY goes to Ben Simmons.
&mdash; The Phifth Quarter (@The_PhifthQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_PhifthQ/status/1360104989801259014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Simmons invaded Dame's space and dared him to get past him. He really couldn't do it.
Not So Fast, Big Baller 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
If I say Melo I&rsquo;m ALWAYS talking about Carmelo Anthony... ALWAYS
&mdash; Morgann Mitchell (@THE_Morgann) <a href="https://twitter.com/THE_Morgann/status/1360104337725390848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
You've got to earn your stripes in this league, LaMelo -- there's only one and will only ever be one Me7o.
"Steffortless"
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Steph Curry has 38 points and hasnt attempted a FT
&mdash; Grant Liffmann (@GrantLiffmann) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantLiffmann/status/1360093771354939394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
...How? Really, just how? Is this dude really gonna Golden State to the playoffs?
See a tweet that should be featured in Monday's Tweet of the Day piece? Send it to <a href="https://twitter.com/kelsea_lately" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kelsea_lately</a>.

Every day, our staff scours #NBATwitter to find the best posts. Here are the tweets of the day for Feb. 12, 2021.

Ashton