Tigers

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

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

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

It's a new NBA season, which means the Sour Rankings are back!&nbsp;
Unlike the typical "power rankings" that repeat themselves throughout sports media, Sour Rankings are a bizarro-world counter. These rankings highlight the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises throughout the season, and they will be updated every week to match the twists and turns of the league.&nbsp;
This is not merely a bottom-10 of your typical best-to-worst power rankings. You will see championship contenders and playoff hopefuls mixed in with struggling squads. Teams well-under .500 may never touch the Sour Rankings because they are on track with their respective processes. Injuries, drama, transactions and general underwhelming play will all be considered.
The central question is ultimately this: How good should you feel about the direction of each franchise? Some teams value wins this season and paths to a title, while others are looking down the road at long-term pieces.&nbsp;
This week is not a "preview" installment; it is rather a barometer of the general vibe around a franchise as things get underway. The NBA preseason is generally filled with optimism; 10 teams make the Sour Rankings, but that doesn't mean they're all in dire straits, as I'll note.
So without further ado, let's get to it!
10. Washington Wizards
Given the circumstances, the Wizards had a satisfactory 2021 offseason. They returned three rotation-caliber players from the Russell Westbrook trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, and then went out and found a strong backcourt partner for Bradley Beal in Spencer Dinwiddie.&nbsp;
Washington could be a very solid team on paper with improved depth &mdash; but is that enough to make considerable playoff noise in the Eastern Conference? Beal's looming 2022 free-agent status shines a harsh spotlight on the current Wizards. Their star has stuck it out through multiple years of mediocrity. Maybe he'll re-up with the team that drafted him, but Beal would undoubtedly appreciate some serious postseason contention before having to decide.
9. Indiana Pacers
The injury bug simply will not let go of the Pacers. T.J. Warren still appears to be a ways off from recovering from a foot injury that held him to just four games last season. Caris LeVert will <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2021/10/16/pacers-caris-levert-getting-closer-but-miss-first-four-games/8489876002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly miss at least the first four games</a> of the regular season as he works to return from a stress fracture in his back. These are two top-scoring options out of the short-term picture.
Indiana largely opted to stay the course in a suddenly crowded East. The Pacers can't afford to fall behind early, and these absences certainly won't help.
8. New Orleans Pelicans
Another team hampered by health, this ranking is entirely due to Zion Williamson's injury status. The superstar forward has suffered a sprained knee, torn meniscus and foot fracture in the past years, and is now without a return timetable as he recovers from that foot surgery. Without Williamson, the Pelicans are nowhere near the playoff sleeper they could be &mdash; even with a new head coach and some positive roster moves. They need their centerpiece, and his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/we-should-be-worried-about-zion-williamson-ability-to-stay-healthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developing pattern of injuries is concerning</a>.
7. Phoenix Suns
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Mikal Bridges on being there for Deandre Ayton after not signing a new contract: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s way more mature with everything. He has great people around him. I try to do the best I can to clear his mind, but it&rsquo;s tough. .. Being around him every single day, I don&rsquo;t want to lose that.&rdquo;
&mdash; Evan Sidery (@esidery) <a href="https://twitter.com/esidery/status/1450186692871135232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Three hours before writing this, I would not have remotely considered the Suns to be in the Sour Rankings. But the rookie extension deadline has passed without Deandre Ayton securing a long-term deal, the first No. 1 pick since Anthony Bennett not to do so.
Suns general manager James Jones did not negotiate a maximum contract extension with the Bahamian big man, perhaps at the direction of team owner Robert Sarver &mdash; but the team did agree to a 4-year, $43 million extension with draft classmate Landry Shamet. As Evan Sidery <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/evan-sidery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in regards to Ayton</a>, that's blasphemous, and it could fragment an extremely fun, likable Phoenix squad.
6. Sacramento Kings
Your 2021 Las Vegas Summer League champs are back to fight the longest postseason drought in the league. The Kings are making strides with their young talent, highlighted by the preseason success of No. 9 overall pick Davion Mitchell, and retained a core piece in Richaun Holmes.&nbsp;
But does it feel like Sacramento is any closer to the playoffs? Buddy Hield was all-but-traded to the Lakers, and his future is now uncertain as the Kings see if a De'Aaron Fox-Tyrese-Haliburton-Mitchell lineup has potential. What about 2018 No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III, who was not extended at Monday's deadline? He's as big of a question mark as one can exist among young prospects league-wide.&nbsp;
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
There's definitely reason for optimism with the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards had a phenomenal second half to the 2020-21 season and an overall stellar rookie year. Karl-Anthony Towns can be rid of the awful, awful year-plus he has endured personally. D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley can get buckets, Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt are intriguing defensive pieces and Chris Finch had a summer to prep for all of this as head coach.&nbsp;
But the Gersson Rosas firing and fallout feels all too Timberwolves-y. It's yet another reset for Towns, who was vocally frustrated at training camp. Is the front office in position to guide the team with the season about to start?&nbsp;
4. Portland Trail Blazers
Larry Nance Jr.'s acquisition partially salvaged what was a wildly terrible offseason in Portland between the Chauncey Billups hiring and the Damian Lillard trade rumors. It appears Lillard is content to stick with the Blazers this season and see how the team operates under its first-year head coach. That's admirable, but it also means the entire season will be laced with tension.
Portland should run back a fun, high-scoring offense. Will the defense improve with Nance in the frontcourt? That's the big question. If not, the Blazers will return to playoff mediocrity and potentially push Lillard closer to the exit door.&nbsp;
3. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks were one of my picks for the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-which-nba-team-had-the-worst-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst NBA offseason</a> (Jackson Frank also picked them), and nothing in recent weeks has made me feel any better. Mark me down as adamantly opposed to the Jason Kidd hiring. Reggie Bullock is a fine individual player; he is not going to dramatically alter things on the offensive end. Plus, Dallas recently released 2020 draft pick Tyrell Terry, and we haven't seen much of 2020 first-rounder Josh Green. Where does the optimism come from outside of Luka Doncic?
2. Brooklyn Nets
I'm not going to get deep into the Kyrie Irving situation from a public health perspective, celebrity responsibility perspective or general common sense perspective. I don't have anything major to add to those discussions, other than to reinforce that Irving is carelessly and dangerously misusing his power as a public figure.&nbsp;
This section is about the Nets, who are paying the price for Irving's choices. The NBA title should have traveled through Brooklyn and its Big Three, and the Nets are still an elite basketball team with improved depth. But, remove an All-NBA-caliber player and the ceiling significantly lowers. Instead of being the overwhelming favorite, the Nets have become just another contender.
1. Philadelphia 76ers
Ben Simmons has given us the Hollywood trade drama we had missed since, well, last winter. Simmons was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ben-simmons-thrown-out-of-practice-suspended-philadelphia-76ers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tossed out of practice and suspended Tuesday</a>, so the months-long firestorm appears to still be getting hotter. But while that's a win for NBA/TMZ crossover fans, it's a serious loss for the 76ers, who now have to take this show into the regular season.
Joel Embiid has never played more than 64 games in a season, and is coming off of two shortened offseasons sandwiching an East Finals run. That should cause concern. The backcourt is fun, but nowhere near close to replicating Simmons' impact. Maybe Simmons actually does suit up in games &mdash; will he bring a positive on-court presence to a team that has publicly denounced his game?
Until Philly finally makes a trade &mdash; and who knows when it could happen &mdash; the Sixers' season could range from awkward to disastrous.

Ethan Fuller ranks the top-10 most frustrating NBA franchises ahead of the season.

NBA Sour Rankings: Chaos among the contenders?

No baseline roaming today, folks, but I did want to take a page from that particular book. I recently wrote a piece on my <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/opening-weekend-thoughts-on-nba-2k22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initial thoughts on NBA 2K22</a>. It was a mostly positive experience at the time, and I'm proud to announce that I still feel that way after more time with the game.
This is the most fun I've had with a 2K since probably 2K19. There's a lot of depth to this year's edition, and the gameplay tweaks to defense have appealed to my nerdy side. We're on the up-and-up.
While I'm having fun and generally believe the game to be good, that doesn't mean there aren't flaws to poke at. In what feels like a yearly tradition on my end, I must dig into the ratings.
This is a "duh" thing to say, but the most important part of a basketball game are, well, the basketball players. The appeal of 2K is supposed to be it's realism at the end of the day: from the player models, to their signature moves and styles, and ultimately, how closely they perform to their real-life counterparts.
The good folks at 2K nail most of this stuff. You can honestly get lost in the amount of animations available to make players shoot, dribble, and even dunk like they do in the real world. The actual player models are tremendous. As much as the "added sweat" meme is a thing, you have to tip your cap at how realistic the players look.
(Well, the NBA players at least. I'd love to see more done on the WNBA side. Seriously, <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1436189173522878464?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">look at Atlanta Dream guard Chennedy Carter</a>. I get the Dream want to pretend like she doesn't exist, but she does, and that should be apparent in the game.)
Where the game falls a bit short for me is how the players are rated. I don't necessarily mean the overall ratings; that's arbitrary enough to where it genuinely doesn't mean much. It's a yearly tradition to get upset about the early rating releases before the game officially dropped.
Here's a thought exercise, though: give a detailed explanation of the difference between an 87 overall and an 88 overall. I'll give you some time.
Go on.
Uh huh.&nbsp;
I rest my case.
When I say player ratings in this context, I mean the nitty gritty stuff. The individual stuff like "perimeter defense." Not the just badge layout, but the badge level given -- or not given. I mean player tendencies most of all. Having the James Harden (double) stepback in the game means nothing if he actually doesn't do it when you face him, for example.
I found myself getting so frustrated with botched tendencies and higher-than-it-should-be ratings that I started making my own rosters. I'm in the midst of doing so now, but I wanted to peel the curtain back into some of the things that have to be altered. I starteed a <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1440043942427299840?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter thread</a> detailing some of the mishaps, but here are a few more that have stood out as I've begun the roster editing process.
KINGS CENTER RICHAUN HOLMES: NO "TEAR DROPPER" BADGE
I'll start here because this is the one I can be swayed to leniency on. Holmes does have a 95 "Close Shot" rating, with the stat being defined as the "ability to shoot when standing still out to 10 feet from the basket."&nbsp;
Within that context, I could see why they went that route versus giving him the badge. How exactly do you define Holmes' push shot in the game? Is that just a close shot animation, or is it an actual floater that gamers should be looking to trigger?&nbsp;
Considering you can't choose specific floaters like you could in past games -- why can't you do this anymore, by the way? -- it would appear 2K played it safe. It's just a bit odd that a guy who, per Synergy, converted over 61% of his runners on the fifth-highest volume in the league (184 attempts) doesn't have a badge to show for it.
PISTONS GUARD CADE CUNNINGHAM: "DISH TO OPEN MAN" TENDENCY IS A 35
Cade Cunningham has yet to play in an official NBA game to this point, but he's one of the most heralded prospects in recent memory. Arguably his most prolific trait as a player is his passing ability. At 6-foot-7, he has the luxury of seeing over the top of defenses and flinging darts across the lot. There isn't a pass that he doesn't have in his bag, so it's a bit baffling that the 2K read on him is that he just ... won't hit open guys.
This feels like a case of inputing his assist numbers from his lone year at Oklahoma State without even a hint of context.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there aren't ten Pistons more willing to hit open teammates than Cade.
LAKERS GUARD RUSSELL WESTBROOK: HIGH LEVEL DEFENDER
I feel like we do this every 2K with Russell Westbrook. I honestly feel for the ratings guys because it's not an easy needle to thread.
On the right night, or even in the right quarter, Westbrook can be an absolute menace on the defensive end. He moves incredibly well laterally, has quick hands, is strong, and can flat-out bully opposing guards.&nbsp;
In that same game, he can die on a screen and flat-out give up on it. He can offer weak contests. Teams can exploit him off the ball due to his tendency to ball-watch.
The "best" solution here would be to give him a solid on-ball rating, a relatively low one in the "help defense IQ" one, and a middling rating in "defensive consistency" since the possession-by-possession variance is pretty high with him.
Instead, Westbrook has an 83, an 80, and an 80 in the three ratings, respectively. I can't say I get that. The 83 in perimeter defense is even wilder when you consider he outpaces guys like Mikal Bridges (82), De'Anthony Melton (81), TJ McConnell (82), and Pascal Siakam (79); he also shares that 83 with Lu Dort, Draymond Green, and Fred VanVleet.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>Jimmy Butler had the worst shooting season of his career and was rewarded with an 84 mid-range rating and a 75 3-ball. Sure.</li>
<li>On top of Bridges' defensive rating being too low, having that while giving his teammate Chris Paul a 90 is ... I'll be respectful, but come on. We know what we watched.</li>
<li>Karl-Anthony Towns having a 60 in pass accuracy, which puts him 11th on his own team, is pretty freaking wild.</li>
<li>Based on his tendencies, Trae Young is more likely to receive an alley-oop (25) than he is to throw one (10). I don't think I need to say more than that.</li>
<li>Bouncing off the Cade point, 2K cover boy Luka Doncic (60) is not the most willing passer on his own team. That honor belongs to Tyrell Terry (65). Sure.</li>
<li>Keldon Johnson's "attack strong on drive" tendency being a 50 seems woefully low based on the way he plays. He only passed on 21.2% of his drives last season, per <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612759&amp;sort=DRIVE_PASSES_PCT&amp;dir=-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Spectrum tracking data</a>.</li>
<li>I am amused by Dwight Howard not having the highest "hard foul" tendency (41). With a 76, that honor belongs to [checks notes] Wolves rookie Leandro Bolmaro???</li>
</ul>

Nekias Duncan gives his thoughts on some controversial ratings in NBA 2K22.

Things That Make You Go 'Hmmm': 2K Edition

Nekias Duncan looks ahead to how the five teams in the Southwest Division will fare in the upcoming NBA season.

2020-21 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

Ethan Fuller breaks down the state of each NBA franchise and ranks the most frustrating teams ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season.

NBA 'Sour' Rankings: Preseason Prelude

The 2020 NBA Draft forged ahead on Wednesday night with a rapid-fire second round that saw a bevy of smaller trades go down.
But one move stuck out from the rest. The Philadelphia 76ers dealt two-way wing Josh Richardson to the Dallas Mavericks, along with pick No. 36, in exchange for sweet-shooting bench guard Seth Curry. Dallas ended up with two picks in the 30s, leading off the round by drafting Stanford guard Tyrell Terry and then taking Colorado forward Tyler Bey at pick No. 36.&nbsp;
In a draft that lacked star power, but fields fantastic depth, franchises had plenty of chances to find quality rotation players in the second round. My five favorite selections, with a breakdown of their team fits, are below:&nbsp;&nbsp;
Pick 31. Dallas Mavericks: Tyrell Terry (G), Stanford
The Mavericks' next step to title contention is surrounding Luka Doncic with outlet sharpshooters. Frankly, Terry would have been a great selection at No.18 for the Mavs. Instead, they land him 13 picks later, making the Stanford guard a clear steal.
Terry drilled 40.8 percent of his three-pointers at Stanford and is one of the best pure shooters in the class. He'll play off the ball in the NBA, but Terry can make quality reads as a passer. Though he's undersized at 6-foot-3, Terry makes up for his slight frame with tenacious effort and awareness.
Pick 35. Memphis Grizzlies (from SAC): Xavier Tillman (C/F), Michigan State
Memphis now boasts a Swiss Army Knife of a frontcourt. The Grizzlies have a bruiser in Jonas Valanciunas, a lengthy shot-maker in Jaren Jackson Jr. and an athletic marvel in Brandon Clarke.&nbsp;
In his own dimension, Tillman brings defensive versatility, leadership and NBA-ready court awareness. Unlike most second-round picks, the Michigan State big man could feasibly bypass the NBA G League and earn a spot on the Grizzlies' roster right away. Memphis is nearing playoff contention, and the exciting young franchise needs steady basketball minds such as Tillman.
Pick 40. Sacramento Kings (from MEM) : Robert Woodard (F), Mississippi State
Everything about modern basketball is packaged into Robert Woodard. He possesses valuable physical attributes as a 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and underrated hops. Woodard also knocked down over 42 percent of his triples as a sophomore, albeit on a small sample size. He can realistically defend positions 2-through-4 at the NBA level and is the prototypical 3-and-D forward. Sacramento nailed this selection.
Pick 49. Philadelphia 76ers: Isaiah Joe (SG), Arkansas
At long last, the 76ers addressed their shooting woes with a venegance on Wednesday night. But the success extends beyond acquiring Seth Curry. Philly also nabbed a premier long-range threat in Isaiah Joe. Though he was less efficient as a sophomore, Joe lit up the arc for the Razorbacks, canning over 200 threes across two years.&nbsp;
The concerns with Joe center on his healthy and fragile frame at approximately 165 pounds. If he can put on more muscle, the young shooter can be a dynamic weapon for Ben Simmons and other Sixers' playmakers.
Pick 60. Milwaukee Bucks: Sam Merrill (PG), Utah State
Merrill fits seamlessly with what the Bucks have valued as guard sparks. He plays a similar game to Donte DiVincenzo; both can score are all levels, play with pace and hustle on both ends. Merrill may not have the upside to be a safety valve for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he can certainly come off the bench and give the Bucks an offensive boost.
The Utah State product has limited upside at age-24. But with the Bucks all-in on a title, Merrill is yet another roster-ready piece to bolster the team's depth.&nbsp;

A number of NBA teams found serious value in the second round, from Tyrell Terry to Sam Merrill.