Wildcats

Blake Stern previews the NBA's Central Division, breaking down each team's projected lineup and burning question entering the year.

NBA Central Division Preview: Burning questions, rotation projections

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley added 21 as the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the short-handed Houston Rockets 113-95 Thursday night despite missing Donovan Mitchell.
Garland, the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft who turned 23 on Thursday, also had nine assists and four rebounds for the Cavs.
&ldquo;Darius has continued to grow,&rdquo; Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;This is a place where we&rsquo;ve seen him grow the most is understanding the moment, understanding each game and how it&rsquo;s different and what it takes from him to be a tone-setter.&rdquo;
The Cavaliers led by 26 at halftime after scoring 74 points in the first two periods. The Rockets cut it to 22 on a basket by rookie Jabari Smith Jr. with 9&frac12; minutes left in the third. But Cleveland scored the next 10 points, with 3s by Garland and Dean Wade, to extend the lead to 89-57 midway through the quarter.
&ldquo;Everything has been that hunt for consistency,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had leads before and we get a little lax and loose with the ball and things like that. But I thought they had the right approach for the majority of the game tonight.&rdquo;
The Rockets ended the quarter with an 11-3 run, with five points from rookie TyTy Washington, but they still trailed 97-74 entering the fourth.
Tari Eason opened the fourth with a tip-in shot for the Rockets before Garland and Cedi Osman made consecutive 3-pointers to push Cleveland&rsquo;s advantage to 103-76.
The Cavaliers scored five straight points, capped by a 3 from Wade, to make it 111-89 with about 3 1/2 minutes left, and Cleveland&rsquo;s starters sat down after that.
Mitchell sat out for the fourth time in five games with a groin strain. He returned Tuesday night after missing three games, but aggravated it near the end of that game to keep him out Thursday. Mitchell, who ranks ninth in the NBA by averaging 28.3 points a game, was named a starter for the Eastern Conference in next month&rsquo;s NBA All-Star Game.
Eason had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead Houston. The Rockets were without Eric Gordon, Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate and Kevin Porter Jr. as they lost their second straight since snapping a 13-game skid Monday night.
The Rockets, who have the NBA&rsquo;s worst record at 11-38, committed 22 turnovers and made just five of 21 3-pointers. Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, was 2 of 9 for six points after scoring a career-high 42 points in Houston&rsquo;s win over Minnesota on Monday.
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&ldquo;They&rsquo;re one of the best defensive teams in the league, so the fact that they forced 22 turnovers wasn&rsquo;t super surprising since going in knowing we didn&rsquo;t have three of our main guys who handle the basketball,&rdquo; Silas said.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Kevin Love sat out with back spasms. &hellip; Wade scored 15 off the bench. ... Jarrett Allen had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Rockets: Gordon missed the game with right knee soreness. &hellip; Tate was out as part of injury management after returning from an ankle sprain. &hellip; Porter missed his eighth straight game with a bruised left foot.
ALL-STAR MITCHELL
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In the wake of Mitchell&rsquo;s selection as an All-Star game starter, Bickerstaff raved about how he&rsquo;s approached his job in his first season in Cleveland after an off-season trade from Utah.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s the respect piece and just a compliment to the job that he&rsquo;s done,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;To be able to come into a completely new environment and quite possibly have the best year so far in his career says a lot about him.&rdquo;
</div>
</div>

Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley added 21 as the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Houston Rockets 113-95.

Garland scores 26 as Cavaliers race past Rockets 113-95

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Dejounte Murray and Trae Young hardly looked like they were playing their first game together.
Murray had 20 points, <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1582899751212658688">11 assists</a> and five steals in his Atlanta debut Wednesday night, teaming with Young for a tantalizing glimpse of what the Hawks can expect from their new backcourt tandem.
&ldquo;My goal is for me and Trae to make this team better,&rdquo; Murray said after a 117-107 victory over the pesky Houston Rockets.
On the opening night of the season in Atlanta, there were no complaints from the sellout crowd.
Murray, an All-Star acquired from San Antonio in the Hawks' biggest move of the offseason, was a bit more critical of the team's performance.
Even with four of Atlanta's starters scoring at least 20 points, the Hawks struggled to put away a team that had the NBA's worst record the last two years.
"I feel like the game was too close," said Murray, who rated his performance &ldquo;6 out of 10.&rdquo;
<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1582901570961743872">Young had 23 points and 13 assists</a>. For one night, at least, a pair of star point guards showed they can co-exist &mdash; and get their teammates involved, for good measure.
&ldquo;The Atlanta Hawks are not me and Trae, but we set the tone," Murray said. &ldquo;We're gonna get better.&rdquo;
Murray became the first player since Spud Webb in 1985 to have a double-double in his Atlanta debut. But his biggest impact may have been at the defensive end, where he's charged with helping the Hawks improve on one of their biggest problems a season ago.
The last of his steals came after he knocked down a three-pointer.
Murray swiped the ball from Jalen Green and dished off to Onyeka Okongwu for a lay-in that pushed the lead to 102-92 with less than 5 1/2 minutes to go.
&ldquo;We've challenged Trae and all the guys to get better defensively,&rdquo; Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;That's the key to the season.&rdquo;
<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1582903528212860928">The Rockets were led</a> by Kevin Porter Jr, with 21 points, two days after he signed an $82.5 million, four-year contract extension to help lead Houston's major rebuilding project.
John Collins, who was the subject of incessant trade speculation during the offseason, led the Hawks with 24 points. <a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1582909313470722049">De&rsquo;Andre Hunter</a>, his future in Atlanta solidified by a $95 million, four-year extension, chipped in with 22 points.
The Hawks are hoping to recapture the form that carried them to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.
Atlanta slipped to ninth in the East a season ago and needed to win two play-in games just to qualify for the postseason. The Hawks didn't last long in the playoffs, going down in five games to top seed Miami.
The Rockets, who had the NBA&rsquo;s worst record the last two seasons, sent out a youthful lineup that included No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr.
The former Auburn star had 17 points and seven rebounds in a promising NBA debut.
&ldquo;We were disjointed a little bit,&rdquo; Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. &rdquo;But I loved our fight, I loved our competitiveness."
YOUTHFUL ROCKETS
Of the 13 players who dressed for Houston, only two had more than three seasons of NBA experience.
It showed.
&ldquo;There were multiple times where I sat down and told our assistants, &rsquo;Man we&rsquo;re just so young,'" Silas said, managing a smile.
Most notably, the Rockets had 16 turnovers, which the Hawks turned into 28 points. Houston scored just 13 points off turnovers.
&ldquo;It was the transition points that really hurt us the most,&rdquo; Silas said. &ldquo;I'm encouraged, even though we lost.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Rockets: Another first-round pick, Tari Eason, had eight points and seven assists in 15 minutes off the bench. ... Houston outrebounded the Hawks 54-38. ... Daishen Nix (sore back), Jae-Sean Tate (left ankle soreness) and rookie TyTy Washington (left knee sprain) were not available for the start of the regular season.
Hawks: The team's two rookies &mdash; first-rounder AJ Griffin and second-rounder Tyrese Martin &mdash; did not play. ... Atlanta had 30 assists and just nine turnovers. ... G Bogdan Bogdanovic was the only Atlanta player who didn't dress for the opener. He continues to recover from right knee surgery in June.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Return to Houston for their home opener Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Hawks: Host the Orlando Magic on Friday night in the second of three straight home games to begin the season.
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Dejounte Murray had 20 points, 11 assists and 5 steals in his Atlanta debut alongside Trae Young and his 23 points and 13 assists.

Murray, Young lead Hawks past pesky Rockets 117-107

HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; From the outside, it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel for a Houston Rockets team that finished with the NBA&rsquo;s worst record for the past two seasons.
Inside the organization, however, optimism abounds because those last-place finishes have allowed Houston to stockpile talent as the Rockets look ahead.
Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, is certain this rebuild will lead to success in the future.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a lot of young talent,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A lot of guys that want it to be a great team. We&rsquo;ve all got the mentality to do it. So yeah, it&rsquo;s going to happen sooner than later.&rdquo;
Green leads this extraordinarily young team that isn&rsquo;t predicted to do much this year but is laying the foundation to return to contention.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m super excited about this season,&rdquo; coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited for a bunch of reasons. I&rsquo;m excited that we have a group that I&rsquo;ve been with for a little while and they have more experience than they had in the past.&rdquo;
The Rockets went 20-62 last season after winning just 17 games the season before. The nosedive came after the team reached the postseason for eight straight seasons before trading away all its stars and most of its veterans, including James Harden.
A year after opening the season with four 19-year-olds on the roster, the Rockets will again field one of the youngest teams in the league. There are 10 players who are 21 or younger, including three starters in Green and Alperen Sengun &mdash; both 20 &mdash; and 19-year-old rookie Jabari Smith, Jr., who was the third overall pick in this year&rsquo;s draft.
And while they likely won&rsquo;t be very good again this year, their youth and speed could make them a difficult matchup for some teams, Silas said.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to use our quickness and athleticism on the offensive end, but we&rsquo;re going to use it on the defensive end as well,&rdquo; he said. "So look for improvement on both ends.&rdquo;
FITTING IN
Smith is ready to contribute immediately after a freshman year at Auburn where the power forward averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and two assists per game to win SEC freshman of the year, All-SEC first-team and second-team All-America honors.
He believes the youth of the team and his skills will allow him to fit in seamlessly.
&ldquo;With my defense, my versatility, I feel like with me being able to play the five, being able to play four, I feel like I&rsquo;ll be able to help with spacing for Jalen &hellip; to work,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Also, just adding that spark on offense. Just overall playing hard and just my will to win will help us tremendously.&rdquo;
FIRST-ROUNDERS
The Rockets didn&rsquo;t have a first-round draft pick from 2016-20 but have had six in the last two drafts thanks to their bad finishes and trades.
Smith was one of three first-round picks the Rockets had in this year&rsquo;s draft. Houston added LSU forward Tari Eason with the 17th pick, which the team received as part of the trade for Harden, and picked up Kentucky&rsquo;s TyTy Washington at No. 29 in the opening round.
Along with nabbing Green last year, they added Usman Garuba with the 23rd pick and Josh Christopher at No. 24 in the first round.
THE ELDER STATESMAN
The Rockets have just three players over age 30 on their roster and the only one expected to start is 33-year-old Eric Gordon.
Entering his 15th season and seventh in Houston, he&rsquo;s the only holdover from the team&rsquo;s years of success. He&rsquo;s certainly still productive on the court after averaging 13.4 points last season but his greatest value to this team might be his leadership off it.
It&rsquo;s a role that Gordon has embraced.
&ldquo;For me is it&rsquo;s all about setting an example day to day and being consistent,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Sometimes talking doesn&rsquo;t solve it. With so many young guys you need to set that example.&rdquo;

“I’m super excited about this season,” Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said. “I’m excited for a bunch of reasons."

Rockets far from contention, but excited about young talent

A lot can change in a week.
Seven days ago, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren had the second-best odds to win the 2022-23 Rookie of the Year award. Now, one week later, Holmgren is out for the season after he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot while playing in The CrawsOver Pro-Am in Seattle.
With the No. 2 overall pick no longer in the Rookie of the Year race, who are the current favorites for the award entering the 2022-23 season? How did the odds change after Holmgren's injury?&nbsp;
On <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BetOnline</a>, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero still has the best odds at 3/2. Banchero has been the favorite all offseason, and his odds moved from 3/1 to 3/2 following Holmgren's injury.
Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray has the second-best odds. While he was previously listed at 9/1, his odds are now 5/1 following Holmgren's injury.
Rounding out the top five are Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (11/2 odds, up from 15/2), Houston Rockets big man Jabari Smith Jr. (8/1 odds, down from 7/2) and Bennedict Mathurin (9/1 odds, up from 12/1).
The only other players who saw their odds increase over the last week were Houston Rockets wing Tari Eason (who moved from 66/1 to 33/1), Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (who moved 50/1 to 40/1) and Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (who moved from 80/1 to 66/1).
Interestingly, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams actually saw his ROY odds dip after Holmgren's injury, moving from 22/1 to 25/1. Washington Wizards guard Johnny Davis' odds also dropped a bit, going from 18/1 to 33/1.
Here's a look at the complete Rookie-of-the-Year odds from <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BetOnline</a>:
<table style="font-weight: 400; width: 262px;" width="276">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.262px;">
Paolo Banchero
</td>
<td style="width: 74.05px;">
3/2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.312px;">
Keegan Murray
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
5/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.325px;">
Jaden Ivey
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
11/2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Jabari Smith Jr
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
8/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Bennedict Mathurin
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
9/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Jalen Williams
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
25/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Shaedon Sharpe
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
25/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Jalen Duren
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
33/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Johnny Davis
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
33/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Mark Williams
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
33/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Tari Eason
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
33/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Dyson Daniels
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
40/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Ochai Agbaji
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
40/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Jaden Hardy
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
40/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
AJ Griffin
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
50/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Ousmane Dieng
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
50/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Jeremy Sochan
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
50/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Nikola Jovic
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
66/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Malaki Branham
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
80/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Marjon Beauchamp
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
100/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Dalen Terry
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
100/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
TyTy Washington
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
100/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Jake LaRavia
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
100/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Walker Kessler
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
100/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Blake Wesley
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
125/1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 159.331px;">
Christian Braun
</td>
<td style="width: 74.0687px;">
125/1
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
While Holmgren's injury is obviously unfortunate, he isn't the first high-profile prospect to miss his entire rookie season with an injury. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/holmgren-isnt-the-first-lottery-pick-to-suffer-a-seasonending-injury" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Here's a look at six other lottery picks who went through the same thing.</a>

Following Chet Holmgren's injury, who are the favorites to win the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year award? How did the odds change?

How did Chet Holmgren's injury affect NBA Rookie of the Year odds?

Is the NBA ready to add an expansion team? Evan Sidery explores what kind of team you could build in a present-day expansion draft.

NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

RJ Nembhard Jr. had 16 points and six assists, Isaiah Mobley added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Atlanta Hawks 94-90 on Saturday in the NBA Summer League.
Mobley, a second-round pick in this year's draft, grabbed six rebounds on the offensive end and added four assists for the Cavaliers (3-2). Fellow second-rounder Luke Travers pitched in with 14 points and five boards. Cam Young scored 15 points. First-round pick Ochai Agbaji did not play.
Tyrese Martin scored 21 to top the Hawks (2-3). Chaundee Brown Jr. added 17 points. Chris Clemons finished with 16 points, while Tyson Etienne scored 13.
Atlanta's top pick A.J. Griffin &mdash; 17th overall &mdash; did not play.
PISTONS 102, MAGIC 86
Jules Bernard had 22 points and nine rebounds, Charlie Moore had 21 points and eight assists, and Detroit cruised past Orlando.
Bernard sank all three of his 3-point attempts for the Pistons (3-2). Braxton Key added 15 points, while Stanley Umude scored 13. Detroit sat first-rounders Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren for the finale.
Justin James had 18 points to lead the Magic (2-3). Tommy Kuhse added 13 points, while Zavier Simpson and Daniel Oturu scored 10 apiece.
Orlando dropped its final three games without top pick Paolo Banchero. The Magic decided to pull Banchero from the event just hours before a showdown with No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City.
TIMBERWOLVES 89, HORNETS 86
Kevon Harris scored 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting to help Minnesota fend off Charlotte.
Harris hit all four of his 3-pointers for the Timberwolves (2-3). Wendell Moore Jr. had 15 points, while second-round pick Josh Minott scored 12. Marial Shayok had seven points, 10 rebounds and four steals.
JT Thor finished with 28 points and five steals for the Hornets (2-3). Justin Minaya scored 10 points and Mark Williams, the 15th overall pick, had eight points and seven rebounds.
Thor completed a three-point play, then buried a 3-pointer to get the Hornets within 88-86. Jacob Gilyard sank 1 of 2 free throws with 4.9 seconds left and Minott blocked Bryce McGowens' 3-pointer to end the game.
SPURS 90, GRIZZLIES 87
Malaki Branham made five 3-pointers and scored 23 points to help San Antonio turn back Memphis.
Branham, the 20th overall pick, was 5 of 8 from distance to help the Spurs (1-4) notch their first win in their final try. DJ Stewart added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Robert Woodard II had six points to go with 10 rebounds.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. paced the Grizzlies (2-3) with 27 points and 12 rebounds. First-rounder David Roddy added 19 points. Ronaldo Segu and Kennedy Chandler scored 13 and 10, respectively.
Lofton sank a 3-pointer with 2:07 remaining to give Memphis an 87-86 lead. Branham answered with a 3 and Blake Wesley &mdash; the No. 25 pick &mdash; hit 1 of 2 free throws with 4.1 seconds left to cap the scoring. Dakota Mathias missed a 3-pointer on the game's final shot.
BULLS 119, 76ERS 104
Marko Simonovic scored 26 points, Malcolm Hill added 23 and Chicago breezed past Philadelphia.
Simonovic made 11 of 15 shots and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Bulls (4-1) close out with three straight wins. Carlik Jones scored 15 points but had seven of Chicago's 15 turnovers. Dalen Terry, the 18th overall pick, had three points, two assists and two rebounds in nine-plus minutes.
Charlie Brown Jr. led the 76ers (2-3) with 21 points. Grant Riller scored 19. Trevelin Queen had 16 points and seven of Philadelphia's 21 turnovers. Filip Petrusev scored 14.
NETS 102, CELTICS 95
Cam Thomas scored 25 points, David Duke Jr. added 24 and Brooklyn knocked off Boston.
Thomas added six assists for the Nets (3-2), while Duke handed out five. Kessler Edwards scored 15 points and Day'Ron Sharpe had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Juhann Begarin topped the Celtics (3-2) with 25 points. Mfiondu Kabengele scored 18. Second-rounder JD Davison &mdash; Boston's only pick in the draft &mdash; totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds.
KINGS 92, ROCKETS 81
Jeriah Horne scored 20 points to lead Sacramento over Houston
Jared Rhoden pitched in with 15 points and seven rebounds for the Kings (3-2). Sacramento chose to sit No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray for the finale.
Tari Eason, the No. 17 pick in the draft, had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets (2-3). TyTy Washington Jr. scored 15 points, while Daishen Nix had 14 points and seven boards. No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
LAKERS 95, MAVERICKS 84
Cole Swider scored 16 points to spark Los Angeles past Dallas.
Swider sank 4 of 6 from 3-point range for the Lakers (3-2). Jay Huff had 13 points, Javante McCoy scored 12 and Scotty Pippen Jr. 11.
A.J. Lawson had 19 points to lead the Mavericks (0-5) &mdash; the only team without victory in the event. Moses Wright scored 17 with six boards. Jaden Hardy scored 15 but had seven of Dallas' 19 turnovers. Lawson turned it over six times. Jerrick Harding had 11 points and five assists.
HEAT 86, CLIPPERS 83
Kyle Allman Jr. scored 26 points, sinking a go-ahead 3-pointer with 31 seconds left, and Miami rallied past Los Angeles.
Allman added seven rebounds and six assists for the Heat (2-3). Dru Smith had 22 points and Jamal Cain pitched in with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Miami outscored Los Angeles 31-20 in the final quarter
Reggie Perry, Jay Scrubb and Xavier Moon all scored 16 for the Clippers (2-3).

Check out this recap of Saturday's NBA Summer League action.

Nembhard, Mobley lead Cavs past Hawks 94-90 in Summer League

Who is poised to become a free agent next offseason? Here’s a look at the top 40 NBA players who could be available next summer.

2023 NBA Free Agency: Looking ahead to next summer's free-agent class

Another NBA Draft has come and gone, and the 2022 version once again lived up to the spectacle.
Fans' heads were spinning throughout the day, as news outlets and sportsbooks took opposite stances on who would be the No. 1 pick. In the end, the Orlando Magic pulled off a stunner by choosing Paolo Banchero.
The surprises didn't end there, as the Detroit Pistons used a three-team trade to snag Jalen Duren at No. 13, and the Oklahoma City Thunder added a second lottery pick to add Ousmane Dieng and Jalen Williams with back-to-back selections.
Matt Babcock is here for one last Q&amp;A to finish off the draft cycle. Here were his thoughts on the night:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-j122Izudtk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Orlando Magic seemed to shock everyone by taking Paolo Banchero No. 1. How did they pull off such an elaborate smokescreen?
Right after the lottery, while I was at the NBA Draft Combine, I was told that the Orlando Magic felt Paolo Banchero was the safe pick for them. However, I didn't take it too seriously and didn't read into it much. Well, in hindsight, that was a mistake. I would've taken Jabari Smith, but I can't argue with the Magic selecting Banchero. The fact is that the Magic had multiple good options with the No. 1 pick. They chose to go with Paolo, and I respect it. He's a big-time prospect, and he will likely be a primary scorer for them. Hats off to Jeff Weltman and John Hammond. They didn't show their cards and didn't care what everyone else thought they should do. Well done.
Now that Orlando made the pick, how do you like Banchero's fit with the Magic?
Paolo Banchero is big, strong, explosive and skilled. There's a lot to like about him. I think he's a good fit with the Magic. I also believe he will be an outstanding and perhaps an All-Star-level player. I'm happy for the Magic and Paolo. I don't know Paolo personally, but I've watched him play many times over the last several years, making me feel like I do know him. So I'm certainly rooting for him.
What do you think of Jabari Smith's fit in Houston after he ended up No. 3?
I had Jabari Smith as the No. 1 rated prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft since November. Houston getting him at No. 3 is such a great pick, in my opinion. I do not know Rafael Stone personally, but I'm impressed &mdash; he killed it on draft night. Jabari at No. 3, Tari Eason at No. 17 and TyTy Washington at No. 29. Honestly, I don't know if the Rockets could've done any better.
The public applauded Detroit for its draft, specifically in the lottery. How impressed were you with the Pistons' selections?
I've had Jabari Smith No. 1 since November, but my favorite prospect this past season might have been Purdue's Jaden Ivey. He's athletic and dynamic, and might have more upside than anyone else in the 2022 NBA Draft. So the fact that the Pistons were able to get him at No. 5 feels like a crime. And then for them also being able to add Jalen Duren at No. 13, who's a young big with a boatload of talent and upside, too &mdash; it was just an excellent draft for them. The Pistons' fan base should be very excited!
Which teams surprised you most with the trades they made (or did not make)?
I was surprised that Memphis gave up so much to move up to No. 19 to select Jake LaRavia. I'm certainly a fan of Jake's, and his agent for that matter, Aaron Reilly &mdash; a really good guy. However, giving up multiple draft picks did feel like a lot to me.
I was also surprised by the Knicks' draft. I understand and appreciate the value of financial flexibility and draft assets. However, I expected them to add a player through the draft, whether using their pick or moving up in the draft via trade. Time will tell if Leon Rose's move was a smart one or not. Regardless, the pressure is on regarding these future draft picks.
Jaden Hardy was the last green room invitee to be selected. Did that surprise you, and do you like Dallas trading to acquire him?
This past year didn't unfold like I'm sure Jaden Hardy had hoped it would, but I think going to Dallas is an excellent opportunity for him.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Mavericks rookie guard Jaden Hardy spoke with the media today and I asked him how to describe himself as a player and the thing he wants to improve on most; really good answers here <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MFFL</a> <a href="https://t.co/7nhW9NfffT">pic.twitter.com/7nhW9NfffT</a>
&mdash; Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinGraySports/status/1541870433393430529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

I think he has a chance to become an outstanding player in the NBA if he continues to develop. He is a natural scorer with great range and explosiveness. So let's give him some time.
Which other players surprised you with how far they fell in the draft order?
I was surprised TyTy Washington fell to No. 29. I understand the league is going towards a more positionless game; however, I believe TyTy is the real deal. I wouldn't be surprised if he made many teams regret not selecting him. I'm also surprised Kendall Brown fell so far. There are some legitimate concerns with his lack of offensive creation abilities, but his motor and athleticism are legit.
Which players drafted in the second round do you think could earn a rotation spot in their rookie season?
I think Kennedy Chandler will carve out a role with the Memphis Grizzlies as Ja Morant's backup point guard. Also, I'm interested to see if they try to play Kennedy and Ja together. If so, that will be quite the speedy duo and potentially a nightmare to contain.
Who are you viewing as "steals of the draft" from Thursday?
I'm going to pick two: TyTy Washington and Max Christie. I think TyTy has a better opportunity of making an impact right away and proving me right quicker. However, I believe that Max Christie can become a good NBA player within a couple of years.
Is there any report or move you expected to happen during the draft that never transpired?
I was hoping the Knicks moved up to get Jaden Ivey, as rumored. That kid seems to be built for the bright lights. But luckily for the Pistons, they got him at No. 5.&nbsp;I'm looking forward to watching how he develops there. I think he's going to become an exciting player to watch!
Who do you see as the top undrafted free agents to monitor?
Jean Montero. He surprisingly went undrafted and then signed an Exhibit 10 with the Knicks. He's a talented player and was once a highly-touted prospect. I still think he has a shot.
Now that the NBA Draft is over, what's next in the process for scouts like yourself?
There's the saying, "Gone Fishing." Well, I'm going on vacation with my family and doing some fly fishing. But, not only do I have a head start on the 2023 NBA Draft, but also the 2024 and 2025 drafts. So, don't you worry, I'm on it. See you soon.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Matt Babcock recaps the biggest surprise moves of the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Q&A with Matt Babcock on biggest draft night surprises

After falling to the third overall pick by the Houston Rockets after most projected him to go No. 1 in the NBA draft, Jabari Smith Jr. wasn't worried about the two teams that didn't pick him. He was looking ahead to how he'll help the one that did.
&ldquo;Ultimately I just want to win championships and be labeled as a winner, always deep in the playoffs, somebody always competing for championships," Smith said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I want to be."
Rockets general manager Rafael Stone was thrilled that Smith was still available when their slot came up.
&ldquo;It was huge," he said. &ldquo;It made my night. We think he&rsquo;s a super important piece of the puzzle."
Orlando took Paolo Banchero first and Oklahoma City chose Chet Holmgren at No. 2 on Thursday night before Houston selected the Auburn freshman, adding a skilled player to join last year&rsquo;s second pick Jalen Green as the team continues its rebuild.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just going to bring competitive edge," Smith said. &ldquo;My shooting ability, my ability to score, ability to guard multiple positions, and just my will to win... I&rsquo;m a team player, so that&rsquo;s what they&rsquo;re getting."
Stone raved about the shooting skills of the 6-foot-10 Smith.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s probably the best shooter in the draft," he said. &ldquo;At his height that&rsquo;s extraordinarily unusual. So we&rsquo;re beyond excited to have Jabari."
Smith was one of three first-round picks the Rockets had in this year&rsquo;s draft. Houston added LSU forward Tari Eason with the 17th pick, which the team received as part of the trade for James Harden, and the 26th pick of the Dallas Mavericks once the trade for center Christian Wood is official.
Duke's Wendell Moore Jr. was taken with the 26th pick and ESPN reported that he was traded to Minnesota for the 29th pick in this year's draft and two future second-round picks. Kentucky's TyTy Washington Jr. was selected 29th &mdash; the player who will reportedly go to Houston.
Eason spent his freshman year at Cincinnati before transferring to LSU last season. He averaged 16.9 points and 6.6 rebounds last season for the Tigers.
&ldquo;He plays really hard and he&rsquo;s a great athlete," Stone said. &ldquo;I would definitely consider him a playmaker on defense."
The Rockets have finished with the NBA&rsquo;s worst record the last two seasons after reaching the playoffs in each of the previous eight seasons. After trading Harden and the rest of their established stars, Houston went all in on the rebuild, looking to develop young draft picks to bring the team back into contention.
Smith comes to Houston after the power forward averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and two assists per game to win SEC freshman of the year, All-SEC first-team and second-team All-America honors.
Green had a solid rookie year, starting 67 games and averaging 17.3 points, 2.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds last season. Green was one of four first-round picks the Rockets had last season, as they also added Alperen Sengun at 16, Usman Garuba with the 23rd pick and Josh Christopher at 24.
Houston is counting on Sengun to be its long-term solution at center after dealing Wood. He played mostly a reserve role last season, appearing in 72 games with 13 starts. The Turkish player averaged 9.6 points and 5.5 rebounds as a rookie.
Christopher also contributed off the bench last season, averaging 7.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and two assists. Garuba played in just 24 games as a rookie after missing significant time with a broken wrist.
The Rockets will expect Smith to play immediately as they move on from Wood, who led the team in scoring in each of the last two seasons. If the 19-year-old starts as expected, the team will field an extraordinarily young starting lineup with four players under 22.
&ldquo;Thing I&rsquo;m looking forward to is just growing with them over these next few years... we&rsquo;re all young, all new to the NBA lifestyle, so just learning from them," Smith said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re older than me, so just getting in there and ultimately building that relationship with them so it can transfer to the court."

“It was huge," Rafael Stone said. “It made my night. We think he’s a super important piece of the puzzle."

Houston takes Auburn's Jabari Smith with third overall pick

Here is a team-by-team breakdown of the players each team ended up with in the 2022 NBA Draft (includes proposed trades):
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Atlanta Hawks</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (16) AJ Griffin, f, Duke.
2 (44) Ryan Rollins, g, Toledo.
2 (51) Tyrese Martin, f, UConn. (from Golden State)
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Boston Celtics</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
2 (53) JD Davison, g, Alabama.
<table style="height: 23px; width: 18.1462%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<th style="height: 23px; width: 89.2446%;">Brooklyn Nets</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
No Picks.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Charlotte Hornets</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (15) Mark Williams, C, Duke.
2 (40) Bryce McGowens, g, Nebraska. (from Minnesota)
2 (45) Josh Minott, f, Memphis.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Chicago Bulls</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (18) Dalen Terry, g, Arizona.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Cleveland Cavaliers</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (14) Ochai Agbaji, g, Kansas.
2 (39) Khalifa Diop, c, Gran Canaria (Spain).
2 (49) Isaiah Mobley, f, USC. (from Chicago via Memphis, Detroit and Sacramento)
2 (56) Luke Travers, g, Perth (Australia).
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Dallas Mavericks</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (26) Wendell Moore Jr., f, Duke. (from Houston)
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Denver Nuggets</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (21) Christian Braun, g, Kansas.
2 (46) Ismael Kamagate, Paris (France). (from Detroit)
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Detroit Pistons</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (5) Jaden Ivey, g, Purdue.
1 (13) Jalen Duren, C, Memphis. (from Charlotte)
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Golden State Warriors</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (28) Patrick Baldwin Jr., f, Milwaukee.
2 (55) Gui Santos, f, Minas (Brazil).
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Houston Rockets</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (3) Jabari Smith Jr., f, Auburn.
1 (17) Tari Eason, f, LSU.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Indiana Pacers</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (6) Bennedict Mathurin, f, Arizona.
2 (31) Andrew Nembhard, g, Gonzaga.
2 (58) Hugo Besson, g, New Zealand (Australia).
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>L.A. Clippers</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
2 (43) Moussa Diabate, f, Michigan.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>L.A. Lakers</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
2 (35) Max Christie, g, Michigan State. (from Orlando via Indiana and Milwaukee)
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Memphis Grizzlies</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (19) Jake LaRavia, f, Wake Forest. (from Minnesota)
1 (23) David Roddy, f, Colorado State. (from Philadelphia)
1 (29) TyTy Washington Jr., g, Kentucky.
2 (47) Vince Williams Jr., VCU.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Miami Heat</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (27) Nikola Jovic, f, Mega (Serbia)
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Milwaukee Bucks</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (24) MarJon Beauchamp, g, G-League Ignite.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Minnesota Timberwolves</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (22) Walker Kessler, c, Auburn. (from Memphis)
2 (48) Kendall Brown, f, Baylor.
2 (50) Matteo Spagnolo, g, Cremona (Italy).
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>New Orleans Pelicans</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (8) Dyson Daniels, g-league Ignite.
2 (41) E.J. Liddell, f, Ohio State.
2 (52) Karlo Matkovic, Mega
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>New York Knicks</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
2 (42) Trevor Keels, f, Duke.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Oklahoma City Thunder</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (2) Chet Holmgren, c, Gonzaga.
1 (11) Ousemane Dieng, f, New Zealand (Australia). (from New York)
1 (12) Jalen Williams, g, Santa Clara.
1 (30) Peyton Watson, f, UCLA.
2 (34) Jaylin Williams, f, Arkansas.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Orlando Magic</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (1) Paolo Banchero, f, Duke.
2 (32) Caleb Houstan, f, Michigan.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Philadelphia 76ers</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
No Picks.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Phoenix Suns</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
No Picks.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Portland Trail Blazers</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (7) Shaedon Sharpe, g, Kentucky.
2 (36) Gabriele Procida, g, Fortitudo Bologna (Italy).
2 (57) Jabari Walker, f, Colorado.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Sacramento Kings</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (4) Keegan Murray, f, Iowa.
2 (37) Jaden Hardy, g, G-League Ignite.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>San Antonio Spurs</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (9) Jeremy Sochan, f, Baylor.
1 (20) Malaki Branham, g, Ohio State.
1 (25) Blake Wesley, g, Notre Dame.
2 (38) Kennedy Chandler, g, Tennessee.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Toronto Raptors</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
2 (33) Christian Koloko, f, Arizona.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Utah Jazz</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
No Picks.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Washington Wizards</th>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
1 (10) Johnny Davis, g, Wisconsin.
2 (54) Yannick Nzosa, c, Unicaja (Spain). &lt;

A team-by-team breakdown of the players each team ended up with in the 2022 NBA Draft (includes proposed trades).

2022 NBA Draft: Team-by-team selections for all 60 picks

The Houston Rockets have selected TyTy Washington with the No. 29 overall pick via a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2022 NBA Draft, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
With the No. 29 pick in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBADraft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBADraft</a> , the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rockets</a> select TyTy Washington 🏀<a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattBabcock11</a> broke down his game: <a href="https://t.co/IRuTZkib4O">pic.twitter.com/IRuTZkib4O</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1540166562174435330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

ANALYSIS: Although he played primarily off the ball this past season at Kentucky, TyTy Washington still set the tone for his team and provided value as both a facilitator and scorer. Even when pushing the pace, Washington plays under control and seldom makes poor decisions leading to turnovers. He is only 6-foot-3 and lacks elite athleticism, but he routinely gets his shot off from deep with smooth mechanics and a quick release. Washington has the potential to become the best floor general to be selected in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The Rockets have selected TyTy Washington with the No. 29 overall pick via a trade with the Grizzlies in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Rockets pick TyTy Washington No. 29 (via Grizzlies)

With the 2022 NBA Draft less than a week away, our Senior NBA Draft Analyst shares his updated his 2022 NBA Mock Draft.

2022 NBA Mock Draft: 6/17/22

TyTy Washington Jr. remembers being in awe gazing at the banners in Madison Square Garden as he watched the New York Knicks meet the Cleveland Cavaliers and the feeling he had two days later when Kentucky faced Duke at the famed arena.
Something else he won&rsquo;t forget? The reaming he got from coach John Calipari when the team watched video in the Hall of Famer&rsquo;s basement the next day.
&ldquo;He came up to me, he was like, &lsquo;Kid, you don&rsquo;t play hard enough&rsquo; and just started going in on me,&rdquo; Washington said Thursday at the NBA draft combine. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had coaches go in on me, but I&rsquo;ve never had a coach tell me I don&rsquo;t play hard.&rdquo;
Those experiences were invaluable to Washington, whether it was the feeling he had just being at The Garden or the feedback he got from Calipari after playing poorly in Kentucky&rsquo;s season-opening loss. And he&rsquo;s banking on them to help him make the jump to the NBA.
The college game can offer opportunities that aren&rsquo;t available through other avenues, with the exposure through TV deals and the NCAA Tournament and all that comes with it. The burgeoning name, image and likeness chances that were created last year when the NCAA&rsquo;s Board of Directors cleared the way for college athletes to start earning money without endangering their eligibility or putting their schools in jeopardy of rules of violations are another incentive for top prospects.
Options remain overseas and in the G League Ignite. A new basketball league called Overtime Elite offers top high school players a path to the pros along with six-figure salaries. Two from there &mdash; Dominick Barlow and Jean Montero &mdash; got invitations to the combine compared to three from NCAA champion Kansas.
Though the winners of the NBA&rsquo;s Most Valuable Player Award the past four years did not play college ball, with Denver&rsquo;s Nikola Jokic repeating after Milwaukee&rsquo;s Giannis Antetokounmpo won it two years in a row, the top prospects in the draft next month went the NCAA route. Gonzaga&rsquo;s Chet Holmgren, Duke&rsquo;s Paolo Banchero, Auburn&rsquo;s Jabari Smith and Purdue&rsquo;s Jaden Ivey are likely to go in the top four.
&ldquo;The NCAA is changing a lot,&rdquo; Wisconsin All-America guard Johnny Davis said.
The NIL is a major game-changer.
Banchero worked with Creative Artists Agency and got deals that included becoming the first player featured in the latest NBA 2K video game as well as a basketball trading card from Panini as part of a multi-year agreement. He&rsquo;s about to make more money in the NBA, and he&rsquo;s hardly the only one.
&ldquo;I think college basketball is in a good state right now,&rdquo; said Michigan State guard Max Christie, a Chicago-area product.
He mentioned the quality of the players as well as the impact the NIL is having, even if it wasn&rsquo;t a big factor for him.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to turn down money at some point,&rdquo; he said.
Washington said this year&rsquo;s draft shows, &ldquo;You can still go to college, still do your academic stuff and still be in the same position as everybody else who didn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
The NIL, he said, helps &ldquo;a lot.&rdquo;
&ldquo;With us being able to make money off our names now, it should encourage more people to go to college,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;If you are an outgoing person, you can also succeed in (NIL), in school and in basketball. I feel like that&rsquo;s three huge wins in life.&rdquo;
Washington had opportunities to play in Australia and the G League. But once Calipari and Kentucky entered the picture, he couldn&rsquo;t see himself going anywhere else.
Washington averaged 12.5 points, 3.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds while starting 29 of 31 contests in his lone college season. The play-making guard also broke John Wall&rsquo;s single-game school record for assists with 17 against Georgia.
Washington missed three Southeastern Conference games because of injuries and scored just five points in Kentucky&rsquo;s loss to Saint Peter&rsquo;s in the NCAA Tournament East Region first round. But he also smoothed things out after a bumpy beginning.
Washington flashed back to that video session following the Duke game and how the energy changed once Calipari entered the basement. He said he never had a coach tell him he wasn&rsquo;t playing hard. But Calipari backed it up by showing clips of him walking up the court.
The next practice wasn&rsquo;t much fun, either.
Calipari pushed the team hard and made sure everyone knew exactly who was responsible.
&ldquo;He was like, &lsquo;Y&rsquo;all know why I&rsquo;m doing this, y&rsquo;all know who I&rsquo;m doing this for.&rsquo; Everybody&rsquo;s just looking at me,&rdquo; Washington said. &ldquo;From that day on, I felt that definitely helped me because that just opened up my eyes.&rdquo;

College can offer opportunities unavailable through other avenues, with the exposure through TV and the NCAA Tourney and more.

NBA prospects see value of college despite other options

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled for May 18-20 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
The 2022 NBA Draft Combine is an important step in the draft process for NBA prospects, leading up to 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.&nbsp;
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games, shooting drills and strength-and-agility drills from May 18-20. Coverage of the 2022 NBA Draft Combine begins Thursday, May 19 on ESPNews from 3-5 p.m. ET and transitions to ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. ET. The coverage continues on Friday, May 20 from 1-2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and 2-5 p.m. ET on ESPNews.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-announces-field-of-44-draft-prospects-for-g-league-elite-camp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA G League Elite Camp</a>, which takes place May 16-17 at Wintrust Arena, will be invited to participate in the 2022 NBA Draft Combine.
Here is the complete list of expected attendees for this year's NBA Draft Combine (and check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a> to see where each player is projected to go):&nbsp;
<table style="font-weight: 400;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="832">
Player (College/Club)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Justin Lewis (Marquette)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Paolo Banchero (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
E.J. Liddell (Ohio State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Marjon Beauchamp (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matthew Mayer (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Bryce McGowens (Nebraska)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Malaki Branham (Ohio State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Leonard Miller (Fort Erie Intl. Academy [Canada] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Braun (Kansas)
</td>
<td width="442">
Josh Minott (Memphis)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kendall Brown (Baylor)
</td>
<td width="442">
Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
John Butler Jr. (Florida State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jean Montero (Overtime Elite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)
</td>
<td width="442">
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Max Christie (Michigan State)
</td>
<td width="442">
Keegan Murray (Iowa)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)
</td>
<td width="442">
Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)
</td>
<td width="442">
Gabriele Procida (Fortitudo Bologna [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
JD Davison (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Moussa Diabate (Michigan)
</td>
<td width="442">
David Roddy (Colorado State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ousmane Dieng (New Zealand Breakers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Ryan Rollins (Toledo)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria [Spain] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Dereon Seabron (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jalen Duren (Memphis)
</td>
<td width="442">
Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Tari Eason (LSU)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Smith (Auburn)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Keon Ellis (Alabama)
</td>
<td width="442">
Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Michael Foster Jr. (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Collin Gillespie (Villanova)
</td>
<td width="442">
Matteo Spagnolo (Cremona [Italy] )
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
AJ Griffin (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Hardy (G League Ignite)
</td>
<td width="442">
Dalen Terry (Arizona)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ron Harper Jr. (Rutgers)
</td>
<td width="442">
Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jabari Walker (Colorado)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Harrison Ingram (Stanford)
</td>
<td width="442">
TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
</td>
<td width="442">
Peyton Watson (UCLA)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
</td>
<td width="442">
Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Nikola Jovic (Mega [Serbia] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Johnny Juzang (UCLA)
</td>
<td width="442">
Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Ismael Kamagate (Paris [France] )
</td>
<td width="442">
Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Trevor Keels (Duke)
</td>
<td width="442">
Mark Williams (Duke)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Walker Kessler (Auburn)
</td>
<td width="442">
Trevion Williams (Purdue)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="390">
Christian Koloko (Arizona)
</td>
<td width="442">
Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The NBA announced the 76 players who are expected to attend the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which takes place May 18-20 in Chicago.

NBA announces 76 prospects who will attend 2022 NBA Draft Combine

We made it through the first day of March Madness! Sixteen teams saw their dreams shatter while the other 16 teams advanced to the Round of 32. Let&rsquo;s see who remains&hellip;
UPSET ALERT&nbsp;
East Region: 15-seed Saint Peter&rsquo;s defeats 2-seed Kentucky 85-79 in overtime
Starting with the true bracket buster of day 1, the Saint Peter&rsquo;s Peacocks upset the Kentucky Wildcats. Oscar Tshiebwe gave everything he had (as expected) with a 30-point, 16-rebound performance, but Kentucky&rsquo;s perimeter players (TyTy Washington, Kellen Grady and Sahvir Wheeler) had trouble generating offense. The Peacocks shined behind Daryl Banks III&rsquo;s 27 points and Doug Edert&rsquo;s 20 points off the bench. The game remained tight the whole way through, staying within six points, and the game was tied at the end of regulation. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion pulled away with clutch plays and defensive stops that showed they weren&rsquo;t afraid of the highly decorated program. Saint Peter&rsquo;s will be taking on the 7-seed Murray State on Saturday. (For more on this upset, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/putting-saint-peters-shocker-over-kentucky-in-historical-context" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out Bryan Fonseca's article</a>).
Midwest Region: 12-seed Richmond defeats 5-seed Iowa 67-63
The annual bracket experts are well aware that the 12-5 matchup is always on upset watch, but since Iowa had a strong run for a Big Ten Tournament championship and one of the top NBA Draft prospects in the tournament in Keegan Murray, they felt like the pick here. But Richmond reminded the country that they too won a conference tournament championship last week and the Atlantic 10 knows them very well. Senior guard Jacob Gilyard played all 40 minutes and gave the Spiders 24 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Junior forward Tyler Burton and senior forward Nathan Cayo added 18 points and 15 points, respectively. Iowa&rsquo;s projected lottery pick Murray finished the game with 21 points and 9 rebounds, but there was a lull in his offense in the second half that could&rsquo;ve been the difference-maker. Richmond will face 4-seed Providence in the second round.
South Region: 11-seed Michigan defeats 6-seed Colorado State 75-63
In a matchup that many thought had upset potential, the Wolverines came away as victors over the Rams after a slow start. Colorado State jumped on Michigan in the first half and led by as many as 15 points, but Michigan proved their Power 5 experience had tested them enough to overcome the deficit. Hunter Dickinson ended as the game&rsquo;s leading scorer with 21 points and added 5 rebounds and 4 blocks. Frankie Collins filled in at point guard for the injured Devante&rsquo; Jones and finished with a respectable 14 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Michigan finds 3-seed Tennessee waiting for them in the next round.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
West Region: 12-seed New Mexico State defeats 5-seed UConn 70-63
New Mexico State grabbed another win for the 12 seeds today as they knocked out UConn in the first round. This game was owned by Aggie guard Teddy Allen, who was locked in after starting the game 0-for-6 and finished with 37 points. New Mexico State as a team shot nearly 65% from three, which proved to be the difference-maker, with the Huskies only hitting 30% from deep. Allen looks to add another hot performance to his March Madness resum&eacute; on Saturday against Arkansas.
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GAMES OF THE DAY
West Region: 9-seed Memphis defeats 8-seed Boise State 64-53
The Memphis Tigers continued their strong play in the latter portion of the season and finished with a big win against Boise State. Memphis went into halftime with a 19-point lead, but a slow start by the Tigers led to the Broncos clawing themselves back into the game. DeAndre Williams ended the game with 14 points while projected NBA Draft lottery pick Jalen Duren had a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double. NBA executives and March Madness fans are getting the Duren-Chet Holmgren matchup they&rsquo;ve been clamoring for since Sunday night, as Memphis takes on Gonzaga this weekend. (This game also featured a surprise cameo from Emoni Bates, who finished with just 3 points in three minutes).
East Region: 7-seed Murray State defeats 10-seed San Francisco 92-87 in overtime
If you stayed up to watch one of the nightcap games of day 1, you probably watched Murray State and San Francisco battle it out. This game saw San Francisco guard Jamaree Bouyea score a career-high 36 points including some big shots to extend the game. However, it wasn&rsquo;t enough for the balanced attack of&nbsp; Murray State&rsquo;s KJ Williams, Trae Hannibal, Tevin Brown and Justice Hill with scoring totals of 18, 18, 17, and 15 (with Hannibal&rsquo;s 18 coming from the bench). The Racers' next test comes from the &ldquo;bracket busters&rdquo; themselves, the Saint Peter&rsquo;s Peacocks this weekend.
OTHER FIRST-ROUND RESULTS
Midwest Region
1-seed Kansas defeats 16-seed Texas Southern
4-seed Providence defeats 13-seed South Dakota State 66-57
9-seed Creighton defeats 8-seed San Diego State 72-69
East Region
1-seed Baylor defeats 16-seed Norfolk State 85-49
4-seed UCLA defeats 13-seed Akron 57- 53
South Region
3-seed Tennessee defeats 14-seed Longwood 88-56
West Region
1-seed Gonzaga defeats 16-seed Georgia State 93-72
4-seed Arkansas defeats 13-seed Vermont 75-71
East Region
8-seed North Carolina defeats 9-seed Marquette 95-63
5-seed Saint Mary&rsquo;s defeats 12-seed Indiana 82-53
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Sixteen teams saw their dreams shatter while 16 teams advanced to the Round of 32. Blake Hairston recaps day one of March Madness.

March Madness: Recapping Day 1 of the 2022 NCAA Tournament

Deep down, everyone knew.
All of you knew once you finalized your picks: The half-ass research, the questions to your even less knowledgeable friends, the &ldquo;expert&rdquo; analysis &ndash; none of it was going to matter. Your bracket was going to be busted by the end of the night. You didn&rsquo;t know how, you didn&rsquo;t know by whom, but you had an idea that even on day one of the men&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament, your bracket would get cooked.
You probably just didn&rsquo;t know it would be by Saint ******* Peter&rsquo;s University &ndash; against Kentucky, at that &ndash; who won 85-79 in overtime, destroying the evening of bracket-builders, parlay-players and spread-bettors alike.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
PEACOCKS. WIN. <a href="https://t.co/Jf10r5zyb4">pic.twitter.com/Jf10r5zyb4</a>
&mdash; Saint Peter&rsquo;s Athletics (@SPUAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/SPUAthletics/status/1504634900875550723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
If you don&rsquo;t know, Saint Peter&rsquo;s is a private Jesuit school in the middle of Jersey City, New Jersey. And if you&rsquo;ve ever been to the campus, you'd be even more surprised by this upset. Depending on who you ask, Saint Peter&rsquo;s could have either <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanFieldABC/status/1504645256586973185" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2,300</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/GaryGrumbach/status/1504634530338160642" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2,600</a>, or <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanAGraham/status/1504634903484375043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3,500</a> students; either way, we know the University of Kentucky likely has 10x that, if not more.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
How's that bracket looking??<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StrutUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StrutUp</a>🦚 <a href="https://t.co/c5JXAN2kzb">pic.twitter.com/c5JXAN2kzb</a>
&mdash; Saint Peter's Men's Basketball (@PeacocksMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeacocksMBB/status/1504664039338782721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
The gap actually has nothing on the wage disparity between each team&rsquo;s head coaches. John Calipari reportedly banks in $8.5 million annually from Kentucky, which doesn&rsquo;t included bonuses of any kind. Shaheen Holloway was hired as Saint Peter's head coach in 2018, and he reportedly made less than $270,000 (including bonuses) in 2019. That means Coach Cal is paid 30x more than Coach Holloway before his first bonus check.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
St. Peter's men's basketball coach Shaheen Holloway made $266,344 in 2019, including bonuses paid and value of benefits, per school's most recent federal tax dox. John Calipari's basic pay from UK for this season -- not including bonuses, benefits and perks -- is $8.5 million.
&mdash; Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByBerkowitz/status/1504647038163726362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
More on the financial side, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/saint-peter-kentucky-win-marks-111130742.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Yahoo Sports report says</a>, &ldquo;In the 2019-20 school year, the most recent season unaffected by COVID-19, Kentucky outspent Saint Peter&rsquo;s $18.3 million to $1.6 million in men&rsquo;s basketball, per the U.S Department of Education. In terms of both expenditures ratio and raw difference between budgets, that is the biggest disparity since 2007, as far back as data is publicly available... Kentucky outspends Saint Peter&rsquo;s in basketball by a multiple of 11.7, just edging out the 11.5 ratio from CJ McCollum and Lehigh&rsquo;s win over Duke exactly 10 years ago.&rdquo;
Furthermore, Kentucky reportedly spent over $138 million for its sports teams in 2020. Saint Peter&rsquo;s? Only $7.2 million.
We&rsquo;ve watched the University of Kentucky become a factory for producing countless pros. And it's not just the high-level NBA stars we see thriving in the league today like Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo and Karl-Anthony Towns. On opening night of the 2021-22 NBA season, <a href="https://ukathletics.com/news/2021/10/19/mens-basketball-uk-mbb-leads-nation-with-27-players-on-nba-opening-day-rosters.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky had 27 alums on rosters around the league</a>. In their history, they&rsquo;ve had <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/colleges.cgi?college=kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">125 players appear in the NBA</a> &ndash; a number that's sure to increase following the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a>. The Wildcats have potential 2022 lottery picks in TyTy Washington and Shaedon Sharpe, and a possible late-first-rounder in Oscar Tshiebwe, among other expected NBA prospects.
Kentucky has the most wins, highest winning percentage, second-most national titles, most national-title-game appearances (tied with UCLA), most NCAA Tournament appearances, most <a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2021-07-30/these-college-basketball-teams-and-conferences-have-most-nba-first-round-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first-round draft picks</a> and most NCAA tournament wins.&nbsp;
By the way, how many NBA players came from Saint Peter&rsquo;s program? <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/colleges.fcgi?college=stpeters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four. Just four</a>.
Bill Smith played nine NBA games in 1962. Harry Laurie played nine games in 1971. Elnardo Webster played 24 games in 1972. And Rich Rinaldi played 84 games between 1972 and 1974. That&rsquo;s it. Even Keydren Clark &ndash; who was the <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/keydren-clark-1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NCAA's scoring leader in 2004 and 2005</a> while at Saint Peter&rsquo;s &ndash; didn&rsquo;t sniff the league after graduating in 2006.
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Four is also the number of NCAA Tournaments that MAAC Champion Saint Peter&rsquo;s has made in their history, with zero victories until last night. Their 85-79 win over Kentucky nuked all your hopes of a perfect bracket, and simultaneously reminded us why March is one of the best sports months on the calendar.
This only marked the ninth time in tournament history that a No. 15 seed knocked off a No. 2, and all of them have happened since 1991, including Oral Roberts taking down Ohio State &ndash; also in overtime &ndash; just last year. This one, because of the distinctions between the two institutions both in size, recruiting advantages, budgets and basketball history, could be the biggest upset we&rsquo;ve ever seen.
People love blue-blood programs, and in the case of Kentucky, love to hate them. But this is why people gather around TV screens this time of year, to see improbable stories like these unfold.
Others say they want the best facing the best with no upsets, and that&rsquo;s cool, but where&rsquo;s the enjoyment in that? If you only watch basketball for &ldquo;starzzzzz&rdquo; and &ldquo;hooperzzzzz,&rdquo; this probably doesn&rsquo;t excite you, but if this level of improbability can&rsquo;t resonate with you, why? That&rsquo;s strange. The fact is, in life, more people can and should be able to identify with the Saint Peter&rsquo;s element of this. Chances are, if you&rsquo;re reading this, you&rsquo;re closer to them than Kentucky, and that&rsquo;s OK. So don&rsquo;t be disappointed that Kentucky blew it. Embrace the uncanny underdog Peacocks from Jersey City, led by their badass head coach from New York City, who reminded you after the game, that it&rsquo;s just ball after all.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Q: &ldquo;Did you ever get nervous.&rdquo; Shaheen Holloway after No. 15 Saint Peter&rsquo;s upset No. 2 Kentucky in OT &ldquo;For what? It&rsquo;s basketball.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/t0odjVyGWb">pic.twitter.com/t0odjVyGWb</a>
&mdash; George Balekji (@GeorgeBalekji) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeBalekji/status/1504637225685987342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

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No. 15 Saint Peter's managed to beat No. 2 Kentucky in overtime. Bryan Fonseca explains why it may be the biggest upset ever.

Putting Saint Peter’s shocker over Kentucky in historical context

On Thursday, No. 15 Saint Peter's pulled off a shocking upset over No. 2 Kentucky, winning 85-79 in overtime. The Wildcats were a popular pick to go deep in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, so this loss busted plenty of brackets across the nation.
Daryl Banks III led the way for Saint Peter's with 27 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists (while shooting 9-of-19 shooting from the field, 5-of-8 from three and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line). Doug Edert chipped in 20 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 25 minutes off the bench (shooting 5-of-7 from the field, 2-of-2 from three and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line).
Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe finished with 30 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks (on 11-16 shooting from the field) in the losing effort. 2022 NBA Draft prospect TyTy Washington struggled in the loss, contributing just 5 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist (while shooting 2-of-10 from the field).
Saint Peter's will face the winner of San Francisco vs. Murray State.
&nbsp;

On Thursday, No. 15 Saint Peter's pulled off a shocking upset over No. 2 Kentucky, winning 85-79 in overtime.

No. 15 Saint Peter's upsets No. 2 Kentucky 85-79 in overtime

Who are the notable prospects to keep an eye on during the 2022 NCAA Tournament? Here's a complete guide with scouting reports.

NBA Draft guide to March Madness: Notable prospects to watch

Across the country, teams are competing in conference tournaments and trying to punch their ticket for the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is tomorrow, and then the tourney starts next Tuesday. Here's a recap of Saturday's action.
The Upsets, the Madness
Virginia Tech def. Duke 82-67, ACC Final Hunter Cattoor put on a clinic, hitting 11 of 16 from the field for 31 points. The teams were neck and neck in the first half, as the Hokies took a three point lead into the break. They would slowly extend that lead during the remainder of the contest, when a Justyn Mutts dunk gave them an advantage of 12 points with 2:28 left, all but sealing the deal. Virginia Tech enters the NCAA Tournament red hot. Tough night for Duke.&nbsp;
Memphis def. SMU 70-63 - AAC Semifinal You do not want to play the Tigers right now. They have been red hot over the last few weeks and will take great momentum into the American Championship game. They had three players in double-figures in this one, along with strong outings from Earl Timberlake and Tyler Harris off the bench. Watch out.&nbsp;
Texas A&amp;M def. Arkansas 82-64 - SEC Semifinal Even after strong performances this week, the Aggies were given only a 31% chance of winning today, but they put on a clinic. They held a 12 point lead at the break and never let off the gas. Quenton Jackson poured in 20 points in a great showing, and now the Aggies look forward to playing for the SEC Championship.
Tennessee def. Kentucky 69-62 - SEC Semifinal The Volunteers took a 7-4 lead 3 minutes into the game and never gave it back. TyTy Washington was able to cut that lead to 3 points with 1:31 to play, but Zakai Zeigler hit clutch free throws to ice it. Kennedy Chandler, Santiago Vescovi and co. move on to the SEC Championship game.
Richmond def. Dayton 68-64 - Atlantic 10 Semifinal Dayton had an eight point lead at the break and a 14 point advantage with 13 minutes to play, but simply couldn&rsquo;t hold on. Grant Golden, Tyler Burton and co. stormed back to steal the four point win. The Spiders move into the A10 Championship game and will look to steal an auto-bid in the NCAA Tournament.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17881508_lg.jpg" alt="" width="406" height="302" />
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Best Games of the Day
Iowa def. Indiana 80-77, Big Ten Semifinal The Hoosiers led by nine with 5:31 to play, but Keegan Murray did what he usually does &mdash; turned on the jets late. Jordan Bohannon banked in a last-second three which sent the fans into a frenzy, propelling the Hawkeyes into the Big Ten title game. This ends a great run from Indiana &mdash; now they await their fate on Selection Sunday.
Boise State def. San Diego State 53-52 - Mountain West Final The biggest lead in this one was three points. However, once the Broncos took a 48-47 lead with 6:41 to play, they never gave it back. Degenhart led them in scoring with 13 points, and now they look ahead to the Big Dance.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17884930_lg.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="267" />
Headed to the Big Dance, Tickets Punched
Kansas def. Texas Tech 74-55, wins Big 12 Championship
Arizona def. UCLA , wins Pac 12 Championship
Virginia Tech def. Duke 82-67, wins ACC Championship
Villanova def. Creighton 54-38, wins Big East Championship
Boise State def. San Diego State 53-52, wins Mountain West Championship
Akron def. Kent State 75-55, wins MAC Championship
UAB def. Louisiana Tech 82-73, wins C-USA Championship
Texas Southern def. Alcorn State 87-62, wins SWAC Championship
Vermont def. UMBC 82-43, wins America East Championship
Norfolk State def. Coppin State 72-57, wins MEAC Championship
Saint Peter&rsquo;s def. Monmouth 60-54, wins MAAC Championship
Montana State def. Northern Colorado 87-66, wins Big Sky Championship
Texas A&amp;M-CC def. SE Louisiana 73-65, wins Southland Championship
New Mexico State def. Abilene Christian 66-52, wins WAC Championship
CSU Fullerton def. Long Beach State 72-71, wins Big West Championship
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Derek Murray takes us through the latest developments from NCAA basketball's conference tourneys.