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Bucks

PARIS (AP) &mdash; Adieu France, hello America.
They were hugs of goodbye &mdash; not of joy &mdash; for Victor Wembanyama as he bid farewell to his teammates and the French league, before jetting off for what&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-2023-wembanyama-396be2a8eeb0be8e3323bb509405695c">many predict</a>&nbsp;will be a glittering NBA career.
Wembanyama&rsquo;s performance &mdash; 22 points, seven rebounds and four blocks &mdash; couldn&rsquo;t prevent his Boulogne-Levallois team losing 92-85 to Monaco in a must-win Game 3 in the best-of-five French league championship series on Thursday.
To accommodate escalating interest in seeing the 19-year-old&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-basketball-las-vegas-6f4ac3d44f624ef36ddb00e314cf0401">French prodigy</a>, Game 3 &mdash; and 4 if they had won &mdash; were switched from a 4,000-seat venue to Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros, home of the French Open tennis championship which seats&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/LNBofficiel/status/1669390713434275842" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more than 14,000</a>.
Fans sang &ldquo;Merci, Wemby&rdquo; as&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wembanyama-nba-lottery-draft-french-finale-e8d2b9e7cf97ab22df549a03d1124456">the hugely popular Wembanyama</a>&nbsp;waved and clapped at them.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry for the fans who love to see a show,&rdquo; Wembanyama said on beIN Sports television after the game. &ldquo;Of course I&rsquo;m proud of what I&rsquo;ve managed to do along with my coach (Vincent Collet), in bringing the team to the finals. But I&rsquo;m not satisfied.&rdquo;
Next week, the San Antonio Spurs are expected to make the 7-foot-3 Wembanyama&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-lottery-2023-victor-wembanyama-7ac2a47737c20c0df4543e1626407e47">the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft</a>, where he&rsquo;ll follow in the footsteps of France great Tony Parker and Hall of Famers David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
With Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadiv&eacute; among the crowd &mdash; likely with an eye on&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-mock-draft-wembanyama-c9dfd3d19592e1de44f5957ea2aa8b48">Wembanyama teammate Bilal Coulibaly</a>&nbsp;ahead of the draft &mdash; the Mets opened up big leads but with 50 seconds left the score was tied at 85-85. Jordan Loyd, a former NBA player with the Toronto Raptors, sank two 3-pointers to end Wembanyama&rsquo;s hopes of signing off with a French crown.
Ranadiv&eacute; told beIN Sport that Wembanyama is &ldquo;amazing&rdquo; but that &ldquo;I&rsquo;m also excited about Bilal. Young guy, lot of skills, so French basketball is in great shape.&rdquo;
Wembanyama, who opened the scoring with&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/LNBofficiel/status/1669413577068019712" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a reverse alley-oop dunk</a>, looked sad as he hugged his teammates while Monaco celebrated.
&ldquo;Wemby had a great game, but this team&rsquo;s unbelievable,&rdquo; said Loyd, who finished with 22 points.
Everything had pointed to a special night for Wembanyama and then a Game 4 on Saturday. Wembanyama clenched his fist when his pass inside for Devante Jones made it 24-10, then drew roars when he used his giant frame to block a shot early in the second quarter.
The &ldquo;Wemby, Wemby&rdquo; chants became louder when&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/LNBofficiel/status/1669432798598381573" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he hit a 3-pointer</a>&nbsp;to make it 47-37, louder still when&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/LNBofficiel/status/1669431516190101504" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he dished to Coulibaly</a>&nbsp;for a dunk early in the third quarter.
It was not enough, though, and it was &ldquo;Wemby&rdquo; who put Elie Okobo on the foul line to give Monaco its first lead, 82-81, with just over three minutes left.
Loyd &mdash; not Wembanyama &mdash; ended up with&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/LNBofficiel/status/1669449924562305028" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the MVP award</a>&nbsp;and the winners&rsquo; medal on the court where Novak Djokovic made men&rsquo;s Grand Slam history last Sunday with&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/novak-djokovic-grand-slam-titles-french-open-6f822dca855478163696538f37ff534b">his 23rd men&rsquo;s major title</a>.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-detroit-pistons-paris-ba85137c70a09ac5efcea7f5e8e472a1">Wembanyama&rsquo;s journey to greatness</a>&nbsp;in his sport, however, might only just be starting.

With today's loss to Monaco, Victor Wembanyama will leave his teammates and the French league to prepare for his NBA career.

Wembanyama bids adieu to France with a defeat as NBA Draft nears

VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) &mdash; Jay Wright settled in a booth at the restaurant across the street from the basketball gym he called home for two decades and the cheerful waitress quizzed him at lunch if he had dined here before.
He had, the spot is a popular hangout at Villanova. So, naturally she asked, what does he do?
&ldquo;I worked at the university for a long time,&rdquo; Wright said, with just a tinge of modesty.
&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; she said, ready with a fun fact, &ldquo;the President comes in all the time and eats here.&rdquo;
Yeah, it&rsquo;s a favorite of this old university employee, too.
Could it be, Jay Wright, the Hall of Fame coach who built Villanova from sleepy Big East school into a national power and won two national championships before he shocked the sport in April and retired at 60 after one last Final Four, forgotten already? Yeah, not quite. Wright&rsquo;s presence spreads and soon customers peer through poinsettias on the ledge of the booth and gawk at the Hall of Fame coach or politely ask between bites of his buffalo chicken salad if he can step out for a photo.
Sure, why not?
The Nova retiree is operating at a different pace &mdash; morning Bikram yoga, holidays at home with Patty, his wife of 32 years. But he hasn&rsquo;t vanished from public view entirely. With 520 wins over 21 seasons at Villanova, he&rsquo;s set to begin lending his expertise to viewers in a new gig as a broadcaster for CBS and Turner Sports. He&rsquo;ll make his debut as a game analyst &mdash; alongside fellow former Nova coach Steve Lappas &mdash; for the CBS Sports Network on Wednesday night when his old Wildcats team plays Penn.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got that rookie feeling,&rdquo; Wright said.
Trim, refreshed, upbeat, Wright says he&rsquo;s shed the self-inflicted strain that gnawed more and more each season as the impeccably dressed architect of an improbable national powerhouse in the tony Philly suburbs.
&ldquo;Just being free, to really experience everything, has been incredible,&rdquo; he said in an interview with The Associated Press. &ldquo;I know it sounds simple and stupid. But all of us coaches, we&rsquo;re really out of our minds. People say it&rsquo;s not healthy. No, it&rsquo;s not. But it&rsquo;s just what you do.&rdquo;
Wright had tried to bury the thought when he coached that he wasn&rsquo;t on the brink of burnout. That he wasn&rsquo;t one more obsessed coach who couldn&rsquo;t let the game go.
&ldquo;And I now know I was one,&rdquo; he said.
He could&rsquo;ve pushed himself another year or two after last season&rsquo;s Final Four run but would have felt like a fraud.
&ldquo;I knew I was fighting it,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I would go into a meeting with the team and I would stop myself and kick myself in the ass. Yo, let&rsquo;s go. Get yourself fired up. I never, ever had to do that. Never.&rdquo;
Wright hasn&rsquo;t totally abandoned the gym. But one time he attended practice, well, he fell into old habits and simply assumed command. The coaching staff was amenable, because of that whole Hall of Fame coach thing, and also because the coach running practice was Wright&rsquo;s son. Taylor Wright, now the interim head basketball coach at Episcopal Academy out in the Philly suburbs, had ceded power to dad for a practice the day after Thanksgiving.
&ldquo;I just had a couple of things to say,&rdquo; Wright said, laughing. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got to stay away from it. It&rsquo;s just too tempting.&rdquo;
He hasn&rsquo;t strayed too far from Villanova. Kyle Neptune, a longtime Villanova assistant who returned after one season as head coach at Fordham to succeed Wright, welcomed his mentor at practice. Stop by, any time.
&ldquo;So much of what I know, and how I&rsquo;ve learned the game, how I see the game, how I&rsquo;ve learned to run a program, I&rsquo;ve learned from being here,&rdquo; Neptune said. &ldquo;Of course, I&rsquo;m not the same person. No one can be exactly Jay Wright.&rdquo;
Wright says he&rsquo;s around, he just doesn&rsquo;t want to be around too much, which is why he declined an offer from a close group of alumns that wanted to fly him to the Michigan State game and hang. He wanted to let Neptune find his way without causing a distraction.
Villanova&rsquo;s worst seven-game start since 1991 has knocked the Wildcats out of the AP Top 25 and suddenly made the Big East feel up for grabs. It was impossible for Wright to escape at lunch the Main Line malaise some fans felt barely a month into the season. Two old college roommates interrupted Wright for both a photo request and a quick critique of the scuffling Wildcats.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just having this mini-reunion and we&rsquo;re saying Villanova isn&rsquo;t as good since you left,&rdquo; one woman said.
&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t say that! That&rsquo;s not true,&rdquo; Wright said. &ldquo;We will be. We&rsquo;ll be better.&rdquo;
The 37-year-old Neptune can&rsquo;t immediately escape Wright&rsquo;s shadow &mdash; especially when he&rsquo;s 50 feet away wearing a CBS blazer and a headset. And that&rsquo;s OK with Neptune.
&ldquo;A lot of what I learned, I learned from him,&rdquo; Neptune said.
Wright says there were no health issues or even the challenging, changing world of college sports that led to retirement. It was a lifetime of basketball that spanned stints from coaching a charity team for the USFL Philadelphia Stars to an assistant on the U.S. men&rsquo;s basketball team that forced him to slow down and look at life beyond the bench. He rejected all kinds of offers for other, often more lucrative jobs.
He&rsquo;s also smart enough to know recruitment calls will keep coming. Wright says he&rsquo;s not interested in another coaching gig, for now. But hey, the phone lines are open.
&ldquo;I say no,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Right now I have no interest. Right now. I just know enough about life to know that maybe it changes. I&rsquo;m telling you, right now, I have no interest.&rdquo;
Let&rsquo;s see how much he likes broadcasting. Unflappable on the sideline, Wright says he&rsquo;s not coming out with a list of catchphrases &mdash; though how can he not say &ldquo; bang &rdquo; on a big Nova 3? &mdash; or try and predict plays like a roundball Tony Romo. He has veteran broadcaster Tom McCarthy at his side Wednesday to guide him through any rookie jitters.
Wright made a cameo appearance on Saturday&rsquo;s broadcast &mdash; his 2022 Final Four ring popping off the screen &mdash; and his first, brief shot at calling the game was enough to let him know for sure he made the right call to shift careers.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re looking across and you&rsquo;re seeing the two coaches and you know what they&rsquo;re thinking, you know what&rsquo;s going on in their head, you know what&rsquo;s going on in your head,&rdquo; Wright said, &ldquo;I like this a lot better.&rdquo;&nbsp;

“Just being free, to really experience everything, has been incredible,” Wright said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Jay Wright at ease leaving Nova after ‘fighting it’ as coach

MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP) &mdash; There is growing fear among college basketball coaches at the lower levels of the sport, the vast majority of which do not make seven-figure salaries, fly around the country in private jets or hang out with rich and famous boosters and fans.
It&rsquo;s a fear that comes with success.
It only takes a couple of marquee players to compete for championships at the Division II or III level, the NAIA or even in low-major Division I leagues. But in an era of freedom of transfer and name, image and likeness endorsement money, the reality is this: If your program is too good, there&rsquo;s a good chance those prolific players will be playing elsewhere next season, recruited to major programs that can offer them more exposure, opportunities and financial benefits.
When it happens, lower-level coaches who might be coming off a 20-win season could be left rebuilding their rosters and fighting for 10 wins and, potentially, their jobs.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s always been an opportunity to poach kids if you want to poach them, but it&rsquo;s all become easier now,&rdquo; said Joe Lombardi, the longtime coach of Division II powerhouse Indiana (Pa.). &ldquo;I believe in karma. I&rsquo;m not doing that, OK? But some places it has become a way of life. It&rsquo;s disappointing that people invest in kids and, you know, they get poached.
&ldquo;They don&rsquo;t just go to the market,&rdquo; Lombardi added. &ldquo;Some do, but a lot of them are talked into it.&rdquo;
His team reached the Final Four last season thanks largely to shooting guard Armoni Foster, who averaged 18 points for the Crimson Hawks, but who will be playing Division I ball for Buffalo this season. And while Lombardi encouraged him to seek a better opportunity for his final year of eligibility, the coach acknowledges that won&rsquo;t always be the case.
Especially when players no longer have to sit out a year under the NCAA&rsquo;s transfer rules.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had guys that Division I schools made overtures about and I&rsquo;m eventually going to lose someone, and it might not be amicable,&rdquo; Lombardi said. &ldquo;I might not be happy with the move. But if you&rsquo;re in it long enough, that will happen.&rdquo;
It happened at Nova Southeastern, the top seed in the NCAA Tournament last year. Sekou Sylla, who averaged 22.4 points and 10.4 rebounds for the Division II program, will be playing for Towson at the Division I level this season.
And it happened at Hillsdale, another strong Division II program, where Patrick Cartier caught the attention of Colorado State. And at Bentley, which saw shooting guard Colton Lawrence follow up a strong season by leaving for Maryland-Baltimore County, a low-major program but nonetheless an opportunity for him to compete at the Division I level.
Even the bluest of the bluebloods have kept their eyes open for lower-level transfers.
Cam Martin, a bruising 6-foot-9 forward, was a two-time All-American for Missouri Southern who chose to continue his career elsewhere. He landed at Kansas, the defending Division I national champion, about a 3-hour drive from the Lions&rsquo; campus in Joplin but light years away in terms of opportunity and experience.
Martin, who graduated from Missouri Southern and is pursuing his graduate degree at Kansas, went from starting every game and playing major minutes to being a key practice player but rarely seeing the floor in actual games.
&ldquo;You have the good and bad stories that come of it,&rdquo; acknowledged Dennis Gates, the new Missouri coach who brought three players with him when he was hired from Cleveland State. &ldquo;But the rules give student-athletes an opportunity, no different than coaches have opportunities now, to represent a different program.&rdquo;
Still, as TCU coach Jamie Dixon admitted, the fact that players no longer have to sit out has changed the dynamic.
&ldquo;A kid having success at a lower conference than, say, the Big 12, was likely not to transfer and sit out because he&rsquo;s playing well,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s getting his minutes. Why would he want to sit out?&rdquo;
When the NCAA removed that impediment, it became easier for players to move on &mdash; and move up. And when NIL legislation came along, allowing players to profit off their celebrity, it created a situation where high-major programs can effectively offer financial benefits unavailable at most lower-level programs.
Throw in the chance to compete at a higher level and it&rsquo;s hard for kids to turn their back on the opportunity.
Fardaws Aimaq remembers playing for Utah Valley in the WAC Tournament last spring, and five or six NBA scouts were sitting in a corner. Aimaq dominated the first half of the Wolverines&rsquo; game, only to see the scouts get up and walk out, and he recalled thinking, &ldquo;Why did they leave?&rdquo; Aimaq texted his advisers afterward, and the answer was simple: &ldquo;They wanted to know if I was really that good or the competition was not that good.&rdquo;
Aimaq ended up transferring from the low-major school to Texas Tech in the hopes of raising his NBA draft profile this season.
&ldquo;Leaving was hard,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but it was just the best decision for me business-wise.&rdquo;
Just like it was for Malachi Smith, a prolific shooting guard who spent the last two seasons at Chattanooga but will play for Gonzaga this season, or Johni Broome, a 6-10 forward who transferred from Morehead State to Auburn.
Transfers go both ways, of course. Plenty of players leave high-majors for low-majors, or even lower divisions, where they might go from benchwarmer to starter. But they are typically easier for big-budget programs to replace.
It&rsquo;s tougher to accept at small schools, though, when a player who might have slipped through the recruiting cracks not only got an opportunity to play but was also developed over time &mdash; only to take their game somewhere else.
&ldquo;There could be a great player at Division III. I will not make an overture for that kid. I will not do it,&rdquo; said Lombardi, the Division II coach at Indiana (Pa.) &ldquo;Maybe I would if I was 10-20 for three straight seasons &mdash; I might then. But I just don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s for the good of the kid or the good of athletics.&rdquo;

There is growing fear among college basketball coaches at the lower levels of the sport.

Portal chaos puts pressure on hoops coaches in lower levels

If this month has given us any indication, the 2023 NBA Draft could be special.
Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson went head-to-head in two thrilling showcases to start October, exemplifying the potential greatness that could headline this prospect group.
Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has Wembanyama atop <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his initial 2023 Big Board</a>, with Scoot Henderson at No. 2. But they're just the headliners. Amen and Ausar Thompson, twin uber-athletes, are carving up the court with Overtime Elite. Then you get to the collegiate standouts, led by Villanova's Cam Whitmore and Arkansas' Nick Smith Jr.
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New on <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a>: this season's first 2023 NBA Draft Big Board.👇 Link: <a href="https://t.co/UD5Dv0rDJ2">https://t.co/UD5Dv0rDJ2</a> <a href="https://t.co/d6UEUTsjip">pic.twitter.com/d6UEUTsjip</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1584921955357990912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Babcock broke down the top names to monitor as the scouting season gets rolling. He also dove into his own scouting process and the challenges that come with criss-crossing the globe to watch basketball's best young talents.&nbsp;
How much did Victor Wembanyama's dominance in Las Vegas change his reputation as a generational prospect compared to before the exhibitions?
In my role as an NBA Draft Analyst, I do my best not to go too high or too low on guys based on individual performances. But to be in Las Vegas in person, sitting courtside to see Victor Wembanyama, an 18-year-old that's 7-foot-4 and has an 8-foot wingspan do the things that he did &mdash; it was remarkable. The combination of his length, coordination, and skill level is unbelievable. I don't know if we'll ever see a prospect quite like Victor Wembanyama again. He's so incredibly unique and has about as much upside as possibly imaginable.
What do you want to see from Wembanyama over this next season before making the likely leap to the NBA?
Although this may seem obvious, I'd like to see Victor stay healthy and out on the court this season. Considering that he has such a unique body type, I think that is very important. He's such an incredible prospect, but he needs to get stronger and take care of his body to maximize his potential.
How does Scoot Henderson compare to some of the dynamic guard prospects we've seen over the past decade?
Suppose we look at the top-tier guard prospects from recent years' drafts. In that case, we'd be talking about guys like LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant, Darius Garland, Trae Young &mdash; and I guess you could put Luka Doncic in that group, too, since he's essentially a big point guard.&nbsp;
Well, I'm comfortable saying I'm just as excited about Scoot Henderson as I was about all those guys at the same stage. But, of course, Scoot needs to take care of his business to get to those players' levels. However, my point is I do think he has that type of talent and potential.
What makes Amen and Ausar Thompson special, and could the twins also be franchise-altering talents?
Although the Thompson brothers are identical twins, I do see differences in their games. For example, Amen seems to have better ball skills and a feel for the game, and Ausar is wired more as a scorer. However, they're both incredible athletes with so much versatility on both sides of the ball. Outside shooting is their swing skill, and their development in that area will likely determine how much career success they'll find. It seems as if both guys are about all of the right things and are serious about their craft, which tells me they'll continue to improve. I think they're both big-time prospects and worthy of being high lottery picks.
Wembanyama, Henderson and the Thompson twins come from unconventional pathways. How does that change your scouting process?
Well, first of all, I take a compartmentalized approach to evaluating prospects regardless of whether they take an unconventional pathway or not. Each evaluation presents unique challenges, so I don't think it changes things for me too much.&nbsp;
Players taking unconventional pathways sometimes allow me more direct access to them. For example, with these players, as mentioned earlier, it's been more advantageous for me because I have unique connections to them. Victor Wembanyama's agent, Bouna N'Diaye, is a good friend, and I collaborated with him and his agency, Comsport, for years when I was an agent.&nbsp;
Scoot's mentor in Atlanta, Desmond Eastman, aka "The General," has been my guy since I played high school ball in Atlanta. The General, Scoot, and his family invited me out to their family's gym, Next Play 360, a couple of years ago to watch Scoot work out, and I got a chance to spend some time with all of them. And I've kept in touch with them since then.&nbsp;
I've also had opportunities to spend some time with the Thompson Twins. Before Overtime Elite was publicly launched, I spent about six months as an advisor for them; I assisted in setting up their scouting operations. So naturally, I'm close with all of the folks out there. A little while back, Overtime Elite invited me to come to Atlanta to speak to their players about scouting, intel, and the business of the NBA. Of course, I'm not always connected to top prospects like I am with those guys, but my background and experience in hoops does tend to serve me well regarding access, which I certainly don't take for granted.
Which other 2023 draft-eligible players do you think have a chance at putting themselves in that Tier 1 prospect conversation?
I'm not sure if any other players will be able to crack that first tier. Still, I am excited to track some college freshmen like Cam Whitmore at Villanova, Nick Smith at Arkansas, Dariq Whitehead at Duke, Dillon Mitchell at Texas, and Keyonte George at Baylor, to name a few. I could list off a handful or so more, too, as I think the freshman class this year has a bunch of talented prospects.
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We hit the Main Line for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BIGEASThoops?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BIGEASThoops</a> Preseason Freshman of the Year, <a href="https://twitter.com/NovaMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NovaMBB</a>'s Cam Whitmore! Cam was the Most Outstanding Player on <a href="https://twitter.com/usabasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usabasketball</a>'s FIBA U18 Americas Championship squad this past summer &amp; was the Gatorade Maryland POTY at Archbishop Spalding! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoNova?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoNova</a> <a href="https://t.co/s0JUUeqIPn">pic.twitter.com/s0JUUeqIPn</a>
&mdash; BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/BIGEASTMBB/status/1582344744449019904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As a scout, how do you make sure you're being fairly critical of top prospects without overanalyzing their flaws?
My process for evaluating prospects is to ask questions constantly, whether by asking myself questions internally or blowing up my right-hand man, Derek Murray's phone, to ask him questions. A comprehensive evaluation or conclusion of the evaluation of a prospect before their draft ultimately comes down to the concept of the sum of all its parts.&nbsp;
Experienced scouts can gather comparable information on prospects, evaluating the players' on-court talent and gathering intel on their background, character, and personality. Generally, we all know a prospect's strengths, weaknesses, and questions that need to be raised at a certain point in the process. The most challenging part is how one weighs out all the different variables within the evaluation.&nbsp;
For example, maybe a player lacks physical strength, has character flaws, or is an inconsistent shooter. How big of a problem are specific players' "issues" compared to how much talent and upside they have, and how much could their issues limit their ability to maximize their potential? It's all about balancing out the risk versus the reward. It's certainly a juggling act, but you know what? I love it. I live for it. I wake up as a scout everyday seeking more information on prospects in hopes of figuring out the big puzzle, which is the NBA Draft.
Which top returning college players are you most excited to see make improvements in their games?
There are many returners I'm hoping will make a big jump in their development. Some players that come to mind first are Terquavion Smith from NC State, Marcus Sasser from Houston, Kris Murray from Iowa, Harrison Ingram from Stanford, Oscar Tshiebwe and Daimion Collins from Kentucky, Arthur Kaluma and Ryan Kalkbrenner from Creighton, Terrence Shannon and Coleman Hawkins from Illinois, and Caleb Love from North Carolina. 
Honestly, I could list off a bunch of guys. I love to see guys return to school and keep grinding. Having a front-row seat to watch young players' stories unfold as they chase their dreams is perhaps the best part of my job. I love it!
Beyond Wembanyama, what does this year's international prospect landscape look like?
Of course, Wembanyama is the big name this year. Some other internationally-born prospects that are playing overseas that I'm excited to track are Rayan Rupert with the New Zealand Breakers, Nikola Djurisic with Mega in Serbia, and James Nnaji and Ousmane NDiaye with Barcelona and Baskonia in Spain, respectively.
How do you set a roadmap for the early scouting season &mdash; do you prioritize geography, teams or specific players at first?
I first get my initial player rankings and priority watch list together, which helps me prepare and organize who I need to see. Secondly, I identify "must-see" games and events. For example, early this college season, I plan to attend the State Farm Champions Classic in Indianapolis, including Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State. Then I plan to attend the Phil Knight Invitational and Legacy events in Portland, which include many talented teams. There are some other double-headers and unique matchups in neutral locations I have penciled in too.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
From there, I look at "low-hanging fruit" games. This would include games and events with NBA prospects that I can travel to cheaply and easily. I live in Denver, Colorado, so the drivable spots for me are mainly the University of Colorado, Colorado State, Air Force, and I drive to Wyoming here and there too. I also pencil in high-priority high school events into my schedule, like the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, City of Palms in Fort Myers, Florida. My tentative schedule is planned through March already. I still need to squeeze in a couple of trips overseas, and I will likely make some adjustments as we go, but I like to prepare ahead of time.
What are some of the challenges when it comes to planning scouting trips for a draft class that could have several special players at the top?
Having "special players" doesn't change scheduling much, or at all, honestly. However, I will say this; I generally go extremely hard in November and December to get my bases covered regarding scouting the higher-rated prospects. This is because I like to get a head start so that I can pick and choose my spots later.&nbsp;
Injuries can be a significant disruptor. It's impossible to predict who will be healthy throughout the season. Fortunately, my processes have served me well at times. For example, I went to see Vanderbilt play USC in LA a few years back for their season opener, and I'm sure glad I did because I got to see Darius Garland, who was terrific. Unfortunately, he got hurt shortly after and only played five games that entire season before becoming a high lottery pick.&nbsp;
Similarly, I watched Patrick Baldwin Jr. several times before him missing the bulk of the season with a foot injury. He only played in 11 games the entire season. Anyway, I don't underestimate seeing a top prospect while I can; you never know how things will unfold.
What under-the-radar college teams should NBA Draft enthusiasts make sure to watch?
Although they're ranked high, we don't usually see Houston and Creighton mixing it up with the blue bloods and top programs. However, I think both teams have a chance of doing big things this season.
Coach Kelvin Sampson has done a terrific job building up that program in Houston. I was a bit surprised that their stud guard, Marcus Sasser, decided to return to school after doing so well at the NBA Draft Combine, but I'm happy he did. I think he's poised for a breakout year. They have a lot of other talented players too. Most specifically, I'm excited to see five-star recruit Jarace Walker. I have had the chance to watch Walker many times at various high school events. His physical tools, toughness, and versatility are interesting.
I usually head out to Omaha, Nebraska, once or twice yearly to see Creighton games. It's an easy flight to Omaha for me coming from Denver, there is a fantastic Marriott hotel right across from Creighton's arena, and they take great care of the media, as they have always given me a seat courtside. I've seen some terrific games there in the last few years. I remember watching teams like Villanova, including Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Eric Paschall, and then a stacked Gonzaga team featuring Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke.&nbsp;
I will likely try to see Villanova play Creighton this season because they have highly touted freshman Cam Whitmore, who is projected as a lottery pick. Still, I will also focus on Creighton's prospects this year, as Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Baylor Scheierman have been generating some buzz.
Has the success of some of last year's rookies changed your scouting philosophies at all?
The biggest thing for me recently is not necessarily adjusting to how individual players have performed but just keeping the pulse on the trends and how the game continues to evolve. For example, the idea that the NBA is moving towards a positionless game is becoming more apparent each year. Subsequently, players with decent size, well-rounded skill sets, and versatility on both ends of the ball have never held so much value.&nbsp;
On the flip side, undersized guards and traditional big men are not carrying as much value across the board as they once did. Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules, but it has certainly changed how I look at specific prospects.
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What is the most enjoyable part of this first month of college scouting for you?
I will be a little cliche here, but I just love getting back in the arena.&nbsp;
I'm a member of the staff for Damian Lillard's Formula Zero, a group of top high school and college prospects. One exercise we do as a group is having everyone take a turn to share one thing they have been doing well and one thing they have been struggling with or would like to improve on. It got me thinking about that recently regarding myself; I've gotten to a point in my career where I've developed to become very organized, detail-oriented, and prepared, which hasn't always been the case. Over time, I've turned these areas from my weaknesses into strengths. And I'm proud to be able to say that.&nbsp;
Alright, now my weakness. Of course, the offseason is a great opportunity to spend time with my family, which I do, and I love having that time! But the fact is, I don't have any real hobbies, and I essentially am obsessed with the game and what I do. So I get impatient and uneasy when I don't have a lot of basketball in my life &mdash; it happens every year. So naturally, when the season starts, it puts me at ease. There is so much great basketball to see in November and December, and I'm just ecstatic to get back out there and start chipping away, trying to figure out this year's NBA Draft.

Ethan Fuller previews the 2023 scouting season with BasketballNews.com Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock.

2023 NBA Draft: Previewing top prospects to watch with Matt Babcock

It was the summer of 2001, and I had just finished my junior year of high school.
I received a phone call on my family's home phone in Milwaukee, Wisconsin &mdash; it was a representative from Adidas calling to invite me to be a participant at the famed ABCD Camp.
A prestigious camp held at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, the ABCD Camp was established in 1984 and would continue until 2006. The camp was sponsored by Adidas and run by legendary shoe company executive Sonny Vaccaro. His main claim to fame was his role in developing and executing Michael Jordan's Air Jordan brand with Nike. After leaving Nike, Sonny joined Adidas, where he was able to get the ABCD Camp rolling.
Each year, the camp was comprised of the top high school players in the country. In 2001, the NBA had not yet set the age limit restricting high school players from declaring for the NBA draft following their senior year. Because of this, not only was every prominent college coach at this event, but so were all of the NBA scouts and front-office personnel. At that point, the ABCD Camp was the mecca of high school basketball.
I was beyond excited to get invited, but I must admit, it was somewhat intimidating. Luckily I wouldn't be going alone, as several of my good friends received invitations to the camp too.
My roommate at the camp was Dan Grunfeld, who was, and still is, one of my best friends. Dan is the son of Ernie Grunfeld, who, at the time, was my dad's boss and the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks. Dan became a star player at Stanford and led the (then) Pac-10 conference in scoring his junior year, and had a successful career playing in Europe. In addition, our good friend and my high school teammate, Coby Karl, was also with us. Coby is the son of George Karl, who was the head coach of the Bucks at the time. Coby played a few years in the NBA after starring at Boise State.
The three of us were teammates as a part of the AAU program, Friends of Hoop.
Also with us from Milwaukee was Steve Novak, who has been a friend of mine since we were AAU teammates on the Wisconsin All-Stars all the way back when we were in middle school. Once Steve and I got to high school, we had some great battles during our freshman and sophomore years. (I was at Shorewood High School and he was at Brown Deer High School, one of our conference rivals. Steve went on to team up with Dwyane Wade at Marquette, and had a long successful career in the NBA.)
So there's no denying that Milwaukee was represented well at the ABCD Camp that year.
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For whatever reason, I didn't fly with my friends from Milwaukee. Instead, I flew by myself to La Guardia Airport in New York. When I landed, an Adidas representative was waiting and drove another player, DeAngelo Collins, and I to the hotel in New Jersey. It's probably not a name that will ring a bell for many people, but at the time, he was a well-known player. As soon as I saw him, I knew who he was &mdash; although we had never met before. DeAngelo was one of the top-ranked players in the country, became a McDonald's All-American and entered his name in the NBA Draft after his senior year of high school. (Unfortunately, he went undrafted and only had a short professional career overseas).
Anyway, as I was sitting next to DeAngelo in a van heading to the camp hotel, my nerves kicked up another notch. I knew that, at the end of that ride, the rest of the top high school players in the country awaited.
When I arrived at the hotel, my friends from Milwaukee were there. We had to sign in, collect a bag full of Adidas gear and take some photos. When Dan and I finally got to our room, we had a moment where we talked about how excited we were to be there. The whole experience was exciting and fun, but intense at the same time. Whether it was the top-ranked player in the country or the last guy invited, we all wanted the same thing &mdash; to improve our stock. The ABCD Camp was the biggest stage any of us had played on at that point in our careers. It was an opportunity to move up in the player rankings, which would subsequently lead to more scholarship offers or even interest from NBA teams, for some.
Coby, Dan and I had somewhat similar backgrounds, as we all grew up around the game, as our dads and families all had careers working in the NBA. As I was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/growing-up-a-buck-from-ray-allen-to-giannis-antetokounmpo-dave-babcock-remains-milwaukee-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">growing up</a>, my dad would often suggest that I "get some shots up" or do my "Pistol Pete" ball-handling routine instead of playing video games, but generally, my family never put a lot of pressure on me to be a great player. I never got the impression that Coby or Dan felt much direct pressure from their families either. However, I think I can speak for the three of us in saying that we all put a significant amount of pressure on ourselves due to our backgrounds. And at the ABCD Camp, I certainly felt the pressure. But I was motivated and determined to move the needle!
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The first night, all of the players went to the gym for Sonny's welcome speech. He spoke to our group to set expectations for the camp, and gave some general advice. We then split up to join our assigned teams and had a light practice. That allowed us to meet our teammates for the camp and our teams' coaches. The coaches tried to implement some basic offensive and defensive principles during that practice. However, the reality was the camp was "pick-up ball" with some freelance referees.
My team's head coach was Chris Grant, who worked for my uncle, Pete Babcock, the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks at the time. (I don't think that was a coincidence). Chris started his career as an intern for my uncle after playing in college at the University of San Diego. Years later, he worked his way up and became the Cleveland Cavaliers' general manager. The top player on our team was Josh Smith from Atlanta, Georgia. He was a year younger than me, but he was a high-profile prospect. A couple of years later, Josh was selected in the first round by the Hawks directly out of high school. He had a successful NBA career, and was one of the top players for the Hawks for years.
Following practice, we returned to our rooms for the night. Dan and I talked about our teams. He told me he had a player on his team that was good. I had never heard of him before &mdash; his name was Carmelo Anthony.
We had a few things to do the following day before live games began. First, there was a guest speaker, but not just any guest speaker; it was Kobe Bryant. He talked to us about some of his personal experiences going through a lot of the same things we were all going through as high school players. It was incredible to listen to a player who had been living the life that every one of us dreamed about for ourselves. To say Kobe's talk was inspiring would be an extreme understatement. Although just a young guy at the time, Kobe had such distinct confidence and determination. It was a privilege to meet Kobe and listen to him speak.
Following the session with Kobe, the players had to take prep ACT and SAT classes. We were seated at tables with about a handful of players per table. I remember sitting with Travis Outlaw, who was a hilarious, nice guy. Travis declared for the 2002 NBA Draft after high school, and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. He went on to play in the NBA and had a good career.
At the table directly next to me was a younger player that I did not know. Like most of us, he didn't seem interested in that class. Halfway through picking out his braids and leaving half of his hair in an afro, he decided he would lay his head down and take a nap. The teacher wasn't happy about that and kept lecturing him, saying things like, "This is important, your future depends on this" &mdash; something along those lines. Finally, the player sat up and said, "I'm going pro!" and put his head back down.
Soon after, I found out the player's name was LeBron James.
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Finally, when classes finished up, the real reason we came to town was about to begin. It was time to hoop.
The games started, and they were great! There was so much talent in each game. I had the opportunity to share the court with future NBA All-Stars like Carmelo, LeBron, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and many other soon-to-be standout pros. The gym was buzzing, and it was quite the scene. "Oohs and ahhs" could be heard left and right. The stands were filled with famous coaches, including Coach K, Lute Olson and Rick Pitino. NBA scouts and media members were busy taking notes and trying to find the next NBA star.
The actual gameplay was pretty sloppy, as expected. In most showcase types of events, players will play "to get their's." Also, there is not much of a game plan without much practice time, which usually results in poor ball movement and limited opportunities for lower-ranked players (like myself) to have the ball in their hands.
Despite the challenges, I played pretty well. I shot a high percentage, and even had one game where I scored 15 points and hit a handful of three-pointers. Because I had limited opportunities to have the ball in my hands, I made an extra effort to be as effective as possible without the ball. I noticed that the referees were quick to call offensive fouls during this camp, so I decided to get in the lane when players would drive to the hoop to draw charges. My strategy worked well, and I drew several charges.
However, I tried this tactic in one particular game and my plan backfired, as the player on the other end was LeBron. He laid one of his now-signature tomahawk dunks right on me. I flew back probably 10 feet, and the gym went crazy. That was my formal introduction to "King James."
It's been said that the 2001 ABCD Camp is when LeBron broke onto the scene and the whole media frenzy began for him. His legendary battle with the No. 1 player in my class, Lenny Cooke, happened at this camp. Dan and I were sitting together in the bleachers watching that game. I am happy to say that I was a "witness" to the making of one of the greatest stars our game has ever seen.
All in all, I did well at the camp, and I was able to generate more interest from schools, which was my goal. However, more than 20 years have passed since that ABCD camp, and the most valuable experience turned out to be the memories that I will cherish forever.
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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com</a>.
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Matt Babcock relives his experience at the 2001 ABCD Camp, where a number of high schoolers stood out before becoming NBA stars.

ABCD Camp: The mecca of high school basketball circa 2001

Right before officially clinching their seventh Final Four berth this past weekend, the Villanova Wildcats lost junior guard Justin Moore, who had to be helped off the floor after a freak injury while dribbling to kill the clock with less than 45 seconds to go.
'Nova beat Houston 50-44 in the Elite Eight to become one of the last four standing teams in the Big Dance for the first time since 2018. However, it was announced days later that Moore &mdash; Villanova&rsquo;s second-leading scorer at 14.8 points per game on .397/.356/.750 shooting splits &mdash; ruptured his right Achilles tendon, prematurely ending his season.
Much of the basketball world united in comforting Moore during an excruciatingly awful time to receive such news, including Kevin Durant, who ruptured his own Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals.
&ldquo;I texted Kevin; he called me,&rdquo; Wright recalled <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/college-sports/villanova/justin-moore-achilles-kevin-durant-villanova-20220331.html">to the Philadelphia Inquirer</a>. &ldquo;And Kevin said, &lsquo;I was watching that, and it looked just like &mdash; I knew it when he went down; it looked just like mine.&rsquo; So we talked for a while about it.
&ldquo;What was so impressive to me was, Durant said, &lsquo;I&rsquo;d like to talk to [Justin], talk to the parents about the process. I want to tell him that.&rsquo; He listed himself, Klay Thompson, a couple other guys I can&rsquo;t remember &mdash; he goes, 'Look, these guys had it in the NBA.' And people in the NBA know now that you can come back from that.&rdquo;
Moore wasn&rsquo;t just 'Nova&rsquo;s second-best scorer throughout the 2021-22 season, but the 6-foot-4 guard earned Second Team All-Big East honors and All-Big East Tournament honors earlier this month. Moore&rsquo;s been a starter in all three of his seasons at Villanova, and has seen his scoring averages jump from 11.3 to 12.9 to 14.8 points per game. This season, he netted a career-best 17.1 points per 40 minutes while also being the Wildcats&rsquo; best rebounding guard, pulling down 4.8 boards per contest.
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According to FiveThirtyEight, there have been six major injuries to Final Four bound teams in the Men&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament since 2010. Using the qualifier of players logging at least 20 minutes in an NCAA Tournament, these players include Kalin Lucas of Michigan State in 2010, Darryl Bryant of West Virginia that same year, Louisville&rsquo;s Kevin Ware (do not Google it if you&rsquo;re reading this during lunch) in 2013, Willie Cauley-Stein of Kentucky in 2014, Auburn&rsquo;s Chuma Okeke in 2019, and now Moore.
Lucas <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2010/news/story?id=5017721" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruptured his Achilles against Maryland</a> in Round 2, and the Spartans subsequently lost in the Final Four. Oddly enough, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2010/news/story?id=5022928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryant broke his foot in the same round</a>, and his Mountaineers were also eliminated in the Final Four. Ware had a gruesome injury against Duke in the Elite Eight, and his Cardinals are the only team of this specific group that became national champions so far. Cauley-Stein <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2014/3/28/5559920/willie-cauley-stein-injury-kentucky-vs-louisville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suffered a left ankle injury in Round 1</a>, and his Wildcats lost in the title game. And Okeke <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2019/3/29/18287843/chuma-okeke-injury-bruce-pearl-crying-auburn-sweet-16-ncaa-tournament-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tore his ACL in the Sweet 16</a>; Auburn reached the Final Four round before having its season end.
So, how does 'Nova piece together the production and minutes to replace Moore? He&rsquo;s logged 35.9 minutes per game since the beginning of the Big East Tournament, and has led the Wildcats with 34.6 minutes per contest this season.
Collin Gillespie &mdash; the 2022 Big East Player of the Year, Big East Tournament MVP and Third-Team All-American &mdash; will likely be keyed in on that much harder against Kansas this weekend. (I mean, that&rsquo;s what you&rsquo;d all do if you were in charge of the Jayhawks' defense, right?)
Gillespie&rsquo;s dropping a team-best 15.6 points and 3.3 assists per game on .431/.409/.905 shooting splits. Team sixth-man Caleb Daniels, a 6-foot-4 guard like Moore, has averaged 10.2 points on .427/.377/.851 in 27.3 minutes per contest this season.
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Though the Villanova-Houston offense resembled the (lack of) effectiveness of the Brock Lesnar-Goldberg match at WrestleMania 20, Daniels came up big with 12 points in 35 minutes, even as it came on 4 of 16 shooting. Every point matters against Houston, who had become a tournament favorite with sportsbooks due to its defensive run to the Elite Eight.
Jermaine Samuels, who led the game with 16 points, is 'Nova&rsquo;s leading non-guard scorer at 11.1 points per contest. The 6-foot-7 big also pulls down a team-high 6.5 boards per contest while shooting 47.4% from the field and 77.3% on free throws. Eric Dixon and Brandon Slater are the other two starting forwards, and there, you have 'Nova&rsquo;s main minute-eaters.
Moore, Gillespie, Slater, Samuels, Daniels and Dixon are the only Wildcats averaging at least 10 minutes per game this season, ranging from 34.6 to 25.1 in the order they&rsquo;re listed.
At least one of the following two guys will have to step up going forward to really alleviate the non-Moore minutes. The first would be Bryan Antoine, a junior who has come off the bench for three seasons with the Wildcats and wasn&rsquo;t one of the seven players to log minutes against Houston. Antoine hasn&rsquo;t played more than 11 minutes in a game since Jan. 25 and has scored 2 points since Feb. 12 (seven games, 35 minutes), but has battled injuries of his own, which is why he didn&rsquo;t appear until December.
He <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/29/march-madness-justin-moore-injury-gives-bryan-antoine-big-chance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently told the New York Post</a> that &ldquo;I&rsquo;d say I&rsquo;m pretty confident. I&rsquo;ve had the same mindset from Day 1. It hasn&rsquo;t really changed for me. Obviously with the injuries, I have been set back, but I&rsquo;m still the same player from high school.&rdquo;
Three years ago, Antoine was a five-star, top-20 recruit and McDonald&rsquo;s All-American who <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/24575439/bryan-antoine-commits-villanova-wildcats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chose Villanova over Duke, Florida, Kentucky, and Kansas</a>. The 6-foot-5 guard should have a chance to prove he can still resemble that as the Wildcat rotation now has to expand beyond six.
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The other guard in waiting is fellow 6-foot-5 junior Chris Arcidiacono, the brother of the Ryan. The younger Arcidiacono did log two minutes against Houston but hasn&rsquo;t cracked 10 since March 5, which is the only other time he&rsquo;s scored in a game since Feb. 22. <a href="https://villanovan.com/20381/sports/with-moore-out-its-time-for-arch-madness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Per the Villanovan</a>, Arcidiacono downplayed his potentially increased role with a boring quote.
&ldquo;Really, nothing changes,&rdquo; Arcidiacono said. &ldquo;My role is I come off the bench, bring energy, and just make sure we&rsquo;re playing Villanova basketball for 40 minutes. So whenever I&rsquo;m in, I&rsquo;m going to help our team play Villanova basketball.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s downplaying it here, but no doubt that it&rsquo;s possible both Antoine and Arcidiacono receive increased roles against Kansas this Saturday.
Villanova will need to squeeze everything they can out of their non-regulars in hopes of finding something unexpected to help their championship quest.
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Villanova played one game this season without Justin Moore --- an 85-74 win over UConn on February 5th in South Philadelphia. Chris Arcidiacono had nine points in 26 minutes off the bench. The Wildcats don't have what they had, but they still have enough. <a href="https://t.co/DckgK3BJyi">https://t.co/DckgK3BJyi</a>
&mdash; Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1508236981083553793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Bryan Fonseca looks at who 'Nova can turn to with Justin Moore sidelined for the rest of the NCAA Tournament.

Villanova will have to survive without Justin Moore in the Final Four

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As we near the end of the NCAA regular season, let's take a dive into college basketball's Power Five conference standings, remaining matchups, and teams to watch as we come down the stretch.
Earlier this week, we addressed the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/state-of-the-conference-acc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACC</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/state-of-the-conference-evaluating-the-b1g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Ten</a>. For this article, we'll dive into the Big East.
<table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><colgroup><col width="100" /><col width="243" /><col width="232" /><col width="97" /><col width="118" /><col width="178" /><col width="178" /></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Rk&quot;}">Rk</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;School&quot;}">School</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;W&quot;}">W</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;L&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">L</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;W&quot;}">W</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;L&quot;}">L</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;W-L%&quot;}">W-L%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:1}">1</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Providence&quot;}">Providence (11)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10}">10</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">1</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:20}">20</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:2}">2</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.909}">0.909</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:2}">2</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Villanova&quot;}">Villanova (15)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:11}">11</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;3&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">3</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:18}">18</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.75}">0.75</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:3}">3</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Connecticut&quot;}">UConn (24)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:7}">7</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;4&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">4</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:16}">16</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.727}">0.727</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:4}">4</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Marquette&quot;}">Marquette (18)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8}">8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;5&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">5</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:16}">16</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8}">8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.667}">0.667</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:5}">5</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Creighton&quot;}">Creighton</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;5&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">5</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:14}">14</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8}">8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.636}">0.636</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Xavier&quot;}">Xavier (25)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;6&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:16}">16</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:7}">7</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.696}">0.696</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Seton Hall&quot;}">Seton Hall</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;6&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:15}">15</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:7}">7</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.682}">0.682</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:8}">8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;St. John's (NY)&quot;}">St. John's (NY)</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:5}">5</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;7&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">7</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:13}">13</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10}">10</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.565}">0.565</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:9}">9</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Butler&quot;}">Butler</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:4}">4</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;9&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">9</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:11}">11</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:13}">13</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.458}">0.458</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10}">10</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;DePaul&quot;}">DePaul</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:3}">3</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;9&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">9</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:12}">12</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:10}">10</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.545}">0.545</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:11}">11</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Georgetown&quot;}">Georgetown</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0}">0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;11&quot;}" data-sheets-numberformat="{&quot;1&quot;:1}">11</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:6}">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:16}">16</td>
<td data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:3,&quot;3&quot;:0.273}">0.273</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
FRONTRUNNERS: PROVIDENCE
The No. 11 Friars have put together an incredible season, now 20-2 overall and with the only conference loss coming to Marquette on Jan. 4. They are doing it in a true team effort, as not one player averages more than 14 points per game. Nate Watson, Al Durham, Jared Bynum and Noah Horchler have set themselves up for the top seed in the Big East tournament and are currently projected a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Tremendous year by Providence head coach Cooley.
Notable games remaining: Villanova (Feb. 15, March 1)
ON THE HEELS: VILLANOVA, UCONN, MARQUETTE
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17546421_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="454" />
Villanova sits only a half-game back of the Friars and is projected as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Collin Gillespie leads the Wildcats in scoring at 16.5 points per game, but for this team to make a run at the title, they will need Justin Moore, Jermaine Samuels and Brandon Slater to step up as more assertive scorers down the stretch. 'Nova is disciplined, experienced and prepared to make a deep run.
Currently projected a No. 6 seed for March Madness, the UConn Huskies are third in the conference standings, but have suffered losses to both Villanova and Creighton this month. RJ Cole and Adama Sanogo have been two of the best at their positions in the nation, and will be relied upon heavily as they come down the home stretch.&nbsp;
Justin Lewis is having a strong season for the Marquette Golden Eagles, as the team makes a push towards the tournament. At one point, they had won seven Big East games in a row, but have now lost 2 of the last 3. Lewis and fellow senior Darryl Morsell have gone through the most difficult part of the schedule already, so they are in prime position to fight for a top spot in the conference.
Notable games remaining:&nbsp;
Villanova: Providence (Feb. 15, March 1), UConn (Feb. 22)
UConn: Xavier (Feb. 11, Feb. 19), Villanova (Feb. 22)
Marquette: Creighton (Feb. 20), Butler (Feb. 26)
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17607977_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="454" />
SLEEPERS: XAVIER, CREIGHTON
Also projected a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Xavier has dropped two in a row and needs to get back on track quickly. The Musketeers are a well-rounded team on offense and will be a threat to knock off anyone in the Big East Tournament. Even if they don't rise to a top-three seed in conference, Xavier cannot be taken lightly, as this squad is poised to end anyone's run and climb to the championship game in the end.
Creighton has had an up and down season, now 14-8 overall. The Jays have dropped 3 of their last 5 contests, but Ryan Hawkins, Alex O'Connell, Ryan Nembhard and Ryan Kalkbrenner can catch fire any night and pull off a win. I don't see them rising to the top three in the conference standings, but like Xavier, you do not want to see them on the schedule come quarterfinals or semifinals.
Notable games remaining:&nbsp;
Xavier: UConn (Feb. 11, Feb. 19), Providence (Feb. 23)
Creighton: Marquette (Feb. 20), Providence (Feb. 26)
THE REST:
Seton Hall, Saint John&rsquo;s, Butler, Depaul, Georgetown
2022 NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS TO WATCH
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/justin-lewis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Lewis, Marquette</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/julian-champagnie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Julian Champagnie, St. John&rsquo;s</a>
Collin Gillespie, Villanova
Nate Johnson, Xavier
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Nearing the end of the NCAA regular season, Derek Murray takes a dive into the state of the Big East.

State of the Conference: Evaluating the Big East

No matter where Villanova guards Justin Moore and Collin Gillespie turned, there was another Baylor defender smothering them.
And now the defending national champion Bears are poised to be No. 1 for the first time this season.
James Akinjo had 16 points and second-ranked Baylor defensively dominated in a 57-36 victory Sunday over the sixth-ranked Wildcats, who scored their fewest points and had their worst-shooting game in coach Jay Wright&rsquo;s 21 seasons.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re a pretty good shooting team. I really chalk up our missed shots to their defense,&rdquo; Wright said, describing the Bears as physical, tough and quick.
&ldquo;They did a great job of being physical with us, getting up in us,&rdquo; Moore said. &ldquo;Then we make the extra pass, they&rsquo;re recovering.&rdquo;
The Bears (9-0) never trailed in their first nonconference home game ever against a top-six opponent, this one a rematch of an NCAA Sweet 16 game last March in Indianapolis. This Big East/Big 12 Battle matchup featured the teams that won three of the last five NCAA titles.
Villanova (7-3) shot only 22% (12 of 54) with several extended scoring droughts in its 689th game under Wright, whose two NCAA titles were both won recently in Texas &mdash; in Houston in 2016 and San Antonio in 2018. The 36 points tied the fewest by a top-10 team in the shot clock era (since 1985-86), and marked Nova&rsquo;s first game under 40 points since 1979.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a really good team, everybody can score 1 through 5. But the separator is getting those stops,&rdquo; Akinjo said. &ldquo;We all take pride in our individual matchups. We compete against each other every day.&rdquo;
Adam Flagler had 10 points as Baylor, which won its NCAA-best 15th game in a row dating to last season, shot 39% (22 of 56) and was held under 69 points for the first time this season. Jeremy Sochan had nine points and 10 rebounds before fouling out.
Moore had 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting for Villanova.
Top-ranked Purdue lost to Rutgers on Thursday night, clearing the way for Baylor to move up to the No. 1 spot when the new Associated Press poll comes out Monday. Baylor never made it to No. 1 in a poll during the regular season last year on the way to its national title, and last was in that spot during the 2019-20 season.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s exciting, but we honestly don&rsquo;t really think about that,&rdquo; Flagler said. &ldquo;Like Coach (Scott) Drew said, the most important thing is being No. 1 at the end.&rdquo;
Baylor, which had to overcome a 30-23 halftime deficit in the Sweet 16 matchup, took control with an 11-0 run during a five-minute scoring drought by the Wildcats late in the first half. The Bears led 25-9 before Gillespie made a drought-breaking 3-pointer.
Villanova missed nine in a row in an early scoreless span of more than 7 1/2 minutes while the Bears only scored four points of their own. The Wildcats then missed six shots over more than five minutes during another scoreless drought in the second half.
BIG PICTURE
Villanova: The previous scoring low under Wright came in a 46-40 loss to UConn on Feb. 11, 2002, in Wright&rsquo;s first season. ... Gillespie, the team&rsquo;s leading scorer at 17.3 points per game, finished with six points on two 3s in the final 2:48 of the first half.
Baylor: Akinjo, a senior transfer in his first season at Baylor, began his college career in the Big East at Georgetown before playing at Arizona last year. He also had five assists. ... The Bears have won eight consecutive games against top-10 teams, and are 18-3 against ranked opponents over the last three seasons. They extended their record home winning streak to 19 in a row, and have won 33 consecutive nonconference games since November 2020.
JERSEY FOR DICKIE V
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale was presented with a No. 42 Baylor jersey before the game, marking 42 years in broadcasting and his first trip to Waco. It was only the third game this season for the 82-year-old Vitale, who in October was diagnosed with lymphoma after earlier surgeries to remove melanoma. He got a huge ovation then and at halftime when a video was shown with highlights from his career, including a clip from his first game for ESPN on Dec. 5, 1979, and his work with the Jimmy V Foundation. That video ended with Drew&rsquo;s imitation of Vitale&rsquo;s &ldquo;It&rsquo;s awesome, baby,&rdquo; and lauding Vitale for what he has done for college basketball and efforts to fight cancer, both personally and for others.
UP NEXT
Villanova: Plays its Big East opener at Creighton on Friday night.
Baylor: After final exams this week, the Bears play at Oregon on Saturday night.&nbsp;

James Akinjo had 16 points and second-ranked Baylor defensively dominated in a 57-36 victory Sunday over the sixth-ranked Wildcats.

No. 2 Baylor primed for top after 57-36 win over No. 6 Nova

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/darko-milicic-thinks-jokic-is-a-target-because-he-is-a-foreign-player-dominating-the-nba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
The altercation between Nikola Jokić and Markieff Morris that ended up in the Serbian pushing the Heat forward viciously in the back, retaliating to the cheap shot foul from Morris, captured NBA headlines last week. That push would start all-out chaos, with teams having to be separated and ejections, suspensions, fines, and even brothers of the protagonists getting involved. The whole incident made waves worldwide and caused numerous reactions. Even from the former No. 2 pick Darko Miličić.&nbsp;
Jokić&rsquo;s reaction was justified
Although at first, it seemed Nikola really overreacted and injured Morris, the second look told the whole story. Markieff went for Jokić&rsquo;s ribs and cheap-shotted in a very unnecessary manner with a move that could have definitely injured the Nuggets center. In the end, cooler heads prevailed, and the NBA got the type of show and drama they need on an occasional basis.
The NBA world reacted to this altercation immediately, as it was the main topic of discussion for days. The majority of people justified Nikola&rsquo;s reaction and agreed you can&rsquo;t cheap-shot a guy like that and simply turn your back. Shaq and Charles explained that perfectly on Inside the NBA.
Darko reacts and fires numerous shots at the Morris twins and the NBA
Another interesting reaction we got was from the former 2003 No. 2 pick and Jokić&rsquo;s countryman, Darko Miličić. One of the most infamous draft busts in NBA history has been retired for some time, trying out his luck in combat sports and farming after the NBA life. But occasionally, he still gives us controversial and non-filtered opinions on the basketball world.
Miličić&nbsp;is certain Jokić often gets targeted by opposing players due to his dominance and ability to bully opponents on the court, especially coming from a foreign country:
&ldquo;What else could Nikola expect when he comes to America, which has hundreds of millions, from a small country that does not have even six million people? He comes, dominates, and bullies them in basketball, becomes the best in the world? Similar to Novak in tennis&hellip; Of course, you will bother some people, and you will be their target," Miličić <a href="https://mozzartsport.com/kosarka/vesti/milicic-za-mozzart-sport-jokic-im-smeta-kao-okovic-nba-je-sou-igraci-nisu-gangsteri/403764" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said via Mozzart Sport</a>.
Miličić&nbsp;has a good point, as foreign players have to work extra hard to earn respect in the NBA. Miličić then went on to flame the Morris twins for being fake tough guys:
&ldquo;It is obvious that they (the Morris brothers) are building their careers on incidents and provocations, as &lsquo;dangerous guys.&rsquo; They survive on that basis. But Nikola shouldn&rsquo;t have allowed himself that because they achieved what they wanted by provocation. Nikola was suspended.&rdquo;&nbsp;
To cap it all off, Miličić called out all the "tough guys" in the NBA for just trying to put on a show for cameras rather than actually wanting to fight:
&ldquo;The NBA is a show. We can say whatever we want, where we come from&hellip; An epidemiological story that tries to be served as if they are all gangsters can&rsquo;t pass even with small children. All players are accomplished and earn at least enough. All that show (around fighting), it comes down to &lsquo;I to you, you to me&rsquo;, frowning&hellip; Those quasi-street threats are stereotyped. They didn&rsquo;t mean anything to me. Nikola turned out naive, pushed him visibly. I&rsquo;m not a scoundrel, but I didn&rsquo;t see the desire for a showdown. A small percentage of players are ready for the showdown. You turn out to be naive if you get hooked and in front of everyone. You turn out to be the culprit, regardless of the circumstances under which it happened.&rdquo;
Miličić&nbsp;is a bit blunt and direct with his statements, but he does have a point. NBA stars are basketball players primarily and professionals with a lot to lose. They don&rsquo;t want to fight anybody and risk losing substantial amounts of money.&nbsp;
Sure they will try to look tough for the cameras and the crowd, especially those who built a career on being labeled the "tough guy." But in reality, nobody really wants the smoke. Darko was a bust with many ridiculous statements in his career, but I have to agree with him this time.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Darko Milicic offered his thoughts on the recent altercation between Nikola Jokic and Markieff Morris.

Darko Milicic feels Nikola Jokic is targeted as a foreign player

The world's best professional athletes can earn hundreds of millions of dollars for their elite talents. With this comes the opportunity to have a luxurious lifestyle, and supercars may be some of the coolest flexes out there.
A study from <a href="http://www.ManySpins.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ManySpins.com</a> sought to estimate the most expensive car collections among pro athletes around the world.
"ManySpins.com analyzed <a href="https://www.forbes.com/athletes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.forbes.com/athletes/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631971421396000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGAISRIhOGZdjAGbcQKuQ6EI2EDdA">Forbes&rsquo; 2021</a> list of the world&rsquo;s 50 highest-paid athletes, investigating several reports into the number and value of cars these athletes have amassed with their enormous wealth," he study reads. "They then scoured the internet to find out which car brands and models each athlete owns alongside their estimated worth. Ultimately, this allowed ManySpins.com to rank the most expensive car collection of the best-paid athletes in 2021."
According to the study, global soccer star Lionel Messi has the most expensive car collection of any professional athlete, worth an estimated $38,873,313. However, the bulk of his 13-vehicle value comes from a single car: a Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti that he bought for over $34 million.
Brooklyn Nets centerpiece Kevin Durant owns the most expensive car collection among NBA players. His eight-vehicle entourage is worth an estimated $4,369,741. It includes a 1966 Ford GT40, which has a ballpark value of around $2.5 million. Durant ranks eighth among all athletes included in the study.
LeBron James slots in at second among basketball stars and 11th among world athletes, with a collection valued at $2,798,824. His eight cars are headlined by a Lamborghini Aventador Roadster and a Rolls-Royce Phantom.&nbsp;
James Harden ($815,702), Stephen Curry ($782,277) and Anthony Davis ($710,900) round out the top-five basketball player collections. Kyrie Irving ($661,792), Russell Westbrook ($601,053), Damian Lillard ($518,915) and Klay Thompson ($511,636) also have collections estimated to be worth over $500,000.&nbsp;
Below is a table listing the top-10 most expensive collections among pro athletes:
<table style="width: 69.5567%;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
Rank
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Athlete
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Sport
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
No. of Cars
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
Est. Total Value ($)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
1
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Lionel Messi
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Football
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
13
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$38,873,313
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
2
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Cristiano Ronaldo
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Football
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
19
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$24,929,239
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
3
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Lewis Hamilton
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Motor Racing
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
9
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$17,084,400
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
4
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Saul &lsquo;Canelo&rsquo; Alvarez
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Boxing
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
22
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
<a name="m_5051585228983048241_m_5399777449911796738__Hlk82093946"></a>$17,004,264
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
5
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Neymar
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Football
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
9
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$16,271,392
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
6
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Max Verstappen
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Motor Racing
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
10
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$5,514,678
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
7
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Tom Brady
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
American Football
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
10
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$4,619,790
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
8
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Kevin Durant
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Basketball
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
8
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$4,369,741
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
9
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Conor McGregor
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
MMA/Boxing
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
13
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$3,753,914
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
10
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Paul Pogba
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Football
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
8
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$3,144,537
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Listed here is the methodology for the study:
<ol>
<li><a href="https://manyspins.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://manyspins.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631971421396000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFKzGARRIH4tSNVKZzxV1jC4Pu9vA">ManySpins.com</a> sought to determine the current highest-paid athletes in 2021&rsquo;s most expensive car collection.</li>
<li>The list of athletes was sourced from <a href="https://www.forbes.com/athletes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.forbes.com/athletes/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631971421397000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFr_vEBYJgEoEmj51xYELQE7fW5Tw">Forbes 2021</a> top 50 world&rsquo;s highest-paid athlete list.</li>
<li>The data for this study was completed by using several reports and extensive research but is not a confirmed or an official list. </li>
<li>Sources included: <a href="https://www.motorious.com/articles/features-3/tom-brady-car-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Motorious</a>, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/10725755/conor-mcgregor-car-collection-lamborghini-yacht/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-cristiano-ronaldos-24-million-car-collection-2021-5#its-not-only-supercars-in-ronaldos-collection-however-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider</a>, <a href="https://www.hotcars.com/heres-what-james-harden-drives/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hot Cars</a>, <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/auto/gallery/cristiano-ronaldos-car-collection-three-ferraris-a-bugatti-and-what-not/photos/680194/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Express</a>, <a href="https://drivetribe.com/p/a-look-inside-conor-mcgregors-mega-JpHpNiGTS2eAM3waKH4LTw?iid=MrJ9GRIlToOpkWl7gW_FiA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DriveTribe</a>, <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/boxing-news-from-rolls-royce-ghost-to-bugatti-chiron-the-luxurious-car-collection-of-canelo-alvarez/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EssentiallySports</a>, <a href="https://racingnews365.com/lewis-hamiltons-incredible-car-collection-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RacingNews365</a>, <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1406210/lewis-hamilton-car-collection-supercar-pagani-zonda-mercedes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Express</a>, <a href="https://www.thegentlemanracer.com/2018/11/car-girl-naomi-osaka-and-her-gtr.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Gentleman Racer</a>, <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/sports-news/basketball-news/kevin-durants-170m-fortune-being-spent-on-investments-cars-charities.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RepublicWorld</a>, <a href="https://www.topgear.com.ph/features/feature-articles/saul-canelo-alvarez-car-collection-a958-20210430" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TopGear</a>, <a href="http://sports24.com.ng/mbappe-net-worth-houses-salary-cars-family/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sports24</a>, <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/chris-paul-net-worth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SportsKeeda</a>, <a href="https://www.wtfoot.com/nba/player/russell-westbrook/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wtfoot</a>, <a href="https://carcollectorsclub.com/an-inside-look-into-novak-djokovics-extravagant-car-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CarCollectorsClub</a>, <a href="https://www.sportszion.com/kyrie-irving-net-worth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sportszion</a>, <a href="https://networthmag.com/anthony-davis-net-worth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">networthmag</a>, <a href="https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/fan-park/update/andres-iniesta-s-car-collection/303871" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soccerladuma</a>, <a href="https://autojosh.com/neymar-most-expensive-car/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AutoJosh</a>, <a href="https://www.kickoff.com/lifestyle/categories/wheels/mohammed-salah-s-incredible-car-collection/702577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KickOff</a>, <a href="https://www.insidesport.co/wimbledon-2021-roger-federer-and-his-luxurious-lifestyle-5-costliest-things-owned-by-the-tennis-superstar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InsideSport</a>, <a href="https://thesportsgrail.com/list-of-the-most-expensive-and-luxurious-car-collection-owned-by-neymar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TheSportsGrail</a>, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/stephen-curry-incredible-and-expensive-car-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ClutchPoints</a>, <a href="https://21motoring.com/lionel-messi-car-collection-2021-inside-messi-garage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">21Motoring</a> and <a href="https://www.lifestyleasia.com/ind/gear/motoring/lionel-messi-car-collection-luxury-cars-fc-barca-net-worth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LifestyleAsia</a>.</li>
<li>Some of the cars in the study did not have a specific model attributed to the car, so the average value of the car was used.</li>
<li>Each athlete&rsquo;s total car collection value was calculated by adding up the estimated value of each individual car, allowing for a final ranking of most expensive to least.</li>
<li>10 athletes were excluded from the final study due to no reported information on their respective car collections (Dak Prescott, David Bakhtiari, Ronnie Stanley, Dustin Johnson, Myles Garrett, Leonard Williams, Jimmy Butler, Chris Jones, Matt Judon and J.J. Watt).</li>
<li>The currency was converted from GBP (&pound;) to USD ($) using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.xe.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.xe.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631971421397000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGG1XmJALNv82q7dZJxPUMsxthACg">XE&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;live currency converter.</li>
<li>The data was collected on 08/09/2021 and is accurate as of then but subject to change.</li>
</ol>

A study from ManySpins.com looked to find out which pro athletes have the most expensive car collection.

Which NBA players have the most valuable car collection?

The Milwaukee Bucks announced that they have inked a deal with play-by-play announcer and broadcaster Lisa Byington, making her the first female full-time TV play-by-play announcer for a major men's professional team.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/LisaByington?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LisaByington</a> becomes the first female full-time TV play-by-play announcer for a major men&rsquo;s professional sports team. Welcome to Milwaukee, Lisa!! <a href="https://t.co/HYZXUqshOa">pic.twitter.com/HYZXUqshOa</a>
&mdash; Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1438241102516064260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Women around the league continue to break down many barriers in the NBA, from referees to coaches, and now to play-by-play sports announcers. Congratulations Lisa!
AP Story:
Lisa Byington is making history as the Milwaukee Bucks&rsquo; new play-by-play voice on their television broadcasts.
The Bucks announced the hiring Wednesday and said Byington is the first woman to work as a full-time television play-by-play announcer for any major men&rsquo;s professional sports team.
Byington replaces Jim Paschke, who retired after 35 seasons as the team&rsquo;s main television play-by-play broadcaster.
&ldquo;I understand the groundbreaking nature of this hire, and I appreciate the fact that during this process that aspect was addressed, but never made a primary focus,&rdquo; Byington said in a statement released by the team. &ldquo;In fact, I applaud the Bucks for taking the first steps toward making hires like this more of the norm in the NBA. Because it&rsquo;s time.&rdquo;
Earlier this year, Byington became the first female play-by-play broadcaster for the NCAA men&rsquo;s basketball tournament. She was a men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s soccer play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports in the 2021 Olympics and also did play-by-play for the Women&rsquo;s World Cup on Fox in 2019.
The Bucks&rsquo; broadcast crew also includes Marques Johnson and Steve Novak as analysts and Zora Stephenson as a sideline reporter. Last season, Stephenson became the first woman to work as a play-by-play announcer for the Bucks when she filled in for Paschke for one game.
Byington worked as a sideline reporter for the NCAA men&rsquo;s basketball tournament on CBS and Turner Sports from 2017-19. She also has been a play-by-play broadcaster on NBA and WNBA games.
She became the first female play-by-play broadcaster for a Big Ten Network college football game in 2017.
Byington has broadcast games for FOX Sports, FS1, Big Ten Network, CBS, Turner Sports, Pac-12 Network, ESPN and the SEC Network in both play-by-play and reporter roles. She played basketball and soccer while attending Northwestern University.

The Milwaukee Bucks have made Lisa Byington the first female play-by-play broadcaster for a major men's pro sports team.

Bucks sign first female TV play-by-play announcer Lisa Byington

SAITAMA, Japan (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic&rsquo;s first Olympics have not been perfect, despite what the basketball standings say. He was defeated. Once. By the rules.
Doncic was looking for tickets to go watch men&rsquo;s tennis when Novak Djokovic was playing in the men&rsquo;s semifinals. Ordinarily, the world&rsquo;s top athletes have no problem getting into other Olympic events when their schedules allow. But at the Tokyo Games, amid a pandemic, there are very strict policies about what athletes can do and where they can go. As such, Doncic&rsquo;s plea for tickets went unfulfilled.
He settled for watching &ldquo;everything on TV,&rdquo; Doncic said.
Another marquee event is coming up Tuesday, that being the men&rsquo;s basketball quarterfinals at the Tokyo Games. Doncic won&rsquo;t have tickets to those, but won&rsquo;t need them, either. He&rsquo;ll be on the court when Slovenia takes on Germany for a berth in the medal round, a step that would put his basketball-crazed homeland even more on the sport&rsquo;s map and potentially send his stock soaring even higher.
&ldquo;We have, obviously, the best player in the world,&rdquo; Slovenia coach Aleksander Sekulic said.
Doncic is certainly in the conversation about being the world&rsquo;s best. As far as being the best player in the Tokyo Games, there&rsquo;s no argument.
Through the group stage, Doncic led the Olympic men&rsquo;s field in scoring at 28.3 points per game, 6.0 points ahead of Japan&rsquo;s Rui Hachimura. He&rsquo;s second in rebounding at 10.7 per game, behind only Slovenian teammate Mike Tobey&rsquo;s 13 per contest. And he&rsquo;s third in assists at 7.0 per game; Tomas Satoransky of the Czech Republic averaged 8.7, Spain&rsquo;s Ricky Rubio is averaging 7.3.
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No men&rsquo;s player has ever finished an Olympics averaging Doncic&rsquo;s current numbers. And nobody has averaged 28.3 points in an Olympics since Brazil&rsquo;s Oscar Schmidt &mdash; the Olympic standard for just about every men&rsquo;s scoring mark &mdash; averaged 42.3 per game at Seoul in 1988.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re making history for our country,&rdquo; Doncic said.
His impact is all over the court.
Nobody in this men&rsquo;s tournament has drawn more fouls, by a wide margin, than Doncic. He&rsquo;s also tied for the Olympic lead in blocked shots, is shooting a ridiculous 75% on 2-pointers, is one of five players in the Olympics with at least 10 makes so far on 3-pointers.&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/luka-doncic-dazzles-with-48-points-for-slovenia-in-olympic-debut-vs-argentina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He had a 48-point Olympic debut,</a>&nbsp;tying him for the second-highest scoring game in Olympic history, and&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-sports-spain-slovenia-spain-olympic-team-f1d1076d62e86449f8c46bb03e4b7ce3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was one assist shy on Sunday against Spain</a>&nbsp;from posting what would have been the third triple-double ever at a games.
&ldquo;He is the best player in the world, including the NBA,&rdquo; Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez said. &ldquo;If there was any doubt in my mind, it is there no more.&rdquo;
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For as good as Doncic is with the Dallas Mavericks, he&rsquo;s been impossible to beat in his nation&rsquo;s colors.
Slovenia&rsquo;s senior team is 16-0 with Doncic in the lineup. He was a teenager on the team that captured the European championship in 2017 behind Goran Dragic&rsquo;s MVP performance, a win that remains, for now anyway, the top achievement in Slovenia&rsquo;s basketball history. Dragic insisted &mdash; not predicted &mdash; when that tournament was over that Doncic would be an NBA &ldquo;superstar.&rdquo;
&ldquo;They could win this,&rdquo; Dragic said earlier in these Olympics, watching from his Slovenia home.
Doncic is why.
Slovenia surrounded Doncic for these Olympics, and the six-team qualifier it had to win last month just to get to Tokyo, with plenty of shooters who space the floor for his game and a big man like Tobey &mdash; who played at Virginia &mdash; to provide the inside help needed. The formula has worked all summer; Slovenia is 7-0 with an average winning margin of 26.4 points per game.
A win over Germany on Tuesday, and they&rsquo;re in the medal round in their debut Olympics.
&ldquo;Playing with him is just amazing,&rdquo; Tobey said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s so talented. At this type of basketball, maybe every type of basketball, he&rsquo;s the best in the world. I don&rsquo;t know what he does. You try not to be in awe too much.&rdquo;
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The U.S. came to Tokyo with 12 NBA players, a past MVP and NBA Finals MVP in Kevin Durant, seven players who have played for an NBA title, five of them who have actually won championships. Top to bottom, the talent the Americans have overshadows every team, Slovenia included.
But Doncic grew up playing the international style, obviously. He knows how the game is called. He knows the nuances. He&rsquo;s used to playing with a ball that differs from the feel and bounce of the NBA ball. For him, the transition between playing for Dallas and playing for his country has been seamless. Not every NBA standout in Tokyo can say the same.
&ldquo;Luka Doncic is one of the best four or five players in the world right now,&rdquo;&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-slovenia-japan-basketball-518f71485c91c54ec6fb2a61c6205474" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Japan coach Julio Lamas said.</a>&nbsp;&ldquo;But he plays very comfortably in FIBA with the spacing and the rules. Some other NBA players feel uncomfortable sometimes in FIBA. He don&rsquo;t. He is excellent in all the game situations.&rdquo;
Doncic wants no part of the best-player conversation. He won&rsquo;t even discuss an offseason of change with the Mavericks &mdash; Jason Kidd taking over for Rick Carlisle as coach, changes in the front office, changes to the roster &mdash; until the Olympics are over. He&rsquo;s locked in solely on playing for gold, nothing else.
Besides, he doesn&rsquo;t need to rave about his own play. Everyone else already is doing that for him.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy that I can witness and play with him,&rdquo; said Slovenia guard Zoran Dragic, Goran Dragic&rsquo;s brother. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s such an awesome guy and it&rsquo;s so easy to play with him, because he&rsquo;s just an unbelievable person and basketball player. Yeah, we can be all happy that he&rsquo;s Slovenian.&rdquo;
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Luka Doncic has been outstanding in his first Olympics. "He is the best player in the world, including the NBA," said a rival head coach.

Luka Doncic's Olympic debut earns praise: 'He's the best in the world'

The Detroit Pistons are in the NBA's basement, but they&rsquo;re not as deep as one might think.
Yes, Dwane Casey and Co. sit at a paltry 18-42, and they own it -- but with each individual flash of brilliance the team&rsquo;s youth puts forth, they&rsquo;re inching back up the stairs, step-by-step.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been concentrated on development,&rdquo; Casey said prior to a recent road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. &ldquo;As much as we want to win, getting guys experience, minutes and developing [is important]. We&rsquo;re in full-blown mode with that now because again, in rebuilding we don&rsquo;t have a G-League season, we didn&rsquo;t have summer league, so these minutes -- not to demean our season this year -- but we have to get guys like Killian [Hayes], Isaiah [Stewart] Saddiq [Bey] and Saben [Lee] as many NBA minutes as possible as we go forward.&rdquo;
Knowing what they have in Jerami Grant and the current veterans in place, the focus has turned toward finding out what the &ldquo;kids&rdquo; have in their respective tool bags.&nbsp;
The first that stands out is Bey, who at any moment is ready to fire from deep, put the ball on the floor or use his size in mismatches on the block. Who can forget the stretch in mid-February when he won Eastern Conference Player of the Week? (By the way: the only other Pistons rookie to do so was Kelly Tripucka in 1982). In one of those games, Bey ended up recording two career-highs by scoring 30 points and pulling down 12 rebounds in a win at Boston. In that same contest, he set a new Detroit rookie record for threes made with seven triples.
We&rsquo;ve learned that such a strong week was not just a blip on the radar, though admittedly, the highs and the lows have been pretty glaring. One day, he can go 10-for-12, and the next, he&rsquo;ll have an 0-for-8 showing. While streaky is probably the best word to describe his offensive game, you don&rsquo;t want to see him get hot, as Cleveland quickly found out with his 18-point first quarter in which he went 6-6 from three within the first 10 minutes of the game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Saddiq Bey is 6-6 from deep. It's the 1st quarter. 🤯 📱💻: <a href="https://t.co/Laecx0phzX">https://t.co/Laecx0phzX</a> <a href="https://t.co/T7AK9mOgUX">pic.twitter.com/T7AK9mOgUX</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1384289566056534023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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👏 Former Villanova star Saddiq Bey is the 1st rookie in NBA history to make 7+ threes with 0 misses last night! The former <a href="https://twitter.com/NovaMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NovaMBB</a> star had a career high 30 points on a perfect 7 for 7 from 3 + career high 12 rebounds<a href="https://twitter.com/6abc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@6abc</a><a href="https://twitter.com/VUCoachJWright?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VUCoachJWright</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Villanova?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Villanova</a> <a href="https://t.co/8DSjvSD491">pic.twitter.com/8DSjvSD491</a>
&mdash; Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffSkversky/status/1360591038155546633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2021</a></blockquote>

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"He's one of the best shooters in our league right now, which to me, is a surprise -- the three-point shooting; he was a prolific scorer [in the] mid-range and what he wanted to do at Villanova, but I didn't foresee the efficiency of his three-point shooting and and his ability to get his three off with the low release as he's doing now,&rdquo; Casey said.
&ldquo;It's great to see. I'm happy for him. He's worked with the coaches. The coaches have done a good job working with him. Wayne Ellington, his shooting buddy, [has helped too]. It's contagious. He's getting it off quicker now like Wayne, and that was one of the issues early: was he gonna be able to get that shot off quick enough? But working with Wayne and D.J. Bakker, the developmental coach, has worked on that and it's working well for him. It's only gonna get better once he is able to read the screen and close-out, the length of the close-outs during the games."
Bey has already blown away Brandon Knight&rsquo;s franchise rookie record for threes made with 136, and he&rsquo;s currently second among all rookies in triples (behind only Anthony Edwards).
When asked by Detroit Free Press beat writer Omari Sankofa for Bey&rsquo;s closest player comparison, Casey had to think a bit.
&ldquo;He's got a body type that's big and strong. There's not a lot of guys like him in the league. You have a guy like Jimmy Butler, size-wise -- I'm not saying he's gonna be Jimmy Butler or he is Jimmy Butler -- but that type of shooter at the same stage of Butler's career,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;Now, Butler can put the ball on the floor much, much better now at this stage of his career, but that body type, that size and shooting ability. Not saying he's Jimmy Butler or better than Jimmy Butler, but that's kinda the body-type that he has."
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When asked to assess his offensive game, Bey talked about finding comfort in the role he&rsquo;s currently in.
"I think it's just trying to find ways that integrate my entire game," Bey said. "In college, that's what I did -- I used every aspect, and that's what you wanted to do at school anyway, have everybody use their complete games. So, I'm just trying to figure out my role and try to figure out which ways I can attack and use different parts of my game to help the team win. It's something to get used to and just find and look at situations where I can help my team in every way."
Then, there&rsquo;s the bruising, burly definition of physicality personified in Bey&rsquo;s fellow rookie teammate, Isaiah Stewart. The one Pistons Twitter refers to as &ldquo;Beef Stew&rdquo; is actually all about cooking the kitchen, and he certainly brings his own flavor on the floor. Following his third straight double-double, he revealed after Tuesday&rsquo;s practice that he studies film of Miami Heat All-Star big man Bam Adebayo and Los Angeles Lakers human motor Montrezl Harrell. Stewart and Harrell are cut from the same cloth, and their fight and hunger is on display every night.
Stewart is not letting this opportunity go by the wayside. He is soaking all of it in, deterring his opponents and essentially bullying them with gritty box-outs and downright wanting the ball more on every possession. A perfect example of this was when he out-hustled multiple Cavs for a backtap in a one-possession game that led to Detroit sealing the win in Cleveland.
&ldquo;A lot of teams passed over him in the draft, but I love his [competitiveness].&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;He has his PHD: poor, hungry and driven. I love it. That kid, he gives you everything, every ounce he has... Isaiah is a hit-first guy. He fights for space, he fights for position on both sides of the ball. And if you&rsquo;re not ready for that, it&rsquo;s not just gonna be one out of five times, it&rsquo;s gonna be every time you&rsquo;re down the floor.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s gonna fight for every inch of the court and use his body legally to get it. A lot of times, the official may see the second of him trying to release because [the opponents] are grabbing him. I think his reputation will grow once he&rsquo;s through the league another year after this year and going into next year. I just love him. He&rsquo;s scratching the surface of what he&rsquo;s gonna be in this league.&rdquo;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/oi0v8y" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
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Isaiah Stewart didn't give up on this play love the effort and hustle <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DetroitUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DetroitUp</a> <a href="https://t.co/i3mPdJftg1">pic.twitter.com/i3mPdJftg1</a>
&mdash; Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/woodwardsports/status/1383580590851592195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Stewart is the first Piston to register three consecutive double-doubles since Greg Monroe had four in a row in 2011. The rookie brute has seven total on the season. And even though he&rsquo;s a little shorter, Stewart&rsquo;s battling in the trenches and doing the dirty work has reminded the city and team of former defensive stalwart Ben Wallace.
&ldquo;It's definitely great because the history of those teams, the history of those players, just speaks for itself. The fact that they see that in my game and the way I play is definitely a great thing to hear,&rdquo; Stewart said of the comparison.
&ldquo;I put in the work. I do all the extra things, take the time out to watch film, watch every game and make notes on every game and see where I can always grow from [it]. I put in the work after practice, or on the off day, I'm working on my game."
Bey and Stewart were both first-round picks, but they weren&rsquo;t Detrot's highest selection. Killian Hayes was drafted No. 7 overall to be the franchise&rsquo;s point guard of the future. Unfortunately, he&rsquo;s spent the majority of his debut campaign on the sidelines due to a hip injury. However, the 19-year-old French-American has shown plenty of promise since returning to action on April 3. He is putting his craftiness (and shiftiness) on display, getting to his spots and being aggressive when he needs to be. It&rsquo;s the passing acumen, lob location and ability to pester his matchups that have really stood out, though, especially because his 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame can give opposing guards headaches on both ends.
"He is [reaching the level we thought]. He's growing. He sees things that other people don't see,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;Now, sometimes, it may go in the 14th row right now, but we've gotta live with some of that and not take away his creativity. But the young man's big and strong. I think the more he gets in NBA condition where he can play huge minutes, I think that's gonna help him even more as far as he grows.
&ldquo;His shooting will come the better condition he gets in. I'm not saying he's out of shape, but there's a different level of NBA conditioning, especially for a usage guy like himself who's gonna have the ball a lot and who's gonna be guarding a lot of pick-and-rolls every game. So that takes a lot of energy, lot of conditioning and strength to do that, and he's learning that right there and he's growing. He's not where he would've been if he had that time that he missed with the hip injury, but he's coming. And I'm gonna say this: he'll be a different young man this time next year -- probably won't recognize [him with] how much he's grown."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
This dime from Killian Hayes! 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DetroitPistons</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBARooks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBARooks</a> <a href="https://t.co/o8CG9PF2gy">pic.twitter.com/o8CG9PF2gy</a>
&mdash; NBA Draft (@NBADraft) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBADraft/status/1383229299319214084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Killian Hayes stays aggressive <a href="https://t.co/iYjWhVhgxR">pic.twitter.com/iYjWhVhgxR</a>
&mdash; Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pistons__Talk/status/1385407273573523459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

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There will be more chances for Hayes to sharpen his play through the rest of the season, as there will be for the other young players.&nbsp;
Saben Lee seemingly came out of nowhere and started a stretch of games from late March to early April. He's unafraid to step in and shoot the ball, mostly at the cup and in the short mid-range area. Josh Jackson has proven to be a solid pickup with upside, and is just 24 years old despite being in his fourth NBA season. Frank Jackson joined the team on a two-way contract in late December and he's become one of the best defenders on the team who can also drain shots from deep. Sekou Doumbouya is still one of the youngest players in the league who can benefit from more minutes.
Pistons general manager Troy Weaver scooped up Dennis Smith Jr. and Hamidou Diallo in separate trades, with the latter specifically providing hard-nosed defense with attention to detail, as well as aggressiveness while leading the bench unit.&nbsp;
All of that young talent, plus the breakout star season Grant is having? The Pistons have something cooking, and it starts with the three first-rounders they drafted last fall.
"We've gotta build,&rdquo; Hayes said. &ldquo;Win, lose, draw, we've gotta still build, get better. We've got a long career ahead of us. Just building step-by-step.&rdquo;
&ldquo;When we first came into camp, we didn't really know much about each other at all. We were all strangers to each other,&rdquo; Stewart said. &ldquo;As time went on and all the way up 'til now, I'd say we've definitely grown together. We've definitely built chemistry since then, and we're continuing to learn about each other every day."
&ldquo;I pray and hope that all of us keep getting better and better each year, and try to be the best we can be by the end of each and every year,&rdquo; Bey said. &ldquo;I think, obviously, we'll have more experience and it'll just be exciting to see what the future holds."
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Monday night marked just the fourth time in franchise history that Detroit has started three rookies in the same lineup. It was the trio of Hayes, Bey and Stewart, and the team punched the Cavs in the mouth with a 32-9 onslaught to start the game. You can tell how much they all value this opportunity.
Casey credits Weaver for the job he&rsquo;s done with assembling this group that's full of players with a similar mindset and proverbial chip on their shoulder. It&rsquo;s reminiscent of that old-school Pistons feel, and the organization can sense the progress toward bigger, better results.
&ldquo;To me, they're meeting the benchmarks for their development, moreso than the record. Our record is who we are; whatever it is, [it] is who you are right now... but their benchmarks are great,&rdquo; Casey said. &ldquo;...And so, our rookie class has been that and then some... I think our coaches do a great job. I try to set the tone with it, but our coaches do a great job at selling players on how important it is to get on the court, watch video and watch themselves grow. I think that&rsquo;s very, very important. Once you sell a young man on that&rsquo;s his future, you want to be in this league for a long time. It&rsquo;s pretty simple, but some guys don&rsquo;t buy into it. Fortunately, Troy&rsquo;s done a great job of bringing guys in here that are gym rats, they love the gym, and they love working. It&rsquo;s been pretty easy this year and I think you can see it in their growth.
&ldquo;...We're not where we're gonna be, but we're definitely headed in the right direction. I'm excited about the direction we're going. I know Troy is and [Pistons owner] Tom [Gores] is and [vice chairman] Arn [Tellem] is. So it's a good start with our foundation and our restoring program."

Spencer Davies checks into the new foundation that Detroit has built with the franchise's promising trio of rookies.

Young and starving: Pistons smartly handing the keys to rookies

Joel Embiid grabbed a two-handed rebound, turned and <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1385047791328763904">heaved an 85-foot, right-handed strike</a> with a throw ripped from Bryce Harper's playbook that banked off the glass and rattled off the front and back of the rim and out.
The Philadelphia center was flat on his back in disbelief over the near-make that would have sent the game to overtime.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Joel Embiid was THIS CLOSE to sending it to OT in incredible fashion. 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/gw6eFGiml8">pic.twitter.com/gw6eFGiml8</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1385043572462964739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;It would have made for a long flight, long night and not a lot of sleep," Suns coach Monty Williams said.
Rest easy, Phoenix.
Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges and the Suns walked off winners on the road for the second time this week against one of the top teams in the East. Paul scored 28 points, Booker had 19 and Bridges 18 to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 116-113 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday night.
Embiid had 38 points and 17 rebounds and one oh-so-close shot.
&lsquo;When I threw it, it looked good," Embiid said.
Paul, a 93% free-throw shooter, missed one from the line that would have sealed the win instead of giving Embiid a glimmer of highlight-reel hope.
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;re up three, I always want to make the free throw to go up four,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;That shot was in-and-out. I ain&rsquo;t never seen anything like it.&rdquo;
Neither had the rest of the Suns.
&ldquo;That was a heck of a display of a throw right there,&rdquo; Suns forward Cameron Johnson said.
Said Bridges: &ldquo;I don't know how I would have reacted. That was crazy.&rdquo;
The Suns improved their NBA-best road record to 19-7 and are second overall at 42-16 &mdash; 1 1/2 games behind Utah for the league lead.
Paul hit five 3s and Bridges, a former Villanova standout, continued to haunt the Sixers three years after an ill-fated draft-night deal. The Sixers selected Bridges with the 10th overall pick in 2018 &mdash; a feel-good story because of the Nova connection and his mother worked for the 76ers&rsquo; parent company. Zhaire Smith played only 13 NBA games and is out of the league while Bridges turned into a breakout star for the blossoming Suns.
The Sixers again played without starters Ben Simmons (unspecified illness) and Tobias Harris (right knee). Simmons missed his second straight game and Harris his third, the Sixers certainly secure enough in playoff spot to the point they don&rsquo;t have to rush either one back. Seth Curry also missed the game with a left hip flexor -- three starters down certainly one reason why <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/">FanDuel Sportsbook</a> had the Suns as three-point favorite.
The Sixers would certainly like all three back in time for this week&rsquo;s two-game set in Milwaukee. Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz, and Matisse Thybulle joined Embiid and Danny Green (18 points) in the lineup.
"I know we got a lot of guys out, but we still want to win the game," 76ers coach Doc Rivers said.
Embiid left in the third when he slammed his left knee on the court and sat behind the basket with a towel around his leg. He rested on his back and stretched his knee as the teams went basket-for-basket. Embiid jogged in place on the baseline and played cheerleader as the short-handed Sixers tried to hang with the Suns. Embiid has missed 18 games this season with injuries, notably a bone bruise on his right knee that cost him 11 games after the All-Star break.
Rivers said he did not know who would be available for both games against the Bucks.
Paul buried consecutive 3s for an 85-81 lead in Embiid&rsquo;s absence and the All-Star center did not check back in until a shade over 6 minutes left the game and the Sixers down seven. Embiid buried a 3 in a late-game lineup in which he was the only regular starter.
The Suns, coming off an overtime win in Milwaukee, got big baskets down the stretch from Booker -- including a nice bank off the glass and he swished a fall-away jumper for the dagger with 13 seconds left in the game.
TIP-INS
76ers: Rivers, who stumped for Joe Biden during his campaign President, welcomed the guilty verdict of the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. &ldquo;The fact that we celebrated a man who committed murder is going to jail, I thought about that last night and I&rsquo;m not so sure if we&rsquo;ve come a long way or we have a long way to go,&rdquo; Rivers said. Rivers said he talked to the team about the verdict and felt &ldquo;it was my responsibility&rdquo; as coach to discuss current events with his players.
Suns: Count Rivers among the fans of Williams. &ldquo;Monty is a terrific coach. When you talk to other coaches and who you have to prepare for, who runs good stuff, Monty&rsquo;s name always comes up. Now he has the talent,&rdquo; Rivers said. The Suns will make the playoffs for the first time sine 2010. ... Jae Crowder left the game with a sprained right ankle.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Boston on Friday night.
76ers: At Milwaukee on Thursday night and Saturday.
__
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges and the Suns walked off winners on the road for the second time this week against one of the top teams in the East.

Suns survive heave from Joel Embiid in 116-113 win over 76ers

Growing up in different neighborhoods near Philadelphia, Mikal Bridges was the class clown in his early school years. He constantly found himself in trouble, getting kicked out of the room by teachers and making frequent visits to the principal&rsquo;s office for being the funny kid. It wasn&rsquo;t anything too serious -- just enough to show his juvenile immaturity.
The guidance was always there. His mother, Tyneeha Rivers, raised him the right way as a single parent. It just took some time for Bridges to realize he needed to leave his childish ways behind him.
&ldquo;Once you get to high school, it might not be as funny anymore,&rdquo; Bridges told BasketballNews.com in an exclusive phone interview. &ldquo;People are starting to think about colleges, and they take life a little bit more seriously. You kind of get that as you get older, and obviously having my family around me who made me this person just kind of taught me the ways and made me mature.&rdquo;
Villanova University played a significant part in that personal growth, too. Bridges credits Wildcats head coach Jay Wright, former assistant (and now La Salle head coach) Ashley Howard and the rest of that team&rsquo;s staff for turning him into a man before he left school.&nbsp;
Bridges recalls his redshirt season at &lsquo;Nova, a time when he hated working out. Heading to the gym didn't mean just getting some shots up; it was working to exhaustion. When his freshman season came around, Bridges would actually try to duck the workouts because he knew he&rsquo;d get &ldquo;smoked.&rdquo; Over time, he developed a close relationship with Coach Howard, who pulled him through those dreaded days. By the time he was a senior, he couldn&rsquo;t be in the gym enough, getting in early and staying late, putting in extra hours to improve his game.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think they played a big part in getting me mentally tough,&rdquo; Bridges told BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;Those two were the guys who really embedded that in me and got me to have that mindset, to enjoy working out and to love it and to love getting better. Those two guys really got it going for me. They helped me.&rdquo;
Now in his third NBA season with the Phoenix Suns, Bridges has taken that disposition into the pros. It&rsquo;s just who he is now. In fact, the 24-year-old relays that these recent string of COVID-related game postponements have frustrated him because he&rsquo;s so used to routinely working out in the gym, whether it&rsquo;s getting a few shots up or properly recovering.
This has been a breakout campaign for Bridges thus far. Looking at his individual statistics, you&rsquo;ll see significant boosts in his offensive numbers: points per game, true shooting percentage, three-point percentage, field goal attempts, box plus-minus -- you name it. One week ago in a road win at Indiana, Bridges scored a career-high 34 points on 12-for-18 from the field, including 6-for-8 from deep.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was just hoopin', man,&rdquo; Bridges said of the performance. &ldquo;Just playing basketball. Reading things, being aggressive, taking shots when I'm open. The Pacers do a lot of things out there, so still keying in on the other end, but just being more aggressive and taking the shots where I thought I could be aggressive.
When asked about his noticeable leap in Year 3, Bridges took it back to his days as a Wildcat.
&ldquo;Just got a lot better,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;I mean at all points, every player, you've always been a scorer in your life -- high school, end of my college career -- so it always comes back to you. When you get the opportunity and you get more comfortable and confident, you've gotta go out there and you put the work in, (it'll) be just how you was playing before. It wasn't too long ago where I was scoring the ball in college, so just kinda getting that feel again, trying to be that aggressive and confident.&rdquo;
Aggressive is the go-to word for Bridges, who is firing 56.6 percent of his attempts from three-point distance and converting on 45.3 percent of those six tries per game. He attributes that to his Suns teammates looking for him and trusting that they&rsquo;ll fall.
&ldquo;All the praise goes to them,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;They find me and I just know I'll be ready to shoot 'cause you can't turn down good shots. If I'm open, I feel like they're gonna go in, so I shoot.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Mikal Bridges dropped a career-high 34 PTS last night ☀️ <a href="https://t.co/MSpKyzWn7j">pic.twitter.com/MSpKyzWn7j</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1348283455440777217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
While assertiveness and an uptick in usage are crucial to taking his game to the next level, smarts are just as important. Bridges has the league&rsquo;s lowest turnover percentage -- defined by Basketball-Reference as the estimated amount of turnovers every 100 plays -- at 2.4 percent. Taking care of the basketball seems simple; actually doing it is impressive.
Bridges came into the season with a specific focus on limiting travels, ensuring that in the off-the-catch situations he&rsquo;d keep his pivot foot down before making the next decision. He&rsquo;s aiming to curb jump passes mid-air where it&rsquo;s easy to get stuck in no man&rsquo;s land, something he&rsquo;s admittedly had issues with in previous years.&nbsp;
"Leaving your feet really. Once you leave your feet, you've gotta get rid of the ball to come back down,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;If you just kinda jump stop and pivot, you'll be fine. You have more opportunities where you don't have to pass the ball right away -- you could, pivot, pivot and then pass out. I think it's just what I did at 'Nova kinda solidified that, for sure."
Above all else, he&rsquo;s not overthinking.
&ldquo;Just trying to be solid, not trying to do the home run play,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;Always trying to make the simple pass. The simple pass always can be the best pass. Just trying to simplify, making it easier and also just reading the game."
As he&rsquo;s accomplishing these feats on offense, Bridges is more than holding his own on the defensive end, as per usual. In your face and tenacious as ever, he&rsquo;ll fight over screens and make opposing teams earn every point. According to NBA.com&rsquo;s play-type data, Bridges has guarded 76 possessions against pick-and-roll ball-handlers (second-most in the league) and is yielding a mere 0.71 points per possession.&nbsp;
He has a partner in these situations though, and his name is Deandre Ayton. The 6-foot-11 Bahamian is Bridges&rsquo; safety net in the rare case that somebody does get by him. The versatile duo also <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-film-breakdown-phoenix-suns-chris-paul-devin-booker-mikal-bridges-deandre-ayton-cam-payne-cameron-johnson-contender-western-conference-nekias-duncan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offers a unique ability to switch when necessary</a>, with Ayton sometimes challenging guards and wings outside of the paint, and Bridges matching up with a bigger assignment. Among 64 two-man lineups that have defended at least 50 pick-and-rolls, the Bridges-Ayton combination ranks fifth in points allowed per possession (0.73) and ninth when they&rsquo;re attacked directly (0.77), per Second Spectrum data.&nbsp;
The versatility of Ayton and Bridges makes this duo quite a challenge for opponents, especially since they've developed a lot of trust in one another over time. Since they were rookies, Bridges and Ayton have used film study to their advantage. They&rsquo;ll point out opportune examples to switch early -- Ayton&rsquo;s preference -- and communicate why one might have difficulty getting back on defense. From these sessions, a friendship blossomed, and it&rsquo;s translated on the floor.
&ldquo;We just play hard, man,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;We've been together for a third year and getting to know how each other plays. He's a threat down there. He can defend down there. He's tall, big, he blocks shots, he can guard... He does an unbelievable job and it makes my job a little bit easier.&rdquo;
Surveying Bridges&rsquo; aforementioned stats, the likely conclusion is that he is a 3-and-D player, which was used to describe him when he was a prospect in the 2018 NBA Draft. He gets that analysts have the right to their opinions, and he undoubtedly demonstrates both of those capabilities, but the developing Suns swingman isn&rsquo;t a fan of labels (notwithstanding &ldquo;The Warden&rdquo; nickname that local fans have given him, which he finds funny; Devin Booker also calls him &ldquo;Fig&rdquo; as an ode to his old gamertag when they&rsquo;d play Call of Duty together).&nbsp;
Just because an outside talent evaluator puts you in a box doesn&rsquo;t mean you can&rsquo;t step out of it.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t take that stuff to heart,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;I understand why they say that and that&rsquo;s perfectly fine. I just work out and try to get better and improve my game every day and every year and try to just be a complete player when it&rsquo;s all said and done.
&ldquo;I just take people as basketball players, man. We do a lot on the court,&rdquo; Bridges added. &ldquo;The best teams, obviously they have their star players -- but the other players, they can do everything as well. I just think to be the best team and have the best chance, everybody out there knows how to play the game and play the right way besides just doing one single thing or two things. It&rsquo;s harder to guard when five players (are) out there. I&rsquo;ve been through that in college, when five players can shoot, put it on the ground, finish, pass -- it&rsquo;s tough to guard. And playing against teams like that in the NBA, it&rsquo;s a different type of energy and mental stability you have to have guarding at the whole 24 seconds.&rdquo;
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Asked point-blank whether the Most Improved Player award is on his radar, Bridges downplays the individual accolade.
&ldquo;Nah, man. I just try to get better. That&rsquo;s always my goal at the end of every year is to be better the next year,&rdquo; Bridges told BasketballNews.com. &ldquo;I really don&rsquo;t think about awards like that. My biggest thing is just, &lsquo;What can I do to help our team win?&rsquo; Just go out there and try to play the best I can on both ends and try to win as many games as we can. The ultimate goal is to win, and I&rsquo;ll do whatever it takes, whatever my role has to be for that... but things come and happen if you just play the game of basketball and work hard, then things like that will always eventually happen.&rdquo;
Bridges prioritizes the team over himself. From the outside looking in, there are a lot of players on Phoenix's roster with that same frame of mind. As a team, the Suns rank third in the NBA in assists per 100 possessions with 26.6 and have six (basically seven) players averaging double-figure scoring.&nbsp;
"It starts with off the court -- how close we are as friends and how we interact with each other, so the ball moves with us. No selfish ways,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;Obviously, plays we call for other players more, but that's the thing about a team -- who gets the ball, you usually don't shoot it all the time, they make a play for somebody else. (It's a testament) to the group of guys we've got and how much we care about each other to move the ball. It's great to play with a team like this. You definitely can't take it for granted."
Defensively, they lean on each other to cover for one another, which is evident in the way they&rsquo;ve slowed teams down to play their half-court-centric pace. Opponents on average are only getting 30 perimeter attempts and a little more than 84 total attempts per game up against Phoenix, the least and second-least marks in the NBA, respectively.
It goes without saying that the Suns&rsquo; bench is one of the top second units in the Association, boasting a plus-minus of +4.1, just a tenth short of the Indiana Pacers&rsquo; group. Bridges notes how much their energy gets them going as a whole and helps win games, and the unbelievable job Cam Payne has done running the show as a playmaker and defender.
The Suns&rsquo; selflessness all comes back to their head coach. It&rsquo;s a staple of a Monty Williams team. We&rsquo;ve seen a remarkable turnaround since he took over in May 2019, and it was particularly on display this past summer in the Orlando bubble when Phoenix went a perfect 8-0. Williams can relate to his players because he&rsquo;s been in their shoes, and Bridges recognizes his passion.
&ldquo;He always talks about how he knows how our body feels right now and this and that,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;So he'll be a little more lenient to maybe not going as hard in practice, knowing we just played X amount of games or we have five-games-in-seven-days or something like that coming up. And emotionally as well, he knows that too.
&ldquo;He loves the game, he loves the players, he loves his staff. He's a great guy as well. He cares so much,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;Not a lot of coaches care about their guys as much as he does. He gives me a real college coach atmosphere. Obviously, he wants to win games and stuff, but he really checks on you and sees how you're doing off the court. If you have any problems, you can go to him, talk to him. I went to college for four years, so I know how that is. It's dope, man... we all love him. It's just easy once you trust somebody like that. (When you) trust your coach, everything else is gonna work out pretty well."
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The 2020 offseason kicked off with a bang when Phoenix acquired Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder. When a team trades for a superstar of that caliber, the hype skyrockets. The spotlight was already on the team since they went undefeated during the NBA restart. With Paul, it got even brighter. Bridges insists that the Suns aren&rsquo;t fazed by the outside expectations; he&rsquo;s just thrilled to play with the 10-time All-Star.
Bridges has learned so much from him already, pointedly the little things that nobody thinks about. Paul is a leader by example on the court, as well as off of it.
&ldquo;It's just cool to kinda hear his story,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;Just being himself. You don't know who he is really; you know of him, but never got to know him, never being around him. But getting to know him, just how he is; he's a dad, but he's just cool, man. He's always there for the young guys, for sure, always looks out for them. You can just tell. He gives great vibes to everybody.&rdquo;
On the young season, the Suns are 7-4. They&rsquo;ve dropped two out of their last three on the road in Detroit and Washington with a victory over the Pacers in between. Just as he has to continue to work on his individual game, Bridges understands there&rsquo;s still a ways to go in improving collectively.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve gotta embrace the toughness where we saw slip-ups when we&rsquo;re not playing our best, and take the tough criticism from our coaches and staff and prepare to be better,&rdquo; Bridges said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve gotta get better and sustain our talent and how hard we play for 48 minutes out there, because a 20-point lead could go by very, very fast in the NBA.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You've got to come out paying attention to detail. Come out early, start the game strong. For us starters, we&rsquo;ve got to go out and do that because our bench do a heck of a job when they come in, so we&rsquo;ve just got to learn and just get better.&rdquo;
Enter a conversation with Mikal Bridges and it feels like you&rsquo;re speaking with a seasoned NBA veteran. The budding Suns forward possesses a maturity beyond his years, and it manifests itself in a cool, calm, collected demeanor with every word he says.
And that&rsquo;s a big reason why Phoenix is off and running out of the gate.

Mikal Bridges talks to Spencer Davies about his breakout season, playing with Chris Paul, his love for Monty Williams and much more.