Cougars

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) &mdash; Knocking No. 1 seed Houston out of the NCAA Tournament made Jim Larra&ntilde;aga feel like dancing.
Much to his players&rsquo; delight, the 73-year-old Miami coach busted moves straight out of the disco era in the locker room Friday night to celebrate an 89-75 Sweet 16 victory that left the tournament without a No. 1 seed among its final eight teams for the first time since seeding began in 1979.
Larra&ntilde;aga is known to dance in the locker room after his biggest wins, and this one in the Big Dance surely qualified.
&ldquo;We were all hyped up,&rdquo; Jordan Miller said. &ldquo;We love when Coach L dances. That&rsquo;s probably the best celebration we could look forward to.&rdquo;
Nijel Pack and Miami (28-7) hit shots from near and far against the stingiest defense in the country as the Hurricanes became only the fifth team this season to score at least 70 points against Houston (33-4).
&ldquo;We just wanted it really bad,&rdquo; Miller said. &ldquo;We came into this game as the underdogs. We had a lead throughout the whole game. I wouldn&rsquo;t say a comfortable lead, but a lead, and we just didn&rsquo;t want to let up.&rdquo;
The fifth-seeded Hurricanes made their second straight Elite Eight and will play second-seeded Texas in the Midwest Region final. Larra&ntilde;aga is seeking his first Final Four with Miami and second overall &mdash; he took George Mason there as an 11 seed in 2006.
About 30 minutes before Houston&rsquo;s loss, top overall seed Alabama fell to San Diego State in Louisville, Kentucky. Fellow No. 1 seeds Purdue and Kansas lost during the tournament&rsquo;s first weekend.
The Cougars simply couldn&rsquo;t stop a multifaceted Miami offense led by Pack&rsquo;s 3-point shooting. He had season highs of seven 3-pointers on 10 attempts and 26 points.
Isaiah Wong&rsquo;s mid-range game helped get the &rsquo;Canes out to a fast start, and he finished with 20 points. Miller hurt the Cougars with his penetration and had 13 points, and Norchad Omier was his usual rugged self under the basket while recording his 16th double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
&ldquo;We emphasized moving the ball and finding the open man, and the guys did such a fantastic job from start to finish,&rdquo; Larra&ntilde;aga said. &ldquo;We only ended up with six turnovers. So that&rsquo;s the name of the game. And we tied them in rebounding. A great performance by our guys.&rdquo;
It was Pack who hit big shot after big shot, some from near the logo. He was comfortable inside T-Mobile Arena, where he played five games during his two seasons at nearby Kansas State.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a blessing to be back in this arena for sure,&rdquo; Pack said. &ldquo;My teammates found me early and kept me going. They instilled confidence in me from the jump ball. They kept feeding me and telling me to shoot the ball, and I shot it with a lot of confidence, and they were able to go in.&rdquo;
Houston was in the Sweet 16 for a fourth straight time, had won 15 of its last 16 games and had the season-long goal of playing in next week&rsquo;s Final Four in its home city.
&ldquo;Unfortunately, one off-night and you go home in this tournament,&rdquo; Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said. &ldquo;We just never could get a foothold. We kept climbing, and we&rsquo;d get ahead of them, and then we just couldn&rsquo;t put stops together.&rdquo;
Miami used a 16-5 run spanning the halves to go up by double digits, with Omier&rsquo;s three-point play and Miller&rsquo;s short bank-in with the left hand making it 47-36 and prompting Sampson to call timeout less than two minutes into the second half.
Houston battled back to make it a two-point game, but then Pack made three 3s and Miller and Wooga Poplar hit one each to fuel a 16-2 run that put the Canes ahead 70-53. The lead grew to as much as 17 points, and Houston never got closer than 11 the rest of the way.
Walker led the Cougars with 16 points. Jamal Shead added 15 and All-American Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark had 14 apiece for the Cougars, who shot just 37% overall and 29% from distance.
&ldquo;It was an amazing run,&rdquo; Sasser said. &ldquo;Came up short, but the time that we got to spend throughout these months, I couldn&rsquo;t have asked for nothing better.&rdquo;
Houston &mdash; which came into the game as a 7.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook &mdash; found itself behind at half for the second straight game after the Hurricanes played their sharpest half of the tournament.
Miami turned the ball over just once the first 20 minutes, converted Miami&rsquo;s six turnovers into 15 points and shot 6 of 14 from distance against the second-best 3-point defense in the country.
Pack made four of them, and all were timely. His first three gave Miami leads and his fourth broke a 31-all tie.
&ldquo;The Pack kid, some of the shots he made were shots you hope he takes,&rdquo; Sampson said. &ldquo;The problem was he made them. Some of those were Howitzers.&rdquo;
Oh, about that dance Larra&ntilde;aga did. He said it was to the Commodores&rsquo; 1985 song &ldquo;Nightshift.&rdquo;
Miller gave his coach&rsquo;s moves a grade of A.
&ldquo;Not an A-plus &mdash; it was a little stiff,&rdquo; Miller said. &ldquo;But he&rsquo;s still very mobile for his age.&rdquo;
BIG DAY FOR THE U
The Hurricanes reached the regional final just a few hours after Miami&rsquo;s ninth-seeded women&rsquo;s team hung on to beat Villanova and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time. Miami and UConn are the only schools with teams remaining in both tournaments.

Jim Larrañaga is seeking his first Final Four with Miami and second overall — he took George Mason there as an 11 seed in 2006.

Miami beats No. 1 seed Houston; all four top NCAA seeds out

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser looked just fine, scoring 22 points, and top-seeded Houston stifled local favorite Auburn in the second half for an 81-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
The Cougars (33-3)&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1637256045235171328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overcame a 10-point halftime deficit</a>, returning after the break with a chip on their shoulders.
Essentially shutting down the lane, Houston played with the desperation of a national championship contender that wasn&rsquo;t ready to suffer the same fate as Purdue and Kansas &mdash; No. 1s that already were sent home.
Led by Tramon Mark with 26 points, Houston advanced to face either No. 4 Indiana or No. 5 Miami, which play Sunday, at the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Tigers (21-13) were doomed by a stretch of more than 10 1/2 minutes without a field goal and finished just 4 of 24 from the field in the second half.
Auburn did draw plenty of fouls, only to struggle mightily at the line at 19 of 36. Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome led the Tigers with 14 points apiece.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-houston-sasser-a327324228d43a8792f496890a5e7bc9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sasser had dealt with a groin injury</a> over the past week, but that didn&rsquo;t seem to cause him any problems. When he swished a 3-pointer to push Houston back ahead, 46-45, he let out an emphatic scream on his way back down the court.
He finished 5 of 9 beyond the arc.
Sasser&rsquo;s only issue was foul trouble. The All-American guard and his running mate, point guard Jamal Shead, were both forced to the bench with four fouls apiece with the game still in doubt.
But Mark kept the Cougars right on rolling offensively, and the Jarace Walker-led defense just refused to let Auburn back in the game.
Houston had 12 blocks, half of them swatted away by Walker. Houston scored the final nine points to blow it open at the end, with Sasser delivering another key shot from beyond the 3-point stripe.
Auburn ripped off a 17-4 run over the final 5 1/2 minutes of the first half. Williams scored eight of those points, swishing a 3-pointer and also converting a three-point play.
Houston missed six of its last eight shots in the half, its only baskets coming on a pair of layups.
But the Cougars would not be denied, even with the Tigers having a home-state edge. Legacy Arena in Birmingham is only about a two-hour drive from their east Alabama campus.
BIG PICTURE
Auburn: The Tigers wrapped up an inconsistent season in appropriate fashion. They last won back-to-back games on Jan. 18 and 21, closing out the season by winning only five of their last 15 games.
Houston: Sasser now has plenty of time to rest his groin, which should give him even more confidence that he&rsquo;s not going to have any more problems.
UP NEXT
Houston is heading to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in the last five years under Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars have never won a national title, despite six appearances in the Final Four.

Marcus Sasser scored 22 points and top-seeded Houston beat Auburn 81-64 in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.

March Madness: Sasser, Houston beat Auburn, move on to Sweet 16

Longtime pro Jordan Crawford opens up to Spencer Davies about his unpleasant NBA experience, his Detroit connection and more.

Ex-NBA pro Jordan Crawford has a story to tell — and a whole lot more

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

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

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

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Miller scored 24 points and Mark Sears made seven of eight free throws over the final 1:04 to help No. 2 Alabama top Arkansas 86-83 on Saturday.
Miller delivered his second straight huge game for the Crimson Tide (25-4, 15-1 Southeastern Conference) since police alleged in courtroom testimony that he brought a gun to former teammate Darius Miles, who is charged with capital murder in a fatal shooting.
The week&rsquo;s details cast a different light on Miller&rsquo;s regular pregame introduction, which is a Tide staffer giving him a pat down. Coach Nate Oats said after the game that intro for Miller is now over.
Fellow freshman Nick Smith Jr. of Arkansas (19-10, 8-8), another potential NBA draft lottery pick who helped keep the Razorbacks in it with a late 3-pointer, scored 24 points. Davonte Davis added 21 points for Arkansas, Council scored 20, and the rest of the team combined for 18 points.
Jahvon Quinerly had 16 points and seven assists for the Tide, and Noah Clowney had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
NO. 1 HOUSTON 76, EAST CAROLINA 57
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser scored 22 points to help Houston clinch outright possession of the American Athletic Conference regular-season title.
Tramon Mark added 20 points for the Cougars (27-2, 15-1), while J&rsquo;Wan Roberts had 17 points and 12 rebounds in Houston&rsquo;s ninth straight victory.
East Carolina (14-14, 5-10) had an energetic home crowd for the first-ever visit from a No. 1-ranked team to Minges Coliseum, as well as the program&rsquo;s first game against a top-ranked opponent in more than 31 years. But the Cougars never trailed and led for all but 56 seconds. Ezra Ausar scored 15 points to lead the Pirates.
NO. 3 KANSAS 76, WEST VIRGINIA 74
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Dajuan Harris was one point shy of a career high, scoring 17 points to help lift Kansas over West Virginia.
The Jayhawks&rsquo; stifling defense kept West Virginia from attempting a shot in the final 20 seconds. The Mountaineers&rsquo; Joe Toussaint traveled on their final possession of the game. Baskets by K.J. Adams and Kevin McCullar extended the Jayhawks&rsquo; lead to 75-68 late as they grinded out the victory.
Harris led Kansas (24-5, 12-4 Big 12) with 7-of-9 shooting from the field and had six assists and six steals.
Erik Stevenson led West Virginia (16-13, 5-11) with 23 points. Tre Mitchell scored 20, Kedrian Johnson scored 15 and Emmitt Mathews Jr. had 13.
NO. 17 INDIANA 79, NO. 5 PURDUE 71
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Hood-Schifino scored a career-high 35 points and Trey Galloway added 10 of his 13 in the second half to lead Indiana over Purdue.
The Hoosiers (20-9, 11-7 Big Ten) snapped a seven-game losing streak in West Lafayette and pulled their first season sweep in this bitter rivalry since 2012-13.
Zach Edey led the Boilermakers with 26 points and 16 rebounds and Fletcher Loyer added 14 points. Purdue (24-5, 13-5) has lost three of four and blew a chance to clinch a share of the conference crown in front of its home fans, who stood outside in chilly temperatures and snaking lines for hours before tip-off.
NORTH CAROLINA 71, NO. 6 VIRGINIA 63
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Pete Nance scored 22 points to lead North Carolina past Virginia.
Nance shot 7 of 10 from the floor and was 4 of 4 from behind the arc, the most 3-pointers the fifth-year forward has made in ACC play. He added two assists and four blocks.
R.J. Davis notched the fourth double-double of his career with 16 points and 10 rebounds for North Carolina (18-11, 10-8 Atlantic Coast Conference), which got a much-needed boost to its NCAA Tournament resume with a Quadrant 1 win &mdash; the first of the season for the Tar Heels.
Jayden Gardner had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead Virginia (21-6, 13-5), which lost its second in a row. Armaan Franklin added 14 points.
ARIZONA STATE 89, NO. 7 ARIZONA 88
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Desmond Cambridge Jr. hit a 60-foot shot at the buzzer and Arizona State rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat Arizona.
The Wildcats (24-5, 13-5 Pac-12) built a 10-point lead midway through the second half before going more than six minutes without a field goal as Arizona State pulled ahead by one.
The Sun Devils (20-9, 11-7) went up 86-85 on Warren Washington&rsquo;s layup with just a minute left, but Pelle Larsson put Arizona back up on a layup with 29 seconds left. Arizona State&rsquo;s DJ Horne missed a jumper with 4 seconds left and the Sun Devils had a final shot after Oumar Ballo hit one of two free throws.
Catching the ball with 2.4 seconds left, Cambridge launched a shot from beyond half-court to finish with 19 points and give the Sun Devils a big boost in their bid to make the NCAA Tournament.
NO. 9 BAYLOR 81, NO. 8 TEXAS 72
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Jalen Bridges had 17 points for ninth-ranked Baylor, which overcame a huge deficit with an impressive run right after freshman standout Keyonte George left injured early and beat Big 12 co-leader Texas.
Adam Flagler had 14 points for the Bears (21-8, 10-6). Dale Bonner added 13 points, including seven in an quick spurt after halftime while Flo Thamba had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Dylan Disu had a season-high 24 points for Texas (22-7, 11-5), which twice got even early in the second half but never could regain the lead.
NO. 10 MARQUETTE 90, DEPAUL 84
MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Kam Jones and Tyler Kolek each scored 22 points while helping Marquette clinch a share of its first Big East regular-season championship in a decade.
Kolek also had 14 assists as Marquette (23-6, 15-3) rolled to a 49-28 halftime lead and hung on after DePaul (9-20, 3-15) got close down the stretch. Marquette has won nine of its last 10, while DePaul has lost 10 straight.
This is Marquette&rsquo;s first conference title in 2013, when the Golden Eagles shared the Big East crown with Georgetown and eventual national champion Louisville.
Umoja Gibson led DePaul with 20 points and eight assists. Nick Ongenda added 16 points and 12 rebounds.
NO. 11 TENNESSEE 85, SOUTH CAROLINA 45
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Josiah-Jordan James came back from missing four games with an injury to score 18 points to lead Tennessee to a rout of South Carolina.
James, who suffered an ankle injury against Vanderbilt on Feb. 8, shot 4 of 7 on 3-pointers for the Volunteers (21-8, 10-6 Southeastern Conference). Jahmai Mashack scored 14 points, Zakai Zeigler had 13 points and 11 assists, and Olivier Nkamhoua and Uros Plavsic scored 10 each.
Hayden Brown led the Gamecocks (10-19, 3-13) with 18 points.
NO. 12 GONZAGA 77, NO. 15 SAINT MARY&rsquo;S 68
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored 19 points and Gonzaga earned a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season title with a win over Saint Mary&rsquo;s.
Anton Watson had 17 points and Malachi Smith added 13 off the bench for the Bulldogs, who have won or shared the conference title in 11 straight seasons. Gonzaga (25-5, 14-2) also reached the 25-win mark for the 16th season in a row &mdash; and avenged a loss to the Gaels earlier this month in Moraga.
Logan Johnson led the Gaels (25-6, 14-2) with 27 points.
Because the teams shared the regular-season title, the WCC will use the NCAA&rsquo;s NET rankings to determine the top seed for the conference tournament.
FLORIDA STATE 85, NO. 13 MIAMI 84
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Matthew Cleveland&rsquo;s 3-pointer as time expired capped Florida State&rsquo;s comeback from a 25-point second-half deficit and a win over Miami.
Jordan Miller had given Miami the lead on a 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds left. But Cleveland let fly from about 25 feet and the ball swished to give the Seminoles (9-20, 7-11 Atlantic Coast Conference) their best moment of the season.
Cleveland and Darin Green Jr. each had 20 points for Florida State, which also got 13 from Caleb Mills and 11 from Jalen Warley.
Miller led Miami (23-6, 14-5) with 21 points. Norchad Omier had 15, Isaiah Wong scored 14 and Bensley Joseph added 12 for the Hurricanes, whose seven-game winning streak and perfect home season were ended.
NO. 18 UCONN 95, ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 86
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jordan Hawkins scored 20 points, Adama Sanogo added 18 points and nine rebounds, and UConn beat St. John&rsquo;s.
Andre Jackson Jr. had 15 points, Joey Calcaterra also scored 15 to lead a strong effort by Connecticut&rsquo;s bench and the resurgent Huskies (22-7, 11-7 Big East) avenged an 11-point loss to St. John&rsquo;s at home last month.
UConn won for the sixth time in seven games, closing in on a first-round bye in the Big East Tournament.
AJ Storr had 20 points and Posh Alexander added 18 for the Red Storm (17-13, 7-12), who had won three of four.
NO. 14 KANSAS STATE 73, OKLAHOMA STATE 68
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Markquis Nowell had 22 points, eight assists and four steals in Kansas State&rsquo;s third straight win, beating Oklahoma State.
Keyontae Johnson added 17 points for the Wildcats (22-7, 10-6 Big 12), who swept the regular-season series.
Kalib Boone scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half on Senior Day for Oklahoma State. Caleb Asberry scored 13 points and John-Michael Wright added 12 for the Cowboys (16-13, 7-9), who have lost four straight.
VILLANOVA 79, NO. 19 CREIGHTON 67
PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Eric Dixon scored 18 of his career-high 31 points in the first half, Cam Whitmore added 17 and Villanova defeated Creighton.
Dixon also set a career high with six 3-pointers for Villanova (15-14, 9-9 Big East), which has won five of six.
Arthur Kaluma scored 19 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner had 18 for Creighton (18-11, 12-6). The Bluejays have lost three of four following an eight-game winning streak.
NO. 22 SAN DIEGO STATE 73, NEW MEXICO 71
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) &mdash; Lamont Butler&rsquo;s 3-pointer at the buzzer gave San Diego State a win at New Mexico.
After Jaelen House&rsquo;s steal and end-to-end run for a layup with 5.6 seconds left gave New Mexico a 71-70 lead, Butler unhurriedly brought the ball up court before dropping his shot, giving him 10 points for the Aztecs (23-5, 14-2 Mountain West).
Darrion Trammell scored 18 points to lead the Aztecs. Matt Bradley added 11 as San Diego State won its sixth straight.
Jamal Mashburn Jr. finished with 20 points for New Mexico (20-9, 7-9) and House had 15.
OKLAHOMA 61, NO. 23 IOWA STATE 50
AMES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Jacob Groves led Oklahoma with 16 points as the Sooners knocked off Iowa State.
The Sooners (14-15, 4-12 Big 12) had lost nine of their previous 11 games but erased an early 11-point deficit and seized control with a 17-2 run in the second half.
Groves shot 4 of 5 from the 3-point line. Tanner Groves added 9 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
The Cyclones (17-11, 8-8) shot just 31%. Gabe Kalscheur led Iowa State with 12 points.
NO. 24 TCU 83, TEXAS TECH 82
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) &mdash; JaKobe Coles made two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining, and TCU beat Texas Tech despite blowing a 12-point lead in the final eight minutes.
After De&rsquo;Vion Harmon&rsquo;s steal and layup put the Red Raiders in front by one with 12 seconds remaining, Coles caught a pass from Emanuel Miller in the lane and was fouled by Fardaws Aimaq going up for the shot. The Horned Frogs (19-10, 8-8 Big 12) weren&rsquo;t in the bonus.
Harmon&rsquo;s desperation 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded wasn&rsquo;t close, ending a four-game winning streak Texas Tech (16-13, 5-11).
Mike Miles Jr. scored 24 points for the Horned Frogs, who had lost five of six and were coming off a loss to No. 3 Kansas at home. Miller had 14 points and 12 rebounds for TCU.
Aimaq scored 19 points, Harmon had 18 and Kevin Obanor finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for Texas Tech.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 69, NO. 25 TEXAS A&amp;M 62
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Tolu Smith had 17 points and Shakeel Moore had 14 as Mississippi State knocked off Texas A&amp;M.
Cameron Matthews had 11 points for the Bulldogs (19-10, 7-9 Southeastern Conference), who held the Aggies to one field goal in the final 14 minutes and outscored them 34-18 during the same time period.
Wade Taylor IV led Texas A&amp;M (21-9, 13-3) with 21 points, including four 3-pointers, and Henry Coleman III and Andersson Garcia each had 11.

A recap of Saturday's slew of action in top 25 NCAA men's college hoops.

Miller has another big game as No. 2 Alabama tops Arkansas

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Jarace Walker had 15 points, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 4:27 left, and No. 3 Houston rallied to beat Wichita State 70-61 on Thursday night.
Marcus Sasser also scored 15 for the Cougars (21-2, 9-1 American Athletic Conference), who trailed by six midway through the second half. Jamal Shead added 13 points and seven assists.
&ldquo;We are showing signs of maturity, not getting too high or too low,&rdquo; Shead said. &ldquo;We are following our leader, Marcus. When he came in and started to do his thing, we rallied behind him.&rdquo;
All five starters scored in double digits to help Houston win its third straight since a one-point loss to Temple.
Jaykwon Walton equaled his career high with 24 points for the Shockers (11-11, 4-6), who went 3 for 20 from 3-point range and shot 39% from the field overall.
&ldquo;I thought the difference in the game was the 3-point line,&rdquo; Wichita State coach Isaac Brown said. &ldquo;We went 3 for 20 and, down the stretch, their big man, Walker, was 3 for 6 from the 3-point line and I thought that was the difference in the game.&rdquo;
James Rojas added 15 points and seven rebounds for the Shockers. Kenny Pohto pulled down 12 boards to go with eight points.
Coming off a career-best 25 points against Cincinnati, Walker shot just 3 for 9 in the first half. But he drained a 3-pointer to trim Houston&rsquo;s deficit to 50-47 with 10:17 remaining, then tied it 54-all with another 3 at the 6:15 mark.
Walker followed with his 3 from the corner that put the Cougars ahead 57-54, and they opened a seven-point cushion with under three minutes left after a layup by Shead and a 3 from Tramon Mark.
&ldquo;We made some bad mistakes, but when it came winning time, I think our DNA kicked in,&rdquo; Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. &ldquo;We know how to win and there is a lot to be said about that.&rdquo;
In a matchup between the top two scoring defenses in the AAC, the Cougars held a 30-29 lead at halftime.
Wichita State built a seven-point advantage early in the second half as foul trouble began to pile up for Houston.
BIG PICTURE
Houston: Improved to 9-2 against the Shockers in the AAC era. Houston evened the all-time series at 18 apiece dating to 1949.
Wichita State: Fell to 1-4 in conference home games this season.
UP NEXT
Houston visits Temple on Sunday looking to avenge its only conference loss.
Wichita State plays at Tulsa on Sunday.

All five starters scored in double digits to help Houston win its third straight since a one-point loss to Temple.

Walker rallies No. 3 Houston past Wichita State, 70-61

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser scored a career-high 31 points, Jamal Shead added 20 points and six rebounds, and No. 1 Houston used a huge second half to beat South Florida 83-77 on Wednesday night.
Sasser scored 25 points and Shead had 13 as the backcourt mates combined to score 38 of Houston&rsquo;s 46 second-half points. Sasser, a preseason All-American, finished 7 of 17 from the field, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers. In the second half, Sasser and Shead combined to shoot 10 of 16 from the field and were 6 of 11 on 3s.
&ldquo;My teammates were telling me it&rsquo;s time step up,&rdquo; Sasser said. &ldquo;They were trying to get me going, giving me confidence. Being a senior on the team, being a leader, I&rsquo;ve kind of seen it all. ... When you have good teammates, they trust you with the ball and feel like you can change the game.&rdquo;
Tramon Mark scored 13 points for Houston (17-1, 5-0 American Athletic Conference), which won its eighth straight game.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson appreciated his team&rsquo;s grit during a less-than-stellar performance.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had a lot of nights where we&rsquo;ve played poorly and won over the years, but it&rsquo;s a beautiful win,&rdquo; Sampson said. &ldquo;That game was a thing of beauty. ... Get the win and go home.&rdquo;
Tyler Harris scored a career-high 31 points, Russel Tchewa added 14 points and eight rebounds and Jamir Chaplin scored 14 points for the Bulls (7-10, 0-4), who lost their fourth straight.
South Florida coach Brian Gregory said Houston needed an All-American effort out of Sasser to beat the Bulls, and that&rsquo;s what he gave the Cougars.
&ldquo;It challenged our guys a little bit in terms of the competitiveness and toughness that you have to play with,&rdquo; Gregory said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re a good team. We&rsquo;ve had second-half leads in all four games in our league. ... It&rsquo;s disappointing where we&rsquo;re at.&rdquo;
Harris was 9 of 13 from the field, including 6 of 10 on 3-pointers.
Houston shot 42%, including 11 of 27 from the 3-point line. The Cougars forced South Florida into 18 turnovers and converted those into 13 points.
South Florida shot 49%, including 10 of 21 on 3-pointers.
&ldquo;Every time it looked like we were about to stretch it out from 10 to 12 or 12 to 15 or something like that, they would bang a 3,&rdquo; Sampson said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been a poor 3-point shooting team and free throw (shooting team). Not tonight, but that&rsquo;s how upsets occur. It&rsquo;s nights like tonight.&rdquo;
Trailing 53-48 with 14 1/2 minutes remaining, Houston went on a 20-4 run over the next 7 1/2 minutes to open up an 11-point lead on a 3-pointer by Shead. Sasser scored 13 points during the burst. The Bulls got no closer than six points the rest of the way.
Houston used a 10-0 run to open a 37-26 lead on a 3-pointer by Emanuel Sharp with three minutes left in the first half, but South Florida answered with a 10-0 run to end the half to cut the lead to one on a layup by Chaplin.
BIG PICTURE
South Florida: The Bulls fell to 0-6 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams. ... South Florida did not hit a field goal for nearly 8 1/2 minutes in the second half as Houston went on its run. ... The Bulls outrebounded Houston 36-30, and South Florida had a 26-22 edge in points in the paint.
Houston: Jarace Walker, who had scored more than 20 points in two straight games, was out of the lineup with an illness. ... The 36 first-half points by the Bulls were the most Houston has allowed before halftime this season, and the 77 points allowed was also a season high. ... Houston won its 12th straight over the Bulls.
FOUL TROUBLE
The teams combined for 45 fouls. Houston shot 22 of 32 from the free-throw line, led by Sasser, who was 11 of 14. The Bulls were 21 of 27 from the line, with Tchewa going 8 of 9.
UP NEXT
South Florida: At East Carolina on Sunday.
Houston: At Tulane on Jan. 17.

Marcus Sasser scored 25 and Jamal Shead had 13 as the backcourt mates combined to score 38 of Houston’s 46 second-half points.

Sasser, Shead lead No. 1 Houston past South Florida 83-77

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; No. 8 Alabama could have called it a day when it was trailing by double-figures early in the second half.
The Crimson Tide didn&rsquo;t, and earned another marquee win this season.
Alabama rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to stun No. 1 Houston 71-65 on Saturday, becoming just the second men&rsquo;s team to beat two top-ranked teams in the same season.
Noah Clowney had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Jaden Bradley added 12 points and Mark Sears scored 11 points, including nine in the second half for the Crimson Tide (8-1). Alabama shot 50% from the field in the second half and 41% for the game. The Tide went 20 of 32 on free throws, including 15 of 21 in the second half.
&ldquo;This is one of those character wins that shows that our guys are going to keep fighting no matter what the score is,&rdquo; Alabama coach Nate Oats said. &ldquo;We could have easily given up down 15. The start of the second half wasn&rsquo;t great. We made some changes with the bench guys. Hung in there, kept clawing away at the lead, finally able to take the lead and then we pulled away from them.&rdquo;
The Crimson Tide beat North Carolina 103-101 in four overtimes on Nov. 27 and joins the 1990 Oklahoma team to take down two No. 1s in a season.
&ldquo;Huge program win,&rdquo; Oats said. &ldquo;Not sure how many teams get the chance to play two No. 1 teams in nonconference, let alone beat them, but I think that shows where we&rsquo;ve gotten this program to that we can play with anyone in the country at this point.&rdquo;
Jamal Shead had 19 points and six rebounds, and Tramon Mark scored 10 points before fouling out with 8:10 remaining for Houston (9-1).
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the No. 8 team in the nation,&rdquo; Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. &ldquo;No shame losing to a really, really good Alabama team. Disappointing obviously. We haven&rsquo;t lost a lot in this building.&rdquo;
The Cougars shot 39% from the field, including going 1-of-8 to end the game. Houston was 3 of 13 on 3-pointers and 12 of 22 from the free-throw line.
&ldquo;We just couldn&rsquo;t guard,&rdquo; Shead said. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t stand in front of the ball for like four or five straight possessions and that&rsquo;s how they got back into it. And we just weren&rsquo;t tough enough to finish it out.&rdquo;
The game was tied at 63 following a Marcus Sasser free throw with two minutes left. Then Clowney put the Tide up by two with a layup with 1:12 remaining, Shead missed a jumper with 48 seconds left and Brandon Miller made two free throws five seconds later to push the lead to four.
After Reggie Chaney missed two free throws, Miller made two more free throws to give Alabama a 69-63 lead with 27 seconds remaining.
Trailing 57-49 with 8&frac12; remaining, the Tide went on an 11-3 run to cut the lead to 61-60 on a layup by Clowney with five minutes to go.
Houston used an 18-2 run to end the first half and start the second half to take a 44-29 lead with 17:13 remaining on a steal and layup by Jarace Walker, but Alabama responded with a 15-5 spurt to cut the led to five on a 3-pointer by Sears with 11 minutes left.
BIG PICTURE
Alabama: Alabama outrebounded Houston 44-39 and got 27 points from its bench. The Tide improved to 3-1 this season against teams ranked in the AP Top 25.
Houston: The Cougars missed a chance for a resume-building win and fell to 1-1 this season against Quad 1 teams. Houston forced Alabama into 15 turnovers but turned it into only 18 points.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Houston, which has been No. 1 for two weeks, will likely fall in the AP Top 25 poll, while Alabama should rise.
UP NEXT
Alabama: Hosts Memphis on Tuesday.
Houston: Hosts North Carolina A&amp;T on Tuesday.

Alabama rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to stun No. 1 Houston 71-65 on Saturday.

No. 8 Alabama mounts comeback, beats No. 1 Houston 71-65

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 12 of his 16 points in overtime, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3:34 remaining, and No. 17 Illinois rallied to hand second-ranked Texas its first loss of the season, 85-78 on Tuesday night in the Jimmy V Classic.
Jayden Epps added 11 points, including the final five points of regulation &mdash; a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left and two tying free throws with 8 seconds remaining. Epps then blocked Marcus Carr&rsquo;s jumper in the lane just before the buzzer to force overtime in an entertaining showdown at Madison Square Garden.
Matthew Mayer, who faced Texas several times at Baylor, tied a career high with 21 points as he made his first seven shots and finished 8 of 10.
Shannon, who missed eight of nine shots in regulation, took over in the extra period to help Illinois (7-2) beat a ranked foe for the second time this season.
Timmy Allen scored a season-high 21 points for Texas (6-1), which failed to open 7-0 for the first time since 2014-15. Tyrese Hunter added 10 points but Carr was held to nine points on 3-of-14 shooting as Texas had 12 shots blocked and shot 42%.
NO. 1 HOUSTON 76, NORTH FLORIDA 42
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Ja&rsquo;Vier Francis scored 14 points, star Marcus Sasser had 12 points in the first eight minutes before leaving with a cut over his eye, and Houston coasted past North Florida.&nbsp;
Sasser, who entered the game averaging 17.5 points, made two 3-pointers early but got hit in the face and left with a cut that required stitches.
Jarace Walker had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Houston (9-0), and Tramon Mark scored 10.
Jarius Hicklen led the Ospreys (2-6) with 12 points.
NO. 3 VIRGINIA 55, JAMES MADISON 50
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Kihei Clark scored 17 points, Jayden Gardner had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Virginia beat its feisty in-state rival.
The Cavaliers (8-0), who lost starting guard Reece Beekman to a right leg injury early in the first half, prevented the Dukes (7-3) from winning a second straight December game in Charlottesville. James Madison beat Virginia 52-49 last Dec. 7.
Takal Molson scored 20 points for James Madison, including a 3-pointer that tied the game at 42-all with 7:47 to play. Gardner responded for Virginia by scoring five straight points in a 9-1 run.
The Cavaliers kept the Dukes in the game by missing eight of 13 free throws over the last six minutes.
NO. 9 ARKANSAS 65, UNC GREENSBORO 58
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) &mdash; Standout freshman Nick Smith Jr. scored 22 points in just his third game as Arkansas overcame a sluggish offensive showing to beat North Carolina-Greensboro.
The Razorbacks (8-1) shot 33.3% and trailed for a majority of the game.
Makhi Mitchell had 13 points and 14 rebounds for Arkansas, Davis had 10 points and 10 boards, and Black scored 11 points.
Donovan Atwell led UNC Greensboro (4-6) with 12 points and Dante Treacy added 11.
NO. 12 BAYLOR 80, TARLETON STATE 57
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Freshman Keyonte George scored 22 points, redshirt freshman Langston Love added 20 and Baylor beat Tarleton State.
The Bears (7-2) had trouble early pulling away from the Texans, led by former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie, but finally took a double-digit lead not long after halftime.
Shakur Daniel scored 13 points for the Texans (5-4), who were playing Baylor for the first time since 1986 and the ninth time overall.
WISCONSIN 64, NO. 13 MARYLAND 59
MADISON, Wis. (AP) &mdash; Chucky Hepburn scored 13 points and Steven Crowl added 12 as Wisconsin handed Maryland its first loss under coach Kevin Willard.
Wisconsin (7-2, 1-0 Big Ten) opened a 58-45 lead with a 13-point run, capped by Crowl&rsquo;s two free throws with 3:46 remaining. The Badgers hung on despite making just 15 of 25 free throws in the second half and no field goals over the final 4:03.
Jahmir Young scored 17 points and Julian Reese had 10 for Maryland (8-1, 1-1), which entered averaging 80.8 points per game and outscoring opponents by 19.8.
NO. 15 DUKE 74, IOWA 62
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jeremy Roach tied a career high with 22 points and No. 15 Duke led virtually the entire way against Iowa in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
The Blue Devils (9-2) won their third straight since a 19-point loss to Purdue last month in the championship game of the Phil Knight Legacy.
Mark Mitchell added 13 of his 17 points in the second half. Kyle Filipowski had 12 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double.
Patrick McCaffery led the Hawkeyes (6-2) with 12 points in a game that had special meaning to him. The junior forward was 13 when he was diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid.
NO. 24 TCU 78, JACKSON STATE 51
FORTH WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash; JaKobe Coles scored a career-high 21 points, Damion Baugh had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists, and TCU won its fifth straight.
Coles matched his career high with 15 points by halftime. He then had the final six points of an 8-0 run early in the second half for a 54-34 lead. Shahada Wells added 14 points and Chuck O&rsquo;Bannon Jr. scored 11 for TCU (7-1).
Coltie Young made four 3-pointers and scored 14 points for Jackson State (1-7). Romelle Mansel had eight points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.&nbsp;

The Jimmy V Classic started with a bang on Tuesday evening, including a top-tier upset.

Shannon shines in OT, No. 17 Illinois tops No. 2 Texas 85-78

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser scored 25 points, Tramon Mark added 16 and No. 1 Houston routed Norfolk State 100-52 Tuesday night in the Cougars&rsquo; first game as the top-ranked team in nearly 40 years.
Sasser finished 7 of 12 on 3-pointers, rebounding nicely after making only one of 10 from behind the arc in Houston&rsquo;s win over Kent State on Saturday.
Houston (7-0) was 17 of 33 on 3s, including 10 of 18 in the first half. The Cougars went on a 42-7 first-half run.
Jamal Shead finished with 12 points and 11 assists, J&rsquo;Wan Roberts had 10 points and Ja&rsquo;Vier Francis had 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
Kris Bankston scored 14 points and Cahiem Brown added 11 points for Norfolk State (5-3).
NO. 3 VIRGINIA 70, MICHIGAN 68
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Jayden Gardner made a go-ahead jumper with 39.9 seconds left and blocked Jett Howard&rsquo;s 3-point shot just before the buzzer, allowing Virginia to hold on and beat Michigan in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
The Cavaliers (6-0) trailed by 11 points at halftime, rallied to go ahead with 7:25 left and built a five-point lead that didn&rsquo;t last.
The Wolverines (5-2) went ahead 66-65 at the 1:42 mark when Hunter Dickinson made one of two free throws, but the standout center missed a hook shot in the final minute. Dickinson scored 23 points and Howard had 15.
Reece Beekman finished with 18 points for Virginia. Gardner, Kihei Clark and Kadin Shedrick scored 12 apiece and Ben Vander Plas had 10.
MARQUETTE 96, NO. 6 BAYLOR 70
MILWAUKEE (AP) &mdash; Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 24 points and Marquette capitalized on a dominant start from its defense to roll past Baylor in the Big 12-Big East Battle.
Marquette (6-2) raced to a 51-25 halftime lead thanks to a 24-0 edge in points off turnovers. This was the highest-ranked team Marquette has beaten under second-year coach Shaka Smart.
Kam Jones had 20 points and David Joplin added 19 as Marquette shot 58.3% overall to win its third straight.
LJ Cryer scored 19 points, Adam Flagler 16 and Keyonte George 12 for Baylor (5-2).
NO. 16 ILLINOIS 73, SYRACUSE 44
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) &mdash; Coleman Hawkins had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and Illinois thumped Syracuse.
Illinois (6-1) hit six of its 15 3-point attempts in the second half to send the Orange (3-4) home with their third straight loss.
Terrence Shannon Jr. had 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting for the Illini. All of his makes were 3s. RJ Melendez scored 15 points.
Jesse Edwards had nine points and 17 rebounds to lead Syracuse, and Judah Mintz also scored nine.
Hawkins sent a lively crowd into a frenzy by securing his 10th rebound to complete the triple-double with 1:34 to go and Illinois up 68-44.
NO. 19 KENTUCKY 60, BELLARMINE 41
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Antonio Reeves scored 18 points to lead Kentucky past Bellarmine.
Jacob Toppin had 12 points and CJ Fredrick finished with 11 as the Wildcats (5-2) overcame a slow start. Trailing 32-28 with 15 minutes left, Kentucky used a 23-3 run to pull away.
Curt Hopf led Bellarmine (2-6) with 15 points.
NO. 22 MARYLAND 79, LOUISVILLE 54
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Donta Scott scored 18 points and Maryland made five consecutive 3-pointers to open the second half and run away from Louisville.
The Terrapins (7-0) led throughout, including 37-26 at halftime, before Don Carey sank the first of two from long range during the 15-6 surge that featured two 3s from Scott and one from Hakim Hart.
Maryland shot 50% overall while posting its seventh consecutive double-digit win under new coach Kevin Willard.
El Ellis scored 15 points for the Cardinals (0-7), whose nightmarish start continued as they shot 34% against their third ranked opponent in four games.
NO. 24 SAN DIEGO STATE 72, UC IRVINE 69
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Micah Parrish hit a 3-pointer from the left corner with 2.4 seconds left and San Diego State rallied to beat UC Irvine.
Nathan Mensah scored 18 points to lead the Aztecs (5-2).
DJ Davis scored 28 points for the Anteaters (6-2), who had a three-game winning streak snapped.

A recap of Monday evening's men's college basketball slate includes a number of interconference battles and the No. 1 Cougars' rout.

Houston debuts at No. 1 by beating Norfolk State 100-52

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is not expected to participate in training camp and is doubtful for the start of the regular season with lingering pain and discomfort following knee surgery in January, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/JamalCollier/status/1565819272923955201" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamal Collier and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is not expected to participate in training camp and is doubtful for the start of the regular season with lingering pain and discomfort following knee surgery in January, sources tell me and <a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ramonashelburne</a> ESPN story: <a href="https://t.co/apmtZHrLjd">https://t.co/apmtZHrLjd</a>
&mdash; Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamalCollier/status/1565819272923955201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Lonzo has been out with this meniscus tear since January, and the recovery was supposed to last six to eight weeks. This latest update is pretty discouraging because it continues to leave the team in the dark regarding his possible return. Ball played an integral role in the Bulls success, as the Bulls were 27-13 before he went down, then proceeded to go 19-23 the rest of the way. They suffered other costly injuries too, but losing Ball was the turning point.

Lonzo Ball is reportedly not expected to participate in training camp and is doubtful to play on opening night for the Bulls.

Lonzo Ball expected to miss training camp, doubtful for opening night

Well, it finally happened. The New York Knicks and a top-tier free agent have agreed to terms on a contract.
Barring any shocking, last-minute changes, Jalen Brunson will be the Knicks&rsquo; starting point guard on opening night in 2022-23, as he and the team came to terms on a whopping four-year, $104 million deal.
After entering the NBA following a successful three-year career at Villanova, Brunson was drafted and signed a partially guaranteed four-year, $6.1 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks before the 2018-19 season, meaning this marks his first big payday.
Even though the agreement was just recently announced, the presumed signing has already been scrutinized ad nauseum. And since he signed with New York, it&rsquo;s been even more polarizing.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
In light of this move, let&rsquo;s step back and examine the facts: Brunson signed a big deal that will pay him a lot of money in 2022-23 and beyond. Additional details about salary have not yet been announced, but regardless of the annual breakdown, is a deal like this warranted?
That depends on how you view value.
Objectively, the Knicks probably overpaid, as least in terms of production. In total, 13 point guards were scheduled to be paid more than $26 million next season as of June 30, 2022: Stephen Curry ($48 million), Russell Westbrook ($47 million), Damian Lillard ($42.5 million), Trae Young ($37 million), Luka Doncic ($37 million), Kyrie Irving ($36.9 million), Ben Simmons ($35.4 million), Jamal Murray ($31.6 million), D&rsquo;Angelo Russell ($31.3), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($30.9 million), De&rsquo;Aaron Fox ($30.3 million), Chris Paul ($28.4 million) and Kyle Lowry ($28.3 million).
For what it&rsquo;s worth, the players just behind Brunson are Mike Conley ($22.6 million), Malcolm Brogdon ($22.6 million), Terry Rozier ($21.5 million), Fred VanVleet ($21.2 million), Spencer Dinwiddie ($20.1 million), Lonzo Ball ($19.5 million) and Eric Bledsoe ($19.3 million).
Most NBA experts can find a few guys on that list that Brunson is probably better than, including Russell, Brogdon, Rozier, Bledsoe &mdash; and probably Ball too.
Considering that each team is at a different place in its development, it&rsquo;s harder to rank starting point guards. But it&rsquo;s fair to say that there are 11 point guards across the league who the Knicks would prefer over Brunson &mdash; Curry, Doncic, Lillard, Young, Jrue Holiday, Ja Morant, Gilgeous-Alexander, LaMelo Ball, VanVleet, Darius Garland and Cade Cunningham. They might also prefer Dejounte Murray, Paul, Fox and Lowry as well, depending on who you ask.
So, an objective review of production from the point-guard position reveals that Brunson might not be an elite producer, yet. Granted, defining point guards is difficult, so bear with me.
In 2021-22, Brunson was tied for the 16th-highest scoring average among point guards (16.3 points per game). He was also 23rd among the position in assists per game (4.8), 16th in total rebounds per game (3.9) and 25th in Defensive Box Plus-Minus (-0.6).
Brunson&rsquo;s production was matched or bettered by a few point guards making less than he is set to earn, including Cole Anthony (rookie deal), VanVleet ($21.2 million) and Dinwiddie ($20.1 million).
But production is also about opportunity, and Dallas used Brunson in a specific way. The fact of the matter is that Dallas already has its lead guard, and it&rsquo;s a no-brainer when choosing who should be the primary creator between Doncic and Brunson. The idea that Brunson will have more opportunities in New York should be exhilarating to Brunson and his believers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Welcome to New York, Jalen Brunson! <a href="https://t.co/lISUdlwnOH">pic.twitter.com/lISUdlwnOH</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1542684979204919301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Further, it&rsquo;s easy to overlook the idea that teams invest in players&rsquo; futures. Sure, most fan bases celebrate signing proven players. But some of the best contracts are those given to players on the verge of breaking out, and that could be precisely where Brunson is in his career.
Brunson&rsquo;s contract was created by optimists who know and love him. Leon Rose, Brunson&rsquo;s former agent, simply believes that giving Brunson the keys to the castle will make him better; the adage of &ldquo;yesterday&rsquo;s price ain&rsquo;t today&rsquo;s price&rdquo; feels eerily relevant. It certainly is for the Mavericks, as they could have signed him for significantly less just a few months ago, and it could be for the Knicks too, if Brunson outperforms this contract.
This deal was also a must-have for the Knicks because not only have they failed to land a major free agent since 2010 &mdash; at which point Amar'e Stoudamire was more of a consolation prize than a home run &mdash; but they&rsquo;ve also been desperate for a starting-caliber point guard for what feels like ever.
Don&rsquo;t believe me? Here&rsquo;s a look at the Knicks&rsquo; opening-night starting point guards for the past 13 seasons: Chris Duhon, Ray Felton, Toney Douglas, Felton (again), Pablo Prigioni, Shane Larkin, Jose Calderon, Derrick Rose, Ramon Sessions, Trey Burke, Allonzo Trier, Elfrid Payton and Kemba Walker.
So, it&rsquo;s been a rough, rough stretch.
But that&rsquo;s not all. Brunson turns 26 in August, meaning he&rsquo;s an ideal match for the Knicks' young core. RJ Barret is just 21, Julius Randle is 27, Mitchell Robinson (a candidate to re-sign in New York) is 23, Obi Toppin is 23 and Immanuel Quickley is 22.
Now, back to that list of higher-paid point guards: Only seven of the 13 point guards set to make $26 million or more next year are under 30 years old.
Knicks fans are fractured over the idea of paying Brunson, but if not him, then who?
This league has proven time and again that market size does not explicitly matter, and the idea that free agents will be intoxicated by all that is New York is a dated concept. Culture and success matter more. And if that&rsquo;s the case, and you choose to forego signing Brunson because it&rsquo;s too much money, you&rsquo;ll be stuck in a chicken-and-the-egg situation pertaining to the team&rsquo;s culture and success for even longer.
And then, there&rsquo;s the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and salary cap to consider. Both the owners and players can technically opt out of the current CBA this December. More importantly, the NBA's television deals expire after the 2024-25 season, and the league is allegedly expecting a &ldquo;huge increase&rdquo; in rights fees, according to ESPN.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
CNBC reported last March that the league will seek a new television contract in the range of $75 billion, up from $24 billion, and league revenue obviously impacts the salary cap. This is relevant because, in 2022-23, the salary cap will be $123.6 million, with the tax level coming in at $150.2 million. Forbes&rsquo; Morten Jensen reported last September that the cap could jump to as much as $171 million by 2025, assuming no cap smoothing after a new rights deal and CBA.
Brunson&rsquo;s deal works out to an average annual salary of $26 million, or 17.3% of the full 2022-23 cap. If it does, in fact, jump to $171 million in 2025-26 (and assuming the Knicks have a team salary of $171 million), Brunson would represent only 15% of the team&rsquo;s cap in the final year of his deal &mdash; and the Knicks will have his Bird rights, allowing them to exceed the cap in re-signing him.
It's worth mentioning that Brunson's deal allegedly has a player option in its final year, meaning he can opt out before 2025-26. But at the very least, an increase in the salary cap in 2025-26 would offset re-signing him to a bigger deal, assuming he deserves one. For reference, Curry accounted for 28% of the Warriors' 2021-22 salary. Not that we're comparing Brunson and Curry, but $26 million per year isn't as harmful as it used to be.&nbsp;
So, as much as it may feel arbitrary, and even irresponsible, to hand out a deal like this to a non-All-Star, I ask you this: At what point should the Knicks give out a big contract? And who would agree to come to New York?
Brunson might not be Curry or Lillard, but he&rsquo;s the best player the Knicks have enticed to join them in a long time. And he might be even better than anyone knows.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

With Jalen Brunson, the Knicks have found their new floor general. Considering the price tag, will he live up to expectations?

What does Jalen Brunson's new contract mean for the New York Knicks?

Kyrie Irving has long had one of Nike&rsquo;s most popular and profitable signature shoes, but uncertainties surrounding his NBA future leave Nike unlikely to extend him to a similar signature deal beyond next season, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1525134092152578050" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnaroski of ESPN</a>.
In the article, Woj included that Kyrie's antics in Brooklyn the last two years have also made Brooklyn noncommittal on their next deal with him.
"The turbulence surrounding Irving -- which includes the Nets' noncommittal stance on negotiating a long-term contract -- has included several episodes in the past two years."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
ESPN Sources with <a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RamonaShelburne</a>: Kyrie Irving has long had one of Nike&rsquo;s most popular and profitable signature shoes, but uncertainties surrounding his NBA future leave Nike unlikely to extend him to a similar signature deal beyond next season: <a href="https://t.co/RbGJMYVbLC">https://t.co/RbGJMYVbLC</a>
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1525134092152578050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Kyrie's antics may lose him his shoe deal with Nike and have made Brooklyn noncommittal to him.

Woj: Nets noncommittal on Kyrie Irving long-term

Back injuries are incredibly common in professional sports, particularly in the NBA. But just because they&rsquo;re common does not make them easy to overcome &mdash; and Ben Simmons can attest to that.
Simmons is a big, dynamic playmaker whose defensive versatility and speed set him apart from the vast majority of guards in the NBA. And, right or not, the Brooklyn Nets were relying on Simmons to contribute in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
After a number of reports suggested a Simmons comeback was imminent, we now know that was not meant to be.
The media didn&rsquo;t help, as rumblings surfaced that Simmons was pain-free following a practice and could return to the team as early as Game 3. Simmons didn&rsquo;t help his case either, and at one point beckoned to ESPN's Nick Friedell to film him <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooSports/status/1515377280129806340?s=20&amp;t=dhtvXHosNXvt8FuOZ4T1kg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dunking the basketball</a> after a recent practice.
We don&rsquo;t necessarily know why Simmons didn&rsquo;t play in the Nets&rsquo; first-round series. Maybe he suffered a setback, or maybe he wasn&rsquo;t as healthy as we were led to believe. Per The Athletic's Shams Charania, his mental health <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-ben-simmons-did-not-return-because-of-mental-block" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was also a major factor</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
But while reports about his potential availability misled many of us, <a href="https://rahulshahmd.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Rahul Shah</a>, a world renowned, board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, cautioned against getting too excited from the very start.
&ldquo;Simmons received a shot a few weeks ago,&rdquo; Dr. Shah told BasketballNews.com in a Zoom interview in late March. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re not seeing him practice, warming up with the team, 3-on-3s &mdash; if he&rsquo;s not doing that, you can be pretty certain he&rsquo;s not getting the relief he needs.&rdquo;
We last saw Simmons on the floor in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals, but he sat out of this season's training camp in hopes of pressuring the Philadelphia 76ers to trade him. The Sixers didn&rsquo;t relent... at least not quickly.
Simmons' hold-out cost him 54 games (and approximately $20 million, over which he filed a grievance in early April), and on Feb. 10, he was finally traded to Brooklyn.
As mentioned earlier, Simmons dealt with mental-health issues for the entirety of the 2021-22 season and possibly longer. It was initially <a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/1491841027153412096?s=20&amp;t=johir1tYZUwQ_s5HLqg4-Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported by ESPN&rsquo;s Ramona Shelburne</a> that Simmons &ldquo;will continue to work with his therapist to get mentally ready to play in Brooklyn.&rdquo; But there was no mention of a back injury &mdash; at least not initially.
One of the main challenges in understanding where Simmons was in his recovery as of a week ago was that the injury wasn&rsquo;t proactively reported. Even Nets head coach Steve Nash seemed unclear on his status for much of the time following the trade.
Nash referred to Simmons&rsquo; back injury as &ldquo;a little soreness&rdquo; in late February. In mid-March, he had &ldquo;extremely high hopes&rdquo; that Simmons would return in the regular season. But in late March, Nash finally conceded that &ldquo;someone&rdquo; had reported that Simmons had a herniated disc.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JI6n9zrozBU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Was Nash being intentionally coy? Or was he truly unaware of the extent of Simmons&rsquo; back issues?
It&rsquo;s worth mentioning that Simmons has a mostly uneventful injury history as it relates to his back. The most recent occurrence was when he missed nine games with a nerve impingement in February 2020, but there have been no reported complications since.
Something clearly happened between June 2021 and February 2022.
<a href="https://rahulshahmd.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Shah</a> told BasketballNews.com that herniated discs typically require three-to-six months for a full recovery. Could Simmons have really injured his back after being traded? Or just before?
It&rsquo;s possible, but not relevant.
Regardless of when it happened, we can probably blame Simmons' hold-out for much of it. Training camp and the preseason are important to warm up for a relatively long season. Getting back into shape after skipping training camp and preseason and missing months of a season is nearly impossible &mdash; even for someone as athletic as Simmons.
Even worse, Simmons&rsquo; injury could have long-term implications for the Nets.
With Simmons having received an epidural shot in mid-March, Dr. Shah walked BasketballNews.com through the process and timeline of a typical recovery from a herniated disc.
&ldquo;Shots are one step before surgery, and that&rsquo;s why Simmons was having shots,&rdquo; Dr. Shah explained. "If that doesn&rsquo;t work, why not? It can be because it&rsquo;s the wrong problem, but it can also be that more has to be done. Typically, with surgery &mdash; when you go to that area &mdash; you identify where the disc is pressing on that nerve. You go in and basically trim down the area; you just remove a small portion. But if you&rsquo;re torquing on that area, there&rsquo;s a chance that more disc can come out.
&ldquo;So, you want to limit risk as much as you can. You want to always take the least amount of risk, but sometimes it&rsquo;s not enough. This operation is very effective but there is a 5-to-15% chance of more disc coming out in the future.&rdquo;
Dr. Shah also explained that, while surgery is generally successful, the risk it presents leads many people to try rehab and shots first.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
&ldquo;People return to twice as many games and play for twice as long with the surgery than without it,&rdquo; Dr. Shah explained. &ldquo;But there is a risk with it. And that&rsquo;s why most people don&rsquo;t go with it immediately.
&ldquo;So, for Ben Simmons, the likelihood of him needing this kind of surgery is probably reasonable, maybe 60% or 70%. And the real question is, &lsquo;Can he return back and play at the highest level with the shot?&rsquo; If he can&rsquo;t, you have your answer.&rdquo;
While the Nets&rsquo; season is done, Simmons could have decisions to make that will directly impact his ability to play next season. Granted, Simmons&rsquo; mental health is at least equally important as his physical health, especially to him; but if Simmons&rsquo; is to be successful, his back must be healthy.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a diskectomy &mdash; a surgical procedure to remove the damaged portion of a herniated disk in your spine &mdash; requires at least 6-to-8 weeks of recovery time. For context, Dwight Howard was expected to miss <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-basketball-nba-was-howard/wizards-howard-says-hes-pain-free-after-surgery-idUSKCN1OI2K4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2-to-3 months</a> following a microdiscectomy in late 2018, and Mike Dunleavy was projected to miss <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2015/09/25/chicago-bulls-mike-dunleavy-back-surgery-injury-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8-to-10 weeks</a> in 2015 following the same procedure.
Simmons and the Nets have about five months until the start of training camp. So, while he technically has some time, Simmons should make a decision regarding how he'll proceed sooner than later.
In a recent <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nets-rumors-kyrie-irving-kevin-durant-ben-simmons-steve-nash-bruce-brown-nicolas-claxton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype podcast with the Daily News' Kristian Winfield</a>, Mike Scotto said the Nets hope Simmons can guard an opposing team&rsquo;s best player on any given night, regardless of position. In other words, in a given (hypothetical) week, Simmons will be expected to guard the likes of LeBron James, Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and more.
That is a very tall task for any player, but it&rsquo;s downright impossible if said player has a lingering injury &mdash; especially in his back. And given what was given up to get Simmons to Brooklyn (and the fact that most teams around the league want nothing to do with him at the moment), the Nets have to hope he'll bounce back to his old self.&nbsp;
It might seem crazy, but Ben Simmons is still only 25. He truly could have a decade or more left in the NBA. Hopefully he's able to overcome all of his challenges &mdash; physical and otherwise.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Dr. Rahul Shah says there was a 60-70% chance that Ben Simmons needed back surgery in late March. Could the Nets have known?

Ben Simmons' Brooklyn no-show was more predictable than we thought

There is optimism that Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons could make his season debut during the first round of the NBA playoffs, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1513233590577995778" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>. Simmons is working to strengthen his back and legs, and he has been ramping up his workload in hopes of returning during the postseason.
Initially, Simmons' injury was described as back soreness, but then he was diagnosed with a herniated disc and he needed an epidural for the pain. Nets head coach Steve Nash has said that surgery hasn't been considered.
Nash ruled out the possibility of Simmons returning for the Play-In Tournament, which the Nets find themselves in since they are currently in the Eastern Conference's seventh seed. Assuming they are able to advance to the first round, the Nets would be an extremely tough out after adding Simmons alongside Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Co.
Last season, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he finished as the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year runner-up.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33520712/brooklyn-nets-hold-hope-ben-simmons-return-couple-regular-season-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Brooklyn hoped to have Simmons return in time for a "couple" regular-season games so that he could start shaking off the rust and getting acclimated prior to the postseason. However, it seems his body wasn't ready.
Recently, Simmons has been participating more during Brooklyn's practices, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/Alex__Schiffer/status/1511021628578320388" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Schiffer of The Athletic</a>. It remains to be seen if he can ramp up his workload without experiencing yet another setback.
&nbsp;
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

There is optimism that Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons could make his season debut during the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Nets' Ben Simmons may make season debut in first round of NBA playoffs

Brooklyn Nets' guard Ben Simmons has filed a grievance to challenge the nearly $20 million of salary withheld to him by the Philadelphia 76ers this season, according to ESPN.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Reporting with <a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RamonaShelburne</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BobbyMarks42</a>: Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has filed a grievance to challenge the nearly $20 million of salary withheld to him by the Philadelphia 76ers this season. Story soon on ESPN.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1510229709061251077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Simmons' grievance pits him and the National Basketball Players Association against the league in a dispute that is likely to have far reaching implication on how mental health is treated by NBA teams.
The 76ers claim that Simmons breached his player contract when he failed to show up for training camp and play in the preseason and regular season. Philadelphia claims that Simmons has no right to try to recoup any of his forfeited salary. Simmons asserts that mental-health issues led to his limited involvement.
Simmons' representatives and the 76ers tried to come to an agreement independently, but a decision will now be reached in arbitration. Ultimately, Simmons requested a trade and was the centerpiece of a package that sent him to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden.
Simmons remains sidelined with a herniated disc in his back.

Brooklyn Nets' guard Ben Simmons filed a grievance to challenge the salary withheld to him by the Philadelphia 76ers this season.

Ben Simmons files grievance to challenge salary withheld by 76ers

The NBA playoffs are fast approaching and as the season winds down, there are a total of 21 teams fighting for 16 playoff spots across the two conferences.
Every game matters.
Injuries have had a major impact on this season. In the Western Conference, a number of potential playoff teams are missing key pieces, including the Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry and James Wiseman), Denver Nuggets (Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.), Los Angeles Clippers (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George), Memphis Grizzlies (Ja Morant), Los Angeles Lakers (Anthony Davis), New Orleans Pelicans (Zion Williamson) and Portland Trail Blazers (Damian Lillard).
There are fewer injured stars in the Eastern Conference, but Jarrett Allen (CLE), Ben Simmons (BKN), Lonzo Ball (CHI), Gordon Hayward (CHA) and Colin Sexton (CLE) are currently sidelined.
Between now and the start of the playoffs on April 12, some important players are expected to return to their respective teams, which could alter the NBA landscape in a major way.
<h2>WESTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
DENVER NUGGETS
On March 15, the Nuggets assigned Jamal Murray to their G-League affiliate (the Grand Rapids Gold) to get some additional work at practice. This sent waves through social media, as fans anticipated Murray's long-awaited return to the Nuggets' lineup. However, just a few days later, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said that Murray is "not close" to suiting up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Denver Nuggets HC Michael Malone says Jamal Murray is "not close" to rejoining the lineup, per <a href="https://twitter.com/HarrisonWind?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarrisonWind</a> <a href="https://t.co/7leLWbJe5W">pic.twitter.com/7leLWbJe5W</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1505676501303320576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
It seems unlikely that Murray will be able to play during the regular season, but perhaps he'll be able to return at some point during the postseason.
Michael Porter Jr. is also on the mend, but the reports about his availability have been all over the place. There were rumblings that his rehab didn't go great and that he was further away than Murray. Then, there was a rumor that he's <a href="https://theathletic.com/3198516/2022/03/21/nuggets-hopeful-jamal-murray-and-michael-porter-jr-could-be-back-by-playoffs-but-no-immediate-return-on-the-horizon/?source=nbatw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due back very soon</a>.

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

A little over a week ago, Malone was asked about the possibility of Murray and Porter returning, and he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/malone-michael-porter-jr-and-jamal-murrays-wont-be-back-soon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, "There is no immediate return on the horizon for either one of those players."
Denver is currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference, trying to stave off the Minnesota Timberwolves and avoid the Play-In Tournament.&nbsp;
Nikola Jokic has played at an MVP level (again) and the absence of these two stars has allowed for Bones Hyland to emerge as a legitimate rotation player as a rookie. Adding even one of these two players back into the fold would make the Nuggets a significantly more threatening first-round opponent for the Grizzlies, Warriors or Mavericks.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Since the acquisition of CJ McCollum on February 8, the New Orleans Pelicans rank No. 10 in offensive rating and No. 6 in net rating. While the Pelicans won't be getting All-Star power forward Zion Williamson back at any point this season, they did just have another impact player return to their lineup.
Larry Nance Jr. was acquired as part of the McCollum trade and he made his Pelicans debut a few days ago. The 29-year-old is a seamless fit on the offensive end and he'll give New Orleans some defensive versatility.
Even though we all wanted to see how this team would look with a healthy Zion, they have a solid core with McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, Herb Jones, Devonte' Graham, Nance and Co. &mdash; making them a scary opponent in the Play-In Tournament.

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

New Orleans likely won't catch the Clippers for the eighth seed, but they could steal homecourt advantage in the 9-10 game against the Lakers, as they are currently a half game behind L.A.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
With LeBron James on roster, there always seems to be this lingering feeling that the Lakers will catch their stride and figure this thing out. But without Anthony Davis, it seems unlikely that Los Angeles will be able to escape the Play-In Tournament.
There has been no official word on a potential return date for Davis, but the Lakers would need him available if they hope to play beyond April 12.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Anthony Davis continues to do on-court shooting, per Frank Vogel, and is progressing each day: &ldquo;Anthony has had a good week &hellip; He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
&mdash; Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1504943043669106699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

The presence of Davis would inject a tiny sliver of hope that he and James could will this team to victory and into a revenge series against the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Stephen Curry is expected to be out until mid-April at the earliest, which is a huge blow to the Warriors. Fortunately, Curry has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/breakingnews/warriors-curry-expects-to-return-by-start-of-playoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he should be back in time for the first game of the playoffs.
The team has reintroduced Klay Thompson back into the fold, and Draymond Green is back in the lineup too. While Golden State's star-studded trio has only played three games together this season, at least the Warriors should have all three vets together for the postseason (barring any setbacks or new injuries).
Unfortunately, Golden State won't be at full strength, as James Wiseman was recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/warriors-james-wiseman-ruled-out-for-remainder-of-the-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled out</a> for the remainder of this season. The sophomore is still recovering from a torn meniscus that he suffered last April. Wiseman's size and versatility would have helped the Warriors, especially when facing the likes of Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Golden State has been struggling without Curry, dropping four of their last five games (including surprising losses to the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks). Golden State surrendered the No. 2 seed to the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Warriors could slip to fourth in the Western Conference, leading to a potential second-round matchup against Phoenix (instead of Memphis or Utah).&nbsp;
Still, assuming the Warriors have their Big Three, they will be dangerous in the playoffs.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Recently, Clippers head coach Ty Lue was asked about Kawhi Leonard and Paul George potentially returning prior to the playoffs, and he didn't shoot down the possibility.
"If guys are able to [return], they are gonna do it," Lue said. "But the most important part is making the sure the players are taken care of and making sure they're ready to go and fully healthy."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Ty Lue says he&rsquo;ll keep the door open on Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and/or Norman Powell returning if it&rsquo;s less than a week until the playoffs. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Clippers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Clippers</a> <a href="https://t.co/iebGp2sRcp">pic.twitter.com/iebGp2sRcp</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1505958728125739011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Leonard has been sidelined since last postseason, and Clippers fans have been holding out hope for a late-season comeback. ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Leonard may be able to return if the Clippers make it out of the Play-In Tournament.
George has been sidelined due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and there is no timetable for his return. Recently, he has <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33579571/nba-playoffs-injury-updates-steph-curry-zion-williamson-anthony-davis-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> made progress and been cleared for 4-on-4 and shooting drills, so a return still seems possible.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<h2>EASTERN CONFERENCE</h2>
CHICAGO BULLS
The Bulls skyrocketed to the top of the East standings early in the season thanks to a supernova DeMar DeRozan and stellar defense. Two key cogs of that defense were Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, who have played just 35 and 36 games, respectively. Chicago also played most of the season without forward Patrick Williams, who's another important rotation player.&nbsp;
The absence of those two elite perimeter defenders caused the Bulls to slip to the East's five seed, and they are just one game ahead of the sixth-seeded Toronto Raptors.&nbsp;
Caruso returned on March 12 and Williams returned on March 21. But if Ball is able to return to the starting lineup, that could significantly affect the outcome of a series against the Celtics or 76ers.
However, here's the bad news:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lonzo Ball will stop running on his knee for the next 10 days, per Billy Donovan. They&rsquo;ve been trying to ramp him up but he hasn&rsquo;t responded well
&mdash; Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamalCollier/status/1506033717608865798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Ball may not be needed for Chicago to avoid the Play-In Tournament, but his return is crucial in order for the Bulls to make a deep run in the playoffs.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Colin Sexton is not coming back this season. In fact, it's possible that he has played his final game as a Cavalier since he's set to become a restricted free agent.
However, one of the main reason that the Cavaliers have exceeded expectations this season is the play of Jarrett Allen. Ricky Rubio was also a key cog in the Cleveland machine, but his injury back in December led to the acquisition of Rajon Rondo... who is also currently out with an ankle injury.&nbsp;
Allen's presence defensively next to Evan Mobley is crucial to the success of the Cavs. Cleveland's opponents take the ninth-most shots at the rim in the league, but they shoot the worst percentage. Their perimeter defense funnels opponents to the rim because of the three 7-footers they have on the floor.&nbsp;
For Cleveland to pull off a first-round upset, Allen must be present and continuing his career-year.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the game and oftentimes play a major factor in the postseason. This year is proving to be no different, as the field seems wide open due to injuries and the players who are returning could have a major impact on who is eventually crowned champion.
BROOKLYN NETS
After arriving in Brooklyn, Ben Simmons began ramping up his conditioning and preparing to make his season debut, but then his back started giving him trouble. Initially, it was being described as back soreness, but he was recently diagnosed with a herniated disc and he needed an epidural for the pain.
Nets head coach Steve Nash has said that surgery isn't currently being considered. Simmons is working with a physical therapist and trying to get healthy enough to make his Nets debut. Nash told reporters that he's "fully expecting" Simmons to play at some point this season.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33520712/brooklyn-nets-hold-hope-ben-simmons-return-couple-regular-season-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Brooklyn hopes to have Simmons for a "couple" regular-season games so that he can start shaking off the rust and getting acclimated prior to the postseason.
Whenever he returns, the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year runner-up will provide a huge boost for the Nets. Last season, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Several NBA playoff teams are hoping to get back key contributors in time for the postseason. Justin Lewis examines these situations.

Examining 11 impact players whose return could alter NBA playoffs

Brooklyn Nets All-Star Ben Simmons has remained sidelined with an irritation of the L-4 disc of the lower spine and hope remains he can return for a &ldquo;couple&rdquo; of regular-season games prior to the Eastern Conference playoffs, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1504218096596398082" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
ESPN reporting with <a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RamonaShelburne</a>: Brooklyn Nets All-Star Ben Simmons has remained sidelined with an irritation of the L-4 disc of the lower spine and hope remains he can return for a &ldquo;couple&rdquo; of regular-season games prior to the Eastern Conference playoffs. Story soon.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1504218096596398082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Wojnarowski later elaborated on when Simmons may make his debut for Brooklyn.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
When Simmons started in rehab in Brooklyn, there had been a quiet target date of Friday vs. Portland for a return, sources said. Now, the hope is Simmons can play a couple of games -- perhaps April 8 and 10 -- before the opening of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1504224887417847814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;So it turns out Simmons' injury may not have been as fabricated as many believed it was. Hopefully this issue will be taken care of before the playoffs because on paper, Simmons could be a serious game-changer for the Nets. His presence brings much-needed versatility and defense.
&nbsp;

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

Ben Simmons will remain sidelined with a back injury, but they hope he'll make his season debut before the season ends.

Woj/Shelburne: Ben Simmons to remain sidelined with back injury

As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-wont-mortgage-future-for-lebron-this-is-the-bed-you-made" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramona Shelburne said</a> when she paraphrased the Los Angeles Lakers' front office stance: "You guys got yourselves into this; this is the bed that you made."
We're past the trade deadline and NBA All-Star weekend and into the season's stretch run. Aside from some leftover waivings and G League call-ups, teams have their rosters set. From here on out, it's about just playing with the guys you have.&nbsp;
For the teams in this week's Sour Rankings, there's still time to adjust season goals and find a measure of success. Young rosters might hope for promising player development instead of wins. Those on the fringe of playoff contention might have the Play-In Tournament or the traditional postseason as a benchmark. Disappointing title hopefuls can salvage positivity even if they don't go all the way.
I've listed a target for each squad on the list. It might not be the ideal outcome, but the bar can at least bring some level of satisfaction to a year gone awry.
If you're new to the Sour Rankings, here's a refresher: Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst outlooks. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and generally underwhelming play will earn you a spot on this list.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Let's get going.
Escaping the Sour Rankings:&nbsp;The Oklahoma City Thunder made a brief pit stop, but <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/josh-giddeys-rise-make-thunders-rebuild-even-more-intriguing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Josh Giddey's brilliance</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">team-wide budding defense</a> launched them right back out.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
10. New Orleans Pelicans (23-36)
Zion Williamson's general situation has once again made things sour. CJ McCollum <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/cj-mccollum-on-zion-williamson-i-havent-had-conversations-with-him-directly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on TNT</a> that he has yet to speak with Williamson since being the blockbuster addition for the Pelicans at the trade deadline. The quotes raise serious questions about how Williamson and the Pelicans are handling his extended absence.
At this point, who knows if Williamson will return this season. New Orleans should be aiming to make the Play-In games behind Brandon Ingram and McCollum. The latter has gotten off to a hot start with his new team. The Pelicans are two games back of the Trail Blazers for 10th place in the Western Conference and have plenty of time to move up.
(Last week: Unranked)
9. Utah Jazz (36-22)
The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns have asserted themselves as the favorites in the West. No other team, including Utah, is in a similar tier. The Jazz also didn't make any significant moves to inspire title hope at the trade deadline, and a recent five-game winning streak doesn't exactly turn the tables. Utah hasn't reached the conference finals since 2006-07, and that seems like a reasonable, yet valuable goal since the team will likely have to get through one of the two powers to get there.
(Last week: 8)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (25-34)
Anfernee Simons averaged 28.0 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 44.8% from long range over his last five games entering the break. He's been the breakout star of the 2022 calendar year, and has given a listless Trail Blazers team some life. Simons' development might be more important than any team outcome, especially if Damian Lillard does not return this season. If he can finish out the year as the dynamic offensive weapon he's becoming, Simons can show Portland why he's a long-term core piece for the next era.
(Last week: 6)
7. Sacramento Kings (22-38)
When the Kings swung on Domantas Sabonis (and to a lesser extent, Donte DiVincenzo), they basically set the goal: make the playoffs. Play-In exits won't do any good for a franchise that has not made a postseason appearance since 2005-06 and just dealt arguably its top young talent, however. Sacramento is tied with New Orleans and also two-and-a-half games out of 10th in the West. It's going to be a brawl for that last spot, but if the Kings do snag it and advance through the mini-bracket, that means the Sabonis-De'Aaron Fox pairing is worth building around.
(Last week: 5)
6. Charlotte Hornets (29-31)
Charlotte has a top-10 Defensive Rating over the past two weeks, part of this wild roller-coaster ride the Hornets' defense has been on throughout the season. The team's Offensive Rating, however, ranks 27th during that stretch. Gordon Hayward's absence dealt a tough blow to the lineup's synergy. Ultimately, this is still a young team growing into its potential. Remaining in Play-In and playoff contention is a given goal, but I'd also like to see the team find some consistency on both ends and shoot for league-average ratings or better for the rest of the schedule.
(Last week: 9)
5. Houston Rockets (15-43)
On a seven-game slide, Houston has give up a whopping 128.9 points per 100 possessions in February, nearly five points more than any other team. This is an extremely young roster that will take time to mesh on defense, but that's still extremely rough. Tanking outright is not a "goal," but record isn't exactly a concern at this stage.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
More of this, please. They&rsquo;re giving it to you. <a href="https://twitter.com/JalenGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JalenGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/zfRvLkunXL">pic.twitter.com/zfRvLkunXL</a>
&mdash; heypartner (@theheypartner) <a href="https://twitter.com/theheypartner/status/1495761190370353155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Jalen Green is averaging 16.5 points per game this month while canning 41.7% of his three-pointers. He's the face of the future in Houston, so his flashes are what the fans and front office should want to see. As long as Green demonstrates noteworthy growth this spring, things will look up for the Rockets.
(Last week: 7)
4. Washington Wizards (27-31)
Kristaps Porzingis has yet to make his Wizards debut. When he does, it marks the start of a desperate push for Washington to appease Bradley Beal and make the playoffs. The Wizards are in 11th place and currently out of the Eastern Conference postseason picture, but sit just a game back of Charlotte and the Atlanta Hawks. A Play-In appearance can't satisfy; but a playoff appearance is much easier said than done. If two of Toronto, Boston and Brooklyn don't make it to a top-six seed, making the traditional eight is going to be a tall order for the Wizards or any other team.
(Last week: 4)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
3. Brooklyn Nets (31-28)
The Nets sorely needed this All-Star break to put the drama of the James Harden trade and the stench of losing behind them. Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons are still out for an indefinite period, and Kyrie Irving is still unvaccinated, so this current ragtag bunch will have to keep Brooklyn in the playoff hunt. (They did also just ink Goran Dragic to a rest-of-the-season contract on Monday as well.) This is still a title contender on paper... but so was the pre-deadline iteration of the Nets. However, the East is wide open, and fans should expect a healthy roster to go at least two rounds in the postseason. 
(Last week: 2)
2. New York Knicks (25-34)
New York went 3-13 in a one-month span before the pause and promptly decided to forge ahead at the trade deadline with no changes. This doesn't bode well for a team with several veterans, but almost no hope of extending its season at this time.
Since Jan. 17, the Knicks have a 25th-ranked defense and a 22nd-ranked offense. The defense especially needs to improve for the sake of Tom Thibodeau's viability as a head coach. If it's not league-average or better the rest of the way, New York's direction will start to look a lot like the Thibodeau era in Minnesota.
(Last week: 3)
1. Los Angeles Lakers (27-31)
In the latest Hollywood drama, LeBron James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-on-cleveland-return-the-doors-not-closed-on-that" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kept things pretty wide open</a> when he chatted with The Athletic's&nbsp;Jason Lloyd about his future. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rob-pelinka-refused-to-trade-russell-westbrook-draft-pick-for-john-wall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report also wrote</a> that Rob Pelinka refused to trade Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick for John Wall. So yeah, there's a very obvious disconnect within this franchise.
The Lakers cannot be satisfied with stumbling their way through a Play-In bracket that James himself has gone on record hating. They have to be a top-six seed for the sake of roster durability and image. But being six games behind sixth-place Denver right now, Los Angeles may have already run out of luck.
(Last week: 1)
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Ethan Fuller gives end-of-season benchmarks for success to the league's disappointing teams.