Mountain Hawks

Two weeks after winning the women&rsquo;s NCAA national title, Paige Bueckers has taken her act to the WNBA.
The Dallas Wings picked the historic UConn guard to be their 1st overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft Monday night at The Shed in New York City.
Bueckers, who led the Huskies to their 12th national title, becomes the sixth player from the school to get drafted no.1 overall. She joins Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, and Breanna Stewart in the exclusive list.
Now, Bueckers will be teaming up with WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale to form a dynamic backcourt for the Dallas Wings as they try to rebuild and get back to championship contention as soon as possible.
The draft also highlighted the league's growing international presence, with French center Dominique Malonga selected second by the Seattle Storm and Lithuanian guard Justė Jocytė picked fifth by the expansion team Golden State Valkyries.​
USC star Kiki Iriafen and Notre Dame mainstay Sonia Citron rounded up the top 5 picks of the first round after they were selected by the Washington Mystics.
Check out the complete recap of the draft below:
<h4>First Round</h4>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Wings &ndash; Paige Bueckers (G, UConn)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Seattle Storm &ndash; Dominique Malonga (C, France)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Mystics &ndash; Sonia Citron (G, Notre Dame)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Mystics &ndash; Kiki Iriafen (F, USC)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Golden State Valkyries &ndash; Justė Jocytė (G, Lithuania)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Mystics &ndash; Georgia Amoore (G, Virginia Tech)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Connecticut Sun &ndash; Aneesah Morrow (F, LSU)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Connecticut Sun &ndash; Saniya Rivers (G, NC State)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Los Angeles Sparks &ndash; Sarah Ashlee Barker (G, Alabama)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chicago Sky &ndash; Aj&scaron;a Sivka (F, Slovenia)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chicago Sky &ndash; Hailey Van Lith (G, TCU)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Wings &ndash; Aziaha James (G, NC State)​</li>
</ol>
Note: The Las Vegas Aces forfeited their first-round pick due to a league rules violation.
<h4>Second Round</h4>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Las Vegas Aces &ndash; Aaliyah Nye (G, Alabama)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Wings &ndash; Madison Scott (F, Ole Miss)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Minnesota Lynx &ndash; Anastasiia Olairi Kosu (F, UMMC Ekaterinburg)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chicago Sky &ndash; Maddy Westbeld (F, Notre Dame)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Golden State Valkyries &ndash; Shyanne Sellers (G, Maryland)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Atlanta Dream &ndash; Te-Hina Paopao (G, South Carolina)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Indiana Fever &ndash; Makayla Timpson (F, Florida State)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Indiana Fever &ndash; Bree Hall (G, South Carolina)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Los Angeles Sparks &ndash; Sania Feagin (F, South Carolina)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chicago Sky &ndash; Aicha Coulibaly (G, Texas A&amp;M)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Mystics &ndash; Lucy Olsen (G, Iowa)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Minnesota Lynx &ndash; Dalayah Daniels (F, Washington)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Connecticut Sun &ndash; Rayah Marshall (F, USC)</li>
</ol>
<h4>Third Round</h4>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Los Angeles Sparks &ndash; Serena Sundell (G, Kansas State)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Wings &ndash; JJ Quinerly (G, West Virginia)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Los Angeles Sparks &ndash; Liatu King (F, Notre Dame)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Seattle Storm &ndash; Madison Conner (G, TCU)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Golden State Valkyries &ndash; Kaitlyn Chen (G, UConn)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dallas Wings &ndash; Aaronette Vonleh (F, Baylor)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Washington Mystics &ndash; Zaay Green (G, Alabama)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Indiana Fever &ndash; Yvonne Ejim (F, Gonzaga)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Seattle Storm &ndash; Jordan Hobbs (G, Michigan)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Las Vegas Aces &ndash; Harmoni Turner (G, Harvard)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Atlanta Dream &ndash; Taylor Thierry (G, Ohio State)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Minnesota Lynx &ndash; Aubrey Griffin (F, UConn)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">New York Liberty &ndash; Adja Kane (F, Landerneau Bretagne Basket)​</li>
</ol>

The Dallas Wings picked Paige Bueckers to be their 1st overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft Monday night at The Shed in New York City.

2025 WNBA Draft: Paige Bueckers goes no.1 to the Dallas Wings

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Justyn Mutts scored 27 points to lead Virginia Tech to an 80-72 victory over No. 18 North Carolina on Sunday.
Mutts scored 21 of his points in the second half for the Hokies (8-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who built an 18-point, second-half lead and then held on to hand the slumping Tar Heels (5-4, 0-1) their fourth consecutive defeat.
North Carolina cut that lead to 67-64 on a layup by Caleb Love with 3:06 remaining, but Mutts answered with a basket 17 seconds later, and the Tar Heels got no closer.
The Associated Press&rsquo; preseason No. 1 team, North Carolina played without center Armando Bacot, who missed the game with a bruised shoulder.
Caleb Love, Pete Nance, and RJ Davis each scored 18 for North Carolina.
NO. 4 ARIZONA 81, CALIFORNIA 68
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo combined for 42 points and 19 rebounds and Arizona bounced back from its first loss by holding off winless California.
Tubelis had 25 points and 12 rebounds, while Ballo &mdash; the Division I leader in field goal percentage &mdash; made 7 of 10 shots en route to 17 points, with seven rebounds and four blocks.
The Wildcats (7-1, 1-1 Pac-12) were coming off an 81-66 loss Thursday at Utah, just their fifth in 44 games under second-year coach Tommy Lloyd.
Cal (0-9, 0-2) continued its worst start in program history, extending the nation&rsquo;s longest active losing streak to 12 games. The Golden Bears were led by guard Devin Askew, who had 25 points, while forward Lars Thiemann added 18 on 9-of-14 shooting.
NO. 5 PURDUE 89, MINNESOTA 70
WEST LAFAYETE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Zach Edey set career highs with 31 points and 22 rebounds, powering Purdue past Minnesota in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
The 7-foot-4 Edey started slowly, making only one of his first seven shots. He dominated after that, finishing 11 of 23 from the field and 9 of 10 from the foul line.
Fletcher Loyer scored 20 for Purdue (8-0).
Jamison Battle led the Golden Gophers (4-4) with 21 points. Ta&rsquo;Lon Cooper added 15 points for Minnesota.
NEBRASKA 63, NO. 7 CREIGHTON 53
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Derrick Walker scored a career-high 22 points as Nebraska upset Creighton, the highest-ranked opponent the Cornhuskers have beaten on the road since 1997.
Nebraska (6-3) beat the Bluejays for the first time in 14 regular-season meetings in Omaha since 1995. Creighton (6-3) lost its third straight, with its previous two against ranked opponents.
Sam Griesel scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half and Juwan Gary finished with 12 as the Huskers turned back every comeback attempt by the Bluejays.
Francisco Farabello scored 16 points to lead the Bluejays, going 5 for 9 on 3-pointers. Baylor Scheierman and Kalkbrenner had 10 points apiece.
NO. 13 TENNESSEE 94, ALCORN STATE 40
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Olivier Nkamhoua scored 20 points and Tennessee flexed its defensive muscles in a victory over Alcorn State.
The Volunteers (7-1) also got double-digit point production from Julian Phillips (18), Jahmai Mashack (13), Uros Plavsic (12), Tyreke Key (11) and Zakai Zeigler (10).
Dominic Brewton led the Braves (3-6) with 10 points.
NO. 19 KENTUCKY 73, MICHIGAN 69
LONDON (AP) &mdash; Cason Wallace scored 14 points and Oscar Tshiebwe had a double-double to lead Kentucky over Michigan in a London showcase of two marquee American college sports teams.
Wallace was 4 of 4 on 3-point shooting with his most important one giving the Wildcats (6-2) a five-point lead with 1:11 to play.
Tshiebwe, last season&rsquo;s consensus national player of the year, scored 13 points and pulled down 14 rebounds amid foul trouble that kept him on the bench for extended spells.
Hunter Dickinson led Michigan (5-3) with 23 points and nine rebounds. Jett Howard, Michigan&rsquo;s second-leading scorer, was in early foul trouble but had 16 points for the Wolverines.
NORTHWESTERN 70, NO. 20 MICHIGAN STATE 63
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Boo Buie scored 20 points and Northwestern beat Michigan State in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
Chase Audige also added 15 points and Ty Berry had 13 for Northwestern (6-3).
Mady Sossoko and A.J. Hoggard each had 12 points for Michigan State (5-3) and Joey Hauser added 10. The Spartans have lost two in a row, falling to Notre Dame earlier in the week.
NO. 21 UCLA 65, OREGON 56
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Clark and freshman Amari Bailey scored 14 points each and UCLA rallied in the final four minutes to hold off Oregon for its fourth straight win.
The Bruins (7-2, 2-0 Pac-12) hadn&rsquo;t had a big scoring run all game until they pulled away late.
The Ducks (4-5, 1-1) had won four straight over the Bruins. Guerrier led the Ducks with 15 points and Will Richardson added 13 points.
NO. 23 IOWA STATE 71, ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 60
AMES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Jaren Holmes scored 14 points and Aljaz Kunc added 12 as Iowa State handed St. John&rsquo;s its first loss of the season.
Kunc also contributed eight rebounds and three assists for the Cyclones (7-1). Robert Jones had 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Posh Alexander led St. John&rsquo;s (8-1) with 14 points.

A recap of Sunday's men's college basketball slate includes a handful of top-25 upsets.

Virginia Tech hands No. 18 Tar Heels fourth consecutive loss

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled for May 18-20 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
The 2022 NBA Draft Combine is an important step in the draft process for NBA prospects, leading up to 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.&nbsp;
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games, shooting drills and strength-and-agility drills from May 18-20. Coverage of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine begins Thursday, May 19 on ESPNews from 3-5 p.m. ET and transitions to ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. ET. The coverage continues on Friday, May 20 from 1-2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and 2-5 p.m. ET on ESPNews.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-field-of-44-draft-prospects-for-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 16-17 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.
Here is the complete list of expected attendees for this year's NBA Draft Combine (and check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> to see where each player is projected to go):&nbsp;
<table style="font-weight: 400;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="832">
Player (College/Club)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Justin Lewis (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Paolo Banchero (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Marjon Beauchamp (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matthew Mayer (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bryce McGowens (Nebraska)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Malaki Branham (Ohio State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Leonard Miller (Fort Erie Intl. Academy [Canada] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Braun (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Josh Minott (Memphis)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kendall Brown (Baylor)
</td>
<td width="442">
Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
John Butler Jr. (Florida State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jean Montero (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Max Christie (Michigan State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Keegan Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
</td>
<td width="442">
Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)
</td>
<td width="442">
Gabriele Procida (Fortitudo Bologna [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
JD Davison (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Moussa Diabate (Michigan)
</td>
<td width="442">
David Roddy (Colorado State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ousmane Dieng (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Ryan Rollins (Toledo)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria [Spain] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Dereon Seabron (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jalen Duren (Memphis)
</td>
<td width="442">
Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Tari Eason (LSU)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Smith (Auburn)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Keon Ellis (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Collin Gillespie (Villanova)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matteo Spagnolo (Cremona [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
AJ Griffin (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Hardy (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Dalen Terry (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Walker (Colorado)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Harrison Ingram (Stanford)
</td>
<td width="442">
TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
</td>
<td width="442">
Peyton Watson (UCLA)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td width="442">
Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Nikola Jovic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Juzang (UCLA)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ismael Kamagate (Paris [France] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trevor Keels (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Mark Williams (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Walker Kessler (Auburn)
</td>
<td width="442">
Trevion Williams (Purdue)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Koloko (Arizona)
</td>
<td width="442">
Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which takes place May 18-20 in Chicago.

NBA announces 76 prospects who will attend 2022 NBA Draft Combine

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced the 13 honorees in the Class of 2022 to be celebrated September 9-10 during this year&rsquo;s Enshrinement festivities in Springfield, Massachusetts. The announcement was made in New Orleans, Louisiana, the site of the 2022 NCAA Men&rsquo;s Final Four and was televised live on ESPN2.&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s class includes two-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA champion&nbsp;Manu Ginobili,&nbsp;five-time NBA All-Star&nbsp;Tim Hardaway,&nbsp;two-time NCAA National Coach of the Year&nbsp;Bob Huggins,&nbsp;the NBA&rsquo;s sixth-winningest coach of all-time&nbsp;George Karl&nbsp;and longtime NBA referee&nbsp;Hugh Evans.&nbsp;On the women&rsquo;s side, the Hall of Fame is proud to welcome five-time WNBA All-Star, three-time WNBA Champion, and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist&nbsp;Lindsay Whalen,&nbsp;four-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist&nbsp;Swin Cash&nbsp;and NCAA national champion and WNBA Coach of the Year&nbsp;Marianne Stanley.
Distinguished committees focused on preserving all areas from the game also selected five directly elected enshrines. They include&nbsp;Lou Hudson&nbsp;from the Veterans Committee,&nbsp;Larry Costello&nbsp;and&nbsp;Del Harris&nbsp;from the Contributor Committee,&nbsp;Theresa Shank-Grentz&nbsp;from the Women&rsquo;s Veterans Committee and&nbsp;Radivoj Korac&nbsp;from the International Committee.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Year after year, we are constantly reminded of the extraordinary and transcendent efforts of the remarkable men and women who have impacted the game of basketball from a global perspective,&rdquo; said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. &ldquo;The Class of 2022 is ripe with individuals who have had a significant historical impact on the game we love. We congratulate and thank them for everything they&rsquo;ve done to better the sport and look forward to honoring them during Enshrinement this fall.&rdquo;
To be elected, North American and Women&rsquo;s Committee finalists must receive 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Direct elect committees are incorporated into the election process to maintain a strong focus on keeping history on the forefront of the voting procedures and to preserve a balance between two eras of basketball.
The Class of 2022 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass., the Birthplace of Basketball, on September 9-10, 2022. Here's some more information about each of the inductees:
HUGH EVANS&nbsp;[Referee] &ndash; Evans served as an NBA Official for 28 consecutive years (1973-2001), tallying over 1,900 regular season games, 170 playoff games, 35 NBA Finals games and four NBA All-Star Games. Following his on-court officiating career, Evans worked as the NBA Assistant Supervisor of Officials (2001-03). He is a recipient of the Each One Teach One Community Service Award and is enshrined in the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame as well as the North Carolina A&amp;T Hall of Fame.
MANU GINOBILI&nbsp;[Player] &ndash; Ginobili is a two-time NBA All-Star (2005, 2011) and four-time NBA Champion with the San Antonio Spurs (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014). Over his 16-year NBA career, all with the Spurs, the Argentine guard amassed 14,043 points, 4,001 assists, 3,697 rebounds and 1,392 steals and was honored with the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2008, as well as twice being named to the All-NBA Third Team (2008, 2011). On the international stage, Ginobili helped deliver the first and only Gold Medal in the country&rsquo;s basketball history at the 2004 Olympics, as well as the bronze at the 2008 games. He joins Bill Bradley as the only two players to have won a EuroLeague title (2001), an NBA championship and an Olympic Gold Medal.
TIM HARDAWAY&nbsp;[Player] &ndash; A 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist, Hardaway played 13 NBA seasons scoring a total of 15,373 points while averaging more than 20 points per game for four consecutive seasons. He is the 1990 recipient of the Jack McMahon Award for most inspirational player and a 1997 All-NBA First Team selection. He currently ranks 18th in NBA history with 7,095 career assists. The Chicago native was a member of the men&rsquo;s basketball team at the University of Texas at El Paso (1985-1989) and is known for making his signature move &ndash; the &ldquo;UTEP Two-step&rdquo; &ndash; famous in 1989, the same year he was named WAC Player of the Year.
BOB HUGGINS&nbsp;[Coach] &ndash; Huggins has been coaching in the collegiate ranks for 45 years, including the last 15 as the head coach at West Virginia University. Over the course of his career, Huggins has led his teams to 25 NCAA Tournament berths, including nine appearances in the Sweet Sixteen (1992, 1993, 1996, 200, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018), four trips to the Elite Eight (1992, 1993, 1996, 2010), and two appearances in the NCAA Final Four (1992, 2010). In 16 years as the head coach at the University of Cincinnati (1989-2005), Huggins led the Bearcats to eight Conference USA regular season championships (1996-2002, 2004), four Conference USA Tournament championships (1996, 1998, 2002, 2004), was a three-time Conference USA Coach of the Year (1998-2000) and was honored as the Conference USA Coach of the Decade in 2005. On the national level, he a was tabbed as the&nbsp;Sporting News&nbsp;National Coach of the Year in 2000 and the&nbsp;ESPN.com&nbsp;National Coach of the Year in 2002.
GEORGE KARL&nbsp;[Coach] &ndash; Karl spent 27 seasons as a head coach in the NBA, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers (1984-1986), Golden State Warriors (1986-88), Seattle Supersonics (1992-1998), Milwaukee Bucks (1998-2003), Denver Nuggets (2005-2013) and Sacramento Kings (2015-2016). During his career, he guided five different franchises to a total of 22 playoff appearances, led the Supersonics to the NBA Finals (1996), was named the NBA Coach of the Year (2013), and was called upon to be an All-Star Game head coach four times (1994, 1996, 1998, 2010). Karl owns a lifetime coaching record of 1,175-824 (.588), ranking sixth all-time in NBA career wins and posted 12 seasons of 50+ victories and three seasons of 60-plus.
SWIN CASH&nbsp;[Player] &ndash; Cash is a four-time WNBA All-Star (2003, 2005, 2009, 2011) and two-time Olympic gold medalist (2004, 2012). A true champion, she was a member of three WNBA championship teams during her 15-year career with the Detroit Shock (2003, 2006) and Seattle Storm (2010) as well as two NCAA National Championships at the University of Connecticut (2000, 2002) and a Gold Medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championships. Cash was recognized as one of the 20 best WNBA players of all time in 2016 as she twice named WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2009, 2011) and twice received All-WNBA Second Team (2003-2004) honors. During her collegiate career, she was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and received Kodak First Team All-America honors in 2002 after UConn won their third national title in program history after finishing the season a perfect 39-0. In 2021, Cash was inducted into the Women&rsquo;s Basketball Hall of Fame.
MARIANNE STANLEY&nbsp;[Coach] &ndash; Coaching in the collegiate and professional ranks for a combined 45 years, Stanley currently serves as the head coach of the WNBA&rsquo;s Indiana Fever. In 22 years as a college coach with Old Dominion (1977-1987), Penn (1987-1989), USC (1989-1993), Stanford (1995-1996) and Cal (1995-1996), Stanley compiled a 416-222 (.652) record, including a NCAA National Championship in 1985, three Final Four appearances (1983, 1985, 1996) and back-to-back AIAW National Titles (1979-1980). She has accumulated numerous Coach of the Year honors, including AIAW National Coach of the Year (1979), Virginia Coach of the Year (1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985), Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year (1984, 1985), Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year (1993) and WNBA Coach of the Year (2002). On the national team level, she helped lead the United States to a Goodwill Games Gold Medal (1983) and FIBA World Championship Gold Medal (1986). Stanley has been enshrined in the Women&rsquo;s Basketball Hall of Fame (2002) and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (2010).
LINDSAY WHALEN&nbsp;[Player] &ndash; Whalen is a five-time WNBA All-Star (2006, 2011, 2013-2015), four-time WNBA Champion (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (2012, 2016). After averaging 11.5 points and 4.9 assists over 15 seasons in the WNBA, she was named to the WNBA First Team three times (2008, 2011, 2013) and was recognized&nbsp;as one of the 20 best WNBA players of all time in 2016.&nbsp;Whalen ranks third all-time in assists (2,345) and led the league in total assists five times (2007, 2011-2015) and assists per game on three occasions (2008, 2011, 2012). During her collegiate career at University of Minnesota, Whalen led the Golden Gophers to the NCAA Final Four in 2004 and was twice named a finalist for the Naismith Award (2003, 2004) and Wade Trophy (2003, 2004). She also received numerous accolades for her on-court performance, including being named to the Kodak/WBCA All-America Team (2003-2004), USBWA All-America Team (2002-2004), AP Second Team All-America Team (2003-2004) and the All-Big Ten First Team (2002-2004).Whalen currently serves as the head coach of the women&rsquo;s basketball program at her alma mater.
LOU HUDSON&nbsp;[Player] &ndash; Recognized posthumously, Hudson was a six-time NBA All-Star (1969-1974) and averaged 20.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 13 NBA seasons. The athletic shooting guard played 11 seasons with the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks (1966-1977) and has his jersey No. 23 retired by the franchise. A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Hudson attended the University of Minnesota where he was part of the first African American recruiting class in school history and went on to receive All-American honors and had his jersey No. 14 retired. He is also a member of the Minnesota Hall of Fame as well as the North Carolina Hall of Fame.
LARRY COSTELLO&nbsp;[Contributor] &ndash; Recognized posthumously, Costello was a six-time NBA All-Star (1958-1962, 1965), a member of the 1967 World Champion Philadelphia 76ers and coached the Milwaukee Bucks to the 1971 NBA title, as well as a Finals appearance in 1974. As a player, he averaged 12.2 points and 4.9 assists per game over 12 NBA seasons, earning All-NBA Second Team in 1961. Known as the last two-handed set shooter, the point guard led the NBA in free throw percentage twice (.881 in 1963; .877 in 1965). As a coach, he was one of the first people to employ a working, accountable assistant coach and employ videotape to analyze the game. He also traveled extensively for the U.S. State Department, lecturing in Germany, Africa, Asia and Europe. Costello is also a member of the Niagara University Hall of Fame, Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame, Greater Buffalo Hall of Fame and the New York State Hall of Fame.
DEL HARRIS&nbsp;[Contributor] &ndash; Harris has dedicated his life to basketball, serving as a coach, mentor and tireless advocate for the game. In his more than 50-year coaching career, he coached every level of the sport, ranging from junior high hoops to the NBA. Harris is deeply respected by players, coaches and executives alike, having earned the Jerry Colangelo Award for Leadership and Character in 2010, the Coach John Wooden &ldquo;Keys to Excellence&rdquo; Award in 2014 and the Basketball Hall of Fame&rsquo;s John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. For over 35 years, he served as both a treasured assistant coach and head coach of several franchises including the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls, and New Jersey Nets. Harris led the Houston Rockers to the NBA Finals in 1981 and was recognized as the NBA Coach of the Year in 1995 while at the helm of the Los Angeles Lakers. Harris currently serves as Vice President of the Mavericks G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, while providing game analysis for the Mavericks on Fox Sports Southwest. He is also a member of the NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame and Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
THERESA SHANK-GRENTZ&nbsp;[Player] &ndash; Shank-Grentz was a member of three consecutive AIAW National Championship teams and was a three-time All-American at Immaculata University from 1972-74. The 1974 title game was the first ever live coverage of a women&rsquo;s basketball game in the United States. She scored over 1,000 career points at Immaculata, including a record 104 points and 76 rebounds in the 1973 AIAW Tournament. Shank-Grentz was named the AMF Collegiate Player of the Year in 1974 and has her jersey No. 12 retired by the university. She also scored over 1,200 points as a prep player at Cardinal O&rsquo;Hara High School in Springfield, PA, and was a three-time All-Conference Philadelphia Catholic League.
RADIVOJ KORAC&nbsp;&nbsp;[Player] &ndash; Recognized posthumously, Korac is known as Yugoslavia&rsquo;s first basketball superstar, helping lead the country to the silver medal at the 1968 Olympics after leading all players in averaging 23.6 points per game during the Games. He also led Yugoslavia to silver medals in FIBA World Cup play in 1963 and 1967. He still holds the EuroLeague&rsquo;s all-time single-game scoring record with 99 points in a game vs. Alviks during the 1964-65 season. Korac tragically passed away in a car accident in 1969 at the age of 30 and has been remembered as the namesake of FIBA&rsquo;s Korac Cup in 1971 and Serbia&rsquo;s Korac Cup in 2002. He was named one of FIBA&rsquo;s Greatest Players in 1991, was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007 and was named one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors in 2008.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 13 honorees in the Class of 2022 to be celebrated September 9-10.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces Class of 2022 inductees

Hey yo. You know exactly what time of year this is. Now, for the purposes of this adventure, let&rsquo;s clarify a few things.
<ol>
<li>This is not a top-10. The headline does not read Top-10 &ndash; just 10.</li>
<li>Additionally, this is not necessarily a ranking of said 10. Just 10 awesome moments that&rsquo;ll make you nostalgic for previous NCAA Tournaments that may project what we we&rsquo;re about to endure with this month&rsquo;s March Madness. Not everything needs to turn into a Twitter-replies-section debate for us to have a good time.</li>
<li>If your favorite moment isn&rsquo;t here, it&rsquo;s gonna be OK. Life will go on.</li>
</ol>
Good? Good! Now, let&rsquo;s play with some emotions.
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March 20, 2010: Ali Farokhmanesh💦 It&rsquo;s been 11 years since Northern Iowa (+11) took down Kansas to reach the Sweet 16! &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t be serious with that shot!&rdquo;<a href="https://t.co/Qf3MWNY4xH">pic.twitter.com/Qf3MWNY4xH</a>
&mdash; PointsBet Iowa (@PointsBetIA) <a href="https://twitter.com/PointsBetIA/status/1373262014554894339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t be serious with that shot!&rdquo;
Kansas has made literally every NCAA Tournament since 1990, and every single time, they&rsquo;ve been the higher seed in round one. As a result, they&rsquo;ve had some embarrassing losses, and because they&rsquo;re a blue blood, some of us laugh at them every time. Arguably the best and ballsiest example of this came in 2010.
Kansas was a No. 1 seed in their region &ndash; as they normally are &ndash; facing ninth-seeded Northern Iowa in round two. Northern Iowa led 63-62 while breaking Kansas&rsquo; press with 42 seconds to go. Northern Iowa quickly broke said press, landing the ball in the hands of a senior guard named Ali Farokhmanesh.
As 37 seconds remained &ndash; with 30 on the shot clock &ndash; you&rsquo;d figure he&rsquo;d hold and either get fouled or just milk the clock. But his eyes made love to the net about 24-feet-away, and once Kansas realized he was actually going to take the shot, it was too late. Northern Iowa won 69-67, reaching the Sweet Sixteen for the only time in program history.&nbsp;
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Five years ago today, RJ Hunter knocked his dad (and coach) off his stool with a game-winning three 🔥 (via @MarchMadness)<a href="https://t.co/XpbMLrFxVM">pic.twitter.com/XpbMLrFxVM</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1240712661957931008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2020</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;What are they doing?&rdquo;
Baylor led Georgia State 56-54 with 14.1 seconds to go in 2015. Ron Hunter, Georgia State&rsquo;s head coach, tore his Achilles while celebrating the team's Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship days before the NCAA Tournament, so he had been coaching from a stool. His son, RJ Hunter, was the best player on the team and, naturally, had the ball in his hands for the team&rsquo;s last possession. It was an objectively terrible possession, which caused the commentator to ask aloud, &ldquo;What are they doing?&rdquo;
Hunter basically pulled a near 30-foot three-point-attempt with around four seconds left, and made it, giving the 14th-seeded Panthers an upset win over the third-seeded Baylor Bears in round one. More importantly, the stool-sitting Ron Hunter fell on his face in celebration on the sideline.&nbsp;
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On this day 24 years ago, No. 16 Harvard upset No. 1 Stanford. This was the first major upset in tournament history!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarchMadness</a> <a href="https://t.co/ij0qnl4oiz">pic.twitter.com/ij0qnl4oiz</a>
&mdash; NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessWBB/status/1503434534854926336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Real First Time
Before UMBC stunned Virginia in 2018, becoming the first No. 16 to defeat a No. 1 in the men&rsquo;s tournament, the Harvard women&rsquo;s squad made history 20 years earlier. The Crimson went 22-4 during the regular season, and ran into a Pac-10 heavyweight in Stanford, who had been in the previous three Final Fours and won two national championships earlier in the decade.
The win was not only impressive because Harvard matched Stanford blow for blow all night long, but they won in Stanford.
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Craziest comeback in March Madness history? In 2016, Texas A&amp;M rallied back from down 12 with 36 seconds left to force OT vs Northern Iowa Final: Texas A&amp;M 92 UNI 88<a href="https://t.co/awYiihgB9K">pic.twitter.com/awYiihgB9K</a>
&mdash; Barstool Bench Mob (@stoolbenchmob) <a href="https://twitter.com/stoolbenchmob/status/1443291894302318593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
Alright, let&rsquo;s play for real
As great as Northern Iowa&rsquo;s win over Kansas was in 2010, their 2016 loss against Texas A&amp;M was equally as impressive. Northern Iowa, as the No. 11 seed, led third-seeded A&amp;M 69-57 with 44 seconds to go en route to another Sweet Sixteen. And then, an A&amp;M squad, led by a couple seniors you may recognize named Alex Caruso and Danuel House, made the most ridiculous comeback you may have ever seen in such a short span, forcing overtime, and eventually winning 92-88 after multiple OTs.
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DUNK CITY! 8 years ago today No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast made its <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarchMadness</a> debut &amp; beat No. 2 Georgetown! <a href="https://t.co/HL83ubO7qm">pic.twitter.com/HL83ubO7qm</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1374026020756537344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
Dunk City
The first time some of us heard of Florida Gulf Coast was during their 2013 NCAA Tournament run, which earned them the nickname Dunk City. Why? Because these dudes were catching bodies on a seemingly improbable run to the Sweet Sixteen. FGC wasn&rsquo;t even a Division I school until 2007, but as a 15-seed in 2013, they tomahawked their way to a 78-68 victory over No. 2 Georgetown &ndash; Otto Porter&rsquo;s last college game &ndash; and continued raising hell against No. 7 San Diego State, alley-ooping their way to an 81-71 win.
They lost to No. 3 and inner-state foe Florida 62-50, but made a memorable enough run that people still call them Dunk City to this day. They even pissed off Joakim Noah, who was in attendance, before bowing out gracefully. Thankfully, Kevin Harlan was the perfect broadcaster to take us on this experience. If there&rsquo;s anything to bring in the casual observer, it&rsquo;s a bunch of dudes you&rsquo;ve never heard of just unexpectedly yamming on people.
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Three years ago today, Mississippi State stunned unbeaten UConn in overtime at the Final Four. The Huskies had won 111 straight games 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/D39SdrhdnW">pic.twitter.com/D39SdrhdnW</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1244991741431857153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2020</a></blockquote>
No room for 112
UConn had 111 straight wins heading into the 2017 Final Four, including the previous four-straight NCAA titles. A team including future WNBA&rsquo;ers Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams, Katie Lou Samuelson, Napheesa Collier, Crystal Dangerfield and Saniya Chong led UConn to wins of 116-55, 94-64, 86-71 and 90-52 heading into their match-up with Mississippi State. The Bulldogs had just gotten by Baylor in overtime in their Elite Eight game.
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Mississippi State &ndash; highlighted by future WNBA first rounders Teaira McCowan and Victoria Vivans &ndash; not only kept it close, but dragged UConn into overtime for the first time all season. Tied at 64 with 12 seconds left, Dominique Dillingham brought the ball up the floor, and when met with a double team, found guard Moran William around 30-feet from the basket at the top of the key with less than five seconds left. William faked a pass left, quickly knifed toward the right elbow, pulled up from outside the paint and splashed the game-winner, ending UConn&rsquo;s streak and sending Miss. St. to the national championship, where they lost to South Carolina.&nbsp;
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A GAME FOR THE AGES! Jalen Suggs drains a heave for No. 1 Gonzaga to take down No. 11 UCLA and advance to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NationalChampionship?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NationalChampionship</a>! (via <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBSSports</a>) <a href="https://t.co/j5IYwYHZsL">pic.twitter.com/j5IYwYHZsL</a>
&mdash; Sports Illustrated (@SInow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1378546005839282183?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Insert your bad bank pun here
Last year&rsquo;s tournament had a different vibe due to the lack of crowds, but one of the most memorable moments came in the Final Four. No. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. 11 seed UCLA were in overtime during their national semifinal matchup. Johnny Juzang, who is back with UCLA this season, made a game-tying layup with 3.3 seconds left, putting this at 90 each.
Current Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs quickly got the inbound, sprinted the ball up the floor, pulled from a couple steps beyond half-court and banked in the game-winner to send them to the National Championship game with a 31-0 record. Like Mississippi State, they lost in the title game, but hell, at least they got there.
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Kris Jenkins called game 🤯 Four years ago today, Jenkins gave Nova its first national championship since '85 <a href="https://t.co/B1uopP2I84">pic.twitter.com/B1uopP2I84</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1246463363539963905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2020</a></blockquote>

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Okay, maybe this is &ldquo;The Shot&rdquo;
If anything deserves to be dubbed &ldquo;The Shot,&rdquo; it might be this one. It was so good and timely that we&rsquo;ve forgotten how sick Marcus Paige&rsquo;s was seconds before.
Villanova and North Carolina faced off in the 2016 National Title game, which had one of the illest finishes ever. Paige, with nine seconds left, barely received a pass while on the right wing. With seven seconds, he rose up, while double teamed, and double clutched, making a game-tying three, forcing a 74-74 score.
Villanova, with 4.7 seconds left, inbounded the ball to Ryan Arcidiacono, who found Kris Jenkins open at NBA-range above the key, and drilled home a game-winning three as time expired to win the title. Additionally, we got the best-timed confetti shot in sports history (PTSD warning).
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March 30th, 2018 🗓 Two years ago today, Notre Dame's Arike Ogunbowale hit this CLUTCH game-winner with 1 second left in OT to end UConn's undefeated season 🔥 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a>) | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OTD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OTD</a><a href="https://t.co/X3IoK4dvw0">pic.twitter.com/X3IoK4dvw0</a>
&mdash; FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) <a href="https://twitter.com/FDSportsbook/status/1244655717929357313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
Mamba Mentality&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s really hard to have a better Final Four than Arike Ogunbowale did in 2018.
Many of the same UConn women mentioned earlier were back for their 2018 run, which included a match-up with Notre Dame in the Final Four. Ogunbowale missed a free throw in overtime to make it a 90-86 game, allowing for Crystal Dangerfield to hit a game-tying three. Notre Dame struggled to find Ogunbowale due to UConn&rsquo;s pressure, but eventually did with eight seconds left. She dribbled right, got the mismatch with the bigger Naphessa Collier, crossed over, had enough space and sunk the game-winner with one second to spare. Notre Dame won 91-89.
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ARIKE OGUNBOWALE CALLED GAME. FOR THE TITLE. (via @ncaawbb) <a href="https://t.co/EtY7HHq41z">pic.twitter.com/EtY7HHq41z</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/980600569373982720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Then, in the National Championship, Notre Dame drew Mississippi State. Tied 58-58 with eight seconds left, Ogunbowale forced a turnover and began pushing up the floor before Notre Dame regained possession with five seconds left, and called a timeout with three seconds to go. Off the inbound, the Fighting Irish found Ogunbowale, who hit the game-winner as time expired from a very similar spot to the one from two days prior. It&rsquo;s one of the coldest weekends a ballplayer could ever have.
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Lorenzo Charles' game-winning dunk gave <a href="https://twitter.com/PackMensBball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PackMensBball</a> a National Championship and left Jim Valvano looking for a hug. <a href="https://t.co/lXyyNyyiUS">pic.twitter.com/lXyyNyyiUS</a>
&mdash; CBS Sports (@CBSSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSports/status/1503404336524668929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
The Dunk
Younger generations might be more familiar with Jimmy V the week as opposed to Jimmy V the coach, but Jim Valvano and the North Carolina State Wolfpack shocked the world around this time nearly 40 years ago. NC State was a sixth-seed and opposite of a top-seeded Houston team that was engineered by Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.
Tied at 52, NC State was dribbling out the clock to hold for the final possession. As Houston inched closer to forcing a turnover, guard Dereck Whittenburg had to heave one with three seconds left well beyond 30-feet. Noticing it was going to be an airball, Lorenzo Charles got into position, rose up, caught and dunked the ball as time expired, giving NC State their first and only title.&nbsp;
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As basketball fans get pumped for March Madness, Bryan Fonseca looks back at some epic moments from past NCAA Tournaments.

March Madness: 10 historic moments you'll want to watch again

Sometimes Justė Jocytė needs to slow down her warp-speed world.&nbsp;
The Lithuanian channels Drake and "chill music" through her headphones, and takes a walk to find a space for herself. In her preparation process, Jocytė makes it a point to clear her head of stress.
"Literally, it's almost like meditating," Jocytė told BasketballNews.com in an exclusive interview via Zoom. "You just stop thinking. Just take a deep breath, clear your head out and really just stop overthinking everything. I think that helps; when you're thinking a lot before a game, that's not good for you."
Jocytė speaks with the calm poise of a veteran professional because she is one, in her third season at the highest levels of European basketball with Lyon ASVEL F&eacute;minin in France. But the 6-foot-2 lefty guard is also considered one of the top prospects on Earth, and, at just 15 years old, is accomplishing more than most young hoopers do in their lifetimes.
San Antonio Spurs great Tony Parker recruited her at at age-13, and she debuted with the Lithuanian senior national team that same year. At 14, Jocytė became the youngest player to debut in modern EuroLeague history. Today, she regularly competes against WNBA players and European stars, and even holds a small sponsorship deal from Nike.
Jocytė carries the faith of an NBA legend, the hopes of an entire country and the potential of a future global star on her teenage shoulders. But she holds the burden with a placid purpose, knowing that as long as she works, her pathway will reveal itself.
"I mean, the dream is obviously to get to the WNBA &mdash; but I don't really know if it's gonna be my style of game, it's kind of different from Europe &mdash; but obviously playing there, and just living my best life," she said.
"I love basketball &mdash; that's what I'm planning to do for a living &mdash; and [I] just take pleasure every day in every practice," she added. "And I think, yeah, that's most important: just to be happy."
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/img_8403-57-jus_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" />
"Every day, we live with basketball."
According to Jocytė's father, Alvydas Jocys, the house TV is almost always tuned to hoops: NBA, WNBA, men's and women's EuroLeague and EuroCup, Lithuanian competition, you name it.&nbsp; Basketball is the country's most popular sport. It is woven into the fabric of Jocytė's family.
"It's just our life, you know?" Alvydas told BasketballNews.com over the phone.
Alvydas played college basketball through the end of the 1990s for Mid-Plains Community College, and then Bellevue University, in Nebraska. His brother, Evaldas, logged professional and collegiate careers, including stints with Lithuanian club Olimpas Plung&eacute; and Division I East Carolina University. Jocytė's older brother, 17-year-old Rokas, competes in Lithuania after having spent time on Stellazzurra Rome's U18 team in Italy.
Jocytė was even born in Washington D.C. before the family moved back to Lithuania when she was an infant. She has played above her age bracket since she could first dribble a basketball. First, it was in the backyard against Rokas. Then, at 6 years old &mdash; when she began to take a serious interest in the sport &mdash; Alvydas and his wife, Aurelija Jociene, noticed their daughter was unusually talented.
"We noticed that she had the ability to play with the ball, and play and dribble and shoot. She was different at that kind of age from other girls," Alvydas said.
Jocytė entered a program in her hometown of Palanga on the Baltic Coast of the country. Then, she outplayed her competition, and the family signed her up for training in Klaipėda, a nearby city. Jocytė was hopping from bus-to-bus at 9 years old, attending practices and games with kids three years her senior.&nbsp;
"Year after year, we saw that she was developing into a pretty good basketball player," Alvydas said. "As a family, all our job was just to get her physically and emotionally ready for the journey she has right now."
The <a href="https://twitter.com/jrnba/status/1028733912321859585?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jr. NBA came</a> at age-12. But in 2019, Jocytė's star truly shined. She led Lithuania to its first-ever U16 FIBA European Championship as a 13-year-old, then three months later, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/womenseurobasket/2021/qualifiers/news/the-future-is-here-13-year-old-jocyte-has-lithuania-back-on-the-rise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made her debut with the country's senior national team</a> in the EuroBasket Qualifiers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
SHE IS 13 😱 ! Juste Jocyte's 20PTS &amp; 15REB led @Musukrepsinis 🇱🇹 to a first EVER <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAU16Europe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAU16Europe</a> Final 🔥 ! <a href="https://t.co/gAjWbsLocB">pic.twitter.com/gAjWbsLocB</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1167346821678678017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2019</a></blockquote>

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Europe took note &mdash; including one Tony Parker. The four-time NBA champion co-owned the men's and women's LDLC ASVEL clubs, and was starting his <a href="https://tpadequatacademy.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Parker Ad&eacute;quat Academy</a> in Lyon for students desiring advanced opportunities in a number of different professions. He invited Jocytė and her family to an individual workout in Oct. 2019.
"It was kind of tough, you know? You don't really know what to say because you're... scared," Jocytė said. "But I mean, he was really pretty normal as a person, so he was easy to talk to."
At that same workout, Jocytė also met her idol: former New York Liberty guard, and future teammate, Marine Johann&egrave;s.
"She was there to pass me the ball. That was cool," Jocytė said with a laugh.
Parker saw Jocytė as a headlining addition and made his pitch to Alvydas and the family. Jocytė would join the academy and become a member of Lyon ASVEL F&eacute;minin, with a three-year agreement centered on her development in Lyon. If the family ever had a question or concern about her well-being or development, Parker was a phone call away.
"It was, for myself and my wife, ver,y very surprising [to hear] the kinds of superstars as Tony Parker &mdash; we just saw them on TV prior [to when] we came to France," Alvydas said. "But when you talk to them after one minute, you already know that they're so simple and they know what they're doing. They know what kind of business they're in."
On Nov. 7, 2019, the academy announced the signing.
"I am very happy for the Tony Parker Ad&eacute;quat Academy because it&rsquo;s the first big signature," Parker said in the official press release in French. "Justė is the most special player of her generation. It&rsquo;s one of the reasons that I opened the Academy: to welcome the best prospects of their generation, evolve with young enthusiasts of all fields, and enrich each other."
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"She's definitely one of the most gifted European players to come up in a long time."
Mark Williams is a Global Scout for Premier Basketball (the same service that compiles ESPN's HoopGurlz recruiting rankings). He has watched Jocytė rise through the youth ranks since 2018, and says the smooth shooting guard is one of the most advanced players he has seen in recent years. Her cool confidence, surgical vision and sweet perimeter shot all set her apart.
"She's gifted with the ball in her hands [and] can score at all three levels," Williams told BasketballNews.com over the phone. "One of the things that she's really done well over the last year is develop the ability to get everybody else shots... I mean, she's really gifted. She can play multiple positions. She can play on the ball. She's a better defender than people give her credit for. And she can score anytime she wants."
Jocytė carved up the competition at the 2021 FIBA U18 Women's European Challengers tournament. She averaged 20.6 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in effortless fashion, patrolling the court while exuding serenity and swagger.
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Jocytė can spot up, step back and hesi her way to any shot on the floor. She glides with an effortless grace, and shrugs contact off of her. She also operates the offense like a surgeon, rifling pinpoint cross-court passes with either hand. Williams said that if he ranked the entire 2023 recruiting class with both U.S. and international players, the Lithuanian phenom would rest on top.
"For her, it's just kind of come together really, really early. And it's fun to watch, for sure," Williams said.
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British FIBA writer Paul Nilsen has watched the international youth game for over a decade. From the first moments he scouted an age-12 Jocytė, Nilsen was floored by her clutch gene.
"You could just tell straight away she's got it," Nilsen told BasketballNews.com over the phone. "The clutch, the ice through her veins, the smarts, the I.Q., on top of, obviously, the skill factor of being able to do what you want, when you want.
"I think that maturity so young is quite a rare and special thing."
Both Williams and Nilsen lauded Jocytė's trajectory as that of a high WNBA draft pick and a potential No. 1 overall selection. But they also cautioned against the familiar trap of locking prospects in as surefire generational superstars.&nbsp;
"It's one thing, I think in any sport, being a wunderkind, where often you find other players catch up," Nilsen said. "Sometimes you're the best out of that age at 12-13, and you're phenomenal because you've got so much natural talent. And you have to try and maintain large gap, which can sometimes be hard.
"It all boils down to whether she keeps working hard and she keeps learning," he added. "Nothing else [matters] apart from her. It's got to come from her."
For Jocytė to be challenging herself on a professional team, Nilsen says, is a testament to her dedication.
"One of the things I'm very, very committed to is this concept of: the hardest decision is always for the most talented players... even though you've got lots of choices, it's very very, very difficult," he said.
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"Playing against them every day is just a dream come true. I mean, that's the best practice you can get."
In Dec. 2019, 14-year-old Justė Jocytė subbed in for the the first time with Lyon ASVEL F&eacute;minin, and became the youngest woman to debut in the modern EuroLeague, perhaps the highest level in the world outside of the WNBA. Fast-forward two years, and she has now locked down a role in the regular rotation before her 16th birthday.
Lyon competes this season in the EuroCup; it's one league lower than the EuroLeague, but still arguably the third-best league worldwide. The EuroCup is littered with WNBA talent this season, including Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, Atlanta Dream guard Aari McDonald, Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner and Minnesota Lynx forward Natasha Mack among many others.
But that's only half of the battle. In LFB (Ligue F&eacute;minine de Basketball) competition, the team squares off against players like Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham, Chicago Sky guard Lexie Brown and Los Angeles Sparks forward Nia Coffey. For Lyon, Johann&egrave;s and Julie Allemand both have WNBA experience.
On non-game days, Jocytė's schedule typically includes distance schooling, plus two grueling practices per day with some of the best basketball players on the planet. It's a grind she embraces.&nbsp;
"This is the pro life," she said. "Get used to it, because they will not change for you."
Jocytė generally stayed on the bench in her first two years with Lyon; she logged just 31 total minutes across both seasons. However, that doesn't mean she was stuck; behind the scenes, Jocytė was adapting to the speed and physicality of pro ball with the help of her teammates and coaches.
"I really appreciate the the work that they put in. Nobody sees the work, but they're helping me a lot," she said.
This season, the young phenom has begun to emerge. Jocytė is averaging 11.8 minutes per game in LFB play and 15.0 minutes per game in the EuroCup. She's dished out 17 assists against just six turnovers, and is shooting 75% from the field across both leagues. The performances aren't coming on some experimental squad, either &mdash; Lyon sits 3-1 in the EuroCup and 4-2 in the LFB.&nbsp;
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Even more impressive is hearing the 15-year-old critically reflect on her role with the methodical understanding of a grizzled vet:
"The physical part is tough, so you obviously had to find other ways. I think mine is just reading the game, really, because obviously you will not be faster [or] stronger," Jocytė said. "Coach puts you in [and] you have to just bring the energy; he doesn't expect you to, like, score 20 points in the game. So as a young player, you just have to stay humble, stay calm and just read."
Breanna Stewart and Nikola Jokic, as well as fellow lefty D'Angelo Russell, are film favorites for the Lithuanian. She had the last laugh this fall as one of the few members of Lyon cheering for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA Finals. And even after two years playing next to Johann&egrave;s, Jocytė still marvels every day at the star guard's talent.
"It's kind of weird because before, yeah, she was my role model, and now that it's my third year playing with her, it's kind of... she's like my friend," Jocytė said of Johann&egrave;s.
Though Jocytė is still technically the youngest player on the roster, she's no longer the only teenager. Dominique Malonga &mdash; a 6-foot-6, 15-year-old center loaded with athleticism and potential &mdash; joined ASVEL F&eacute;minin for the 2021-22 campaign. Malonga is also a Tony Parker Academy student, and Parker even labeled her "<a href="https://ldlcasvelfeminin.com/dominique-malonga-nouvelle-lionne/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the feminine Victor Wembanyama</a>."
"She's my roommate, so we kind of get along pretty easily," Jocytė said of Malonga. "This goes better than last year, when you're, like, really young with all these &mdash; I'm not gonna say old (laughs) &mdash; but older ladies. So it's kind of cool to have [someone] your age."
Jocytė is still a kid, after all &mdash; a kid playing on the other side of the continent, away from her family. Alvydas and Aurelija check-in nearly ever day with their daughter via WhatsApp. When Jocytė comes home, she'll get back on the court and battle with her brother and father, and everyone in Palanga knows her name. She says she's "not that sensitive of a person," but that doesn't mean leaving Lithuania is easy.
"I really miss home, and it's kind of hard without your family and friends. So it's always a good feeling when you come back home. It doesn't matter if it's, like, two days or something. It's really good to be there," she said.
"It was hard to let her go the first time because, you know, the '14-year-old girl on her own in the big city 2000 kilometers away' &mdash; kind of scary," Alvydas added. "[But] we know that she is in good hands [and] she gets taken care of."
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Lthuania may be a basketball-crazed nation, but its women's leagues lack sustained prominence. Top players and prospects typically latch onto a development track in another region, and return home to play during the offseason. Jocytė and her father cited that lack of consistency at home as a factor in them looking toward France for her pro career.
With the national teams, though, Jocytė feels immense pride in representing her country on European and global stages.
"It's an amazing feeling to play with your national team," she said. "It's just something you really appreciate when you play overseas or something. When you come back, it's really just amazing."
(Her most recent opportunity came in the 2023 EuroBasket Qualifiers, where she scored four points on Thursday against Finland before leaving the game with a minor ankle injury. Lithuania will play again Sunday.)
The world only continues to open up for Lithuania's young star. Her current agreement with the Tony Parker Academy and Lyon reaches an option of sorts after this season. Jocytė could continue on for another three years, adding continued professonal experience and growing with ASVEL F&eacute;minin. Or, she could opt out and attend another program or school just about anywhere &mdash; including the United States.
According to a source, high-major colleges are already demonstrating interest in Jocytė. Even WNBA teams have her on their radar when the earliest she could be draft-eligible appears to be 2025. (There's confusion here due to her U.S. birth vs. Lithuanian upbringing/playing status.)&nbsp;
The family will face a monumental decision after the season. They'll weigh pros and cons, including developmental situations, level of play and even endorsement opportunities. But for now, Jocytė is focused on what she loves &mdash; playing basketball &mdash; with the regimented mentality of continued growth each day.
"I feel good here and there's a good opportunity for me here," Jocytė said. "I'm still young, so that's normal that I don't play a lot. So really, I'm just working on myself every day trying to earn the trust of my coach, and hopefully in one year or two, I will be able to really have a big impact on the team."
That's what Alvydas admires most about his daughter. Jocytė remains a level-headed sailor amidst rocky seas, letting a pure love for the sport guide her to whatever big stage is next.
"I'm very proud that she's still a simple girl, and she's very supportive to other kids," Alvydas said. "I'm very proud that she's still very, very simple and focused on what she's doing."

Lithuanian star Justė Jocytė is turning heads as the youngest woman to ever compete in the modern EuroLeague.

Meet Justė Jocytė: 15-year-old phenom and professional record-breaker

ATLANTA (September 4, 2021) - Overtime Elite (OTE), the transformative new basketball league starting&nbsp;this fall, announced the signings of three additional players. Jahzare Jackson, Jaylen Martin and TJ Clark finalized agreements with OTE, which brings the inaugural roster to 24 players.&nbsp;
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
Jahzare Jackson
Jahzare Jackson is a 7-0 center originally from San Diego. He&rsquo;s played at IMG academy the last two seasons and has played for the North Coast Blue Chips with Bronny James on the AAU circuit. Jackson is a load in the paint with the ability to overpower opposing big men and finish with both hands. He&rsquo;s a prolific rebounder and serves as a formidable defensive presence.
&ldquo;There is a reason that Jahzare Jackson has captured the imagination of fans all over the world. He packages a combination of elite size, soft hands, and unusually light feet and athleticism,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, Head of OTE Basketball Operations. &ldquo;Joining OTE is a major step for Jahzare&rsquo;s long term projection, as he maximizes the expertise of OTE&rsquo;s elite coaching and high performance staffs, who are committed to bringing out the best in his game.&rdquo;
Jaylen Martin
Jaylen Martin is a 6-6 small forward from Tallahassee, Florida. The swingman is a strongly-built perimeter player who rebounds well for his position and can guard multiple positions. This past summer, Martin teamed up with Jazian Gortman, another OTE signee, on the AAU circuit with the Nightrydas.
&ldquo;Jaylen is a dynamic wing that has a packaged creativity, athleticism and a crafty offensive feel ,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, Head of OTE Basketball Operations.&nbsp; &ldquo;He is embracing the challenge of competing with and against elite peers day in and day out and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re about at OTE.&ldquo;
TJ Clark
TJ Clark is a 6-4 shooting guard from Covington, Georgia. He is a catch and shoot specialist that played for Newton High School. He led the team last season averaging 14.2 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals and was named the Newton County Player of the Year.
&ldquo;Representing Covington, GA and Newton High School, TJ has quietly built an accomplished resume as a standout student-athlete, where his relentlessness and drive have put him in a position to enhance his game in the OTE environment,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, Head of OTE Basketball Operations. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s joining us with the right kind of chip on his shoulder, focused on continual development and proving he belongs amongst the elite."
These three are joining Jalen Lewis from California, Jazian Gortman from South Carolina, Bryson Warren from Arkansas, Amen and Ausar Thompson from Florida, Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley from Florida, Tyler Smith and Bryce Griggs from Texas, Dominick Barlow from New Jersey, Jai Smith from North Carolina, Malik Bowman from Maryland, Kok Yat from Alaska and De&rsquo;Vontes Cobbs from Wisconsin.
OTE has signed international prospects Jean Montero from the Dominican Republic, Izan Almansa from Spain, Alexandre Sarr from France, Nathan Missia-Dio from Belgium, Emmanuel Maldonado from Puerto Rico, Francis Lopez from the Philippines and Tudor Somacescu from Romania. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks.&nbsp;
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.&nbsp;
About OTE
OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, while engaging and inspiring a new community of digitally native fans.
OTE (pronounced Oh-Tee-E) provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

OTE announced the signings of three more players. Jahzare Jackson, Jaylen Martin and TJ Clark have finalized their agreements.

Overtime Elite signs three more, brings roster to 24 players

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

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

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

ATLANTA (August 23, 2021) &ndash; OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that it has signed one of the country&rsquo;s top power forwards in Tyler Smith to be part of its inaugural season this September.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
Smith is a 6-foot-9-inch, 195-pound power forward who completed his sophomore season at Bush High School in Houston, Texas. &nbsp;He is currently the #8 overall ranked player by ESPN, #19 by 247Sports and #18 by Rivals. The tall lefty can space the floor with his shooting ability, while also being effective in the pick-and-pop and the dribble-hand-off action on the offensive end.
&ldquo;OTE is thrilled to welcome Tyler to our family and are proud to now be a part of his journey,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE EVP, Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;Tyler is a versatile talent that exhibits an on-court confidence that stems from a combination of skill, length, athleticism and competitive intangibles. But what impressed us most is his demonstrated work ethic, and commitment to offensive and defensive development and the desire to be great. He is going to be a great culture fit for what we&rsquo;re building.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Tyler Smith is the definition of a modern big; he&rsquo;s long, athletic, and has a smooth lefty shooting stroke,&rdquo; said OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development, Kevin Ollie. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re ready to get in the gym and in the classroom with Tyler so that he develops into not only an NBA level basketball player, but more importantly into a level 5, world class person.
Smith is the 16th player to join OTE. He joins other top prospects in Jalen Lewis from California, Jazian Gortman from South Carolina, Amen and Ausar Thompson from Florida, Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley from Florida, Bryce Griggs from Houston and Jai Smith from North Carolina.
OTE has signed international prospects Jean Montero from the Dominican Republic, Izan Almansa from Spain, Alexandre Sarr from France, Nathan Missia-Dio from Belgium, Emmanuel Maldonado from Puerto Rico, Francis Lopez from the Philippines and Tudor Somacescu from Romania. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks to round out the class of 2022.
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.&nbsp;
About OTE
OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, while engaging and inspiring a new community of digitally native fans.
OTE (pronounced Oh-Tee-E) provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

Smith is a 6-foot-9-inch, 195-pound power forward who completed his sophomore season at Bush High School in Houston, Texas.

Overtime Elite signs five-star power forward prospect Tyler Smith

OTE (Overtime Elite) announced that Bryce Griggs has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
A 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; point guard from Missouri City, Texas, he has averaged 22.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4 RPG and 1.7 SPG in his three seasons at Fort Bend High School. Griggs is a shifty lead guard that uses a combination of high level ball-handling, court vision, and strength to create shots for himself and his teammates.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Bryce Griggs is a player that has been recognized as one the nation&rsquo;s most promising playmaking guards and we are thrilled to welcome him to the OTE family,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE&rsquo;s EVP and Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;Bryce has had one of the best coaches and mentors in John Lucas, and has been attracted to the combination of an NBA caliber coaching staff, sports science, performance and nutrition focuses that will play a crucial role in his development into an NBA player.&rdquo;
&ldquo;As a former point guard, I can&rsquo;t be more excited to start working with Bryce and pass on what I&rsquo;ve learned as a player and coach,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development. &ldquo;Bryce has elite talent which you can see when he has the ball in hands, but we&rsquo;re also going to turn him into an elite leader on and off the floor. That&rsquo;s the promise I&rsquo;m making to him.&rdquo;
Griggs is the 15th player to sign with OTE for its inaugural season. He joins other top prospects in Jalen Lewis from California, Jazian Gortman from South Carolina, Amen and Ausar Thompson from Florida, Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley from Florida, and Jai Smith from North Carolina.
OTE has signed international prospects Jean Montero from the Dominican Republic, Izan Almansa from Spain, Alexandre Sarr from France, Nathan Missia-Dio from Belgium, Emmanuel Maldonado from Puerto Rico, Francis Lopez from the Philippines and Tudor Somacescu from Romania. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks to round out the class of 2022.
Gortman's press release:
ATLANTA (August 11, 2021) - OTE (Overtime Elite) announced that five-star prospect Jazian (Jay-zee-en) Gortman has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September.
The 6&rsquo;1&rdquo; point guard from Columbia, South Carolina is one of the top-ranked players in the class of 2022. The consensus five-star averaged 23.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game last season at W.J. Keenan High School. Gortman is a high-energy guard with an incredible motor who is highly scouted as one of the best two-way players in the 2022 class.
&ldquo;Today we landed a critical piece that hits at the core of what we&rsquo;re building. Jazian brings a relentlessness, tenacity and leadership capability to the OTE family,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE&rsquo;s EVP and Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;Jazian is widely regarded as one of the top talents in his class, elevating himself this spring through a visible commitment to developing his craft.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Jazian takes our guard play to the next level with his explosiveness, ability to score, pass, and defend,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development. &ldquo;I get excited about players who always bring level-5 energy - &nbsp;in games, practice, the weight room, the film room, and the classroom. Jazian always brings it and that&rsquo;s why so many have taken notice of him.&rdquo;
OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league, a division of next-generation sports brand Overtime, offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey.&nbsp;
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.&nbsp;
About OTE
OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, while engaging and inspiring a new community of digitally native fans.
OTE (pronounced Oh-Tee-E) provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

Overtime Elite announced the additions of Gortman and Griggs to its roster.

Overtime Elite adds point guards Jazian Gortman and Bryce Griggs

ATLANTA (August 5, 2021) - OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today the signing of Izan Almansa, making him the 13th player to join the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
From Murcia, Spain, Almansa is a 6-foot-9 power forward who previously played for Real Madrid Cadete A. He is ranked #6 for 2005 born players on EuroHopes.com and is regarded as one of the top European prospects with NBA potential because of his length, motor and feel for the game.
&ldquo;This is a remarkable day for our program, attracting a player of Izan&rsquo;s talent, upside and character, as we continue to build an incomparable group of elite basketball players from across the world,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE&rsquo;s EVP and Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;OTE was created for players like Izan, who craves the coaching, training, and education that will help maximize his gifts and best prepare him to reach his dreams as an NBA player.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Izan is the type of player that makes you excited to be a coach,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development. &ldquo;This is a young man who&rsquo;s elite natural talent is actually outweighed by his drive and desire to get better. That makes his ceiling limitless and we&rsquo;re going to do our part to ensure he&rsquo;s given everything he needs to become a world class player and person.&rdquo;
Almansa is the thirteenth player to join OTE for its inaugural season. The league has signed top prospects Jalen Lewis from California, Amen and Ausar Thompson from Florida, Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley from Florida, and Jai Smith from North Carolina.
OTE has signed international prospects Jean Montero from the Dominican Republic, Alexandre Sarr from France, Nathan Missia-Dio from Belgium, Emmanuel Maldonado from Puerto Rico, Francis Lopez from the Philippines and Tudor Somacescu from Romania. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks.
OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league, a division of next-generation sports brand Overtime, offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey.&nbsp;
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.&nbsp;

Regarded as one of the top European prospects, Izan Almansa is the 13th player to sign with Overtime Elite.

Overtime Elite signs highly-touted Spanish power forward Izan Almansa

ATLANTA (July 20, 2021) &ndash; OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that Tudor Somacescu has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
The 6-foot-2-inch point guard from Romania is one of the top European prospects, ranked the #3 overall international prospect for 2005 born players by Eurohopes.com. He spent last season in the United States at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth, CA. Prior to coming to the US, he played for U-BT Cluj Napoca in Romania&rsquo;s top division. At just 14 years old, he participated with the Romanian National Team in the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B, averaging 10 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.7 steals per game.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re incredibly excited to have Tudor join OTE as we continue to assemble a group of talented and driven athletes committed to chasing excellence,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE&rsquo;s EVP and Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;Tudor is a special basketball player who has demonstrated a boldness and courage to journey from Eastern Europe to explore other styles of basketball, compete against top talent, and further hone his skills. He demonstrates high level court vision, a joy for the game and passion for making others better. He will elevate his teammates and we&rsquo;re thrilled to work with him to continue to help him reach his dreams.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Tudor has an advanced basketball IQ, a terrific feel for the game and the ability to share the ball with his teammates, getting everyone involved. They will love playing with him,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development. &ldquo;I look forward to sharing my knowledge as a former point guard to help him develop as a team leader on and off the court.&rdquo;
Somacescu is the twelfth player to join OTE. The league has signed top prospects Jalen Lewis from California, Amen and Ausar Thompson from Florida, Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley from Florida, and Jai Smith from North Carolina.
OTE has signed international prospects Jean Montero from the Dominican Republic, Alexandre Sarr from France, Nathan Missia-Dio from Belgium, Emmanuel Maldonado from Puerto Rico and Francis Lopez from the Philippines. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks.
Lopez's press release:
ATLANTA (July 13, 2021) &ndash; OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that wing Francis &ldquo;Lebron&rdquo; Lopez from the Philippines has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September.&nbsp;
Lopez is a 6-foot-5 inch guard who most recently attended Ateneo de Manila High School, playing in the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) Season 82 after transferring from La Salle Greenhills. He averaged 16 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3 blocks per game.&nbsp;
Lopez was the youngest member of the Philippines National Team to participate in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. In his one appearance, Lopez had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block in 10 minutes of action in a win over Indonesia on June 18th. He was the final cut from the 12-man roster for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re delighted to have Lebron join the OTE family as we expand our international reach, bringing in top talent from across the globe,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE EVP, Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;Francis is a young man who has impressed us with both the combination of pure passion for the game and self-improvement, physical athleticism, work ethic, as well as many leadership intangibles. He&rsquo;s the kind of player we want and expect to thrive at OTE.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Francis is a high flyer with his ability to play above the rim,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a young man with a ton of potential and we&rsquo;re building a program for him that will develop his game more completely, so that he can achieve his dream of a professional career and as a leader on the Philippines national team for years to come.&rdquo;
Lopez is the eleventh player to join OTE. Last week, OTE signed top prospect Jalen Lewis from California. In the past few weeks, the league announced the signings of top-rated guards Amen and Ausar Thompson and forwards Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley from Florida.&nbsp;
OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league, a division of next-generation sports brand Overtime, offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey.&nbsp;
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.&nbsp;
About OTE
OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, while engaging and inspiring a new community of digitally native fans.
OTE (pronounced Oh-Tee-E) provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

Romanian guard Tudor Somacescu and Filipino wing Francis "LeBron" Lopez are the 11th and 12 prospects to join OTE.

Overtime Elite signs Tudor Somacescu, Francis 'LeBron' Lopez

ATLANTA (July 9, 2021) &ndash; OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that versatile big Jalen Lewis has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September.&nbsp;
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
Lewis is a 6-foot-10-inch, 220-pound forward/center who played for Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, California). A consensus 5-star recruit, Lewis averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore. Lewis also developed through travel basketball with the Oakland Rebels, Team Lillard and Team WhyNot. This past spring, he was a stand out at USA Basketball Men&rsquo;s Junior National Team minicamp in Houston, TX and will look to make the roster for the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in August.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Jalen is one of the most exciting young talents in the country, and we are humbled that he has chosen Overtime Elite to elevate his professional development on the court and academically, while building his brand internationally,&rdquo; &nbsp;said Brandon Williams, OTE EVP, Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;This is a foundational signing for our league and another acknowledgment of the need and desire for our program.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d describe Jalen as an absolute difference maker, a rare talent, with a combination of size, athleticism, good hands and ball skills that impact plays on both ends of the court,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE&rsquo;s Head Coach and Director of Player Development. &ldquo;There are no limitations to what he&rsquo;ll be able to do in his career and through Overtime Elite, he&rsquo;ll have the resources in place to help him reach his dreams.&rdquo;
Lewis is the 10th player to join OTE. The league signed top-rated guards Amen and Ausar Thompson and forwards Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley. OTE has signed international players, Dominican point guard Jean Montero, French forward Alexandre Sarr, and Belgian wing Nathan Missia-Dio. Emmanuel Maldonado from Puerto Rico and Jai Smith from North Carolina have also signed with OTE. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/ote-jalen-lewis-op3_lg.jpg" alt="" width="499" height="499" />
OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league, a division of next-generation sports brand Overtime, offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey.&nbsp;
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.&nbsp;
About OTE
OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, while engaging and inspiring a new community of digitally native fans.
OTE (pronounced Oh-Tee-E) provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

Jalen Lewis is a 6-foot-10-inch, 220-pound big who played for Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, California) and is a consensus 5-star recruit.

Five-star, top California prospect Jalen Lewis signs with Overtime Elite

ATLANTA (July 2, 2021) &ndash; OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that Belgian forward Nathan Missia-Dio has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September.&nbsp;
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
Missia-Dio is a 6-foot-6 inch forward who played two seasons for Espoirs Limoges in the Jeep Elite U21 League (France). He is ranked 13th by Eurospects.com for International Prospects born in 2004. This past season, he averaged 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in 20 games. He was also a member of the 2019 Belgium U16 National Team that finished 5th in the U16 Euro Championship.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Our international scouting zeroed in on Nathan as one of the youngest to ever play for a men&rsquo;s national team (Belgium), and we are extremely excited to have him join our basketball family,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE EVP, Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;Bringing together the top players from all over the world, including Nathan, will create competition that hasn&rsquo;t previously existed with this age group and will push our players to expand their understanding and level of performance.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Nathan is an athlete with natural gifts and you can see that in his ability to dunk and block shots,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development. &ldquo;He joins OTE with some professional experience so he comes with an understanding of what needs to be done to take his game to the next level. We&rsquo;re thrilled to have him with us.&rdquo;
Missia-Dio is the ninth player to join OTE. Just yesterday, the league announced its first European player, forward Alexandre Sarr. In the past few weeks, the league also announced the signings of top-rated guards Amen and Ausar Thompson and forwards Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley. OTE signed point guard Jean Montero from the Dominican Republic and recently announced the signings of Emmanuel Maldonado from Puerto Rico and Jai Smith from North Carolina. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks.
OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league, a division of next-generation sports brand Overtime, offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey.&nbsp;
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.&nbsp;
About OTE
OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, while engaging and inspiring a new community of digitally native fans.
OTE (pronounced Oh-Tee-E) provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

This past season, Nathan Missia-Dio averaged 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 20 games with Espoirs Limoges.

Overtime Elite signs Belgian forward Nathan Missia-Dio

ATLANTA (July 1, 2021) &ndash; OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that French forward Alexandre Sarr has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September. Sarr is the first European player to sign with OTE.
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
Sarr, a native of Bordeaux, France is a 6-foot-10 inch power forward who played last season for Real Madrid and is ranked #9 overall by Eurospects.com for International Prospects born in 2005. Prior, he spent time with Toac (2014-16, 2019), Union Brugieres Basketball Club (2018-19), Labege Auzeville Club (2017-18), and Tropkclub Toulouse (2016-17). &nbsp;
Sarr&rsquo;s father, Massar, is a former professional basketball player from Senegal, while his older brother, Olivier, played collegiately at Wake Forest and Kentucky and is a 2021 NBA Draft prospect.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Alexandre comes from a basketball family, learning from a father and brother who came before him. So he has heard of the work and dedication required to be a pro,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE EVP, Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;From his experience playing as a junior player in the Real Madrid club, Alexandre brings a youthful professionalism and a desire to be great, that will be a huge benefit to his teammates and our league.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Alexandre is a skilled and versatile athlete, a natural shot blocker, and a rebounder on both ends of the floor,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Head of Player Development. &ldquo;We look forward to experiencing rapid development every day once we can work with Alexandre in the gym.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Sarr is the eighth player to join OTE. In the past few weeks, the league announced the signings of top-rated guards Amen and Ausar Thompson and forwards Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley. OTE signed its first international player, point guard Jean Montero from the Dominican Republic and recently announced the signings of Emmanuel Maldonado from Puerto Rico and Jai Smith from North Carolina. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks.
OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league, a division of next-generation sports brand Overtime, offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey.&nbsp;
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.&nbsp;
About OTE
OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, while engaging and inspiring a new community of digitally native fans.
OTE (pronounced Oh-Tee-E) provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

A native of Bordeaux, France and 6-foot-10 power forward, Alexandre Sarr played last season for Real Madrid.

Overtime Elite signs first European player, French forward Alexandre Sarr

ATLANTA (June 21, 2021) &ndash; OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that Jai Smith has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September. Smith is a 6-foot-9-inch, 235-pound forward, originally from Syracuse, New York, who recently played for Word of God Academy (Raleigh, North Carolina).&nbsp;
(Editor's Note: Read our Spencer Davies' exclusive interview with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams, and an extensive profile on Overtime Elite <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/high-school-basketball-former-nba-execs-aaron-ryan-brandon-williams-kevin-ollie-overtime-elite-seek-to-revolutionize-amateur-to-pro-preparation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)
&ldquo;Jai has been a sought after recruit, with dozens of scholarship offers from some of the country&rsquo;s best college programs. But in pursuit of a high-level pro path, he joins OTE as a key building block to a unique competitive training and development environment,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE EVP, Head of Basketball Operations. &ldquo;We recognize Jai as an intelligent, high-motor player, that will impact play on both ends, who will put in the work to make the most of this unique opportunity.&rdquo;
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t watch Jai play without being impressed by his athleticism,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE&rsquo;s Head Coach and Director of Player Development. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to develop Jai&rsquo;s complete game both on and off the court to prepare him for a sustained and successful career at the next level.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Smith is the 7th player to join OTE. In the past few weeks, the league announced the signings of top-rated guards Amen and Ausar Thompson and forwards Matt Bewley and Ryan Bewley. OTE signed its first international player, point guard Jean Montero from the Dominican Republic and recently announced the signing of Emmanuel Maldonado from Puerto Rico. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks.
Maldonado's press release:
ATLANTA (June 10, 2021) &ndash; OTE (Overtime Elite) announced today that point guard Emmanuel Maldonado, has signed with the transformative new league and will be part of its inaugural season this September.
Maldonado, who is originally from Puerto Rico, is a 6-foot-3-inch, 170-pound point guard who recently played for Dynasty Academy (Orlando, Florida). He&rsquo;s also spent time at Centre Point Academy, Prodigy Prep and Downey Christian School. Maldonado is a member of the Puerto Rico U19 national program.
&ldquo;We are thrilled to welcome Emmanuel to the OTE family. Not only is Emmanuel a talented player with high upside, his confidence and fearlessness, born out of his personal story of perseverance, is an inspiration and will fuel the competitive culture within OTE,&rdquo; said Brandon Williams, OTE EVP, Head of Basketball Operations.
&ldquo;Emmanuel is one of Puerto Rico&rsquo;s most promising prospects with his speed and ability to score anywhere on the court,&rdquo; said Puerto Rico U19 Head Coach Jorge A. Rincon. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited about incorporating his development at OTE into our national program, not only as we compete for a U19 world championship but also as a future leader for our adult national team.&rdquo;
Maldonado is the sixth player to join OTE. In the past few weeks, the league announced that guards Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson were joining the league, just days after OTE announced forwards Matt and Ryan Bewley as its first signees. OTE also signed its first international player last week, point guard Jean Montero from the Dominican Republic. The league expects to make additional player announcements in the coming weeks.
OTE provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league, a division of next-generation sports brand Overtime, offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey.
Every OTE player will earn a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs.
About OTE
OTE (Overtime Elite) is a transformative new sports league that offers the world&rsquo;s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, while engaging and inspiring a new community of digitally native fans.
OTE (pronounced Oh-Tee-E) provides a comprehensive accelerator for elite players&rsquo; professional careers. The league offers a year-round development program combining world-class coaching, cutting-edge sports science and performance technologies, top-notch facilities, and a rigorous, highly personalized academic program that energizes and enhances each athlete&rsquo;s journey from proficiency to pro.

Emmanuel Maldonado and Jai Smith are the six and seventh players to join Overtime Elite's inaugural class of prospects.

Overtime Elite adds Puerto Rican guard Emmanuel Maldonado, forward Jai Smith

Fran Fraschilla discusses his upbringing, coaching career, transition to broadcasting, fatherhood, whether he'd coach again, and more.

Fran Fraschilla Q&A: 'If someone wants to take a chance on me, I'd consider coaching again'

Spencer Davies talks to Marvin Williams Sr. about his new book and Marvin Williams Jr.'s entire career (from a father's vantage point).