Firestorm

College basketball is full of excitement and drama. While winning a national championship is the ultimate goal for every team, there have been many loaded squads that came up short.&nbsp;
While the teams on this list didn&rsquo;t win a title, they are still often mentioned among the best teams in the history of college basketball. Here are the best college-basketball teams that failed to win it all.&nbsp;
11. 1965-66 Kentucky Wildcats
The 1965-66 Kentucky Wildcats were coached by Adolph Rupp and their talented roster included future NBA stars Pat Riley and Louie Dampier. The Wildcats finished the season with a record of 27-2 and advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the Texas Western Miners. In a game that would later be immortalized in the movie "Glory Road," the Miners upset the Wildcats, 72-65.
10. 2006-07 Ohio State Buckeyes
Led by future No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden and longtime NBA point guard Mike Conley, the Buckeyes were hoping to win their second national championship in program history. Ohio State, traditionally a football school, finished the season 35-4 and ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. The Buckeyes advanced to the national championship game, where they faced a loaded Florida Gators squad that was led by future NBA All-Stars Joakim Noah and Al Horford.&nbsp;
In the national championship game, Oden avoided the foul trouble that had plagued him earlier in the tournament and put up a dominant 25 points and 12 rebounds. However, it wasn&rsquo;t enough, as the Gators defeated the Buckeyes 84-75 behind Horford's 18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Four players from the Buckeyes' roster would go on to play in the NBA: Conley, Oden, Daequan Cook and Othello Hunter.
9. 2004-05 Illinois Fighting Illini
The 2004-05 Illinois Fighting Illini were a dominant force in college basketball. Coached by Bruce Weber and led by Dee Brown and Deron Williams, the Illini won their first 29 games of the season and finished with a 37-2 record.&nbsp;
Illinois advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the North Carolina Tar Heels (who were led by Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams). Despite a valiant effort, the Illini fell just short, losing 75-70. Five of their players would go on to play in the NBA: Williams, Brown, Luther Head, Roger Powell and James Augustine.
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8. 2007-08 Memphis Tigers
Yes, John Calipari has back-to-back teams on this list. Coach Cal&rsquo;s 2007-08 Memphis Tigers were absolutely loaded and they were led by Derrick Rose, who would go on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011. Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey and Antonio Anderson were also key contributors who eventually had stints in the NBA.
The Tigers finished the season with a record of 38-2 and they advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the Kansas Jayhawks. Despite a strong effort, the Tigers were unable to overcome the Jayhawks. Memphis missed a number of late free throws, which opened the door for Mario Chalmers to hit <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/march-madness-ranking-the-top11-ncaa-tournament-buzzerbeaters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most memorable buzzer-beaters in modern NCAA Tournament history</a> and force overtime. Kansas would go on to win, 75-68.
7. 1974-75 Indiana Hoosiers
Led by head coach Bob Knight, the 1974-75 Indiana Hoosiers finished the season with a record of 31-1 and advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the Kentucky Wildcats. Despite a strong effort, the Hoosiers were upset by the Wildcats, 92-90.&nbsp;
The Hoosiers would have eight players who would go on to play in the NBA: Scott May, Steve Green, Kent Benson, Quinn Buckner, John Laskowski, Bob Wilkerson, Tom Abernethy and Wayne Radford.
6. 1996-97 Kansas Jayhawks
The 1996-97 Kansas Jayhawks featured a pair of future NBA stars (Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz) and one of the best coaches in college-basketball history (Roy Williams). The Jayhawks finished the season with a record of 34-2 and advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the&nbsp; Arizona Wildcats.&nbsp;
Pierce put together a monster performance &mdash; 27 points, 11 rebounds, 3 threes, 2 blocks and 2 steals on 69.2/60/100 shooting splits &mdash; but it wasn't enough to defeat Mike Bibby&rsquo;s Wildcats. The Jayhawks lost 85-82 in overtime. In addition to Pierce and LaFrentz, Kansas had four other players go on to the NBA: Scot Pollard, Billy Thomas, Jacque Vaughn and Ryan Robertson.
5. 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats
The 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats, coached by John Calipari, featured quite the collection of young, high-upside talent. Led by future NBA superstars Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker, the Wildcats finished the season with a perfect record of 38-0.
Kentucky advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the Wisconsin Badgers and were ultimately upset 71-64. In total, a whopping nine Wildcats would go on to play in the NBA: Towns, Booker, Trey Lyles, Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Tyler Ulis, Dakari Johnson and Alex Poythress.
4. 1984-85 Georgetown Hoyas
The 1984-85 Georgetown Hoyas, coached by John Thompson, were a powerhouse team that featured future NBA star Patrick Ewing. The Hoyas finished the season with a record of 35-3 and advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the Villanova Wildcats.&nbsp;
In one of the biggest upsets in college-basketball history, the Wildcats defeated the Hoyas 66-64. In addition to Ewing, Georgetown had four other players who went on to play in the NBA: Reggie Williams, Bill Martin, David Wingate and Michael Jackson.
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3. 1992-93 Michigan Wolverines
The prior season, the Fab Five took college basketball by storm, with bald heads and baggy shorts. They started five true freshmen and had a great season, making it all the way to the national championship game, where they were handled by a veteran Duke squad that was led by Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley, losing 71-51.
In the 1992-93 season, the Wolverines were widely regarded as the most talented team in the country and they were the favorites to win it all. Unfortunately, they fell short to North Carolina in the national championship game in one of the most memorable endings in sports history. Future No. 1 pick Chris Webber called a timeout that Michigan didn&rsquo;t have, as they lost 77-71. Michigan had five players who would later play in the NBA: Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Eric Riley (plus Rob Pelinka would go on to run the Los Angeles Lakers' front office).
2. 1982-83 Houston Cougars
Led by future Hall-of-Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, the 1982-83 Houston Cougars were known as "Phi Slama Jama" for their high-flying style of play. The Cougars were a dominant force on both ends of the court. They advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the N.C. State Wolfpack. Despite a 20-point lead in the second half, the Cougars were upset by the Wolfpack, 54-52. In addition to the superstar pairing of Olajuwon and Drexler, Houston also had two other players who would go on to play in the NBA: Michael Young and Larry Micheaux.
1. 1990-91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels
The 1990-91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels are one of the greatest college basketball teams of all-time, despite not winning the national championship. Coached by Jerry Tarkanian, the Rebels had an incredible season, finishing with a record of 34-1.&nbsp;
Led by Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony, the Rebels played an up-tempo style of basketball that was both thrilling and effective. In the Final Four, they lost a close game to the Duke Blue Devils, who would go on to win the national championship. Johnson, Augmon and Anthony would go on to thrive in the NBA, and two other Rebels would also make it to the league (Elmore Spencer and Eyric Gray).
Would you rank these teams differently? Who is missing from this list? <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tweet us your thoughts now</a>!

Jamal Shakespeare looks back on 11 all-time great college basketball teams that failed to win a championship.

Revisiting 11 loaded NCAA-basketball teams that failed to win it all

You are now invited into the NBA rabbit hole you didn&rsquo;t know you needed.
Do you remember Deron Williams before he boxed Frank Gore? The Deron Williams before toiling away with his hometown Dallas Mavericks and ring-chasing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The one before the New Jersey Nets moved to Brooklyn. The one that got you banned on forums because of how vociferously you may have argued that he was better or worse than Chris Paul.
Ten years ago today, on March 4, that dude dropped a franchise-record 57 points. Yeah, you&rsquo;re getting old too, son. (That's still a Nets record, by the way.)
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That game itself, otherwise, wasn&rsquo;t all that memorable. The Nets had about one month left as representatives of New Jersey before relocating to Brooklyn later that year. They, at 12-26, won 104-101 against a Charlotte Bobcats (!) team that dropped to 4-31 on the lockout-shortened season.
Starters in the game included other glorious names like Kris Humphries, who was second on the Nets with 11 points (and 13 rebounds) and played 40 minutes. DeShawn Stevenson finished with an 0-2-1-0-0 line and had one shot attempt in 29 minutes of play. Eduardo N&aacute;jera, DeSagana Diop (who started for Charlotte!) and Shelden Williams got some run, and Tyrus Thomas played about seven minutes.
Kemba Walker was still coming off the bench for D.J. Augustin. Corey Maggette was the game&rsquo;s second-highest scorer, finishing with 24 points on just 4-of-12 shooting, but converted 15-of-16 free-throw attempts.
Current Charlotte (Hornets) star LaMelo Ball was 10 years old.
But it was also one of Williams&rsquo; last awesome NBA moments while still in his prime, a career cut short due to... well, it depends on who you ask, and/or what you believe. It&rsquo;s either related to injuries, which we began seeing take a toll on Williams after the Nets moved to Brooklyn. Or other stuff, like constant clashes with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett during that infamous 2013-14 season together.
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Say what you want about Stephen A. Smith &mdash; and this was before he essentially became the face of ESPN &mdash; but I vividly recall him here in New York saying things like, &ldquo;Deron Williams has the easiest job a franchise player could ever hope to have!&rdquo; And, &ldquo;All he has to do is ball,&rdquo; as Williams, frankly, didn&rsquo;t.
There was also the story that Pierce once mocked Williams, saying, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/2015/7/11/8932649/farewell-to-all-that" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What&rsquo;s the matter now, Deron? Your ____ hurt</a>?&rdquo; (If I&rsquo;m blanking it and not even giving you a letter, just know it was raw.)
The Nets had Williams &mdash; generally hated by their fans to this day &mdash; Pierce, Garnett, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez as a championship-level starting-five (in theory) entering the 2013-14 season. And the head coach was a first-timer in Jason Kidd, who played an integral part on the underappreciated 54-win New York Knicks the season before as a player.
<a href="https://sicovers.com/featured/brooklyns-new-look-nets-who-wants-a-piece-of-them-2013-14-october-28-2013-sports-illustrated-cover.html">Remember that Sports Illustrated cover</a>? Ohhhhhh maaaaaaan.
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You may also recall the famous Jackie MacMullan <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12690080/washington-wizards-paul-pierce-speaks-truth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">profile on Pierce</a> when he was a Washington Wizard in the early John Wall and Bradley Beal days. As far as we know, this was before Wall and Marcin Gortat <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wizards-insider/wp/2018/02/07/marcin-gortat-responds-to-john-walls-comments-whos-attacking-who/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wanted to box each other&rsquo;s heads off</a>.
&ldquo;Before I got there, I looked at Deron as an MVP candidate,&rdquo; Pierce <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12690080/washington-wizards-paul-pierce-speaks-truth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said to MacMullan</a>. &ldquo;But I felt once we got there, that's not what he wanted to be. He just didn't want that.
&ldquo;I think a lot of the pressure got to him sometimes. This was his first time in the national spotlight. The media in Utah is not the same as the media in New York, so that can wear on some people. I think it really affected him.&rdquo;
After noting that Johnson is quiet and doesn&rsquo;t want much attention, Pierce continued.
&ldquo;There's a lot of secondary guys on that team. KG and I went there looking at them as the main guys who would push us, because we were advancing in years. But we ended up doing all the pushing,&rdquo; he said.
(Given what we&rsquo;ve learned, it&rsquo;s mildly surprising that Williams didn&rsquo;t <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1472409021189857287" target="_blank" rel="noopener">just fight him</a> after seeing this, but anyway.)
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Williams remains one of the grand "what ifs" of this century. And let&rsquo;s be responsible &mdash; injuries are one of the driving reasons for his sudden downswing from stardom to shell over a... hmm... two-year span? But we do what-ifs with guys who battled injuries all the time: Penny Hardaway, Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Grant Hill and Derrick Rose, to name a few.
With Williams, just visualize, given how the game was going &mdash; and where he had been trending at one point &mdash; where he would&rsquo;ve evolved to if the talent, health, discipline and mentality all added up. And it doesn&rsquo;t always come together, which is why it&rsquo;s not responsible to purely say &ldquo;talent wins&rdquo; if the implication that talent alone is enough for substantial success.
And he clearly worked hard.
Williams averaged 19.5 points and 10.2 assists from 2007 to 2012 on .460/.346/.827 shooting splits. He attempted four threes a game at a respectable level and nearly six free throws per contest during that span. He consistently was among the league leaders in assists, while simultaneously profiling as one of the NBA&rsquo;s best scoring point guards. His True Shooting percentage was at 56.8% during those five years, hitting 60% in '07-08 and never dropping below 56.6% until the Nets&rsquo; last year in New Jersey. (Understandable when Humphries is your second-best player for most of the season.)
We weren&rsquo;t letting &lsquo;em fly from three the way we are now, and Williams was, like most others, streaky &mdash; but you had to guard him out there. The 35% perimeter clip in his peak reflected the near 36% for his career. The assists came with some high turnover numbers &mdash; Williams averaged 3.5 turnovers per game in those five seasons &mdash; but that still gave him a near 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
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Williams wasn&rsquo;t a usage monster either &mdash; his rating was never higher than 25.8% until a 30.1% usage in 2011-12, but, again, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NJN/2012.html">look at the roster</a>. Even so, he was eighth in the league in usage; otherwise, he never cracked the league&rsquo;s top-20. You know who did during that span? And on multiple occasions? Corey Maggette, Michael Beasley, Stephen Jackson, his then-teammate Brook Lopez and his former teammate Carlos Boozer. (Rashad McCants, Andrea Bargnani, Charlie Villanueva, Josh Smith, Rodney Stuckey and Jordan Crawford were in the top-20 as well during those days.)
Until the trade from Utah to New Jersey, Williams would be in the top-20 in VORP consistently too. Most hadn&rsquo;t yet cared about some of those metrics though.
And his strength was a big part of his game. Williams was built like Eric Gordon, had powerful crossovers like Baron Davis, a passing fluidity that neared Steve Nash, and an offensive creativity that rivaled CP3&rsquo;s &mdash; which is how all those damn fights started.
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Williams, in a lot of ways, was perfect for where the league was going. Surprisingly, he only made three All-Star teams, which were consecutive from 2010 to 2012; though, <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2009/2/12/20301620/all-star-snubs-continue-for-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he had snub arguments in 2008 and 2009</a>, and <a href="https://nypost.com/2013/01/26/nets-wont-stir-pot-about-all-star-snub/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">again in 2013</a>.
It never came together, and everyone missed out because of it. Imagine if his prime stretched into a couple of those Brooklyn seasons... but don&rsquo;t imagine too hard because logistically, it would be a pain in the ass to lay out. But if he did ball out the way people on microphones, in forums and in his own locker room called for? Man.
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Williams would've been toe-to-toe in the mid-2010s against then-prime-entering stars such as James Harden, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. In his own conference, we might&rsquo;ve seen him in the playoffs go crossover-for-crossover with Kyrie Irving, or bump-for-bump with Kyle Lowry, or tough-finish-for-tough-finish with Wall. All of that while still mirroring a stat line of roughly 20 points and 10 assists per game on efficient shooting, further increasing his three-point and free-throw volume in the process.
That said, he did give us multiple All-NBA seasons and, again, a whole-ass fight with Gore. He says he&rsquo;s one-and-done, but that might be because none of you have offered him the Pierce one yet. And as silly as that sounds, you know you&rsquo;d watch.
But seriously, peak Williams was epic. If he continued along the path he had been, we don&rsquo;t know if it would&rsquo;ve brought the Nets a title &mdash; but they would&rsquo;ve been damn close.
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On the March 4 anniversary of Deron Williams' 57-point game, Bryan Fonseca looks back on his career and wonders: "What if?"

Deron Williams dropped 57 a decade ago... what could've been?

With just 16 days to go until the academy's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/overtime-elite-announces-opening-schedule-will-take-on-mikey-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grand opening at its brand new arena in Atlanta</a> on Oct. 29, Overtime Elite has revealed <a href="https://www.overtimeelite.com/schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">its full schedule</a>, as well as the three rosters it will send out in its inaugural 2021-22 campaign.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
The three coaches and their rosters, under the direction of Kevin Ollie, are as follows:
Coach Ryan Gomes: Dominick Barlow, Malik Bowman, Lewis Duarte, Jazian Gortman, Nathan Missia-Dio, Jean Montero, Alexandre Sarr, Jai Smith, Tudor Somacescu
Coach Tim Fanning: Izan Almansa, Matt Bewley, TJ Clark, De'Vontes Cobbs, Francis "LeBron" Lopez, Tyler Smith, Amen Thompson, Johned Walker, Kok Yat
Coach Dave Leitao: Ryan Bewley, Bryce Griggs, Jazhare Jackson, Jalen Lewis, Davion Mace, Emmanuel Maldonado, Jaylen Martin, Ausar Thompson, Bryson Warren
In addition to this, OTE announced that it added three players to its talent pool over the weekend:
"We added three talented athletes to our rosters over the weekend. We&rsquo;ve scouted and tracked these young men over the Fall, and as we worked our way through training camp for the last few weeks, and further evaluated needs, we decided that adding Davion, Johned and Lewis to our inaugural rosters would provide complimentary skills and depth to our league," said OTE head of basketball operations Brandon Williams.
"Davion Mace is a 6-foot-7 power forward from Cincinnati who played for Woodward High School. Davion brings a physical presence as a tough-nosed hybrid forward. He plays with a high motor, and tenacity as a defender and finisher around the paint.
"Johned Walker is a 5-10 guard originally from Puerto Rico that most recently lived in Miami attending Central Point Christian Academy. At the U16 Americas Championship in 2019, he averaged 12.8 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game and 3.3 assists per game in guiding Puerto Rico to a sixth place finish.
"Lewis Duarte is a 6-5 guard from the Dominican Republic, who moved to the states before high school. He most recently played for Victory Christian Center School in Charlotte. Duarte, a versatile wing with size, length and a good shooting touch, was starting to see his recruitment pick up from some top schools across the country. His cousin, Chris Duarte, currently plays for the Indiana Pacers."
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For more information on the OTE schedule and the league's structure, Williams answered the following via a press release Q&amp;A:
How did you start thinking about the schedule and how it would be set up?&nbsp;
"Health and performance was at the center of our scheduling concept. We want to maximize exposure to high-level talent whether individual players or teams, create the highest level showcase opportunities for scouting purposes, and give our athletes unique exposure to challenges like back-to-back game prep and execution, while reducing the stress on their bodies over the course of a season. With that in mind, we built a schedule made up of what we call league series competition within our three teams, prep challenges against external competition, simulated professional formatted games, takeovers, and playoffs to cap off our season."
How is this different from other prep high schools and colleges?&nbsp;
"Our schedule is dynamic, providing multiple ways for learning and preparing for competition - including games within our league, &ldquo;out of conference&rdquo; games with prep schools, and one of the biggest differences is that we get to explore pro-simulation games. This allows our athletes the opportunity to prepare in a real way for concepts that are critical to the next level both mentally and physically."
How long will the season last? How many games will you play?&nbsp;
"During the October 29-March 25 period, our players will partake in 37 competitive events made up of Prep Challenges, OTE League Series, Pro Sim Games, Takeovers and OTE Playoffs."
What do Pro-Sim games mean?&nbsp;
"For these simulated professional-style games, (Pro Sim) OTE players will be divided into 2 rosters with the format and structure modeled after the NBA. These games won&rsquo;t count towards league standings, but will be a key part of player development as we prepare them for the next level."
How will the OTE League Series be played?&nbsp;
"The OTE League Series amongst our three teams will be executed at a much faster pace. Each team will play a 20 minute game against each of the others, so every team plays two 20-minute games, 40 minutes of basketball per game night."
Will the Prep Challenges format differ from a regular high school or college game?&nbsp;
"Prep Challenges will be played as 40-minute games where three external teams will compete against our three OTE teams over two days." 
With only three teams, how will standings work?&nbsp;
"In our OTE League Series, winning a 20-minute game counts as two points towards the league standings and teams can win up to four points each night. For Prep Challenges, winning these games count as one point towards the league standings. We will also have &ldquo;Takeovers&rdquo; - think marquee individual showcases, dunk contests, 3-point shootouts, etc. Winning a takeover will count as two points towards your team's league standings. All competition crescendos with our inaugural OTE Playoffs to determine the Season 1 champion."
How did you determine the rosters?&nbsp;
"Our Basketball Operations team, inclusive of scouting, coaching and strategy, collaborated through the recruiting, signing, then in-camp evaluations of each player. Over the weeks of training camp the group studied the effectiveness of combinations of players, along with the rhythm and chemistry they demonstrated to create three equally competitive teams."
How did you make sure all the teams were evenly distributed?&nbsp;
"As we constantly drilled on key attributes and skills, measurables, performance data and other factors, we created buckets (or pods) of comparable players - as closely as reasonably possible. Throughout camp, we created drills and competitions that allowed us to draw from each of these pods, assembling teams for our evaluation. Before final team selections, our coaches had the opportunity to test combinations and analyze matchups to provide more certainty that the teams were reasonably balanced."
How will each team be coached?&nbsp;
"Each of our three teams will have a head coach, and Coach Ollie will oversee the development of all three as the overall head coach. Dave Leitao, who spent 37 years in college coaching, was a head coach twice at DePaul, and is the former ACC coach of the year at Virginia will lead one team. Ryan Gomes who played 8 years in the NBA, coached in the G-League and is highly-respected in basketball circles will coach one team, and Tim Fanning, who spent the past 5 years as an assistant for the Euroleague powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv will lead the third team."
What were the challenges in setting this up?&nbsp;
"There are always challenges when you&rsquo;re doing something that&rsquo;s never been done before, especially on an accelerated timeline. We simultaneously had to recruit some of the best young players in the world to a program without history, to a culture that hadn&rsquo;t been established, to play with teammates they couldn&rsquo;t see. We continued to pursue talent first, but tried to build with an idea toward roster balance from the outset. All players want to play in games of consequence, so as we assembled what we anticipated would be extraordinary talent, and we wanted the highest level programs to face off with our talented groups. Because this came together into the fall, there were many schools that were fully committed and we couldn&rsquo;t find a date that worked. However, with broad options throughout the country, we found the right game opportunities that will be fun, energizing, and keep our players motivated to compete both at home and on the road."
Will this always be the style for the schedule or will it evolve into something else?&nbsp;
"Right now, we&rsquo;re focusing on our first season and developing our players for the next level. The great thing about what we are doing is the freedom we have to explore and try things. We will evolve as we establish what works well and what doesn&rsquo;t and will continue to provide the experience that the Gen Z elite athlete requires to prepare for his future. Our plan is to keep our athletes and their well-being at core of all considerations, that will lead our decision-making and any adjustments."
In this first year, what was the main goal for the schedule?&nbsp;
"The main goal was to create a schedule that allowed our players to compete at a high level, inside and outside of OTE. The best players want to play against the best players, and we sought them out. We wanted the best opportunities for our athletes to showcase their abilities with and against each other showing the growth and maturity that will be happening every day in practice, skill development, and performance training. We wanted to give them a robust schedule, inclusive of travel, back-to-backs, late nights, afternoons, all factors to professional play. We wanted to do this, while also being mindful and cautious as to rest and recovery. Creating a schedule where they are not underexposed, but also not overused, so finding the appropriate middle ground was our intent."
In the league, will teams change or remain the same?&nbsp;
"These three teams have been solidified for the season. However, we are prepared to make adjustments during the season. Ultimately competitive balance will be best for the development of our players and league."
Will all of the players travel to each game?&nbsp;
"Yes. All three teams will make the away game trips."

Overtime Elite has shared its three team rosters, revealed their schedule and answered questions regarding the league's structure.

Overtime Elite announces 2021-22 schedule, three rosters

ATLANTA (September 2, 2021) - Overtime Elite (OTE) announced today that highly-rated forward Dominick Barlow has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this fall.&nbsp;
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
Dominick Barlow is a 6-9 forward from Dumont, N.J., who played for Dumont High School. He can guard anyone on the floor, is an active rebounder on defense, and can score from multiple positions on offense. Playing with the NY Rens, Barlow had a breakout performance at the Peach Jam this summer and saw his recruitment start to take off.
&ldquo;Dominick is an exciting prospect that brings an unusual versatility on and off the ball, and on both ends of the court. He&rsquo;s long, athletic, and brings that New Jersey toughness that&rsquo;s driven his growth in recent years,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, Head of OTE Basketball Operations. &ldquo;Among amateurs and pros, Dominick has demonstrated an ability to elevate his game, guarding multiple positions, and aggressive playmaking. This is a strong addition to the OTE environment.&rdquo;
Barlow becomes the 21st player to sign with OTE. He joins Jalen Lewis from California, Jazian Gortman from South Carolina, Bryson Warren from Arkansas, Amen and Ausar Thompson from Florida, Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley from Florida, Tyler Smith and Bryce Griggs from Texas, Jai Smith from North Carolina, Malik Bowman from Maryland, Kok Yat from Alaska and De&rsquo;Vontes Cobbs from Wisconsin.
Bryson Warren's press release:
Overtime Elite (OTE) announced today that highly-rated point guard Bryson Warren has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this fall.&nbsp;
Bryson Warren is a 6-2 point guard from North Little Rock, Arkansas. This past season at Little Rock Central, the 2021 Arkansas Player of the Year averaged 24.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game as a sophomore. Warren also led the Tigers to their best record (23-5) since 2001, while shooting 57.5% from the field and 43.6% from the 3-point line.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Bryson shows the foundational tools of an elite lead guard - vision, speed, craftiness, athleticism, shooting and leadership abilities beyond his years," said Brandon Williams, Head of OTE Basketball Operations. &ldquo;In his cerebral and competitive approach to the game, you can sense his desire to be the best at his position in the country. He&rsquo;ll get the chance to show and prove that day in and day out at OTE, as he sharpens his game against the best players across 3 classes in the country.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to imagine a player as developed as Bryson at such a young age. But in addition to his natural talent, the young man puts in the work and leads by example,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development. &nbsp;&ldquo;That&rsquo;s exactly what you want and need in a point guard - level 5 energy all the time. I can't wait to coach the total person.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Malik Bowman, De'Vontes Cobbs, Kok Yat release:
Overtime Elite (OTE), the transformative new basketball league starting this fall, announced the signing of three additional players. Malik Bowman, De&rsquo;Vontes Cobbs and Kok Yat finalized agreements with OTE marking 19 players signed for the league&rsquo;s inaugural season.
Malik Bowman
Malik Bowman is a 6-8 forward from Cumberland, Maryland and played at Bishop Walsh High School. Bowman is a highly-ranked prospect with offers from major collegiate basketball programs all over the country. He has a smooth feel, and controlled game with the ability to ball handle and has the size and athleticism to defend up and down a line up. Bowman has a strong frame and can shoot with range while also having a solid mid-range game while guarding 1-4 on the defensive end.
&ldquo;Malik is an extremely talented and versatile wing who has demonstrated the character, drive and commitment to separate himself on and off the court,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, Head of OTE &nbsp;Basketball Operations. &ldquo;With his skill level, maturity and understanding, he is going to make an immediate impact in the OTE environment. I am excited to see his continued growth, and his game flourish under Coach Ollie and his staff.&rdquo;
De&rsquo;Vontes Cobbs
De&rsquo;Vontes Cobbs is a 6-3 shooting guard, originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who last played at Eduprize in Gilbert, Arizona. A highly-rated 2-way player, Cobbs previously played at Hillcrest Prep and Shadow Mountain, coached by former NBA player Mike Bibby, winning a state championship with Shadow Mountain as a freshman.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Coaches and teammates praise De&rsquo;Vontes not only for his talent, but his work ethic, and coachability,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, Head of OTE &nbsp;Basketball Operations. &ldquo;With his competitive spirit, De&rsquo;Vontes will thrive playing with and against an elite peer group, and it will bring out the best in him.&rdquo;
Kok Yat
Kok Yat is a 6-8 forward, originally from Anchorage, Alaska, who last played for Norcross High School outside of Atlanta. Yat has received significant interest from top-rated college basketball programs. The athletic forward has the ability to handle the basketball and has developed into a reliable outside shooter. Yat&rsquo;s cousin is JT Thor, who was recently drafted 37th by the Charlotte Hornets.
&ldquo;Kok will bring a high level shooting skill to the league environment, while adding wing versatility and depth.&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, Head of OTE Basketball Operations. &ldquo;As this young man continues to round out and polish his perimeter skill set, he will emerge as a valued prospect for the next level.&rdquo;
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.

Overtime Elite has added five more players to its inaugural roster, including Bryson Warren and Dominick Barlow.

Overtime Elite adds Bryson Warren, Dominick Barlow, 3 more prospects

When a team hits the reset button, there is no singular goal.&nbsp;
The obvious focal point is development, as their young talent gains invaluable experience on the floor against legitimate professional competition and an unfamiliar roster jells with one another. Wins are few and far between usually because of it, which means it&rsquo;ll more-than-likely take a bit of time to build winning habits back up and get back into (or stay in) the postseason hunt.&nbsp;
Unlike many teams after moving on from (multiple) star players, the Los Angeles Clippers didn&rsquo;t really have to go through a rebuild; the franchise simply retooled. First, in the summer of 2017, they shockingly traded Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets for seven players, including Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley. Then, they brought in Danilo Gallinari from the Denver Nuggets. Finally, before the following season&rsquo;s trade deadline, LA dealt Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons for Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Avery Bradley.
Just like that, Lob City was out and a new breed was in. Under the same coaching staff led by Doc Rivers, 2017-18 and 2018-19 saw perhaps the most enjoyable year-and-a-half of Clipper basketball than we&rsquo;d seen in quite some time. Guys were just on the same page. Williams enjoyed All-Star-caliber efforts as the league&rsquo;s best sixth man. Harris and Gallinari put together the best scoring campaigns of their respective careers. Harrell broke out as a ferocious competitor who only needed an opportunity, and Beverley set the tone as far as the culture. Not to mention, they had a then-blossoming rookie in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who was impressing in all facets with his mature skill set. It was all clicking.
But with a star-studded free-agent class then on their minds, the Clippers began to change things around in the middle of that 2018-19 season. Tobias Harris was in a contract year and expected to be paid for the best year of his career (did he EVER), so the team traded him, Marjanovic and Mike Scott to the Philadelphia 76ers for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala.&nbsp;
That would be the first of many dominoes to fall in LA. With plenty of roster room and cap space, Jerry West and Lawrence Frank went to work by signing reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and acquiring an All-Star in Paul George to pair with him. They had to part ways with Gilgeous-Alexander, Gallinari and an unheard-of amount of first-rounders to acquire George (and land the package deal), completely mortgaging any kind of future they had; but to their credit, the job got done to give Steve Ballmer&rsquo;s ball club a win-now, championship roster&hellip; on paper.
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Pick things up on Dec. 3, 2020 -- that joyous, tight-knit Clipper group seems like a distant memory. The team parted ways with Rivers and will continue his career in Philadelphia, while his lead assistant and 2016 NBA champion head coach Tyronn Lue will take over the reins of a reportedly divided bunch. Harrell hopped to the other locker room and will play at Staples Center in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. JaMychal Green jumped at the opportunity to sign with the Denver Nuggets, who stormed back from a 3-1 playoff deficit to defeat the Clippers just a few months ago, citing that their heart made it an easy decision to choose them over his former team. The Athletic&rsquo;s Jovan Buha wrote<a href="https://theathletic.com/2222210/2020/12/02/kawhi-clippers-chemistry-nba-title/?source=user-shared-article&amp;redirected=1"> an article</a> about how the Clippers&rsquo; culture eroded due to preferential treatment that Leonard and George received (such as letting them determine the practice schedule and when to sit out games, giving them personal security and trainers, etc.).
It all seems like a mess in Clipperland right now, and by no means is the story over with; Year 1 rarely goes swimmingly when a team of stars links up for the first time, and I firmly believe they&rsquo;re going to be better this upcoming year. However, when considering what happened to the Clippers, is it possible we could see a similar situation arise with the Brooklyn Nets?
Hear me out.&nbsp;
We all know how awful it got for the Nets after the early 2010s. Aside from late-round firsts and seconds they would acquire later, there was no path to a rebuild once the post-Boston Celtics holdover era was over because every draft pick was essentially out of the picture. It was damn near impossible for the Nets to not only bring in NBA talent, but also develop their own since there wasn&rsquo;t a whole lot of promise outside of Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams (Lopez lasted the longest and was gone after the 2016-17 campaign). For a significant period of time, Brooklyn&rsquo;s roster was filled with journeymen, cast-offs and undrafted young guys. They simply had no chance.
Until head coach Kenny Atkinson came along.&nbsp;
Then-newly-acting general manager Sean Marks found a way to bring in some fresh faces without draft capital to help Atkinson as much as he could in the 2016 offseason.
In exchange for Thaddeus Young, Brooklyn got a rookie Caris LeVert back from the Indiana Pacers. The franchise took a shot by signing Joe Harris (who had played just 56 total games) to a multi-year contract. Trevor Booker was a well-respected veteran who brought toughness to the locker room. In December of that season, the Nets brought in a recently-waived Spencer Dinwiddie, who hadn&rsquo;t been able to stick with the Detroit Pistons or Chicago Bulls.&nbsp;
That set the foundation for the next offseason, when they traded for D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov on draft night, ending Lopez&rsquo;s career in Brooklyn and sending Kyle Kuzma with him to the Los Angeles Lakers; the team also selected Jarrett Allen at No. 22 in 2017 with a pick that used to belong to the Washington Wizards. DeMarre Carroll was acquired from the Toronto Raptors to provide leadership and a steady presence on both ends of the floor; Allen Crabbe came aboard via a separate trade with the Portland Trail Blazers soon after.&nbsp;
Regardless of the talent on the roster, Atkinson always got the most out of his squad. While you can look at the Nets&rsquo; record over his first two seasons with a perplexed expression as much as you want to (48-116), those players bought into what he was selling. They were playing hard, they were playing tough and they were playing together.
Like the Clippers, maybe the most fun seasons we saw in Brooklyn happened almost organically in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Russell ascended to All-Star heights and consistently ignited Barclays Center, firing off clutch shot after clutch shot and taking a major step with his vision. Harris took a massive leap, becoming the NBA&rsquo;s top three-point shooter in the second year of his contract. Dinwiddie exploded onto the scene with his aggressiveness as the Nets&rsquo; second-highest scorer. LeVert showed us flashes of brilliance before (and after) his foot was dislocated. Allen wowed the world with his hops and refusal to let the opposition score in the paint. Treveon Graham earned playing time with his hustle and commitment on the defensive end of the floor. Unsung heroes like Carroll, Crabbe, Shabazz Napier, Ed Davis and Jared Dudley (acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the summer of 2018) really set a great example for the team to follow. Brooklyn made it to the postseason that second year, which was the culmination of a long road back.
When I thought of the Nets, I didn&rsquo;t think of a team that tanked its way back to relevancy; I thought of a team that kept digging itself out of a never-ending hole and refused to falter -- regardless of the position it was originally left in. But things changed in the blink of an eye when the 2019 offseason came about.
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With the team environment and outlook revamped -- and plenty of cap space to boot -- Brooklyn struck gold, landing Kyrie Irving as a free agent and Kevin Durant in a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors (Russell, Napier and Graham went back in the deal). They added DeAndre Jordan as well. They also acquired Taurean Prince from the Atlanta Hawks for Crabbe and then-rookie Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who was flipped to the New Orleans Pelicans). In came more veterans at small prices afterward: Wilson Chandler, Garrett Temple, Lance Thomas and Iman Shumpert a few weeks into the season.
The team at its core was completely altered, unarguably for the better from a talent standpoint -- however, a far cry from what Atkinson was used to and a whole lot more pressure, despite Durant&rsquo;s Achilles injury keeping him out for all of last season. He still had Irving (albeit a banged up one) who only played 20 games in his debut campaign with the Nets. But true to his nature, Atkinson trudged along with the newer pieces, trying to make it work; it just didn&rsquo;t. On March 7, Marks announced that Atkinson had mutually agreed to part ways with the team.&nbsp;
Now, on Dec. 3, the Nets have brand-new leadership in the building. Steve Nash, a respected Hall-of-Fame player and basketball mind, is going to take hold of a roster full of high expectations. He&rsquo;ll have his former Suns coach Mike D&rsquo;Antoni and teammate Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire with him to help the transition, as well as long-time NBA assistants Ime Udoka and Jacque Vaughn (who coached the team at the end of last season).
With a recovered Durant and a fresh Irving, there shouldn&rsquo;t be any major issues with the roster; it&rsquo;s literally built to win. For all intents and purposes, this Brooklyn team has a good mix of veteran specialists and up-and-coming players and big-named staff&hellip; on paper. We get so excited about these colossal transactions because it&rsquo;s like a video game, where you can pair up your favorite superstars with each other and stack a bunch of 90-overall guys. It works in a simulation scenario every time, but in reality you have to factor in chemistry and personal relationships, and that takes a while to establish. This isn&rsquo;t to say it can&rsquo;t work (look what the new-look L.A. Lakers and Miami Heat were able to do in Year 1 last season); this very well could be the next great team in the league in due time. But the Nets should take heed because those Clippers were in almost this same exact spot last year.
Which brings me to my point: I know you&rsquo;re supposed to cash-in on assets and young guys can only get you so far in this league. You&rsquo;re in this business to win championships and put fans in the stands. It&rsquo;s run by stars who make the show worthwhile on the court. With that, though, comes sacrifice, right or wrong; it can range anywhere from accepting lesser roles to destroying what you built to get there to handling stars who want preferential treatment.
Should Jarrett Allen be coming off the bench for DeAndre Jordan? All due respect to DJ, who&rsquo;s paid his dues, but no -- not at the expense of an athletic, developing big man who could start for literally any team in this league. But Allen knows what&rsquo;s coming because of where the team is at now.
You&rsquo;re probably thinking, &ldquo;Who cares how Allen feels? He&rsquo;s not a star,&rdquo; and you&rsquo;re correct with the second statement.&nbsp;
My gripe is with the first question, one that most franchises forget to ask when they enter the spotlight with their big acquisitions -- leaving behind the players who got them there.

The Clippers' culture attracted Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to LA but their arrival ultimately changed things. The Nets should take heed.

The Nets should tread carefully, learn from Clippers’ mistakes

Here is the latest news on the Top 25 Free Agents in the NBA for the 2014-15 season, as ranked by Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.

De'Ron