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Cavaliers

They are the five letters no No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed ever wants to see: Upset.
Thursday marks the five-year anniversary of University of Maryland-Baltimore County &mdash; the tiny school few fans had ever heard of, let alone picked in their bracket &mdash; pulling off the biggest upset in college basketball history by beating the tournament&rsquo;s top seed in Virginia.
UMBC&rsquo;s lasting legacy became this: If you don&rsquo;t watch out, No. 1 can mean one-and-done.
While there were some close calls before 2018, No. 1 seeds had gone 135-0 before UMBC routed Virginia 75-54 at Charlotte&rsquo;s Spectrum Center. Now they are 1-147. Like the men, the women&rsquo;s side of March Madness has seen only one 16 knock off a 1: Harvard over Stanford in 1998.
On Thursday, three more No. 1 seeds &mdash; Alabama, Kansas and Houston &mdash; take the court looking to avoid what the Cavaliers endured five years ago, while their respective opponents Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi, Howard and Northern Kentucky look to capture that &ldquo;One Shining Moment&rdquo; and etch their name in history alongside the Retrievers.
Ryan Odom, the Retrievers coach that season, said after the game &ldquo;these are the moments that you dream of.&rdquo; while his players celebrated in a cramped locker room after shocking the world. Diminutive 5-foot-8, 140-pound guard KJ, Maura and his teammates joked about there being &ldquo;no more perfect brackets&rdquo; and possibly becoming the focal point of a future ESPN &ldquo;30 for 30&rdquo; episode.
Some players struggled to process the enormity of the moment, hugging each other long and hard.
&ldquo;It felt like my soul left my body, man,&rdquo; UMBC guard Jourdan Grant said that day.
Odom, now the head coach at Utah State, a No. 10 seed in this year&rsquo;s tourney, said Wednesday it was &ldquo;a memory that will last a lifetime.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Will a 16 ever beat a 1 again? I have no idea,&rdquo; Odom said. &ldquo;It takes a special group. It takes a lot of luck in order to have a chance to win any game in the NCAA Tournament.&rdquo;
Former UMBC guard Joe Sherburne said it remains the single greatest day of his life.
&ldquo;You can measure my life by this: before that day, and after that day,&rdquo; Sherburne said Wednesday. When friends introduce him to people, the first thing they say is &ldquo;Joe played for UMBC.&rdquo;
Sherburne, who works as a financial adviser, remembers the day well.
As UMBC&rsquo;s lead over Virginia grew to double digits in the second half he sensed something special, something miraculous was happening. He struggled to concentrate on the next play call while sitting on the bench during TV timeouts: &ldquo;I felt like I was in shock.&rdquo;
Could this really be happening? Could a 20 1/2-point underdog really beat the No. 1 team in the nation in the NCAA Tournament?
But it happened &mdash; and everyone suddenly wanted to know their story.
Sherburne stayed at the arena until 1 a.m. doing interviews before returning to the team hotel where he was greeted by overwhelmed fans, friends and family members. He and his teammates watched &ldquo;Sports Center&rdquo; on repeat and ate pizza, basking in the moment.
&ldquo;We were all still running on adrenaline,&rdquo; Sherburne said. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t eat or drink. I can usually eat a whole Domino&rsquo;s pizza by myself, but I couldn&rsquo;t that night. I might have had two or three slices.&rdquo;
Sherburne still wishes the celebration had gone on for days longer, but UMBC lost a close second round loss to Kansas State two days later.
Still, there will always be the satisfaction of accomplishing something that had never been done before. Sherburne is hoping it stays that way for awhile.
After the final 16 seed lost in last year&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament, he toasted UMBC&rsquo;s legacy with a shot of whiskey.
Two years ago, he attended Game 6 the 2016 NBA Finals where he watched former Virginia big man Mamadi Diakite win a championship ring. Diakite was one of six Virginia players from that team to play in the NBA; UMBC had none.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sitting in the arena that night, in the second row from the top, thinking to myself, &rsquo;You know, just a couple of years ago I was making this guy and his teammates cry,&rsquo;&rdquo; Sherburne said.
UMBC players haven&rsquo;t had an in-person reunion, but Sherburne said players remain in touch on group texts.
Last week, Odom opened one of those texts to find players and assistant coaches reminiscing about star guard Jairus Lyles&rsquo; buzzer-beater to beat Vermont in the 2018 America East Conference Tournament championship game &mdash; a dramatic win that earned the Retrievers an automatic bid to the Big Dance.
Odom&rsquo;s eyes swelled up with tears as he scrolled through the comments and pictures.
&ldquo;Each team that we&rsquo;re fortunate enough to coach has one life to live,&rdquo; Odom said. &ldquo;That particular team lived a great life. The joy that that team experienced was unlike any other. Certainly the memories that we&rsquo;ll all take from that particular season will last a lifetime. This is what all coaches and players want: they want to be a part of March Madness and the upset.&rdquo;.

Thursday marks five years since the University of Maryland-Baltimore County had the biggest upset in college basketball history.

UMBC’s legacy: No. 1 can mean one-and-done in March Madness

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Kihei Clark may never top his biggest highlight in Virginia basketball lore, but having the 5-foot-10 point guard in the No. 10 Cavaliers&rsquo; lineup could certainly give him another chance.
In 2019, during an Elite Eight battle with Purdue, the then-freshman chased down a tapped-out missed free throw well past the midcourt line, wheeled around and fed Mamadi Diakite for a buzzer-beating jumper that sent the game into overtime. The Cavaliers won, then went on to earn the first national championship in program history.
&ldquo;The Shot&rdquo; was only possible because of &ldquo;The Pass.&rdquo;
Now in his fifth season, Clark is taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility to climb several of Virginia&rsquo;s career lists and possibly lead them on another deep tournament run. He&rsquo;ll continue that pursuit on Saturday when the Cavaliers (14-3, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) play at Wake Forest (14-5, 6-2).
Clark on Wednesday moved to the top of the Cavaliers&rsquo; career victories list for players with 111, one more than Diakite. His 65 ACC wins are also the most in program history.
Those milestones, and others, almost didn&rsquo;t happen. After last season, Clark posted a farewell message to Virginia fans on Twitter, then changed his mind.
With Reece Beekman seemingly poised to take over the lead role in the Cavaliers&rsquo; backcourt, coach Tony Bennett knows Clark&rsquo;s value.
&ldquo;A guy his size doesn&rsquo;t get to where he is without having a fierce side of him, a competitor, and he wants to win. And that&rsquo;s what he&rsquo;s done most of his career but he&rsquo;s still coachable,&rdquo; Bennett said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s good to have him back for sure. I&rsquo;m glad he made that decision.&rdquo;
Bennett often uses bigger guards to play in the high post, though he&rsquo;ll use Clark there, too, and gives him lots of playmaking freedom.
&ldquo;You sometimes want some of your better decision-makers or guards in that high post &hellip; I thought he had a real nice game,&rdquo; Bennett said after winning at Georgia Tech 74-56.
&ldquo;He had command of his game. Sometimes you watch somebody and they have command of their game, and he just had it when he was in the lane, the decisions he was making,&rdquo; Bennett said.
Virginia Tech&rsquo;s Mike Young saw it firsthand in a 78-68 loss on Wednesday night.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s waiting on you,&rdquo; Young said, recalling several passes Clark made in the lane on his way to a season-high 20 points and five assists. &ldquo;He is waiting for somebody to blink.&rdquo;
Young will face Clark one more time when Virginia goes to Blacksburg. Other coaches have used the postgame handshake lines to share their admiration.
&ldquo;I told him last year after we played him in Harrisonburg, I told him he&rsquo;s one of my favorite players to watch in college, and I thought that was the goodbye. And then sure enough, he comes back this year,&rdquo; said James Madison coach Mark Byington after Virginia&rsquo;s win this year in which Clark had 18 points and seven assists. &ldquo;So I told him this time ... &lsquo;Look, I better never see you in college basketball again.&rsquo;&rdquo;
Florida State&rsquo;s Leonard Hamilton said after getting beat 62-57 that Clark is &ldquo;almost flawless as a point guard ... and he&rsquo;s one of those guys that don&rsquo;t come along very often.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I told him as I shook his hand, &lsquo;I&rsquo;ll be glad when you go.&rsquo;&rdquo; Hamilton said. &ldquo;He smiled.&rdquo;
Clark has appreciated the kind words.
&ldquo;Obviously, you&rsquo;re doing something right if they don&rsquo;t want to play against you,&rdquo; he said.

Clark on Wednesday moved to the top of the Cavaliers’ career victories list for players with 111, one more than Mamadi Diakite.

Kihei Clark making history for No. 10 Virginia — again

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Caris LeVert scored 22 points off the bench, Darius Garland had 21 points and nine assist and the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Philadelphia 76ers 113-85 on Wednesday night.
Donovan Mitchell added 18 points and six assists for Cleveland, which led by a season-high 33 points in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers are 9-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the third-best home mark in the NBA.
All-Star center Joel Embiid led Philadelphia across the board with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Shake Milton scored 14 points. The 76ers had their three-game win streak snapped in the opener of a three-game trip.
Cleveland built multiple 30-point leads in the second half before pushing it out to 109-76 on LeVert's 3-pointer. LeVert also had six rebounds and four assists, and Evan Mobley scored 16 first-half points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Philadelphia&rsquo;s starting backcourt of All-Star James Harden and Tyrese Maxey remains out with injuries. The 76ers had won five straight over Cleveland.
The Cavaliers played without All-Star center Jarrett Allen, who missed his third consecutive game with a low back bruise.
Cleveland scored 44 points in the second quarter, two shy of its franchise record, to carry a 69-48 advantage into the break. Mobley went 8 of 10 from the field in the first half, soundly outplaying Embiid.
Embiid missed a pair of technical free throws and was whistled for one of his own in his second game back after missing four straight with a sprained left mid-foot.
Two-way forward Mamadi Diakite made his first NBA start for Cleveland, scoring six.
STEPPING UP
76ers G De&rsquo;Anthony Melton was acquired from Memphis over the summer to add depth off the bench, but has started 12 games since Harden was hurt.
Melton, who is averaging 11.0 points and 3.3 assists, extended the NBA&rsquo;s longest active streak of games with multiple steals to seven.
&ldquo;De&rsquo;Anthony is a very easy guy to play with, but I don&rsquo;t think he loves being the primary ballhandler at times,&rdquo; coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;We told him if you want to get respect in the locker room, go out and stop somebody. De&rsquo;Anthony has done that.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
76ers: Harden (right foot tendon strain) missed his 13th consecutive game and G Jaden Springer (right quad strain) sat out his eighth in a row. &hellip; Maxey (left foot fracture) was injured against Milwaukee on Nov. 18 and could return in mid-December. &hellip; Two-way G Julian Champagnie is on a G League assignment with Delaware.
Cavaliers: F Kevin Love (right thumb fracture) has missed six of the past seven games since breaking his thumb on Nov. 18 against Charlotte. &ldquo;So much of what he does is with his hands, so we&rsquo;re trying to get it to calm down,&rdquo; coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. &hellip; F Lamar Stevens (non-COVID illness) was unavailable for the fourth straight game.

Caris LeVert scored 22 points off the bench, and the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Philadelphia 76ers 113-85.

Caris LeVert scores 22 points, Cavaliers rout 76ers 113-85

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and center Jarrett Allen were inactive due to injuries Sunday, leaving Cleveland without two All-Stars for its home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Mitchell, who ranks fifth in the NBA at 31.6 points per game, was sidelined with a sprained right ankle, and Allen sat out with a sore left ankle. Allen is averaging 14.0 points and 11.5 rebounds.
Both played in the Cavaliers&rsquo; most recent game, a 106-101 loss at Golden State on Friday that wrapped up a five-game road trip.
The Cavaliers have lost three straight games.
Guard Ricky Rubio, forward Dean Wade and forward Dylan Windler also were unavailable for Cleveland, which had just 11 players in uniform, including two-way forwards Mamadi Diakite and Isaiah Mobley.

Donovan Mitchell and center Jarrett Allen were inactive due to injuries Sunday, leaving Cleveland without two All-Stars.

All-Stars Mitchell, Allen miss Cavs' game against Wolves

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Pascal Siakam had 23 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out, O.G. Anunoby scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-105 Wednesday night.
Gary Trent Jr. scored 19 points, and Scottie Barnes and Fred Van Vleet each had 15 as Toronto outscored Cleveland 32-21 in the final period.
Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points in his Cleveland debut, Jarrett Allen had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Evan Mobley added 14 points for the Cavaliers, who held an eight-point lead through three quarters but failed to close it out.
Cleveland All-Star guard Darius Garland injured his left eye in a collision with Trent late in the second quarter and didn't return. Garland shot 2 for 8 and scored four points in 13 minutes.
Cedi Osman scored 17 points and Mitchell had nine assists for the Cavaliers, who are hoping to take a step forward this season after acquiring him from Utah over the summer. Cleveland reached the play-in tournament last spring, but was eliminated after losing in Brooklyn and at home to Atlanta.
Toronto shot 8 for 22 from 3&ndash;point range through the first three quarters, but made 5 of 8 from long distance in the fourth.
The Cavaliers led 97-92 with 4:55 left in the fourth before Barnes scored and Anunoby made a pair of free throws that cut the deficit to one.
After Allen turned the ball over, Anunoby fed Barnes for a driving dunk that put Toronto up 98-97 with 3:31 left.
Cleveland led 57-51 at the half. Mitchell scored 10 points in the third as the Cavs took an 84-76 lead to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Osman took Garland&rsquo;s place to begin the second half. &hellip; Cleveland shot 9 for 18 in the third quarter. &hellip; F Mamadi Diakite (not with team), G Ricky Rubio (left knee) and G-F Dylan Windler (right ankle) were not available.
Raptors: Barnes had a team-high seven assists. &hellip; Toronto has eight international players, leading the league for the second consecutive season. Dallas, Indiana and Sacramento have seven. &hellip; C Khem Birch (left knee), F Chris Boucher (left hamstring) and F Otto Porter Jr. (left hamstring) were not available.
IN THE FOLD
Toronto exercised the third-year team option on Barnes and the fourth-year team options on F Precious Achiuwa and G Malachi Flynn. All three are signed through 2023-24.
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Visit Chicago on Saturday night
Raptors: Visit Brooklyn on Friday night.

Pascal Siakam had 23 points and 11 rebounds, O.G. Anunoby scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and the Raptors won.

Raptors overcome Mitchell's 31 points, beat Cavs 108-105

This marks the first time that NBA opening-night rosters have at least 120 international players in consecutive seasons

NBA features 120 international players from 40 countries, 6 continents

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving scored 23 points, Kevin Durant had 19 points and eight assists and the Brooklyn Nets won their first game of the preseason, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 107-97 Wednesday night.
Nick Claxton had 16 points and nine rebounds for Brooklyn, which snapped a two-game skid. Ben Simmons finished with seven points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led winless Milwaukee with 24 points and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes. Jrue Holiday finished with 20 points and Jevon Carter, starting alongside Holiday at guard, added 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting. The Bucks fell to 0-5 in the preseason.
Nets coach Steve Nash said before the game that he wanted his key players &mdash; Irving, Durant and Simmons &mdash; to play some extra minutes together as players began ramping up for the start of the regular season next week. Irving played 33 minutes, while Durant played 31. Simmons, who also had a pair of steals, logged 28 minutes.
The game matched Eastern Conference teams entering the season with plenty of optimism. Milwaukee is a year removed from its championship. For Brooklyn, a lot of promise last season was hindered by injuries and Irving&rsquo;s inability to play at home because of COVID-19 vaccination issues.
HEAT 120, PELICANS 103
Bam Adebayo scored 25 points, Tyler Herro finished with 23 and host Miami handed New Orleans its first loss in four preseason games as Pelicans star Zion Williamson (11 points) played only 11 minutes before leaving the game after rolling his left ankle.
Jimmy Butler had 12 points and six assists in 25 minutes for the Heat. Max Strus finished with 11 points.
Willy Hernangomez, filling in at center for the resting Jonas Valanciunas, scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead New Orleans. Trey Murphy III and Naji Marshall finished with 15 points apiece.
Williamson &mdash; who didn&rsquo;t play at all last season because of problems with his right foot &mdash; got hurt on a play where he grabbed a rebound, brought the ball downcourt, split multiple Heat defenders and got to the rim. His left ankle simply appeared to buckle as he planted, without making contact with any other player. He said after the game he was fine, and was assured by doctors that he was only going to experience soreness.
CJ McCollum played 18 minutes and was 1 of 7 from the field, finishing with three points.
CAVALIERS 105, HAWKS 99
Donovan Mitchell had 24 points and eight rebounds and Darius Garland added 23 points, 12 assists and three steals as the backcourt duo led Cleveland to victory over Atlanta.
Cedi Osman and Isaac Okoro finished with 16 points each, and Mamadi Diakite had 11 rebounds and 13 points, making 5 of 7 shots.
Jarrett Allen had five blocks in the game.
Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 17 points, and John Collins had 15 points and seven rebounds. Trae Young scored 14 points, but was 3 of 17 from the field, including making one of his six 3-point attempts.
76ERs 99, HORNETS 94
Joel Embiid had 19 points and six rebounds and James Harden added 17 points and five assists as Philadelphia beat Charlotte and remained undefeated in four preseason games.
Mortrezl Harrell finished with 14 points and six rebounds.
Gordon Hayward led the Hornets with 16 points, converting 6 of 10 shots, including two of three 3-point attempts. Terry Rozier had 12 points and James Bouknight finished with 11.
The game was a demonstration of the Embiid-Harden offensive key for the Sixers. Philadelphia built its lead with the duo&rsquo;s scoring. However, it was a struggle shooting, with Philadelphia made 39% for the game.
LaMelo Ball sat out after suffering a left ankle sprain earlier this week. He is expected to be out a week or two, including the start of the regular season.
PACERS 109, KNICKS 100
Rookie Bennedict Mathurin, the sixth pick in last summer&rsquo;s draft, scored 27 points as Indiana handed New York its first loss in three preseason games.
Andrew Nembhard, the 31st pick in the draft from Gonzaga, had 15 points for the Pacers, while Chris Duarte added 13 points.
RJ Barrett led the Knicks with 21 points, and Julius Randle added 13. Immanuel Quickly scored 12 points for New York.
Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed a two-year deal with the Knicks during the offseason, grabbed 10 rebounds.
Jalen Brunson, the Knicks new hope at point guard, had 11 points on 4-for-14 shooting from the field, including 1 of 3 from 3-point range in 30 minutes.

Kyrie Irving scored 23 points, Kevin Durant had 19 points and 8 assists and the Nets won their first game of the preseason.

Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant lead Nets past winless Bucks 107-97

In their first game since leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was injured, the Oklahoma City Thunder scrapped their way to a win.
Lu Dort had 18 points and the Thunder defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 98-81 on Monday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who averages 22.7 points per game, is out until after the All-Star break with a sprained right ankle sustained last Friday against Indiana. Without him, the Thunder trailed Portland by 18 in the second quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander has often been the catalyst when Oklahoma City has launched comebacks from large deficits. But this time, his teammates filled in and stepped up.
&ldquo;I said when he went out that we want to be a team that solves problems with five guys," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s like internal messaging we use with the guys pretty regularly. And not having a player like Shai is a problem. You know, we would love to have Shai. And I thought tonight ... we solved the problem with five guys."
Darius Bazley scored 15 points and Josh Giddey added 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder.
CJ McCollum had 21 points and Norman Powell added 18 for Portland, which has lost four of five.
&ldquo;For the most part, this is one of those games where you couldn&rsquo;t make a shot," Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;Eighty-one points &mdash; anybody in the league scores 81 points, there&rsquo;s no way you&rsquo;re going to have a chance to win the game. But I thought we played the right way. Just couldn&rsquo;t make them.&rdquo;
Portland took charge early, leading 31-19 after one quarter and 40-22 early in the second before the Thunder rallied and trailed 47-39 at the break.
&ldquo;I thought early, especially, we were moving it, we were making the right play. But we were just like, not doing it in the rhythm that we&rsquo;re capable of and that we needed to,&rdquo; Daigneault said. &ldquo;And then we, as the game went on, we kind of got our feet wet.&rdquo;
Oklahoma City started strong in the second half, and a 3-pointer by Dort cut Portland's lead to 51-49. A basket by Derrick Favors tied the score at 51, and the Blazers called a timeout. Ty Jerome's 3-pointer late in the quarter put the Thunder ahead 61-59, and a steal and floater in the lane by Dort as time expired in the third gave Oklahoma City a 65-61 lead.
A behind-the-back pass from Jerome to Kenrich Williams led to a dunk that put the Thunder up 73-65. It was part of a 15-0 run that gave the Thunder an 80-65 lead and control for good.
&ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t one person carrying a load, it was just a style and team orientation that allowed us to play off advantages," Daigneault said. &ldquo;And I thought the guys did a really good job of that.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: F Trendon Watford twisted his ankle after landing on Thunder forward Mamadi Diakite's foot in the first quarter and left the game. Diakite was called for a Flagrant 1. Watford returned later in the game. ... Former Thunder coach Scott Brooks returned as an assistant with Portland. ... Top scorer Damian Lillard has been out for about a month with an abdominal injury.
Thunder: Outscored the Blazers 20-16 in the second quarter despite shooting just 26% from the field. Portland shot only 30%. ... Made 16 of 17 free throws. ... Held Portland to 7-for-38 shooting from 3-point range.
QUOTABLE
Daigneault, on what Billups said to him after the game: &ldquo;He was just very complimentary and classy. You know, it&rsquo;s one thing when you lose a game like that &mdash; to say something with that level of humility is impressive. I&rsquo;ve never met him before."
STAT LINES
In the second half, the Thunder shot 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 100% from the free throw line.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: At the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Thunder: At the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
___
Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: <a href="twitter.com/CliffBruntAP">twitter.com/CliffBruntAP</a>
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Lu Dort had 18 points and the Thunder defeated the Trail Blazers 98-81 on Monday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.

Dort helps Thunder top Trail Blazers 98-81, end 7-game skid

Joining the likes of many successful players before him (such as Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Kevin Love, John Wall and Isaiah Thomas), NBA hopeful and Clemson Tiger alum Aamir Simms is tirelessly grinding at Impact Basketball to prepare for the upcoming 2021 draft.&nbsp;
Working with longtime pro trainer Joe Abunassar, one of the most respected influences in the game, Simms has toiled away in the gym with the scorching Las Vegas heat seeping into the facility, focusing on two areas of his skill set that he believes weren&rsquo;t on display in college: shooting the basketball and defending 1-through-5.
&ldquo;I feel like a part of my game was definitely kinda swept under the rug a little bit 'cause of what I had to adapt to when I was at Clemson, and I wasn't able to showcase as much,&rdquo; Simms told BasketballNews.com in an exclusive phone interview. &ldquo;There was a lot asked of me while I was there, so I had to kinda sacrifice that part. Not that it was a bad thing, but I'm definitely ready to showcase [those skills].
&ldquo;I'm still trying to improve in [my] consistent shooting. At times, throughout my two years as a junior and senior, I had some streaky shooting times, especially at the beginning of the year. As the season went on and progressed, I definitely shot the ball better to raise my percentages... I didn't shoot it as much at school as I wanted, but just being out here and working with Joe, I have more confidence than I ever have [had] in my shot. And going into these workouts, being able to show that and just being able to defend. That's my biggest area of improvement, to show people that I can guard guys that [are] quicker or maybe the same size and faster, so those two areas are just something we've emphasized while I've been here. Guarding guys that's a lot quicker, smaller than me, it's just been really helpful for my hips and my lateral movement.&rdquo;
Simms has been in this position before. In March of last year, he declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, but withdrew his name within a couple of months to return for his senior season with the Tigers -- a decision that he feels good about now looking back.
&ldquo;Last year was tough,&rdquo; Simms said of the pre-draft process. &ldquo;I felt as though, at least in the draft, it came down to picking names out of a hat. They didn't really have guys come work out, they didn't have guys they really interviewed or anything like that. It was over Zoom and whatnot, and it's not the same when it's [not] in person.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was projected [as a] late-round [pick] in the second, so being able to come back to school and showcase a little bit more of what they'd asked me in my interviews, I think it definitely helped, and I had a good feeling going back to school. I thought I improved in the areas they asked, and just coming out now, I definitely see a difference and it's definitely given me a step ahead of other guys who are coming out for the first time."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
This weekend, Simms is set to be one of 40 participants at the G League Elite Camp in Chicago, which will allow him the chance to prove himself in front of executives, scouts, coaches and notable personnel in the NBA and G League. Standouts from the event will be awarded an opportunity to participate in next week&rsquo;s NBA Draft Combine.
The version we see of Simms today is not the same version of Simms from 2020, nor the same as the Virginia native that took one visit to Clemson and decided to make the university his home for the next four years.&nbsp;
Every season, Simms got better, and molded his craft with his experiences. It&rsquo;s that amount of experience that he claims gives him an edge on inexperienced prospects who need polishing, and will allow him to come in on day one and help a team right away.
&ldquo;A lot of teams don't value a four-year veteran in college as much. That's not really the sexy thing nowadays. But for the teams that do, I definitely think I'll be better at making an impact early 'cause I understand the game a lot better,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;Being at Clemson, we kinda transitioned to an NBA-type offense where there was a lot of motion and you've got to make a read instead of having a set play. We had our plays, but the majority of our offense was motion offense and playing out of the high post and down screens and away screens and curls and everything.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So I think I do have that advantage on the young guys. A lot of guys that go into [the draft] young have got the potential 'cause of their skill set and being able to score, but when it comes to thinking games and the mental game, I think I've got the upperhand on that.&rdquo;
Experience is something you can&rsquo;t teach, but Simms also possesses another unteachable quality, and that&rsquo;s a professional physique. In addition to his lengthy wingspan, he stands at 6-foot-8 and weighs in at 245 pounds, sporting a frame that most rookie players don&rsquo;t have.
&ldquo;There's a lot of switching in the league, and a lot of guys get stuck on bigger opponents, and they just kinda crab dribble down to the rim and dunk the ball. In my workouts that I've been going through, I've been guarding guys two inches, three inches taller than me [and] probably 10 or 20 pounds heavier or just around the same weight, and I think I do a pretty good job of standing 'em up,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;So obviously, someone like Joel Embiid who's got 40 pounds on me, I'm definitely gonna have to try a little harder. But for the most [part], I think I can hold my own against anybody that's in my same weight class or a little bit heavier.&nbsp;
&ldquo;At the end of the day, it's a mental thing. As long as you put your mind to it, you can do it, so I definitely think I can make an immediate impact."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15461500_lg.jpg" alt="" width="713" height="475" />
Simms anticipates going up against more NBA talents when the draft approaches nearer in July. He&rsquo;s looking forward to gaining knowledge and taking tips from whoever comes through Impact and other workouts he&rsquo;s planning on having. At the moment, he&rsquo;s not close with many guys at the next level, meaning this whole college-to-pro ordeal is an adventure.
&ldquo;I'm definitely a lone wolf out here,&rdquo; Simms said.
One of the guys he has a great relationship with is Milwaukee Bucks big man Mamadi Diakite, a high-school teammate of his at Blue Ridge whom Simms battled with for a number of seasons when Clemson faced off against the Virginia Cavaliers. Those matchups helped Simms mature as a player over the years, as did the lessons he took from his elder Tigers.
Donte Grantham, Gabe DeVoe, Elijah Thomas, Marcquise Reed, Shelton Mitchell and David Skara all taught him what it meant to play in the vaunted ACC. Though coaches knew he had the chops to do a little bit of everything, Simms primarily set screens and pick-and-popped, while his teammates did the facilitating and distributing during his freshman year.&nbsp;
Clemson&rsquo;s staff knew that he had a knack for backdoor finds and a high-basketball acumen, the team just didn&rsquo;t require him to bring that to the table in his early seasons. However, with each season, his responsibilities increased, as did his statistical output. Once he was given free reign to expand his game in his junior and senior years, he was able to produce the numbers to confirm his contributions. Simms averaged 13.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and a steal in over 30 minutes per game in his upperclassmen seasons.
Ask him what he got better at from year one to year four, and Simms will tell you: everything.
&ldquo;Whether it was putting the ball on the floor, half-court or full-court, shooting the ball in many different actions (pick-and-pop, catch-and-shoot or off down screens), and just my toughness,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;I came in as a pretty tough kid [and] I'm pretty competitive naturally, but going against Eli and other greats of the ACC at the 5 and 4, that time I was there, it improved my toughness and the physical component that I think other people lack at times.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And just being able to bring it every night. I just thought I saw a huge improvement in that. My defense improved every year, being able to guard different guys, [as well as] being able to shoot and kinda make plays from the top of the key or the elbow was just a huge improvement I saw... Just from the first day I was there, to my last, the environment, the atmosphere did nothing but [help me] grow and progress in my four years. It taught me a lot of life lessons, and the doors that opened in my four years was just unbelievable and definitely unexpected. That's a place, if you really buy into [it] and trust and give it your all, it's gonna set you up for future endeavors for the rest of your life... I would definitely say my four years at Clemson was nothing short of amazing.&rdquo;
There wasn&rsquo;t a single summer where Simms took a vacation in the offseason. He&rsquo;d stay in the gym, relentlessly working on his perimeter shooting with Clemson assistants Steve Smith, Antonio Reynolds Dean and Dick Bender. He got as many reps up as possible, until his "arms fell off&rdquo; to get his muscle memory down on his jumpers.&nbsp;
While Simms had a fair share of outstanding performances with the school, none compare to what happened in his third season at Clemson. In mid-January 2020, the Tigers knocked off the North Carolina Tar Heels in Raleigh for the first time in program history in 60 meetings. The following game three days later, Clemson returned home and took down the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils in front of a raucous crowd for&nbsp; Brad Brownell's record-setting 178th win as head coach. It was the first time the men&rsquo;s basketball team defeated both schools since 1995-96.&nbsp;
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Simms scored 20-plus points and nabbed 8-plus rebounds in back-to-back games as a major part of that, among the stat-sheet filling he did in those consecutive wins.
&ldquo;I just felt like I was just on another level in that time frame,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;Performing the way that I did for my team and my school is just something I won't forget, being able to do what we did at UNC and knocking them off at home for the first time, and then turn [it] around beating Duke, who at the time was ranked third in the country. Beating those schools for the first time back-to-back in almost 20 years was just unbelievable... I felt as though I always had the upper hand. Those two games alone, I think, stand out for themselves."
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The body of work Simms had at Clemson speaks for itself. He leaves behind a decorated career that saw him make two All-ACC teams, win the Skip Prosser Man of the Year award as the top scholar-athlete in the conference and become just the fourth player in the program&rsquo;s history to record over 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 150 assists, 75 steals and 75 blocks.&nbsp;
What Simms accomplished, he admits he won&rsquo;t appreciate fully until down the road. He&rsquo;s had conversations with his parents about the success he had as a Tiger, and everybody is proud. But right now is a time to focus on the next chapter, and that&rsquo;s all he&rsquo;s zoned in on.
Though he had to adapt in college to what the team asked of him, Simms considers himself a tweener 4 with an ability to play as an undersized 5. He does feel that he&rsquo;ll be able to play the 3 as he sharpens his skill set further in the pros. He models his game after four NBA guys: Jae Crowder, Paul Millsap, Al Horford and Tobias Harris. Simms likens their physique and capabilities to his: scoring at all three levels and providing versatility. They can put it on the floor, face-up, play from the block and catch-and-shoot.
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Along with that set of skills, Simms has the determination to prove his worth in the pros.
&ldquo;Since I've been at Clemson or since I've come out of school, I've been ranked in all these other things, but I've always felt as though my game was underappreciated,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;So I think going into it, being able to be an older guy both still with a great skill set and understanding the game or being able to adapt to it, it's kinda the thing that separates me from a lot of guys.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I'm not just a shooter on the perimeter. I'm not just a good passer. I'm an all-around player, I think, and that's something I think that separates me. I'm not a one-dimensional guy. I think there are many attributes to my game that people have yet to see because of my [adaptation] at Clemson. But I think coming out, once I get into this Combine, I'll really get myself going. A lot of people are gonna see why I say what I say, and that's just something I think that separates myself is being able to adapt to the game while being an older guy who's still kinda young and affecting the game in many ways that most people don't really see."
His motivation isn&rsquo;t just that, either. It&rsquo;s about his future, his family&rsquo;s future and others. Minoring in Nonprofit Leadership, Simms understands that there are bigger things than the game of basketball, and those philanthropic moments he desires to create will ultimately stem from the career path he&rsquo;s chosen.
&ldquo;Basketball is not the only thing that inspires me in life. Helping others is a huge thing, and I know a great way to do that is by playing basketball, making the most out of what I can with my time there and then being set up to be able to help others -- whether it's in this country or others, being able to help people who need it more than I do,&rdquo; Simms said.
&ldquo;Looking at guys like Harrison Barnes and Jimmy Butler and other guys who are deeply involved in their community, that's something that pushes me. They just kinda go hand-in-hand with basketball and that's a huge passion and motivation for me. So I can work my butt off on the court, so when I'm off the court, I can help people who need it more than I do."

Spencer Davies speaks with Aamir Simms about his time at Clemson, the skills he's looking to showcase in the pros and more.

Aamir Simms eager to exhibit more of his game at the next level

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points and Khris Middleton had 24 as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 124-117 on Thursday night in a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference's top teams.
Bobby Portis added a season-high 23 points as the Bucks ended a five-game home losing streak.
Milwaukee never trailed and led by as many as 21 to defeat Philadelphia for the fourth consecutive time. In their only previous meeting this season, the Bucks won 109-105 in overtime at Philadelphia on March 17.
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The MVP played like an MVP: 27 PTS | 16 REB | 6 AST | 2 STL | 1 BLK <a href="https://t.co/0OtXWpkkWt">pic.twitter.com/0OtXWpkkWt</a>
&mdash; Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1385416634974674946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;We were moving the ball, knocking down shots. From the start, everybody was locked in," Antetokounmpo said.
Joel Embiid scored 24 points for the Sixers. Shake Milton had 20 off the bench.
&ldquo;We were soft tonight,&rdquo; Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t put up much resistance.&rdquo;
The Bucks, who hadn't played since Monday, improved to 36-22 and hold the third seed in the East. The Sixers, playing for the fifth time in eight days, fell to 39-20 and into a tie with idle Brooklyn for the top spot. Philadelphia plays in Milwaukee again Saturday.
&ldquo;I think playing teams like this, back to back, it&rsquo;s awesome because it prepares you for the playoffs," Antetokounmpo said.
The Sixers got closer to full strength with the return of two starters. Tobias Harris, who has been dealing with a right knee issue, came back after missing three games. Seth Curry, who missed Wednesday&rsquo;s game with left hip flexor soreness, also returned to the lineup.
Harris revealed he has been dealing with a bone bruise.
&ldquo;I felt good out there in terms of my health and knee," Harris said. "We&rsquo;ll continue to find the right rhythm and timing.&rdquo;
Another starter, Ben Simmons, one of the league&rsquo;s top defenders, missed a third consecutive game with an unspecified illness. Rivers said he's unsure of Simmons' status for Saturday's matchup.
&ldquo;Right now, I'd say it's 50-50, at best,&rdquo; he said.
The Bucks jumped out to 10-0 lead and led by as many as 20 &mdash; at 33-13 &mdash; in the opening quarter. Milwaukee hit its first 10 shots, including five 3-pointers. The Bucks finished the quarter connecting on 14 of 19 shots and held a 40-26 lead.
&ldquo;They didn't feel us defensively," Harris said. &ldquo;They got where they wanted to all night.&rdquo;
The Bucks maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second quarter and led 77-60 at the half on 66% shooting. Middleton had 21 first-half points.
Philadelphia cut the lead to nine with 2:51 left in the third, but the Bucks closed the quarter with a 14-2 run, sparked by three straight 3-pointers by Portis, to lead 108-87. Portis made all five of his 3-point attempts.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve was just trying to do what I&rsquo;ve been doing all year, come off the bench and provide energy," Portis said. &ldquo;It's fun to be on this team. We have a lot of unselfish guys that love to pass the basketball.&rdquo;
The Sixers pulled within six points with 7 seconds remaining in the game against the Bucks reserves, prompting Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer to reinsert his starters to close out the game.
&ldquo;It was a strange game after the big early lead,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not easy in this league to play with a lead.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
76ers: Former Bucks player George Hill started for Simmons. ... G/F Furkan Korkmaz was inactive after spraining an ankle against Phoenix on Wednesday night. ... Veteran power forward Anthony Tolliver was signed to a second 10-day deal.
Bucks: Reported no injuries before the game. ... Antetokounmpo didn&rsquo;t appear limited after missing the final four minutes of overtime of Monday&rsquo;s game against Phoenix after experiencing what he described as a cramp in his calf. ... Signed F Justin Jackson to a two-way contract. Jackson fills the spot of F Mamadi Diakite, who signed a multiyear standard NBA contract with the team.
3-POINT BARRAGE
The teams combined to make 21 of 33 3-pointers in the first half. Milwaukee shot 13 of 21, with Brook Lopez shooting 4 of 5 from deep.
BENCH BRINGS IT
The bench accounted for half of the Sixers' points in the first half, tallying 30 of the 60 racked up in the first two quarters. For the game, the Sixers reserves scored 58 points, with Milton leading the way with 20. Tyrese Maxey and Mike Scott each had 11 points.
___
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Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points and Khris Middleton had 24 as the Bucks defeated the 76ers in a matchup of two of the East's best.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: Bucks 'locked in from the start' in win vs. 76ers

The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly signed Mamadi Diakite to a multi-year contract and added Justin Jackson on a two-way contract.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/JimOwczarski/status/1384679909663072256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Owczarski/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Diakite joined the Bucks as an undrafted rookie this season. In limited action across 11 games, the forward is averaging 2.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest. Jackson, meanwhile, joins his fifth NBA team in four seasons since being drafted 15th overall in 2017. He averaged 7.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game earlier this season with OKC.&nbsp;

Diakite moves up from being a two-way rookie with Mikwaukee this season.

Bucks sign Mamadi Diakite to multi-year deal, add Justin Jackson on 2-way deal

Delaware Blue Coats forward Paul Reed has been named the 2020-21 NBA G League Most Valuable Player and NBA G League Rookie of the Year, the NBA G League announced today. He becomes the third player to win both awards in the same season, joining Tim Frazier (2014-15) and Devin Brown (2002-03).
A two-way player with the Philadelphia 76ers, Reed (6-9, 210, DePaul) averaged 22.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.93 steals and 1.80 blocks while shooting 58.8% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range in 15 regular-season games with the Blue Coats. Among qualified players, Reed ranked third in the NBA G League in scoring and rebounding and tied for third in steals. He also recorded a league-high 12 double-doubles.
Among rookies, Reed was the league leader in rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game (4.6), and he ranked second in scoring, tied for second in steals and seventh in blocks. Reed equaled a rookie season high with 35 points in Delaware&rsquo;s 129-114 loss to the Oklahoma City Blue on Feb. 27, a total matched only by Raptors 905 guard Malachi Flynn. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Reed led the Blue Coats to a franchise-best seven-game winning streak to start the season, a stretch in which he averaged 22.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.29 steals and 1.43 blocks. He was named the NBA G League Player of the Week for Week 1 of the season.
Behind Reed, Delaware posted a 10-5 record in the regular season and earned the fourth seed in the 2021 NBA G League Playoffs. The Blue Coats won two playoff games before losing to the Lakeland Magic 97-78 in the NBA G League Final presented by YouTube TV on March 11.
The 76ers selected Reed with the 58th overall pick in the NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm. Reed, who signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia on Nov. 27, 2020, has appeared in seven games for the 76ers this season. NBA G League head coaches and general managers whose teams participated in single-site play at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., voted for both the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards.&nbsp;
Rio Grande Valley Vipers guard Kevin Porter Jr., who was on assignment from the Houston Rockets, finished in second place in voting for NBA G League MVP. Raptors 905 forward Henry Ellenson finished third.In NBA G League Rookie of the Year voting, Lakeland forward Mamadi Diakite and Canton Charge guard Brodric Thomas finished in second and third place, respectively.
 NBA G League Most Valuable Players 2020-21: Paul Reed (Delaware Blue Coats) 2019-20: Frank Mason III (Wisconsin Herd) 2018-19: Chris Boucher (Raptors 905) 2017-18: Lorenzo Brown (Raptors 905) 2016-17: Vander Blue (Los Angeles D-Fenders) 2015-16: Jarnell Stokes (Sioux Falls Skyforce) 2014-15: Tim Frazier (Maine Red Claws) 2013-14: Ron Howard (Fort Wayne Mad Ants) &nbsp; &nbsp; Othyus Jeffers (Iowa Energy) 2012-13: Andrew Goudelock (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) 2011-12: Justin Dentmon (Austin Toros) 2010-11: Curtis Stinson (Iowa Energy) 2009-10: Mike Harris (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) 2008-09: Courtney Sims (Iowa Energy) 2007-08: Kasib Powell (Sioux Falls Skyforce) 2006-07: Randy Livingston (Idaho Stampede) 2005-06: Marcus Fizer (Austin Toros) 2004-05: Matt Carroll (Roanoke Dazzle) 2003-04: Tierre Brown (Charleston Lowgators) 2002-03: Devin Brown (Fayetteville Patriots) 2001-02: Ansu Sesay (Greenville Groove) NBA G League Rookie of the Year Winners 2020-21: Paul Reed (Delaware Blue Coats) 2019-20: Tremont Waters, Maine Red Claws 2018-19: Angel Delgado, Aqua Caliente Clippers 2017-18: Antonio Blakeney, Windy City Bulls 2016-17: Abdel Nader, Maine Red Claws 2015-16: Quinn Cook, Canton Charge 2014-15: Tim Frazier, Maine Red Claws 2013-14: Robert Covington, Rio Grande Valley Vipers 2012-13: Tony Mitchell, Fort Wayne Mad Ants 2011-12: Edwin Ubiles, Dakota Wizards 2010-11: DeShawn Sims, Maine Red Claws 2009-10: Alonzo Gee, Austin Toros 2008-09: Othyus Jeffers, Iowa Energy 2007-08: Blake Ahearn, Dakota Wizards 2006-07: Louis Amundson, Colorado 14ers 2005-06: Will Bynum, Roanoke Dazzle 2004-05: James Thomas, Roanoke Dazzle 2003-04: Desmond Penigar, Asheville Altitude 2002-03: Devin Brown, Fayetteville Patriots 2001-02: Fred House, Charleston Lowgators
Source: Official G League Press Release

Paul Reed, the forward from the Delaware Blue Coats, has been named the 2020-21 G League MVP.

Delaware Blue Coats' Paul Reed named 2020-21 NBA G League MVP

This year, there were 107 international players from 41 countries on opening-night rosters for the 2020-21 NBA season.