Hoosiers

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

USA Basketball put together different rosters for all six World Cup qualifying windows, and coach Jim Boylen noticed the same two things with each of those groups.
One, every player beamed when putting on the &ldquo;USA&rdquo; jersey for picture day. Two, by the third or fourth day of practice, the players were coaching each other.
It took 52 players and more than a year, but the job is done &mdash; USA Basketball is going to the World Cup in the Philippines this summer. The U.S. won&rsquo;t have to sweat it out this weekend when the final spots in the 32-team field get claimed, after rallying to beat Uruguay on Thursday and clinching a berth.
&ldquo;When they put on the USA jersey, the same jersey that LeBron James wore, the same jersey that Kobe Bryant wore, the same jersey of the senior men&rsquo;s national team, there&rsquo;s a joy from those guys unlike what I&rsquo;ve ever seen,&rdquo; Boylen said. &ldquo;And then it clicks: They&rsquo;ve reached a higher level of distinction and they&rsquo;ve got to come together. That&rsquo;s what happened.&rdquo;
Boylen has led the U.S. to a 9-2 record in qualifying, with one game left at Brazil on Sunday. It&rsquo;s meaningless, on paper, for the Americans, but could decide whether Brazil goes to the World Cup or not.
His efforts were lauded Friday by Steve Kerr, who will coach the roster of NBA players that the U.S. will take to the World Cup this summer.
&ldquo;Jim Boylen has done a great job with that whole group and they all go unheralded, and I just want take the time to say &lsquo;thank you&rsquo; as the coach of the team that will be playing in the World Cup this summer,&rdquo; said Kerr, the Golden State coach. &ldquo;My gratitude goes out to Jim and all the players.&rdquo;
For many of the U.S. players, Sunday could be the last time they play with &ldquo;USA&rdquo; on the front of the jersey. The World Cup roster will be filled by NBA players; the qualifying teams, with a handful of exceptions, were primarily players from the G League.
If the U.S. finishes as one of the best two teams from the Americas region in the World Cup, they&rsquo;ll also qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Americans are the four-time defending Olympic champions. Kerr will again coach the Americans in the Olympics if they qualify, assisted by Miami&rsquo;s Erik Spoelstra, the Los Angeles Clippers&rsquo; Tyronn Lue and Gonzaga&rsquo;s Mark Few.
&ldquo;All I want them to do is take care of business,&rdquo; said guard Langston Galloway, who played in the most qualifying games for the U.S. over the last 15 months. &ldquo;I feel like I&rsquo;m part of their success to some extent. We&rsquo;ve done our job and now we hand it over to the next group and let them finish the job.&rdquo;
MELO ON BOARD
Carmelo Anthony was introduced in Manila on Friday as the newest FIBA World Cup Global Ambassador.
He said it was special to be picked for the role, especially since his close friend Kobe Bryant was an ambassador for the 2019 World Cup in China. Anthony said it was &ldquo;special to kind of follow what Kobe has created on a global scale.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sure he definitely would have been here with me, watching these games, coming over, hanging in the Philippines and just enjoying himself,&rdquo; Anthony said. &ldquo;For me, I can continue part of his legacy, but also establish what I have to establish for myself.&rdquo;
Anthony, a three-time Olympic champion, joins Pau Gasol and Luis Scola as ambassadors.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m glad we&rsquo;re not competing no more. We&rsquo;re on the same side now,&rdquo; Anthony said.
FIELD UPDATE
Jordan made the 32-team World Cup, clinching its spot Friday when New Zealand defeated Saudi Arabia.
Jordan is the seventh team to advance through the Asian Qualifiers, joining co-hosts Philippines and Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Australia and China. There is one spot left unclaimed from Asia, with Iran and Kazakhstan still in the running.
Also clinching on Friday were South Sudan and Egypt.
The other teams that have clinched so far:
Americas Region (7 spots)
In: USA, Canada.
Still in the race: Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico. Those last five spots will be decided Sunday.
Europe Region (12 spots)
In: Finland, Latvia, Germany, Greece, Slovenia, France, Lithuania, Spain, Italy.
Still in the race: Serbia, Belgium, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Georgia, Iceland.
Africa Region (5 spots)
In: Ivory Coast, South Sudan, Egypt.
Still in the race: Angola, Cape Verde, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia.

USA Basketball will compete in the World Cup in the Philippines this summer, and Carmelo Anthony was named an ambassador.

Team USA clinches World Cup berth; Carmelo Anthony named ambassador

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Michigan State coach Tom Izzo gazed into the crowd, tears welling in his eyes, moments before his team played its first home game since a mass shooting on campus killed three students and hospitalized five students.
&ldquo;It was one of those moments where I just said, `I&rsquo;m a lucky guy,&lsquo;&rdquo; Izzo recalled as his voice cracked with emotion. &ldquo;I said to myself, `I hope we can come through for you.&rsquo;&rdquo;
The Spartans did.
Tyson Walker shook off a slow start to score 23 points and lifted Michigan State to an 80-65 win over No. 17 Indiana on Tuesday night, eight days after a mass shooting ended lives, endangered others and frightened an entire community.
&ldquo;It was definitely a emotional,&rdquo; Walker said. &ldquo;Everybody was involved in some way because everybody&rsquo;s on campus. So, it was definitely good to go out there and play well for everybody.&rdquo;
The Spartans (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten) surged into the lead late in the first half after Walker started making 3-pointers following an 0-for-4 start from the field and were ahead by double digits for much of the second half.
&ldquo;Izzo&rsquo;s teams play great. They play hard,&rdquo; Indiana coach Mike Woodson said. &ldquo;They force you to play hard. If you don&rsquo;t meet that, you&rsquo;re going to lose.&rdquo;
The Hoosiers (19-9, 10-7) relied heavily on Trayce Jackson-Davis, as usual, and he had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Michigan State had its previous home game against Minnesota postponed after the shootings and resumed playing Saturday night in a loss to rival Michigan on the road.
The victims, survivors and first responders from last week&rsquo;s shootings were recognized with pregame remarks. There was also a moment of silence that was broken by the Michigan State band playing &ldquo;MSU Shadows,&rdquo; when Izzo looked left, right, high and low at fans in the stands.
&ldquo;I wish I could have ran up to that top row and thank the people that were there,&rdquo; Izzo said.
In the front row of the student section, white shirts were placed on eight seats to save them for the eight students shot on campus. The funeral for the last of the three students killed was earlier Tuesday.
The Spartans, after the emotional pregame, got off to a sluggish start before turning the game around with 3-pointers, defense and rebounding.
Michigan State&rsquo;s A.J. Hoggard had three turnovers early in the game, then didn&rsquo;t have another turnover and finished with 22 points and five assists. Joey Hauser and Malik Hall each scored 10 points for the Spartans, who have won three of their last four games.
Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 16 and Trey Galloway had 11 points for the Hoosiers.
BIG PICTURE
Indiana: The Hoosiers, who have lost two of their last three games, may have some work to do to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
Michigan State: After collapsing late against Michigan and returning to play at home on an emotional campus, Izzo&rsquo;s team earned a much-needed win.
HE SAID IT
&ldquo;As the game wore on, they smashed us and I don&rsquo;t like that,&rdquo; Woodson said.
IN THE FACE
Midway through the second half, Michigan State&rsquo;s Mady Sissoko blocked Malik Reneau&rsquo;s shot and the ball hit Kaleb Banks in the head so hard that he staggered and fell to the court.
BRIDGES SAYS
Former Michigan State star Miles Bridges sat behind the team&rsquo;s bench and said he may be back in the NBA soon, returning to play for the Charlotte Hornets.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long process,&rdquo; Bridges told The Associated Press at halftime. &ldquo;I might be back in March.&rdquo;
Bridges has not played this season while under an NBA investigation. He pleaded no contest three months ago to a felony count of injuring a child&rsquo;s parent, agreeing to do so in exchange for three years probation and no jail time.
INJURY REPORT
Michigan State&rsquo;s Carson Cooper missed the game after Izzo said the freshman center sprained his ankle during practice on Monday. Indiana senior guard Xavier Johnson is still out with a foot injury.
UP NEXT
Indiana: Plays rival and fifth-ranked Purdue on the road Saturday night.
Michigan State: Travels to play Iowa on Saturday.

The Spartans (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten) surged into the lead late in the first half after Walker started making threes following an 0-for-4 start.

Michigan State tops Indiana in first home game since shootings

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Keyontae Johnson scored 25 points, Markquis Nowell added 14 points and 10 assists, and No. 14 Kansas State followed a long first-half slump with a big second-half run to beat ninth-ranked Baylor 75-65 on Tuesday night.
Cam Carter added 10 points for the Wildcats (21-7, 9-6 Big 12), who trailed 34-31 at the break before their 18-4 charge gave them control. They coasted from there to a school record-tying seventh win over a ranked team this season.
Keyonte George hit six 3-pointers and scored 23 points for Baylor (20-8, 9-6), which had won seven of its last eight against the Wildcats and three straight in Manhattan. LJ Cryer added four 3s and finished with 16 points.
The game was a rematch for Bears coach Scott Drew and Kansas State counterpart Jerome Tang, who spent 19 years on Drew&rsquo;s bench. And it was every bit as wild as the Wildcats&rsquo; 97-95 overtime win in early January.
NO. 8 TEXAS 72, NO. 23 IOWA STATE 54
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice and Tyrese Hunter each scored 15 points and Texas raced away from Iowa State with a big first half to keep the Longhorns at the top of the Big 12.
Texas (22-6, 11-4) is tied with No. 3 Kansas for first place with three games left in the regular season. The Longhorns haven&rsquo;t won even a share of the league crown since 2008.
Osun Ossunniyi scored 12 points to lead the Cyclones (17-10, 8-7), who beat Texas in their first matchup.
NO. 10 MARQUETTE 73, NO. 19 CREIGHTON 71
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Tyler Kolek&rsquo;s short jump shot gave Marquette the lead with 29 seconds left, and the Golden Eagles took a huge step toward the Big East regular-season title with a win over Creighton.
The Golden Eagles (22-6, 14-3) saw a 10-point lead with eight minutes left evaporate before Kolek came up big during a wild finish before a sellout crowd at CHI Health Center.
Kam Jones led Marquette with 19 points and Kolek and Oso Ighodaro added 18 apiece.
Baylor Scheierman had 18 points to lead the Bluejays (18-10, 12-5). Ryan Nembhard added 16.
NO. 25 TEXAS A&amp;M 68, NO. 11 TENNESSEE 63
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) &mdash; Wade Taylor IV scored 25 points, including four free throws down the stretch, and Texas A&amp;M extended its winning streak to six games.
Julius Marble added 21 points and nine rebounds for the Aggies (21-7, 13-2 Southeastern Conference), who haven&rsquo;t lost since Jan. 21.
It&rsquo;s the fourth loss in five games for the Volunteers (20-8, 9-6), with their only win in this stretch coming in a 68-59 victory over then-No. 1 Alabama on Wednesday.
Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler had 14 points each for Tennessee.
NO. 13 MIAMI 76, VIRGINIA TECH 70
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Norchad Omier had 17 points and 14 rebounds as Miami won its seventh straight.
Nigel Pack added 16 points for the Hurricanes (23-5, 14-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who placed five players in double figures. Isaiah Wong finished with 13 points and Jordan Miller had 11 for Miami, which shot just 42.2% (27 of 64) after leading the ACC at 48.7 percent coming into the game. The Hurricanes helped themselves with 14 offensive rebounds.
Sean Pedulla led Virginia Tech (16-12, 6-11) with 17 points. Hunter Cattoor finished with 15 points for the Hokies, who shot 46.7% (28 of 60).
VILLANOVA 64, NO. 16 XAVIER 63
CINCINNATI (AP) &mdash; Justin Moore scored 25 points to give Villanova its biggest victory under first-year head coach Kyle Neptune.
Cam Whitmore added 11 points for the Wildcats (14-14, 8-9 Big East) who dealt a big blow to the Musketeers&rsquo; Big East title hopes.
Souley Boum led Xavier (20-8, 12-5) with 17 points. Jerome Hunter added 14 and Jack Nunge scored 12.
MICHIGAN STATE 80, NO. 17 INDIANA 65
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Tyson Walker shook off a slow start to score 23 points and lifted Michigan State in its first home game since last week&rsquo;s shootings on campus that killed three students and hospitalized five students.
The Hoosiers (19-9, 10-7) relied heavily on Trayce Jackson-Davis, as usual, and he had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Michigan State&rsquo;s A.J. Hoggard had three turnovers early in the game, then didn&rsquo;t have another turnover and finished with 22 points and five assists. Joey Hauser and Malik Hall each scored 10 points for the Spartans (17-10, 9-7 Big Ten), who have won three of their last four games.
Jalen Hood-Schifino scored 16 and Trey Galloway had 11 points for the Hoosiers.
NO. 22 SAN DIEGO STATE 77, COLORADO STATE 58
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Jaedon LeDee scored 14 points and Matt Bradley scored 10 of his 13 in the first four minutes of the second half for San Diego State, which overwhelmed Colorado State for its fifth straight win.
Bradley, SDSU&rsquo;s leading scorer, appeared to hurt a finger on his left hand and was subbed out during a timeout with 7:47 left and the Aztecs leading 69-48. He returned with 4:55 to go but didn&rsquo;t play the final two minutes.
Micah Parrish added 12 and Lamont Butler and Darrion Trammell had 11 each for SDSU (22-5, 13-2 Mountain West), which solidified its lead in the conference race. The Aztecs have won nine of their last 10 games dating to an 82-76 overtime win at Colorado State on Jan. 18.
John Tonje scored 18 and Isaiah Rivera 15 for the Rams (12-16, 4-11), who have lost seven of nine.&nbsp;

A recap of Tuesday night's action in men's college hoops a battle of top-15 squads in a crucial Big 12 matchup.

No. 14 Kansas State beats No. 9 Baylor with big second half

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Clemson wasn&rsquo;t able to escape on the road this time.
Makai Ashton-Langford had two key driving baskets in the closing two minutes and finished with 15 points to help Boston College beat the 20th-ranked Tigers 62-54 on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t get my guys under control. I couldn&rsquo;t get them to relax. That&rsquo;s my fault,&rdquo; Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. &ldquo;For whatever reason, we just didn&rsquo;t do a good job tonight. I didn&rsquo;t do a good job as a coach.&rdquo;
On Saturday, Clemson escaped with an 82-81 victory at Florida State.
Jaeden Zackery added 13 points for the Eagles (11-12, 5-7 Atlantic Coast Conference). BC held Clemson to one meaningful field goal &mdash; and that came with 18 seconds left &mdash; in the final 13:16.
Hunter Tyson led Clemson (18-5, 10-2) with 22 points and Chase Hunter had 12. The Tigers fell into a tie in the loss column atop the ACC with No. 6 Virginia (9-2 ACC).
&ldquo;It was one of those nights where the other team played better than we did,&rdquo; Brownell said. &ldquo;We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds. We didn&rsquo;t share the ball much. When we got behind, we kind of panicked and hoped Chase and Hunter would bail us out. That&rsquo;s poor coaching.&rdquo;
The Eagles used a 5-0 spurt &mdash; with T.J. Bickerstaff hitting a free throw and getting a driving layup &mdash; to pull ahead 50-45 with just over five minutes to play.
Clemson sliced it to 50-47 before Aston-Langford made his two big baskets. He followed that by making two free throws with 32 seconds left.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s just about digging deep honestly,&rdquo; Zackery said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just all it was. We&rsquo;ve been kind of talking about it all season that we&rsquo;ve just got to come out and grind.&rdquo;
Trailing by 10 midway into the second half, the Tigers went on a 10-0 spree, tying it at 45 when RJ Godfrey hit both ends of a 1-and-1.
The Eagles had opened a double-digit lead twice in the opening six minutes of the second half, the later 45-35 on Prince Aligbe&rsquo;s foul-line jumper with 14:12 to play.
BIG PICTURE
Clemson: Off to a solid start in conference play, the Tigers were tested on the road for the second straight game after edging Florida State. It hasn&rsquo;t been easy for them away from home with a 4-3 record and with three away matchups against North Carolina, North Carolina State and Virginia to go, they&rsquo;ll need to get it straightened out of they&rsquo;re going to win the ACC regular-season title.
Boston College: The Eagles proved when they play defense that they&rsquo;re a tough out in coach Earl Grant&rsquo;s second season. A little more offense could make them very dangerous for top ACC teams to play.
&ldquo;I just tell the guys that we&rsquo;re just trying to build something,&rdquo; Grant said of his team&rsquo;s defense down the stretch. &ldquo;You are what you repeatedly do. You build habits.&rdquo;
ARRIVING LATE
In the first half, Clemson&rsquo;s man-to-man defense smothered the Eagles&rsquo; offense for the opening 10 minutes, holding them in single digits in scoring until just about the same time the student section finished filling up late, bringing some energy to a very quiet building.
BC&rsquo;s players then responded, closing the half with a 22-4 spree that turned an 11-point deficit to a 30-23 halftime edge.
SIDELINED
Both teams were missing key players. Guard Brevin Galloway, Clemson&rsquo;s fourth leading scorer at 10.6 points per game, was sidelined with an abdominal injury. For BC, guard DeMarr Langford Jr., who logs big minutes at the point, was out with a knee injury.
UP NEXT
Clemson: Hosts No. 23 Miami on Saturday.
Boston College: Hosts Syracuse on Saturday.

Makai Ashton-Langford had two key driving baskets in the closing two minutes and finished with 15 points to help Boston College win.

BC beats No. 20 Clemson 62-54; Tigers’ lead sliced atop ACC

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Clemson coach Brad Brownell&rsquo;s had a landmark ACC start at exactly the right time.
The Tigers (14-3) lead the Atlantic Coast Conference at 6-0, the only undefeated team in league play. And it follows an underachieving 2021-22 season when athletic director Graham Neff put the program on notice that making the NCAA Tournament was a prime directive.
Message received: The Tigers are off to their best ACC mark since joining the league in 1953.
&ldquo;Our kids have gotten better and their approach has been fantastic,&rdquo; Brownell said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a belief in what we&rsquo;re doing and we&rsquo;re reaping that.&rdquo;
Clemson faces its first ranked ACC team this season against No. 24 Duke on Saturday.
Picked 11th in the ACC in the preseason, fifth-year forward Hunter Tyson has averaged a double-double with 16.2 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. The 6-foot-8 graduate student has gotten double-doubles in Clemson&rsquo;s past five contests, including road wins at Virginia Tech and Pitt.
Clemson took a dip last season (17-16 and out of the postseason) when Tyson broke his collarbone in February and missed eight games.
Now, Tyson is healthy and confident in what he can accomplish.
&ldquo;I do whatever it takes to help my team win,&rdquo; Tyson said. &ldquo;If that&rsquo;s me really hitting the glass hard and getting a lot of rebounds, that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;ll do. That&rsquo;s happened a lot lately.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Brownell is in his 13th season &mdash; only Florida State&rsquo;s Leonard Hamilton and Virginia&rsquo;s Tony Bennett have been in the ACC longer &mdash; with just three NCAA appearances, the last coming in 2021.
He readily acknowledges many think his Tigers should&rsquo;ve won more than they have over the years. Yet, Brownell&rsquo;s had four seasons of double-digit wins in ACC play after only three in Clemson&rsquo;s first 57 league seasons.
Brownell is also the only Clemson coach with a win at North Carolina, breaking the Tigers&rsquo; embarrassing 0-59 mark at Chapel Hill in January 2020.
So Brownell won&rsquo;t get ahead of himself with the Tigers hot start. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to get too high or too low at this point,&rdquo; he said.
The February schedule includes games against No. 16 Miami and No. 13 Virginia. And there&rsquo;s a return to North Carolina, the expected ACC champion that&rsquo;s had an up-and-down season so far.
Clemson point guard Chase Hunter won&rsquo;t concede any let downs, the way his team is playing at the moment.
&ldquo;We definitely had big goals, big dreams for the season,&rdquo; he said.
Brownell has tapped the portal in the past to bolster his roster, but this year&rsquo;s squad has only one transfer in the rotation in former College of Charleston and Boston College guard Brevin Galloway. The rest of the starters are experienced players who&rsquo;ve stuck with the Tigers and developed their talent, such as Tyson, Hunter and forward PJ Hall.
Hall, a 6-10 junior, had surgery to repair a bone fracture in his left foot. As he recovered in July, Hall suffered a partial dislocation of a kneecap that also required an operation.
Yet, Hall has played in all but one of the games, averaging 12.4 points and leading the team with 16 blocks.
Brownell said there were plenty of days in the offseason when Hall wondered if it was all worth it. But Hall worked &ldquo;because he wants to be with our team,&rdquo; the coach said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s why we have a good team, because of the character of our team.&rdquo;
Win or lose to Duke, the season doesn&rsquo;t stop, Brownell said. But he believes the team&rsquo;s shared experience through the years can sustain them even during the grind of the ACC season.
&ldquo;Our guys have been here,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re a rare group. We&rsquo;re happy to watch kids get better and experience success.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The Tigers are off to their best ACC mark since joining the league in 1953.

Surprising Clemson hoops on top with best ACC start

Jim Boylen has not spent any time thinking about what the World Cup qualifying standings might look like after USA Basketball&rsquo;s game against Brazil on Friday.
He just keeps thinking how the Americans have four qualifying games left.
&ldquo;And in my brain, I&rsquo;m acting like we&rsquo;ve got to win four to get in,&rdquo; Boylen said.
He knows differently. The U.S. (7-1 in qualifying) can clinch a berth in next year&rsquo;s World Cup with a win Friday, when it hosts Brazil (5-3) in Washington. The national team will be wearing the nation&rsquo;s colors in the nation&rsquo;s capital on Veterans Day, with a chance to lock up one of the 32 spots for the tournament to be played next summer in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
For the U.S., qualifying started nearly a full year ago in late November. For some teams in the FIBA Americas region, it started in April 2021.
It&rsquo;s been a long road, but Boylen and the Americans are finally in position to clinch.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s never easy,&rdquo; said Boylen, who has coached the eight previous U.S. qualifying games &mdash; all held in two-game windows, often with a different roster each time. &ldquo;Expect the unexpected. Expect to make adjustments. You just roll with it, keep it simple. I believe we have to be superior at the defensive end of the floor. You hope shots go in, but we have to defend and rebound. That&rsquo;s what we can control.&rdquo;
The World Cup provides the most direct path for teams to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Americans have used primarily G League players in qualifying games; those players know top NBA players will take their roster spots in the World Cup and the Olympics.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very humbling when we have repeat guys and they said, &lsquo;Yeah, Coach, I loved it and I want to be part of it,&rsquo;&rdquo; Boylen said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really hard. It&rsquo;s almost a thankless job. If we win, nobody talks about it and if we lose, it&rsquo;s on the ticker. But I don&rsquo;t sell it like that. I sell it as, in the last 30 years, there are 293 guys who have worn the senior men&rsquo;s national jersey. They&rsquo;re part of the most elite group of guys in the history of the game. People don&rsquo;t realize that.&rdquo;
The Americans have used 37 different players so far in the qualifying cycle. That number will rise Friday; only five players on the roster for both the Brazil game and Monday&rsquo;s game against Colombia have appeared in 2023 qualifying.
Langston Galloway, DaQuan Jeffries, David Stockton, Will Davis II and Michael Frazier II all have played with the U.S. previously in this qualifying cycle; Galloway has the most appearances with six. The rest of the roster is Charlie Brown Jr., Chris Chiozza, Rodney Hood, Alize Johnson, Elijah Pemberton, Henry Sims and Craig Sword.
There are 12 teams remaining &mdash; two groups of six &mdash; from the Americas region, all vying for seven World Cup spots.
The U.S. leads its qualifying group (Group F) by two games with four remaining on the qualifying schedule; the last two-game window of qualifiers is in February. Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay are all 5-3; Puerto Rico is 4-4 and Colombia is 3-5.
Canada leads Group E at 8-0, followed by Venezuela (7-1), Argentina (6-2), the Dominican Republic (5-3), Panama (2-6) and the Bahamas (2-6).
The top three teams in each group, along with the best fourth-place team, will receive World Cup berths. The World Cup draw takes place in Manila in March and the tournament runs from late August through mid-September.

The U.S. (7-1 in qualifying) can clinch a berth in next year’s World Cup with a win Friday, when it hosts Brazil (5-3) in Washington.

USA on brink of clinching spot in 2023 Basketball World Cup

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Xavier Johnson faced the stark reality his basketball days could be over when an April police chase ended in his arrest in a Bloomington parking lot.
Indiana Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson was willing to forgive his starting point guard if he agreed to some conditions. Johnson&rsquo;s car couldn&rsquo;t be on campus, he needed to follow all the team rules and he had to be fully committed to winning games.
Six months later, a revitalized and contrite Johnson finds himself preparing for a fifth college season, this time as the X-factor Indiana needs to increase its Assembly Hall banner collection.
&ldquo;It just seemed like I hit a big-time wall,&rdquo; Johnson said, explaining what happened that April night. &ldquo;I thought my career was over, honestly. I&rsquo;m mad at myself for doing something like that, but I mean I&rsquo;m glad God gave me a second chance to come back and play what I love to do.&rdquo;
He might not be with No. 13 Indiana had he been playing for Woodson&rsquo;s coach, Bob Knight, who was known as much for being a strict disciplinarian as he was for his volatile public outbursts.
But Woodson, whose coaching career spanned decades in the NBA, understood the challenges Johnson faced last season and took a different tack.
After transferring from Pittsburgh and winning the starting job, Johnson struggled with turnovers, decision-making and, at times, was a non-factor in the scoring column, too. The deaths of his uncle and grandfather took an emotional toll on the Virginia native and in February, Johnson was one of five players suspended by Woodson for &ldquo;curfew violations.&rdquo;
Johnson appeared to be turning his life around after a strong finishing run to help Indiana end a six-year NCAA Tournament drought, but then came the arrest.
According to the police report, Johnson was clocked going 90 mph in a 40 mph zone, did not stop when the officer turned on his siren and lights, disregarded a stop sign in the apartment complex and then attempted to switch seats with another student in the car. He was charged with resisting law enforcement with a vehicle and reckless driving, a felony.
Woodson&rsquo;s response was blunt.
&ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t have a vehicle anymore, I took that away from him,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If that&rsquo;s punishment, it&rsquo;s punishment and I don&rsquo;t mean that in a negative way. We&rsquo;re just trying to do the things necessary to help us win basketball games, and I think he&rsquo;s made a major step in that direction.&rdquo;
Johnson&rsquo;s parents sided with Woodson and now Johnson finds himself thriving in a whole new world, amid expectations of winning a Big Ten title and chasing the school&rsquo;s sixth national title.
And Johnson could play a key role. In the final 10 games last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 6.6 assists and 4 rebounds as the Hoosiers played their way off the bubble and into the tourney.
Teammates say he&rsquo;s been a different player since returning to campus this summer.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s definitely taken a big-time step in leadership and just kind of taking that role as being more vocal,&rdquo; third-year guard Trey Galloway said. &ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s done a great job of being more vocal with the younger guys and kind of bringing them along.&rdquo;
Big Ten preseason player of the year Trayce Jackson-Davis likes the early returns, too.
He came back for his fourth season after his NBA workouts were halted following a positive COVID-19 test. Nobody has more at stake this season than Jackson-Davis, who is trying to become the first Indiana player with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
And to ensure there are no distractions, he asked Woodson to institute a zero-tolerance drug policy.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really just to hold everyone accountable,&rdquo; Jackson-Davis said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s really nothing else to be said about it. I know our guys are going to do the right thing. When the season is going, we&rsquo;re going to be locked in and ready to go because we have really big aspirations.&rdquo;
That includes Johnson, who has never played on a team favored to win a conference crown.
But with the Woodson discussions complete, an August plea agreement ending his court case and a new season set to tip Nov. 7 against Morehead State, Johnson is ready to turn the page and make use of his second chance.
&ldquo;He (Woodson) was just like, &lsquo;If you want to play here, you either have no car or you can go somewhere else,&rsquo;&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;I really didn&rsquo;t care about my car. I love to play basketball and that&rsquo;s what I came here to do. That and get my education.&rdquo;

Teammates say Xavier Johnson’s been a different player since returning to campus this summer.

Focused Xavier Johnson could be X-factor for No. 13 Hoosiers

The Indiana Pacers are expected to announce that they will bring veteran forward James Johnson and guard Lanston Galloway to training camp, league sources told Basketball News. Exact terms are unknown at this time, but both will be added to the Pacers' camp roster.
Johnson appeared in 62 games for the Brooklyn Nets last season averaging 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Before the postseason began, Johnson was waived by Brooklyn.
Galloway played in seven total games in 2021-22 for the Nets and Milwaukee Bucks on separate 10-day contracts. The 30-year-old shooting also participated on Team USA's World Cup qualifying roster where he averaged 11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists against Puerto Rico and Mexico.

League sources told Basketball News the Pacers are bringing aboard James Johnson and Langston Galloway for training camp.

Pacers adding James Johnson, Langston Galloway to training camp roster

Do you know that Joe Johnson will turn 41 in June?
Do you think he knows?
Do you think he cares?!?
Well, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/things-to-monitor-as-the-next-fiba-world-cups-next-qualifying-window-arrives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as noted last week</a>, Joe Jesus is back on Team USA this week. You may or may not remember that Johnson was part of the 2006 World Championship American-squad that won a bronze medal. (The redeem team was still two years away.) Additionally, Johnson suited up for Team USA one year ago, playing in two FIBA AmeriCup 2022 qualifiers last February. Seven months later, he won his second BIG3 MVP Award in as many seasons, since the 2020 campaign was canceled due to COVID. Johnson even signed a 10-day NBA deal in December with the Boston Celtics, and scored <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrH_zCL9xts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a garbage time bucket in his only appearance</a>.
We saw Johnson play again last night for the first time since, and he led Team USA to a <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/americas-qualifiers/game/2402/USA-Puerto-Rico#tab=boxscore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">93-76 victory over Puerto Rico in Washington D.C.</a> last night, beginning the second-window of round one for the FIBA World Cup 2023 qualifiers with a win. Team USA had trailed Puerto Rico 44-42 at halftime, but flipped the game on its head with a 32-14 third-quarter outburst. Johnson, who played about 23 minutes, led the way with a team-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, also making 4-of-6 free throws, and collecting four assists.
And he looked &hellip; like Joe Johnson!
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0:38 &ndash; Maybe a travel, maybe not, but off the screen, catches, triple threats, puts the spin on Luis Hern&aacute;ndez, and creates just enough space to rise for the mid-range jumper. Vintage Joe Johnson, as Michael Cole would annoyingly say. &nbsp;
0:58 &ndash; Former Kent State and Christ The King standout Christopher Ortiz knew what was coming. He played fine defense but still couldn&rsquo;t stop Johnson from posting-up, dribbling four times, fading away, and drilling in the well-contested turnaround. Elite full-court run in August type of bucket.&nbsp;
1:22 &ndash; Johnson gets a pass from Langston Galloway, quickly drives baseline on Ortiz, and floats one in over 6-foot-9 Ismael Romero after just one dribble.
1:42 &ndash; Receives a pass on the right wing, pump fakes gets Jonathan Rodriguez to bite, takes two dribbles, sees that both Romero and Tyquan Rolon won&rsquo;t commit, so Johnson rises up for the open leaner.&nbsp;
That bag is still there. His game is still gorgeous, and he didn&rsquo;t need a three-point make the entire night to pull away from a fellow top-20 team in the nation, and one of the best in the Americas. (As a Puerto Rican, it was also 20% hurtful.)
Let&rsquo;s also shoutout former Golden State Warrior center Jordan Bell, currently of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League, who played a great enough game to get his own highlight reel (!!) afterward. Bell finished with eight points, eight rebounds, three blocks, three steals, and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench, and was a game-best +21 for the night. Puerto Rico was led by Javier Mojica (Northeast Conference shoutout!), who led with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while former West Virginia point guard Gary Browne Ram&iacute;rez added 16 points and four assists.
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The W improves Team USA to 2-1, and drops Puerto Rico to 1-2, both of whom will return to action to close the Group D second-window on Sunday. In Washington D.C., Team USA will face 3-0 Mexico, who&nbsp;defeated them in Chihuahua City in November, and in Havana, Cuba, Puerto Rico will play against Cuba, who&nbsp;they beat in November, as well. Mexico defeated Cuba 82-72 on Thursday, and the rest of the Americas will begin play on Friday the 25th or Saturday the 26th.
In the African region, South Sudan defeated Rwanda 68-56 and the Democratic Republic of Congo outlasted Kenya 66-56, both on Friday morning, in what were the first games played of any kind in Groups B and D in the African Region. By the time you read this, other games might&rsquo;ve been played, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/african-qualifiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which you can follow here</a>. Again, as outlined last week, especially keep tabs on Cameroon vs. Tunisia, which&rsquo;ll begin at 4 p.m. EST/1 p.m. PST.
In Asia, South Korea reportedly withdrew from qualifiers this window <a href="https://www.spieltimes.com/news/south-korea-withdraws-from-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due to COVID protocols</a>, forfeiting Thursday&rsquo;s game to the Philippines, which officially goes down as a 20-0 final. That matters because point differential could help break a tie if needed, and South Korea is currently last in Group A, where they&rsquo;re the only winless team in the group. The Philippines, who&rsquo;ll host the 2023 World Cup along with Japan and Indonesia, are 2-0 after also beating India 88-64.
So, Indonesia is 0-3, and their automatic World Cup bid &ndash; which is usually the case for hosts &ndash; is <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171213161459/http:/www.philstar.com:8080/sports/2017/12/13/1767946/learning-2019-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provisional due to their lack of international success</a>. So far, they&rsquo;ve lost to Lebanon 96-38, and again 110-64, before having a slightly better loss against Saudi Arabia, 95-66. In Group C, not only are Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon each 2-1, but Indonesia is dead last with a -133 point differential, the worst out of anyone in World Cup qualifiers at the moment. Do with all that what you will. For more updates on Asian qualifiers, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/asian-qualifiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go here</a>.
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And, in Europe, Lithuania, now 3-0, remained undefeated after a narrow 78-77 win over Bosnia; as did Spain after winning 88-74 against Ukraine; and Russia, who won 80-69 over the Netherlands. Czech Republic, who stunned many and finished sixth in the 2019 World Cup, is now 0-3 after losing to Bulgaria, 79-70 on Thursday. Currently, they're last in Group F, and on pace to not even return to the World Cup without a substantial turnaround. Europe is the busiest of the regions and will spawn the most qualifiers, so the bulk of their games are from Friday through Sunday. For more on Europe, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here you go</a>.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s a lot else worth getting to, but we&rsquo;ll leave some on the table for when we reconvene on Wednesday. By then, this window will be over and we could see where things stand before round one finishes over the summer.
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Bryan Fonseca reviews the action from Joe Johnson and Team USA, keeping the updates coming about the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Joe Johnson’s game and more notes from FIBA World Cup qualifiers

In case you&rsquo;ve been overly consumed by the NBA, college basketball, or the WNBA off-season, now would be a great time to remind y&rsquo;all that the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers are going on.
And in case you didn&rsquo;t know, the host countries for the 2023 World Cup are Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines &mdash; more on that later.
The last World Cup was right before the 2019-20 season, but feels so long ago because this whole COVID thing hadn&rsquo;t yet clapped us up. If you remember, the 2020 Olympics took place in 2021 &mdash; as in, last year. Yeah, I know, the international stuff can get confusing, but I&rsquo;m here to help you. Trust me.
Now, perhaps quietly to some, international play quickly resumed this past November with the first window of 2023 World Cup qualifying, which we&rsquo;ll recap shortly.
You have four sets of qualifying regions: Africa, Americas, Asia/Oceania, and Europe. There are six windows played over a 15-month span (starting from this past November), where the competing squads normally would participate in two games per window. COVID had other ideas &mdash; more on that later.
Currently, each region has groups of four, and the top three in each group will advance to round two following the June/July window. This current round of qualifying is between Nov. 20-30, Feb. 21-March 1, and June 27-July 5, after which we&rsquo;ll enter round two. Round two also occurs over three windows: August 22-30, Nov. 7-15, and Feb. 20-28, then those who will have qualified will enter group drawing next March, and we&rsquo;ll see them compete between August 25-September 10 &mdash; the World Cup.
Now, let&rsquo;s lay out all the things you should probably know and, if you see a number in parenthesis next to a team that&rsquo;s listed, that&rsquo;s their current world ranking, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/rankingmen">according to FIBA</a>. So if you feel like your people are being misrepresented, leave me alone and take that up with them. (Unless &hellip; unless you mean, you know, actual greater good/societal misrepresentation, then &hellip; let&rsquo;s talk, because me, too.)
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African Region
2019 WC qualifiers: Angola, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia
As they did in 2019, Africa will get five of the final 32 World Cup spots. Though they&rsquo;re hoping for a better result, because none of them advanced past&nbsp;group play. The Groups are as follows:
<ul>
<li>Group A: Nigeria (22), Mali (72), Cape Verde (74), Uganda (78),</li>
<li>Group B: Tunisia (28), Cameroon (64), South Sudan (82), Rwanda (84)</li>
<li>Group C: Angola (31), Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire (40), Central African Rep. (75), Guinea (99)</li>
<li>Group D: Senegal (34), Egypt (59), Congo DR (81), Kenya (103)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Africa has a slightly different format. Groups A and C each played three games from Nov. 26-28, the biggest perhaps being Cape Verde&rsquo;s 79-71 upset over Nigeria, which helped move their ranking from No. 100 to No. 74 in the world. Thus, Groups A and C will return in the summer window. Nigeria and Mali are 2-1 and lead Group A, and Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire went 3-0 in November, sitting atop Group C. Groups B and D begin qualifying on Feb. 25 at Dakar Arena in Senegal, which will be three straight days of games through the 27th.
Tunisia&rsquo;s To Lose?: Tunisia went 10-2 in their World Cup qualifying for the 2019 tournament, and is expected to have similar production in group play here. Tunisia won the 2021 AfroBasket this past September, led by tournament MVP Makrem Romdhane, and All-Tournament guard Omar Abada. There&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/african-qualifiers/news/the-african-champions-are-ready-to-soar-in-dakar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also a chance star center Salah Mejri suits up for Tunisia</a>. The 7-foot-2 former Dallas Maverick <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/teams/tunisia/2019.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led Tunisia with 16.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game</a> in their second ever World Cup appearance three years ago.
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The Biggest What If: Tunisia plays Cameroon on Feb. 25. Cameroon is one of the many wild cards worth keeping tabs on. They still haven&rsquo;t been able to piece together the dream frontcourt of Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who hasn&rsquo;t played since the NBA bubble. <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/2017/2/7/14539418/joel-embiid-named-cameroon-preliminary-roster-fiba-afrobasket-2017-luc-mbah-a-moute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embiid came close in 2017</a>, but ultimately didn&rsquo;t play. Obviously, NBA players rarely can compete in these qualifying windows because of, well, them being in the NBA. But if Cameroon could do well enough and qualify, who knows if that&rsquo;ll be enough to lure Embiid and Siakam into international play.
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American Region
2019 WC qualifiers: Argentina (silver medalist), Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, USA, and Venezuela.
The Americas will, again, send seven to the World Cup late next year. The Americas have the standard format across the board, so this window will mark two games for each club. The groups are:
<ul>
<li>Group A: Argentina (7), Venezuela (17), Panama (50), Paraguay (77)</li>
<li>Group B: Brazil (15), Uruguay (41), Colombia (67), Chile (68)</li>
<li>Group C: Canada (18), Dominican Republic (20), U.S. Virgin Islands (54), Bahamas (62)</li>
<li>Group D: U.S.A. (1), Puerto Rico (19), Mexico (24), Cuba (65)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Canada, Dominican Republic and Mexico are all 2-0. U.S.A. and Puerto Rico are the only 1-1 teams in the Americas, and will play each other on Tuesday in Washington D.C. Notably, for Team U.S.A., Jim Boylen coached the club in the November window, in which they held off Cuba 95-90, then lost to Mexico in Chihuahua City, 97-88. Although Cuba is 0-2, their star, Jaisel Rivero, is good enough to steal them a game. Rivero put 34 (13-18 shooting) with 9 rebounds and 3 threes on Team USA in their narrow loss. Rivero currently competes with Liga ACB and EuroCup&rsquo;s Valencia Basket in Spain, where he averages 11.1 points (second on team) and 4.9 rebounds (third on team) across all competitions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
21 points for <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahthomas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isaiahthomas</a> last night, including 4 made threes, none bigger than this dagger. 👀 Team USA defeated Cuba 95-90 to start 2023 World Cup Qualifiers. They face Mexico tonight. 📹: <a href="https://t.co/nNQDfvcF82">https://t.co/nNQDfvcF82</a> (via FIBA) <a href="https://t.co/dhAUAUVHLy">pic.twitter.com/dhAUAUVHLy</a>
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1465437069073858560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2021</a>
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Uncle Iso Joe: Among <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/americas-qualifiers/game/0407/Mexico-USA#|tab=boxscore">the notables who suited up for Team USA in November</a> were Isaiah Thomas, Luke Kornet, Chasson Randle, Haywood Highsmith and Shaquille Harrison, among many other current and former NBA players. Seven-time All-Star and 40-year-old Joe Johnson, who famously was a Boston Celtic briefly earlier this season, is <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/americas-qualifiers/news/nba-experience-leads-revamped-united-states-roster-for-second-window-of-2023-fiba-world-cup-americas-qualifiers">confirmed to be suiting up with Team USA</a> in this February window. Brian Bowen II is the only player returning from the November window. Other Team U.S.A. members include current G Leaguers Jordan Bell, David Stockton, Langston Galloway and Justin Wright-Foreman, among others.
La Nueva Era de Baloncesto: Both Mexico and Puerto Rico announced new head coaches shortly before the November window. Mexico&rsquo;s led by long-time NBA assistant Kaleb Caneles, while Puerto Rico hired Nelson Colon, who is a three-time champion and Coach of the Year in Baloncesto Superior Nacional, Puerto Rico&rsquo;s top pro basketball league. Former long-time NBA guard Carlos Arroyo was also appointed the <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/news/puerto-rico-appoints-carlos-arroyo-as-its-male-national-team-general-manager#:~:text=Americas-,Puerto%20Rico%20appoints%20Carlos%20Arroyo%20as%20its%20male%20National%20Team,of%20the%20men's%20national%20team.">Puerto Rican National Team&rsquo;s General Manager last June</a>.
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Both Puerto Rico and Mexico starting this cycle with new coaches, too: <a href="https://t.co/PCDaPmNumy">https://t.co/PCDaPmNumy</a>
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1465151054278967302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Asia-Oceania Region
2019 WC qualifiers: Australia (finished fourth), China, Iran, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines.
The hosts &ndash; Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia &ndash; typically automatically qualify for the World Cup. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171213161459/http:/www.philstar.com:8080/sports/2017/12/13/1767946/learning-2019-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indonesia&rsquo;s qualification is more provisional</a> due to their lack of international success. Japan and the Philippines are automatically in, but they&rsquo;re all scheduled to participate in World Cup qualifiers anyway.
In the 2019 World Cup, Asia/Oceania sent eight teams over, which they&rsquo;ll do again in 2023. Here are the groups:
<ul>
<li>Group A: New Zealand (27), South Korea (30), Philippines (33), India (80)</li>
<li>Group B: Australia (3), China (29), Japan (37), Chinese Taipei (66)</li>
<li>Group C: Jordan (39), Lebanon (55), Indonesia (91), Saudi Arabia (79)</li>
<li>Group D: Iran (23),&nbsp;Kazakhstan (70), Syria (85), Bahrain (104)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Due to travel restrictions (COVID), <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/asian-qualifiers/news/update-to-the-fiba-basketball-world-cup-2023-asian-qualifiers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several games had to be canceled</a>, so while the format was originally the same as the Americas, it came with some modifications. No one in Group A has played yet, so they&rsquo;ll each play four games to compensate, all of which will take place between Feb. 24 and Feb. 28. In Group B, only China and Japan were able to play, and China smacked them twice, 79-63, and 106-73. Australia and Chinese Taipei are each scheduled to play three times between Feb. 25 and Feb. 28. Japan will play twice in this window, once against each of them, and China will return for four games in the third window to end round one.
Medal Momentum: This will mark the first we see of Australia since finally winning their first medal at the 2020 Olympics (that were played in 2021). Australia had lost the bronze medal game in the 1988, 1996, 2000 and 2016 Olympics before finally medaling in their fifth attempt. In their history, they&rsquo;ve never had a better World Cup finish than in 2019, where they lost in &hellip; another bronze medal game. Perhaps Australia is really turning a corner now. &nbsp;
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🥉 HISTORY MADE 🥉 The Boomers have done it- Australia have secured their first ever men&rsquo;s basketball Olympic medal! The bronze is coming home! 💚💛<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/ngxiYRwHdk">pic.twitter.com/ngxiYRwHdk</a>
&mdash; Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/BasketballAus/status/1423988352987013120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2021</a>
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European Region&nbsp;
2019 WC qualifiers: Czech Republic, France (bronze medalist), Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Spain (gold medalist), Turkey.
Europe is the largest region of basketball playing powers here, so their rules are slightly different. Instead of four groups, there are eight. As a result, they&rsquo;ll get 12 World Cup bids.
Here are the groups:
<ul>
<li>Group A: Serbia (6), Latvia (26), Belgium (36), Slovakia (63)</li>
<li>Group B: Greece (10), Turkey (16), Great Britain (44), Belarus (48)</li>
<li>Group C: Slovenia (4), Croatia (21), Finland (35), Sweden (51)</li>
<li>Group D: Germany (11), Poland (13), Israel (42), Estonia (49)</li>
<li>Group E: France (5), Montenegro (25), Hungary (43), Portugal (58)</li>
<li>Group F: Lithuania (8), Czech Republic (12), Bosnia (45), Bulgaria (53)</li>
<li>Group G: Spain (2), Ukraine (32), Georgia (38), North Macedonia (52)</li>
<li>Group H: Italy (9), Russia (14), Netherlands (47), Iceland (46)</li>
</ul>
First Window Summary: Everyone here was able to play two games in November. Your 2-0 teams are as follows: Belgium, Slovenia, Israel, France, Lithuania, Bosnia, Spain and Russia. Your 0-2 teams are Netherlands, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Portugal, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia. Czech Republic was a story from the 2019 World Cup. They shockingly punched above their weight and reached the quarterfinals. Czech Republic, led by Tom&aacute;&scaron; Satoransky, finished sixth, one spot above Team U.S.A. But, so far, they haven&rsquo;t won a game in 2023 qualifying. Czech Republic lost to Bosnia 97-90 and Lithuania 74-66. They should have a breakthrough against Bulgaria on the 24th, but it&rsquo;ll be difficult to set themselves up for a repeat of 2019, which was their first World Cup bid.
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The State of Spain: After winning the 2019 World Cup with an incredibly stacked team, including tournament MVP Ricky Rubio, captain Rudy Fern&aacute;ndez, Marc Gasol and Willy Hernang&oacute;mez, Spain was knocked out of the Olympic quarterfinals by the United States. Their Olympic team featured many of their same heavy-hitters, including even Pau Gasol, who retired in October and is now a member of the International Olympic Committee. Like the United States, many of the players you&rsquo;d expect to see on their World Cup roster <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers/team/Spain#|tab=roster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likely won&rsquo;t participate much until then</a>. Even so, expect them to continue reigning as one of the top teams in the world. We could talk about the age factor around this time next year, perhaps.
The Sleeping Giant: Slovenia famously jumped 12 spots after their debut Olympic performance, largely led by Luka Dončić, accompanied by standout pro teammates Mike Tobey, Zoran (Goran&rsquo;s brother) Dragić,&nbsp;and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlatko_%C4%8Can%C4%8Dar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vlatko Čančar</a>. Slovenia finished fourth, losing to Australia in the bronze medal game. They didn&rsquo;t qualify for the 2019 World Cup, but did win the 2017 EuroBasket, in which Goran won MVP and Luka, at 18 years old, was named to the All-Tournament team. (Anthony Randolph played for the Slovenian team, then. Who knew?!?) Dragić and Tobey are <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers/team/Slovenia#|tab=roster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed on the roster for this window</a>. Look for them to continue raising hell in qualifiers, and if Dončić suits up, in the World Cup, too.
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For even more World Cup info and complete schedules, <a href="https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go here</a>.
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Bryan Fonseca gives an overview of the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Things to monitor as FIBA World Cup’s next qualifying window arrives

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points in his return from a one-game absence, Khris Middleton added 15 of his 20 in the third quarter and the Milwaukee Bucks blew out the Brooklyn Nets 121-109 on Friday night.
Bobby Portis scored 20 of his 25 in the first half to help the Bucks snap a two-game skid. The last loss came without Antetokounmpo, who didn't play Wednesday night against Toronto because of an illness unrelated to COVID-19.
The Bucks are without coach Mike Budenholzer, point guard Jrue Holiday and a number of other key players because of coronavirus health and safety protocols, but got big games from some who did play. Antetokounmpo had nine assists and seven rebounds, and Portis grabbed 12 boards.
Kevin Durant had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Nets, who have lost five straight home games. James Harden finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Brooklyn won Wednesday night in Indiana with Kyrie Irving making his season debut. He wasn't in the building Friday, ineligible to play home games because he hasn't been vaccinated against COVID-19 as mandated for New York City's professional athletes.
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Back on the court where they won Game 7 in overtime in last season&rsquo;s Eastern Conference semifinals, the Bucks made clear early this one wouldn&rsquo;t be going down to the wire.
Portis scored 10 points in the first quarter, though it should have been 12. He missed a breakaway dunk with no Nets player anywhere near.
He had 10 more in the second, sending Milwaukee to the half with a 60-49 lead even though Antetokounmpo played just 2 1/2 minutes of the period before going to the bench with a third foul.
Middleton took over from there, making three 3-pointers &mdash; one while being fouled &mdash; during a 19-4 spurt in the third that extended a nine-point lead to 87-63 at the midway point of the period.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Milwaukee signed guards Langston Galloway and Jeff Dowtin to 10-day hardship contracts Friday. Galloway recently finished a stint with the Nets, appearing in four games during two 10-day contracts. ... Acting coach Darvin Ham, on being back at the site of the playoff thriller: &ldquo;Great memories, but it&rsquo;s 2022,&rdquo; he said.
Nets: Durant moved ahead of Patrick Ewing (24,815 points) into 23rd place on the career scoring list. ... Nicolas Claxton and Cam Thomas each scored 14 points.
PATTY'S PLACE
Patty Mills shot 1 for 8 for three points. He returned to his reserve role when Irving played Wednesday, but was back in the starting lineup again Friday. Coach Steve Nash said the Nets need to keep Mills in the lineup at home while starting swingman Joe Harris is recovering from left ankle surgery.
&ldquo;I think the Kyrie situation hopefully helps Patty,&rdquo; Nash said. &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ve seen him kind of almost be overused and over-depended on, and I think it&rsquo;s been difficult for him at times to be able to continue his level of play because we&rsquo;ve overburdened him. So, can Kyrie keep his minutes in a sweet spot where he can keep it consistently high level?&rdquo;
COACH'S CHAIR
Ham, on what it feels like to in the head coach's seat:
&ldquo;It feels weird and feels intense and I like it, but I also like not being in it at this point in time. Bud makes it look effortless man, but I've seen what he goes through being with him since Day 1.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Bucks: At Charlotte on Saturday night.
Nets: Host San Antonio on Sunday.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 in his return from a one-game absence and the Bucks blew out the Nets 121-109.

Giannis returns, Bucks blow out Nets 121-109 in Brooklyn

Free agent guard Langston Galloway plans to sign a 10-day contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. 
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1479181883107860483" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: The Bucks waived center DeMarcus Cousins to keep open roster flexibility and they'll now use their open spot to bring on veteran guard Langston Galloway, who recently played in Brooklyn earlier in the season.

The Milwaukee Bucks will sign Langston Galloway to a 10-day contract.

Bucks sign Langston Galloway to 10-day contract

Are we absolutely sure that Greg Monroe should&rsquo;ve been&nbsp;out of the league&nbsp;prior to Monday night?
May 12, 2019 is the last time we saw Monroe in an NBA game, when he logged fewer than two minutes of play in the Philadelphia 76ers&rsquo; Game 7 loss to the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. And while he only logged 9.0 minutes per contest in Philly's 12-game playoff run that spring, he had&nbsp;just&nbsp;been signed on April 4, and played three regular-season games to end the season. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywCh-CFaW2c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He played pretty well, too</a>.)
But despite averaging 13.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 51.4% shooting from 2010 to 2019 in 632 career NBA games, Monroe found himself out of the league for over two-and-a-half years until the Minnesota Timberwolves signed him this week. And fresh off the flight, he put up an 11-9-6-2-1 line against his former Boston Celtics.
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The vet hasn&rsquo;t lost a step! Greg Monroe went for 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in his <a href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Timberwolves</a> debut. This was his first game in the NBA since 2019. 👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBACallUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBACallUp</a> <a href="https://t.co/XAiJh53Tw7">pic.twitter.com/XAiJh53Tw7</a>
&mdash; NBA G League (@nbagleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbagleague/status/1475679537065349122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Monroe, by the way, doesn&rsquo;t turn 32 until June, and when we last saw him, he was one month away from turning 29.&nbsp;
On opening night, the average age of an NBA roster&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/lakers-oldest-nba-teams-entering-season/1gvfecopluvy71rmj43y8ezgtf">for 2021-22 was 26.1</a>. Though the number precedes what we&rsquo;ve seen regarding roster reshuffling due to COVID and injuries, the 26.1 median age is the youngest the league has been this century. It&rsquo;s also roughly where we&rsquo;ve been&nbsp;for at least a few seasons.
Ten seasons ago, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2012.html">the average age was 26.7</a>. In 2001-02,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2002.html">we were at 27.4</a>, with five teams hovering around 30 years old on average and only two leveling at 25 or under. Entering the new millennium, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2000.html">the average was up at 27.8</a>.
Over the last several years, we&rsquo;ve also experienced <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2020/11/16/21566647/nba-undrafted-alex-caruso-duncan-robinson">a boom in undrafted talent making NBA rosters</a>. Many four-year college players are entering the league between the ages of 22 and 24, occasionally older, which &mdash; along with the continual record amount of one-and-dones &mdash; contributes to what generally is a less-experienced league than what we&rsquo;ve seen previously.
Think about this: You already can&rsquo;t have a &ldquo;Greatest Undrafted NBA Player of All-Time&rdquo; discussion without mentioning Fred VanVleet. And he&rsquo;s one of the many reasons NBA teams keep trying to find those possible diamonds in the rough instead of signing a 30-year-old veteran who's been around. The VanVleet revelation doesn&rsquo;t happen often, and he&rsquo;s also a Toronto Raptor; they don&rsquo;t exactly suck at development. Nevermind that a VanVleet or a Wesley Matthews is rare; if the Sacramento Kings had scooped up Gabe Vincent in 2019, he might be guarding Shane Larkin in the EuroLeague right now instead of Tyrese Maxey or... *checks Dec. 26 notes* ... Hassani Gravett. 
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It&rsquo;s something that magnifies an even larger societal complication &mdash; eliminating much of the middle class in any profession. We&rsquo;re increasingly watching decision-makers seek to hire fewer advanced and/or experienced employees in favor of entry-level labor, or shapeshifting transactions with those of the one percent with little in-between. It has long been reported on, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2021/03/18/the-pandemic-stalls-growth-in-the-global-middle-class-pushes-poverty-up-sharply/">the gap is continually increasing</a>. The NBA, as a business, isn&rsquo;t much different. Look up your favorite team and see how many guys are on minimum deals or minimum-adjacent (think rookie-wage scale) contracts.
No one with Monroe&rsquo;s career production and resume should&rsquo;ve been out of the whole-ass league by age-29. It&rsquo;s not to say he should&rsquo;ve been on a contender&rsquo;s starting five, or even in a playoff rotation, but out of the NBA entirely? Forced to play (<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/greg-monroe-1.html">and play well, by the way</a>) elsewhere? In his case, he had been productive in the EuroLeague since leaving the NBA.
(As an aside: In Europe, it&rsquo;s harder to score, rotations are deeper and you don&rsquo;t play as much, so numbers will be lower. Look at <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/luka-doncic-1.html">Luka Dončić&rsquo;s MVP 2017-18 season</a> or <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/teams/barcelona/2021.html">Liga ACB champion FC Barcelona&rsquo;s 2020-21 stats</a> for example.)
Jeremy Lin ranted about this last season where, after averaging 19.8 points and 6.4 assists on 51/43/88 splits in the G League during a shortened season, he was the only top-10 G League scorer to <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3161207/coronavirus-omicron-spreads-global-gloom-over-new-years-celebrations?module=perpetual_scroll_2&amp;pgtype=article&amp;campaign=3161207">not earn an NBA 10-day contract</a> last season. The players who did include Henry Ellenson, 24, Justin Harper, 23 at the time, Tyler Cook, 23, Oshae Brissett, 22, and Ignas Brazdeikis, 22.
Lin, 32 then, 33 now, never received an offer, he said.
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❤️ <a href="https://t.co/7socHMLMkH">pic.twitter.com/7socHMLMkH</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLin7/status/1394798832542699521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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COVID accelerated and exposed <a href="https://time.com/5888024/50-trillion-income-inequality-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">much of the nationwide economic imbalance</a>, but a deep dive on that is for another discussion. (Etan Thomas, if you&rsquo;re reading this...)
One of the only good things to come from this particular COVID surge is the temporary <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-four-10day-veterans-who-can-revitalize-their-nba-careers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revitalization of some NBA careers</a>. It includes James Ennis, Lance Stephenson, Joe Johnson, Langston Galloway and Monroe, along with Alfonzo McKinnie (<a href="https://www.latinorebels.com/2021/12/06/prosportslatinamerica/">Mexico&rsquo;s own &hellip; kinda!</a>), who is the first 10-day to full-timer this season.
In more recent days, <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/10daytracker">we&rsquo;ve seen Al-Farouq Aminu, Brandon Knight and Darren Collison get deals</a>, too. But plenty of the guys we&rsquo;re seeing get these calls probably should&rsquo;ve been in the league longer than they were over some of the undrafted guys who probably aren&rsquo;t true NBA players. Even if they don&rsquo;t play much, the locker room presence and leadership, if you find the right veteran, is priceless.
But hey, <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/12/salaries-for-10-day-contracts-in-2021-22.html">it saves a billionaire money</a> to go entry-level instead, and I&rsquo;m over hear bitching about it on the internet during the holiday week while trying to recover Dr. Dre&rsquo;s phone in the new GTA V: The Contract, so what do I know?

Bryan Fonseca dives into how veterans should hold more importance in the NBA over younger players on smaller contracts.

NBA teams need to show more respect to veterans, and we're seeing why

As COVID-19 continues to rip into NBA rosters, more and more teams have been forced to look outside their organization to simply fill out minutes on the court.
You've probably been seeing your NBA notifications blowing up with transactions recently. Franchises can take advantage of the "hardship exception" in the NBA's by-laws, which state that if four or more players on the active and inactive rosters are dealing with injuries and illness, a team can sign and substitute a player. Since so many franchises are dealing with COVID-induced absences that typically last about 10 days to two weeks, dozens of free agents are inking 10-day deals to jump in for the short-term.
Meanwhile, for better or worse, the regular season chugs along. The pop-up signings can end up making an impact on rebuilding teams or playoff contenders. With some rotations pushed to the brink, hardship-exception signees might find meaningful minutes right away.
With that in mind, how are NBA teams approaching who they sign, and what types of players have been called into action?
Most of the additions have some level of NBA experience. Of the <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-covid-fallout-lance-stephenson-isaiah-thomas-tyler-johnson-among-list-of-players-on-10-day-contracts/">over 35 players (and counting)</a> who have signed recent 10-day contracts, only a small handful have never appeared in a regular-season game before this season. This includes: Ade Murkey (Kings), Tyler Hall (Knicks), Aleem Ford and Hassani Gravett (Magic), Mac McClung (Bulls) and Malcolm Hill (Hawks). All but McClung turned pro at some level before 2021.
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The other end of the spectrum is also limited. Though Isaiah Thomas and Lance Stephenson might be the biggest names among hardship deals, they're two of the older players signed to date. The oldest player currently added is 34-year-old CJ Miles, who joined the Celtics after having recently signed with the G League Ignite, and last played with the Wizards in 2019-20. Miles, Thomas, Stephenson, Ersan Ilyasova, Tim Frazier and James Ennis are the hardship players to date over age-31.
Interestingly, teams have thus far been averse to adding bigs, even if they've become thin at the position. The only true centers who have been reportedly signed are Wenyen Gabriel (to the Nets), Luke Kornet (Cavaliers), Marquese Chriss (Mavericks) and Freddie Gillespie (Magic).&nbsp;
Chriss and Raptors signee Nik Stauskas are the highest former draft picks to be signed; both were selected No. 8 overall. They're also the only two former lottery picks that teams have inked deals. So, no, front offices are not using the hardship exception as some kind of way to take a swing on a castoff top selection.
What does appear to matter, however, is recent production. Thomas obviously got his shot with the Lakers after a 42-point outburst in his first G League appearance with the Grand Rapids Gold.
Others have used a longer stint in the G League Showcase period to audition. Five of the top-10 G League Showcase per-game scoring leaders have signed contracts this month: BJ Johnson (Magic), Justin Jackson (Celtics), Trevelin Queen (two-way deal with Houston), Stauskas and Jared Harper (Pelicans). Four of the other five already have their rights held by NBA franchises. Let's see who signs Kyle Guy.
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The Nets and Raptors make good example cases. Brooklyn has added four players as of this writing. Langston Galloway and James Ennis are two steady veterans who contributed to NBA teams last season, and can both bring an instantly-translatable skill with their shooting. Gabriel is averaging 13.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a physical presence in the G League. Then there's Shaquille Harrison, one of the peskier defenders in pro hoops, period. All of them are low-usage, specialist contributors with multiple year of pro experience.
Toronto, meanwhile, has safety blankets for others on the roster should they enter league protocols. Tremont Waters and Brandon Goodwin are steady facilitating guards; Fred VanVleet and Malachi Flynn are reportedly now ineligible. Stauskas can replicate Svi Mykhailiuk's role to a degree. Juwan Morgan is a hybrid forward in the same vein (at least positionall) as Precious Achiuwa. The moves make sense.
My general conclusion seems to be that NBA teams are largely playing it safe with their hardship signings. Few franchises appear to be using this circumstance as a chance to swing for the fences on a young player or a comeback veteran. Most simply want to patch holes.
And though the NBA is obviously in a confusing, frustrating, possibly dangerous situation with the pandemic, it will be interesting to see who capitalizes on their small window of opportunity.

NBA teams have had to dig into 10-day signings with COVID-19's impact on rosters.

How are NBA teams using the hardship exception?

Kyrie Irving is back.
Kinda.&nbsp;
The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania dropped the first bomb, reporting that the Brooklyn Nets star was ramping up for a return. The news sent shockwaves through the online NBA community, but it also raised questions.
Chief among them: if Kyrie&rsquo;s ramping up for a return, what changed?
ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski answered that question not too long after the Shams tweet. He reported that Kyrie has still refused to be vaccinated, though the Nets were going to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyrie-irving-progressing-towards-nets-return-as-parttime-player" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allow him to return as a part-time playe</a>r as a response to the Nets&rsquo; current roster situation.&nbsp;
They&rsquo;re missing a chunk of folks right now, highlighted by fellow star guard James Harden, due to a mix of injuries (get well soon, Joe Harris) and players in the league's health and safety protocols. The Nets needed reinforcements, and they specifically wanted to take some of the creation load off of Kevin Durant&rsquo;s shoulders.
Steve Nash has shown worry about Durant&rsquo;s workload as of late &mdash; he hasn&rsquo;t averaged this many minutes (37.0) since his age-25 season (38.5 in 2013-14) &mdash; and it makes sense. You need Durant&rsquo;s brilliance for the postseason; burning him out as a high-minute, high-usage, high-volume leader of eight-man rotations is not the ideal path.
But folding to Irving&rsquo;s reluctance to fully commit to the team? It&rsquo;s shameful.&nbsp;
No.
It&rsquo;s shameless.
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The roster is gutted in large part because of COVID. Cases are spiking right now, with multiple teams &mdash; across multiple sports, for whatever that&rsquo;s worth to you &mdash; dealing with mass breakouts. Not only have the Nets decided that bringing an unvaccinated player into the fray makes sense, they&rsquo;re contradicting themselves in the process.
&ldquo;Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose. Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability.&rdquo;
These are the words of Sean Marks, the Nets&rsquo; general manager. A general manager that has done a fantastic job of rebuilding the Nets after the Billy King era. He&rsquo;s saved, then transformed the roster since he took the job in 2016. Beyond that, he has established &mdash; by many accounts &mdash; one of the best cultures in the NBA. It&rsquo;s part of what made Durant and Kyrie interested in signing with the Nets in the first place.
You can&rsquo;t build any sort of culture or relationship without an element of trust. You can&rsquo;t establish trust without a baseline of respect. A baseline of honesty. Your name &mdash; your word &mdash; is all you have when you strip the extra curriculars away.&nbsp;
What kind of message is Marks &mdash; are the Nets &mdash; sending with this decision?
To fold to this degree, smack dab in the middle of a COVID breakout, is a massive red mark on the resume. It doesn&rsquo;t seem smart. It doesn&rsquo;t seem safe for anyone involved. And honestly, it doesn&rsquo;t even seem totally necessary.
Bless Woj for doing his job, but to frame the decision with the kind of woe-is-Nets fluff he put out there is disingenuous at best, dangerous at worst.
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There are hardship exemptions available for short-term help; Langston Galloway just provided solid minutes last night, for example. For a contending team like the Nets, hitting on the margins of the roster is important in the short- and long-term. 
You don&rsquo;t want it to come under these circumstances of course, but it&rsquo;s probably a good thing that your draft class (Cam Thomas, Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe, Kessler Edwards and David Duke Jr.) is getting regular-season reps. You&rsquo;re going to need those guys down the line &mdash; to extend the contention window, or to intrigue other teams enough to make them tradeable to acquire guys that can extend the window.
And as rough as the Nets have had it in terms of roster luck, they have the best record in the East by 2.5 games. It&rsquo;s not like they made this decision because they were sliding in the standings and desperately needed a star-punch; they&rsquo;ve won four straight with a relatively soft slate leading into their Christmas Day matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.
They have a great record and a cushion, and the four teams behind them (Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Miami) are all dealing with their own COVID/injury issues.&nbsp;
There was just... no real need to make this move.

Nekias Duncan condemns the hypocritical Nets for allowing Kyrie Irving to come back into the fold.

The Nets should be ashamed of themselves

Earlier this week, we identified roster spot battles to watch through training camp this October here. And already a portion of my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/3-roster-spot-battles-to-watch-for-in-the-eastern-conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eastern Conference list</a> has been upended by transactions, as the Brooklyn Nets promptly traded away Sekou Doumbouya almost immediately after I predicted that he would make the team. Long story short: Things happen quickly in training camp.&nbsp;
But still, we forge ahead, this time refocusing our analysis on the Western Conference. So as training camp approaches its close, let&rsquo;s identify the three most interesting roster-spot battles in the Western Conference.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers
Entering training camp, the Trail Blazers signed three former lottery picks to training camp deals: Dennis Smith Jr., Marquese Chriss and Patrick Patterson. Portland only has 13 players signed, meaning that they technically have two spots to fill (and one of their two-way contracts are spoken for, too), but Portland general manager Neil Olshey usually enters seasons with fewer than 15 players. So, it&rsquo;s an understandable assumption that the Trail Blazers will probably only sign one of the three guys they inked to training camp deals.
Considering who was signed and who is already in place in Portland, none of the three are likely to get major minutes. Smith is best suited as a backup point guard, while Chriss and Patterson are power forwards. In my estimation, this decision comes down to needs. Considering that Robert Covington and Larry Nance Jr. are their only true 4s, the most pressing need is probably down low. So, if Portland is hell-bent on entering the season with no more than 14 guys on its roster, the team will probably choose between Chriss and Patterson. Patterson has more experience, and he shoots it better from deep (36.9% on three-point attempts in his career compared to just 28.9% for Chriss.) Neither makes or breaks Portland&rsquo;s season; but considering the Blazers are trying to build a contender and convince Damian Lillard that Portland is the place for him, Patterson is a better addition. If the Blazers decide to fill out their entire roster by signing a 15th player, Smith should get a long look. He is too skilled and athletic to not get another shot, and backing up a star like Lillard removes a lot of the pressure he&rsquo;s had on him throughout his career.
Prediction: Patterson makes the cut (and Smith signs a two-way contract).
Golden State Warriors
Golden State entered training camp with the maximum of 20 players on its roster, one of whom is on a two-way deal (Chris Chiozza) and three of whom are on training-camp deals (Jordan Bell, Avery Bradley and Langston Galloway.) Damion Lee, Mychal Mulder and Gary Payton Jr. are all signed to non-guaranteed deals, too. To summarize, the Warriors have lots of options &ndash; but Golden State will probably avoid making any zany moves. Instead, they will probably keep one of the three players signed to training-camp deals and cut the other two. As much as the veteran savvy of Bradley and Galloway could be alluring, Golden State doesn&rsquo;t need more veteran leadership &ndash; but they could use help backing up the power-forward position. Enter Bell, who returns to the Bay Area with a familiarity of head coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors&rsquo; systems. Bell exited Golden State after playing his first two professional seasons there, and he had some maturity issues in his first go-round with the Warriors. But Bell sounded significantly more mature in a <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/jordan-bell-warriors-contract-reunites-two-desperate-parties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent interview with NBC Sports Bay Area</a>. Assuming he demonstrates that growth in practices and preseason games, Bell will probably be kept.
Prediction: Jordan Bell makes the cut.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers' roster battle is particularly interesting, as it features a former top-ranked high school prospect in Harry Giles. Giles is battling with Isaiah Hartenstein and Moses Wright for the Clippers&rsquo; final roster spot; both of the team's two-way contracts are used up (Jay Scrubb and Amir Coffey.) &nbsp;Two of the spots are also occupied by players who will miss a good chunk of the 2021-22 season to injuries (Kawhi Leonard and rookie Jason Preston), making the remaining roster spots all the more valuable.&nbsp;
In the Clippers&rsquo; first preseason game, Giles produced more than Hartenstein and Wright, posting 8 points and 12 rebounds in 16 minutes. In their second preseason game, Wright played slightly better than the other two, finishing with 7 points and 5 rebounds in 12 minutes. What the Clippers ultimately choose to do is anyone&rsquo;s guess, but I think that Giles&rsquo; potential is too much to pass on. He&rsquo;s still only 23 years old; and if he finds what made him special just a few short years ago, Giles could be significantly more valuable than what the salary of a 15th man will pay him.&nbsp;
Prediction: Giles makes the cut.&nbsp;
The NBA&rsquo;s 75th regular season kicks off in less than two weeks. Decisions will be made between now and then that will greatly impact the lives of several men. Ultimately, some will impact teams' seasons too, as a chunk of these end-of-the-bench guys will probably earn bigger roles as the season goes on.&nbsp;

Drew Maresca examines the three most interesting final roster spot situations in the West.

3 roster-spot battles to watch for in the Western Conference

The 2021-22 NBA season is right around the corner, with training camps tipping off on September 28.&nbsp;
While the majority of free agents have already signed, there are a number of players who are still weighing their options. Some are working out for NBA teams to show that they still have something left in the tank, while others are taking their time to make a decision so they can find the perfect situation.
Of the remaining free agents, which players could step in and become a significant contributor for a team this season? Here are several names to keep an eye on in the coming weeks:
JAMES ENNIS
Ennis began his professional career overseas, becoming an NBL champion and All-NBL-First-Team selection with the Perth Wildcats during the 2013-14 season. Since entering the NBA, he has suited up for seven teams in as many seasons: the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic. With that said, the 31-year-old has produced when given an opportunity.&nbsp;
Last season with the Magic, he averaged 8.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.1 threes and 0.8 steals in 24.0 minutes while shooting 47.3% from the field, 43.3% from three and 80.5% from the free-throw line. Ennis started 37 of 41 games with the Magic last year, and he has 22 games of playoff experience on his resume as well. Over his career, he's averaged 6.7 points and shot 36.0% from three-point range.&nbsp;
Ennis has received interest from the Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers, according to <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-2021-roster-battles-michael-scotto-yossi-gozlan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype&rsquo;s Michael Scotto</a>. Considering he&rsquo;s coming off of a season in which he shot 43.3% from three while providing hustle plays and solid defense (often when guarding the opponent&rsquo;s best wing), it&rsquo;s somewhat surprising that Ennis is still available.
ISAIAH THOMAS
Thomas had a brief, three-game stint with the Pelicans last season, averaging 7.7 points and 1.7 assists in 16.0 minutes. However, he&rsquo;s just one year removed from averaging 12.2 points, 3.7 assists and 2.0 threes (while shooting 41.3% from deep) in 23.1 minutes with the Washington Wizards.
After being limited by hip pain during his recent stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Wizards, Thomas underwent a resurfacing procedure on his right hip last May. He&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/isaiah-thomas-ready-to-help-pelicans-i-still-have-a-lot-of-basketball-left-in-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the difference is &ldquo;night and day,&rdquo; and that &ldquo;there&rsquo;s no more pain.&rdquo; Given the right opportunity, the 32-year-old could bolster a second unit's offense. He would also provide leadership and mentor his younger teammates, as he <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/isaiah-thomas-ready-to-help-pelicans-i-still-have-a-lot-of-basketball-left-in-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> last year.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a leader, first and foremost,&rdquo; Thomas said. &ldquo;I won the NBA&rsquo;s Community Assist award so, off the court, I help in the community. On the court, I think it&rsquo;s self-explanatory what I bring to a team when given an opportunity. I also bring my wisdom; I don&rsquo;t think anybody has been through the things that I&rsquo;ve gone through in this league.&rdquo;
Thomas recently worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors in an effort to show that he&rsquo;s healthy and still capable of producing at a high level.
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DARREN COLLISON&nbsp;
In 2019, Collison stunned the basketball world (including his Indiana Pacers teammates and executives) when he decided to retire in order to focus on his faith. At the time, he was expected to be a highly coveted free agent who was <a href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nba/2019/06/29/darren-collison-sudden-retirement-stuns-pacers-teammates/39638581/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> on the verge of receiving offers worth $10-12 million annually.&nbsp;
Now, two years later, the 34-year-old is attempting to make an NBA comeback. The last time we saw Collison on an NBA court, he averaged 11.2 points, 6.0 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 three while shooting 46.7% from the field, 40.7% from three-point range and 83.2% from the free-throw line. He was terrific during his final two seasons, posting career-highs in win shares (7.6), box plus/minus (+2.7), value over replacement player (2.4), steal percentage (2.5%) and player efficiency rating (18.8) with the Pacers.
Before signing Collison, teams want to see whether he's in shape. (Oftentimes, the top priority in a free-agent workout is <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2019/07/18/nba-free-agent-workout-rumors-agency-training-behind-scenes-players-coaches-toppert-nurse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testing the player's conditioning</a>). So far, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are among the teams that have worked out Collison. Even if he&rsquo;s 70% or 80% of the player who shined during the 2018-19 season, he should be able to provide some backcourt depth.
AVERY BRADLEY&nbsp;
Bradley began last season with the Miami Heat, but he was ultimately traded to the Houston Rockets as part of the Victor Oladipo trade prior to the deadline. In 27 games with the Heat and Rockets last year, Bradley averaged 6.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 threes and 0.8 steals in 22.3 minutes.&nbsp;
During the 2019-20 regular season, he was a key contributor for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bradley started in 44 games and averaged 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 threes while shooting 44.4% from the field, 36.4% from three and 83.3% from the free-throw line. However, Bradley ultimately decided to opt-out of the Orlando Bubble due to his son's health concerns, and the Lakers went on to win the championship without him.&nbsp;
Now, like Thomas and Collison, the 30-year-old has recently worked out for the Golden State Warriors. Golden State <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears/status/1439996348909064195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> plans to add two guards and a big man to its training-camp roster, so it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see who the team decides to sign.&nbsp;
[UPDATE: The Warriors signed Avery Bradley, Langston Galloway and Jordan Bell to training-camp deals, so they'll be competing for Golden State's final roster spot.]
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/cousins2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="653" height="397" />
DEMARCUS COUSINS
Cousins hasn't been the same player since suffering three serious injuries in the same leg (a ruptured Achilles, torn quad and torn ACL) over the course of 18 months. While he&rsquo;ll never return to his All-Star form, he can still help a team&rsquo;s frontcourt.
Last season with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, Cousins averaged 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 threes, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 42.6% from the field, 34.8% from three and 72.8% from the free-throw line. 
Once he joined the Clippers, he was much more efficient, shooting 53.7% from the field and 42.1% from three. During Los Angeles' playoff run, Cousins contributed 7.6 points on 45.2% from the field and 40.0% from three. Another year removed from his injuries, perhaps Cousins could be even more effective during the upcoming campaign.
Recently, Cousins has had fans speculating that a return to the Sacramento Kings is a possibility based on his new <a href="https://twitter.com/boogiecousins/status/1440437057931808769" target="_blank" rel="noopener">profile picture</a>.
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LANGSTON GALLOWAY
Teams can never have enough shooters, so someone like Galloway shouldn't have trouble finding a new home at some point during the season. Last year with the Phoenix Suns, the 29-year-old played in 40 games, averaging 4.8 points while shooting 42.4% from deep.&nbsp;
For his career, he has averaged 8.2 points while shooting 37.0% from three-point range (on 3.9 attempts per game). He's just one year removed from averaging 10.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 threes (while shooting 39.9% from three) in 66 games with the Detroit Pistons.&nbsp;
Galloway also has a reputation as a great teammate and strong veteran presence in the locker room, with Suns head coach Monty Williams and teammates <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2021/08/02/langston-galloway-seeking-opportunity-after-one-season-phoenix-suns/5458842001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praising</a> &ldquo;his positive attitude and professionalism&rdquo; throughout last season.
[UPDATE: Galloway signed a training-camp deal with the Golden State Warriors and he'll be competing for their final roster spot.]

Of the remaining free agents, which players could step in and become a significant contributor for an NBA team this season?

6 remaining free agents who can still help an NBA team

We're now nearly a month into NBA free agency, and as expected, all of the big names are off the market. But the 2021 free-agency class was so large, that even weeks later, a number of quality pros remain available.
At this stage, your favorite squad isn't likely to sign a game-changer. But there are plug-and-play veterans and young castoffs who can provide value to any roster. Paul Millsap headlines the remaining best available players, and dozens of others are worth taking a peek at.
Below are some notable unsigned players for each of the three umbrella positional groups.&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Guards</h2>
Wesley Matthews (UFA)
Matthews has now played for five teams in three seasons. The 34-year-old most recently suited up for the Lakers in 2020-21, averaging 4.8 points per game in a bench role. Matthews provides toughness on both ends as a 3-and-D veteran.
J.J. Redick (UFA)
Redick can still shoot it (37.1% from three last season) but has lost much of the explosiveness off the ball that made him such a threat throughout his career. The 37-year-old played for the Pelicans and Mavericks last season, and could help a team searching for an offensive spark. Redick has said that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jj-redick-to-bypass-training-camp-could-be-a-midseason-roster-addition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he will likely take his time</a>, skipping training camp and signing with a team in a few months.
Avery Bradley (UFA)
Bradley was traded from Miami to Houston at the March 25 trade deadline, but did shoot 42.1% from long range during his short stint with the Heat. The 30-year-old has been part of a number of successful teams, including the Lakers' championship squad in 2020. He'll be able to provide adequate shooting and defense wherever he lands.
Langston Galloway (UFA)
Galloway played a minor bench role for the Suns in their trip to the NBA Finals. The 29-year-old did what he was asked: he shot well from the perimeter (42.4%) and turned the ball over just 13 times in 480 minutes. He'll be a valuable and reliable reserve wherever he goes.
Frank Ntilikina (UFA)
The 2017 No. 8 overall pick never found his groove with the New York Knicks. Ntilikina's minutes were halved in his fourth season (just 9.8 per game) as he battled on the outside of Tom Thibodeau's rotation. He's still only 23 years old, though, and is an NBA-caliber perimeter defender. Ntilikina also made 23 of his 48 three-point attempts in 2020-21, a 47.9% clip albeit on a small sample size.
Others Include: Isaiah Thomas, E'Twaun Moore, Brad Wanamaker, Jordan McLaughlin, Dante Exum, Dennis Smith Jr., Tyler Johnson, Jeff Teague, Darren Collison
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Wings</h2>
James Ennis (UFA)
The journeyman wing has taken the court for seven franchises in his seven professional seasons. Ennis has made 36.0% of his threes in his career, but canned 43.3% of those looks with the Orlando Magic in 2020-21. He can operate as a mini microwave scorer, and floor-spacing wings will always have value in today's NBA.
Stanley Johnson (UFA)
Johnson worked his way to increased playing time with the Toronto Raptors last season, even starting 13 games for the team. It was a mixed bag &mdash; he shot just 37.8 percent from the field &mdash; but the former 2015 lottery pick had some bright moments, including a 35-point, 10-rebound effort in a May 13 loss to Chicago. Johnson has improve notably as a defender and may be one of the better free agent "flier" options.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (UFA)
If a team is looking for a defensive spark plug, they should start with Hollis-Jefferson. The 26-year-old can guard both forward spots and even some smaller bigs with his length and energy. Hollis-Jefferson has a rough offensive foundation, but he wouldn't need to be relied on as more than a finisher.
Others include: Denzel Valentine, Garrison Mathews, Paul Watson Jr., Gary Clark, Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson, Michael Beasley, Deividas Sirvydis
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Bigs</h2>
Paul Millsap (UFA)
Millsap has slowly regressed with age, and at 36 years old, is no longer the Swiss Army knife he has usually been on both ends. But he's still a versatile piece that teams can plug in at power forward or center while shooting the ball respectably. Millsap spent his last four seasons with the Denver Nuggets., and the <a href="Isaiah%20Thomas,%20E'Twaun%20Moore,%20Brad%20Wanamaker,%20Jordan%20McLaughlin,%20Dante%20Exum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Warriors and Nets have reportedly demonstrated recent interest</a>.
Jarred Vanderbilt (RFA)
Timberwolves fans were intrigued by Vanderbilt last season. The 22-year-old made 30 starts and generally battled on defense and on the glass. Vanderbilt also made 71.7% of his attempts around the rim, and still radiates potential.
LaMarcus Aldridge (UFA)
It appears that the veteran Aldridge, who retired just a few months ago due to a heart condition, has consulted with medical personnel and decided to attempt a return to the NBA (<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31959203/former-all-star-forward-lamarcus-aldridge-seriously-considering-return-nba-season-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>). Just based on the finesse center's face-up capabilities and ability to stretch the floor, he should draw plenty of suitors. He last played for the Nets.
Isaiah Hartenstein (UFA)
The Nuggets traded Hartenstein to the Cleveland Cavaliers at last spring's deadline. He seemed to find a groove in Cleveland, averaging 8.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Hartenstein is still only 23 and was a second-round pick in 2017.
DeMarcus Cousins (UFA)
Cousins fell out of the Clippers' playoff rotation because he simply wasn't up to par with the smaller, faster matchups he often faced. Injuries have drained the 30-year-old of his athleticism. But Cousins quietly became a knockdown, low-volume shooter (42.1% on 1.2 threes per game), and that could be a way to keep his NBA stock afloat.
Others include: Aron Baynes, Bismack Biyombo, Ed Davis, Harry Giles, T.J. Leaf, Patrick Patterson, D.J. Wilson, Ersan Ilyasova, Alen Smailagic, Luke Kornet, Tacko Fall

Paul Millsap headlines the list of remaining free agents.

Which notable NBA free agents are still unsigned?

For the first time in over a decade, the Boston Celtics enter an offseason without a clear point guard hierarchy.
Dating back to 2007-08, when Rajon Rondo broke out and helped the franchise earn an NBA title, Boston had an established line of clear-cut floor generals. Rondo carried the torch (albeit through some injury-shortened seasons) before Isaiah Thomas came along, and then Kyrie Irving, and then Kemba Walker.&nbsp;
All four were established starters and played signficant roles in the team's offense. But when newly promoted team president Brad Stevens sent Walker to Oklahoma City in the first major trade of the summer, the chain broke. Boston is in layers of unfamiliar territory this offseason -- new head coach, new general manager, new starting point guard -- and that's what makes this one of the more interesting offseasons in recent team history.
The point guard question isn't just about what name will appear on the jumbotron. It could challenge that bloodline of Celtics scoring guards and signal a shift to a different style of offense.
Does Boston's lead ball-handler need to be the point guard? Do Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown need a third self-creator? What about the bench -- how do the Celtics resolve the revolving door at backup point guard and stabilize an inconsistent second unit? How many chips do the Celtics push in this summer with a potential spending spree looming in 2022?
Each answer changes depending on what avenue Stevens and head coach Ime Udoka choose. I'm just here to lay out the plausible options. Let's get started.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">In-House Solutions</h2>
The Celtics have five incumbent options to fill out the rotation. But according to Jared Weiss of&nbsp;The Athletic, two-way player Tremont Waters <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tremont-waters-looking-to-leave-celtics-find-nba-rotation-role-elsewhere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appears to be on his way out</a>. So that leaves four choices, with the most unproven player also being the only traditional point guard.&nbsp;
Marcus Smart is the longest-tenured Celtic. He's played seven seasons as a complement off the ball alongside all four of Rondo, Thomas, Irving and Walker. But Smart is&nbsp;different. Unlike the latter three in particular, he doesn't command touches or consistently make shots, but instead plays All-NBA-caliber defense and play-makes at an underrated level.&nbsp;
Despite what disgruntled Celtics fans might say about him hijacking possessions, Smart's usage rate has never exceeded 20%. He's a familiar fit next to Tatum and Brown, and could be the fuel that can jump start last year's disappointing defense.
Udoka sees it, too. He called Smart a <a href="https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2021/06/29/ime-udoka-invaluable-marcus-smart-celtics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'foundational piece'</a> back in June. If the Celtics re-sign Evan Fournier, Smart can focus on distributing to three solid scorers while setting the defensive tone. He's a capable starter -- even if his role looks different from Celtic point guards' past.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Great pass from Marcus Smart here. He's up to eight assists. <a href="https://t.co/hrQSmaEGl3">pic.twitter.com/hrQSmaEGl3</a>
&mdash; Chris Grenham (@chrisgrenham) <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisgrenham/status/1389024830901604354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The experience level plummets after Smart. Payton Pritchard carved out a spot in the rotation as the 26th overall pick last season. The 23-year-old rookie made 41.1% of his threes and generally looked composed with the ball, but Pritchard has a ways to go as a defender and overall decision-maker.
Then, there's 2019 lottery pick Romeo Langford. The oft-injured guard may get some burn <a href="https://theathletic.com/2712647/2021/07/19/celtics-summer-league-roster-taking-shape-ahead-of-nba-draft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at point guard in Summer League</a>, and has shown glimpses of a versatile defender and attacker off the dribble. At this stage, though, Langford would be unprepared for a role he hasn't taken on since high school.&nbsp;
Carsen Edwards has yet to find consistency in his pro game and in the lineup. That leaves 21-year-old Israeli prospect Yam Madar -- the only player with a season of professional experience as a true point guard -- as a longshot option.
I'm as bullish on Madar's NBA future as anyone. At 6-foot-3, Madar's on-ball tenacity, athleticism and 40% three-point clip could shape up as a lethal combination. But it would be risky to even slot Madar in as a backup from the jump, much less put him in the starting lineup.
If the Celtics made no offseason addition, I'd expect Smart to roll as the starting "point guard." The position is in quotes because his role, and the position in general, lines up less and less with traditional responsibilities. Smart could be the "point guard," while Pritchard and Langford operate as backup "point guards," but Tatum and Brown will be just as important in setting the offensive table.&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Draft and Free Agency</h2>
Boston traded its No. 16 overall selection to OKC in the Kemba Walker deal. As things stand, Stevens only has the 45th pick to work with. If the choice is a point guard, that rookie is unlikely to be a Year 1 contributor. So we'll move on to free agent options.
The Celtics do not have cap space. They're actually $16.3 million over the salary cap, <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/cap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Spotrac</a>, and that's before potentially bringing back Fournier, who they can go over the cap to re-sign. Free agent signings will have to come via the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (worth about $9.5 million), the Bi-Annual Exception ($3.7 million) or veteran minimum contracts.&nbsp;
The pickings slim right down. I won't speculate on projected contracts, but consider that the Celtics signed Tristan Thompson to a similar deal (two years, $19 million) last offseason. Thompson was expected to be a borderline-starting player, and he more-or-less met that projection. Guards who could fit a similar tier include: Derrick Rose, T.J. McConnell, Reggie Jackson and Alex Caruso.&nbsp;
Boston signed Jeff Teague to a vet minimum deal last season. The move didn't pan out -- Teague was dealt at the trade deadline -- but he was brought in to be a steady, seasoned backup. Some names matching that description could be Patty Mills, Ish Smith or Langston Galloway.
Both pathways can infuse the rotation with quality players, but they likely won't be a long-term answer at the position. Plus, point guard isn't the only need on the roster, and the Celtics may find better value at another position. They shouldn't feel boxed in with these two avenues.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Trade Market</h2>
Do not expect Boston to swing another layered blockbuster this summer. If the salary cap sheets tell you anything, it's that Stevens is loading up to make a splash in 2022, when they have just three players locked down. The front office will bide its time until then.
The Celtics do have a whopping six trade exceptions at their disposal. Four of them are significant, worth approximately $11 million, $6.7 million, $5 million and $4.7 million. Teams cannot combine exceptions, so these would have to be used separately. But the $11 million TPE in particular must be used soon, or else it will expire on August 16.
What could the Celtics do with it? Potentially absorb a starting-caliber point guard, or package it with other players to make a more sizeable splash. For example, according to The Athletic's Zach Harper, both Dejounte Murray and Derrick White <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/dejounte-murray-derrick-white-could-both-be-gettable-in-spurs-trade-talks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are "gettable"</a> in trade talks. They haven't been linked to Boston, but Murray and White are two examples of players who could fit the rotation while being financially attainable in a trade.
Ultimately, I think there are three standout routes the Celtics can take without upending the roster.
Smart is going to be on this team barring an utter shock, and he should start -- but at point guard? I believe so... unless, in the interest of preserving the all-powerful 2022 cap space, the Celtics let Fournier walk. Then Smart could return to his usual role off-ball, and the starting point guard could be acquired via trade or the $9.5 million free agency slot.
At backup, I would predict a platoon of Pritchard, Langford and a veteran acquired with that $3.7 million Bi-Annnual Exception. Perhaps Madar breaks through, as well.&nbsp;
But the key takeaway should be that the point guard situation will differ from the past decade. Let's look back at the pipeline. Rondo's four highest seasonal usage rates of his career came in Boston. Thomas, Irving and Walker all logged usage rates of at least 26% in every season wearing green, per Basketball Reference.&nbsp;
Gone could be the days of the ball-dominant point guard in Boston. Whoever plays point has to facilitate, defend and find rhythm without extended touches. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the franchise's two faces, and every other player should be working off of the young stars.

The Celtics traded Kemba Walker this summer, creating a roster question mark. Ethan Fuller mulls Boston's options at point guard.