Sun Devils

SlamBall co-founder Mason Gordon spoke to Alex Kennedy about the sport's return, the new season on ESPN and much more.

The return of SlamBall: Co-founder Mason Gordon discusses new season

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

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

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

Pat Riley spoke on Monday.&nbsp;
It rarely happens now, these Riley pressers. You get one after the season, you might get one before the season and you might get one after the trade deadline if something happens. But for the most part, other than seeing him sitting alongside Alonzo Mourning watching Miami Heat games, this is it for most of us. Often seen, seldom heard.&nbsp;
So, when he speaks, it sparks a gathering, especially after a season like this one. The Heat were one shot away from beating the Boston Celtics and facing the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. One ballsy, controversial, &ldquo;f*** you&rdquo; shot from Jimmy Butler in the face of a backpedaling Al Horford would&rsquo;ve completed one of the greatest comebacks &mdash; and most epic collapses &mdash; in NBA playoff history. (The Celtics led 98-85 with 3:30 left, and just 98-96 when Butler pulled a three with about 10 seconds left.)
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-offseason-preview-what-takes-the-miami-heat-over-the-top" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I already previewed Miami's offseason</a> &mdash; chiefly centered around the pending decision on Tyler Herro&rsquo;s future &mdash; which Riley also spoke about on Monday. For this article in particular, our focus will be on Bam Adebayo, who drew the ire of many casual and diehard Heat and NBA observers underwhelmed by his postseason offensive consistency.
You either think he isn&rsquo;t as good as advertised or are frustrated because of your expectations for him. Or... or... or... you watch the Heat with an understanding that, while he could be better offensively, maybe he isn&rsquo;t wholly to blame for these apparent shortcomings &mdash; if we&rsquo;re calling it that.
Riley recognizes the latter.&nbsp;
&ldquo;(Adebayo&rsquo;s) been asked to do a lot of things as a young player, and he has grown into being very efficient at doing those things,&rdquo; Riley said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s almost that learning curve of being a facilitating big, either at the elbow, on handoffs, on pick-and-rolls. He&rsquo;s always getting somebody open. Duncan [Robinson] should pay him half his check, Tyler [Herro] should pay him half his check, Max [Strus] should pay him half his check.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Pat Riley on Bam Adebayo: He's always getting someone open. Duncan, Tyler and Max should give him half their check. This could be a year on how can Bam be developed in a way to improve his consistent shot ability every night. Getting 15 shots every night. <a href="https://t.co/AKzCpqQgc8">pic.twitter.com/AKzCpqQgc8</a>
&mdash; Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brendan_Tobin/status/1533879183482535936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Adebayo conundrum is layered. It requires context that may bore you, especially if you just care about the superficial, click-baity sh**. The theories might not move you, substantive as they appear, so let&rsquo;s say what&rsquo;s real.
Though Adebayo will be 25 in July, the five-year pro has only been a full-time starter for three seasons.
In his first two years, he primarily came off the bench until taking the starting role from Hassan Whiteside toward the end of the 2018-19 season. He started 22 of the last 23 games of his sophomore campaign, and the 22 were consecutively from Feb. 27 through April 9.
In the summer of 2019, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2022/04/06/bam-adebayo-will-never-forget-gregg-popovich-cut-team-usa-2019#:~:text=Adebayo%20was%20cut%20from%20Team,that%20won%20gold%20in%20Tokyo.">he was famously cut from Team USA&rsquo;s underwhelming World Cup team</a> that finished seventh. Still, Adebayo <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2020.html">nearly went on to win Most Improved Player in 2020</a>, and he probably should&rsquo;ve over Brandon Ingram, who was the No. 2 overall pick just four years prior. (But anyway...)
In his three seasons as a starter, he&rsquo;s been an All-Star caliber player, has been named to the All-Defensive Second Team every year and has finished in the top five for Defensive Player of the Year all three times &mdash; a feat matched only by Rudy Gobert in that span. Offensively, he&rsquo;s grown from a rim-runner and lob threat with a &ldquo;Clint Capela&rdquo; ceiling out of the 2017 NBA Draft to a versatile hub who activates the team&rsquo;s shooters. Those shooters led the Heat to their season-best 37.9% shooting from three during the regular season. That&rsquo;s a product of multiple years of point-center work, not just this season.
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But the team&rsquo;s &ldquo;shortcomings&rdquo; &mdash; an unfair term to an awesome squad that was among the last three standing, but still &mdash; have publicly been placed on Adebayo&rsquo;s broad shoulders, to some extent.
Now, more context.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ll ignore that Adebayo had COVID to close the regular season (<a href="https://account.miamiherald.com/paywall/stop?resume=259746525">thus, unable to join the Heat on a trip to the Bahamas</a>) because it didn&rsquo;t appear to have any long-lasting effects, sure. At one point, his availability for Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks was in question, but he was ready. He didn&rsquo;t break 10 shot attempts until Game 4 and didn&rsquo;t have an Adebayo-like offensive game &mdash; the All-Star kind &mdash; until Game 5, the series&rsquo; closer with an injured Butler watching.&nbsp;
With Joel Embiid off the floor against the Philadelphia 76ers, Adebayo recorded 47 points, 21 rebounds and 7 assists on 15-of-21 shooting and 17-of-19 on free throws across Games 1 and 2. He, again, only broke 10 field goal attempts one time in the series&rsquo; final four games. It was Game 4, where he finished with 21-7-4 on 9-for-12. In the seven games against the Celtics, it was a bit more all over the place &mdash; but it encompassed this year&rsquo;s Adebayo-playoff experience.&nbsp;
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And yet, even with the offensive seesaw, without Adebayo&rsquo;s defense, there is no Game 7. There is no pushing the Celtics to seven. There might not even be a Celtics series. That&rsquo;s how good Adebayo is defensively, yet the offensive glimpses leave you pleading for more, because of the elite two-way possibilities. And it&rsquo;s understandable.&nbsp;
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Not to be overly simplistic, but if the Heat, I don&rsquo;t know, shot better than 31.3% from three in the playoffs &mdash; seven percentage points lower than they did when leading the league in the regular season &mdash; Adebayo isn&rsquo;t magnified to this degree. We can look at Adebayo and say: Hey, you&rsquo;ve gotten 30-plus against the Celtics&rsquo; elite defense without Butler, with heightened focus on you, and were unstoppable. Why can&rsquo;t you do this all the time? However, it&rsquo;s complicated.
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For one, when you watch the Heat, there honestly aren&rsquo;t a lot of plays drawn up for Adebayo to just go. <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/five-on-the-floor-miami-heat-nba/id1336060206" target="_blank" rel="noopener">It&rsquo;s a point made on 5 On The Floor all the time</a>, primarily by Heat reporter Alex Toledo of 5 Reasons Sports. Adebayo&rsquo;s primary offensive assignment is to activate their shooters.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t realize what he does to get people open,&rdquo; Riley said at his presser, speaking of Bam. &ldquo;A lot of that has to do with how other teams are playing (Adebayo), dropping way back, and we can get that shot. Maybe we look for that a little bit too much.&rdquo;
But Riley later adds a wrinkle that a portion of Heat fans and even media have been calling for since Adebayo&rsquo;s emergence.
More... simply, more.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This could be a year, and (Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra) and I will sit down a talk about it, about how can Bam be developed in a way to improve his consistent shot ability every night,&rdquo; Riley said. &ldquo;Getting 15 shots every night, quality shots that he can get, he can create &mdash; whether it&rsquo;s in the post or at the elbow. He can be very prolific at times, but it can&rsquo;t always be on effort, on running, on getting offensive rebounds, on lob dunks, on little floaters.&rdquo;
And the frustrating thing for some is, the teases and flashes are there.
The two-way versatility, the ability to be a walking mismatch to opposing bigs, the fakes, the handle, the bounce passes to cutters, the mid-range jumper when he takes it confidently; it&rsquo;s why I, personally, said he&rsquo;s a jumper away from being a Kevin Garnett remix, and that was in 2019. It&rsquo;s what we saw when Adebayo <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2020-nba-eastern-conference-finals-heat-vs-celtics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was the best player in the Eastern Conference Finals less than two years ago</a>, averaging 21.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks on 60.8% shooting, while doing all he does on defense. (He would&rsquo;ve won that new Larry Bird MVP trophy had it been around.)
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&ldquo;I do think there&rsquo;s a part of him that can grow. That depends on a bit on your overall offensive philosophy and how much you want to change that," Riley continued. "I think there&rsquo;s another level at his age now that we need more consistency in his ability to get good shots, create good shots, and scoring.&rdquo;
The bottom line is that Adebayo is arguably the best defender in the NBA, and most certainly in any rational observer&rsquo;s top five as a floor. That can&rsquo;t be taken for granted, even though it clearly is, largely due to the offensive questions. As hard as he works on the defensive end &mdash; switching more than anyone, legitimately guarding 1-through-5 and being the defensive cheat code that engineers Spoelstra&rsquo;s vision &mdash; having him additionally as a No. 1 option on an NBA champion is unrealistic.
But having him as a No. 3 alongside Butler and Herro, or someone else not yet on the roster, is a place you&rsquo;d rather be. If the Heat want more of a focus on Adebayo&rsquo;s offense, they could manufacture it themselves. And he obviously has to hone his tools to prepare for, in theory, an increased role and usage.&nbsp;
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Personally, I think adding a mid-range, foul-line/elbow jumper he&rsquo;s confident enough in to pull regularly will go a long way, and it might be all he needs. Y
You start there, and a lot else could follow, especially while continuing to be an offensive hub.&nbsp;
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Bryan Fonseca reviews Pat Riley's presser to cap the Heat's season and how Bam Adebayo's offense will be a huge focus this summer.

Heat's Pat Riley, like most of us, wants more Bam Adebayo offense

March Madness is underway!
Across the country, teams are competing in conference tournaments and trying to punch their ticket for the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is almost here, and then the tourney starts next Tuesday.
If you missed any of the Day 2 action, here's a recap of what went down on Thursday.
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Games of the Day
Indiana def. Michigan 74-69 &mdash; B1G Second Round
With 11:03 remaining, Michigan led 60-43 and appeared to be in complete control. The Hoosiers would go on a 20-2 run and took the life right out of the Wolverines, completing the comeback by winning 74-69. Trayce Jackson-Davis led all players with 24 points and 4 blocks in a stunner. Indiana faces No. 1 Illinois next.
Texas A&amp;M def. Florida 83-80 in OT &mdash; SEC Second Round
This one was wild. The Aggies dominated all afternoon and held a 9-point lead with 1:07 to play, but the Gators went on a 12-3 run of the next 50 seconds to tie it at 70-70, forcing the game into overtime. They stayed deadlocked at 78-78 with 1:10 left in overtime when Hassan Diarra hit a triple with one second on the clock to win 83-80. A huge win for a true Bubble Team in A&amp;M.
Arizona def. Stanford 84-80 &mdash; Pac-12 Quarterfinals
The largest lead either way today was 7 points &mdash; in a game where Stanford was given a whopping 5% chance of victory. The Cardinal took a 75-74 lead with just over three minutes to go, but the Wildcats had answers. Kerr Kriisa exiting with injury is important to monitor, but Christian Koloko led the team with 24 points as Arizona survives and advances.
Miami (FL) def. Boston College 71-69 in OT &mdash; ACC Quarterfinals
Kam McGusty led the Canes with 16 points in the nail-biter, as they avoided the upset in overtime. Only one basket was scored in the final 2:30 of the contest &mdash; a Jordan Miller layup that sealed the deal. A big save by Miami.&nbsp;
Villanova def. St. John&rsquo;s 66-65 &mdash; Big East Quarterfinals
The Red Storm let a 17-point second half lead slip away to end their season. Villanova was carried by its starting five, with only 7 points coming from the bench unit. Caleb Daniels led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Justin Moore added 15 points of his own.&nbsp;
Toledo def. Central Michigan 72-71 &mdash; MAC Quarterfinals
In a game where the largest lead was 7 points for each team, Toledo held on for the 1-point win. Harrison Henderson scored with 20 seconds remaining to make it 71-70 Central Michigan, but a RayJ Dennis layup with 10 seconds left would seal the deal. Setric Milner Jr. led the way with 22 points for the Rockets. It's a big win for Toledo who currently projects a No. 13 seed.
Providence def. Butler 65-61 &mdash; Big East Quarterfinals
This one was back-and-forth from the tip, as the teams traded leads the entire contest. Tied at 55 with 3:06 remaining, Simas Lukosius hit a big pair of free throws for Butler to take the lead, but Al Durham hit a huge triple with 43 seconds to go for the Friars to take a 61-59 lead. Durham would follow with a dunk at the end of the game to seal the deal at 65-61. Despite the loss, it was a hard-fought game by the Bulldogs.&nbsp;
Wyoming def. UNLV 59-56 &mdash; Mountain West Quarterfinals
The Cowboys held a 9-point lead in the second half, but allowed the Rebels to fight their way back into it. Xavier DuSell hit a huge three with 30 seconds, and then, Brendan Wenzel iced the game with a pair of free throws. A great game from UNLV&rsquo;s Bryce Hamilton comes up just short.&nbsp;
Akron def. Buffalo 70-68 &mdash; MAC Quarterfinals
This was a fight from start to finish. Led by Ali Ali&rsquo;s 19-point effort and a pair of Greg Tribble free throws with four seconds remaining, the Zips survive and advance. They will face No. 1 seed Toledo on Friday afternoon in the MAC semis.
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The Upsets, the Madness
Oklahoma def. Baylor 72-67 &mdash; Big 12 Quarterfinals
The Sooners took the lead with 11:51 to play and never gave it back. With a balanced offensive attack of five players in double-digits, Oklahoma shocked the Bears. Jacob Groves led the way with 15 points, while Marvin Johnson provided 12 off the bench.&nbsp;
Vanderbilt def. Alabama 82-76 &mdash; SEC Second Round
Bama led by 10 points at the break but Scotty Pippen Jr. and Co. had other plans. Vandy roared back to take a 68-67 lead with 4:26 to play, and was able to hold the Crimson Tide off the rest of the way. Jordan Wright hit a pair of free throws late to ice the game, and the Commodores advance. Pippen Jr. ended with 26 points and 7 assists.
TCU def. Texas 65-60 &mdash; Big 12 Quarterfinals
The Horned Frogs had a win probability of 29.3% entering this one, and that&rsquo;s all they needed. After being down 40-20 in the first half, TCU did a complete 180 and outscored the Longhorns 45-20 the rest of the way. Mike Miles and Co. are setting themselves up well, and will take on the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 semis.
Penn State def. Ohio State 71-68 &mdash; Big Ten Second Round
The Nittany Lions were given a 24.2% chance of winning today, and they did just that behind Sam Sessoms' 18 points off the bench. Jalen Pickett also had a huge game with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Penn State moves on to play No. 3 Purdue.&nbsp;
Grambling def. Southern 60-58 &mdash; SWAC Quarterfinals
Led by Tra&rsquo;Michael Moton&rsquo;s 12 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, Grambling took the lead with 10 minutes left in the game and never gave it back. The Tigers will face Texas Southern next.&nbsp;
Tulsa def. Wichita State 73-67 &mdash; American First Round
The Golden Hurricane had four players with 10 or more points, including two with at least 20. After an 11-19 season, this was a nice win for Tulsa as it tries to make a late push in the conference. Tulsa will move on to face No. 2 SMU.&nbsp;
Portland State def. Southern Utah 77-65 &mdash; Big Sky Quarterfinals
The Vikings entered this game under .500 on the season, but put up 77 points on 51.9% shooting from the floor. They held Southern Utah to a lowly 36.8% from the floor and are able to advance.
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Standout Performers
Noah Fernandes (UMass): 29 points, 7 assists
Spencer Jones (Stanford): 28 points, 8 rebounds
Jimmy Boeheim (Syracuse): 28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Grant Sherfield (Nevada): 25 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds
Joel Murray (Long Beach State): 25 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana): 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 10-17 FG
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 26 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
Nate Watson (Providence): 26 points, 7 rebounds, 9-14 FG
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt): 26 points, 7 assists
Tristen Newton (East Carolina): 26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists
Jordan Walker (UAB): 26 points, 5 steals, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
EJ Liddell (Ohio State): 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State):&nbsp;25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Christian Koloko (Arizona): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG
Dillon Jones (Weber State): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Prentiss Hubb (Notre Dame): 23 points, 5 assists
Zyon Pullin (UC Riverside):&nbsp;23 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds
Amadou Sow (UC Santa Barbara): 21 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Bryce Hamilton (UNLV): 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Mahki Morris (Abilene Christian): 22 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Chuba Ohams (Fordham): 20 points, 16 rebounds, 2 steals
Darien Jackson (Tulsa): 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Brady Manek (UNC): 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Malique Jacobs (Kent State): 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Kowacie Reeves (Florida): 21 points, 6 rebounds
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2022 NBA Draft: Prospect Watch&nbsp;
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 26 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
EJ Liddell (Ohio State): 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State):&nbsp;25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Christian Koloko (Arizona): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Tari Eason (LSU): 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Justin Lewis (Marquette): 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas): 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Trevor Keels (Duke): 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Jabari Walker (Colorado): 18 points, 16 rebounds
Iverson Molinar (Miss. State): 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Collin Gillespie (Villanova): 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
David Roddy (Colorado State): 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
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March Madness is underway! If you missed any of the Day 2 action, here's a recap of what went down during Thursday's games.

March Madness: Conference tournament Thursday recap

Once listed as the <a href="http://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top recruit in the Class of 2022</a> in ESPN's Top 100, Emoni Bates announced last week that he would be reclassifying into the Class of 2021.
According to multiple reports, Bates has <a href="https://usatodayhss.com/2021/emoni-bates-reclassification-final-four?fbclid=IwAR1v9HawRlpAHvLriI_O1T_rpLZeTjU9Dc_AapZ47qCFR1aHCNffS0DTRAI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut down his list</a> to the NBA G League Ignite, Memphis, Michigan State, and Oregon.
With plenty of options to choose from now in amateur-to-pro preparation, it is becoming a new trend for elite high school athletes to bypass the development that the high school level could provide for their games. And while the traditional college route has been gaining traction with top high school recruits due to the NIL decision by the Supreme Court, Bates has been open to going the professional route straight out of high school.
The Athletic&rsquo;s Brendan Quinn reported in March that Bates will in fact take his talents to the G League and seek the &ldquo;most lucrative deal the G League can muster&rdquo; prior to turning pro after the fact.&nbsp;
24/7 Sports writer Jerry Meyer wrote in <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Emoni-Bates-46056542/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his scouting report of Bates</a>: &ldquo;Extremely thin but has great length for such a skilled player. Plays with strength, though, and doesn&rsquo;t avoid contact... Quick twitch athlete who moves feet well and is quick off the floor. Elite three-level scorer. Has deep range off catch or dribble. Can score in a multitude of ways... Handles well, has plethora of moves and can attack either direction. Has a feel as a passer. Dangerous offensive rebounder. Good defensively when focused. Has defensive versatility. Elite, elite prospect."
Already signed to the G League Ignite is five-star recruit Jason Hardy, whom CBS Sports <a href="https:%20//www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2022-nba-mock-draft-paolo-banchero-to-thunder-chet-holmgren-to-magic-among-way-too-early-projections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicts to go No. 4 in the 2022 NBA Draft</a>. The team also rosters five-star guard Scoota Henderson &mdash; another top-10 prospect &mdash; and five-star power forward Michael Foster.
With the addition of Bates, the G League Ignite could be well on their way to forming a "Fab Five" by landing the best prospects at each position, which could be the growing trend amongst top high school recruits in the near future.
It&rsquo;s important to note that, because Bates doesn&rsquo;t turn 19 until January 2023, he would not be eligible for the next year's draft. However, he won't be alone, as the Ignite signed Scoota Henderson for two years since he reclassified as well (and also won&rsquo;t be draft eligible until '23).
Now, here's a little bit about the G League Ignite: &nbsp;
In year one, the G League Ignite experiment proved to be a great success, as three players were selected during the 2021 NBA Draft. The Houston Rockets selected Jalen Green with the No. 2 overall pick, the Golden State Warriors selected Jonathan Kuminga with the No. 7 overall pick and the Milwaukee Bucks selected Isaiah Todd at No. 31 (he was later traded to the Washington Wizards).
That trio is now a trendsetter, as top high school recruits will likely feel much more comfortable following in those footsteps of pursuing this alternate path to the NBA and bypassing the traditional NCAA route.&nbsp;
However, this route isn&rsquo;t for everyone, but rather a small subset of the creme de la creme. Each of these three players was a five-star high school recruit in 2020 before joining the Ignite, so it&rsquo;s not for everyone. Still, it does provide a viable option for that special elite-of-the-elite group who choose not to opt for the traditional college route.
The NBA maintains its controversial age limit of draft-eligible athletes, requiring them to attend college for at least one year (one-and-done rule), so the need for an alternative is tremendous.&nbsp;
The mastermind behind the G League Ignite program is former NBA player Shareef Abdur-Rahim. He installed this experiment with the overall mission of providing &ldquo;NBA Draft readiness and growth of professional life skills.&rdquo;
The G League Ignite compensates players for their services (unlike the NCAA) and prepares them to be a professional athlete &mdash; both on and off the court &mdash; while playing with and against NBA veterans or other professional leagues. The program teaches the young men about what it takes to be a professional, and it includes courses on media training, financial literacy training and Zoom sessions with former NBA veterans to prepare them for what they are walking into.
For years, the National Basketball Players Association has attempted to do something similar in a crash course for a weekend for incoming NBA rookies, but what Abdur-Rahim has done is expand that training into a year-round program. So with financial backing of Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA, we have had the birth of a true NBA developmental team.&nbsp;
To discuss this further, I had<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rematch/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-30-g-league-ignite-head-coach-jason-hart-talks-evan-mobley,-ignites-draft-success" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> the opportunity to catch up with Jason Hart</a>, the newly-named head coach of the Ignite and my former teammate at Syracuse University.
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Etan Thomas: ​Coach Jason Hart, how are you doing, sir?
Jason Hart: ​Good man. Glad to be here. How you doing, man?
Etan: ​I'm good. My point guard for four years at Syracuse University and the new head coach of the G League Ignite, I want to say big congratulations to you.
Jason Hart: ​Thank you, man. Thank you. It's an honor to be here obviously with you, but also excited to get a chance to coach at the professional level.
Etan: ​So I know this is something you've been wanting to do for a long time and you have had this love for coaching for a long time. So just talk to me about how excited you are about this opportunity.
Jason Hart: ​Well, I'm super excited. I got into coaching obviously to give back and stay connected with the game. College was where I wanted to be. It has always been a dream of mine to be a college head coach. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. And when the opportunity presented itself in the G-League, I jumped on it and I'm happy to continue my coaching career, obviously at a higher level.
Etan: ​So let's get into the G League Ignite, a lot of people don't really understand the setup. They've been signing top prospects to play against G League veterans to prepare them for the NBA draft and the Ignite are based in California, and they're expected to play more of a traditional G League schedule this coming year. But talk to everybody about how it actually works.&nbsp;
Jason Hart: ​So the G League Ignite was created by Shareef Abdur-Rahim a very good friend of mine dating back from our days in Sacramento. Obviously, he's the president of the G League. And so this team was formed to keep our high school basketball stars from taking their talents overseas when RJ Hampton and LaMelo Ball went to Australia to play. It was an idea that was created for high school players who are good enough and who we think are good enough to have a chance to go to the next level, stay and develop in somewhat of a farm system, hone their talents against not only G Leaguers, but draft-pick kids who are playing for the Lakers or the Clippers and take the time to develop those guys, and then they go and get drafted in June.
​It was also formed to help these young men become pros off the court as well. It's a transition from high school, from them eating candy before the games to now understand how to take care of their bodies and get their minds mentally prepared to play against professionals. So it's more of a hands-on approach with 18-year-olds who have a high skill set, high level of talent and putting them in a position to succeed, and then surrounding them with veterans who are going to show them the ropes of the NBA lifestyle, of the NBA, and being able to push them in moments in the games to get them uncomfortable outside of their box. Also academically you have a scholarship for when you want to go back to school, there&rsquo;s a pilot program through a few universities particularly Arizona State. And they can go to school and get their degree if they want to choose that route as well, but they have an academic piece too. And then also they get paid a handsome amount of money for basically a season. But it's not for everybody. It's not for kids who need more time to develop in college, but it's for special-types-of-talent kids. Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, those two are two of the players that played in the league.
Etan: ​One person that comes to mind is Winfred Walton. I think he would have been fantastic for a program like this. People don&rsquo;t understand how good he was, people forget. Let's talk about him for a minute, because when we got to Syracuse, it was right after John Wallace and Cuse In The House and they had just played in the championship game. So, you had John Wallace, you had Otis Hill, you had, Jason Cipolla, they were all on the court. So we come in there young, you know, fresh out of high school. And Fred went in there and was like, let's play us against y'all. You remember And pointed to us the other freshman. John Wallace said y'all not ready for that yet, and Fred was like whatever we're ready. Let's go. So it was me, you, Rock, Ramel Lloyd, Leshaun Howard and Fred.
​We had like our own Fab Five, to be honest with you. It&rsquo;s just that Fred didn't work out and had to leave and Rock transferred. But we had a crew. Talk about that when we scrimmaged them because they had just come back from playing in the national championship game, right, against Kentucky. And Fred was going to work.
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Jason Hart: ​Fred, like you said, he was a next-level of talent. Obviously, he had a chance to go out of high school and get drafted, but the G League Ignite program would have helped him because it would have allowed him to obviously be paid, but he was an elite talent. His body was already developed. He would've been able to do that. And we would have had him in a structured environment where we can watch his every move, mental aspect of the game and see that his dreams come true. But definitely, he was elite. He would have benefited from this program, but also he could have gone straight out of high school. He was that good. And his confidence was crazy. I think his game was more mature obviously than ours. He was special. I remember the school gave him No. 44. And they crossed out 44. So nobody could touch it. So that tells you how special he was coming in.&nbsp;
Etan: ​So I want to talk about that game though, because that game, he was going to work on John Wallace.&nbsp;
Jason Hart​: Well, Fred was bigger than J Dub. John was maybe 6-8, 6-9, for sure. Fred was 6-10 and a half, 235 [pounds] at 18 years old. So I remember the game and John Wallace was coming off a high, maybe one of the better players in the entire country for college. And so I remember man, we played them and Fred kind of gassed that game up. And we was like, okay, well we gotta play them. But you know what? That mindset right there, they don't do that anymore. In the college game they don't play pickup anymore versus the older guys and our guys, our generation now is suffering from let's just do skill work all the time. And so how we pulled ourselves up, we used to play pick up all the time. That doesn't happen anymore. Especially at the college game. It's more we set up appointment times to where we can do all skill work. And amongst the players, they don't like to do pickup anymore.
Etan: ​That's crazy, but going back to the G League Ignite, they had two players in the draft taken with Jalen Green going to Houston and Jonathan Kuminga going to Golden State, and both still have tremendous upsides. So with them having this success that they had going the route of going to the G League Ignite team as an alternative to going the college route or going overseas and hearing the announcers gush over them, the way that they did. Do you think that this is now going to really open the flood gates for high school players to really do the same, the top, top high school players?
Jason Hart: ​I think it just gives them another option. Obviously, they have the G League experience. You have the Overtime [Elite], it's another high school league that they formed. And they're getting paid out of that as well. I just think that with those two guys, obviously being that it was the inaugural season and they were able to get drafted so high. I think it gives the top-level players, an opportunity to come showcase their talent versus pros and being able to be coached and putting their environment to where it's going to help them succeed on and off the court. College is not for everybody. Like we just said, if Winfred didn't have to go to college, he probably would have been in the pros and had a 10-year career. So I think given our kids, the culture, the basketball coaching options to help them be successful. And that's what it's designed to do. And hopefully, it attracts more talent and it keeps this thing going.
Etan: ​I don't think attracting the talent is going to be a problem you know, to be honest with you,
Jason Hart: ​It's getting the right ones and then giving the kids just options. And so when you have options in life and you make the right decision, it obviously leads to a bright future.
Etan: ​That's definitely true. So, you said that you hope that they give you know, keep attracting talent. I don't know the rules, you know what I mean? So I don't want to, if you're not supposed to mention anything or how they do tampering, I don't even know how the rules are. So if you're looking at, you know watching high school now, who are some guys that you think could make that jump you know, to go to the G League route? Not saying that you're recruiting them to come to you or anything. I just want to make that clear for all that you know, NBA compliance people, whatever, not asking that. And that's not what coach Hart is saying. Just who are some people who could make that jump now that you see?
Jason Hart: ​Well, I'm not sure how the rules are set up, but we are actively recruiting the players that go to the power five schools, the elite schools. And so I don't know if we can say the names because they're not signed to us. It's just like a kid getting recruited to UCLA or Duke. We can't promote a player that's not signed to us. But when we are recruiting, we are sitting next to the Kentuckys and the Kansases. And it's not more of a being a threat, but obviously it's just options. And so your favorite top high school players, international players, 18, 19-year-old, same thing. It's a wide margin of players, of areas we try to cover. And obviously, we are looking for the top youth talent in high school and overseas.
Etan: ​So you are able to go to the top. So say like, we just had the EYBL Peace Jam Fest. You're able to go there and just right next to the coaches?
Jason Hart: ​I'm at the NBA Top 100 camp right now.
Etan: ​In Orlando.
Jason Hart: ​Yeah. And Rod Strickland &amp; Shareef Abdur-Rahim were at Peach Jam.
Etan: ​Got you. So it's the same you're at the same places.
Jason Hart: Yes, same places. I don't want schools to be like, man, they [are] trying to steal our players. That's not the goal. That's not, the intent is to give options for those who don't want to attend college and have the ability and confidence about themselves that they're ready to be professionals at an early age.
Etan: ​I definitely agree. So now as far as players going into the G League, and this is the part where I'm going to be really interested in to see how that develops &mdash; because I think that the NIL change will help some players in making the decision who are in a tough financial home situation and want to go pro for that reason. Well, now it will say, okay, well now I can make some money and take care of my family and stuff like that while I'm in school. I think that will help keep some guys in college a little bit longer. But more so about the G League and I don't want to, you know, I touched on the point earlier, but I want to keep on it because with these two high draft picks, in my opinion, I think it has to be the thought of every top high school player out there that if they did it and they hear the announcers gushing over them, the way that they did, they went number two and number seven.
So now they're like, okay, I could definitely do that. And I think it's going to open it up even more so where y'all might have to even be turning guys away, like, okay, we can't take any more high school guys. Or we're going to even open up another team up to the same thing. I think that many high school guys are going to grow up to be going this route. Do you agree with that?
Jason Hart: ​I totally agree. And during the draft, the G League Ignite team got a lot of positive remarks. And like I said, it's an option for players who have the ability and are ready. It&rsquo;s not for everybody, I can&rsquo;t say that enough. But I think those two guys obviously being the trend-setters and Isaiah Todd was another player that was drafted. Trend-setters in terms of the new age where we living in. I mean, this is something that was unprecedented being at this team was formed last year. And to have two lottery picks with the first seven picks and then another one at No. 31, it's definitely going to open the flood gates, but it also has to be a right fit. And it has to be something that you're willing to sacrifice and learn and be willing to accept coaching. But, you know, Hey, come join the G League, if that's your goal. And I'm saying it on your show. It's a win-win for all and hopefully, we can keep this thing going and make this team a destination for the elite talent.

Etan Thomas writes about Emoni Bates' reclassification and the route he may take, and also speaks with G League Ignite head coach Jason Hart.

Is the G League Ignite the best option for Emoni Bates?

The NBA released some key numbers to remember ahead of Thursday's NBA Draft:
The 2021 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, July 29 at 8 p.m. ET at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.&nbsp;&nbsp;ABC&nbsp;will televise the&nbsp;first round of the NBA Draft&nbsp;for the first time, and ESPN will air both rounds.&nbsp;
Twenty draft prospects are scheduled to attend and have their once-in-a-lifetime experience on the biggest stage.&nbsp;&nbsp;NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum will announce the selections for the first and second rounds, respectively.&nbsp;
Here is a by-the-numbers look at this year&rsquo;s NBA Draft:&nbsp;
History &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 &ndash;&nbsp;Since the NBA Draft Lottery began in 1985,&nbsp;four&nbsp;first overall picks have won an NBA championship with the team that drafted them: David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs; first pick in 1987), Tim Duncan (Spurs; first pick in 1997), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers; first pick in 2003) and Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers; first pick in 2011).&nbsp;James won an NBA championship in his second stint with Cleveland. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6 &ndash;&nbsp;Since the two-round format was adopted in 1989, Kentucky holds the record for the university with the most picks in an NBA Draft &ndash;&nbsp;six&nbsp;each in 2012 and 2015. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;8&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Barclays Center will host the NBA Draft for the&nbsp;eighth&nbsp;time.&nbsp;It last hosted the event in 2019 prior to the pandemic. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;11 &ndash;&nbsp;A college freshman has been the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft in each of the last&nbsp;11&nbsp;years. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;15 &ndash;&nbsp;This marks the&nbsp;15th&nbsp;consecutive year that Adam Silver will announce draft selections as either deputy commissioner (seven years) or commissioner (eight years including 2021). &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1947 &ndash;&nbsp;The NBA Draft will be held in July for the first time since&nbsp;1947, the year of the inaugural draft.
Prospects &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 &ndash;&nbsp;In 2020-21, USC forward-center Evan Mobley became the&nbsp;first&nbsp;player to win the Pac-12 Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards in the same season. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3 &ndash;&nbsp;Florida State forward Scottie Barnes, NBA G League Ignite guard Jalen Green and Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs have won&nbsp;three&nbsp;gold medals together with USA Basketball in international play: 2019 FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup, 2018 FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup and 2017 FIBA U-16 Americas Championship. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 &ndash;&nbsp;Four&nbsp;2021 NBA Draft prospects were teammates on the Montverde (Fla.) Academy team that went 25-0 during the 2019-20 high school season: Scottie Barnes, Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham, Arkansas guard Moses Moody and North Carolina center Day'Ron Sharpe.&nbsp;&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7.6 &ndash;&nbsp;Adelaide 36ers guard Josh Giddey (Australia) led Australia&rsquo;s National Basketball League in assists with&nbsp;7.6&nbsp;per game in the 2020-21 season. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;19 &ndash;&nbsp;Besiktas forward Alperen Sengun (Turkey), the 2020-21 Turkish League MVP, turned&nbsp;19&nbsp;on July 25. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;48 &ndash;&nbsp;Tennessee guard&nbsp;Keon Johnson set the NBA Combine record with a max vertical jump of&nbsp;48&nbsp;inches.&nbsp;&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;75 &ndash;&nbsp;Last season, Cade&nbsp;Cunningham became Oklahoma State&rsquo;s first consensus All-America First Team selection in&nbsp;75&nbsp;years.
Teams &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2 &ndash;&nbsp;The Houston Rockets franchise is set to select&nbsp;second&nbsp;overall in the NBA Draft for the first time in 51 years.&nbsp;In 1970, the then San Diego Rockets selected five-time NBA All-Star Rudy Tomjanovich with the No. 2 pick. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3 &ndash;&nbsp;The Oklahoma City Thunder has&nbsp;three&nbsp;picks in both the first round (Nos. 6, 16 and 18 overall) and the second round (Nos. 34, 36 and 55 overall). &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 &ndash;&nbsp;The Toronto Raptors are poised to pick&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;overall in the NBA Draft for the first time since selecting newly elected Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Bosh at that spot in 2003. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7 &ndash;&nbsp;The Golden State Warriors&rsquo; first pick in the NBA Draft is at No.&nbsp;7&nbsp;overall, a spot where they have selected five-time NBA All-Star Chris Mullin (1985), two-time Kia NBA MVP Stephen Curry (2009) and NBA champion Harrison Barnes (2012) during the NBA Draft Lottery era. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;49 &ndash;&nbsp;The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to pick third overall in the NBA Draft for the first time in&nbsp;49&nbsp;years. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;51 &ndash;&nbsp;The Detroit Pistons are poised&nbsp;to make the first pick in&nbsp;the NBA Draft for the first time in&nbsp;51&nbsp;years.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 1970, the Pistons used the top pick to select eight-time NBA All-Star Bob Lanier, a longtime ambassador for the NBA Cares program.&nbsp;
Family Ties &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;9.2 &ndash;&nbsp;Auburn guard&nbsp;Sharife Cooper&rsquo;s&nbsp;sister, Te&rsquo;a Cooper, is currently averaging&nbsp;9.2&nbsp;points per game with the Los Angeles Sparks in her second WNBA season.&nbsp;&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;10 &ndash;&nbsp;Michigan forward Franz Wagner (Germany) and his brother, Orlando Magic forward-center Moritz Wagner, were both All-Big&nbsp;Ten&nbsp;Team selections with the Wolverines.&nbsp;&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;12 &ndash;&nbsp;Houston guard&nbsp;Quentin Grimes&rsquo;&nbsp;brother, NHL veteran Tyler Myers, was selected&nbsp;12th&nbsp;overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;33 &ndash;&nbsp;Boise State&nbsp;forward&nbsp;Derrick Alston Jr.&rsquo;s father, Derrick Sr., was the&nbsp;33rd&nbsp;overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and played three seasons in the league.&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1984 &ndash;&nbsp;Tennessee guard Jaden Springer is the son of Gary Springer, who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the&nbsp;1984&nbsp;NBA Draft. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1992 &ndash;&nbsp;Loyola Maryland forward&nbsp;Santi&nbsp;Aldama (Spain)&nbsp;is the son of Santiago&nbsp;Aldama&nbsp;Ales&oacute;n, who was a&nbsp;member of the Spanish National Team that competed against the Dream Team at the&nbsp;1992&nbsp;Barcelona Olympics.&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2015 &ndash;&nbsp;Gonzaga guard&nbsp;Joel&nbsp;Ayayi (France)&nbsp;is the brother of&nbsp;Valeriane&nbsp;Ayayi&nbsp;Vukosavljevic, who played in the WNBA in&nbsp;2015.&nbsp;
Global Game &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 &ndash;&nbsp;Australia&rsquo;s Josh Giddey is poised to become the&nbsp;first&nbsp;NBA Academy graduate to be drafted into the NBA.&nbsp;Giddey attended NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;If NBA G League Ignite forward Jonathan Kuminga is drafted in the top&nbsp;six, he would be the highest-drafted player from the Democratic Republic of the Congo since Dikembe Mutombo was drafted fourth overall in 1991. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;9 &ndash;&nbsp;Last year, a record&nbsp;nine&nbsp;players from or with ties to Nigeria were drafted: Isaac Okoro, Onyeka Okongwu, Aaron Nesmith, Precious Achiuwa, Zeke Nnaji, Udoka Azubuike, Desmond Bane, Daniel Oturu and Jordan Nwora. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;13 &ndash;&nbsp;Thirteen&nbsp;international players have been selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft, most recently Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (Bahamas) in 2018. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;27 &ndash;&nbsp;A record&nbsp;27&nbsp;international players were selected in the 2016 NBA Draft, including a record 15 in the first round and a record-tying 12 in the second round. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;68 &ndash; Sixty-eight&nbsp;former Basketball Without Borders campers have been drafted into the NBA.&nbsp;This year&rsquo;s class features a number of potential draftees with BWB experience, including Gonzaga guard Joel Ayayi (France; BWB Europe 2017), Western Kentucky forward-center Charles Bassey (Nigeria; BWB Global 2017 &amp; 2018), Paris Basket guard Juhann Begarin (France; BWB Europe 2019; BWB Global 2020), Zalgiris Kaunas guard Rokas Jokubaitis (Lithuania; BWB Europe 2017), Adelaide 36ers guard Josh Giddey (Australia; BWB Asia 2018; BWB Global 2020), Texas forward-center Kai Jones (Bahamas; BWB Americas 2017), Seton Hall forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (Georgia; BWB Global 2017), KK Mega Basket forward-center Filip Petrusev (Serbia; BWB Europe 2017; BWB Global 2018), Alabama guard Josh Primo (Canada; BWB Global 2020) and Oostende forward Amar Sylla (Senegal; BWB Africa 2018; BWB Global 2019). &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;215/25 &ndash;&nbsp;The NBA Draft will reach fans live in&nbsp;215&nbsp;countries and territories in&nbsp;25&nbsp;languages on their televisions, computers, mobile devices and tablets. &nbsp; NBA G League &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 &ndash;&nbsp;Four&nbsp;former five-star high school prospects who helped lead NBA G League Ignite to the 2021 NBA G League Playoffs are entered in the&nbsp;NBA Draft:&nbsp;Jalen&nbsp;Green, Jonathan&nbsp;Kuminga, guard&nbsp;Daishen Nix and forward Isaiah Todd.&nbsp;&nbsp; &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;24 &ndash;&nbsp;Twenty-four&nbsp;of the 60 players who were selected in the 2020 NBA Draft played in the NBA G League during the 2020-21 season, including five first-round selections. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;49 &ndash;&nbsp;Daishen&nbsp;Nix&nbsp;has a chance to join Carlos Boozer, Mario Chalmers and Trajan Langdon as NBA players who grew up in the&nbsp;49th&nbsp;state &ndash; Alaska.&nbsp; &nbsp; ESPN &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1 &ndash;&nbsp;The NBA Draft will air on both ABC and ESPN for the&nbsp;first&nbsp;time ever. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Five&nbsp;virtual technology cameras will be used for the telecast. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;12&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;ABC and ESPN&rsquo;s on-air talent will feature&nbsp;12&nbsp;reporters. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;19 &ndash;&nbsp;ESPN will present the NBA Draft for the&nbsp;19th&nbsp;consecutive year. &nbsp; NBA TV &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4 &ndash;&nbsp;NBA TV&rsquo;s NBA Draft night coverage will include&nbsp;four&nbsp;former first-round picks: Rex Chapman, No. 8 in 1988; Brian Shaw, No. 24 in 1988; Jim Jackson, No. 4 in 1992; and Brendan Haywood, No. 20 in 2001. &nbsp; Partners &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;38&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Wilson was last used as the official basketball of the NBA&nbsp;38&nbsp;years ago.&nbsp;Last seen on the court in the 1983 NBA Finals, Wilson basketballs will adorn the green room at the NBA Draft and will join the latest draft class on the court for the 2021-22 season. &middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;75&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;The NBA Draft Cap from New Era features the commemorative NBA&nbsp;75th&nbsp;Anniversary Season logo and marks the first league-licensed product to carry the logo.

The 2021 NBA Draft: By the Numbers

Etan Thomas, Dave Zirin, Drew Gooden and Tony Massenburg discuss what John Wall meant to D.C. and Russell Westbrook's fit on the Wizards.