Tigers

Brendan Malone, whose coaching career spanned six decades, is the recipient of the 2023 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact award, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced today.
&ldquo;Brendan Malone has been a name synonymous with NBA success for many decades,&rdquo; said Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers head coach and NBCA president. &ldquo;He's helped develop players and young coaches, and been a multiple NBA champion on Chuck Daly's Detroit coaching staff in 1989 and 1990. Congrats to Coach Malone on this prestigious recognition.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;I want to thank the National Basketball Coaches Association for this award,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;Tex Winter was a man I got to know and respect. I also want to thank all of the head coaches that I enjoyed working with during my 29-year career in the NBA, in particular Hubie Brown who brought me into the league; Chuck Daly and our two championships; the Van Gundys, Stan and Jeff, and Don Chaney. Lastly, I want to thank my wife Maureen and our six children for sharing my journey.&rdquo;
Wetting his whistle with a few years of coaching CYO basketball, Malone began his coaching career in 1967 at the legendary Power Memorial Academy in New York City where he won three city championships and three Coach of the Year awards.
He then moved to the college ranks in 1976 as an assistant coach at Fordham, then Yale, and then Syracuse. At Syracuse, the Orange went to the NCAA Tournament four times. Malone was a Syracuse assistant for the first five years of the Big East. He left Syracuse to become head coach at the University of Rhode Island (URI) in 1984.
While at URI in 1986, Hubie Brown recruited Malone to join him as an assistant for the New York Knicks, the beginning of his 29-year NBA career. Malone had three different tours with the Knicks, the most notable of which was the four years with head coach Jeff Van Gundy. From 1996 to 2000, the Knicks went 177-119 with two Eastern Conference Finals appearances, as well as a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals.
Malone was an assistant coach for Stan Van Gundy for five years (2007 to 2012) in Orlando. The Magic won 50-plus games four straight years, went to the Eastern Conference Finals twice, and to the 2009 NBA Finals.
Malone was also an assistant coach for Bob Hill and Rick Pitino in New York, Don Chaney in both Detroit and New York, Isiah Thomas in Indiana, Paul Silas in Cleveland and Stan Van Gundy in Detroit. He was also a scout for the Detroit Pistons.&nbsp;
But it was in Detroit with Chuck Daly that Malone made his name, orchestrating the Jordan Rules defense that helped propel the Pistons to back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990.
Malone was the first head coach of the Toronto Raptors in 1995-96 and also served as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for 18 games in 2004-05.
In 27 seasons of NBA coaching, teams that Malone coached went to the playoffs 20 times, to the Conference Finals seven times, and to the NBA Finals four times, winning the title twice. His teams compiled a 1165-1001 record (.538).
Brendan and his son, Michael, who is the head coach of the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets, are the only father-son coaching duo to have both won an NBA championship.
&ldquo;I want to thank the NBCA Selection Committee for acknowledging my father&rsquo;s impact and career in the NBA,&rdquo; Michael Malone said. &ldquo;His work ethic, his love of the game, and his passion for teaching were the foundation of my coaching career. This is a well-deserved honor and I feel very fortunate to be a part of this celebration.&rdquo;
Brendan Malone was enshrined in the New York Catholic High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1993. In 1997, he was inducted into the Basketball Old-Timers of America Hall of Fame (which recognizes and honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to New York City basketball). He is a 2017 enshrinee in the Power Memorial Academy Hall of Fame.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Assistant coaches generally operate behind the scenes and almost never receive enough public recognition for their team&rsquo;s success. However, any head coach will tell you that they are an indispensable part of the team equation,&rdquo; said David Fogel, NBCA Executive Director and General Counsel. &ldquo;Coach Malone&rsquo;s contributions to the accomplishments of his teams are well known inside the NBA and his contributions to the game continue through his son Michael&rsquo;s tremendous success. Congratulations to Brendan on this well-deserved honor.&rdquo;
The NBCA Tex Winter Lifetime Impact Award honors the tremendous achievements and commitment of Hall-of-Famer Tex Winter, who set a standard of innovation, integrity, competitive excellence, loyalty, and tireless promotion of NBA basketball throughout the course of his outstanding NBA coaching career.
The award is selected annually by the NBCA Selection Committee, comprised of some of the most respected coaches and executives in the game, including Rick Adelman, Hubie Brown, Doug Collins, Wayne Embry, Danny Ferry, Mike Fratello, George Karl, Doc Rivers, Rod Thorn and Lenny Wilkens.
This year&rsquo;s nominees included assistant coaches Bob Beyer, Dan Burke, Jeff Bzdelik, Gordon Chiesa, Carroll Dawson, Hank Egan, Jim Eyen, Brian Hill, Jim Lynam, Bob McAdoo, Brendan Suhr and Bob Weiss.
Prior recipients of this award are Ron Adams (2022), Dick Helm (2021), Bill Bertka (2019), Tim Grgurich (2018), Ron Rothstein (2017) and Phil Johnson (2016).

Brendan Malone is the recipient of the 2023 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact award, the NBCA announced today.

Brendan Malone given Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact award

It&rsquo;s the easiest call of the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-2023-wembanyama-b3449d1a5f7a7de5906bb1979ffb2a26">NBA draft</a>: The San Antonio Spurs won.
That&rsquo;s not to say other teams didn&rsquo;t do very well on Thursday, when 58 players were selected as the league&rsquo;s newest members. But the Spurs being able to take generational French talent Victor Wembanyama puts them at the head of the class.
Some of the teams that also did well: NBA champion Denver, Golden State, Toronto &mdash; even with just one pick &mdash; and Orlando, which might now be closer to returning to the postseason mix.
A breakdown of which teams had Excellent drafts, those that had Good drafts and others that will have to Wait and See:
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h2 Component-p-0-2-71">EXCELLENT</h2>
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">DALLAS MAVERICKS</h3>
Picks: Dereck Lively II (12, via trade); Olivier-Maxence Prosper (24, via trade).
Dallas got the big man it wanted and created opportunity by moving Davis Bertans. Hard to argue that it wasn&rsquo;t a good night. And now free agency awaits. Prosper is another player with big potential and was extremely hard to guard at Marquette.
Picks: Julian Strawther (29), Jalen Pickett (32, will be acquired via trade), Hunter Tyson (37),
Pickett should have gone in the first round. He&rsquo;s that good, and the NBA champions just got another do-it-all guy who will also serve as insurance should Bruce Brown leave in free agency.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">DETROIT PISTONS</h3>
Picks: Ausar Thompson (5), Marcus Sasser (25, via trade), James Nnaji (31)
No matter what, the Pistons were going to get better and deeper on Thursday night. Thompson is incredibly athletic (even by NBA standards) and plays defense with a ton of energy.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS</h3>
Picks: Brandin Podziemski (19), Trayce Jackson-Davis (57, via trade)
Play to your strength, and the Warriors got another shooter to add to the mix with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Podziemski could add something right away, and came to Golden State on the same day that the Warriors swung a deal for Chris Paul by sending Jordan Poole to Washington.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">HOUSTON ROCKETS</h3>
Picks: Amen Thompson (4), Cam Whitmore (20)
Thompson is a great move and gives Detroit another great option as it builds. If Whitmore is healthy, then Houston got an absolute steal by getting the Villanova forward at No. 20.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER</h3>
Picks: Cason Wallace (10, via trade), Keyontae Johnson (50)
Wallace was great for Kentucky in his lone college season and played perhaps his best game in the Wildcats&rsquo; finale in the NCAA tournament. He can score; he didn&rsquo;t look to score quite often enough at times in college.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">ORLANDO MAGIC</h3>
Picks: Anthony Black (6), Jett Howard (11)
Paolo Banchero got a couple more shooters to help him out, and the young and talented Magic got more young talent. An excellent night again and it&rsquo;s time to start thinking about Orlando as a team that should make a run at the play-in &mdash; at minimum.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">SAN ANTONIO SPURS</h3>
Picks: Victor Wembanyama (1), Sidy Cissoko (44).
Their grade was secured at the very moment that the last ping-pong ball appeared at the lottery last month. Wembanyama was a no-brainer, and now it&rsquo;s up to the Spurs to start the real work &mdash; get him into the gym, see how he fits, and figure out what the plan is going forward.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">TORONTO RAPTORS</h3>
Pick: Gradey Dick (13)
Dick showed up to the draft in a red-and-black jacket &mdash; a nod to Dorothy from &ldquo;The Wizard of Oz&rdquo; and his Kansas roots. The color scheme will work in Toronto as well. Dick is a pure shooter, and no team can have too many of those. The jury&rsquo;s still out on what the Raptors will be this coming season, but this kid will be a rotation piece.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">UTAH JAZZ</h3>
Picks: Taylor Hendricks (9), Keyonte George (16), Brice Sensabaugh (28)
Hendricks is what an NBA big pretty much is now; a power forward who can also defend centers. George was the Big 12 rookie of the year at Baylor and is a proven scorer. He&rsquo;s good from the line, has 3-point potential and can get to the rim. There&rsquo;s some work to do, but he&rsquo;s a serious prospect.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h2 Component-p-0-2-71">GOOD</h2>
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">BROOKLYN NETS</h3>
Picks: Noah Clowney (21), Dariq Whitehead (22), Jalen Wilson (51)
Clowney is an athletic big from Alabama whose game is still a bit unfinished. Whitehead has enormous potential and was highly recruited by Duke, but foot issues are a concern. Wilson was the Big 12 player of the year at Kansas. The Nets likely didn&rsquo;t choose three elite programs accidentally. Lot to like here.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">CHARLOTTE HORNETS</h3>
Picks: Brandon Miller (2), Nick Smith Jr. (27), Amari Bailey (41).
Miller made sense over Scoot Henderson because the Hornets have a point guard already. But Henderson might be the more NBA-ready player.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">INDIANA PACERS</h3>
Picks: Jarace Walker (8, via trade), Ben Sheppard (26), Julian Strawther (29), Mojave King (47, via trade), Isaiah Wong (55)
Walker plays hard on both ends, and this is rare to say, but he might play harder on defense than he does on offense. And getting Wong &mdash; the ACC player of the year &mdash; so late is a steal.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS</h3>
Picks: Kobe Brown (30), Jordan Miller (48)
Brown is a strong player, addicted to rebounding, and probably needs to improve considerably on the offensive end. Miller did a little of everything for the Miami Hurricanes in their run to the Final Four.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">LOS ANGELES LAKERS</h3>
Picks: Jalen Hood-Schifino (17), Maxwell Lewis (40, via trade).
Hood-Schifino got NBA coaching in college last season; Indiana is coached by Mike Woodson. He&rsquo;s a winner; his high school teams won, his Indiana team went to the NCAA Tournament and he&rsquo;ll obviously benefit from time with LeBron James.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">MIAMI HEAT</h3>
Pick: Jaime Jaquez Jr. (18)
A four-year college player whose game got more complete each year, Jaquez has a notorious work ethic that should fit in quite well with the Eastern Conference champions.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">NEW ORLEANS PELICANS</h3>
Pick: Jordan Hawkins (14)
Hawkins was a big part of UConn&rsquo;s team that won the national title last spring, earning his way onto the All-Tournament team. New Orleans got a winner.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS</h3>
Picks: Scoot Henderson (3), Kris Murray (23), Rayan Rupert (43).
Henderson has shown that he&rsquo;s NBA-ready. The Blazers drafted well. But really, the only question now is whether Damian Lillard is happy or not. Murray is the twin brother of Sacramento&rsquo;s Keegan Murray and had a big season for Iowa &mdash; averaging just over 20 points per game.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">WASHINGTON WIZARDS</h3>
Picks: Bilal Coulibaly (7, via trade), Tristan Vukcevic (42)
The Wizards are starting over, and on the day they also agreed to acquire Jordan Poole from Golden State they just happened to get a French player. (No, not that one.) But Coulibaly is highly touted by No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, and that&rsquo;s enough of an endorsement for us.
<h2 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h2 Component-p-0-2-71">WAIT AND SEE</h2>
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">ATLANTA HAWKS</h3>
Picks: Kobe Bufkin (15), Mouhamed Gueye (39, via trade), Seth Lundy (46)
Bufkin had a great second half of the season at Michigan, and left-handers always provide defenses with an extra challenge. The best way to describe his game is this: He doesn&rsquo;t do much wrong. Very solid, can help the Hawks in a lot of ways.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">BOSTON CELTICS</h3>
Picks: James Njaji (31, via trade), Jordan Walsh (38, via trade)
Still only 18, Njaji started playing the game about seven years ago and is not even close to reaching his potential yet. Big prospect.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">CHICAGO BULLS</h3>
Pick: Julian Phillips (35, via trade)
The Bulls had to forfeit what would have been their pick because of free-agency violations last summer, and swung a deal with Boston to land the Tennessee wing.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">CLEVELAND CAVALIERS</h3>
Pick: Emoni Bates (49)
He was touted as a star since basically middle school, had more than his share of promising moments in college, and now has to really prove himself.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES</h3>
Picks: Gregory Jackson II (45), Tarik Biberovic (56)
Prospects. They&rsquo;re not expected to provide any real help anytime soon.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">MILWAUKEE BUCKS</h3>
Picks: Andre Jackson (36, via trade), Chris Livingston (58)
Jackson was a big part of UConn&rsquo;s national championship. He&rsquo;s only going to benefit from being around Giannis Antetokounmpo every day.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES</h3>
Picks: Leonard Miller (33, via trade), Jaylen Clark (53)
Miller had a lot of big moments playing with Scoot Henderson and the G League Ignite this past season. Athleticism is tough to ignore.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">NEW YORK KNICKS</h3>
No picks.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">PHILADELPHIA 76ERS</h3>
No picks.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">PHOENIX SUNS</h3>
Pick: Toumani Camara (52)
Given the trades that they&rsquo;re making, this might be one of their last picks for quite some time. There&rsquo;s nothing wrong with not valuing the draft, but giving up on it entirely is a dangerous game to play too often.
<h3 class="Component-root-0-2-81 h3 Component-p-0-2-71">SACRAMENTO KINGS</h3>
Picks: Colby Jones (34, via trade), Jalen Slawson (54)
Jones has skills the Kings crave; great shooter, great passing and great vision. A young Kevin Huerter-type in those regards.

Which teams came away from the 2023 NBA Draft as big winners? Check out the AP's draft report cards.

NBA draft report cards: Spurs, Rockets among teams that hit it big

On Tuesday afternoon, the NBA announced the 78 players who are expected to attend the 2023 NBA Draft Combine, which will take place at the Wintrust Arena and Marriott Marquis in Chicago from May 15-21.
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games as well as shooting and strength-and-agility drills. Coverage of the 2023 NBA Draft Combine will begin May 17 on ESPN2 from 2-6 p.m. ET and continues May 18 from 4-8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The NBA Draft Combine will also be available on the ESPN App. Strength-and-agility drills and shooting drills will be broadcast live on the NBA App on May 15 from 3-5 p.m. ET.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-g-league-announces-45-draft-prospects-competing-in-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 13-14 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the NBA Draft Combine.
Unfortunately, projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama won't be in attendance at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine as he has yet to finish his season overseas with Metropolitans 92.
Below is a list of expected attendees for the 2023 NBA Draft Combine:
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Trey Alexander (Creighton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Seth Lundy (Penn State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Amari Bailey (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Kevin McCullar (Kansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Emoni Bates (Eastern Michigan)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Mike Miles Jr. (TCU)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Reece Beekman (Virginia)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Brandon Miller (Alabama)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Anthony Black (Arkansas)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jordan Miller (Miami)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Adem Bona (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Leonard Miller (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Kobe Brown (Missouri)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Judah Mintz (Syracuse)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Kobe Bufkin (Michigan)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Dillon Mitchell (Texas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Toumani Camara (Dayton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Omari Moore (San Jose State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Kris Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jaylen Clark (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Grant Nelson (North Dakota State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Noah Clowney (Alabama)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
James Nnaji (Barcelona [Spain] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Ricky Council IV (Arkansas)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Julian Phillips (Tennessee)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Gradey Dick (Kansas)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jalen Pickett (Penn State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Nikola Djurisic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Zach Edey (Purdue)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Adam Flagler (Baylor)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Rayan Rupert (New Zealand Breakers [Oceania] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Keyonte George (Baylor)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Adama Sanogo (Connecticut)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Marcus Sasser (Houston)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Coleman Hawkins (Illinois)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jordan Hawkins (Connecticut)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Ben Sheppard (Belmont)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Taylor Hendricks (UCF)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jalen Slawson (Furman)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
DaRon Holmes II (Dayton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jett Howard (Michigan)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Andre Jackson Jr. (Connecticut)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
GG Jackson II (South Carolina)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Colby Jones (Xavier)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Tristan Vukcevic (Partizan [Serbia] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jarace Walker (Houston)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Arthur Kaluma (Creighton)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Cason Wallace (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Mojave King (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jordan Walsh (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Bobi Klintman (Wake Forest)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Dariq Whitehead (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Cam Whitmore (Villanova)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Dereck Lively II (Duke)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Jalen Wilson (Kansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="312">
Chris Livingston (Kentucky)
</td>
<td valign="top" width="354">
Isaiah Wong (Miami)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

The NBA announced the 78 players who are expected to attend the 2023 NBA Draft Combine.

NBA announces 78 Draft Combine participants, but no Victor Wembanyama

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &ndash; Kevin Durant scored 35 points and the Phoenix Suns held off the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-118 on Sunday night for their fifth straight victory.
Durant &ndash; once a hero in Oklahoma City after leading the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals, but roundly booed nearly every time he touched the ball Sunday &ndash; scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, helping Phoenix hold the lead after Oklahoma City cut a 15-point deficit to three. The Suns are 6-0 with Durant in the lineup.
Devin Booker added 22 points and 10 assists for Phoenix, which shot 56.8% from the field to match its season high. Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Chris Paul had 16 points and eight assists. Phoenix remained fourth in the Western Conference standings.
Oklahoma City, which is battling for a spot in the NBA&rsquo;s play-in tournament, lost for the third time in its last four games despite 39 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder remained in the final play-in spot &ndash; 10th &ndash; a game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks, who lost to the Atlanta Hawks in overtime.
The Thunder led Phoenix seven points in the first quarter and were tied 27-27 entering the second quarter, but Oklahoma City surrendered a 42-point second quarter, matching the highest total by any opponent this season.
A 3-pointer by Isaiah Joe with 5:19 left pulled Oklahoma City to 109-106, but Durant hit a 3-pointer and Ayton followed with a put-back to make it 114-106 with 4:33 left. The Thunder came no closer than five points after that.
HONOR AND GRATITUDE
Phoenix coach Monty Williams was an assistant for the Thunder on Feb. 10, 2016, when his wife, Ingrid, died in a traffic accident in Oklahoma City.
After his pregame news conference Sunday, Williams took time to thank members of the Thunder organization &ndash; including general manager Sam Presti and Ayana Lawson, the team&rsquo;s vice president of community and lifestyle services &ndash; for their continued support.
&ldquo;We lost my wife here, and this city, and in particular, this organization, wrapped their arms around me and my family and they continue to do so, led by Sam Presti, the ownership here and Ayana Lawson,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;Today would have been my wife&rsquo;s birthday and they chose to honor my wife today by not allowing anybody to sit in her seats.
&ldquo;When I found out this morning, it really messed me up because it really speaks to how blessed I am to do what I do and work for the people I work for and other people that I know and how much they care. &hellip; For them to do that today really speaks to this organization and this city.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Suns: Phoenix&rsquo;s Damion Lee is one of 11 finalists for the NBA&rsquo;s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, which recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.
Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the league&rsquo;s top free-throw shooters at 90.6% entering the game, finished 17 of 17. &hellip; Josh Giddey scored 16 points.
UP NEXT
Suns: Host San Antonio on Tuesday night.
Thunder: At Golden State on Tuesday night.

Kevin Durant scored 35 points and the Suns held off the Thunder 128-118 on Sunday night for their fifth straight victory.

Kevin Durant scores 35 points, Suns roll past Thunder

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; San Diego State had little trouble ending the run of March Madness darling Furman, getting 16 points from Micah Parrish to pace a balanced scoring attack and pulling away for a 75-52 win on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Darrion Trammell had 13 points, Lamont Butler added 12 and leading scorer Matt Bradley finished with 10 for San Diego State (29-6), which is heading to its first Sweet 16 since 2004.
The fifth-seeded Aztecs have won 11 of their past 13 games and will play top overall seed Alabama next week in the South Region semifinals in Louisville, Kentucky.
&ldquo;You should play your best at the end of the season, and we&rsquo;re playing our best basketball as the end of the season,&rdquo; coach Brian Dutcher said.
&ldquo;Obviously we hang our hat on defense. That&rsquo;s the one thing that we do every game,&rdquo; Dutcher added. &ldquo;Then when we get the opportunity, we start making shots and play good offensively, then we&rsquo;re very good.&rdquo;
San Diego State is the first Mountain West Conference team to reach the Sweet 16 since Nevada in 2018. It&rsquo;ll be the third regional semifinal appearance for the Aztecs and the seventh for the Mountain West overall.
Two days after shrugging off cold shooting and overcoming a 12-point, second-half deficit&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/furman-virginia-march-madness-upset-1b4e3c5c8b1ce5896eea85ba9fd42761" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to shock No. 4 seed Virginia 68-67</a>&nbsp;on JP Pegues&rsquo; bracket-busting 3-pointer, Furman was outmuscled and gradually worn down by the much more physical Aztecs.
The Paladins feel they still showed they belong in March Madness.
&ldquo;We wish we would have played better. Wish we would have shot the ball a little bit better. But some of that you have to give credit to (San Diego State). But there&rsquo;s nothing that can take away what this group has done,&rdquo; coach Bob Richey said.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an unbelievable story, and I couldn&rsquo;t be more proud of our team, at a time where I&rsquo;m extremely disappointed that we didn&rsquo;t advance,&rdquo; Richey added. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s really hard to not pull the lens back a little bit and still see what that group was able to accomplish.&rdquo;
San Diego State led 39-25 at the half, getting 14 points off the bench from Parrish and limiting Furman to one field goal over the final 11 minutes leading into the break.
The Aztecs took control during a 15-0 run that turned a two-point deficit into a 30-17 lead. Furman missed seven straight shots and turned the ball over four times during a 9:56 field goal drought that dumped the Paladins into the big halftime hole.
Southern Conference player and the year Jalen Slawson picked up his fourth foul with 16:27 remaining and fouled out shortly after returning midway through the second half. The super senior stomped the floor in frustration, drawing a technical foul that gave San Diego State a pair of free throws that put the Aztecs up 60-37.
Mike Bothwell led the 13th-seeded Paladins (28-8) with 15 points. Alex Williams had 11 and Pegues finished with 11 as Furman shot 32%, including 6 of 26 from 3-point range.
Like Slawson, Bothwell is a super senior who returned to Furman for a fifth season after the Paladins were denied the Southern Conference&rsquo;s automatic NCAA Tournament berth by a buzzer-beater in their league championship game.
Making this year&rsquo;s field, then getting Furman&rsquo;s first win in the tournament in 49 years, created memories that&rsquo;ll last a lifetime.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s something no one can take away from this team,&rdquo; Bothwell said. &ldquo;Greatest team in the school&rsquo;s history. No one has won more games than us, and we enjoyed it. That&rsquo;s the best part about it.&rdquo;
BIG PICTURE
Furman: The Paladins lose Slawson and Bothwell, but feel they&rsquo;ve set the tone for continued success.
&ldquo;Sometimes what success can do is make you complacent, and I think the challenge going forward for us is to understand this has to make us hungrier,&rdquo; Richey said. &ldquo;This has to push us every day to want to get back here and continue to show that we belong in the NCAA Tournament.&rdquo;
San Diego State: The Aztecs are 0-2 in Sweet 16 games. Dutcher feels this team is capable of going further.
&ldquo;Now that we&rsquo;ve settled into the rhythm, and we know what this is about, I think we&rsquo;ll play better moving forward,&rdquo; the coach said. &ldquo;And that&rsquo;s really encouraging moving into the Sweet 16.&rdquo;

Darrion Trammell had 13 points for San Diego State (29-6), which is heading to its first Sweet 16 since 2004.

San Diego State dominates Furman 75-52 to reach Sweet 16

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Kihei Clark sat in the locker room watching video on his phone, trying to figure out how Virginia could have avoided another early exit from the NCAA Tournament.
Five years to the day after losing as a No. 1 seed to 16th-seeded UMBC, the Cavaliers were eliminated in the first round as the higher-seeded team again Thursday &mdash; this time, falling 68-67 to 13th-seeded Furman.
Virginia hasn&rsquo;t won an NCAA Tournament game since its 2019 triumph over Texas Tech for the title. Clark&rsquo;s bad pass was intercepted by Garrett Hien in the closing seconds, leading to a wide-open 3-pointer that JP Pegues sank without hesitation.
Clark starred as a freshman on Virginia&rsquo;s 2019 national title-winning team. His long career with the Cavaliers had a much more unsatisfying conclusion.
So, what would he have done differently?
&ldquo;Call timeout, maybe could have threw it to Armaan (Franklin) on the right wing maybe,&rdquo; Clark said. &ldquo;He was open. Couldn&rsquo;t see. It was a good trap.&rdquo;
Coach Tony Bennett wasn&rsquo;t surprised Clark patiently answered questions from reporters.
&ldquo;This is part of the game. I&rsquo;ve used this line before, but when you step between the lines, you take the good and you take the hard with it. You try to handle them both with dignity and respect,&rdquo; Bennett said.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve loved coaching him in his career. He had the most amazing assist to get us to a Final Four. We would not be in this spot without him, all the success,&rdquo; Bennett added. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had an unbelievable career. You always look to that last moment, and there&rsquo;s so many what-ifs and who knows.&rdquo;
Making their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 43 years, the Paladins (28-7) advanced to the second round in the South Region, where they will play fifth-seeded San Diego State (28-6) on Saturday. The Aztecs held off No. 12 seed Charleston 63-57.
&ldquo;All year we&rsquo;ve been saying that this team just knows how to win. ... It&rsquo;s an unbelievable moment,&rdquo; Furman coach Bob Richey said.
&ldquo;This game is &mdash; interesting might be the word I&rsquo;d use,&rdquo; Bennett said. &ldquo;You feel like, we got it, we got it, and then all of a sudden in a moment&rsquo;s notice, it changes at the end. That&rsquo;s tough.&rdquo;
Furman earned its first tournament berth since 1980 by beating Chattanooga for the Southern Conference title, capping a season-long quest to redeem itself after losing the league&rsquo;s automatic berth to the Mocs in overtime on a 35-foot buzzer-beater last year.
&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t help but go back when I saw the shot in the air to a year ago. It&rsquo;s just a reminder, like we said it all year, count on joy, and you don&rsquo;t know timing of things. ... This team has persevered, and they did it today,&rdquo; Richey said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a microcosm of what they learned, and they just keep reliving the lesson and keep finding ways.&rdquo;
In the aftermath of last year&rsquo;s disappointment, Jalen Slawson and his best friend, Mike Bothwell, both decided to return for their fifth seasons with the Paladins. Slawson took over the game when Bothwell fouled out with just over six minutes remaining, scoring nine consecutive points to turn a 54-48 deficit into Furman&rsquo;s first lead of the game, 57-54, with 5:02 to go.
Slawson, the Southern Conference player of the year, finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
&ldquo;I told Mike that we weren&rsquo;t going to let today be his last time putting a jersey on, and I know if roles were reversed, the same thing would have happened,&rdquo; Slawson said. &ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t have to just be me. But the game was up there for the taking, and these guys told me they believed in me and told me I was being a little bit passive, told me to be a little bit more aggressive.&rdquo;
The winning shot was Pegues&rsquo; only 3 of the game.
&ldquo;As soon as I saw it go into Garrett Hien&rsquo;s hands, I was like, I want the ball. I feel like those are moments I&rsquo;ve created my whole life, and I feel like I&rsquo;m built for,&rdquo; Pegues said. &ldquo;I had full belief that it was going in, and it did.&rdquo;
Reece Beekman&rsquo;s deep 3-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the rim and Virginia (25-8) was eliminated in the first round as the higher-seeded team for the third time in its past four NCAA tournaments. The Cavaliers were also a No. 4 seed two years ago, when they were beaten by 13th-seeded Ohio.
Kadin Shedrick led the Cavaliers with 15 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Beekman scored 14 and Isaac McKneely added 12.
Marcus Foster scored 14 points and Pegues and Bothwell both finished with 11 for Furman.
WHAT&rsquo;S GOING ON
Pegues&rsquo; shot sent shock waves throughout the tournament.
Gradey Dick was shooting free throws late in the first half in Des Moines, Iowa, when the crowd roared, startling the Kansas freshman. Fans were reacting to the final seconds of the Furman-Virginia game being shown on the center-court video board. Dick made the first free throw, turned around and looked up at the video board to see what the commotion was about, and then sank the second. Another loud roar went up when time expired on the Furman upset, but it didn&rsquo;t disrupt Kansas&rsquo; win over Howard because the teams were in a timeout.
UP NEXT
Furman: The Paladins made six appearances in the tourney between 1971 and 1980. Their only other victory came against South Carolina in 1974. Slawson doesn&rsquo;t see any reason why the Southern Conference champions can&rsquo;t win again.
&ldquo;This team has done a great job making history all year,&rdquo; Slawson said, &ldquo;so you know, Saturday is going to be another chance to make history.&rdquo;

Making their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 43 years, the Paladins (28-7) advanced to the second round in the South Region.

Pegues’ three gives No. 13 seed Furman 68-67 win over Virginia

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Jamal Shead scored 16 points, including the winning basket as time ran out, and top-ranked Houston won its 11th straight game, escaping a second-half rally to beat Memphis 67-65 in the teams&rsquo; regular-season finale.
Shead beat the buzzer with his jumper from just inside the 3-point line. Nine seconds earlier, Memphis&rsquo; Kendric Davis drove to the basket and tied the game at 65. Houston chose not to call timeout, and Shead gave the Cougars (29-2, 17-1 American Athletic Conference) the win.
Tramon Mark matched Shead&rsquo;s 16 points, while Marcus Sasser finished with 13 for Houston.
Davis led Memphis (23-8, 13-5) with 26 points, while Chandler Lawson added 10.
NO. 5 PURDUE 76, ILLINOIS 71
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Newman scored 19 points, Zach Edey added 17 and Purdue held on to beat Illinois and become the first team to win the Big Ten title by three or more games since 2014.
Braden Smith added 15 points for the Boilermakers (26-5, 15-5), who led by 24 early in the second half before the Illini rallied.
Matthew Mayer led the Illini (20-11, 11-9) with 16 points, followed by Terrence Shannon Jr. with 13, Sencire Harris with 11 and Luke Goode with 10.
The Boilermakers shot 62% for a 47-26 lead at halftime, but cooled to 29% in the second half. Mayer tied the game at 67 with 1:17 to go, but Edey&rsquo;s layup gave Purdue a 69-67 edge.
NO. 15 INDIANA 75, MICHIGAN 73, OT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Trayce Jackson-Davis had 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists in his final home game, and Indiana forced a steal on Michigan&rsquo;s final possession of overtime.
The Hoosiers (21-10, 12-8) clinched a double bye in Friday&rsquo;s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals by rebounding from their most lopsided home loss since 2017.
Hunter Dickinson had 24 points and 14 rebounds for Michigan (17-14, 11-9). Kobe Bufkin added 19 points and six rebounds, but the Wolverines wound up getting swept in the season series. It was the second straight overtime loss for Michigan.
Seniors Jackson-Davis, Race Thompson and Miller Kopp scored all six Indiana points in overtime.
PENN STATE 65, NO. 21 MARYLAND 64
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) &mdash; Camren Wynter made a layup with less than a second remaining to lift Penn State over Maryland.
Jalen Pickett scored 16 points, Andrew Funk had 14 and Myles Dread had 11 for the Nittany Lions (19-12, 10-10 Big Ten), who trailed by as many as 16 late in the first half.
Jahmir Young scored 14 of his 26 points in the second half for the Terps (20-11, 11-9), who entered the afternoon looking to earn the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament. Julian Reese had 12 points for the Terps, while Don Carey and Ian Martinez added 11 each.

A recap of three games in top-25 men's action Sunday includes a game-winner from the top team in the country.

No. 1 Houston nips Memphis 67-65 for 11th straight win

Now in his eighth season with the Indiana Pacers, Myles Turner is easily the team&rsquo;s longest-tenured player. In fact, no other Pacer on the current roster has been in town longer than four seasons.
Turner arrived in Indiana as a wide-eyed teenager who was selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. In the years that followed, Turner would watch as the team continually changed around him. He has played for four different head coaches &mdash; Frank Vogel, Nate McMillan, Nate Bjorkgren and Rick Carlisle &mdash; and witnessed a ton of roster turnover. But despite Turner&rsquo;s name surfacing in trade rumors annually, he has been the one constant in Indiana.
As a rookie, Turner suited up alongside stars like Paul George and Monta Ellis. During his sophomore campaign, he called Al Jefferson, Thaddeus Young, Jeff Teague and Lance Stephenson teammates. The following year, Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Bojan Bogdanovic and Darren Collison joined the squad. Turner has also played with veterans such as Tyreke Evans, Ty Lawson, Rodney Stuckey, Caris LeVert, Doug McDermott, T.J. Warren and C.J. Miles over the years.
However, one could argue that no teammate has had a greater impact on Turner&rsquo;s game than his current star running mate: Tyrese Haliburton.
When the Pacers <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-interview-tyrese-haliburton-indiana-pacers-chad-buchanan-bennedict-mathurin-myles-turner-sacramento-kings-domantas-sabonis-trade-drew-hanlen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings</a> prior to last year&rsquo;s trade deadline, Turner was ecstatic. He was a fan of Haliburton&rsquo;s game and potential, and couldn&rsquo;t wait to team up with the pass-first point guard. Unfortunately, Turner wasn&rsquo;t able to play alongside Haliburton in the second half of last season due to a stress reaction in his foot.
This year, the Pacers&rsquo; one-two punch of Haliburton and Turner has been on full display, and they have become one of the most productive pick-and-roll duos in the NBA.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
pretty.😍 Tyrese Haliburton to Myles Turner for two. <a href="https://t.co/TupiSM909t">pic.twitter.com/TupiSM909t</a>
&mdash; Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1629656051175026688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Turner has set 814 picks for Haliburton, which is the third-most of any pick-and-roll duo in the league, per Second Spectrum. The only tandems who have run the pick-and-roll more are Philadelphia&rsquo;s James Harden and Joel Embiid (893 picks) and Phoenix&rsquo;s Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton (897). Possessions featuring a Haliburton-Turner pick-and-roll have generated 1.063 points per possession &mdash; the fifth-best PPP of the 24 duos with at least 500 picks.
&ldquo;This has been a wonderful opportunity for Myles to play with a playmaking guard of Tyrese&rsquo;s caliber,&rdquo; Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told Basketball News. &ldquo;A couple weeks ago, we checked and they were top-five or top-six in the league as a successful pick-and-roll connection, and that&rsquo;s pretty amazing. Myles is getting all different kinds of stuff &mdash; he&rsquo;s getting rolls for dunks, he's getting a little bit of mid-range, he's getting good looks for threes and he's getting some late passes underneath for dunks as well.
"I just love the force that he&rsquo;s playing with. Tyrese has had a wonderful impact on Myles and certainly the rest of the team, but the connection those two guys have has been special.&rdquo;
The partnership has been mutually beneficial. Turner gets easy looks from an elite floor general who ranks second among all players in assists per game (10.2) and assist percentage (46.9%), while Haliburton gets a unique big-man partner who can score inside (62.8% on twos) and out (40.3% on threes). It&rsquo;s no coincidence that both players are having career years.&nbsp;
Turner is averaging career-highs in points (18.2), rebounds (8.0), field-goal percentage (54.9%), three-point percentage (40.3%) and made threes (1.7), while also contributing 2.3 blocks, 1.4 deflections and 0.6 steals per game. Turner's dominance shows up in his analytics too, as he's posting personal bests in win shares per 48 minutes (.157), Box Plus/Minus (+2.6), True Shooting percentage (65.8%), Player Efficiency Rating (20.6) and total rebound rate (14.7%).
&ldquo;Myles has blossomed this year. We've seen the relationship with him and Ty; they're one of the best pick-and-roll [duos] in the league right now,&rdquo; Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said recently. &ldquo;This is the beginning of a nice core &mdash; no, a great core.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Haliburton <a href="bit.ly/3AyPKHC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">became a first-time All-Star</a> after averaging career-highs in points (20.1), assists (10.1) and threes (2.8), while also contributing 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. Haliburton is also posting personal bests in advanced stats like assist percentage (46.9%), PER (23.0), VORP (3.8), BPM (+6.9) and WS/48 (.189).
&ldquo;It was unfortunate that I didn&rsquo;t get a chance to play with him last year and really start to develop that synergy, but I think we&rsquo;ve really picked it up quickly,&rdquo; Turner told Basketball News. &ldquo;Ty is someone who&rsquo;s easy to play with. Obviously, he sees the floor well. And as the season has progressed, we&rsquo;ve done a better job of communicating with each other. It&rsquo;s been a fun experience.&rdquo;
Despite the fact that they&rsquo;ve only played 44 games together, they have developed a strong connection and can often anticipate each other&rsquo;s next move.
&ldquo;I think I know what he&rsquo;s going to do before he does it in a sense,&rdquo; Turner said. &ldquo;I think that just comes with playing with him.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
this sequence.🔥 a huge block by Myles Turner followed by a huge dunk by Tyrese Haliburton.👀 <a href="https://t.co/4MpAf4Kp0B">pic.twitter.com/4MpAf4Kp0B</a>
&mdash; Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1630770909442191360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;We just needed time together, that&rsquo;s all,&rdquo; Haliburton told Basketball News. &ldquo;I feel like I&rsquo;ve had pretty good chemistry with my bigs throughout my NBA career, and I knew that playing with Myles wasn&rsquo;t going to be any different. He brings a different dynamic than what I&rsquo;m used to, with his ability to space the floor. And he&rsquo;s the best shot-blocker that I&rsquo;ve ever played with, so that gives me confidence on the defensive end to be able to take more risks and get into the ball a little bit more.
"I think it&rsquo;s a mutual relationship where he&rsquo;s got my back and I&rsquo;ve got his.&rdquo;
Not too long ago, Turner&rsquo;s days in Indiana seemed numbered. After all, the team traded away nearly all of its veterans last season (including Sabonis, LeVert, Torrey Craig, Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb), and Turner&rsquo;s name continued to pop up in trade rumors. However, since Turner is only 26 years old, the Pacers&rsquo; brass felt that he could be on a similar timeline as Haliburton, who is 23.
It certainly seems that the Pacers are building around this duo, especially after Turner was given a two-year, $60 million extension in January.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad that we got it done. I think it was a win-win for both sides,&rdquo; Turner said. &ldquo;I think I have a good relationship with (Pacers owner) Herb Simon, and I think he has a big belief in what I&rsquo;m capable of as well. I&rsquo;m glad that we were able to come to terms on an agreement. Behind the scenes, for me personally, I was open to the idea of free agency, but I also wanted to at least give Indy a fair chance, and both sides came to an agreement.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m comfortable. I&rsquo;m where I want to be. I&rsquo;m growing with a young team that&rsquo;s hungry. I think we&rsquo;re just trying to get better and better every day, and that&rsquo;s the main goal of this whole thing. I have a lot of belief in this city, a lot of belief in this program and a lot of belief in the guys in this locker room, so that was a big initial factor in me wanting to stay here.&rdquo;
Since Turner was a popular trade candidate, many fans of other teams got excited about the possibility of him joining their favorite squad. When Turner inked his extension with the Pacers, some of these fans reacted negatively &mdash; upset that he was no longer on the market.&nbsp;
&ldquo;What fans don&rsquo;t realize is that this is a business, and both sides have to do what&rsquo;s best for them,&rdquo; Turner said. &ldquo;Sometimes it doesn&rsquo;t work out where you&rsquo;re able to stay with the same team, but I&rsquo;ve been blessed and fortunate enough to be with the same team for my entire career. That&rsquo;s not something that happens a lot, and I never take that for granted. That was obviously something that went into my decision as well. For the casual fan, they have to realize that while basketball may be a fun game, the business aspect of it will always reign supreme.&rdquo;
As Turner mentioned, not many players stay with one NBA team for the entirety of their career. He admits that retiring in Indiana would mean a lot to him.
&ldquo;Yeah, obviously, it&rsquo;s something that would be very special,&rdquo; Turner said. &ldquo;Like I always talk about, the business of basketball always reigns supreme, but my loyalty is with the organization that drafted me and the city that took me in, and hopefully it&rsquo;s able to stay that way for years to come.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Turner has been a part of many different iterations of Pacers basketball. Now, looking at the current pieces around him, he&rsquo;s excited about the team&rsquo;s promising future.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen the growth in a lot of our young guys throughout the entire year,&rdquo; Turner said. &ldquo;The best thing for them was getting a chance to play early. For <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-feature-interview-indiana-pacers-rookie-andrew-nembhard-rick-carlisle-tj-mcconnell-gonzaga-florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew [Nembhard]</a>, Ben [Mathurin] and those guys, playing heavy minutes early was big for their development, and not every rookie has a chance to do that. The fact that they&rsquo;re getting battle-tested so early is going to bode well for them.
"I&rsquo;ve just enjoyed the overall spirit and fight of this team. We&rsquo;ve got a lot of guys who clock in and work hard day in and day out, and they&rsquo;re coming in here and getting a chance to compete after working their whole life to get here.&rdquo;
While playing alongside Haliburton has certainly helped Turner, the big man does deserve a lot of credit for the leap he has taken this season. He&rsquo;s put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes to maximize his potential and make the most of his opportunity.
&ldquo;I attribute [my career year] to patience and obviously the hard work I put in over the offseason to prepare for these moments,&rdquo; Turner explained. &ldquo;I also attribute it to just the years that I&rsquo;ve been in the league, where I&rsquo;ve been able to play out on the perimeter at the 4 position and now I&rsquo;m able to play my natural position (the 5).
"I&rsquo;m thankful that I was able to just stick it out those years that I was here and see what the other side of basketball was like, outside of just getting what you want when you want it. I think I waited my turn and, obviously, I&rsquo;m thriving now, and I&rsquo;m only hoping to get better from here.&rdquo;
Nekias Duncan contributed to this article.

Alex Kennedy catches up with Pacers big man Myles Turner to discuss his extension, playing with Tyrese Haliburton and more.

Pacers' perfect pairing: Turner, Haliburton form dominant 1-2 punch

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Zia Cooke scored five of her 24 points in overtime to help No. 1 South Carolina remain unbeaten with a 64-57 victory over Mississippi on Sunday.
The defending national champion Gamecocks (27-0, 14-0 Southeastern Conference) got one of their biggest scares of the season before winning their 33rd straight game. The Rebels (20-7, 9-5) never trailed by more than six points in regulation and flirted with their first win over a No. 1 team in 46 years.
Cooke had six rebounds and four assists to help off-set a 7-of-18 shooting performance. Aliyah Boston added 13 points and 11 rebounds on 4-of-14 shooting and didn&rsquo;t score in the first quarter.
The deep Gamecocks didn&rsquo;t get their usual supply of scoring help for the two stars, though Kamilla Cardoso had eight points and 11 boards.
Angel Baker led Ole Miss with 17 points.
No. 2 INDIANA 83, PURDUE 60
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 20 points, Grace Berger added 14 points and 10 assists and Indiana beat Purdue to clinch a share of its first Big Ten regular-season title in 40 years.
The Hoosiers (26-1, 16-1 Big Ten) won their 14th straight, matching the second-longest winning streak in school history, before cutting down the nets in front of the program&rsquo;s first home sellout. Indiana has broken the single-game attendance mark four times this season, this time celebrating its 18th straight home win in front of 17,222.
Lasha Petree led Purdue with 23 points and Abbey Elliss added 12. The Boilermakers (17-8, 8-7). have lost nine straight in this rivalry.
No. 4 UTAH 74, ARIZONA STATE 69
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Gianna Kneepkens scored 22 points and Jenna Johnson added 15 to push Utah to a Pac-12 victory over stubborn Arizona State.
The Utes (23-3, 13-3), who had a seven-game winning streak stopped at No. 18 Arizona on Friday, struggled to put away Arizona State without post player Alissa Pili.
Pili, the Pac-12&rsquo;s leading scorer at 20.7 points per game, did not play after suffering an apparent right ankle sprain the final minutes of the loss at Arizona. Her ankle was re-taped on the bench after the first quarter but she never entered the game.
Sydney Erikstrup had 15 points, Treasure Hunt had 13 and Kayla Mokwuah had 11 for the Sun Devils (7-18, 0-16), who lost their 16th straight game despite leading most of the way.
No. 5 LSU 90, FLORIDA 79
GAINSVILLE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese had her ninth first-half double-double, Jasmine Carson had a career-high five 3-pointers before the break, and LSU raced past Florida.
Reese finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds for her 25th double-double of the season, two shy of Sylvia Fowles&rsquo; LSU single-season record. She also had five assists, three blocks and two steals.
Carson also scored 25 points, a career-high, as the graduate transfer from West Virginia went 7 of 14 behind the arc, helping the Tigers (25-1, 13-1 Southeastern Conference) to a season-best 11 3s on 20 attempts. The last time LSU had a player hit seven 3-pointers was in 1997.
KK Deans, a West Virginia transfer, matched her career high with 30 points, for the Gators (14-13, 3-11), who have lost five straight.
No. 9 DUKE 56, VIRGINIA 52
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Elizabeth Balogun scored 12 points, Taya Corosdale had 10 and Duke survived a stern test from Virginia.
The Blue Devils (22-4, 13-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) led only 47-45 with just over eight minutes left, but Celeste Taylor hit a 3-pointer from right in front of the Duke bench to make it a five-point game, starting a 7-2 run that gave them some breathing room and they held on.
Taylor Valladay led Virginia (15-12, 4-12) with 19 points and McKenna Dale had 10. The Cavaliers had split their last six meetings with the Blue Devils after ending a 26-game losing streak in the series, but still lost for the 30th time in the last 33 meetings.
No. 10 NOTRE DAME 83, PITTSBURGH 43
PITTSBURGH (AP) &mdash; Maddy Westbeld and Sonia Citron scored 13 points each and Notre Dame used a huge first-quarter push to race by Pittsburgh.
The Fighting Irish (22-4, 13-3 ACC) went on an 18-3 burst over the final 6:47 of the opening frame to build a 16-point lead that the Panthers (10-17, 3-13) never really threatened.
Ten days after avoiding an upset at home against Pitt and three days after Olivia Miles hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to top Louisville, the Fighting Irish made sure no such heroics were necessary this time around.
No. 11 VIRGINIA TECH 75, N.C. STATE 62
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Roommates Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore both had double-doubles and Virginia Tech won its fifth straight, defeating North Carolina State.
Kitley had 24 points and 10 rebounds for her 50th career double-double and had six blocks. Amoore had 15 points and 11 assists, which tied her career high.
Virginia Tech (22-4, 12-4 ACC) has won six straight, the previous three against ranked teams, starting with a 73-61 win over the Wolfpack. That marked the Hokies&rsquo; first-ever win in Raleigh and now they have their first-ever sweep of NC State.
Aziaha James scored 20 points in her first start for the Wolfpack (18-9, 8-8), who are out of the poll for the first time in 96 weeks dating to February of 2018.
No. 15 OKLAHOMA 86, KANSAS 80
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Madi Williams scored 23 points, Liz Scott had a double-double, and Oklahoma held off Kansas.
A free throw by Zakiyah Franklin drew Kansas within 82-80 with 3:12 remaining. Neither team would score another field goal as Kansas missed its last nine shots and Oklahoma&rsquo;s last field goal came with 5:12 remaining.
Williams made two free throws with 37 seconds left and Ana Llanusa added two more with nine seconds left to wrap up Oklahoma&rsquo;s sixth consecutive victory.
Scott had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Sooners (22-4, 12-3 Big 12).
The Jayhawks got 73 of their 80 points from the trio of Franklin, Holly Kersgieter and Taiyanna Jackson. Franklin led with a career-high 30 points, Kersgieter added 24 and Jackson 19 for Kansas (16-9, 6-8). Jackson added 13 rebounds.
No. 17 TEXAS 74, WEST VIRGINIA 48
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Shaylee Gonzales had 18 points, Rori Harmon scored 16 and Khadija Faye added a double-double to power Texas to a romp over West Virginia.
Gonzales made half of her six 3-pointers and all seven of her free throws for the Longhorns (21-7, 12-3 Big 12 Conference). Harmon sank 10 of 12 fouls shots and added six rebounds and six assists. Faye finished with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 11 rebounds.
Ja&rsquo;Haiya Quinerly had 16 points before fouling out to pace the Mountaineers (16-9, 7-7). Madisen Smith hit three 3-pointers and scored 12. Jayla Hemingway pitched in with nine points and seven rebounds.
No. 18 ARIZONA 61, No. 21 COLORADO 42
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Shaina Pellington scored 19 points with five assists and Arizona smothered Colorado, ending the Buffaloes&rsquo; five-game winning streak.
The Wildcats (21-6, 11-5 Pac 12 Conference) held the Buffaloes to their lowest total of the season and their worst shooting game, 28.3% overall (15 of 53), 1 of 12 from 3-point range (8.3%).
Esmery Martinez had 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and seven rebounds for the Wildcats, who were coming off a 10-point win over No. 4 Utah and have won five of six.
Tameiya Sadler led the Buffaloes with 12 points and Quay Miller added 10 with 10 rebounds.
No. 19 NORTH CAROLINA 71, WAKE FOREST 58
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Deja Kelly had 24 points, five rebounds and six assists to lead North Carolina to a victory over Wake Forest.
Destiny Adams added 11 points off the bench and Kennedy Todd-Williams scored 10 for the Tar Heels (19-8, 10-6 ACC).
North Carolina went up by 20 midway through the fourth quarter and cruised from there, making just two field goals and three free throws over the final 6 1/2 minutes.
Wake Forest (14-13, 5-11) shot 3 for 14 in the third quarter and was outscored 16-6. The shooting slump came after the Demon Deacons shot 50% in the first half and trailed just 40-36 at halftime.
No. 24 FLORIDA STATE 80, GEORGIA TECH 66
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Ta&rsquo;Niya Latson scored 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 9-of-10 free throws, leading Florida State to a victory over Georgia Tech.
Latson scored 24 points through three quarters and the Seminoles took a 63-57 lead into the fourth. Latson, a freshman averaging 21.8 points per game, had gone nine games without reaching 20 points.
Georgia Tech got within four points early in the fourth quarter, but the Seminoles responded with an 8-0 run that gave them a 73-61 lead with 4:11 remaining. Florida State added 3-pointers from Latson and Erin Howard to close out the victory. The Yellow Jackets made one of their last 12 shots from the field.
Sara Bejedi scored 14 points and O&rsquo;Mariah Gordon added 10 off the bench for Florida State (22-7, 11-5 ACC).
Cameron Swartz scored 17 points, Kara Dunn 16, and Kayla Blackshear 10 for Georgia Tech (13-13, 4-11).
CALIFORNIA 81, No. 25 USC 78, OT
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Jayda Curry scored 27 points and Michelle Onyiah had six points in overtime as California upended USC.
The Trojans (19-8, 9-7 Pac-12), back in the rankings for the first time since 2016, had their chances to win this one after falling to No. 3 Stanford 50-47 on Friday.
From the final four minutes of regulation until Destiny Littleton hit a 3-pointer with 1:08 to go in overtime, USC missed eight straight shots. After Littleton tied the game at 78 and Leilani McIntosh put the Golden Bears (13-14, 4-12) on top with two free throws with 44 seconds to go, the Trojans came up empty on their next possession despite two offensive rebounds.
Onyiah made 1 of 2 from the line with eight seconds to go and Littleton&rsquo;s late 3 was off the mark.

A recap of a busy Sunday in top-25 women's action includes a thriller between the Gamecocks and Rebels that had to go to overtime.

Top-ranked South Carolina edges Ole Miss in OT

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; The NBA-leading Boston Celtics scrounged enough out of their bench to keep the Philadelphia 76ers at bay in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
With three of the Celtics&rsquo; regular starters out &mdash; and Jaylen Brown soon to join them &mdash; Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White scored 19 points apiece to lead Boston to a 106-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Brown, who missed the previous game with a non-COVID illness, left the game after&nbsp;colliding with Jayson Tatum under the basket&nbsp;when they were both going for an offensive rebound.
Brown appeared to take Tatum&rsquo;s elbow in the left side of his head. He went to the floor and was slow to get up; when he did, he went straight to the locker room, rubbing his left eye and temple.
The team announced at the start of the third quarter that he had a facial contusion and would not return. After the game, coach Joe Mazzulla said he had no more information, but Brogdon said Brown appeared to be in pain when he left.
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&ldquo;I called him but he didn&rsquo;t answer,&rdquo; Mazzulla said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;ll get that ASAP. I hope he&rsquo;s OK.&rdquo;
Tatum had 12 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Boston, which won for the fourth time in five games to add to the NBA&rsquo;s best record (39-16). The 76ers (34-19) are second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference, having lost both matchups with the Celtics this season.
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&ldquo;Boston has beaten us twice, and Boston won the East last year. Boston is the best team in the East. I said that before,&rdquo; Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s our job to prove that wrong. But we have a lot of time to do that.&rdquo;
Joel Embiid scored 28 points and James Harden added 26 points and 11 assists for the Sixers, who lost their second game in a row. They had won nine of their previous 11.
Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III and Al Horford all missed the game with injuries. Blake Griffin got the start and hit five 3-pointers for a season-high 15 points, and Grant Williams scored 15 points and added eight rebounds.
In all, the Boston bench outscored Philadelphia&rsquo;s 31-21, with three other usual second-stringers contributing 49 points from the starting lineup. The Celtics made 19 of 35 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;I could have made some of those 3s,&rdquo; Rivers told reporters. &ldquo;Well, maybe not me. I was a poor shooter. But someone in this room could have made those 3s.&rdquo;
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CATCHING UP
The Celtics led 98-87 midway through the fourth quarter before Matisse Thybulle and Harden hit back-to-back 3-pointers to key an 8-0 run. But Boston scored on an inbounds pass from White to Luke Kornet with 0.5 seconds to make it 100-95 with about three minutes left.
&ldquo;I really didn&rsquo;t think we played with the right spirit the entire game,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;They scored with .5 on the clock. I just thought our defensive discipline was poor. And when you play that way you don&rsquo;t deserve to win.&rdquo;
White then hit a 3-pointer the next time down. It was a six-point game with under two minutes when Embiid put up a fadeaway from the foul line that missed everything and went out of bounds. It was first ruled Celtics ball, the referees overruled themselves and awarded it to the Sixers, then the Celtics challenged; the replay showed Grant Williams got a piece of Embiid&rsquo;s hand, not the ball.
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Boston didn&rsquo;t capitalize on that possession but, after Embiid missed a 3, Tatum drove for a floater that made it 105-97 with 37 seconds left.
TIP-INS
The Celtics were without Al Horford (swollen right knee), Robert Williams III (sprained left ankle) and Marcus Smart (sprained right ankle). The No. 9 Duke women&rsquo;s basketball team attended the game, a night before they are scheduled to play Boston College. Duke coach Kara Lawson spent 2020 as a Celtics assistant. &hellip; Griffin&rsquo;s season-highs had been three 3-pointers made and 13 points. ... Embiid picked up a technical foul in the second quarter.
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Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White scored 19 points apiece to lead Boston to a 106-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Celtics lose Jaylen Brown, hold on to beat Sixers 106-99

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; The NBA-leading Boston Celtics scrounged enough out of their bench to keep the Philadelphia 76ers at bay in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
With three of the Celtics&rsquo; regular starters out &mdash; and Jaylen Brown soon to join them &mdash; Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White scored 19 points apiece to lead Boston to a 106-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Brown, who missed the previous game with a non-COVID illness, left the game after&nbsp;colliding with Jayson Tatum under the basket&nbsp;when they were both going for an offensive rebound.
Brown appeared to take Tatum&rsquo;s elbow in the left side of his head. He went to the floor and was slow to get up; when he did, he went straight to the locker room, rubbing his left eye and temple.
The team announced at the start of the third quarter that he had a facial contusion and would not return. After the game, coach Joe Mazzulla said he had no more information, but Brogdon said Brown appeared to be in pain when he left.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum collide towards the end of the half and JB heads to the locker room <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHIvsBOS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PHIvsBOS</a> <a href="https://t.co/Kf1Yn0Z7pO">pic.twitter.com/Kf1Yn0Z7pO</a>
&mdash; Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics/status/1623496885741801473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

&ldquo;I called him but he didn&rsquo;t answer,&rdquo; Mazzulla said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;ll get that ASAP. I hope he&rsquo;s OK.&rdquo;
Tatum had 12 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Boston, which won for the fourth time in five games to add to the NBA&rsquo;s best record (39-16). The 76ers (34-19) are second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference, having lost both matchups with the Celtics this season.
&ldquo;Boston has beaten us twice, and Boston won the East last year. Boston is the best team in the East. I said that before,&rdquo; Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s our job to prove that wrong. But we have a lot of time to do that.&rdquo;
Joel Embiid scored 28 points and James Harden added 26 points and 11 assists for the Sixers, who lost their second game in a row. They had won nine of their previous 11.
Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III and Al Horford all missed the game with injuries. Blake Griffin got the start and hit five 3-pointers for a season-high 15 points, and Grant Williams scored 15 points and added eight rebounds.
In all, the Boston bench outscored Philadelphia&rsquo;s 31-21, with three other usual second-stringers contributing 49 points from the starting lineup. The Celtics made 19 of 35 from 3-point range.
&ldquo;I could have made some of those 3s,&rdquo; Rivers told reporters. &ldquo;Well, maybe not me. I was a poor shooter. But someone in this room could have made those 3s.&rdquo;
CATCHING UP
The Celtics led 98-87 midway through the fourth quarter before Matisse Thybulle and Harden hit back-to-back 3-pointers to key an 8-0 run. But Boston scored on an inbounds pass from White to Luke Kornet with 0.5 seconds to make it 100-95 with about three minutes left.
&ldquo;I really didn&rsquo;t think we played with the right spirit the entire game,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;They scored with .5 on the clock. I just thought our defensive discipline was poor. And when you play that way you don&rsquo;t deserve to win.&rdquo;
White then hit a 3-pointer the next time down. It was a six-point game with under two minutes when Embiid put up a fadeaway from the foul line that missed everything and went out of bounds. It was first ruled Celtics ball, the referees overruled themselves and awarded it to the Sixers, then the Celtics challenged; the replay showed Grant Williams got a piece of Embiid&rsquo;s hand, not the ball.
Boston didn&rsquo;t capitalize on that possession but, after Embiid missed a 3, Tatum drove for a floater that made it 105-97 with 37 seconds left.
TIP-INS
The Celtics were without Al Horford (swollen right knee), Robert Williams III (sprained left ankle) and Marcus Smart (sprained right ankle). The No. 9 Duke women&rsquo;s basketball team attended the game, a night before they are scheduled to play Boston College. Duke coach Kara Lawson spent 2020 as a Celtics assistant. &hellip; Griffin&rsquo;s season-highs had been three 3-pointers made and 13 points. ... Embiid picked up a technical foul in the second quarter.
UP NEXT
76ers: Host the Knicks on Friday.
Celtics: Host Charlotte on Friday.

The Celtics defeated the 76ers 106-99 on Wednesday night, but they lost Jaylen Brown in the process.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Shahada Wells scored 17 points as No. 14 TCU beat No. 2 Kansas 83-60 on Saturday in one of the worst losses in Bill Self&rsquo;s 20-year coaching career with the Jayhawks.
The loss snapped a 16-game winning streak at home for Kansas and was the second-largest home loss under Self. The Jayhawks (15-3, 5-2 Big 12), who lost 83-82 in overtime at Kansas State on Tuesday, had not lost consecutive games in the state since 1989 &mdash; against K-State and Missouri.
Kansas trailed by 10 at halftime and never closed the gap within single digits. TCU extended the lead to as many as 24 points. The Jayhawks shot only 32.1% in the second half.
TCU (15-4, 4-3 Big 12), which shot 54.4% (31 of 57) from the field, got 15 points from Mike Miles Jr. and 11 from Damion Baugh.
NO. 4 ALABAMA 85, MISSOURI 64
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) &mdash; Noah Clowney and Mark Sears each scored 17 points, and Alabama remained undefeated against unranked teams this season.
Freshman Brandon Miller added 15 points and eight rebounds for Alabama (17-2, 7-0 Southeastern Conference), and reserve Jahvon Quinterly scored 13 points. Clowney also had 14 rebounds, and Sears finished with eight rebounds and three steals.
Isiaih Mosley led Missouri (14-5, 3-4) with 19 points. Mohamed Diarra had eight points and 12 rebounds.
NO. 11 ARIZONA 58, NO. 5 UCLA 52
TUSCON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Oumar Ballo scored 16 points, Azuolas Tubelis had a double-double and Arizona withstood a late rally to end UCLA&rsquo;s 14-game winning streak.
The Wildcats (17-3, 5-3 Pac-12) took a 56-44 lead on Ballo&rsquo;s alley-oop dunk with 2:07 left. But the Bruins (17-3, 8-1) fought back, creating four straight turnovers to pull within 56-52. UCLA then blocked consecutive shots but couldn&rsquo;t convert on two shots of its own. Arizona&rsquo;s Pelle Larsson hit two free throws with 0.9 seconds to close it out.
Tyger Campbell led the Bruins with 13 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 12 with 11 rebounds.
NO. 6 GONZAGA 99, PACIFIC 90
STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored 24 of his career-high 38 points in the second half, including 18 straight points during one stretch, and Gonzaga pulled away in the closing minutes.
Timme made 17 of 23 shots and almost all of them within a couple feet of the rim. Anton Watson added 16 points and 13 rebounds for Gonzaga (17-4, 6-1 WCC). Rasir Bolton added 16 points for the Bulldogs, who had won their previous three road games in conference play by a combined eight points, and Julian Strawther had 15.
Jordan Ivy-Curry led five Pacific players in double figures with 17 points. Nick Blake scored 16 before fouling out. Keylan Boone finished with 15, Luke Avdalovic added 13 and Judson Martindale finished with 12. Pacific (10-12, 3-4) made eight 3-pointers in the first half and was tied at 47 at halftime, but the Tigers were just 1 of 8 from deep in the second half.
NO. 7 TEXAS 69, WEST VIRGINIA 61
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- Marcus Carr scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half to lead Texas.
Dylan Disu added 13 points before fouling out, and Christian Bishop and Tyrese Hunter scored 11 apiece for the Longhorns (16-3, 5-2 Big 12), who bounced back from a double-digit loss at No. 12 Iowa State on Wednesday.
The Mountaineers (11-8, 1-6) had several players in early foul trouble. Kedrian Johnson had a career-high 22 points, but his teammates fell flat in the second half against the Longhorns.
NO. 8 XAVIER 95, GEORGETOWN 82
CINCINNATI (AP) &mdash; Zach Freemantle tied a career-high with 30 points and Colby Jones had 20 as Xavier handed Georgetown its 29th straight Big East loss.
Adam Kunkel scored 14 points to help the Musketeers (16-4, 8-1 Big East) bounce back from a 73-72 loss at DePaul on Wednesday.
Primo Spears scored a career-high 37 points and Akok Akok had 14 for the Hoyas (5-15, 0-9 Big East), who have lost 10 straight. Spears&rsquo; previous high was 34 against LaSalle on March 5, 2022.
NO. 9 TENNESSEE 77, LSU 56
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) &mdash; Josiah-Jordan James scored a season-high 22 points and Tennessee defeated LSU, which has lost six straight.
James, who missed eight games in November and December due to injury, made his second straight start for the Volunteers (16-3, 6-1 Southeastern Conference). Playing 31 minutes, James was 9-of-16 from the field and matched his career-high with four 3-pointers.
Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler had 12 points and 10 assists, which tied his career high. Julian Phillips and Tyreke Key each had 10 points.
KJ Williams led LSU (12-7, 1-6) with 16 points. Trae Hannibal added 10 points. The Tigers committed 19 turnovers which resulted in 33 Volunteers points.
NO. 10 VIRGINIA 76, WAKE FOREST 67
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Armaan Franklin scored 18 of his 25 points during the first half and Virginia survived blowing nearly all of a 19-point lead to beat Wake Forest.
Kihei Clark added 12 points despite getting into foul trouble for the Cavaliers (15-3, 7-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). But it was a day of wild swings for Virginia, who went from missing its first eight shots to suddenly being unable to miss to go up 34-15 &mdash; only to see the Demon Deacons push back to within a single point with 8 1/2 minutes left.
Damari Monsanto had a career-high 25 points for the Demon Deacons (14-6, 6-3), highlighted by making 7 of 15 3-pointers.
OKLAHOMA STATE 61, NO. 12 IOWA STATE 59
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Avery Anderson scored 18 points, including the go-ahead free throws, and Oklahoma State defeated Iowa State for its first win over a ranked team this season.
Kalib Boone added 13 points for the Cowboys (11-8, 3-4 Big 12), who won their second straight game.
Osun Osunniyi scored 15 points and Gabe Kalscheur added 14 for Iowa State (14-4, 5-2), which had won seven of its last eight games. Cyclones sharpshooter Caleb Grill spent most of the second half on the bench wearing a back brace and wasn&rsquo;t in the game in the closing minutes.
NO. 13 KANSAS STATE 68, TEXAS TECH 58
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Markquis Nowell had 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists in Kansas State&rsquo;s win over Texas Tech.
Keyontae Johnson had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Wildcats (17-2, 6-1 Big 12), who won for the 11th time in 12 games. Ismael Massoud scored 12 points.
Pop Isaacs and De&rsquo;Vion Harmon each scored 13 points for Texas Tech (10-9, 0-7), which shot 32.4% (23 for 71) from the field.
NO. 16 AUBURN 81, SOUTH CAROLINA 66
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Johni Broome had a season-high 27 points and 11 rebounds as Auburn took control late in the opening half to run past struggling South Carolina.
Broome&rsquo;s performance helped the Tigers to their fifth straight win and offset a career-best 30 points from Gamecocks&rsquo; freshman Gregory &ldquo;GG&rdquo; Jackson II.
The 6-foot-10 Broome took full advantage of South Carolina&rsquo;s undersized interior for the Tigers (16-3, 6-1 Southeastern Conference). He hit 12 of his 17 shots in 30 minutes for his sixth double-double this season and fifth against an SEC opponent.
Meechie Johnson was the only other player for South Carolina (8-11, 1-5) in double figures with 11 points.
DUKE 68, NO. 17 MIAMI
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Kyle Filipowski had 17 points and 14 rebounds and Jeremy Roach scored 14 points in his first game in more than two weeks to lift Duke over Miami.
Tyrese Proctor had 11 points and Dariq Whitehead added 10 points for the Blue Devils (15-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who played their first game of the season without a national ranking.
Jordan Miller&rsquo;s 19 points and Nijel Pack&rsquo;s 18 were tops for Miami (15-4, 6-3), which has lost three of its last five games.
NO. 18 CHARLESTON 87, NORTHEASTERN 61
BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Ben Burnham scored 15 points, Pat Robinson III added 14 and Ryan Larson had 12 to lead Charleston to its 20th win in a row.
The Cougars (21-1, 9-0 Colonial Athletic Association) scored 13 straight points in the first half to pull away and extend the longest active winning streak in the nation. They have not lost since the second game of the season, to then-No. 1 North Carolina on Nov. 11, climbing to their highest ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 since 1999.
Chris Doherty had 11 points and 13 rebounds and Jared Turner also scored 11 for Northeastern (8-11, 4-4). The Huskies haven&rsquo;t beat a Top 25 team since 2015.
NO. 19 CLEMSON 51, VIRGINIA TECH 50
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Hunter Tyson&rsquo;s 3-pointer with 12 seconds left lifted Clemson to a dramatic victory over Virginia Tech.
Tyson caught a pass just left of the key, took a look at at the basket and let it fly. The crowd exploded as the ball went through and the Tigers (16-4, 8-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) continued their unexpected run atop the ACC.
PJ Hall led Clemson with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Grant Basile led the Hokies (11-8, 1-7) with 13 points.
NO. 20 MARQUETTE 74, SETON HALL 53
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) &mdash; Kam Jones scored 22 points, Oso Ighodaro had 18 on 7-for-7 shooting and Marquette beat Seton Hall.
Marquette (16-5, 8-2 Big East) shot 54% (29 for 54) from the field in its second straight win since an 80-76 loss to Xavier last weekend.
Kadary Richmond led Seton Hall (12-9, 5-5) with 10 points and five assists. The Pirates committed a season-high 26 turnovers.
NO. 21 BAYLOR 62, OKLAHOMA 60
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Bridges scored 11 points and hit a trio of game-turning 3-pointers in the final five minutes as Baylor rallied to hold off Oklahoma.
Adam Flagler had 16 points and five assists, and Keyonte George added 11 points as Baylor (14-5, 4-3 Big 12) won its fourth straight game after opening conference play with three straight losses and briefly dropping out of The Associated Press Top 25.
Jalen Hill had 17 points and nine rebounds, while Tanner Groves added 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots for the Sooners (12-7, 2-5).
NO. 22 PROVIDENCE 75, DEPAUL 64
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Noah Locke had a career-high 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, to help Providence fend off DePaul.
Bryce Hopkins added 20 points and 11 rebounds as the Friars (15-5, 7-2 Big East) snapped a two-game losing skid and improved to 11-0 at home. They are 2-2 without point guard Jared Bynum, who missed his fourth consecutive game with a torso injury.
The Blue Demons (9-11, 3-6) came in fresh off a home victory over eighth-ranked Xavier. But they dropped their sixth straight road game and are now 0-4 in conference games away from home. Umjoja Gibson had 16 points and five assists for DePaul and Da&rsquo;Sean Nelson added 13 points.
NO. 24 FLORIDA ATLANTIC 67, UTEP 59
EL PASO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Johnell Davis scored 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting and Florida Atlantic extended its program record for consecutive wins to 18.
Davis hit 2 of 3 attempts from 3-point distance and was perfect on six shots from the line for FAU (19-1, 9-0 Conference USA). Vladislav Goldin finished with 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks for the Owls.
Calvin Solomon finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Tae Hardy also scored 16 points for UTEP (11-9, 4-5). Mario McKinney Jr. added 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
NO. 25 ARKANSAS 69, OLE MISS 57
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) &mdash; Anthony Black scored 17 points, reserve Joseph Pinion had 13 and Arkansas snapped a four-game losing streak by topping Mississippi.
Only nine teams in Division I had made fewer 3-pointers than Arkansas (13-6, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) this season, but the Razorbacks tied a season high by making eight from beyond the arc. They led by as many as 21 points.
Pinion and Devo Davis each made three 3s. Davis had 16 points and Jordan Walsh finished with 13.
Ole Miss (9-10, 1-6) committed 17 turnovers. The Rebels had six giveaways in the first six minutes of the second half, helping Arkansas extend its three-point halftime lead to 11 at the first media timeout after the break.

A roundup of Saturday's top-25 action in men's college basketball includes a TCU rout of the second-ranked Jayhawks on the road.

No. 14 TCU blows out No. 2 Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse

&ldquo;On 12/15/2022, Louis Orr was called home to be with the Lord as his battle with cancer has come to an end. He was a dearly loved and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. He will forever be missed!&rdquo;
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A STATEMENT FROM THE FAMILY OF LOUIS ORR On 12/15/2022, Louis Orr was called home to be with the Lord as his battle with cancer has come to an end. He was a dearly loved and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. He will forever be missed! <a href="https://t.co/VPn8AO1kSn">pic.twitter.com/VPn8AO1kSn</a>
&mdash; Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgetownHoops/status/1603799542767357958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
This news hit me and my wife Nichole like a ton of bricks.
Coach Orr actually introduced me to Nichole during our freshman year at Syracuse back in 1996. She had already caught my eye a few days prior, and I remember it clear as day. Coach said to me, &ldquo;Etan, I have someone I want to introduce you to. She&rsquo;s a nice young lady from Cali and she plays on the women&rsquo;s team. I just think you two would vibe really well."
And we have been vibing ever since. In fact, decades later, we are married with three kids and just celebrated our 18th year anniversary.&nbsp;
For me, Coach Orr was much more than a coach. I could quote him for days, but some of the best advice he gave me was when he told me this:
&ldquo;Basketball is not supposed to be easy. There is a reason only special people make it. They don&rsquo;t quit when things get tough. They don&rsquo;t point the finger at everyone else. They make adjustments and learn from every game &mdash; whether they score 20 or hardly play.&rdquo;
These were his words to me during my freshman year. He told me this while I was going through my &ldquo;freshman blues&rdquo; stage at Syracuse. Now, if you don&rsquo;t know what the freshman blues are, I&rsquo;ll explain.
It was my first time away from home. I was homesick, and missed my family and friends. Basketball wasn&rsquo;t going the way I expected it would go. It was cold, it started snowing and it just wouldn&rsquo;t stop. I had what felt like a never-ending cold, and I discovered that the coach who recruited me was not the same nice, smiling, joking person who sat in my living room on my recruiting trip.
I went from being a blue-chip All-American, back-to-back state champion at Booker T. Washington High in Tulsa, Oklahoma &mdash; and the No.1 player in my class in the state &mdash; to being at the bottom of the totem poll at Syracuse. I mean the very bottom. Couldn&rsquo;t get any lower.&nbsp;
I was playing behind senior center Otis Hill, who the previous year had gone to the NCAA championship in '96 with that special group of John Wallace, Lazarus Simms, Todd Burgan and Co. I had a lot to learn. Looking back on it now, playing against Otis in practice every day my freshman year really showed me how hard I needed to work to be successful in the Big East. Back then, every night there was another dominant monster we would be playing against &mdash; Jahidi White at Georgetown, Jason Lawson at Villanova, Adonal Foyle at Colgate, Danya Abrams at Boston College. There were literally no nights off.&nbsp;
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But for me, in the position I was in as a freshman center, It felt like I could do no right on the court in Coach Jim Boeheim&rsquo;s eyes. Even in practice, it felt like I could do no right. Everything was my fault.
"Etaaaaaaaan, what are you doing?" Coach Boeheim would say. "Rebound the ball, run the floor, get back, get up, get over! You&rsquo;re not in the right spot, what are you doing!"
I remember thinking that maybe he recruited the wrong person. Maybe he thought I was somebody else because it doesn&rsquo;t seem like he liked me at all. And to be honest, I didn&rsquo;t like him very much either. (Again, just being honest.)
But Coach Orr wouldn&rsquo;t allow me to pout, catch an attitude, stop working hard, feel sorry for myself, give up, quit, lose my temper or flip out on Coach Boeheim (which honestly almost happened). He consistently wrapped his arm around me, encouraged me, imparted wisdom and made me keep working.
I remember the first time he came to me after a game; I played probably all of two-and-a-half minutes, but somehow I still got fussed at as if I was the reason we lost. I remember thinking, &ldquo;I did all of that wrong in two-and-a-half minutes?&rdquo; And Coach Orr must&rsquo;ve seen me at the point of snapping. He came to me and whispered quietly in my ear, &ldquo;Meet me at the gym at 10 p.m.&rdquo; I remember being like, &ldquo;Excuse me, did you say at 10 p.m. coach?&rdquo; But he saw I needed it
So we had an angry workout. Hard, violent dunk drills. Aggressive power moves. He had one of the managers (or someone he just brought to the workout) bang me with the pad, and I would have to power through the contact and make my move to the basket over and over again. We were there for maybe two hours. So once I reached the point of exhaustion, he came over and sat down next to me on the floor. He asked, &ldquo;You feel better now?" And honestly, I did.&nbsp;
After that, Coach Orr's message to me was to keep working, do extra, stay locked in, find out what coach wants and do that, and stressed that it was the only solution. Keep working until it is apparent that it&rsquo;s a lost cause, but in order to get to that point, you have to make sure you are doing everything possible on your end. He told me that I wasn&rsquo;t the first player on earth to be unhappy with their situation on the court, but it was how I handled it and what I chose to do in order to overcome this hurdle that would set me apart.
He said anybody can quit. People quit all the time. He told me that he&rsquo;d been in situations where a coach didn&rsquo;t have the confidence in him yet and he had to prove himself. He told me there were situations where he felt like it was literally him against the coach. But he had to make it so the coach couldn&rsquo;t take him out of the game even if he wanted to, and that&rsquo;s exactly what I had to do.
Coach Orr also told me that things would get better and that I&rsquo;d get past it, but to not forget that feeling when I did have success, but to remain humble and hungry. Don&rsquo;t ever get complacent but keep this same drive, passion, anger, tenacity, chip-on-your-shoulder mentality &mdash; even when Coach Boeheim starts singing your praises and the papers start raving about you.
He also said that there would come a time where I am going to be encouraging someone else who is in the same situation that I was in and don&rsquo;t know how to handle it. And sure enough, that&rsquo;s exactly <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ncaa-college-basketball-syracuse-orange-jesse-edwards-excited-for-upcoming-season-nba-draft-prospect-jim-boeheim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what I did with Jesse Edwards throughout his early years at Syracuse</a>.&nbsp;
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But this became Coach Orr and I's routine. We would just have extra workouts regularly. Sometimes, he would let me just vent and fuss; sometimes, he would vent and fuss. Other times, we wouldn&rsquo;t say a word. Just drill after drill after drill.
There were some occasions where we would come to the gym, sit on the floor and just talk, and the topics varied. Sometimes we talked about basketball, and other times, we talked about everything but basketball. We talked about life. He would relate the ups and downs on the court to the ups and downs of life. He would tell stories of when he played and different things that he experienced in college and the pros.&nbsp;
We started going to church together on Sundays, and Coach Boeheim actually moved practice to a little later in the day on Sundays so we could keep our church routine.&nbsp;
I can easily say that if it weren&rsquo;t for Coach Orr, I wouldn&rsquo;t have made it through Syracuse. He had become much more than just a coach.
The thing is, he didn&rsquo;t have to do any of that.
He didn&rsquo;t have to take me to church. He didn&rsquo;t have to encourage me the way he did off the court. He didn&rsquo;t have to teach me life lessons. That was all way beyond the call of duty of being an assistant coach. He didn&rsquo;t even work with my position; he worked with the forwards. But we had a connection that would last a lifetime.
That&rsquo;s what makes a coach more than a coach. Anyone can draw up plays or drills or point out when you aren&rsquo;t doing what you&rsquo;re supposed to be doing. But a coach who takes an interest to learn a player's needs, situation, mind state, temperament and understands when they need encouragement because they&rsquo;re down, when they need to be fussed at because they&rsquo;re messing up, holds them accountable, doesn&rsquo;t crush their spirit but uplifts their spirit &mdash; it&rsquo;s just special.
Coach Orr wore many hats for me that extended far beyond a coach. Mentor, father figure, disciplinarian, confidant, motivator, teacher, spiritual advisor, relationship expert, psychologist, therapist, teacher and friend.
Rest In Peace, Coach Orr. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Etan Thomas pays tribute to his former mentor, friend and coach, the late, great Louis Orr.

When a coach is more than a coach: Etan Thomas remembers Louis Orr

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Zakai Zeigler scored 12 points, including a key 3 late in the second half as No. 7 Tennessee held off No. 13 Maryland 56-53 Sunday in a Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational matchup.
Tennessee (9-1) led by as many as 18 points in the first half before Maryland pulled within two points in the final minutes.
Tyreke Key scored nine points and Julian Phillips had six points and 10 rebounds for the Volunteers. Tennessee began the game allowing just 51.2 points per game, third fewest in the nation.
Jahmir Young scored 18 points while Hakim Hart and Donta Scott had nine apiece for Maryland (8-2), which has lost two straight.
Down by 16 in the second half, Maryland unveiled a full-court press and forced three turnovers during a 12-0 run.
NO. 20 IOWA STATE 77, MCNEESE STATE 40
AMES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Aljaz Kunc scored 21 points and Iowa State broke away in the second half to beat McNeese State.
Jaren Holmes added 17 points for the Cyclones (8-2) and Gabe Kalscheur scored 15.
Ahead 33-24 at the break, Iowa State scored the first 15 points of the second half. McNeese (2-7) committed 10 turnovers in the first eight minutes of the period, leading to 13 points for the Cyclones.
Zach Scott and Trae English each scored eight points for McNeese, which finished with 30 turnovers.
NO. 23 MISSISSIPPI STATE 69, MINNESOTA 51
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Tolu Smith scored 20 points to lead a balanced offense that complemented Mississippi State&rsquo;s smothering defense in a victory over Minnesota to say undefeated.
Mississippi State (9-0) is one of seven Division I programs still unbeaten.
The Bulldogs held the Gophers (4-6) to 28.8% shooting and a season-low in points.
Shakeel Moore scored 17 points for the Bulldogs, while Cameron Matthews added 11 and D.J. Jeffries scored 10.
Sophomore Dawson Garcia led Minnesota with 20 points and Joshua Ola-Joseph added 9.&nbsp;

A recap of Sunday's men's college basketball slate includes a tough battle between two top-15 teams.

No. 7 Tennessee holds off No. 13 Maryland 56-53

Santi Aldama scored 31 points, David Roddy added 20 and the Memphis Grizzlies tied the Las Vegas Summer League record for points in a game in a 120-84 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.
The Grizzlies (2-1), who never trailed and led by double figures for more than 33 minutes, hit 12 3-pointers, shot 59% from the field and had 31 assists. Their 120 points matched the record set by the Denver Nuggets in 2007.
Summer League games are 40 minutes, eight fewer than an NBA regular-season game.
The 6-foot-11 Aldama, a first-round draft pick in 2021, made 12 of 14 from the field, hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots. Ziaire Williams, the No. 10 pick in the 2021 draft, had 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Roddy, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound forward who was picked No. 23 overall in June&rsquo;s draft, was 7-of-11 shooting. Kenneth Lofton Jr. added 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Cam Thomas made 11 of 13 free throws and finished with 29 points for Brooklyn (1-2). The No. 27 pick overall in the 2021 draft, Thomas has scored at least 26 points in each of his three games in Las Vegas and is averaging 28.7 per game. Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe added 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, and David Duke Jr. scored 12 points.
BULLS 93, RAPTORS 83
Carlik Jones scored 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting with five assists, and Dalen Terry scored all of his 14 points in the first half to help Chicago beat Toronto.
Malcolm Hill added 11 points for Chicago (2-1). Ethan Thompson and Makur Maker scored 10 points apiece.
Toronto scored 12 fourth-quarter points, nine that came as Ryan Hawkins hit three 3-pointers in the final 64 seconds.
Dalano Banton scored 18 points for Toronto (1-1). Jeff Dowtin added 16 points and D.J. Wilson scored 10. Christian Koloko, a 7-foot center out of Arizona, finished with five points, four rebounds and three blocks. The Raptors' only pick (No. 33 overall) in June&rsquo;s draft, Koloko shot 2 of 8 from the field and 0 for 3 from the free throw line but made his lone 3-point attempt.
The Bulls, who trailed by as many as 10 points in the first quarter, shot 55% (33 of 60) from the field, had 20 assists and scored 36 points off 18 Toronto turnovers.
HAWKS 95, HEAT 88
Tyrese Martin scored 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while Chaundee Brown Jr. was 8 of 11 from the field and finished with 18 points to help Atlanta beat Miami.
Chris Clemons, who averaged 30.1 points as a senior at Campbell in 2018-19, scored 15 for the Hawks.
Atlanta (1-2) made 37 of 69 (53.6%) from the field and shot 44.4% (8 of 18) from 3-point range.
Javonte Smart led Miami with 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Kyle Allman Jr. scored 14 points and Bryson Williams 11.
CELTICS 103, WARRIORS 92
Mfiondu Kabengele had 20 points and 13 rebounds, 19-year-old Juhann Begarin scored 21 points and Boston beat Golden State despite big games by Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Kuminga scored 22 points on 11-of-22 shooting. Moody added 21 but made just 6 of 19 from the field and 2 of 9 from 3-point range.
James Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, had six points, seven rebounds and three blocks in his second game back from a knee injury that sidelined him for most of the last year-plus.
Justin Jackson scored 24 points, including five 3-pointers, for Boston. Brodric Thomas hit 4 of 7 from 3-point range and finished with 18 points.
PACERS 101, PISTONS 87
Bennedict Mathurin shot 5 of 9 from the field, 9 of 10 from the free throw line and finished with 20 points to help Indiana beat Jaden Ivey-less Detroit.
The No. 6 pick in last month's draft, Mathurin added five rebounds, three assists and three steals with no turnovers. Terry Taylor had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Isaiah Jackson also scored 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting for the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith added 12 points.
Ivey, taken by the Pistons with the No. 5 pick in the draft, as well as Saben Lee, Isaiah Stewart and Isaiah Livers did not play for Detroit.
Buddy Boeheim led the Pistons with 18 points. Stanley Umude scored 14, Charlie Moore added 13 and Jalen Duren &mdash; picked 13th overall in June's draft &mdash; had 12 points.
SUNS 105, MAVERICKS 78
Louis King and Olivier Sarr each had a double-double to lead Phoenix in its rout of Dallas.
King finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Sarr added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. also scored 12 points, McKinley Wright IV had 11 and Leonardo Meindl 10 for the Suns.
Jerrick Harding led the Mavericks with 20 points and A.J. Lawson scored 10. Jaden Hardy had 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting. Hardy, the No. 37 overall pick is last month&rsquo;s draft, was a consensus 5-star recruit out of high school in 2021 and spent last season with the NBA G League Unite.
LAKERS 83, CLIPPERS 72
Mason Jones had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Javante McCoy scored 14 points to help the Lakers beat the Clippers.
Sacha Killeya-Jones added 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for the Lakers. Nate Pierre-Louis scored 10 points.
Jay Scrubb and Brandon Boston Jr. scored 15 points apiece for the Clippers. Boston made just 3 of 12 from the field but hit 9-of-12 free throws and grabbed nine rebounds.

Santi Aldama scored 31 points, David Roddy added 20 and the Grizzlies tied the NBA Summer League record for points in a game.

Grizzlies tie NBA Summer League scoring record, beat Nets 120-84

NBA Summer League is a showcase for some of the top young talent in basketball. It also gives those on the fringes of the league a chance to break out, and reveal inspirational journeys of perseverance in the process.
Boston Celtics swingman Matt Ryan canned a game-winner on Monday to cap a performance I'll highlight in this roundup. But perhaps the best part came in his postgame interview:
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🎥: <a href="https://twitter.com/ASherrodblakely?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ASherrodblakely</a> asked Matt Ryan about how it feels to see his hard work starting to pay off. He got choked up a bit while reflecting on the fact that a year ago he was driving for Door Dash and know he&rsquo;s on a Celtics roster <a href="https://t.co/GBRk9ya2rQ">pic.twitter.com/GBRk9ya2rQ</a>
&mdash; 𝕂𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕚 𝔸. 𝕃𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕤 (@KwaniALunis) <a href="https://twitter.com/KwaniALunis/status/1546689627628589057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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For Ryan and dozens of professional hopefuls, Summer League can help alter the course of their careers and lives. Performances like these are worth saluting.
Here's who stood out from what I saw on Monday:&nbsp;
STUDS
Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
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Trey Murphy dropped a 30-piece in the <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PelicansNBA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> win!<a href="https://twitter.com/treymurphy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@treymurphy</a> 30 PTS (10-18 FGM) | 6 REB <a href="https://t.co/QesZWbUZM0">pic.twitter.com/QesZWbUZM0</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546649262146129922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
Box score stats: 30 points, 6 rebounds, 10/18 FG, 3/6 3PT
Murphy put on a full scoring display to open the afternoon. The second-year forward impressed me particularly with how he reached the rim off the dribble, changing speeds and using ball-screens to get downhill. He's a lot bigger and stronger than I've given him credit for; he finished hard through contact multiple times.
Of course, Murphy also knocked down a few long three-pointers, which has been his calling card since entering the league. He's been one of the most impressive scorers at Summer League to date, and hopefully it helps Murphy carve his niche in a deep Pelicans rotation.
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Tari Eason dropped BUCKETS for the <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HoustonRockets</a> in their <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> win!<a href="https://twitter.com/TAR13ASON?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TAR13ASON</a>: 22 PTS, 11 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK <a href="https://t.co/V9cMKqdDd2">pic.twitter.com/V9cMKqdDd2</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546681252379611137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 22 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 9/16 FG, 2/3 3PT
If you want to call Eason the rookie MVP of the summer, I'd hear you out. The No. 17 overall pick seems to get better every game, and against the San Antonio Spurs, Eason unleashed his most prolific two-way performance.
His defense remains top-notch for a young player. Eason punctuated his effort with an awesome defensive rotation and block in the third quarter. Then on offense, he was scoring buckets as a rolling lob threat, an off-dribble driver and a corner shooter. I've reached the stage with Eason where I'm constantly reminding myself not to overreact about his talent.
Matt Ryan, Boston Celtics
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MATT RYAN! BALL GAME! <a href="https://t.co/y97v9OGUBK">pic.twitter.com/y97v9OGUBK</a>
&mdash; Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) <a href="https://twitter.com/taylorcsnow/status/1546679203650732034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
Box score stats: 23 points, 2 steals, 7/12 FG, 6/11 3PT
Ryan was the hero in Boston's 111-109 win over Milwaukee thanks to his buzzer-beating three-pointer that included a twisted ankle in the process. But he caught fire throughout the contest. Ryan is excellent at relocating, and specifically earned some open looks when he capitalized on the chaos of an offensive rebound or loose ball.
Ryan played a grand total of five minutes with Boston last season after coming from the Grant Rapids Gold. With so many open roster spots, the Celtics could easily bring him back or sign him to a two-way contract.
Sandro Mamukelashvili, Milwaukee Bucks
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WHAT IS THIS SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI <a href="https://t.co/BqPLOUyS1C">pic.twitter.com/BqPLOUyS1C</a>
&mdash; Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevejones20/status/1546676214890364929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 28 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 9/19 FG, 3/5 3PT
Though the Bucks lost their matchup against Boston, they had two outstanding individual performances. The first came from Mamukelashvili, the No. 54 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Mamukelashvili only had a pair of assists, but I thought they were two signifcant reads: a corner dart to an open MarJon Beauchamp three-pointer, and a dump-off from a drive to AJ Green. They complemented a versatile scoring performance, and he went toe-to-toe with Boston's Mfiondu Kabengele in a great battle that might have ended with the above posterization.
I liked some of Mamukelashvili's defensive moments too. He stuck to Juhann Begarin, an athletic driving wing, and picked up 2 blocks. It was a pretty great all-around effort for a player who could give Milwaukee some quality frontcourt depth.
Lindell Wigginton, Milwaukee Bucks
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Keeping Up With The Canadians 🇨🇦 Lindell Wigginton | vs. Boston 24 POINTS 3 THREE POINTERS 5 REBOUNDS 5 ASSISTS<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bucks</a> <a href="https://t.co/LZM7jXZ1zA">pic.twitter.com/LZM7jXZ1zA</a>
&mdash; NBA Canada (@NBACanada) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBACanada/status/1546849359483924482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 8/13 FG, 3/7 3PT
Wigginton was throwing dimes all over the court. His 6 turnovers don't do Wigginton justice, as 2 of those were great passes that Wigginton's teammates simply mishandled. Wigginton assisted Mamukelashvili on three of his makes and also pushed the Bucks forward on fast breaks.
As a scorer, the second-year guard used ball-screens to find a lane or force a switch, which he punished twice with pull-up twos. Defenders sometimes went under screens, and Wigginton responded by drilling some high-arcing threes. He balanced creativity with poise as a lead guard.
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
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I could watch Chet Holmgren block shots all day long. <a href="https://t.co/jnXHPjfffH">pic.twitter.com/jnXHPjfffH</a>
&mdash; Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThunderFilmRoom/status/1546672039179833344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 7/10 FG, 2/4 3PT
As the above Tweet implies, we will be lucky to see the No. 2 pick swatting shots for a long, long time. Holmgren's incredible instincts and timing aren't any new revelation, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate them over and over again.
Orlando did not defend Holmgren as a roller particularly well in this one, and he found some easy finishes as a result. He also hit the defense with a sweet step-back three and positions himself well for dump-offs from passers like Josh Giddey. The only area I'd nitpick is that he sometimes tried to do too much as a ball-handler and coughed up some turnovers. But why not try to get creative in this setting?
Other notable performers: Daishen Nix (Rockets), Jabari Smith Jr. (Rockets), Josh Christopher (Rockets), Malaki Branham (Spurs), MarJon Beauchamp (Bucks), Mfiondu Kabengele (Celtics), Justin James (Magic), AJ Lawson (Mavericks), Quentin Grimes (Knicks), Jabari Walker (Trail Blazers)
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DUDS
Sharife Cooper, Atlanta Hawks
Box score stats: 0 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 turnovers, 0/8 FG
It's been a really rough week for Cooper as an offensive player. He's made 1 of his 14 field goal attempts through two games, and there isn't much to be optimistic about with his scoring flashes. Cooper really struggled to create easy looks at the rim. There were times where he'd even beat his defender on a drive and have them pinned on his hip, but he lacked the vertical explosion and strength to turn the advantages into quality chances. His perimeter shot looked inconsistent and timid. Hopefully, Cooper can turn things around, because we've seen so much more from him in the past year.
Leandro Bolmaro, Utah Jazz
Box score stats: 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 3/12 FG, 0/2 3PT
The Jazz eked out a win over the Dallas Mavericks despite some ghastly individual shooting nights. Bolmaro was determined to attack the Mavs off the dribble. The aggression was great, but it often came with a low-quality shot because he could not beat a defender, or he would drive into a crowd. I do want to credit Dallas because the team collectively played great defense against Bolmaro. The former Minnesota T-Wolves swingman also missed some must-have layups that I'm not concerned about in the future.
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Caleb Houstan, Orlando Magic
Box score stats: 4 points, 1 steal, 1 block, 2/10 FG, 0/6 3PT
This is another dud performance that I wouldn't be concerned about long-term. Houstan spaced the floor extremely well, was active as a cutter and even displayed some confidence attacking closeouts. He just missed shots that he should make. Now, if you're a skeptic of Houstan as a shooter based on his time at Michigan, then maybe this outing means more to you. I'm a firm believer in Houstan being one of the more talented pure movement threats in this draft class, so an off night isn't a harbinger for me.
Tre Mann, Oklahoma City Thunder
Box score stats: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3/14 FG, 1/6 3PT
In a similar vein, Mann has proven from his flashes in the regular season that he's going to be an NBA-caliber scorer. Though Mann's Monday effort won't mean much in the long run, I felt he made some odd decisions on when to attack vs. settle/pass.
Sometimes ,Mann would try and make too much happen off the bounce against a stout Magic defense. On one other play, he had what appeared to be an easy rim attack, but hesitated and shot a three that ended up letting a defender back in the picture to contest. These are probably microscopic miscues, but I definitely want to monitor how Mann works alongside primary playmakers in Giddey and Jalen Williams.

Trey Murphy III poured in 30 points to lead Monday's top performances at NBA Summer League on Day 5.

10 studs and duds from Day 5 of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the draft, had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to an 84-81 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Holmgren shot 7 of 10 in a game that was originally expected to be a matchup of the Nos. 1 and 2 picks. But the Magic announced earlier Monday that Paolo Banchero would not play the remainder of the summer after averaging 20 points, five rebounds and six assists in his two games in Las Vegas.
Josh Giddey added 12 points, seven rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder (1-1).
Holmgren, a 7-footer out of Gonzaga, did a little bit of everything, from bringing up the ball to anchoring the Oklahoma City defense. He threw down dunks, was 2 of 4 from 3-point range, blocked two shots and changed multiple more, but committed four turnovers.
Justin James led Orlando (2-1) with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Tommy Kuhse scored 14 points, Devin Cannady added 12 and Zavier Simpson had 11 points, seven assists and five steals. Emanuel Terry scored 10 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
ROCKETS 97, SPURS 84
Tari Eason had 22 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks, and Jabari Smith Jr. had 19 points and nine rebounds as Houston rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat San Antonio.&nbsp;
Josh Christopher scored 13 of his 18 points in the final six minutes as Houston (2-1) pulled away. Daishen Nix added 18 points, six assists and two steals for the Rockets.
San Antonio led 54-36 with 2 minutes left in the first half. Houston used a 16-5 run midway through the third quarter to take a 62-61 lead after Smith hit a 3-pointer.
Malaki Branham led San Antonio (0-3) with 20 points. Blake Wesley made just 3 of 20 from the field &mdash; 0 of 7 from 3-point range &mdash; but finished with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Josh Primo (health and safety protocols) did not play for the Spurs.
CELTICS 111, BUCKS 109
Matt Ryan scored 23 points and hit six of Boston&rsquo;s 18 3-pointers &mdash; including a tightly contested running 3 with 0.8 seconds to play &mdash; and Boston stunned Milwaukee.
After Lindell Wigginton made two free throws to give the Bucks a one-point lead, Ryan took the inbounds pass, dribbled up the left sideline and went behind-the-back near midcourt and hit a straight-away 3 with the 6-foot-7 MarJon Beauchamp in his face. Ryan appeared to hurt his left ankle on the play and writhed in pain on the court before Wigginton missed a heave from beyond half court as time expired.
Mfiondu Kabengele had 15 points, 11 rebounds &mdash; including seven offensive &mdash; four assists and two blocks, while Brodric Thomas made 4 of 8 from 3-point range and finished with 14 points and eight rebounds for Boston (1-1). Juhann Begarin scored 13 points, Sam Hauser 12 and Justin Jackson added 10.
Milwaukee&rsquo;s Sandro Mamukelashvili had 28 points and nine rebounds. Wigginton added 24 points and Beauchamp scored 15.
PELICANS 101, HAWKS 73
Trey Murphy III, the No. 17 selection in the 2021 draft, had 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting and Daequan Plowden scored 16 to help New Orleans beat Atlanta.
Dyson Daniels, the Pelicans&rsquo; first-round draft pick (No. 8 overall), did not play because of an ankle injury.
Jared Harper made 9 of 12 from the free throw line and finished with 14 points and seven assists for the Pelicans (1-1). Tyrique Jones added 11 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
AJ Griffin, the Hawks&rsquo; No. 16 pick in the draft, did not play did not play due to discomfort in his right foot.
Chaundee Brown Jr. and Justin Tillman scored 14 points apiece for Atlanta (0-2).
The Hawks shot 31.7% (26 of 82) from the field and made 3 of 24 (12.5%) from 3-point range.
JAZZ 83, MAVERICKS 82
Tacko Fall and D.J. Funderburk each had a double-double and Johnny Juzang hit a step-back 3-pointer in the closing seconds to help cold-shooting Utah beat Dallas.
Fall scored 12 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked three shots, while Funderburk added 10 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. The Jazz (2-0) outrebounded Dallas 65-46 overall and had a 22-7 advantage on the offensive glass. Fall pulled down 12 offensive rebounds as Utah outscored the Mavericks 21-0 in second-chance points.
Juzang, Justin Robinson and Xavier Sneed scored 11 points apiece for the Jazz. Jarod Butler finished with nine points, 10 assists and three steals but made just 3 of 22 (16%) from the field and went 0 for 10 from behind the arc.
Jerrick Harding led Dallas (0-2) with 18 points and A.J. Lawson had 15 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. Jaden Hardy was just 4-of-15 shooting but finished with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Derrick Alston Jr. scored 13 points and Moses Wright added 11.
Utah shot just 31% (26 of 84).
TRAIL BLAZERS 88, KNICKS 77
Trendon Watford scored 18 points and Jabari Walker had 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds to help Portland overcome a slow start to beat New York.
Craig Randall II hit 4 of 8 from 3-point range and finished with 12 points, Keon Johnson scored 11 and Brandon Williams added 10 for the Trail Blazers (2-1).
Portland shot just 3 of 14 from the field in the first quarter and trailed 24-9. The Trail Blazers were 27 of 48 (56.3%) the rest of the way.
Quentin Grimes scored 24 points for the Knicks (2-1), who led 13-0 for the second straight game. Miles McBride scored 16 and Feron Hunt added 12. Jericho Sims had six points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
ESPN analyst and former NBA player Richard Jefferson, who won an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, officiated the second quarter.&nbsp;

The Thunder were victorious with an 84-81 victory over the Magic on Monday night in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Holmgren, Giddey lead Thunder over Magic in NBA Summer League

Even though Friday's NBA Summer League slate techincally began at midnight, the second full "day" of competition brought 14 more teams into the mix as the week picks up steam.&nbsp;
The Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks set the tone early by taking each other to overtime, with Chicago hanging on for an exciting 100-99 win. Three players from that contest are highlighted below, along with several other standouts, plus players who left something to be desired.
I can't get to every notable performance; Cam Thomas and Blake Wesley, for example, did not make the cut, though they are listed as honorable mention at the bottom of the Studs section. Six players particularly caught my eye as outstanding, while four guys noticeably struggled in their first Vegas contests of the week.
STUDS
Marko Simonovic, Chicago Bulls
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Marko Simonovic led the <a href="https://twitter.com/chicagobulls?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chicagobulls</a> to the victory while dropping 27 points including the game-tying bucket and the game-winning free throw in OT! 🔥 27 PTS | 13 REB | 3 BLK <a href="https://t.co/0fA8yxCF2O">pic.twitter.com/0fA8yxCF2O</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1545542839915929602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 27 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, 10/19 FG
I'll be honest, after the first half, I was considering marking this game as a "dud" effort from Simonovic. He was missing easy at-rim attempts and failing to impact the game defensively in the early goings. But man, did things change. Simonovic finished through contact several times, dominated the glass to the tune of six offensive rebounds and took a step up with his defense.
The pivotal play for Chicago in overtime was Simonovic's screen coverage that led to a steal, followed by him running the floor and converting the and-one to take a 99-96 lead. What an effort for the No. 44 pick.&nbsp;
AJ Lawson, Dallas Mavericks
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AJ Lawson poured in 28 PTS for the <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a> to open up their <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA2K23SummerLeague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA2K23SummerLeague</a> schedule! 28 PTS | 5 REB | 6 3PM <a href="https://t.co/HSe8qYldF4">pic.twitter.com/HSe8qYldF4</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1545544957099909121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 28 points, 5 rebounds, 10/16 FG, 6/11 3PT
Jaden Hardy stole most of the show in the Mavericks' overtime loss, but Lawson was simply fantastic as an off-ball irritant on Friday. He had this one bucket that really wowed me where he cut across the middle of the paint, went to set a pindown, faked it and cut back to the basket to receive a pass and convert the layup. It was one of the highlight plays of the day for me.
Lawson also impressed with his shooting off movement and spaced the floor extremely well as Hardy and others drove to the basket. The 21-year-old went undrafted in 2021 and played 13 games with the College Park Skyhawks, but has not made his NBA debut yet. Hopefully that changes.
Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks&nbsp;
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Jaden Hardy dropped BUCKETS in his <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> debut with the <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dallasmavs</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MFFL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JadenHardy1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JadenHardy1</a>: 28 PTS, 4 REB 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/3meMrPUnho">pic.twitter.com/3meMrPUnho</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1545541921279549442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 28 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 9/19 FG, 2/7 3PT
Hardy has social-media buzzing after his performance and demonstrated the easy scoring confidence that has propelled the combo guard since high school. He had defenders guessing with how he changed speeds and directions attacking the rim. Hardy's body took contact extremely well, and if his opponent cut off a driving lane, he could turn it into a step-back or pull-up.&nbsp;
It wasn't an efficient performance by any stretch, but the poise was certainly there for Hardy in his Mavericks debut. He turned the ball over six times while trying to do too much at points, but also made some nice reads as a passer when he drew defensive attention. This was a great starting point for the bucket-getter to work from.
Josh Minott, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Josh Minott showed out for the <a href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Timberwolves</a> tonight, notching 22 PTS, 10 REB, and 3 AST 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/Ilsr5maEWI">pic.twitter.com/Ilsr5maEWI</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1545611466845437953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 8/15 FG, 2/3 3PT
Minott entered the NBA Draft billed as a player with intriguing physical measurables and tools, but in need of serious development time. On Friday, he was much more polished than I anticipated. Minott attacked off the bounce, pulled up over defenders for three-pointers and pushed the pace in transition. The rebounding activity was awesome for someone with his size and experience. Minott has already canned as many threes in Las Vegas as he did his entire freshman year at Memphis.
Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks
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Quentin Grimes showed off his playmaking and scoring ability as he powered the <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyknicks</a> to the win in their <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> opener!<a href="https://twitter.com/qdotgrimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@qdotgrimes</a>: 24 PTS, 8 AST, 2 STL, 4 3PM <a href="https://t.co/YeEMtOfE4c">pic.twitter.com/YeEMtOfE4c</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1545616354849456128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 24 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 8/21 FG, 4/14 3PT
We know Grimes can shoot it, and while he wasn't the most efficient as a scorer on Friday, that wasn't what caught my eye. The second-year wing dished out eight assists against one turnover with a variety of reads. Grimes connected multiple times with 2021 draft classmate Jericho Sims, both in the pick-and-roll and on dump-offs. I know I've got my own hopes for Deuce McBride-Grimes-Sims bench units this upcoming season, and I imagine Knicks fans feel similarly.
Moses Moody, Golden State Warriors
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Moses Moody going OFF in the first three quarters 👀 32 PTS 8/11 FG 3/5 3PT (via <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBATV</a>)<a href="https://t.co/7a6sRM5mLz">pic.twitter.com/7a6sRM5mLz</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1545587910027739136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 34 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 8/13 FG, 3/6 3PT
The 2021 No. 14 pick never really took over the game against the Knicks, but Moody consistently capitalized on his moments in all the right places. He drew eight fouls and made 15-of-17 free throws, calmly knocked down some threes and tossed in a couple of putback buckets. Moody's two blocks came courtesy of impressive help defense and recover efforts that led to swats on Trevor Keels and Jean Montero.
The ease with which Moody impacted the game signaled that this second-year Summer Leaguer might have graduated from the competition. I'd also like to give a hat-tip to Joe Viray, who <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2022/7/8/23201290/warriors-knicks-summer-league-moses-moody-film-breakdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">throughly broke down Moody's first game</a> for Golden State of Mind.
Other performances I liked: Dalen Terry (Bulls), Ochai Agbaji (Cavaliers), Blake Wesley (Spurs), Josh Primo (Spurs, RJ Nembhard (Cavaliers), Bryce McGowens (Hornets), Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers), Cam Thomas (Nets), Lindell Wigginton (Bucks), Feron Hunt (Knicks), Scotty Pippen Jr. (Lakers), Ish Wainright (Suns)
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DUDS
Robert Woodard II, San Antonio Spurs
Box score stats: 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1/7 FG, 0/3 3PT
I've been a believer of Woodard since he entered the 2020 Draft, but yesterday showed he hasn't made the requisite offensive strides to be an impact player yet. He has yet to hit threes at a clip close to his last collegiate season with Mississippi State. Against the Cavaliers, Woodard didn't really impact the game off the ball other than as a spacer.
He did receive some reps initiating and attacking off the dribble. But Woodard doesn't have the burst to beat defenders and he doesn't use his strength to initiate contact. There was one play where he turned a corner and used a crossover to get downhill and finish a layup. But it's hard to imagine Woodard receiving these chances in whatever setting he joins next season.
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Box score stats: 4 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2/10 FG, 0/4 3PT
Unlike Moody's night, it seemed like everything went wrong for Kuminga. The 2021 No. 7 pick made several bad passing decisions and got stripped twice by Quentin Grimes when he tried to take Grimes off the dribble. He missed all of his perimeter looks and went 0-for-3 near the basket (props to Jericho Sims for the defense).&nbsp;
I do want to be fair to Kuminga. Golden State had him initiating the offense frequently, a role he scarcely played during the regular season. The Warriors clearly want to use this summer session as a trial-by-fire experiment for Kuminga on the ball. He's already proven himself as a valuable cutter with the full roster.
Kai Jones, Charlotte Hornets
Box score stats: 12 points, 9 rebounds, 5/15 FG, 0/10 3PT
The long-range goose egg is particularly egregious, and some attendees on social media even posted that fans were cringing by the end of the game. Pacers defenders did not close out on Jones, yet his misses were inconsistent and sometimes downright ugly. Jones shot seven of his 10 threes from a standstill, yet his landings were erratic.
Inside the arc, Jones was better than the final line shows. He had three impressive unassisted driving layups, and another hesitation drive that ended with a powerful slam dunk. The flashes of creativity off the dribble are there for this 6-foot-11 big. However, the perimeter game is not, yet.
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Kessler Edwards, Brooklyn Nets
Box score stats: 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1/6 FG, 1/3 3PT
Edwards' offensive performance felt disjointed. He would sometimes hesitate to make a decision with the ball in his hands. Other times, he'd drive hard, but he doesn't have the strength or vertical leap to be a threat around the basket. Edwards also missed one floater in the Nets' loss to the Bucks and didn't receive much time with the ball in his hands to dribble around. At this stage, the three-ball comprises a large part of his offensive strength, and the rest of his on-ball game remains a work in progress.

Moses Moody, Jaden Hardy and Quentin Grimes are among Day 2's NBA Summer League standouts.

10 studs and duds from Day 2 of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

Quentin Grimes had 24 points and eight assists, Jericho Sims scored 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field and the New York Knicks overcame Moses Moody's 34 points to beat the Golden State Warriors 101-88 on Friday night at the Las Vegas Summer League.
Moody was 8 for 13 from the floor and 15 of 17 from the free throw line. Mac McClung added 17 points for the Warriors.
Jonathan Kuminga, picked No. 7 overall by Golden State in the 2021 draft, had four points and five of the Warriors&rsquo; 23 turnovers. The 6-foot-9, 19-year-old made 2 of 10 from the field, 0 of 4 from 3-point range and 0 of 4 from the free throw line.
Feron Hunt had 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting for the Knicks. Miles McBride had 14 points and seven assists, and DaQuan Jeffries scored 12 points. Sims had 10 rebounds.
BULLS 100, MAVERICKS 99, OT
Marko Simonovic had 27 points, 13 rebounds and blocked three shots to help Chicago beat Dallas.
Simonovic, a second-round pick in 2020, made 10 of 17 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free throw line. The 6-foot-11 center from Montenegro &mdash; trailing on the fast break &mdash; caught a bounce pass from Carlik Jones near the top of the key, took a dribble and threw down a two-hand dunk with 21 seconds left in regulation to make it 90-all and, eventually, force overtime.
A.J. Lawson and Jaden Hardy &mdash; a second-round pick in June&rsquo;s draft after spending last season with the G League Ignite &mdash; finished with 28 points apiece for the Mavericks. Lawson made 10 of 16 from the field and 6 of 11 from 3-point range.
PACERS 96, HORNETS 84
Bennedict Mathurin, picked No. 6 overall in last month's draft, scored 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting and Chris Duarte added 16 points to lead Indiana.
Terry Taylor had 11 points, Duane Washington Jr. scored 10 and Isaiah Jackson &mdash; a first-round pick, along with Duarte, in the 2021 draft &mdash; finished with nine points, 12 rebounds and four blocks for the Pacers.
Bryce McGowens led the Hornets with 17 points. LJ Figueroa went 6 of 6 from the field &mdash; including two 3-pointers &mdash; and finished with 16 points. Nick Richards added 15 points and 11 rebounds and Kai Jones had 12 points and nine rebounds, but went 0 for 10 from 3-point range.
CAVALIERS 99, SPURS 90
RJ Nembhard Jr. scored 20 points and Amar Sylla had 19 points and eight rebounds to lead Cleveland past San Antonio.
Ochai Agbaji, picked 14th overall in last month's draft, hit four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points. Malik Osborne added 13 points and Cam Young scored 10 for the Cavaliers.
Blake Wesley and Josh Primo &mdash; first-round picks by the Spurs in 2022 and 2021, respectively &mdash; scored 20 points apiece. Malaki Branham, picked No. 20 overall in June, had 15 points.
BUCKS 94, NETS 90
Lindell Wigginton had 17 points and seven assists, Sandro Mamukelashvili also scored 17 points and Milwaukee held off Brooklyn.
Mamukelashvili hit a 3-pointer and then made a driving floater before he found MarJon Beauchamp &mdash; who made multiple plays down the stretch &mdash; for a corner 3 that gave the Bucks a 93-82 lead with 1:17 to play.
Beauchamp finished with 16 points and A.J. Green added 15 for Milwaukee.
Cam Thomas led Brooklyn with 31 points and David Duke Jr. scored 22. Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe had eight points, 10 rebounds, three steals and a block.
TIMBERWOLVES 85, NUGGETS 78
Josh Minott had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Kevon Harris scored 13 points to lead Minnesota to the win.
Minott, a second-round pick in June's draft, was 8 of 15 from the field, 2 of 3 from 3-point range and 4 of 4 from the free throw line. Wendell Moore Jr., picked No. 26 overall out of Duke, and David McCormack added 10 points apiece for the Timberwolves.
Christian Braun &mdash; who, along with McCormack, help Kansas to the 2022 NCAA title &mdash; led Denver with 18 points. A first-round pick last month, Braun shot 7 of 10 from inside the arc and just 1 of 7 from 3-point range. Collin Gillespie and Matt Mitchell scored 10 points apiece for the Nuggets.
SUNS 104, LAKERS 84
Louis King scored 20 points, Ish Wainwright added 17 on 5-of-9 shooting &mdash; all from 3-point range &mdash; and Phoenix trailed for just 10 seconds.
Phoenix took the lead for good when Duop Reath converted a three-point play to make it 18-15 with 1:55 left in the first quarter. Wainwright was fouled as he hit a 3-pointer and made the free throw to make it 57-45 with 7:38 left in the third quarter. The Lakers trailed by double figures the rest of the way.
Scotty Pippen Jr. led Los Angeles with 19 points and three steals. Paris Bass had 14 points, Cole Swider hit three 3s and finished with 11 points and Mason Jones had 10.
Max Christie &mdash; the Lakers' lone draft pick (No. 35 overall) in 2022 &mdash; had nine points and eight rebounds but made just 1 of 6 from the field.

Quentin Grimes had 24 points and eight assists, Jericho Sims scored 16 points and the Knicks overcame Moses Moody's 34 points.

Grimes, Knicks top Warriors 101-88 despite Moody's 34 points

Two days after the 2020 NBA Draft on Nov. 20, I received a text message from former NBA player and coach Avery Johnson, who I had worked with at CBS Sports HQ:
Matt, I'm working with a group called Overtime. Can I connect you with the co-founder to share our vision for a major concept coming to market next year?
Of course, I said, &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
Shortly after, Overtime co-founder Zack Weiner connected with me. He didn't share any details about the "major concept," but he did say that he or a senior-level executive would call me in the following days.
I was appreciative that Avery had thought of me for their project, and I had every intention of hearing them out. However, I wasn't familiar with the company Overtime, and I'm regularly approached with new consulting opportunities, so nothing seemed to be all that atypical for me.
A few days later, I received a call from Shea Dawson, Overtime&rsquo;s head of athlete relations. She shared some details about Overtime as a company and explained that they had a new project in the works that would "change the game." She continued to tell me that their group felt that my background, experience and skill set would be helpful to them. Unfortunately, she couldn't fill me in on the project's specifics, as I needed to sign a non-disclosure agreement first.
After speaking with Shea, although I still wasn't clear about it, I became more intrigued about the potential opportunity.
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As I waited for the NDA to be emailed, I began doing my research on Overtime. I learned that the company was founded in 2016 by Zack Weiner and Dan Porter, who had worked together at WME, a leader in the talent agency industry. They started by raising seed money. Some early investors included former NBA commissioner David Stern and NBA star Kevin Durant. I then found out Overtime was a media company that creates unique content and targets a younger audience. (By 2019, Overtime was generating over a billion video views per month.)
So naturally, I became increasingly intrigued to learn about this mysterious project.
I finally received the email from Shea that included the NDA. I signed it and sent it back almost immediately.
Then, at last, the phone rang. It was Shea:
Matt, I'm so excited to share the details with you. We are creating a new professional league for high school-aged players. We want you to help us pull it together.
I had a lot of questions:
<ul>
<li>Where would they play?</li>
<li>Would they get paid, and how much?</li>
<li>Would the players go to school and earn a degree?</li>
<li>Would draft-eligible players be a part of the league?</li>
<li>Most importantly, what would happen to the players once they finished the league, and would they be eligible to play in college?</li>
</ul>
Despite my questions, I agreed to explore ideas to get involved. So for a couple of months, I had a handful of video conference calls with Shea and Aaron Ryan, a former executive in the NBA&rsquo;s office who was working as a consultant for the newly proposed and unnamed league.
Everything finally began to take shape by mid-January 2021. They named the league Overtime Elite (OTE). Aaron was hired as commissioner, while former NBA player and executive Brandon Williams was named head of basketball operations. In addition, I agreed to a short-term consulting deal to become a scouting advisor for the group.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/ote-leadership-group_lg.jpg" alt="" width="653" height="367" />
On March 4, 2021, OTE was publicly announced, releasing some project details. For starters, Overtime successfully raised $80 million. The newly raised money was allocated to build an arena in Atlanta, Georgia, and provide the league's players with salaries of a minimum of $100,000 per year among other things. The news spread like wildfire, and the feedback was mixed.
On one hand, NBA commissioner Adam Silver seemed to be optimistic, stating that he didn't have a problem with young players being paid and thought optionality was good. But, on the other hand, many of my friends in the industry were tearing the idea apart &mdash; some publicly and many behind closed doors.&nbsp;
What was the big issue with OTE, you ask? Well, I'll get to that in a minute.
As a scouting advisor, I assisted in setting up the scouting department and evaluated prospective players. Our group worked hard, and we did a good job. However, once OTE began recruiting, negotiating and looking to sign players, our scouting department shifted from evaluating players to recruiting them.&nbsp;
It was a necessary shift for the group, undoubtedly; however, I felt it put me in a compromising situation considering my involvement in so many different areas of basketball, including running <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA Draft and scouting coverages for BasketballNews.com</a>. I enjoyed working for OTE, but I decided to leave the group to avoid further conflicts of interest.
My last day working for OTE was May 14, which was a little over two months from OTE's launch date, four months from my start date with the company and six months since I first heard from Avery.
I may have left, but of course the show went on.
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Our scouting department identified the right players. Williams and Tim Fuller, the director of scouting and recruiting, did a great job of recruiting them. Then, on May 21, one week after I left the group, OTE announced that the league signed its first players: Matt and Ryan Bewley, five-star prospects from the Class of 2023. Then, Ausar and Amen Thompson after them. Then, Jean Montero, a top-rated point guard from the Dominican Republic. After that, there became a steady flow of new signings, one after another. OTE was rolling!
On Oct. 24, they hosted their first Pro Day. Following the event, NBA personnel and media members raved about the facilities and the talent level. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it due to scheduling conflicts. I planned to attend a couple of days of their games in December, but out of an abundance of caution and rising numbers of COVID and flu cases around sports, the games were cancelled.
A few weeks ago, I finally made my way out to Atlanta to see OTE's finished product. In addition to seeing all of the players that our scouting group evaluated and discussed for months, I was able to see the OTE Arena with my own eyes.&nbsp;
While working for OTE, I was on semi-regular video conference calls hosted by Tim Katt, who spearheaded the arena's development. I expected it to be impressive, but my expectations were far exceeded. I was blown away by the building as soon as I walked in.
The bright lights, advanced technology, music and cameras were the first things that jumped out. There was no denying that it was a unique place. Keep in mind, I've spent my entire life in and around basketball, and I have seen the game from just about every angle possible, all over the world. So I wouldn't consider myself someone easily impressed with basketball facilities &mdash; and I was impressed!&nbsp;
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My former co-workers, Louis Lehman and Matt Verden, gave me a tour throughout the facility. The more I saw, the more impressed I became. It wasn't the glitz and glam of it that impressed me as much as the resources I saw for young players to develop. For example, the players are given access to a personal chef for three meals per day, an incredible practice facility and high-level strength-and-conditioning spaces. Additionally, OTE has a well-built (and deep) coaching and support staff led by former NBA player and college head coach Kevin Ollie. Nowhere else in the world provides comparable levels of resources to players ranging between 16-18 years old.
Once the games started, the talent popped. Montero is the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jean-montero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">main prospect for this year's upcoming draft</a>. He is likely to be the first draft pick to come out of the Overtime Elite program. The Thompson Twins look like lottery picks in the making for 2023. And then, guys like Alexandre Sarr and Tyler Smith look like they have promising NBA careers in their future too. And that's just naming a few; there&rsquo;s a ton of talent currently under contract.
I spent three days in Atlanta spending time with the OTE staff and becoming more familiar with the setup and evaluating their young prospects. On my flight home, I gathered my thoughts. I couldn&rsquo;t help but feel that OTE is generally misunderstood. I think many people only see "fluff." However, I see it differently.
The cameras, the bright lights, loud music and the content the league creates are the vehicles to generate the money (via sponsorship and advertising) to be able to provide such an incredible infrastructure to develop players&rsquo; marketability &mdash; but more importantly, to help them grow as basketball players and young men.
Considering my role and background, I tend to become hyperfocused on young prospects' development as basketball players but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the education element of OTE as well. On the league's website, it states, "OTE offers a direct-instruction model led by individual instructors who teach both 1:1 and in small group sessions featuring a 4:1 student-teacher ratio. OTE supplements a traditional course offering with a focus on life skills including financial literacy, media training, and advocacy and sports, and business of basketball."
That all sounds great, but what it doesn't mention is that the owner and co-founder of Overtime, Porter, served as the first president of Teach for America. Since education is a vital part of Porter's background, education has been a focal point since the idea's inception. So although they provide a non-traditional education, I can assure you that OTE&rsquo;s education program is well buttoned up.
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Overtime Elite is a special place and a terrific option for top teenage basketball players. I am proud to have played a small part in helping it go from being an ambitious idea into a successful reality.
But I'm going to address the elephant in the room now...
What's the catch with OTE? (Yes, there is one.)
For prospects to join the league, they have to sacrifice their college eligibility and instead, commit to a professional path. This alone has made the league controversial and subsequently labeled a disruptor in the basketball industry.
However, recently, it was announced that the NCAA had approved OTE players to participate in NCAA-certified AAU events this spring and summer.
Is this the first step towards players being able to sign with OTE while retaining their college eligibility? I'm not certain, but I sure hope so.
With all of that said, I'm going to leave you by posing a few questions:
<ul>
<li>What is the difference between a high school or college player receiving NIL deals and signing with OTE?</li>
<li>Who would be getting hurt by letting OTE players retain complete optionality and allowing them to play in college if they choose?</li>
<li>Is there any good reason that OTE players are not eligible to play in college other than arbitrary NCAA bylaws?</li>
</ul>
The questions are intended to be rhetorical, of course. However, I believe that they are essential.&nbsp;
So let's keep asking those questions!
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Matt Babcock describes his ties to Overtime Elite and why it is a special place and a terrific option for top teenage basketball players.

Deon