Blue Devils

William H. Detrick Gymnasium

The Eastern Conference field is set, as the Boston Celtics are set to take on the top-seeded Miami Heat for the second time in three years.&nbsp;
This series will have everything you want. Superstar power (Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler) and star power (Bam Adebayo, Jaylen Brown).&nbsp;Former All-Stars that can still give you moments &mdash; hello Al Horford, Victor Oladipo and, if healthy, Kyle Lowry.
It also includes fearless role players who can win you a game. For Boston, that's primarily Marcus Smart, Grant Williams and Robert Williams III. Miami has the Sixth Man of the Year in Tyler Herro, an unrelenting PJ Tucker, as well as a stable of undrafted guards in Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.
On the sidelines, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has been pressing buttons as well as anyone since the turn of the calendar year. Erik Spoelstra has had a strong argument as the NBA's best coach for nearly half a decade. That battle should be a pleasure, especially on the defensive end.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m not a coach &mdash; I'm just a pun-loving basketball fan with a hankering for film breakdowns. But instead of a traditional series preview, I decided to go into the basketball trenches and devise game plans for both teams. The tone of this two-part series will be a little more informal, but it will still be informative (at least I hope).
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Without further ado, here is what to look for in the East Finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.
Miami's Defensive Matchups
Gabe Vincent &mdash;&gt; Marcus Smart
Jimmy Butler &mdash;&gt; Jaylen Brown
PJ Tucker &mdash;&gt; Jayson Tatum
Max Strus &mdash;&gt; Grant Williams
Bam Adebayo &mdash;&gt; Al Horford
Boston's Defensive Matchups
Jayson Tatum &mdash;&gt; Gabe Vincent
Marcus Smart &mdash;&gt; Max Strus
Jaylen Brown &mdash;&gt; Jimmy Butler&nbsp;
Al Horford &mdash;&gt; PJ Tucker
Grant Williams &mdash;&gt; Bam Adebayo
We saw these matchups in the most recent outing (March 30). I'd say it's a pretty safe bet this holds to start the series.
Boston's cross-matching intrigues me more than the inverse. Tatum taking Vincent allows him to roam a bit &mdash; unless/until Vincent bombs away from three. Putting Smart on Strus is a great way to take advantage of his screen navigation while eliminating Miami's opening script on offense. The Heat tend to open things up with movement sets to get Strus going early.&nbsp;
Keep an eye on the Williams-Adebayo matchup. Grant has taken on Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo in consecutive rounds, and has done so with success. His blend of mobility and strength could bother Adebayo, and those same traits can turn any pick-and-roll involving Adebayo into a switch.
The Battleground: Paint Touches
At their cores, the Heat and Celtics are switchy groups. In fact, they were&nbsp;the&nbsp;switchiest groups in the NBA &mdash; the Celtics ranked first in on-ball switches per 100 possessions (28.8), while the Heat ranked second (28.7), per Second Spectrum. It will be their primary method of flattening out each other's offenses, hoping to bring the game down into the mud.
With neither team playing drop coverage that often &mdash; the Heat and Celtics ranked 26th and 25th in drop rate, respectively &mdash; it'll be interesting to see who can create openings downhill.&nbsp;
If there's a difference between the two, it's Miami's willingness to dial up the pressure. They'll bust out a full-court press. They're not afraid to trap, particularly if there's only one star on the court. The help is&nbsp;aggressive. That leads to a ton of three-point attempts &mdash; the Heat ranked dead last in three-point rate allowed &mdash; but eighth in opponent rim rate.&nbsp;
The Celtics&nbsp;can&nbsp;do that stuff, but generally don't have to thanks to their collective size and screen navigation up top. They effectively cut off the rim (No. 2 in opponent rim rate) and&nbsp;they're able to force opponents into more mid-range shots. Only the Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards allowed a larger share of mid-range shots than the Celtics this season.
Can the Heat find enough cracks to get into the paint and generate good looks from there? Can the Celtics hit enough threes &mdash; because they will be there &mdash; to loosen things up inside? We shall see.
Celtics' Team Stats (and Boston's stats vs. Miami)&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Offensive Rating: 113.6 (108.6)</li>
<li>True Shooting Percentage: 57.8% (56.7%)</li>
<li>Assist Percentage: 60.9% (60.9%)</li>
<li>Turnover Rate: 13.9% (12.2%)</li>
<li>Pace: 97.26 (96.33)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Attempts: 20.9 (23.3)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Percentage: 81.6% (74.3%)</li>
<li>Three-Point Attempts: 37.1 (40.0)</li>
<li>Three-Point Percentage: 35.6% (35.8%)</li>
<li>Offensive Rebounds: 9.8 (9.0)</li>
</ul>
Celtics' Play Type Breakdown
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-15-at-7-13-51-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="1113" height="242" />
Heat's Team Stats (and Miami's stats vs. Boston)
<ul>
<li>Offensive Rating: 113.0 (95.8)</li>
<li>True Shooting Percentage: 58.4% (51.0)</li>
<li>Assist Percentage: 64.4% (70.0%)</li>
<li>Turnover Rate: 14.9% (19.1%)</li>
<li>Pace: 96.53 (96.33)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Attempts: 21.4 (18.0)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Percentage: 80.8% (68.5%)</li>
<li>Three-Point Attempts: 35.8 (39.7)</li>
<li>Three-Point Percentage: 37.9% (32.8%)</li>
<li>Offensive Rebounds: 10.5 (9.3)</li>
</ul>
Heat's Play Type Breakdown&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-17-at-9-02-05-am_lg.png" alt="" width="1114" height="241" />
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: EARLY OFFENSE
Lowry's absence looms large for the Heat.&nbsp;
He was the catalyst for their elite transition attack. His touchdown outlet passes put pressure on opponents to get back immediately after possessions end. Early clock pull-up threes became a staple during his time in Toronto; much of that carried over in Miami. Lowry converted 48.0% of his transition threes, including a ridiculous 57.1% clip on pull-ups per Second Spectrum.
With him out for at least Game 1, I'd expect Miami to be even more selective with its pushing. Expect a heavy dose of early-clock dribble handoffs.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/fxavlo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The Celtics weren't a team that ran often either; they ranked 21st in transition frequency (14% of possessions), not too far behind the Heat's middling mark (14.5%) per Cleaning The Glass. The issue is they didn't come close to the Heat's efficiency when they did push. The Heat led the NBA in transition scoring (1.33 points per possession), while the Celtics were 26th (1.21 PPP).
Boston is more likely to feed one of its bigs early as part of the team's Delay series. In those, Horford (or Williams III) will receive the ball in the middle of the floor while the other Celtics screen for each other. This is a very pindown-heavy group.&nbsp;
The tell is when their center (Horford or Williams III) gets an early pass above the break and acts as a handoff hub. It can be as simple as a pair of pindowns &mdash; Tatum receiving one on a side, Brown getting one on the other &mdash; to stretch the defense thin.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/nt6eyy" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The Celtics can flow into Chicago action &mdash; a pindown into a handoff. It may be a single pindown from the wing to get one of the Jays an early shot or, if the three isn't there, to set up an empty-corner ball-screen.
It'll be important for the Heat to be locked in.
KEY QUESTIONS
1) Who will win the zone battle?
Not to rehash the top, but we know how both teams want to operate defensively. Switch just about any screen; keep the ball in front. Shade off of (perceived) non-shooters to help cut off driving lanes. Bring the game into the gutter.
Both teams have creation-plus-shooting combos that can bend things if they're clicking. The Celtics may be okay giving up mid-rangers, but that's typically where Butler wants to operate. The Heat may be okay trading rim attempts for threes, but how safe of a bet is that with Horford and Williams shooting a combined 21 of 47 (44.7%) on corner triples?
If either team catches a rhythm, the zone will be broken out.
(Quietly, the Heat weren't a good zone offense during the regular season [0.96 PPP, 19th] either.)
As beautiful as the Heat offense looks when they're screening and cutting all over the place, they have possessions where ill-timed cuts can make life easier for an opposing defense. That's exacerbated when teams go zone &mdash; you want to force a zone defender to choose between two players, so improper spacing allows the defense to muck things up without much work.
It's odd to watch the Heat go haywire in the middle of the floor. When a zone is run against their second unit, you feel the lack of playmaking with Dewayne Dedmon at the 5 in place of Adebayo. But with the starters, you sometimes get weird bouts of passiveness.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/lg3k10" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
That's a darn good counter to a 2-3 zone. Butler gets right into his comfort zone with minimal pressure and... kicks out of it? Huh?
On the flip side, this could be a real problem area for Boston though, a team that ranked 27th in zone offense (0.9 PPP) during the regular season per Synergy. And the Heat don't just&nbsp;go zone; they go to all kinds of zones.&nbsp;
A traditional 2-3, a 3-2, a 1-2-2. They'll go full-court press, then drop into a zone. There are exotic looks, and then there's the Miami Heat defense.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/boz2dt" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Much like the Celtics had to quickly adapt to Milwaukee's physicality after their matchup with the Brooklyn Nets, there may be an adjustment period when the Heat throw out their zone. Per Second Spectrum, the Celtics have seen just five (5) zone possessions in the postseason. You might get that in the first six minutes of Game 1.
2) Who&nbsp;can&nbsp;beat drop coverage when they get it?
This can be somewhat of a Tatum question considering his struggles against the Bucks in Round 2. The numbers weren't great &mdash; the Celtics generated a shade under 0.9 PPP on trips where Tatum saw a drop &mdash; but the film was more key.
He'd often pass up more fruitful mid-range attempts, instead opting to string out ball-screens and isolate against a late switch. He's a good enough shot-maker to make that work, but it's a tough diet to live on. And against a team like Miami, I'm not sure how many pockets he can afford to pass up. I've written about his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-miami-heat-boston-celtics-eastern-conference-finals-playoffs-breakdown-preview-how-stop-defend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lack of a floater before</a>; per Synergy, he's converted just 2 of his 10 runners this postseason, and I'm not sure which number is more concerning.
But this is really a Heat question. Tyler Herro struggled against the Celtics when faced with drop coverage. Between Smart and Derrick White at the point of attack, Herro couldn't consistently shake free. And even when he did, Boston did a good job of providing help at the nail to at least make Herro uncomfortable.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/bd1oq3" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
This is an obvious thing to say, but the Heat are going to need him to get going. Aside from (this version of) Butler, Herro's their best shot-creator in the half-court. He'll need to take pressure off Butler, and carry some of the load when he's heading the second unit.
Whenever Lowry is back, he'll need to channel the same aggression from the last meeting (23 points, 16 shot attempts, 12 threes) if the Celtics drop against him. Ditto for Vincent, whose jumper has quietly fallen off a cliff during the postseason.
3) Derrick White or Victor Oladipo?
At the risk of sounding reductive, these may be the true X-factors of the series.
Both players offer fiesty on-ball defense across multiple positions. Both can juice their offenses in the pick-and-roll, particularly with their downhill chops. And both will likely be ignored when they're stationed off the ball, adding a layer of difficulty for their teammates to generate efficient offense.&nbsp;
White hounded Herro when matched up against them, and found enough utility as a ball-mover for the Celtics to win his minutes +11 in 32 minutes during his lone outing vs. Miami).&nbsp;
Oladipo missed all of the regular-season meetings, but he'll likely see Boston's third-best defender when sharing the court with Miami's other creators. His rim pressure is valuable, but his three-point shooting (27.3% this postseason) can swing things.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>Butler vs. Tatum is gonna be a freakin'&nbsp;battle&nbsp;in this series. Before either of these guys have an off night against an elite defense, let's commend them for the production they've shown in the playoffs so far. Studs. Superstars.&nbsp;</li>
<li>I touched on it some during the matchup section, but man do the Heat need an aggressive Bam Adebayo in this one. Horford and both Williams pose different issues than Daniel Theis did during the 2020 series. But, in theory, Adebayo should have a size, strength or quickness advantage against anybody he faces. He can't afford to short-circuit with the ball in his hands. His regular-season averages (14.0 points, 9.7 shot attempts) will not cut it.</li>
<li>This could be yet another Jaylen Brown series. He ripped the Heat during their three-game series (25/6/3, 47.8% from three on 7.7 attempts). And aside from a putrid Game 1 against the Bucks, he's been a metronome for Boston this postseason. If the Heat tilt too much attention to Tatum, Brown should have some cracks to attack.</li>
<li>With Williams III expected to proceed without a minutes restriction, I don't think Boston needs to trot Theis out there. Between Horford and the two Williams, they should have more than enough at the 5.</li>
<li>Speaking of 5s, I wonder how much of a leash Dedmon gets in this series. He hasn't given Miami much offensively &mdash; he's not nearly the same roll threat, and there's even been an uptick in illegal screens for him &mdash; but there's value in his rebounding. If this truly turns into a muck fest, extra possessions will be more valuable than usual.</li>
<li>On the bench guard front, let's see how much burn Payton Pritchard gets. He's arguably Boston's best (pull-up) shooter and zone-breaker. He's also going to have the largest target on his back defensively &mdash; especially if he's on the floor at the same time as Butler.</li>
<li>After an 18-perimeter-shot-attempt game from Williams &mdash; in a Game 7! &mdash; I wonder if the volume has gotten to the point where the scouting report officially changes with him. He's shot well from three all season long, but the volume was low enough for teams to feel comfortable helping off of him and daring him to beat them. Let's see if the Heat become the first team to really blink.</li>
<li>Sign me up for all of the defense in this series, man. This is what it's all about.</li>
</ul>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Nekias Duncan breaks down what to look for in this year's Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the Heat and Celtics.

NBA Scouting Report: What to look for in Heat-Celtics series

It&rsquo;s been quite an unconventional season in Washington.
The summer in D.C. was drowned out by an onslaught of Bradley Beal trade rumors. Instead of discussion about Wizards president Tommy Sheppard&rsquo;s impressive offseason, questions like the ones below dominated the news cycle.
Could Beal be the missing piece for Golden State? What if Boston broke the internet to form an all-St. Louis duo with Brad and Jayson Tatum? Is this the Ben Simmons trade that&rsquo;s been sitting there underneath our noses?
Well, here we are. Seven months later, Beal is still a Wizard, and as it so happens, most of us missed the point. Washington has cobbled together a deep, impressive group of veterans, which <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyle-kuzma-montrezl-harrell-have-wizards-adopting-dog-mentality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hit the ground running with an Eastern Conference-leading 10-3 record</a> and the third-best defense in the entire league to start the season.&nbsp;
But then, the inevitable defensive regression hit like a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/miguel-sano-homers-22-on-a-fly-ball-to-center-field">Miguel San&oacute; deep-ball</a>; Washington has returned to its homey lair of a <a href="https://www.cleaningtheglass.com/stats/league/summary?season=2021&amp;seasontype=regseason&amp;start=10/1/2021&amp;end=01/15/2022">bottom-10 Defensive Rating</a>, and the Wizards overall record has deteriorated in harmonious fashion, with the team going just 12-17 since Nov. 15. With Beal having a down year and the vaunted defense appearing... um, suddenly not-so-vaunted, Washington has since looked rudderless following the hot start.
That is, until Kyle Kuzma started averaging a cool 26 and 11 over the Wiz&rsquo;s last nine games.
His output has largely been a byproduct of circumstance. Seven Washington players entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols at the turn of the new year, forcing the Wizards to go the substitute-player route like most other ball clubs. This left a hefty load to shoulder for Washington&rsquo;s mainstays, and Kuzma, in particular, made quite the impression while eclipsing 39 minutes in three straight games to ring in 2022.
The plat principal of the Kuzma experience this season has been his inspiring commitment to rebounding. He&rsquo;s finally at his rightful position &mdash; the 4 &mdash; and has seen his overall rebounding average jump by a colossal 2.6 per game while inhaling a career-high <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/advanced/?sort=GP&amp;dir=-1&amp;CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*kuzma">12.8%</a> of available boards.
As Washington&rsquo;s corps dwindled, Kuzma only dug deeper into the comfy niche he&rsquo;s settled into this season.
Kuz&rsquo;s rebounding rate has bumped all the way up to 14.5% since Dec. 27, when nearly half of his teammates entered protocols. He's keyed in on opponents&rsquo; misses with the hunger of Shaggy and Scooby Doo on a Whole 30 diet, his hands fastening onto the rock like a toddler leash. (Side note, who the heck uses those things?)
From there, Kuz is more than capable of initiating the offense in the open floor after ripping down a&nbsp; board, something he&rsquo;s been quite potent at as of late. No longer sharing the floor with LeBron James &mdash; whose resume alone obviously merits sole ownership of a fastbreak offense &mdash; Kuzma&rsquo;s now been empowered to push the pace like true-blue point-forward.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SQp8QVRYcLA" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
But Kuzma&rsquo;s more than just a rebounder. He&rsquo;s a full-blown supersized slasher that knifes through coverages with X-Acto Blade precision, and he&rsquo;s only carved opponents up with more voraciously as Washington has suffered its availability crisis.
Kuzma&rsquo;s average drives per game have nearly doubled from 5.9 to 12.2 since December 27, and he&rsquo;s shot a supremely impressive <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*kuzma&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=12%2F27%2F2021">63.5%</a> on those forays to the rim in that time (his accuracy on drives sat at just 45% beforehand). For context, the league leader in field goal percentage off drives is Giannis Antetokounmpo at 60.2%. So basically, Kuzma&rsquo;s been the personification of the &ldquo;He Don&rsquo;t Miss!&rdquo; meme when putting the ball on the floor in the Year 2022.
Perhaps it was out of pure necessity, but what&rsquo;s largely spearheaded Kuzma&rsquo;s torrential downpour of downhill scoring has been his aggression. He&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCwZqaHipqs&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">playing through contact</a>, devising the necessary counters &mdash; like the occasional <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iANdyk_EHA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eurostep</a> &mdash; to leave opponents loopy in a drunken state. <a href="https://youtu.be/LXyy_Z8Zy5g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The glass</a> is the 26-year-old&rsquo;s friend if needed, of course. And his fabled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkXmnXdURF4&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hook shot</a>, which earned him modest prominence during his rookie season, will peak through the blinds when applicable. (Rejoice, Laker fans, it&rsquo;s back!)
Most importantly, when he gets to that right hand, it&rsquo;s basically over. Kuzma&rsquo;s always been a sturdy at-rim finisher, and his <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4230#tab-shooting_accuracy">74% accuracy inside 4 feet</a> ties a career-high for the Flint native. His rim attacks have become a reliable source of renewable energy when Washington&rsquo;s bottom-tier offense trips up.
Here&rsquo;s a fun example of his decisiveness.
Washington sets up a pair of staggered screens for Beal, and Kuzma makes his move right when the help defender (Gordon Hayward) turns his head to bark out orders. Miles Bridges is left... miles behind (sorry) as Kuz stretches out for the layup.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2xhlfZ2ZPRc" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
It&rsquo;s strange, but his size seems to stand out more now that he&rsquo;s a Wizard, no longer sharing the floor with a gaggle of giants in purple-and-gold threads. You really feel that Kuz is a full 6-foot-10 on his bull rushes to the rim. He's a towering thunderbolt of an athlete with G5 jets affixed to his highlight-blue sneakers.
Nothing is more emblematic of Kuzma&rsquo;s hot streak than his recent success from floater range. He&rsquo;s shot a hellacious <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4230?season=2021&amp;start=12/27/2021&amp;end=12/28/2022#tab-shooting_accuracy">55% on short-range middies</a> in his last nine games, a massive bump from the mere 36% he posted prior; it's also good for the 72nd percentile among his peers. Granted, it&rsquo;s unlikely that he&rsquo;ll maintain this level of preposterous efficiency on in-betweeners, as runners like the one below are a tricky diet to survive off of. But for now, I&rsquo;m sure he&rsquo;ll gladly take it.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ULhxLbjL5vY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
What makes all of this so impressive is that his handle &mdash; which can get a little rickety when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9t8NDEGJEE&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bothered by nearby helpers</a> &mdash; hasn&rsquo;t been especially fluid nor deceitful as of late. His vision has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmbA8HBzZl0&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moments of genius</a>, though inaccuracy can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qmZXfjyI-Y&amp;ab_channel=MattBrooksNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plague him</a>. He grades out as a fairly average passer.
Most of all, his three-pointer remains a work in progress, and he&rsquo;s actually seen his efficiency from distance fall a percentage point to 33% during the recent hot stretch. He&rsquo;s pump-faking <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CuZ0O8dJOw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defenders out their shoes</a> without the requisite long-range weaponry typically required to make the seas part and open up the rim.
Kuz made his bed as a defensive-minded grinder in Laker Land, and that calling card is still very much intact. As mentioned before, the dude&rsquo;s mobile and huge. It&rsquo;s tough as nails to score on him in isolation, where he ranks within the 75th percentile as a 1-on-1 defender.&nbsp;
Kuzma uses his body well to shield opponents away from the rim, with his 7-foot wingspan handling the rest. It&rsquo;s tough to get him in the air on pump-fakes. His body control is pretty exceptional, and here, he uses a 2-foot jump to slow down and leap with precise control while contesting Chuma Okeke.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MU-BCEB3Wys" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Recently, he&rsquo;s even had to pick up the slack and play some 5. Montrezl Harrell was one of the many players held out due to health and safety protocols, leaving the Wizards with only one available big man, Daniel Gafford. Playing Kuz in the middle allows the Wizards to switch pretty much everything, and he&rsquo;s had some super impressive reps against the likes of LaMelo Ball, Terrence Ross, Cole Anthony and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, just to name a few. Certainly a varied cast of opponents.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bTlhcbgUBjs" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Failing to mention Kuzma&rsquo;s legend inside of five minutes would be a disservice, because, well, you&rsquo;ll hear about it on nearly every single Wizards broadcast. Only a handful of people in human history have shown more exuberance about anything&nbsp;than Washington&rsquo;s play-by-play crew when discussing &ldquo;Klutch Kuz&rdquo;: Anthony Edwards when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Y2P-BQP5w&amp;ab_channel=DaHoopSpotProductions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranking fast-food french fries</a>, JAY-Z the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aayZ9ybDTBw&amp;ab_channel=MardyMoves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first time</a> he heard the &ldquo;Dirt Off Your Shoulder&rdquo; beat, and pretty much anyone who has ever done a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGJhjHw4sMM&amp;ab_channel=Whereuat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nardwuar</a> interview.
That&rsquo;s it. That&rsquo;s the list.
Having said this, it&rsquo;s easy to understand NBC Sports Washington's fascination with Kuz in crunch time. His <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/clutch-traditional/?sort=GP&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612764" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3.0 points</a> per game lead the Wiz in the clutch, and he&rsquo;s posting a <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/clutch-advanced/?sort=TS_PCT&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612764&amp;CF=PLAYER_NAME*E*kuzma">70.6% True Shooting percentage</a> when it matters most. He&rsquo;s already nailed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-cVQhyBvw0&amp;ab_channel=ChazNBA">not one</a>, but two game-winners as a Wizard, sending the Pistons' fans home with a cheery wave and a toothy smile after a cold-blooded three. Truly villainous stuff from the hometown kid, if I do say so myself.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zm-iL2pcdeg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
It&rsquo;s been quite the revenge tour for Kyle Kuzma this year. Dangled in trades for almost the entirety of last season, his former employer sent him to the nation&rsquo;s capital in the Russell Westbrook blockbuster. Shortly after, the Brooklyn Nets felt a trade exception (that will likely go unused) was more valuable than his services in the Spencer Dinwiddie sign-and-trade. In the moment, it seemed quite telling that two teams on the brink of a championship said, &ldquo;Nah, I&rsquo;m good&rdquo; to Kuz.
Now, I bet they&rsquo;d surely love a do-over.

Matt Brooks takes a deep dive into Kyle Kuzma's resurgence with the Wizards and his incredible production since Dec. 27.

Don't look now, but Kyle Kuzma is silencing the critics

With the 2020 NBA Draft just two weeks away, our Matt Babcock updated his mock draft and provided his thoughts on each player. Some of the risers include Kira Lewis Jr. (Alabama) and Zeke Nnaji (Arizona), while some of the fallers include Aleksej Pokusevski (Olympiacos) and Leandro Bolmaro (FC Barcelona):
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
At 6'5" and a strong 225 pounds, Anthony Edwards has perhaps the most upside in this year's draft. Edwards' raw talent was on full display at the Maui Invitational in November when he scored 33 points in one half versus Michigan State. Although he has significant room for growth in regards to his overall maturity as a player, his uncanny ability to hit tough shots from all over the court gives him the potential to be a special player.
2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman, C, Memphis
Although James Wiseman is 7'1" and 240 pounds with an impressive 7'6" wingspan, he should not be considered a throwback, big-bodied center (which is somewhat of a dying breed). Instead, Wiseman is extremely athletic for a player his size. He also has an underrated skill level, and he can be a major contributor for a team right off the bat. That&rsquo;s why he is the first big man off the board.
3. Charlotte Hornets: Onyeka Okongwu, C/PF, USC
Commonly referred to as the "Big O," Onyeka Okongwu had a terrific freshman campaign for the USC Trojans, averaging 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. He's an undersized center that can serve as a defensive anchor for a team. He's also a legitimate scoring threat who's capable of displaying fancy footwork and a soft touch with both hands around the rim. He's extremely strong and explosive, which allows him to be an effective rim protector and powerful finisher. Comparisons to the Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo have been drawn regularly for good reason.
4. Chicago Bulls: LaMelo Ball, PG, Illawarra Hawks
The youngest brother of the Ball family, LaMelo comes to the NBA with lofty expectations. At 6'7", Ball has terrific size for a point guard. He has the ball on a string and a knack to make spectacular plays. Despite concerns of immaturity, Ball's talent is undeniable -- look for him to be the first point guard taken in the 2020 NBA Draft.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/obi_lg.jpg" alt="" width="802" height="AUTO" />
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin, PF/C, Dayton
After not receiving an invite to the NBA Draft Combine following his freshman season, Obi Toppin returned to Dayton for his sophomore year and he put on a show from start to finish, subsequently being named the National College Player of the Year. At 6'9", Toppin is a high-flyer who throws down jaw-dropping dunks reminiscent of former NBA star Amar'e Stoudemire. He's also a capable outside shooter, as he shot a stellar 39% from three-point range. Already 22 years old, Toppin is probably the most NBA-ready player in the draft and could be considered an early favorite to win Rookie of the Year.
6. Atlanta Hawks: Deni Avdija, SF/PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv
A product of the famed Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, Deni Avdija has already gained valuable professional experience in the Euroleague (the best league in the world outside of the NBA). At 6'9", Avdija is extremely versatile as a hybrid forward and he's also a capable ballhandler and playmaker who is deceptively athletic. In a draft with significant international talent, Avdija is certainly the cream of the crop.
7. Detroit Pistons: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
After entering his freshman season at Alabama as the second-youngest Division-I player in the country (at 17 years old), he returned for his sophomore season and did not disappoint. Perhaps the fastest player in the draft, Lewis Jr. averaged 18.5 points and 5.2 assists per game this past season for the Crimson Tide. Comparisons have been drawn to former NBA player Darren Collison.
8. New York Knicks: Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn
Perhaps the best overall athlete in the entire NBA draft, Isaac Okoro steps into the NBA from Auburn with a reputation of being an exceptional defender that's capable of defending multiple positions effectively. Although he possesses a relatively simple game on the offensive end, he does have a good feel for how to play. If he is able to improve his outside shooting, watch out; Okoro could end up being a big-time player.
9. Washington Wizards: Devin Vassell, SG/SF, Florida State
Devin Vassell is a long wing that is capable of playing the shooting guard or small forward positions, effectively. On the offensive end, he reminds me of Jeremy Lamb of the Indiana Pacers. He's a capable shooter from outside, has a good mid-range game, and can finish around the rim as well.&nbsp; On the defensive end, he uses his length and instincts to be a high level defender. Overall, Vassell is a solid, well-rounded player, that does not make many mistakes. He would be easy to plug into just about any team's roster.
10. Phoenix Suns: Killian Hayes, PG/SG, Ratiopharm Ulm
After playing in France for years, Killian Hayes decided to move to Germany this last year to play for Ratiopharm Ulm - a decision that certainly paid off, as Hayes took a major step in his development, progressing as a playmaker and scorer. With good size for a point guard at 6'5", whichever team lands the left-handed Hayes should be able to pencil him in as their point guard of the future. If he's able to continue to develop his outside shooting, the future could be extremely bright for Hayes.
11. San Antonio Spurs: Patrick Williams, PF/SF, Florida State
Patrick Williams had somewhat of an up-and-down freshman year for the Florida State Seminoles, but the hybrid forward oozes talent and upside. He's a capable shooter from outside, a strong finisher at the rim and a versatile defender. Williams fits the modern style of basketball, as he's able to stretch the floor and defend multiple positions. It remains to be seen if he will be able to contribute at a high level early on in his NBA career, but if he develops properly, he could be one of the better players in this year's draft in a few years.
12. Sacramento Kings: Aaron Nesmith, SF/SG, Vanderbilt
Aaron Nesmith is likely the best shooter in this year's draft. Prior to a season-ending foot injury in January, Nesmith dazzled with his shooting performances, averaging 23 points per game while shooting 52.2% from three-point range in 14 games for the Vanderbilt Commodores. He's from the same high school as NBA All-Star Khris Middleton in Charleston, South Carolina.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/tyy_lg.jpg" alt="" width="792" height="AUTO" />
13. New Orleans Pelicans: Tyrese Haliburton, PG/SG, Iowa State
After averaging 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game for the Iowa State Cyclones this past season, Tyrese Haliburton will look to contribute right away in the NBA. At 6'5", Haliburton is capable of playing on or off the ball effectively. He has an extremely high basketball IQ and simply does not make many mistakes. Although he shoots the ball with extremely unorthodox mechanics, he knocks them down from deep at a high rate, shooting 41.9% from three-point range last year. He certainly needs to get stronger, as he is only a thin 175 pounds. But he should be a solid NBA player, at the very least.
14. Boston Celtics: Isaiah Stewart II, C/PF, Washington
At 6'9" and 250 pounds of muscle with a 7'4" wingspan, Isaiah Stewart II is a physical specimen and a brute. He would (and could) run through a brick wall, if needed. In his lone season at Washington, he averaged 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Despite being utilized purely as a low-post scorer this past season, he has shown signs of having the potential to shoot the ball well from outside - a much desired attribute in today's NBA. One example: He shot 77.4% from the free-throw line.
15. Orlando Magic: RJ Hampton, SG/PG, New Zealand Breakers
After skipping college to play for the New Zealand Breakers, R.J. Hampton enters this year's draft as one of the players with the most upside. Although not a finished product, Hampton has the burst and athleticism that's seen in many star players. If he is able to develop his point guard skills, outside shooting and overall feel for the game, he could end up being a steal for whichever team selects him.
16. Portland Trail Blazers: Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova
Jay Wright's list of Villanova alumni who have had productive NBA careers continues to grow and Saddiq Bey seems to be the next in line. He's a 6'8" forward that is well-rounded, dependable and, most importantly, a high-level shooter, which was on display during his sophomore season when he scored 16.1 points per game while shooting 45.1% from three-point range. He also defended the opposing team's best player on a regular basis.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Zeke Nnaji, PF/C, Arizona
In his lone season for the Arizona Wildcats, Zeke Nnaji posted an impressive 16.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-Pac-12 and Freshman of the Year honors. At the Combine, Nnaji measured in at 6'10" without shoes and 247.8 pounds, with a 7'2" wingspan and a 38" max vertical. Nnaji <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-draft-prospect-zeke-nnaji-arizona-wildcats-q-and-a-pac-12-basketball?fbclid=IwAR3LerQY7oOuFEQ0ZLYNmkus_sSxCYphs2l0TzJqc69ymtcZmrdWKZDpOPo">recently spoke with BasketballNews.com</a> about his game, his regimented lifestyle, why teams should pick him, his off-court interests and more.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/pad_lg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="AUTO" />
18. Dallas Mavericks: Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis
Initially, Precious Achiuwa was expected to play the majority of his minutes at power forward alongside big man James Wiseman. However, when Wiseman left the team, Achiuwa took over the big man duties and delivered. The chiseled Achiuwa averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals per game, earning him AAC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.
19.&nbsp;Brooklyn Nets: Jaden McDaniels, SF, Washington
Possessing terrific length for a wing at 6'9", Jaden McDaniels' versatility and playmaking abilities on both ends of the court are extremely intriguing. If he is able to get stronger and mature properly, he could be well-worth the risk, as his upside is nearly as high as any other player in the draft.
20. Miami Heat: Malachi Flynn, PG, San Diego State
After transferring from Washington State to San Diego State, point guard Malachi Flynn led the Aztecs to a spectacular 30-2 record. After averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game, Flynn was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, as well as Defensive Player of the Year. Flynn <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-2020-draft-malachi-flynn-san-diego-state-aztecs-matt-babcock-analysis-interview-chris-paul">recently spoke with BasketballNews.com</a> about his game, his collegiate career, his goals, the NBA players whom he&rsquo;s modeled his game after and more.
21. Philadelphia 76ers: Cole Anthony, PG/SG, North Carolina
The son of former NBA player Greg Anthony, Cole entered North Carolina for his freshman season with lofty expectations after being touted as one of the top players in his high-school class. Despite an up-and-down season, Anthony is an aggressive and dynamic scorer, which he displayed by averaging 18.5 points per game in 22 contests for the Tar Heels.&nbsp;
22. Denver Nuggets: Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland
At 6'10" with a 7'2" wingspan, Jalen "Stix" Smith does two things very well: he blocks shots and shoots the ball from outside -- certainly a unique combination, which has NBA teams intrigued. After returning to Maryland for his sophomore season, he averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 36.8% from three-point range.
23. Utah Jazz: Elijah Hughes, SF/SG, Syracuse
An unheralded recruit out of high school and a subsequent East Carolina transfer, Elijah Hughes emerged as a star player for the Syracuse Orange during his junior season. Possessing solid size for a wing and the ability to make shots from all over the court as well as put the ball on the floor, Hughes should make a smooth transition to the NBA.
24. Milwaukee Bucks: Cassius Stanley, SG/SF, Duke
After playing as a combo guard in high school, Cassius Stanley was asked by Coach K to fill a more limited role during his freshman season at Duke, utilizing his electric athleticism in transition and focusing on spreading the floor as a spot-up shooter. His combination of elite athleticism and the ability to make shots off catch-and-shoot opportunities make him an intriguing option as a role player in the NBA (at the very least). If he develops when it comes to creating off the dribble, his value could increase dramatically.
25.&nbsp;Oklahoma City Thunder: Aleksej Pokusevski, PF/C, Olympiacos
Having displayed an incredibly high skill level this past season with the junior team of Greek powerhouse Olympiacos, Aleksej Pokusevski has caused quite a stir among NBA scouts. Standing 7-feet tall and a frail 200 pounds, "Poku" is the youngest prospect in this year's draft (and younger than many high-school seniors) at just 18 years old. He is certainly a player who falls into the category of "high-risk, high-reward," which is why he's somewhat of a polarizing prospect in terms of his draft value.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/maxey2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="793" height="AUTO" />
26. Boston Celtics: Tyrese Maxey, SG/PG, Kentucky
A top-10 RSCI prospect, Tyrese Maxey was Kentucky's second-leading scorer with 14.0 points per game. At 6'3" and 200 pounds, he has a well-developed frame, although he's a bit undersized for a shooting guard. Still, he was solid at getting to the rim. He struggled from three-point range (relative to expectations) at 29 percent.
27. New York Knicks: Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford
After being ranked 88th in his high-school class, Tyrell Terry surprised everyone by posting an impressive freshman campaign at Stanford and subsequently declaring for the NBA draft. Considered to be one of the best shooters in this year's draft, Terry converted 41% from three-point range this past season. His high skill level and ability to shoot the ball has generated quite a buzz among scouts; however, due to his thin frame and lack of physicality, some concerns and questions have been raised as well.
28. Los Angeles Lakers: Josh Green, SG/SF, Arizona
A top recruit coming out of high school, Green is a plus athlete and defensive stopper with good size for a wing. In his freshman year at Arizona, he averaged 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
29. Toronto Raptors: Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
Although a bit of a throwback as a big-bodied center at 6'10" and 270 pounds, Vernon Carey Jr. had an effective freshman season for the Duke Blue Devils, as he averaged 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Some questions have been raised about his inconsistent motor. However, his talent remains intriguing.
30. Boston Celtics: Leandro Bolmaro, SG/PG, FC Barcelona
After logging legitimate Euroleague and ACB minutes this past season with FC Barcelona in Spain, the 6'7" Argentinian guard has slowly but surely moved up draft boards. Although it is unlikely that he will be coming to the NBA right away due to him extending his contract with his current club, Bolmaro could still get consideration from teams selecting in the first round.
Matt Babcock is the owner and founder of <a href="babcockhoops.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Babcock Hoops</a>, which features in-depth scouting reports, prospect interviews and more. He is also a contributor for BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/news/authors/matt-babcock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out more of his 2020 NBA Draft coverage here</a>.
Also, tune in to BasketballNews.com's Virtual Watch Party on the night of the 2020 NBA Draft (Nov. 18). Our live-stream will feature top analysts, NBA players and more special guests!

With the 2020 NBA Draft just two weeks away, Matt Babcock shares his updated mock draft. Find out who's rising and who's falling!

Matt Babcock's updated 2020 NBA mock draft (11/3): Who's rising?

Nekias Duncan breaks down what the Miami Heat need to do to slow down LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the NBA Finals.

Scouting Report: How the Heat can stop the Lakers

Ja Morant had one of those nights. His 47 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists led the way for a young Grizzlies team fighting to avoid a 2-0 series deficit versus the Golden State Warriors in the second round. He was, in a word, invincible out there on Tuesday evening.
That said, it'd be a disservice not to mention that Golden State lost its best Morant defender, Gary Payton II, due to an elbow injury within the first three minutes of the game. That's more than just a small footnote; 'GPII' is one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the sport, a helacious screen sniffer-outer with the speed and physicality to stay epoxied to players of Morant's ilk as they bob and weave into the paint. There was a reason Payton II was promoted to Steve Kerr's starting lineup for each of the first two games. His job was to defend Morant at all costs.
Payton's injury left Golden State high and dry without any reliable options for the superstar Grizzly guard. Golden State's primary scheme versus pick-and-rolls is to simply switch assignments, so Morant went deep into his bag by targetting weaker Warrior options on PnR switches for a steady diet of downhill isolations.
Jordan Poole got the worst of it, diced up like a smoothie in a Ninja blender in a highlight that made rounds on social media almost instantaneously. Poole just doesn't have the experience nor the diligence to stick with Morant's wide array of moves&mdash;the fake-spins, the earth-shaking crossovers and through-the-legs dribbles&mdash;and was regularly left stumbling on his heels. Per NBA matchup stats, Morant went 3-for-5 when guarded by Poole, and the most shocking part about this stat is that he actually missed twice.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RxEYBZsemqk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Andrew Wiggins was Morant's primary defender, and while he did fare better than Poole by holding Morant to 33.3% shooting, Morant scored what ended up being the game-sealing floater by driving full force and then tapping his brakes to decelerate and get to his preferred right hand. Speed and change of pace appear to be Morant's most notable attributes when guarded by Wiggins. He basically Thanos-snapped the All-Star wing into dust with a helacious drive to close the third quarter.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UkZuaxAwcZ0" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Golden State also gave Klay Thompson some reps against Morant, which, um... didn't go well. Morant shot a perfect 4-for-4 when guarded by Thompson, who very much looked like a player attempting to reclaim his former two-way greatness while coming off a two-year injury absence. It's probably too early to say Thompson has lost a step after ACL and Achillies tears in back-to-back seasons, but Tuesday night didn't necessarily help dispel that notion. Meanwhile, his backcourt buddy Steph Curry might be Golden State's best option going forward with Payton II on the mend. Not only did Curry record the game-sealing block against Morant in Game 1, he also held him to just 1-of-4 shooting in Game 2. Even on Morant's solo bucket, Curry does a nice job sending Morant to his weaker left hand before cutting off the driving lane. Ja just hits a ridiculous bank-shot through contact.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WEhDYtVbSMc" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Looking ahead, what are Golden State's options when attempting to contain this Tazmanian Devil of a power-guard? For one, disallowing Morant from attacking ill-suited defenders in isolation is certainly an idea worth exploring. Trapping pick-and-rolls by sending two defenders Morant's way just to get the ball out of his hands and forcing his teammates to finish possessions would also make sense. Per The Ringer's <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2022/5/4/23056681/ja-morant-grizzlies-warriors-nba-playoffs">Kevin O'Connor</a>, the Warriors trapped just one Grizzlies pick-and-roll, which eventually resulted in a three-pointer from a sub-32% shooter, Ziaire Williams.
Here's the problem: Late in the fourth quarter, Memphis may have already stumbled upon a possible counter should Golden State start blitzing pick-and-rolls.
Below, the Grizzlies run pick-and-roll by having Williams initially approach the left side of Wiggins' body to generate a drive going right for Ja Morant. Knowing this, Jordan Poole jumps in front of Williams to be in position to either switch or hedge the ball screen.&nbsp;
But it's all a ruse. At the last second, Williams flips his ball-screen to the right side of Wiggins' body, and because Poole was so eager to thwart Morant's preferred right-handed drive, he's now positioned poorly. Morant gladly takes the free lane to the basket down the left side of the floor for a gorgeous&nbsp;hanging layup.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sNXIj9JGC14" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
This wasn't the first time that Memphis preyed on Poole's inability to mask his intentions when guarding the pick-and-roll. Just one minute later, the Grizz went to the same action&mdash;this time with De'Anthony Melton faking and flipping his screen&mdash;and Poole is once again woefully out of position when he jumps out to contain the right-handed drive.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5UrDlAcLxyo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
These same principles of flipping ball screens could be applied if and when Golden State starts trapping pick-and-rolls. Imagine if, in each of the two clips above, Poole had taken a few steps higher to blitz the ball-screen from the right side of the floor. Williams would still have had a small window to set a screen on Wiggins' hip to send Morant left for the drive. It's worth mentioning that Morant is in that rarified class of athletes with a monstrous first step to beat traps with regularity.
Flat screens could also be something the Grizzlies could tinker with in lieu of the threat of a blitzing defense. Flat pick-and-rolls are when the screener sets the pick with his back completely parallel to the baseline. Because he isn't setting the screen on either side of the ball-handler defender's body, it makes it tough for the defense to tell which direction the ball-handler intends to go. It'd be at Morant's discretion to go left or right depending on which way the trapping defense was leaning.
(A brief tangent: Memphis could also experiment with snug pick-and-rolls should Golden State sag deep into the paint and dare Morant to shoot, a la Russell Westbrook. Snug pick-and-rolls, or PnRs closer to the basket, were how the Miami Heat countered the Los Angeles Lakers' paint-packed defense versus Jimmy Butler in the 2020 Finals. Setting screens closer to the rim puts the defense in a perilious situation with less time to recover, and all an explosive guard like Ja Morant needs is a slight advantage to take a few leaps and bounds to the rim to bust out his breathtaking athleticism.)
In Game 2, 21 of Ja Morant's 47 points came off drives, with most of those downhill attacks in isolation against grusomely underprepared Golden State defenders. It'll be interesting to see how Golden State responds. If the Dubs do indeed go the trapping route, Memphis already has displayed a few counters of their own with even more in their back-pocket. But ultimately, it all comes down to just how special of a driver Ja Morant is. He's fully equipt to beat aggressive schemes with pure athleticism. It turns out things get a lot easier when you boast the best downhill player of the last half-decade.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Ja Morant single-handedly flipped the script in the Grizzlies-Warriors series, so how will Golden State respond defensively?

How the Grizzlies flipped the script on the Warriors

Once upon a time, not too long ago actually, a college athlete transferring from school to school was an anomaly, mostly due to the fact that said player would have to sit out a year before joining a new team, with a penalty put in place to deter it from happening. Those days are over now, as a new system has been put in place that has resulted in over 1,000 names currently being in the NCAA transfer portal.&nbsp;
This has created much discussion and debate as to whether or not this is in fact a good system to have for college basketball.
There can be many determining factors for student-athletes having the desire to leave a university. &nbsp;For instance, they could be being mistreated by a coach, something that happens far more often than many are aware of. Maybe their families simply believe their son or daughter&rsquo;s talents would be better utilized elsewhere, or maybe they are homesick and want to go to a college closer to home due to that familial support for their mental well being. Or, if their coach leaves for greener pastures, it's because their commitment, comfortability and connection was with that coach who will no longer be there.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Another rising phenomenon is a player at a smaller school who had a successful season or a big tournament run having the opportunity to transfer to a bigger school. Case in point, St. Peter&rsquo;s Doug Edert. His school had an amazing March Madness run, had the entire country rooting for the Peacocks as underdogs and made it to the Elite Eight (the first No. 15 seed to do so).
Edert's coach, Shaheen Holloway, left St. Peters soon thereafter to take a job with his alma mater Seton Hall. So why shouldn&rsquo;t Edert be able to leave to go to a bigger school with a bigger opportunity and platform? (Edert settled on Bryant University, by the way.)
This has been a very controversial topic from the moment it was implemented. Some hold the position that players should have the freedom to easily transfer schools in order to find the best fit for them (just like coaches do). Others believe that athletes should be required to &ldquo;honor their commitment&rdquo; to the school and retain the negative consequences of the past (i.e., sitting out a year or losing a year of eligibility) in order to deter this from becoming the widespread situation that it currently has become.
I sat down with two assistant coaches at Louisville, former Duke assistant Nolan Smith and former Maryland interim head coach Danny Manning, to hear their thoughts on this particular topic.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_18070628_lg.png" alt="" width="690" height="345" />
Etan Thomas: What are your overall thoughts on the transfer portal?&nbsp;
Nolan Smith: "My initial thoughts were that, 'If a coach can leave a kid after they&rsquo;ve recruited that kid and promised him and his family that he will be their coach for the duration of his college experience, why shouldn&rsquo;t the players be able to?' But now, obviously you&rsquo;re seeing kids at different colleges and universities, and they&rsquo;re not sticking around for a long time, and you&rsquo;re wondering, 'Why isn&rsquo;t this kid staying?' So, a few things here: Kids, together with their parents, need to start making better decisions about the schools they&rsquo;re choosing. We&rsquo;re dealing with a lot of transfers here now, and we&rsquo;re seeing that a lot of kids are coming in beaten down mentally and emotionally. So if that&rsquo;s leading to the transfer, I have no issue with a player removing himself or herself from an unhealthy situation.
"But, I will also say, they need to do a better job of doing their homework first. Don&rsquo;t rush decisions. If you ask the questions that need to be asked and really do your homework on a lot of these coaches, you will know which coaches you need to stay away from no matter how much they wine and dine you while they&rsquo;re recruiting you."
Etan: I definitely agree with that. Some of these coaches present a false image of themselves and their program during recruiting, and the kid gets there and they see they were lied to. But like you said, that&rsquo;s where you have to do your homework. Ask around, research, ask the non-starters on the team how the coach treats them, ask former players... like, really research.
Smith: "Exactly, you have to do your research before. But also let me say this: Sometimes, parents and players don&rsquo;t have patience. They want everything to happen immediately and it doesn&rsquo;t always work like that. You know, sometimes there is a process. Some players come in with a preconceived notion that they should be one-and-done, or two-and-done, and things don&rsquo;t always work out according to your plan. Sometimes you gotta be patient and your time will come."
Etan: Did y&rsquo;all have a lot of transfers at Duke while you were there? I&rsquo;m trying to remember, because we had a lot at Syracuse. And all for different reasons, but a lot of turnover happening all over.
Smith: "We brought in a couple. We lost two kids who were playing a good amount of minutes their freshman year. It worked out for one of them; the other is basically playing the same amount of minutes he was playing with us and same position. But yeah, we were losing guys just like every other program &mdash; two to three a year I would say."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Etan: Do you think it&rsquo;s getting almost like AAU where guys just leave situations regularly? And do you think that&rsquo;s good for the game as a whole?&nbsp;
Smith: "It&rsquo;s definitely becoming a fad. You see starters transferring. Or you factor in NIL deals (name, image and likeness) and a kid may be in a mid-major [school] averaging 20, and he could stay there and the next year maybe average 25 and improve every aspect of his game, but he can [also] transfer to a bigger market &mdash; an ACC or Big 10 school &mdash; and has the opportunity to get a bigger NIL deal in a bigger market, and I understand that as well. Not everyone will be turning pro, so capitalizing on their earning potential is their ceiling, so you have to factor that in as well."
Etan: That&rsquo;s a great point. Does it make it difficult to build your program when there is so much turnover?
Smith: "It&rsquo;s extremely difficult. Okay, so at Duke, we were planning on recruiting four [prospects], but then you have to factor in the two transfers, so now you&rsquo;re recruiting six. So you have to either go out and get a grad transfer or [use] the portal, so now you&rsquo;re bringing in six new guys to the team, so that&rsquo;s in essence starting over. I think lot of teams are going straight [to the] transfer portal. We saw in the tournament against Arkansas and Texas Tech, [we] we&rsquo;re playing some old veteran grad-transfer led teams. They were really good and really old. But I&rsquo;m sure there was a lot of team-building things they had to do with a whole new team."
Etan: Do you think that hurts the overall college game, or do you think that helps it?&nbsp;
Smith: "I think overall I would say yes [it hurts it] because teams are rebuilding every year; it&rsquo;s essentially AAU. And as a fan of the game, you&rsquo;re not getting to know the players and see them grow and really root for them because you&rsquo;re gonna have a whole new group of players the next season. Now, let me be clear, I am an advocate for athletes and them having the freedom and flexibility to move as they do choose. But, there are some aspects from a coaching standpoint and from a fan standpoint that does make it problematic."
Etan: I definitely understand that, and at the same time like you opened up with, it allows players not to feel trapped, so to speak, when they&rsquo;re with coaches who aren&rsquo;t who the players thought they were when they recruited them.
Smith: "Definitely, 100%. With all the problems and issues and concerns, it always comes back down to that. If these head coaches are not treating these young men and young women right, they need to have the freedom to leave. So much goes on that people have no idea about, of coaches abusing their power, literally tormenting players both mentally and emotionally, or playing mind games with them, holding their scholarship over their head or playing time over their head. So now, they can&rsquo;t do that because a player has the option to leave without penalty or repercussion, and they can no longer have that power over them so at the end of the day, it always comes back down to that."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_18094067_lg.png" alt="" width="690" height="345" />
Etan Thomas: Do you think the transfer portal is getting out of hand? There are over 1,000 players currently in it.
Danny Manning: "Regardless of what anyone thinks about the transfer portal, the fact is it&rsquo;s here. And we have to now navigate with this being the new reality. It&rsquo;s a part of college sports, and it&rsquo;s going to be here whether people complain about it or not. I&rsquo;m a fan of the portal; there are a lot of things that do go into it. Of course, you have to do your research and see why a guy is transferring; you definitely don&rsquo;t want to recruit any problem players, but sometimes, things just simply didn&rsquo;t work out in their previous situation and they are looking for a better fit, a better opportunity. And there is something to be said about having the ability from a coaching standpoint to bring in a player who has some college experience who can help out your team immediately. I do think there are more people in the portal than there are scholarships available, but that&rsquo;s a whole 'nother issue."
Etan: Yes, that definitely is a problem. How does the portal help or hurt the recruiting process?&nbsp;
Manning: "Well, again from a coach's perspective, it helps. Let me give you an example. Back in the day, the recruiting process could drag on and on, but now with the portal, it widens the pool so it would be in the player&rsquo;s best interest not to drag his process out because that position has a higher potential of being filled. Of course, the top high school athletes may be in a different situation, but for the majority of the high school players, they can&rsquo;t let it drag out and enjoy the recruiting process and waste a lot of coaches' time when they aren&rsquo;t really interested in that particular school. So now, the pressure is turned up quite a bit on that player making his decision because the pool has widened with the addition of the transfer portal."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Etan: So from the standpoint of you recruiting other players, you like it. But what about from the standpoint of you retaining your players and your roster? It seems like a lot of guys leaving are rotation players, starters even. Has that become problematic?&nbsp;
Manning: "Yes, that&rsquo;s definitely problematic, but that&rsquo;s part of what we&rsquo;re dealing with in this new reality of the transfer portal. There are players who are in pretty good roles and pretty good situations who feel that they want to be in better roles and better situations. And they have a right to exhaust those avenues. The days of putting together a college team with the mindset of when we were in school &mdash; of bringing in this high school player and this young player is going to develop and get better over time &mdash; that&rsquo;s almost out the window. We&rsquo;re putting together teams now like a professional organization on a year-to-year basis."
Etan: And you don&rsquo;t see it going backwards? Initially, I thought it was more that the NCAA decided to allow players the freedom to transfer without having to sit out because of COVID &mdash; at least that&rsquo;s what I thought. But you keep referring to it as the &ldquo;new reality&rdquo; or &ldquo;new normal.&rdquo; So you think it&rsquo;s here to stay?&nbsp;
Manning: "I do. I don&rsquo;t think they can backtrack at this point once they&rsquo;ve given it to them. They opened Pandora&rsquo;s box now, so that&rsquo;s why I keep referring to it as the new reality because college basketball as we once knew it &mdash; where a player transferring was an aberration &mdash; is no more. It&rsquo;s going to be the norm moving forward."
Etan: In your opinion, does the transfer portal make it harder for high school players due to the fact that, like you said in your beginning statement, colleges now have the opportunity to recruit an experienced player now? Does the portal hurt high school players?&nbsp;
Manning: "Definitely. For that reason alone. You&rsquo;re a college coach and sometimes you want someone who has already been through the rigors of college, who understands the academic piece and understands navigating all of the other responsibilities that you have to handle as a college athlete. A lot of times, it takes freshman a while to adjust to that process. They&rsquo;re away from home, they get homesick, freshman blues, but just overall adjusting to life on your own and handling your business. So the level of maturity is typically already there with a transfer player because they&rsquo;ve already been through it
"My advice to a high school kid who is being recruited and they feel like a college is a good fit for them, my advice to them is jump on your offer and claim it right away &mdash; because that portal changes the game. I know with social media high school players like to post and tweet that they received an offer from this school and that school and let the process drag out. Well, with the transfer portal, you&rsquo;re going to see high school players lose offers they once had, and a coach is going to call them and say that scholarship is no longer available because we decided to sign a player from the transfer portal because you were dragging your feet to make a decision. High school players need to understand that this is a business, and they need to treat it as such, and with the transfer portal, they&rsquo;re actually at a disadvantage, and that&rsquo;s just the reality of this new norm.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/violalogo1_lg.png" alt="" width="646" height="323" />
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Louisville assistant coaches Danny Manning and Nolan Smith share their thoughts on the polarizing NCAA transfer portal.

Louisville's Danny Manning, Nolan Smith discuss NCAA transfer portal

Duke freshman Trevor Keels announced that he is entering the 2022 NBA Draft.
"Playing at Duke was a dream and I feel that now is the time to chase another dream. I am excited to enter my name in the 2022 NBA Draft," Keels <a href="https://twitter.com/TrevorKeels/status/1517966007695982592/photo/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on social media. "I found a second home at Duke and I'll be riding with The Brotherhood for life."
Keels is the fourth Duke player to enter this year's draft, joining freshman <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/paolo-banchero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero</a>, sophomore <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Williams</a> and junior <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/wendell-moore-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wendell Moore Jr.</a>&nbsp;
This season, the 18-year-old averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 threes and 1.2 steals, while shooting 41.9% from the field, 31.2% from three-point range and 67.0% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Brotherhood forever. Thank you Duke💙🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/mFnh19Mhjx">pic.twitter.com/mFnh19Mhjx</a>
&mdash; Keel Mode (@TrevorKeels) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrevorKeels/status/1517966007695982592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Matt Babcock, our senior NBA Draft analyst, was impressed by Keels and projects him as a late-first or early-second round pick.
"A physical and slashing guard capable of shooting the ball from outside, Trevor Keels came to Duke after being a consensus five-star high school recruit," Babcock said. "His physicality and natural ability to score the ball should generate interest from NBA teams. Although he can be streaky as a shooter, he has a beautiful release and has proven to be a tough shot-maker. With positional size and a knack for scoring, Keels is one to follow during the pre-draft process."
In BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most recent 2022 NBA Mock Draft</a>, Keels is projected to go No. 32 overall to the Orlando Magic.

Trevor Keels announced that he is entering the 2022 NBA Draft, becoming the fourth Duke player to declare.

Trevor Keels becomes fourth Duke player to enter 2022 NBA Draft

Duke junior Wendell Moore Jr. is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft, becoming the third Blue Devil to enter the draft.
The 6-foot-5 forward &mdash; who is a projected late first-round pick &mdash; averaged 13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists. He proved to be an efficient scorer during his junion season, shooting 50% from the field and 41.3% from three-point range while also taking on the role of Duke's primary wing defender.

<script src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
"What an incredible journey this has been! Long before I stepped on campus in the summer of 2018, I knew that Duke was home," Moore <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccoh3d9L4uA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote on his Instagram account</a>. "This program, this school, my teammates, coaches, and you the fans, have meant so much to me and my family. Together, we have produced memories and experiences that will last forever."
He follows Blue Devils freshman <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/paolo-banchero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero</a> and sophomore <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Williams</a> in entering the draft.&nbsp;
Matt Babcock, BasketballNews.com's Sr. NBA Draft Analyst, says that Moore has improved enough to potentially be drafted in the first-round.
"Wendell Moore Jr. played a vital role in Duke&rsquo;s team that reached the Final Four this past season," says Babcock. "I thought Moore was limited to being strictly a tough and slashing wing throughout his first two seasons. However, he proved me wrong this year, as he elevated his game and was even one of Duke&rsquo;s primary ball handlers. In my book, he&rsquo;s gone from being a very fringe NBA prospect to now being a potential first-round pick."
Moore is currently the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/wendell-moore-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">27th-ranked player</a>&nbsp;on BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.

Duke junior Wendell Moore Jr. is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft, becoming the third Blue Devil to enter the draft.

Duke's Wendell Moore Jr. declares for the 2022 NBA Draft

Duke sophomore Mark Williams announced that he is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft.
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, the 7-foot center averaged 11.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks on 72.1% shooting in 39 games during his sophomore season with the Blue Devils. His 2.8 blocks was second among sophomores (behind only Walter Kessler) and was 12th overall in the NCAA. He earned the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Williams announced that he was declaring via his Instagram, expressing his gratitude for his time at Duke.
Matt Babcock, BasketballNews.com's Sr. NBA Draft Analyst, believes Williams' abilities will allow him to stick around in the pros for a long time.
"Mark Williams had a terrific season at Duke this year, and he's continued to grow on me," Babcock said. "His performance versus Gonzaga in Las Vegas in November was one of the best showings I saw in-person all season. I think he has a chance to develop into a solid starting center as a rim running and rim-protecting five-man. I wouldn't be surprised to see Williams have a long and productive NBA career."
Williams is currently ranked No. 12 on BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.

Duke sophomore Mark Williams announced he is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft.

Duke's Mark Williams declares for the 2022 NBA Draft

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement regarding Duke University men&rsquo;s basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski:
&ldquo;The NBA congratulates Mike Krzyzewski on his record-setting coaching career. In 42 years as head coach at Duke and more than a decade as a head coach for USA Basketball, his leadership and mentoring have had a profound impact on countless NBA players, coaches and executives, including me. &nbsp;We thank Coach K for all that he has done for the game of basketball.&rdquo;.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement regarding Duke University men’s basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Adam Silver issues statement regarding Duke's Mike Krzyzewski

The NCAA Championship tickets have been punched. Here's a look into how Saturday night's Final Four matchups played out:
North Carolina defeats Duke 81-77
In an instant classic that will live in the hearts and minds of college basketball fans forever, Coach K&rsquo;s career comes to an end. This one was tied 67-67 with 3:32 to play in regulation and had everyone on the edge of their seats. Caleb Love connected on a big layup to take the lead late, but Trevor Keels answered with a triple to take a one-point lead with 2:00 left.
After multiple lead changes and a massive Love three-pointer that may be one of the biggest shots in Tar Heel history, North Carolina was able to hold on down the stretch and advance to the NCAA Championship. Paolo Banchero had a strong outing for the Duke Blue Devils, but Love and Armando Bacot were too much to handle. Bacot had an incredible 21 rebounds and overcame a late-game injury before fouling out. It was quite a game &mdash; one that lived up to all the hype one would expect from the first-ever Final Four matchup between two of the greatest college basketball programs in history.&nbsp;
Notable Stats: Caleb Love - 28 points, 9 rebounds Paolo Banchero - 20 points, 10 rebounds Armando Bacot - 11 points, 21 rebounds RJ Davis - 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists Trevor Keels - 19 points Brady Manek - 14 points
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_18009507_lg.jpg" alt="" width="626" height="418" />
Kansas defeats Villanova 81-65
The Jayhawks opened the game with a barrage of three-pointers and jumped out to a 16-5 lead. At one point, Kansas led 36-18, but the Villanova Wildcats cut into the deficit a bit and trailed 40-29 at the half. Nevertheless, this game was a wire-to-wire victory for Kansas, who never trailed. The story of the game was Ochai Agbaji&rsquo;s shooting, as he hit six of his seven attempts from behind the arc. As a team, Kansas connected on 13-of-24 from deep, which allowed them to keep their breathing room for the entirety of the contest. Christian Braun hit a dagger three late in the contest to make it 75-59. After the game, Bruan said, "I had hit one before that, so I had nothing to lose. Honestly, just threw one up there, and it went in."
The Wildcats <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-villanova-will-have-to-survive-without-justin-moore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">missed Justin Moore badly</a> after he suffered an injury in the Elite Eight, but Saturday's loss doesn&rsquo;t take away from the tremendous performance by Bill Self and Co. The Jayhawks will move onto the NCAA Championship.&nbsp;
Notable stats: David McCormack - 25 points, 9 rebounds Ochai Agbaji - 21 points Jalen Wilson - 11 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists Collin Gillespie - 17 points Brandon Slater - 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists Caleb Daniels - 13 points, 5 rebounds
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

North Carolina and Kansas advanced to the NCAA Championship with Final Four wins Saturday night.

Tar Heels and Jayhawks punch NCAA Championship tickets

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Tyus Jones scored 25 points and the Memphis Grizzlies edged the San Antonio Spurs 112-111 on Wednesday night to capture the Southwest Division title and clinch the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
The Grizzlies claimed their first division title in franchise history and accomplished the feat with All-Star point guard Ja Morant watching from the sidelines.
&ldquo;Definitely a big milestone,&rdquo; Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;I told the group, a special accomplishment for a special group, but we&rsquo;ve got more work to do.&rdquo;
Memphis never trailed, even as Morant missed his sixth straight game with a sore right knee. The Grizzlies improved to 19-2 without Morant this season.
&ldquo;A gutsy win,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;Those are the wins that show you it&rsquo;s not always going to be a pretty game. It&rsquo;s not always going to be every shot falling and we win by 20. Sometimes you&rsquo;re going to have to grind it out and go win a game down the stretch on the offensive end or maybe the defensive end. We need those games down the stretch here.&rdquo;
The loss halted San Antonio&rsquo;s four-game winning streak, the Spurs&rsquo; longest of the season. They dropped a half-game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for 10th in the West and the final berth in the play-in tournament.
San Antonio closed within a point, at 112-111, on a tip-in by Keldon Johnson with 27.8 seconds remaining. Following a miss by the Grizzlies&rsquo; Desmond Bane, Johnson missed a layup contested by Bane with 2.7 seconds remaining.
&ldquo;What a brilliant (play call),&rdquo; Jenkins said. &ldquo;They probably knew that we were going to switch before. They got exactly what they wanted, a shot right at the rim. It just didn&rsquo;t go in.&rdquo;
Jenkins said it was &ldquo;stressful&rdquo; matching basketball wits with San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who he considers a mentor. Jenkins spent six seasons with the Spurs, including head coach of their G League affiliate.
Memphis withstood San Antonio with a balanced effort, as it has done for much of the season.
The Grizzlies had five players score in double figures and shot 48% (44 for 91). Dillon Brooks scored 21 points and Bane and De&rsquo;Anthony Melton each added 16.
Dejounte Murray had 33 points, matching the career-high he set Monday in Houston, and added 13 rebounds. Johnson scored 23 points.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Murray and Lonnie Walker IV and a video review that disallowed a basket by Jarren Jackson Jr. cut Memphis&rsquo; lead to 93-86 entering the fourth, the first time San Antonio was within single digits in the second half. The Spurs scored the first five points of the fourth, pulling within 93-91 and setting up the tense final seconds.
&ldquo;I was really proud of them,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;But I am proud of them, it was great. Good stuff. Great growing experience for them against a hell of a team. Like I said before, Taylor and his staff have done a fantastic job. That team competes hard, they execute really well, maybe better than most anybody in the league, so that is a fine performance for us tonight."
Jackson scored the game&rsquo;s first five points, including his only 3-pointer. The Grizzlies and Spurs were a combined 10 for 23 on 3-pointers in the opening quarter.
GO DUKE!
With Memphis having the weekend off, Jones is considering traveling to New Orleans on Saturday to see Duke play North Carolina in the Final Four.
Jones played for the Blue Devils under Mike Krzyzewski, who is retiring at the close of the tournament after 41 seasons as the team&rsquo;s head coach.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not nervous, I&rsquo;m excited. I&rsquo;m excited,&rdquo; Jones said.
The fact that Duke is facing rival North Carolina for the first time in the NCAA Tournament only makes this moment more meaningful for Jones and the Blue Devils.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of fate that the first time ever playing UNC would be in his last year in the Final Four with the chance to go to the championship game,&rdquo; Jones said. &ldquo;Everything lines up. I&rsquo;m excited for him.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Morant was shooting 3-pointers minutes before pregame warmups after his teammates had left the court. Morant didn&rsquo;t show any signs of discomfort during his workout. He was bounding around the court as he attempted numerous half-court and three-quarter court shots before sprinting off the court. &hellip; Jackson played 25 minutes after being a game-time decision because of a sore right thigh. &hellip; Jones injured his left hand in the first half after the ball bounced back and jammed his fingers. He returned in the third quarter with his middle and ring finger taped together. &hellip; Memphis&rsquo; bench averages a league high 98.5 minutes per game.
Spurs: San Antonio has lost six straight to Memphis and five straight at home. The Spurs last home victory against the Grizzlies was Jan. 5, 2019, and their last win overall as Dec. 23, 2020. &hellip; Walker had six points and played 14 minutes in his return from a four-game absence. Walker injured his back March 18 after a blind screen from Willy Hernangomez on March 18.
UP NEXT
Grizzlies: Host Phoenix on Friday night.
Spurs: Host Portland on Friday night.
&nbsp;

Tyus Jones scored 25 points and the Memphis Grizzlies edged the San Antonio Spurs 112-111 to capture the Southwest Division title.

Grizzlies edge Spurs 112-111, clinch No. 2 seed in West

The Final Four is upon us. Although only four teams remain from the Field of 68, there are numerous prospects set to take the floor this weekend.&nbsp;
Our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has been scouting these players for years, so I had him break down the 2022 NBA Draft prospects to watch in the Final Four. This list only includes prospects who are expected to enter this year&rsquo;s draft and are currently included on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/paolo-banchero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero, Duke</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/htPJv8HJGhU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, Paolo Banchero is incredibly versatile. He excels in the post, can create off the dribble and continues to improve as a face-up shooter from deep. He lacks elite athleticism on the defensive end, but has flashed a great feel and discipline to counter that. Players with his build and skill set don't come around very often. Banchero is widely considered as a top-four pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/aj-griffin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Griffin, Duke</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ke66p9aJBXU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
AJ Griffin is 6-foot-6 and possesses a 7-foot wingspan. He is a powerful and versatile wing with a tremendous physical profile and promising skill set. Griffin has also shown the ability to create for both himself and others. After missing the early part of this season due to injury, he has solidified himself as one of the best shooters in the country. AJ is the son of former NBA player and current Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin, and he has made a case for himself to become a top-10 pick.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/ochai-agbaji" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ochai Agbaji, Kansas</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cJlRr2gvJLY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Ochai Agbaji is a versatile wing who has shown promise as a defender, slasher, and shooter. Early in his career, he was known for his athleticism and defense. However, this season, he has emerged as one of the best shooters in America, making giant leaps as a scorer in both volume and efficiency. Agbaji has solidified himself as a viable 3-and-D option at the NBA level and was one of the best players in the entire country.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Williams, Duke</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h3x9NaQ1bxk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Mark Williams is one of the best shot-blockers and inside scorers in the country. Utilizing his size, length and interior presence, Williams shows flashes of dominance on both ends. This season, he has been solid for Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils, which could lead to him being a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/wendell-moore-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wendell Moore Jr., Duke</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kx6az4wc9pg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Moore is having a breakout season, finally coming into his own during his junior year. At 6-foot-5, he has good positional size, strength and athleticism at guard. While Moore remains streaky as a three-point shooter, he has proven to be a reliable three-level scorer this year for the Blue Devils. He will still be 20 years old on draft night with more room to develop, making him a solid option this June.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/trevor-keels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevor Keels, Duke</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2HB69e7rwCg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
A physical and slashing guard capable of shooting the ball from outside, Trevor Keels came to Duke after being a consensus five-star high school recruit. His physicality and natural ability to score the ball should generate interest from NBA teams. Although he can be streaky as a shooter, he has a beautiful release and has proven to be a tough shot-maker. With positional size and a knack for scoring, Keels is one to follow.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/christian-braun" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Braun, Kansas</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BnOiG2qCS38" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
At 6-foot-6, Braun has positional size and has shown the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. He has a smooth release from three and can pick his spots off the dribble. He is reliable on and off the ball on offense, while providing intelligent defense on the other end. Braun is a well-rounded player and makes a strong case for the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/players/caleb-love-2?tab=stats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caleb Love, North Carolina</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/plYqvwlmZk4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
After being a highly-touted recruit out of high school, Caleb Love had a somewhat underwhelming freshman season for the North Carolina Tar Heels. However, this season, he is scoring well from deep and the free-throw line, promising a scoring punch at the next level. Love is a solid athlete with a quick first step and a knack for playmaking, and has taken a step forward this season. Love could be a viable option in the 2022 NBA Draft if he can continue trending in the right direction.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/collin-gillespie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Collin Gillespie, Villanova</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FcGteXGkIrA" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Collin Gillespie will enter the 2022 NBA Draft as one of the more accomplished college players in the class. He already has three Big East Championships and a national championship on his resume, and he'll look to duplicate that success at the NBA level. At 6-foot-3, he is intelligent on and off the ball, and is a reliable scorer at multiple levels. He's also disciplined and instinctual on defense, providing real value on both ends of the floor. Gillespie has the tools to be a backup point guard at the next level, so it will be interesting to track if an organization gives him that opportunity.
The Final Four will take place this weekend in New Orleans, LA.&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Villanova vs. Kansas at 6:09 PM ET.</li>
<li>North Carolina vs. Duke at 8:49 PM ET.</li>
</ul>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Who are the notable 2022 NBA Draft prospects to watch during the Final Four? Here is a guide, with a scouting report for each player.

March Madness: 2022 NBA Draft prospects to watch for in the Final Four

Duke and North Carolina are taking their much talked about and often debated men&rsquo;s basketball rivalry on the road to a place its never been.
The neighboring schools are preparing for another first in a series filled with big-name players and intense finishes: playing each other in the NCAA Tournament. It seems fitting the matchup comes in the Final Four, with a berth in the championship game on the line.
It&rsquo;s an intriguing script for Saturday night&rsquo;s showdown in New Orleans.
Duke ran North Carolina off its own court in the teams&rsquo; first meeting this season. The Tar Heels exacted revenge by spoiling retiring Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski&rsquo;s final home game in what appeared to be their last battle with Coach K.
A third meeting wasn&rsquo;t something either wanted to talk about to start the week, not when Krzyzewski&rsquo;s Blue Devils were first to earn their spot to the Big Easy and not when Hubert Davis&rsquo; Tar Heels followed a day later.
They have to now.
&ldquo;To me, the thing is, I think we&rsquo;re going to have two really good teams play against one another,&rdquo; Krzyzewski said Tuesday, three days after beating Arkansas to claim the West Region title. &ldquo;Whereas, the last two games we were better than them at that point and they were better than us at the other point. And now we&rsquo;ll see what happens.&rdquo;
The Tar Heels continued their second-half surge by beating underdog Saint Peter&rsquo;s on Sunday to win the East Region crown and reach an NCAA-record 21st Final Four despite being a No. 8 seed.
While Davis is surprised the teams have somehow never run into each other in the NCAAs, he shrugged off questions about the significance of the meeting beyond the chance to play for a national title.
&ldquo;Duke-Carolina, the significance, Coach K&rsquo;s last season &mdash; those things, even though that it is a story, and that&rsquo;s relevant, it doesn&rsquo;t help us on the floor,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;So our focus is on what helps us on the floor, and it&rsquo;s our preparation, our practice and our play.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve told the guys, &lsquo;You&rsquo;ve got to turn down or turn off the noise from the phone, the family, the friends and the fans. And focus on what&rsquo;s ahead of us.&rsquo;&rdquo;
The fierce rivalry between programs with a combined 11 NCAA championships has long been an annual must-watch event. It&rsquo;s a series featuring names like Jordan, Laettner, Hill and Jamison, among them. It also has had star power on the sideline, with Krzyzewski battling Hall of Famers like the late Dean Smith and Roy Williams before now facing a first-year coach in former UNC and NBA player Davis.
The teams had come close to this moment only once before, in 1991. That&rsquo;s when both the Blue Devils and Tar Heels reached the Final Four in Indianapolis.
But the Tar Heels, with Davis as a player and Smith the coach, lost the first semifinal to a Kansas team coached by Williams. Then Duke stunned everyone by beating undefeated and reigning national champion UNLV in the second game, creating a what-could&rsquo;ve-been scenario as the Blue Devils went on to beat Williams&rsquo; Jayhawks for Krzyzewski&rsquo;s first of five NCAA championships.
Now it&rsquo;s finally happening, but the script for Round 3 is unclear considering how wildly different the teams&rsquo; two regular-season meetings ended.
The Blue Devils won the first by 20 points in February, dominating behind a star-level performance from freshman A.J. Griffin in particular. Duke looked sharp from the outset, rolling to a 31-8 lead while looking completely unbothered by a crowd booing relentlessly in its own farewell to Krzyzewski in his final trip to Chapel Hill.
By the end, they were celebrating 3-pointers and dunks in a preening performance on the Tar Heels&rsquo; homecourt, sending fans fleeing for the exits with five minutes left. It was a performance that led junior Wendell Moore Jr. said afterward illustrated how his team loves big games and &ldquo;being the villain.&rdquo;
The performance only further heightened questions about the Tar Heels&rsquo; toughness and their lack of a competitive response in lopsided losses to Tennessee, Kentucky, Miami and Wake Forest earlier in the season.
Yet their trajectory changed in the rematch to close the regular season, turning an improving team into one determined to prove its mettle in one of the game&rsquo;s toughest environments. And it came amid the pomp and heightened emotion with Krzyzewski&rsquo;s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium that made it feel more like a spectacle than ever, starting with a pregame ceremony and photo with more than 90 of his former players.
The Tar Heels ignored all of it, playing instead with a fearless fire and confidence lacking in that first meeting.
Davis stuck with his five starters in a substitution-free second half that saw the Tar Heels shoot 59% and score 55 points. And by the end, the Tar Heels were celebrating a double-digit victory on &ldquo;Coach K Court&rdquo; and had Krzyzewski apologizing to the crowd in an awkward warm-up to the postgame ceremony in his honor.
&ldquo;And I&rsquo;ll tell you,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;this season isn&rsquo;t over, all right?&rdquo;
It seems he was talking about this year&rsquo;s rivalry, too.
&ldquo;Just us meeting at this time, especially after beating them in Cameron, it just makes for the perfect story,&rdquo; UNC junior big man Armando Bacot said. &ldquo;And I think it&rsquo;ll definitely be one of the biggest college games of all time.&rdquo;

Duke and North Carolina are taking their much talked about men’s basketball rivalry on the road to a place its never been.

Round 3: UNC, Duke set for first NCAA meeting in Final Four

Coach K&rsquo;s final chapter will have a distinctly blue tint.
Two weeks of upsets and underdogs in the books, the Final Four is down to four blue blood programs: Kansas, Duke, North Carolina and Villanova.
Kansas faces Villanova, then it&rsquo;s Duke-Carolina for the first time in the NCAA Tournament in New Orleans.
This is going to be good, so here&rsquo;s a quick rundown of the last four teams left standing:
KANSAS
Final Four road: The Jayhawks (32-6) looked vulnerable after consecutive late-season losses, but rounded into form at just the right time. While the other No. 1 seeds dropped off in the NCAA Tournament, the Big 12 champions beat Texas Southern, Creighton and Providence to reach the Elite Eight. Kansas rolled into its 16th Final Four by crushing Miami 76-50 to win the Midwest Region.
Strengths: Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun can both score in bunches, shoot from the perimeter and beat defenders off the dribble. Remy Martin is an immediate adrenaline boost off the bench.
Weaknesses: The Jayhawks overwhelmed Miami in the paint in the Elite Eight, but have been mediocre in the post at times.
Star: Agbaji. The 6-foot-5 senior is explosive and coming off his best game of the NCAA Tournament, scoring 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting against Miami.
Key contributor: Martin. The Arizona State transfer enters the game like he&rsquo;s shot off a launching pad, changing the complexion with his quickness and fearlessness.
VILLANOVA
Final Four road: The Wildcats (30-7) had some shaky stretches earlier in the season, but have won 14 of 15, including the Big East Tournament. Villanova has been its efficient best at both ends in the NCAA Tournament, beating Delaware, Ohio State and Michigan to reach the Elite Eight. The Wildcats smothered Houston in San Antonio, winning 50-44 to reach the Final Four for the third time in six seasons.
Strengths: The buffed-up Wildcats often bully teams around the floor on offense and defense. Villanova also shoots 83% from the free-throw line, on pace to break Harvard&rsquo;s NCAA record of 82.2% set in 1994.
Weaknesses: The Wildcats were already thin and lost second-leading scorer Justin Moore to a torn Achilles tendon against Houston in the Elite Eight.
Star: Collin Gillespie. The senior guard tore his ACL late last season, but has been a huge reason Villanova is back in the Final Four with his steady leadership and clutch shooting.
Key contributor: Jermaine Samuels. The 6-7 senior plays bigger than his size and is a difference maker at both ends of the court
DUKE
Final Four road: Coach Mike Krzyzewski&rsquo;s final of 42 seasons in Durham suffered a few bumps in the road, including a blowout to North Carolina in his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils (32-6) have seemed determined to send Coach K out on top since the NCAA bracket began, blowing out Cal State Fullerton, then grinding out wins over Michigan State, Texas Tech and Arkansas to reach the Final Four for a record 13th time under Krzyzewski.
Strengths: The Blue Devils have multiple scoring options and are No. 1 in KenPom&rsquo;s offensive efficiency ratings. Krzyzewski has shown the game hasn&rsquo;t left him behind as he heads for the exit, making key adjustments that propelled Duke to the Final Four.
Weaknesses: Duke has been good on the defensive end lately, but had some rough moments earlier in the season, particularly in the loss to North Carolina. The Blue Devils have good 3-point shooters in A.J. Griffin and Wendell Moore, but have been inconsistent from the arc.
Star: Paolo Banchero. A likely top-3 pick in this year&rsquo;s NBA draft, the 6-10 freshman is a matchup nightmare for opponents. Banchero has the size to post up smaller players, can shoot from the perimeter and beat defenders off the dribble.
Key contributor: Mark Williams. Duke&rsquo;s 7-1 sophomore center is a dominating force on the defensive end, blocking and altering shots. He&rsquo;s also got a good post game and finishes with authority.
NORTH CAROLINA
Final Four road: The Tar Heels (28-9) got their first season under Hubert Davis off to a shaky start, looking like they&rsquo;d miss the NCAA Tournament. Davis has since pulled the right strings, leading North Carolina to wins over Marquette, No. 1 seed Baylor and UCLA to reach the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels ensured a blue blood Final Four by crushing upstart Saint Peter&rsquo;s 69-49.
Strengths: Armando Bacot is one of the best big men in the country, freshman Caleb Love is a dynamic scorer and R.J. Davis a steady floor leader who also can score in bunches.
Weaknesses: Davis&rsquo; rotation doesn&rsquo;t go much beyond the starting five, which nearly cost the Tar Heels against Baylor. North Carolina has been better defensively late in the season, but had some real clunkers on that end earlier.
Star: Bacot. North Carolina&rsquo;s big man can be dominating, as he was with 20 points and 22 rebounds against Saint Peter&rsquo;s.
Key contributor: Brady Manek. The Oklahoma transfer proved to be the piece North Carolina was missing, providing perimeter shooting and scoring while doing all the little things the Tar Heels need.

Two weeks of upsets and underdogs in the books, the Final Four is down to four blue bloods: Kansas, Duke, UNC and Villanova.

March Madness: Final Four has a blue tint with power programs

Two down, two to go. Half of the spots in the Final Four have been claimed, here is how today&rsquo;s games unfolded:
Villanova def. Houston 50-44 The Wildcats took this one wire-to-wire, and were able to fend off the relentless Cougars. Caleb Daniels, who scored 12 points for Villanova, mentioned the physicality of this one saying, "It was a literal street fight, every possession trying to get a rebound." Jermaine Samuels led all players with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Something of note: Justin Moore suffered a leg injury in the final minute of regualation and was seen on crutches during postgame. The Wildcats enter their third Final Four in the last six NCAA Tournaments, where they will meet either Miami (FL) or Kansas.
Duke def. Arkansas 78-69 The Blue Devils took a 10-9 lead six minutes into the game and never looked back. Jaylin Williams played well for the Hogs, but the balanced Duke offense was simply too much to handle, as Paolo Banchero scored 16 points and AJ Griffin scored 18. Duke had a tremendous night shooting, hitting 54.7% from the floor, 40% from three and 88.9% from the free-throw line. Coach K and co. continue this run in the coach's Farewell Tour, where they will meet either North Carolina or Saint Peter&rsquo;s in the Final Four. Stat of the night: Coach K passes John Wooden for the most Final Four appearances with 13.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Two down, two to go. Half of the spots in the Final Four have been claimed, Derek Murray takes us through today’s games.

March Madness: Elite Eight Saturday recap, halfway to the Final Four

In perhaps one of my favorite matchups of this basketball season and scouting cycle, Duke ousted Texas Tech 78-73 in the Sweet 16. It was quite literally a &ldquo;tale of two halves&rdquo; as Tech and Duke exchanged jabs and pot shots for the opening 20, with the Blue Devils struggling to consistently find a weak spot in Tech&rsquo;s no-middle leviathan. 
According to KenPom, Texas Tech&rsquo;s first-ranked defense, allowing just 85 points/100 (adjusted for schedule), was the best defense in DI basketball since&hellip; Tech in 2018-19 (84.1 pts/100), Virginia in 2017-18 (85.6 pts/100, 31-3 record) and Kentucky in 2014-15 (84.4 pts/100, 38-1 record).
In the second half, Duke scored 49 points. That's the most Tech allowed in a half this season &mdash; in fact, Tech held its opponent below 49 points in the entirety of a game multiple times this season. They allowed 45 in a half to Oklahoma earlier this season, and held them to 42 points the next game. Duke&rsquo;s 78 final points was the second-most allowed by the Red Raiders all year, and most in regulation.
This Texas Tech defense was a juggernaut all season, which puts into context the performance Paolo Banchero put together in the second half.
The first time you watch a no-middle defense (what Tech thrives upon), it's vexing. It's odd to watch a team welcome baseline drives, but it makes sense when an unsuspecting guard takes the open lane and runs into well-timed help and back-line rotations in the paint. The communication required to fully execute a scheme so reliant on switching, timeliness and aggression cannot be undersold.&nbsp;
Just watch this possession.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/8tv87k" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Duke opts into a high-aligned horns set to draw out the defense. Look at how much space is presented along the baseline.
Now, watch how Tech slowly shows you that the space just doesn't actually exist!
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_26_19_36_19_lg.png" alt="" width="572" height="322" />
Terence Shannon Jr. shades Wendell Moore, presenting the baseline drive, denying the potential of a middle pick-and-roll with Paolo Banchero.
Bryson Williams helps down off of Mark Williams, preparing to time his slide with a Roach drive.
Kevin Obanor pre-rotates off of AJ Griffin to help at the rim.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_26_19_40_25_lg.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
Williams rotates and the ball is stopped.&nbsp;
Kevin McCullar fronts Mark Williams, preventing any quick lobs or interior passes opened up by Bryson helping off his man.
Adonis Arms (great name) is glued to Banchero to take away any immediate outlet.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_03_26_19_50_13_lg.png" alt="" width="586" height="330" />
Moore tries to split the double and passes out to Roach in the slot as he stumbles.
Obanor closes hard and forces the pass to Griffin who takes an initially open, but at least late-contested shot from deep, as Williams screams to the corner.
This possession wasn't even a perfect showcase of the difficulty of trying to break down a defense this in-sync &mdash; with length, court awareness and athleticism throughout the 5-man unit.
Throughout the first half, Duke attempted to get Paolo open in different ways, but Tech made it near-impossible to get him downhill. If a dribble hand-off was called, Tech switched, but the defender who just switched off would keep a hand on Paolo, sticking to him as the next defender took him on, giving a more open look from deep &mdash; but also not affording Paolo a slip or quick post mismatch. Also, it should be said that there just isn't really anyone you can post-up against and take advantage of on the Tech team. If he did catch the ball outside the arc, the Red Raiders would soft-close, refusing to give him a lane to the rim and forcing him to either drive and post into help on his pivot, or take a pull-up two.
These are the three baskets Paolo made in the first half:
<ul>
<li>And-one layup on the break</li>
<li>Catch-and-shoot three in early offense</li>
<li>Wide-open two-handed slam on blown switch with 15 seconds before the half</li>
</ul>
Tech's defense clung to Paolo like an overblown life jacket. Duke started to use him as a screener for pin-downs from the low/mid-post to try and get him more to the middle of the floor away from action, and able to attack off the catch &mdash; attempting to get his vision in the heart of the defense (precisely where Tech did not want him).
That last basket in the first from Paolo felt like a bit of a parting of the Red Sea, the "we-need-this-more" moment for Duke.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/hw09xm" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Griffin is by and large one of the best shooters in college basketball this season, so Tech sells hard on his cut to the arc off an elevator screen. However, the quick dive from Mark Williams frees up Paolo due to Tech's overplay and miscommunication on the switch. To be fair, that is a hard play to cover when factoring in the gravity in-play. You have one of the best shooters (Griffin), a great roll-man and lob threat (Williams) and then maybe the most dynamic scorer in Division I (Banchero).
It's sort of like guarding a Spain pick-and-roll without the actual pick-and-roll.
While this isn't an action you can just spam over and over against a great defense, it showed the key for Duke &mdash; the team needed to set up more interior screening actions to force the defense to think more and get them into more precarious situations.
To open the second, they started to look for high-lows to find Williams off dummy actions. After Duke caught Tech the first time, they started selling out harder to front. Duke also slipped in more off-ball lifting from the corners to make it harder on the taggers.&nbsp;
Even then, Tech's defense was so stout, and was able to flounder most of those actions. However, it freed up Paolo Banchero to find cracks in the defense. The man who was glued to him at all times earlier... well, the early actions and off-ball movement were enough of a solvent to pry him loose.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/3o6ggx" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Shannon is ball-watching a bit and prepared to help on Williams, but Moore lifts, gets the kick, is stifled himself, and then... Paolo.
The ability to jut into space, and tight space at that, shimmy through unbothered, and then place a perfectly timed lob... that's special. It seems basic watching, but make no mistake, this sort of play is backbreaking.
Then, a few minutes later, a play breaks down. Duke starts swinging and trying to find an answer, and the ball reaches Paolo's hands with 10 seconds on the shot clock.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/m6kpqv" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
He looks to Theo John, fakes a chest pass to Trevor Keels, then jabs and rips left as soon as Kevin Obanor plants his foot, but then spins back on the pivot.
This is really solid defense from Obanor, but the body control and composure from Paolo beats solid defense.&nbsp;
Paolo's drive commands Shannon's attention, but so does Griffin lifting to the slot. Paolo keeps his eyes on the rim as he jumps for a fleeting moment, keeping Shannon's eyes on him in the process, adding a sliver of time and space for Griffin to plant and fire.&nbsp;
This possession and this pass are far from perfect, but in a game like this against this level of opposition, the ability to make imperfect plays work in your favor is part of what sets apart good and great players.
Remember that elevator play from earlier? Well, it's back!
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/tgjaee" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Tech remembers what happened last time that play went down, switching everything, keeping the screeners from getting open, but now with the Arms rotation, Keels is wide open in the weak corner. The shot doesn't fall, but attacking the middle is opening up plays on the perimeter.
Here comes another variation.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/71wn7d" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
What else is Texas Tech supposed to do? The action from Paolo is too quick to front, you can't really just give him a baseline shade when you're that close to the rim. Williams honestly helps about as well as he can given positioning and how the play develops. Paolo just hits a ridiculous baseline floater/push shot that's been setup by his utilization as the game's gone on.
Again, the offense looks late to Paolo off-ball as the clock winds down off multiple stuffed actions.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/r2tvwc" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Williams can't finish inside, but again, they get a great look. Paolo catches, dips left, and rips to his right &mdash; drawing two while also freezing Arms in the middle of the floor, opening Williams for the lightning quick pass to the dunker spot (<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dunker-spot/id1547857052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listen and subscribe!</a>).
Getting to the middle of a no-middle defense is, as the name implies, the way to best defeat it.
Next play down, Roach kicks the ball to Banchero early in the clock and he attacks immediately, driving baseline.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/yazzy3" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Here's the fun wrinkle. He spins as soon as help comes, essentially rendering it useless as he fires the ball out to the top of the key. He draws two to where the ball no longer is!
Griffin attacks the paint and kicks to the corner as Paolo relocates and gets the wide-open three, because of the attack he set in motion seconds earlier.
Again, Paolo stirs the drink later down the floor, attacking off the close, getting deep in the paint and forcing rotations and a wild close-out as Moore attacks off his pass for the bucket at the rim.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/nxq17t" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Duke has the pace pushing now.
Tech's on their heels and it's palpable through pixels.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/ghq0p0" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
It's hard to find players who can spin with regularity, but also with control.&nbsp;
Paolo's drive game has entered 'the deal zone' and there's not an offer that Tech can put forth to stop it. Sell out for the drive, and a dump-off or lob is headed to the dunker.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/xs24jz" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Mark Williams throws down an emphatic exclamation point on a dominant offensive half from Duke.
I could go on and on about their play as the minutes wound down &mdash; a methodic and metronomic bucket precipitated by an attack on the middle of the floor. Paolo Banchero wasn't the primary ball-handler for the Blue Devils, but he was certainly the primary difference maker.
Credit to Duke's coaching staff for putting their players in the right positions to succeed, but Banchero's decisiveness, awareness and gravity put Duke over the top and into the Elite Eight. Just an absolutely electric offensive showing and one of the best games I've seen from a collegiate player this year. Remember this game, as it highlights a great deal of what makes him so intriguing at the next level.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

After Texas Tech stifled Duke's offense in the first half, they were unleashed in the second, spurred by freshman Paolo Banchero.

How Duke's Paolo Banchero picked apart the best defense in basketball

The Elite Eight is set! After two more days of madness, nail-biters, and upsets, eight programs will meet this weekend to earn trips to the Final Four. Here's the breakdown of Thursday and Friday's results:
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Saint Peter&rsquo;s def. Purdue 67-64, will face North Carolina Happy National Peacock Day! Shaheen Holloway and the Saint Peter's Peacocks have stunned another powerhouse, defeating the No. 3 seed Purdue Boilermakers 67-64 to advance to the Elite Eight. They have now beaten Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue en route to becoming the very first No. 15 seed to make the Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament history. Daryl Banks III led them in scoring with 14 points, while Doug Edert provided 10 huge ones off the bench.
Arkansas def. Gonzaga 74-68, will face Duke In a fast-paced game for most of the night, JD Notae, Jaylin Williams and Trey Wade knocked off the No. 1 overall seed. Williams said after the game, "We've been disrespected the whole year, so it's just another thing for us.&rdquo; Notae led the way with 21 points on 9 of 29 shooting from the floor, while Drew Timme posted 25 points in (potentially) his final game for the Zags. This one had the internet buzzing - what a win for Eric Musselman and co.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17962576_lg.jpg" alt="" width="425" height="283" />
Duke def. Texas Tech 78-73, will face Arkansas This game was a heavyweight fight from start to finish. Texas Tech held a four-point lead at the half, but Paolo Banchero took over down the stretch, finishing with 22 points in the win. Jeremy Roach also played a huge role in this one with 15 points and 5 assists. Coach K and his Blue Devils survive and advance to a meeting with Arkansas. Must-see television ahead.&nbsp;
Houston def. Arizona 72-60, will face Villanova Kelvin Sampson is having, arguably, the best coaching season in America. He and the Cougars led wire-to-wire in this one to defeat the Wildcats, whom many had as their championship pick. Jamal Shead led the way with 21 points while Kyler Edwards posted 19. Another &lsquo;Culture Win&rsquo; for the Cougars as they will meet Collin Gillespie and Villanova in the Elite Eight.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17961508_lg.jpg" alt="" width="386" height="257" />
Villanova def. Michigan 63-55, will face Houston The Wildcats took the lead with 3:42 to go in the first half and never looked back. They remained in control the rest of the way behind 22 points from Jermaine Samuels and 15 from Justin Moore. This ends the Wolverines' run, which has been nothing short of impressive. Villanova will now meet Houston in the Elite Eight in a matchup of two of the most disciplined, well-coached teams in the country.
Kansas def. Providence 66-61, will face Miami (FL) The Jayhawks advance to their first Elite Eight since 2017 behind Remy Martin&rsquo;s 23 points, a season-high for him. They only got 19 combined points from Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun and David McCormack, but were able to hold on down the stretch. The Jayhawks are the only No. 1 seed remaining in the NCAA Tournament, and they are currently the betting favorites to win it all.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17968121_lg.jpg" alt="" width="405" height="270" />
North Carolina def. UCLA 73-66, will face Saint Peter&rsquo;s UCLA led 64-61 with 2:08 to play, but Caleb Love had other plans. He would catch fire from deep and hit two huge shots with just under a minute to play, giving his team the 67-64 lead. Armando Bacot would add a putback with 0:15 to play to make it a five-point game. That would be enough to hold off the Bruins. Love led the way with 30 points in an incredible performance, propelling the Tar Heels into a meeting with Cinderella, the Peacocks from Saint Peter&rsquo;s.&nbsp;
Miami (FL) def. Iowa State 70-56, will face Kansas The Hurricanes have advanced to the first Elite Eight in their program's history. Senior guard Kameron McGusty led all players with 27 points in this one, something he&rsquo;s accustomed to. A Sam Waardenburg three and Jordan Miller alley-oop extended Miami's the lead to 13 points with under 2:00 to play, which sealed the deal. Jim Larranaga and co. will play the final No. 1 seed in the field, Kansas, for a spot in the Final Four.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Eight programs will meet this weekend to decide the Final Four. Here's Derek Murray breaking down how everyone got where they are.

March Madness: Sweet 16 recap, looking ahead to the Elite Eight

I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and went to Arkansas Razorback Basketball Camp many times.
My high school, Booker T. Washington (back-to-back state champions) tried to mirror the Hogs' style.
"Forty minutes of hell" defense picking up full court the entire game.
A deep bench with multiple weapons utilizing both the inside and outside games.
Running up the score, and actually running opposing teams out of the gym, as we were collectively in better shape than most of our opponents.
So it was great to see No. 4 Arkansas take down the overall favorites and top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Sweet 16 game Thursday night 74-68 to advance to the Elite Eight.
&ldquo;Thank you to everybody who said we had no chance,&rdquo; Razorbacks head coach Eric Musselman told CBS after the game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
𝑵𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹 doubt the Hogs 🐗<a href="https://twitter.com/RazorbackMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RazorbackMBB</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/EricPMusselman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EricPMusselman</a> <a href="https://t.co/cbdwhGYEey">pic.twitter.com/cbdwhGYEey</a>
&mdash; Southeastern Conference (@SEC) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEC/status/1507170034526863361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

I caught up with former Razorback legends Lee Mayberry and Scotty Thurman to discuss the big upset and how Arkansas will fare moving forward in the rest of the NCAA Tournament.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Lee Mayberry
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/image-from-ios-45_lg.jpg" alt="" width="562" height="373" />
Etan: Mr. Lee Mayberry, how did it feel to see your team take down the No. 1-seeded and highly favored Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday night?
Mayberry: "It felt great. We were in those kids' shoes years ago ourselves, where you feel like it&rsquo;s Arkansas against the world. Gonzaga was the No. 1 seed like you said; they were projected to win it all in most brackets, and most people counted Arkansas out. If you are from Arkansas or Tulsa or surrounding areas, you understand how those kids feel that they are always doubted and counted out, so they have to believe in themselves. And we have a great fanbase who are right in that same boat and have that same feeling and mentality along with us."
Etan: I saw some similarities in the style of this team with your teams in your years at Arkansas in terms of lighting it up from the three, pushing the ball, the erratic offense. Would you agree?&nbsp;
Mayberry: "I definitely see similarities. Our style was chaotic with Coach [Nolan] Richardson. It was difficult to run an offense against our defense, we just wouldn&rsquo;t allow it. With these guys now, you see the length, the toughness, the relentless effort. Musselman really has those guys playing hard and at a high level. I love watching them."
Etan: I see a lot of the chatter today is about the refs. I saw Skip Bayless talking about a call in particular on Chet [Holmgren] that he thought was a foul. And I&rsquo;m looking at the game and I&rsquo;m thinking... all the calls Gonzaga got against Memphis and y&rsquo;all are complaining about the refs?
Mayberry: "Yeah that&rsquo;s a good point, they did get a lot of calls. It was a great game, but they definitely had a lot of calls go their way."
Etan: The call in particular Skip is talking about with Chet, J.D. Notae from Arkansas made a great play. He took to right to him like he was supposed to. If Chet stepped up and took a charge maybe, but he didn&rsquo;t. He clearly fouled him. That&rsquo;s what I saw.
Mayberry: "Of course I&rsquo;m biased, but I felt like Gonzaga definitely got their share of calls. You listen to Grant Hill and the commentators, and it was more than apparent that everyone was against us. If it&rsquo;s a 50/50 call, (it) seemed like they wanted those to go to Gonzaga too. Look, the referees aren&rsquo;t going to be perfect, but I thought the game was officiated just fine. In fact, I feel Gonzaga got a lot of calls themselves."
Etan: It&rsquo;s crazy, I&rsquo;m looking at Skip Bayless&rsquo; tweet now, and he said in all caps for some reason:&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I'M SORRY, NCAA BASKETBALL WITH ITS ONLY FIVE FOULS AND AMATEURISH REFS IS A JOKE. SO IF CHET HOLMGREN JUMPS BACKWARD AND THE ARKANSAS PLAYER DRIVES THE BALL UP INTO HIS CHEST, THAT'S A FOUL ON HOLMGREN??? CLOWN COLLEGE CALL - AS WERE 3 OTHERS ON FOULED-OUT HOLMGREN.
&mdash; Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSkipBayless/status/1507163187166150663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

And I just didn&rsquo;t see any of that.&nbsp;
Mayberry: "I thought Drew Timme fouled about 10 times throughout the game. Last night, the better team won period. We were better."
Etan: I agree, so I gotta ask you before I let you go about Nolan Richardson. I always had a lot of respect for him, how is he doing these days? Do you still keep in touch with him?&nbsp;
Mayberry: "Coach is doing well. I keep in touch with him. He&rsquo;s taking care of his wife, Rose. He&rsquo;s still living in Northwest Arkansas. He still has his farm. He&rsquo;s just enjoying life. He isn&rsquo;t getting around as much as he used to, but he still loves the game, watches the game and roots on the Arkansas Razorbacks."
Etan: That&rsquo;s great to hear. So what do they have to do to keep this going against Duke In the Elite Eight?&nbsp;
Mayberry: "Stay with the game plan, being that tough team with a chip on your shoulder. I love and respect Coach K for what he has done for NCAA basketball as a whole, but I would love to see that be his last game. So we just gotta do what got us here, that grind and grit and that chip. Keep all of that going against Duke."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Scotty Thurman&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/image-from-ios-44_lg.jpg" alt="" width="563" height="375" />
Etan: Mr. Scotty Thurman, what were your thoughts watching your team beat the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday night?&nbsp;
Thurman: "I thought we responded very well. I was worried about us being able to get back on transition, but thought we did a great job of getting back early and not letting Gonzaga really get into an offensive rhythm. And I thought the physicality of us was something that really gave Gonzaga problems."
Etan: It&rsquo;s interesting because all throughout the game, Grant Hill... and I love Grant Hill, he&rsquo;s just a great human being all around, but he was really acting like Gonzaga wasn&rsquo;t getting any calls. And I saw a lot of chatter on social media about the refs, did you see all that?
Thurman: "Well, it was definitely obvious that Grant was favoring Gonzaga with his commentary. I know in that position you&rsquo;re supposed to be unbiased, and he definitely didn&rsquo;t sound that way last night. And I saw the same commentary on Twitter you saw, but it&rsquo;s all to be expected. I&rsquo;m glad the team didn&rsquo;t get caught up in any of that, but they stuck to their game plan and came out on top as they should&rsquo;ve."
Etan: I don&rsquo;t wanna bring up old stuff, but I grew up a big fan of y&rsquo;all. Clint McDaniel, your teammate, went to my high school, Booker T. So in 1994, I remember being in high school in the cafeteria and all of us were rooting for y&rsquo;all. And watching you hit that big shot against Duke in the Finals and winning the championship, that&rsquo;s the first thing I thought of when I heard Grant&rsquo;s commentary.
Thurman: "It wasn&rsquo;t just you. I was thinking it too. Then, I saw someone tweet it. So I responded on Twitter and said, 'I thought it was just me.' After that, it just started to rain down on Twitter with comments saying he was still salty, and people kept posting the shot, my Razorback faithful, so it brought back great memories for me. But it&rsquo;s all in good fun like you said. Nothing but respect for Grant Hill. But yeah, I did think that too."
Etan: So let&rsquo;s talk a little bit about the shot since it was brought back up. Walk me through it. It really was like one of those "One Shining Moment" NCAA commercials that will always be a part of the advertising, you know? It&rsquo;s etched in March Madness history forever.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2ahgq19m_Dg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Thurman: (Laughing) "Well thanks, I appreciate that. Well since you asked, we can talk about it. I don&rsquo;t wanna be like I&rsquo;m Al Bundy over here. (Laughing) So it wasn&rsquo;t a drawn play, it was a broken play.
"Corey Beck had the basketball at the top of the key. He was looking for Corliss [Williamson], as he should have because I had just missed a couple of shots. Corey dribbled around, and passed the ball up top to Dwight [Stewart], who would&rsquo;ve drained the shot himself had he not fumbled the pass. And it&rsquo;s amazing that he had the wherewithal to not take a bad shot, but to still be willing to make an unselfish play which is something Coach Richardson was always adamant about &mdash; us playing unselfishly. Most kids would&rsquo;ve panicked and taken a bad shot. But he didn&rsquo;t. I popped out once I saw that Antonio Lang lost sight of me, like Coach Richardson drilled in my head over and over again to do if that ever happened, and [Dwight] hit me with the perfect pass. And the rest was history."
Etan: That&rsquo;s great, so last question: What are the keys to Arkansas winning this next game against Duke in the Elite Eight?
Thurman: "I think the main key is to remain physical. which is something that really bothered Gonzaga. They have to obviously make shots. I don&rsquo;t worry about Duke beating us in transition because I don&rsquo;t think they push the ball as fast as Gonzaga did. Their help-the-helper defense has really been great, so they need to continue that. And really bring the same energy and toughness that they had against Gonzaga, and we should be okay."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/violalogo1_lg.png" alt="" width="648" height="324" />
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Etan Thomas catches up with Arkansas legends Lee Mayberry and Scotty Thurman about the Hogs' upset win over Gonzaga.

Lee Mayberry, Scotty Thurman react to Arkansas' upset over Gonzaga

After an eventful start to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the Sweet 16 tips off on Thursday. While some top 2022 NBA Draft prospects have already been eliminated &mdash; such as Auburn's Jabari Smith, Iowa's Keegan Murray and Memphis' Jalen Duren &mdash; there are still quite a few upcoming draft picks worth watching.
Our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has been scouting these players for years, so he helped put together this guide of 2022 NBA Draft prospects to watch in the Sweet 16. This list only includes prospects who are expected to enter this year&rsquo;s draft and who are currently included on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jaden-ivey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaden Ivey, Purdue &mdash; No. 2 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YzoZBdLzU8Y" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
This season, Ivey shot career-highs across the board and propelled himself into top-3 consideration. Ivey is a phenomenal athlete and a promising on-ball defender who has flashed great potential on the defensive end of the floor. His offense has taken a huge leap, as he's shown the ability to create space for himself, score on multiple levels and attack the rim at an elite level. Purdue is one of the best teams in America, and Ivey is a huge component of their success. He's one to keep an eye on near the top of the 2022 class.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/chet-holmgren" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga &mdash; No. 3 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i4aEhVKXGW0" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
At 7-foot tall with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Chet Holmgren is a playmaker on both ends of the floor. He is comfortable with the ball in his hands, is a reliable shooter, and he can score on all levels. On the defensive end, Holmgren greatly affects the game as a rim protector. He will need to add weight to maximize his potential, as he is rail-thin, but he is one of the most unique prospects we've ever seen nonetheless. Holmgren is projected to be a top-five pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/paolo-banchero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero, Duke &mdash; No. 4 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/htPJv8HJGhU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, Paolo Banchero is incredibly versatile. He excels in the post, can create off the dribble and continues to improve as a face-up shooter from deep. He lacks elite athleticism on the defensive end, but has flashed a great feel and discipline to counter that. Players with his build and skill set don't come around very often. Banchero is widely considered as a top-four pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/aj-griffin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Griffin, Duke &mdash; No. 7 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ke66p9aJBXU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
AJ Griffin is 6-foot-6 and possesses a 7-foot wingspan. He is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2022-nba-draft-prencaa-tourney-look-at-dukes-aj-griffin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a powerful and versatile wing</a> with a tremendous physical profile and promising skill set. Griffin has also shown the ability to create for both himself and others. After missing the early part of this season due to injury, he has solidified himself as one of the best shooters in the country. AJ is the son of former NBA player and current Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin, and he has made a case for himself to become a top-10 pick.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/bennedict-mathurin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona &mdash; No. 9 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7nYfmZpQu20" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
After a strong freshman campaign for the Arizona Wildcats, Bennedict Mathurin has made a jump in his second year in Tucson. Mathurin's size, athleticism, defense and shot-making ability make him an intriguing NBA prospect. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, he is an explosive athlete and a capable slasher and finisher. Mathurin has solidified himself as one of the best wings in the 2022 NBA Draft and continues to make his case as a top-10 selection.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/ochai-agbaji" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ochai Agbaji, Kansas &mdash; No. 14 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cJlRr2gvJLY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Ochai Agbaji is a versatile wing who has shown promise as a defender, slasher and shooter. Early in his career, he was known for his athleticism and defense. However, this season, he has emerged as one of the best shooters in America, making giant leaps as a scorer in both volume and efficiency. Agbaji has solidified himself as a viable 3-and-D option at the NBA level and is a candidate for National Player of the Year.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Williams, Duke &mdash; No. 18 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h3x9NaQ1bxk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Mark Williams is one of the best shot-blockers and inside scorers in the country. Utilizing his size, length and interior presence, Williams shows flashes of dominance on both ends. This season, he has been solid for Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils, which could lead to him being a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/wendell-moore-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wendell Moore Jr., Duke &mdash; No. 31 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kx6az4wc9pg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Moore is having a breakout season, finally coming into his own during his junior year. At 6-foot-5, he has good positional size, strength and athleticism at guard. While Moore remains streaky as a three-point shooter, he has proven to be a reliable three-level scorer this year for the Blue Devils. He will still be 20 years old on draft night with more room to develop, making him a solid option this June.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/trevor-keels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevor Keels, Duke &mdash; No. 33 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2HB69e7rwCg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
A physical and slashing guard capable of shooting the ball from outside, Trevor Keels came to Duke after being a consensus five-star high school recruit. His physicality and natural ability to score the ball should generate interest from NBA teams. Although he can be streaky as a shooter, he has a beautiful release and has proven to be a tough shot-maker. With positional size and a knack for scoring, Keels is one to follow.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/christian-braun" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Braun, Kansas &mdash; No. 35 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BnOiG2qCS38" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
At 6-foot-6, Braun has positional size and has shown the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. He has a smooth release from three and can pick his spots off the dribble. He is reliable on and off the ball on offense, while providing intelligent defense on the other end. Braun is a well-rounded player and makes a strong case for the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/christian-koloko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Koloko, Arizona &mdash; No. 36 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YW_95n4lrb8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
One of the best rim-protectors in the country, Christian Koloko can anchor a defense in the half-court. As much as his 7-foot-4 wingspan helps on defense, it also allows him to be effective on the other end. His hands, post moves and awareness continue to improve, and he is an efficient finisher in the dunker spot. While his role won't ever be to carry a large load on offense, he can still make a significant impact as a rebounder, shot blocker and rim runner.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/trevion-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevion Williams, Purdue &mdash; No. 42 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LX4ZGek5Hik" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Trevion Williams may be the best low-post scorer in the country. He has incredible footwork and craftiness at the rim, and he is always thinking a step ahead with the ball in his hands. He is also an impressive athlete at 255 pounds, as he's quick off the ground and runs the floor well. Williams is old-school in the way he provides points, but he does the little things well. He has good vision out of the post, plays with a great motor and is the kind of player you want in your locker room. Williams has a great chance of earning a shot at the NBA level.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/johnny-juzang" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johnny Juzang, UCLA &mdash; No. 47 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n1K-2zAia1E" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
After a stellar NCAA Tournament run last season, Johnny Juzang tested the NBA Draft waters, but ultimately returned to UCLA for his junior season. At 6-foot-7, Juzang is an exceptional outside shooter, especially off the dribble in the half-court. He has continued his efficient scoring as a shot creator and cutter this season. He projects as a wing shooter and capable facilitator at the next level, and will be considered a solid option for teams picking in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jaime-jaquez-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA &mdash; No. 49 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0Z872A1pxnY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is intelligent and crafty, using defensive manipulation and footwork to create for himself and others. He excels in the post against smaller defenders, and can stretch the floor as a reliable shooter from three-point range. In addition, Jaquez is a hard-nosed competitor, and also provides adequate defense and rebounding. He continues to build on the momentum he established last March during UCLA's impressive tournament run, and he's proving to be a consistent three-level scorer and a viable option in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/drew-timme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew Timme, Gonzaga &mdash; No. 53 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QzlmJ-558ZQ" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
If there's anyone who can give Trevion Williams a run for his money as the best-low post scorer in the nation, it's probably Drew Timme. With tremendous footwork, touch and an ability to manipulate defenders, Timme was dominant last season and has been highly effective again as a junior. He needs to improve his lateral quickness and pick-and-roll defense, as he can often get taken out of the play with ease on the perimeter. If he is able to address some of those concerns, he could solidify himself a solid draft pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/collin-gillespie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Collin Gillespie, Villanova &mdash; No. 58 ranked prospect</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FcGteXGkIrA" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Collin Gillespie will enter the 2022 NBA Draft as one of the more accomplished college players in the class. He already has three Big East Championships and a national championship on his resume, and he'll look to duplicate that success at the NBA level. At 6-foot-3, he is intelligent on and off the ball, and is a reliable scorer at multiple levels. He's also disciplined and instinctual on defense, providing real value on both ends of the floor. Gillespie has the tools to be a backup point guard at the next level, so it will be interesting to track if an organiziation gives him that opportunity.
Be sure to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check our complete 2022 NBA Draft Big Board and click each prospect's name for more info</a> (including their highlights, measurements, projected role and more).
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Who are the notable 2022 NBA Draft prospects to watch during the Sweet 16? Here is a guide, with a scouting report for each player.

March Madness: 16 NBA Draft prospects to watch in the Sweet 16

The Sweet 16 field is official!
The final eight tickets to the Sweet 16 were punched yesterday, wrapping up the round of 32. Here's a recap of Sunday's action.
Iowa State defeats Wisconsin 54-49, will face Miami The 11th-seeded Cyclones pulled off another upset, defeating Johnny Davis and Wisconsin. Iowa State took the lead with 16:16 to play and were in control the rest of the way. Gabe Kalscheur had an incredible game, scoring 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting. After a couple years of real struggles, head coach TJ Otzelberger, Tyrese Hunter and Co. continue their phenomenal season and advance to the Sweet 16.
Duke defeats Michigan State 85-76, will face Texas Tech The final score here does not reflect the course of the game. Potential No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero led all players with 19 points in a strong outing, as Gabe Brown led the Spartans with 18. Sparty led by two with 2:50 to play, but Trevor Keels and Jeremy Roach hit some massive shots down the stretch. Coach K and the Blue Devils advance to the Sweet 16, where they have a date with the Red Raiders.&nbsp;
Miami defeats Auburn 79-61, will face Iowa State Miami led wire to wire in a game that, quite frankly, wasn&rsquo;t close. The starters carried the load in this one as they scored 75 of the team's 79 points. Isaiah Wong scored 21 points and Kam McGusty had 20 for the Canes as they outscored Auburn 46-29 in the second half. This was an incredible statement win for the Canes; they will meet Iowa State in the Sweet 16 for a shot at the Elite Eight.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17941291_lg.jpg" alt="" width="664" height="442" />
Purdue defeats Texas 81-71, will face Saint Peter&rsquo;s Purdue held a 14-point lead in the first half, but the Longhorns battled back and took a 44-42 lead of their own in the second. The Boilermakers would slam the door shut late in the contest, led by Trevion Williams' 22 points. Jaden Ivey also posted 18 points in the win. They move on to the Sweet 16 where they'll take on the red-hot Peacocks.&nbsp;
Houston defeats Illinois 68-53, will face Arizona This one was tied at 40-40 with 11:26 to play, but Houston would put on a clinic for the remainder of the game. Taze Moore scored 21 points to lead the charge as the Cougars played tremendous team basketball, especially in the second half. Head coach Kelvin Sampson mentioned &ldquo;Culture Play&rdquo; while alluding to the nature of the win, a method they&rsquo;ll no doubt need to win again in the Sweet 16.
Villanova defeats Ohio State 71-61, will face Michigan Villanova appeared in total control early in the second half, but the Buckeyes stormed back. After Ohio State had cut the lead to two points, the Wildcats hit some big threes and clutch free-throws, and they were able to hold on. Collin Gillespie led the way with 20 points, while Caleb Daniels provided 11 big points off the bench. Villanova now has a big matchup with the Michigan Wolverines in the Sweet 16.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17940451_lg.jpg" alt="" width="663" height="442" />
Texas Tech defeats Notre Dame 59-53, will face Duke This one went down to the wire as the teams traded leads for much of the second half. Kevin McCullar knocked down a pair of free throws with 40 seconds to play, extending his team's lead to 57-52, and they would hold on from there. The Red Raiders added a transition dunk just moments later and the celebration began. Kevin Obanor led all with scorers 15 points to go with 15 rebounds. Duke awaits, in a highly anticipated matchup.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WOWOWOWOWOW This end to regulation was WILD 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarchMadness</a> <a href="https://t.co/4gihUvpVCq">pic.twitter.com/4gihUvpVCq</a>
&mdash; NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1505760901063852032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Arizona defeats TCU 85-80 in OT, will face Houston This one was wild. After a huge Bennedict Mathurin three, they headed to overtime where Mike Miles Jr. and Mathurin traded buckets. The Cats would hang on to win 85-80, thanks to 30 points from Mathurin and 28 from Christian Koloko. They will look to continue their potential championship journey in a huge matchup with Houston. This will be must-see action.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Derek Murray takes us through the final games of the round of 32, and looks ahead to the matchups that await in the Sweet 16.

March Madness Recap: Sweet 16 is set

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

In recent NBA Draft history, there's been a common theme with potential lottery picks &mdash; standing about 6-foot-6 with a near-7-foot wingspan, having an &ldquo;NBA-ready&rdquo; frame and being athletically gifted.
Those players often have all the natural gifts but, to some extent, lack the ball skills or jump shot to make a high-level impact on the offensive end early in their NBA careers. Nevertheless, the physical tools are usually too intriguing to pass up, which results in their eventual lottery selection.
The early careers of those players see their teams utilize them as athletic defenders who are deployed as cutters and drivers on offense, while their jump shot flashes potential, and offseasons are spent tightening their handle and tweaking their shot form. Sound familiar?
We&rsquo;ve seen the successes of Jaylen Brown, the struggles of Stanley Johnson and the work-in-progress of Isaac Okoro.&nbsp;While his physical measurements may fit the previously stated description, Adrian Griffin Jr. &mdash; a.k.a. AJ &mdash; is creating his own narrative.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Duke Blue Devils' freshman is averaging 10.4 points and 3.8 rebounds on 50.2% from the field and 46.7% (!) from three going into the NCAA Tournament. Griffin was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, but missed most of his junior and senior seasons with injury. He also began his first year at Duke with a knee sprain, which set him back at the start of the season.
After a limited first four games of the season, Griffin played his first 20-plus-minute contest against Lafayette that prompted his rise back up draft boards, finishing with 18 points on 70.0% from the field and 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. Although the following three games resulted in limited minutes for AJ, the South Carolina State matchup once again reminded scouts of how high-level a draft prospect he is; Griffin had a 19-point, 7-for-8 showing.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/80an0XQHbSg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
From then on, Griffin&rsquo;s minutes increased, as it seemed he was getting stronger and more comfortable on the court post-injury. The freshman had notable road performances at Wake Forest (22 points, 8 of 11 FG), Louisville (22 points, 8 of 11 FG, 5 of 5 from three) and North Carolina (season-high 27 points, 11 of 17 FG) that secured Duke major wins in the ACC.&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s so interesting about Griffin as a prospect is the fact that his athleticism was his calling card in high school, yet he hasn&rsquo;t been reliant on it to be successful in college. He&rsquo;s found success with his impressive shooting outings. When watching him shoot the ball, his wide base is a bit unorthodox, but the top of his release is fluid, and you can&rsquo;t argue with the results. If Griffin faces a hard close out, he utilizes side steps, step backs and various dribble combinations to freeze his defender or create enough space to get off a smooth release.
When run off the three-point line, Griffin has flashed an ability to get into the mid-range and convert. He finishes around the basket well because of his strength, but may leave something to be desired considering the athletic pedigree he had in high school. This could be a result of his injury history but, a 58.0% field goal percentage around the rim (per InStat) could provide confidence that, as he gets stronger, he&rsquo;ll continue to improve his ability to finish against NBA defenders.
At this point, Griffin has a strong foundation as a prospect that profiles as a powerful and versatile wing with the potential to comfortably score the ball on all three levels. He has a solid handle that continues to improve, and upside as a long-armed defender who projects to guard 2-through-4.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ke66p9aJBXU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
It&rsquo;s no surprise that NBA scouts never hesitated after Griffin&rsquo;s slow start, even if injuries will remain a question mark. BasketballNews.com Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock never lost sight of Griffin&rsquo;s major upside, and provided his thoughts on the Blue Devils swingman as we enter the NCAA Tournament:
<blockquote>
I saw Duke on opening night at Madison Square Garden when they played Kentucky. Griffin scored 2 points in 11 minutes. Then I saw Duke again a few weeks later in Las Vegas when they played Gonzaga. He didn't even score in that game and only played 6 minutes. To say that he started the season off slow would be an understatement. Despite Griffin's lack of production or playing time, I was able to watch him work out before both of those games. The combination of his physical profile and shooting ability was undeniable. I knew it was just a matter of time before it clicked for Griffin, but I was beginning to question if he would be able to get things rolling in time to enter the 2022 NBA Draft. But then, it clicked, and although he's been a little up-and-down.
He's put together some huge games where he has shot the ball incredibly well. He also can create his own shot as he has a sweet step-back move. Although Griffin's freshman season has been a roller coaster, he has established himself as a likely lottery pick in this upcoming NBA Draft. We currently have him ranked No. 7 on the BasketballNews.com 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
</blockquote>
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" src="https://streamable.com/e/obty0o" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Tournament Outlook
March Madness is a time where the best players can shine the brightest, and there have been times this season where Griffin has been the most impressive player on the floor for the very talented Blue Devils. If Duke is going to make a deep run in this year&rsquo;s tournament, the team's going to continue to need Griffin&rsquo;s floor-spacing to shoot them into games &mdash; or to put games out of reach.
With the added context that this will be Mike Krzyzewski's final March Madness, there will be a heightened pressure on the Blue Devils to produce a strong run for Coach K. This tournament is also going to be important for Griffin to solidify his draft positioning, as he did end the ACC Tournament championship with his worst volume-shooting performance of the season in a loss to Virginia Tech (10 points, 1 of 8 from three). Duke&rsquo;s potential matchup against Michigan State in the second round could be a game to watch, as Griffin may line up against the Spartans&rsquo; rangy wings in Gabe Brown and fellow freshman Max Christie.&nbsp;
Griffin&rsquo;s quiet start to the year hasn&rsquo;t matched how important he became to Duke this year.
But on the game's biggest stage, Griffin is preparing for his grand crescendo.
AJ Griffin is currently ranked No. 7 on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Blake Hairston analyzes how important AJ Griffin has become for Duke this season and why he's risen up 2022 NBA Draft boards.

2022 NBA Draft: Pre-NCAA Tourney look at Duke's AJ Griffin

Across the country, teams are competing in conference tournaments and trying to punch their ticket for the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is almost here, and then the tourney starts next Tuesday. Here's a recap of Friday's slate.
Games of the Day
Texas Tech def. Oklahoma 56-66 - Big 12 Semifinal The Sooners have been on the bubble for quite some time and, after a big win against Baylor, we&rsquo;ll have to wait and see what this loss does to them. They fought tooth and nail after being down 14 points in the second half, and even took a 54-52 lead with 3:05 to play. Clarence Nadolny hit a free throw to make it 56-54 and the Red Raiders held on from there. Great game.
Saint Louis def. St. Bonaventure 57-56 - A10 Quarterfinal Saint Louis held a nine point lead with 9:35 to go, but the Bonnies went on a run to take a one point lead with 1:24 remaining. Gibson Jimerson hit a jumper with 0:17 on the clock that would end up being the game-winner. Big win for the Billikens as they advance to the A10 Semifinals.
UAB def. MTSU 102-98 in 3OT - CUSA Semifinal In a thriller, the largest lead for either team was just seven points. With a 62-62 score after regulation, the two teams headed to overtime, in which Donovan Sims hit a clutch free throw to send it to double-overtime at 69-69. It would take another overtime, but Jordan Walker and co. finally sealed the deal at 102-98, keeping the team's dream alive.
Dayton def. UMass 75-72 - A10 Quarterfinal In the second half of this one, neither team led by more than five points as it went down to the wire. DaRon Holmes II made a jumper with 51 seconds remaining that gave Dayton a 69-68 lead, and they took it home from there. Holmes II would end with 28 points in a strong outing.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17876491_lg.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" />
Duke def. Miami (FL) 80-76 - ACC Semifinal The Canes led for a good part of the first half, but it was tied at 36-36 going into the break. Duke held a 69-65 lead with 2:09 to play and from there it was a free-throw game for the Blue Devils. Keels, Moore Jr., and Griffin knocked them down and were able to seal the deal. They advance to the ACC Championship.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Upsets, the Madness
Indiana def. Illinois 65-62 - Big Ten Quarterfinal The Hoosiers entered this game, once again, heavy underdogs with only a 29.2% chance of winning. They kept the first half competitive and trailed by only two points at the break, but turned on the jets and had a 5 point lead in just under 10 minutes to play. Indiana is still considered a Bubble Team, but along with yesterday&rsquo;s win, they should be more comfortable.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17876690_lg.jpg" alt="" width="452" height="548" />
Michigan State def. Wisconsin 69-63 &nbsp;- Big Ten Quarterfinal As a true bubble team, this was a huge win for Sparty. They advance to the Big Ten Semifinals thanks in large part to Marcus Bingham Jr. and his stellar performance. Marble II and Hoggard both provided sparks off the bench in the win.
Virginia Tech def. North Carolina 72-59 - ACC Semifinal After leading by six points at the break, the Hokies really opened it up halfway through the second half. Keve Alume posted 18 and Darius Maddox scored 20 huge points off the bench in the win. They move on to the ACC Championship and hope to put a bow on this amazing run.
Creighton def. Providence 85-58 - Big East Semifinal Creighton absolutely handed it to the No. 11 team in the nation. They led by 15 points at the break and only grew their lead as the game went on. With four players in double-digits scoring, it was a balanced attack from the get-go. Great win for the Bluejays.
Texas A&amp;M def. Auburn 67-62 - SEC Quarterfinal The Aggies have had a solid season, but I doubt many people saw this coming. Tyrece Radford and Quenton Jackson had big moments and now they are (likely) a lock for the NCAA Tournament. They will face Arkansas in the Semifinals.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17874929_lg.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="300" />
Standout Performances
Jordan Walker (UAB): 40 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
Xavier Castaneda (Akron): 26 points, 4 rebounds
Michael Ertel (UAB): 26 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
DaRon Holmes (Dayton): 28 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks
Jordan Wright (Vanderbilt): 27 points, 6 rebounds
Noah Fernandes (UMass): 26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Jesse Zarzuela (Coppin State): 27 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
TyTy Washington (Kentucky): 25 points, 3 rebounds
Kameron McGusty (Miami FL): 24 points, 7 rebounds
Holland Woods (Grand Canyon): 24 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals
Deandre Dishman (MTSU): 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists
Kofi Cockburn (Illinois): 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks
Geo Baker (Rutgers): 23 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
Brad Davison (Wisconsin): 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Teddy Allen (New Mexico State): 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists
Au&rsquo;Diese Toney (Arkansas): 22 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Jermaine Samuels (Villanova): 21 points, 12 rebounds
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17878061_lg.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="366" />
2022 NBA Draft: Prospect Watch
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
TyTy Washington (Kentucky): 25 points, 3 rebounds
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas): 22 points, 3 rebounds
AJ Griffin (Duke): 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4-6 3PT
Jabari Smith (Auburn): 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Jaden Ivey (Purdue): 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Walker Kessler (Auburn): 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals, 2 assists
Tari Eason (LSU): 15 points, 3 assists, 3 steals
Johnny Davis (Wisconsin): 11 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-1w6e6rj r-1h0z5md r-1yzf0co">
<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-1habvwh r-i023vh">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

Derek Murray takes us through Friday's conference tournament results, as bubble teams battle for an NCAA tourney spot.

March Madness: Conference tournament Friday recap

Gonzaga, Arizona and reigning national champion Baylor remained atop The Associated Press men&rsquo;s college basketball poll Monday while Tennessee cracked the top 10 for the first time this year and North Carolina returned to the Top 25 for the first time since November.
Mark Few&rsquo;s Bulldogs claimed 52 of 61 first-place votes to hold the No. 1 ranking for the fourth straight week and eighth time this season going back to the preseason poll. The Wildcats stayed at No. 2 for the third straight week under first-year coach Tommy Lloyd and claimed six first-place votes, while Scott Drew&rsquo;s Bears &ndash; who held the top spot for five weeks earlier this season &ndash; took the other three.
Auburn and Kentucky rounded out the top five, followed by Kansas, Duke, Villanova, Purdue and Tennessee. The Boilermakers and Volunteers tied for the No. 9 spot, with Tennessee tying No. 13 UCLA and No. 16 Illinois with the week&rsquo;s biggest jump of four spots.
Southern California had the biggest fall of the week, tumbling five spots to No. 21 after losses to Arizona and UCLA last week. No. 18 Houston fell four spots.
No. 23 Colorado State joined the 25th-ranked Tar Heels as the poll&rsquo;s new additions, bumping Ohio State and Alabama from last week&rsquo;s rankings. The Rams spent four weeks in December and January in the poll, peaking at No. 20.
The Tar Heels opened the year at No. 19 but fell out of the rankings by Thanksgiving &ndash; part of the Atlantic Coast Conference having just one ranked team in the Blue Devils for most of the season.
They hadn&rsquo;t received any votes in the past six polls, but jumped back in Monday after winning at Duke on Saturday in retiring Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski&rsquo;s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Gonzaga, Arizona and Baylor remained atop the AP men’s college basketball poll Monday while Tennessee cracked the top-10.

Gonzaga remains atop AP Top 25; Tennessee cracks top 10

With the 2022 NCAA Tournament right around the corner, it's time for conference tournaments to begin so teams can begin punching their ticket to The Big Dance in March.
Mid-major tournaments have already gotten underway, on Wednesday, five Power Five tournaments will have begun theirs to join the club.
(Editor's note: Check out our breakdowns of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-big-ten-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Ten</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-big-12-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big 12</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-pac12-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pac-12</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-sec-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEC</a>.)
Since everyone will have their eyes on the best players in these conferences over the next few weeks, BasketballNews.com has highlighted each Power Five and its top 2022 NBA Draft prospects.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Here are the names to look out for in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/paolo-banchero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero</a>
Forward | Duke
Height: 6-10 Weight: 250 Wingspan: 7-1
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.6 Nationality: Italy, USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/htPJv8HJGhU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, Paolo Banchero is incredibly versatile. He excels in the post, can create off the dribble and continues to improve as a face-up shooter from deep. He lacks elite athleticism on the defensive end, but has flashed a great feel and discipline to counter that. Players with his build and skill set don't come around very often. Banchero is widely considered as a top-four pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/aj-griffin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Griffin</a>
Guard-Forward | Duke
Height: 6-6 Weight: 221 Wingspan: 7-0
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 18.8 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ke66p9aJBXU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
AJ Griffin is 6-foot-6 and possesses a 7-foot wingspan. He is a powerful and versatile wing with a tremendous physical profile and promising skill set. Griffin has also shown the ability to create for both himself and others. After missing the early part of this season due to injury, he has solidified himself as one of the best shooters in the country. AJ is the son of former NBA player and current Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin, and has made his case as a top-10 pick.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Williams</a>
Center | Duke
Height: 7-0 Weight: 242 Wingspan: 7-7
Class: Sophomore Draft Day Age: 20.5 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h3x9NaQ1bxk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Mark Williams is one of the best shot-blockers and inside scorers in the country. Utilizing his size, length and interior presence, Williams shows flashes of dominance on both ends. This season, he has been solid for Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils, which could lead to him to first-round pick status in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/wendell-moore-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wendell Moore Jr.</a>
Guard-Forward | Duke
Height: 6-5 Weight: 213 Wingspan: 6-11
Class: Junior Draft Day Age: 20.8 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kx6az4wc9pg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Wendell Moore Jr. is having a breakout season, finally coming into his own as a junior. At 6-foot-5, he has good positional size, strength and athleticism at guard. While Moore remains streaky as a three-point shooter, he has proven to be a reliable three-level scorer this year for the Blue Devils. He will still be 20 years old on draft night with more room to develop, making him a solid option this June.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/blake-wesley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Wesley</a>
Guard | Notre Dame
Height: 6-5 Weight: 185 Wingspan: 6-11
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.3 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sZBCDogsnOw" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Blake Wesley came to Notre Dame as the No. 100 RSCI high school recruit,, but has quickly cemented himself as one of the more productive freshmen in the country. He has positional size and excellent length with a knack for scoring at all three levels. He'll need to improve his overall efficiency before unlocking his full potential, but he has the tools and skill set to develop into a capable NBA player.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/trevor-keels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevor Keels</a>
Guard | Duke
Height: 6-4 Weight: 221 Wingspan: 6-7
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 18.8 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2HB69e7rwCg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
A physical and slashing guard capable of shooting the ball from outside, Trevor Keels came to Duke after being a consensus five-star high school recruit. His physicality and natural ability to score the ball should generate interest from NBA teams. Although he can be streaky as a shooter, he has a beautiful release, and has proven to be a tough shot-maker. With positional size and a knack for scoring, Keels is one to follow.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/alondes-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alondes Williams</a>
Guard-Forward | Wake Forest
Height: 6-5 Weight: 210 Wingspan: N/A
Class: Senior Draft Day Age: 23 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6ubVfJW7qT4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
After two seasons at both Triton College (NJCAA DII) and Oklahoma, Alondes Williams transferred to Wake Forest and truly came into his own. Leading the team in points, rebounds and assists, he is versatile and reliable in all facets of the game. His shooting has been inconsistent, but he makes a strong case for this June's NBA Draft. He is one of the older players in the class, but projects as a player worthy of an opportunity at the next level.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/caleb-love" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caleb Love</a>
Guard | North Carolina
Height: 6-4 Weight: 195 Wingspan: 6-9
Class: Sophomore Draft Day Age: 20.7 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CggGI33n634" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
After being a highly-touted recruit out of high school, Caleb Love had a somewhat underwhelming freshman season for the North Carolina Tar Heels. However, this season, he is scoring well from deep and the free-throw line, promising a scoring punch at the next level. Love is a solid athlete with a quick first step and knack for playmaking, and has taken a step forward this season. Love could be a viable option in the 2022 NBA Draft if he can continue trending in the right direction.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/dereon-seabron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dereon Seabron</a>
Guard-Forward | NC State
Height: 6-7 Weight: 180 Wingspan: 6-11
Class: Sophomore Draft Day Age: 22.1 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wKJy1AIZkCY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
After redshirting in 2019 and only playing 17 minutes in 2020, Dereon Seabron has exploded onto the scene as a sophomore. Leading NC State in multiple statistical categories, he excels in attacking and finishing in the lane with his long wingspan. He isn't much of a floor stretcher at this point in his career, but adds significant value in other areas such as rebounding and facilitating. He is older for a sophomore (22.1 on Draft Day) but continues to make a strong case for himself in this June.
Others worth noting:
Armando Bacot | North Carolina
Buddy Boeheim | Syracuse
Matthew Cleveland | Florida State
Kameron McGusty | Miami
Jake LaRavia | Wake Forest
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Matt Babcock highlights the top 2022 NBA Draft prospects in the ACC Tournament.

2022 NBA Draft: Top prospects in the ACC Tournament

Rookie Evan Mobley had 20 points and 17 rebounds, Lauri Markkanen scored 22 and the Cleveland Cavaliers widened their lead on Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings with a 104-96 win over the Raptors on Sunday night.
The Cavs won for just the second time in eight games. They're trying to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 &mdash; and with just over a month left in the regular season, every game matters.
Darius Garland had 17 points and 10 assists, Cedi Osman added 17 points and Kevin Love 15 as Cleveland improved to 3-0 against Toronto.
Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and Chris Boucher 21 for the Raptors, who opened a six-game road trip without All-Star guard Fred VanVleet (knee soreness) or forward OG Anunoby (fractured finger).
Down 18 in the fourth, the Raptors closed within 100-95, but Garland made two free throws and Osman's steal with 56 seconds left helped seal it for the Cavs.
Injuries to VanVleet and backup Malachi Flynn led to Toronto coach Nick Nurse starting rookie Scottie Barnes at point guard. He finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 42 minutes.
As has been the case all season, the loss came with some concern for the Cavs. All-Star center Jarrett Allen left in the second quarter with a bruised quadriceps and did not return. He had six points and two rebounds in 10 minutes.
Cleveland came in having lost six of seven, but there were encouraging signs of the young team snapping out of its recent funk in a 125-119 loss at Philadelphia on Friday. A matchup against the team directly behind them in the standings figured to be a bigger test.
&ldquo;To do what we want to do, this is a moment and challenge for us,&rdquo; coach J.B. Bickerstaff said pregame.
Cleveland led by 13 at halftime and then overcame a brutal third quarter &mdash; 16 points, 1 of 10 on 3-pointers &mdash; by opening an 82-64 lead early in the fourth. Love then hit a 3-pointer and reserve Dean Wade delivered a thunderous dunk over Toronto's Khem Birch.
TIP-INS
Raptors: Finished 6 of 24 on 3-pointers. ... VanVleet has missed the past five games, but Nurse believes he'll be back &ldquo;shortly.&rdquo; Toronto is off the next two days and Nurse is optimistic the &ldquo;extra couple days will get him ready to go.&rdquo; ... Anunoby, averaging career highs in points (17.5), rebounds (5.5), has missed seven straight games.
Cavaliers: Markkanen added a season-high 12 rebounds. ... G Rajon Rondo (sprained toe) sat out his fifth game in a row while G Caris LeVert (sprained foot) missed his sixth straight. &ldquo;Both of them are taking steps in the right direction,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said.
COACH K TRIBUTE
Nurse attended Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday night as a guest of Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, whose son, AJ, is a freshman forward for the Blue Devils.
Nurse said one of his biggest takeaways from the event was Coach K's deep connection to the school.
&ldquo;It's incredible,&rdquo; he said. "The guy was there for 42 years. When I was 30, I had nine jobs already. It seems impossible that that was his vision and that was his plan and to execute it to such a level of magnificence.
"That's what he wanted to do and to keep it all together and do it in relationship-slash-family way."
UP NEXT
Raptors: At San Antonio on Wednesday.
Cavaliers: Visit Indiana on Tuesday to start a three-game road swing. Cleveland is 3-0 this season against Indiana.

Rookie Evan Mobley had 20 points and 17 rebounds, Lauri Markkanen scored 22 and the Cavaliers won 104-96.

Mobley, Markkanen power Cavaliers past Raptors 104-96

Mike Krzyzewski&rsquo;s final home game at Duke had just ended in an unexpected defeat to the Blue Devils&rsquo; fiercest rival. The time had come for the school to hold its postgame on-court ceremony in Krzyzewski&rsquo;s honor.
Only, the retiring Hall of Famer was still thinking about Saturday&rsquo;s 94-81 loss to North Carolina.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry about this afternoon,&rdquo; he began, then waved off cheers from the fans. &ldquo;It was unacceptable. Today was unacceptable, but the season has been very acceptable. And I&rsquo;ll tell you: this season isn&rsquo;t over, all right?&rdquo;
It was a slightly awkward moment to start of the ceremony, yet a sign that the 75-year-old coach was already thinking and driven about what&rsquo;s still to come: a maximum of nine games left for the No. 4 Blue Devils with chances to win the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and a sixth NCAA championship.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not my last game &mdash; it&rsquo;s my last game in Cameron,&rdquo; he told reporters afterward. &ldquo;But it seemed like it was your last game. ... So many people are saying great things about you and whatever, and you say, &lsquo;It&rsquo;s not over yet.&rsquo;&rdquo;
The focus had been on Krzyzewski all week leading up to the rivalry game that was an even bigger spectacle than usual.
It drew more than 90 former players who participated in a pregame photo with their coach, taken from the Cameron rafters. And there were other celebrities in the building.
According to the school, the guest list for Krzyzewski&rsquo;s going-away party included comedian Jerry Seinfeld, actor/comedian Ken Jeong, NBA commissioner Adam Silver, Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook, quarterback Kyler Murray of the NFL&rsquo;s Arizona Cardinals, former NFL players Terrell Owens and Todd Gurley, record producer 9th Wonder and coach Nick Nurse of the NBA&rsquo;s Toronto Raptors.
There was also a sighting of retired NBA great Dirk Nowitzki, who took a walkthrough of the Duke practice facility earlier Saturday and ran into current player Wendell Moore Jr. Moore quickly asked for a photo with the former world champion.
The buzz turned to disappointment by the end of the game as Krzyzewski left the court to talk to his team in the locker room. But the seats in Cameron remained full as fans awaited his return for the school&rsquo;s postgame ceremony, which included Krzyzewski holding his wife Mickie&rsquo;s left hand while everyone watched a presentation on the videoboard about Krzyzewski&rsquo;s long run of success in Cameron.
The ceremony ended with Krzyzewski&rsquo;s family, children and grandchildren included, at midcourt as he addressed the crowd a second time.
&ldquo;For my entire family, all these munchkins here, thank you,&rdquo; Krzyzewski said. &ldquo;This has been so ...&rdquo;
Krzyzewski trailed off, offering a wave as the cheers began to erupt. Then he and his family began walking off the court a final time, with the coach giving a few claps and a thumbs-up along the way.
His time at Cameron may be over, but there&rsquo;s still work ahead.

Mike Krzyzewski's time at Cameron may be over, but there’s still work ahead.

Duke’s Coach K turns focus to next steps after North Carolina loss

In a game where emotions were high and tickets were going for just shy of $80,000, the North Carolina Tar Heels were able to walk in and come away the victors over their rival Duke Blue Devils, 94-81.
Behind a strong team effort on the offensive end, UNC's starters scored 92 of their 94 points, and Armando Bacot led the way with 23 of them.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Armando Bacot 23 Pts (10-11 FG) 7 Rebs vs DUKE!!! Quick playing with bro and put him in the Lottery&hellip; ACC Player of the year!!! <a href="https://t.co/P1yNPVAQru">pic.twitter.com/P1yNPVAQru</a>
&mdash; Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) <a href="https://twitter.com/Frankie_Vision/status/1500288472329949194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Trevor Keels got the scoring started for Duke (26-5, 16-4 ACC), but the Tar Heels (23-8, 15-5 ACC) jumped out to an 11-4 lead. Bacot picked up a quick foul and was put on the bench, and Paolo Banchero responded by leading Duke on a 10-2 run. Jeremy Roach would contribute 6 quick points off the bench, as Duke took the 16-15 lead. UNC's Brady Manek answered with his second triple to make it 26-23.&nbsp;
The Blue Devils were up 41-39 heading into halftime, with Banchero leading the way with 15 points. RJ Davis led Carolina with 11, and Manek was 3 for 6 from deep with 9 points.
Duke extended the lead to 50-44 just minutes into the second half, but Bacot went on a run and cut the Tar Heels' deficit back to two. By the under-12 TV timeout, Duke held a 56-54 advantage.&nbsp;
The Tar Heels went on top 65-61 at the 8-minute mark in part to Bacot really getting things going, plus a tough bucket from Caleb Love. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski called a timeout at 2:58 after a Wendell Moore Jr. three cut the Blue Devils' deficit to 79-74.&nbsp;
Manek would connect on another triple following the timeout to make it 82-74 in favor of UNC, and things started to get tense. Leaky Black and Bacot quickly scored baskets of their own, and that about did it. The Tar Heels came into Cameron Indoor and spoiled Coach K&rsquo;s finale.
Love scored 22 for the visitors, while Manek hit 5 of 10 from deep for 20 points of his own. Davis had a great game for the Tar Heels with 21 points.&nbsp;
Banchero led Duke with 23 points. Blue Devils center Mark Williams posted 16 points and 13 rebounds. Roach had a strong showing, too, with 15 points off the bench.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The Blue Devils rank No. 6 in the NET and No. 5 in Adjusted Efficiency, making them one of the favorites to win the National Championship. Banchero, the potential No. 1 overall pick in this coming NBA Draft, continues to play well with 16.9 points per game. AJ Griffin, Williams, Keels, and Moore also have strong cases as first-round picks.
The Tar Heels entered this one as winners of four straight, and have moved up to No. 8 in the NET Rankings. They have the No. 25 ranked offense in the nation behind Bacot (16.4 PPG), Love (15.5 PPG) and the Oklahoma transfer, Manek (14.2 PPG). They will need a positive showing in the ACC Tournament to ensure a visit to the Big Dance.
Next up for Coach K and the Blue Devils? It's time to refocus and gear up for the ACC Tournament, where Duke will enter as the top seed. In March Madness, the Blue Devils currently project as a No. 2 seed.
North Carolina sits on the &ldquo;Last Four Byes&rdquo; line and is considered a Bubble Team &mdash; although this win will play huge with the committee.&nbsp;
Pregame Celebration
While he ends his Duke career at home on a sad note, Mike Krzyzewski will be remembered for the game of basketball and his accolades, yes, but also for how he left his mark on people.&nbsp;
Krzyzewski entered this one with a career record of 1,196-365 (.766). His list of accolades includes:
<ul>
<li>35 NCAA Tournament appearances</li>
<li>12 Final Four appearances</li>
<li>5 NCAA Championships</li>
<li>Three-time Naismith College Coach of the Year</li>
<li>Five-time ACC Coach of the Year</li>
<li>An induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame</li>
</ul>
Before the game, there was a beautiful ceremony from over 80 former Duke players who made the trip to honor Coach K.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ozuYbR51YKA" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Some of those former players spoke to our BasketballNews.com staff.
A couple of weeks ago, Luke Kennard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/luke-kennard-letting-it-fly-with-a-quicker-trigger-for-game-clippers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told our Spencer Davies</a>:
<blockquote>
He meant a lot [to my career]. Coach, he gave me an opportunity to play at the best university in the world, play for the best coach to ever coach the game," Kennard said. "It was a lot of fun. I mean without going there, [there's] no way I would be where I am today. He's great. He's such a family guy. Anytime I have a big game, he's always texting me like after the game. He keeps in touch with a lot of his players. I'm happy for him. He's done everything he's wanted to do while coaching the game. There's no better guy or coach for everything that's happened to him &mdash; he deserved it all. Happy retirement to him. He's gonna enjoy it now, he's gonna enjoy his family and grandkids. I'm happy for him though. I keep in touch with him all the time, and hopefully they can go out with a bang and try to get him a national championship this year. It's been fun to watch.
</blockquote>
Nolan Smith <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/duke-assistant-nolan-smith-on-coach-ks-retirement-jon-scheyer-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told our Chief Content Officer Alex Kennedy</a>:
<blockquote>
When a legend says "It&rsquo;s time," then it&rsquo;s time&hellip; His legacy comes down to winning. He consistently won in four different decades; that right there is unheard of. There are so many big-time coaches that have been in this game, but a lot of them most likely [won] in one or two decades. Not many have gotten to four decades and had the continued success that he&rsquo;s had. I think another part of that legacy is that he&rsquo;s created these relationships with players over and over again, so players continually wanted to play with Coach K. A lot of coaches get old; he never got old, he&rsquo;s still not old. Even heading into his last season, he stays up-to-date, he&rsquo;s adjusted to the times and he&rsquo;s adjusted to the game. I think that right there is part of his legacy, the fact that he&rsquo;s been able to change with the times of this game and not let it pass him up.
He&rsquo;s helped me tremendously in so many different ways. First, I&rsquo;ll start with basketball; he helped me be the best basketball player that I could be. The way he challenged me every day, the way he taught me to prepare every single day, how to approach the game every single day -- those were all lessons that helped me as a player. A lot of those lessons ended up helping me when I transitioned into my coaching career, too. All of those lessons that he was teaching are things that he does as a coach: he prepares better than anybody, he puts the time in, he watches film and he dedicates himself fully to his craft as a coach. That&rsquo;s probably something that a lot of people don&rsquo;t know about coaches: you put that same time in. And Coach puts in more time than anybody when it comes to his craft. Just being able to watch him and take notes... I&rsquo;ve made sure to have a notepad and a pen in every single meeting with him because he&rsquo;s always going to give you some kind of gem, some kind of lesson, that I can take with me and use in my coaching career when I deal with my players and, one day, have my own program.
</blockquote>
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

In a game where emotions were high and tickets were going for just shy of $80,000, UNC was able to beat its rival Duke on the road.

North Carolina spoils Coach K’s last home game, beats No. 4 Duke 94-81

Duke&rsquo;s Mike Krzyzewski has spent more than four decades preparing seniors for managing the emotions that come with taking the court a final time at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
This week, the retiring Hall of Famer must do that for someone new: himself.
&ldquo;Little bit of thinking yesterday: &lsquo;This is your last game at Cameron,&rsquo; Krzyzewski said Thursday, two days before his fourth-ranked Blue Devils host North Carolina to close the regular season. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s crazy, how did that happen? How is it here? &hellip; I&rsquo;ll have to spend some time, have a meeting with me.
&ldquo;Maybe a few tough talks about keeping my eyes on the road, so to speak.&rdquo;
The 75-year-old known to many as &ldquo;Coach K&rdquo; has spent the better part of a year deflecting questions about his looming retirement and trying to avoid being a distraction or creating additional pressure on his fourth-ranked Blue Devils. The approach has worked, with a roster led by players with NBA futures securing the program&rsquo;s outright first Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title since 2006.
Now there are no more deflections, no more chances to push questions into the distance. The moment is here, with Krzyzewski down to one home game &ndash; fittingly against the rival Tar Heels &mdash; and no more than 10 games left in an impressive career.
As Krzyzewski said he told his staff Thursday morning: &ldquo;Who would&rsquo;ve ever thought? It&rsquo;s my Senior Day.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I think I&rsquo;m just going to overall &ndash; I&rsquo;m talking to myself right now &ndash; just let it happen,&rdquo; Krzyzewski said. &ldquo;And see what the hell happens. But try not to let it negatively influence anything for my players, because look, for them, it&rsquo;s their game. &hellip; And I&rsquo;m responsible for making sure that they have the best chance to win that game.&rdquo;
Krzyzewski&rsquo;s resume includes a college-coaching record 1,196 victories to go with five NCAA championships. So much of that success originated in the 82-year-old campus arena, with its cramped confines (9,314 capacity) and rowdy students packed into bleachers practically on top of the court along the length of the sideline to create an intimidating and ear-ringing homecourt advantage.
In all, Krzyzewski has a 572-75 record (.884) in 42 seasons of home games.
His Cameron farewell will be an emotional spectacle, adding another layer to a rivalry that annually commands the spotlight and features neighboring teams with a combined 11 NCAA championships.
The cheapest ticket on StubHub as of Thursday afternoon was $3,250, with seats climbing north of $10,000 &mdash; including some with asking prices of $50,000 and, improbably, $99,988 each. The school expects around 80 of Krzyzewski&rsquo;s former Duke players to attend, just one example of how his influence on the sport will continue long past his retirement.
Steve Wojciechowski will be among that group.
The former Blue Devils defensive-minded point guard best known as &ldquo;Wojo&rdquo; became an assistant on Krzyzewski&rsquo;s staff before spending seven seasons as Marquette&rsquo;s head coach until last year. His enduring Cameron moment came on his Senior Day in 1998, when Duke rallied to beat a North Carolina team featuring future NBA players Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter.
At the horn, Wojciechowski turned and ran straight to Krzyzewski for a firm and lasting hug amid the rare sight of &ldquo;Cameron Crazies&rdquo; storming the court to celebrate.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s surreal,&rdquo; Wojciechowski said. &ldquo;How many things in your life have been consistent over a 40-year period, where you know you go somewhere and turn on the TV, there&rsquo;s a constant there that you can depend on? In all of our lives? Very few. Duke, and Coach K being there, is one of them.&rdquo;
Not every memory is quite as sweet, though.
Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley, the point guard on Krzyzewski&rsquo;s first two NCAA title teams, still remembers Krzyzewski working out the team after a long bus ride home following a January 1991 loss at Virginia.
&ldquo;Coach said to go get taped and we were going to practice,&rdquo; Hurley said. &ldquo;And we practiced like another two hours, so that was probably a not-so-good behind-the-scenes memory at Cameron Indoor.&rdquo;
Current player Wendell Moore Jr., has heard stories like that from former players that came before him, laughing that Krzyzewski has &ldquo;definitely chilled out with us a little bit, I&rsquo;ve heard.&rdquo;
Moore said Krzyzewski was &ldquo;a little sentimental&rdquo; with the team this week.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s known it&rsquo;s coming to an end,&rdquo; Moore said. &ldquo;So for him, he wants to cherish every last moment of it. ... I mean, we know where he&rsquo;s coming from. A guy like him, he never thinks it&rsquo;s going to end for him. But he knows his time is coming, so we&rsquo;re doing everything we can just to stay in the moment with him.&rdquo;

The moment is here, with Mike Krzyzewski down to one home game – fittingly against the rival Tar Heels.

After year of deflection, Coach K’s Cameron farewell is here

There&rsquo;s not much of a better way to enter a three-point contest at NBA All-Star Weekend than by canning eight triples to put a bow on the first half of your season in winning fashion, and Los Angeles Clippers sharpshooter Luke Kennard did just that.
Better yet, Kennard carried that momentum into a first-round high score of 28 in the competition, making it into the top-three. Unfortunately, Karl-Anthony Towns shocked the world and oddsmakers with a blistering 29 to defeat Kennard and Trae Young&rsquo;s 26 for the shooting crown, but there was a silver lining.&nbsp;
About three hours northeast of his hometown of Middletown, Kennard&rsquo;s family and friends were watching it all happen live at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland.
&ldquo;It means everything, man. Just being from Ohio, hearing that the All-Star Game was gonna be back in Ohio, I wanted to be here so getting the invite meant a lot,&rdquo; Kennard told BasketballNews.com at Mountain Dew and Ruffles&rsquo; The Block event prior to All-Star Saturday.
&ldquo;I had a lot of family and friends come in. Just to be around the city, I know a couple that [weren't able] to be there and said ticket [prices] were crazy. Just being around the city and enjoying the experience, it means a lot. The goal is to represent Clipper Nation. Just have fun with it, enjoy the weekend."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Luke Kennard got HOT in the first round, finishing with a score of 28 🔥<a href="https://t.co/79sv97YuVT">pic.twitter.com/79sv97YuVT</a>
&mdash; Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1495223894340300803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

A super standout at Franklin High School from 2011 to 2015, Kennard&rsquo;s claim to fame &mdash; at the time and still to this day &mdash; was <a href="https://www.ohsaa.org/sports/records/bbkrecrd.htm#IPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassing LeBron James&rsquo; career scoring record</a> at St. Vincent-St. Mary&rsquo;s. In his four seasons with the Wildcats, Kennard recorded a total of 2,977 points to LeBron&rsquo;s 2,646 with the Irish. (He currently sits second in Ohio high school history behind former Ohio State sniper Jon Diebler, and holds the record for the most made free throws in a career with 760.)
So in addition to having familiar faces in the audience cheering him on, sharing the festivities with another Ohio high school legend in LeBron at an All-Star weekend in their home state was &ldquo;awesome&rdquo; for the 25-year-old.
&ldquo;He's done so much for the state of Ohio, especially where he came from and his city [of Akron]. It's really cool,&rdquo; Kennard said of James. &ldquo;He's a Northern Ohio-ish kinda guy, I'm Southern Ohio, so together we've done a lot. Ohio means everything to us. It's where we're from. We never forget where we came from, so it's pretty special. And to be back here together, enjoying this weekend, it's a lot of fun."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
After topping that sort of record held by The King, it&rsquo;s no wonder that Duke University came calling. Kennard spent two years playing for the Blue Devils, finding his footing as a sophomore and serving as the team&rsquo;s top option alongside Jayson Tatum, Grayson Allen and Frank Jackson. He averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game that season, playing with more efficiency and comfortability than he did as a freshman.
Having learned under the tutelage of the legendary Mike Krzyzewski in Durham, NC, Kennard believes he owes a debt of gratitude to the soon-to-be retiree, and notes that Coach K stays in contact with him almost daily.
&ldquo;He meant a lot [to my career]. Coach, he gave me an opportunity to play at the best university in the world, play for the best coach to ever coach the game," Kennard said. "It was a lot of fun. I mean without going there, [there's] no way I would be where I am today. He's great. He's such a family guy. Anytime I have a big game, he's always texting me like after the game. He keeps in touch with a lot of his players. I'm happy for him.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He's done everything he's wanted to do while coaching the game. There's no better guy or coach for everything that's happened to him &mdash; he deserved it all. Happy retirement to him. He's gonna enjoy it now, he's gonna enjoy his family and grandkids. I'm happy for him though. I keep in touch with him all the time, and hopefully they can go out with a bang and try to get him a national championship this year. It's been fun to watch."
Nowadays, Kennard is in the midst of his fifth NBA campaign and his second with the Clippers. Year 2 in L.A. has brought on a more significant role for the sniping swingman, as he&rsquo;s producing to the tune of 11.8 points per contest on 61.6% True Shooting in a hair under 28 minutes per night. On the surface, you&rsquo;ll see nearly the exact same perimeter percentage (&sim;45%) in back-to-back seasons. However, Kennard has more freedom to fire off these treys this season.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zecCjFacWBs" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
To this point in 2021-22, Kennard&rsquo;s three-point rate is at a career-high 67.0%, which is almost 13 percentage points above last season&rsquo;s 54.1%. There&rsquo;s not one zone beyond the arc where he&rsquo;s shooting below 40%, per InStat.
Take a more specific dive into his <a href="https://go.nba.com/xqpn0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touch-time data</a>, and you&rsquo;ll find that he&rsquo;s launching from distance almost right upon the catch without hesitation. This season, Kennard has taken 263 threes with less than 2 seconds of touch time and he's made 45.6% of those attempts, well on track to double last season&rsquo;s output (177) as a whole. Kennard's also had games where he&rsquo;s gone for it early in the shot clock more often, meaning he&rsquo;s being put in great positions by Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue and his teammates to hoist off of screens and handoffs.&nbsp;
"It's just the people around me. The people around me building that confidence in me and just putting that trust in me to take those shots,&rdquo; Kennard said. &ldquo;I think last year, like in the offseason, I worked on shooting difficult shots, like coming off screens... When you're considered one of the elite shooters in the NBA, you attract a lot of attention. Guys don't like to leave you that much. So credit to T-Lue for putting me in positions to get open and my teammates for finding me when I'm open and when I have that little amount of time and space.
&ldquo;But for me, I feel like I've grown a lot [by] taking those shots. I feel like a couple years ago, even last year some, I wouldn't take some of the shots I'm taking this year. So just credit to [my] teammates for building that confidence and trusting me. I feel like I've learned a lot and I've grown a lot."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot-2022-02-23-183159_lg.png" alt="" width="550" height="905" />
(Chart via InStat)
Kennard didn&rsquo;t stop there with his praise for Lue, who has guided L.A. to a 30-31 record in spite of missing Kawhi Leonard all year and Paul George for over half of the season.
&ldquo;He's great. He's a players' coach, man. He knows how to coach the game. He's one of the best coaches in the NBA. I love playing for him,&rdquo; Kennard said. &ldquo;He really builds a level of confidence in his players. My role's definitely bigger this year than it was last year. We have dealt with some injuries, but at the same time, we've won 30 games this year. We've lost some really close games that we should've won. And with what we did in the playoffs last year, being down 2-0 in a few series, it speaks a lot about what kind of coach he is and how much trust we put into him.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I love being around him, love playing for him. So he's built a lot of confidence in me, and just allows us to play and be free and be who we are. It's been a lot of fun."
Reggie Jackson has had a lot to do with Kennard&rsquo;s shooting successes as well. The veteran point guard has the most passes to Kennard on the team currently, and the quick-trigger man has <a href="https://go.nba.com/0t5pe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nailed a blistering 58.7% of those attempts from downtown</a>. Whether it be looking up in transition, bulleting the ball over after an Ivica Zubac high screen or slinging it to the outside following a drive, they have hooked up 29 times thus far.&nbsp;
Maybe it&rsquo;s the synergy between the two from their time spend together in Detroit, or perhaps it&rsquo;s the lighthearted, supportive nature of Jackson that has everybody not only self-assured, but also loose.
"Reggie, he's one of our vocal leaders. He's always talking to us, always has a smile on his face. He lightens up the room. He's great man. He's one of your biggest hype [men] you can get,&rdquo; Kennard said. &ldquo;You could probably look up a lot of postgame interviews with other guys and Reggie's in the background dancing or doing something crazy.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But we love Reggie. He loves being in L.A. He has a lot of friends there. Him and PG are really good friends. So they enjoy each other. Reggie's great. I played with him in Detroit, I mean, that was my vet. So I've known him for a while now since I've been in the league and just to be back on a team with him is awesome. He gets us going though. He's a great player and he's had a really good year so far, so I'm happy for 'em."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
We&rsquo;ve found out a lot about this particular Clippers group this season. While a ton of the attention this team is getting has to do with the future and what could happen when the roster is at full strength with PG and Kawhi, L.A. is showing an admirable amount of resiliency in the here and now.
&ldquo;We've got a really good team. Obviously when we get guys like PG, Kawhi, Norman Powell &mdash; whenever those guys come back, that's just gonna take us up to an entirely different level, a scary level honestly,&rdquo; Kennard said. "We have a really good group, we've won a lot of games so far, we're in that fight for the playoffs. Right now, we're in the play-in area, but we told each other after our last game before the break: 'We want to hit the ground running when we come back. We want to be ready to go. We want to start winning more games.' And that's our goal.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We want to continue to build what we have going on, just trusting in each other, trusting what the coaches are doing, but have fun with it as well. It's been a good year... It's been up and down. It's been a weird year &mdash; like the COVID situation [where] guys have been out &mdash; but we've fought through it and guys have stepped up big and had big moments for us. So it's exciting to be a part of a team that loves winning and expects to win."
It&rsquo;s fun to think about the future, but the Clippers don&rsquo;t plan on looking ahead anytime soon.
They&rsquo;re gonna make you earn it.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Spencer Davies catches up with Luke Kennard on his sharpshooting season, the Clippers' year under Ty Lue and more.

Luke Kennard letting it fly with a quicker trigger for game Clippers

As we near the end of the NCAA regular season, let's take a dive into college basketball's Power Five conference standings, remaining matchups and teams to watch as we come down the stretch.
Today, we'll start with the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Here are the current ACC standings (table <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/standings/_/group/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via ESPN</a>):
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">TEAM</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
W-L (ACC) 
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
GB
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
PCT
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
W-L
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
DUKE (7)
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
9-3
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
-
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.75
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
19-4
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
ND
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
9-3
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
-
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.75
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
16-7
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
WAKE
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
9-4
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
0.5
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.692
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
19-5
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
MIA
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
8-4
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
1
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.667
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
16-7
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
UNC
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
8-4
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
1
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.667
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
16-7
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
UVA
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
9-5
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
1
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.643
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
15-9
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
FSU
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
6-6
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
3
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.5
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
13-9
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
SYR
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
6-6
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
3
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.5
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
12-11
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
VT
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
6-7
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
3.5
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.462
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
14-10
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
LOU
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
5-8
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
4.5
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.385
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
11-12
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
BC
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
4-7
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
4.5
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.364
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
9-12
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
CLEM
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
4-7
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
4.5
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.364
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
12-10
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
GT
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
3-8
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
5.5
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.273
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
10-12
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
NCST
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
3-10
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
6.5
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.231
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
10-14
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 22.964%;">
PITT
</td>
<td style="width: 22.5634%;">
3-10
</td>
<td style="width: 16.5554%;">
6.5
</td>
<td style="width: 16.422%;">
0.231
</td>
<td style="width: 21.3618%;">
8-16
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
FRONTRUNNERS: DUKE
The No. 7 Duke Blue Devils have set themselves apart and control their own destiny, although a big loss to Virginia on Monday night makes the margin for error razor thin. Led by their potential top NBA Draft picks in Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin, the Blue Devils control their own destiny in the conference, and are projected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They have some tough games coming up with Wake Forest, Virginia and North Carolina to round out the season, but if the team can take care of business, Duke will be a favorite to win it all in April.
Notable games remaining: Wake Forest (Feb. 15), North Carolina (March 5)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17511038_lg.jpg" alt="" width="586" height="391" />
ON THE HEELS: NOTRE DAME, WAKE FOREST
Notre Dame has won 12 of its last 14 contests, but following a 57-43 loss at home to Duke, the Fighting Irish will likely finish as the runner-up in the regular season.
After only winning 3 ACC games last year, Wake Forest has been rejuvenated by Oklahoma transfer Alondes Williams. The Demon Deacons are one to watch out for in the ACC Tournament, as they're only a half-game back from the top spot, and have a huge game against Notre Dame on Feb. 19.
Wake is projected as a No. 9 seed in March Madness, while the Irish are projected to be one of the "First Four Out."
Notable games remaining: Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest (Feb. 19), Wake Forest vs. Miami (Feb. 12), Wake Forest vs. Duke (Feb. 15) 
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17583151_lg.jpg" alt="" width="585" height="390" />
SLEEPERS: MIAMI, NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, FLORIDA STATE, SYRACUSE
The North Carolina Tar Heels are still a threat to jump up the ACC standings, but they have already lost to both Notre Dame and Wake Forest without an opportunity to even the score. They&rsquo;ll need to take care of business down the stretch and also get some help in order to make a push. The Heels project as a No. 10 seed in March.
Miami is currently projected as a No. 9 seed. Kameron McGusty, Isaiah Wong and Co. are 8-4 in ACC play and have a big matchup on Feb. 12 against Wake. With a win in Winston-Salem, the Hurricanes can set up for a run at a top seed.
After a huge win Monday at Duke, Virginia pulls within one game of the top seed and will get another shot at the Blue Devils later this month.
Notable games remaining: Miami vs. Wake Forest (Feb. 12), Florida State vs. Duke (Feb. 19), Florida State vs. Virginia (Feb. 26), UNC vs. Duke (March 5)
THE REST: 
Virginia Tech, Louisville, Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, NC State.
2022 NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS TO WATCH
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/paolo-banchero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero, Duke</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/aj-griffin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Griffin, Duke&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Williams, Duke</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/wendell-moore-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wendell Moore Jr., Duke</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/trevor-keels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevor Keels, Duke</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/blake-wesley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Wesley, Notre Dame</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/dereon-seabron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dereon Seabron, NC State</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/caleb-love" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caleb Love, North Carolina</a>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/alondes-williams">Alondes Williams, Wake Forest</a>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Nearing the end of the NCAA regular season, Derek Murray takes a dive into the state of the ACC.

State of the Conference: Evaluating the ACC

In Coach K&rsquo;s final trip to Chapel Hill, the Blue Devils (19-3, 9-2 ACC) took care of business with a big win on the road. Winning 87-67, AJ Griffin led all players with 27 points on 11 of 17 from the floor. Oklahoma transfer Brady Manek led the Tar Heels with 21 points.
The Tar Heels (16-7, 8-4 ACC) entered this one ranked 79th nationally in Adjusted Defense, as they&rsquo;ve struggled against their tougher opponents. Junior Armando Bacot,and sophomore Caleb Love have led North Carolina on offense, scoring 16.5 points and 15.3 points per game respectively.&nbsp;
Duke has now won six in a row and is ranked 12th in Adjusted Efficiency. They are headlined by superstar freshman and potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, Paolo Banchero. The roster is loaded on all levels and filled out by other potential 2022 selections: Wendell Moore Jr., Mark Williams, Griffin, and Trevor Keels.&nbsp;
In their last two games entering this one, UNC averaged 95.0 points per game and 13.3 made threes, but it was Duke that caught fire quickly. They jumped out to a 13-2 lead behind a pair of Banchero and Griffin triples, until Brady Manek hit his 50th three of the season.&nbsp;
A key moment came early, as Bacot picked up his second foul at the 16:55 mark while attempting to close out on Banchero. Duke would hit seven of its first eight shots from the floor to take a 19-5 lead. A 31-8 Duke lead was quickly cut to 37-23 as Manek hit his fourth triple and UNC looked to steal back some momentum.
Duke took a 39-28 lead into the break after the Tar Heels battled back. Manek led all players with 15 points. Griffin had 13 and Moore Jr. posted 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Carolina shot only 32.3% (10 of 32) from the floor.&nbsp;
Griffin made a statement to open the second half with another triple, as Duke would score the first 10 points and take a 49-28 lead within 3 minutes.&nbsp;
The game was never again in reach for the home team, as Duke held on for the 87-67 win. Moore Jr. and Banchero both had 13 points. Williams posted 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Bacot finished with 12 points and RJ Davis ended with 11 points for Carolina.
In only his second game since Jan. 19, Keels took the floor again and although he wasn&rsquo;t highly active, did flash his shooting from deep and finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.&nbsp;
Coach K is now 50-46 all time against North Carolina.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
UPCOMING
Duke hosts Virginia on Monday.&nbsp;
North Carolina travels to Clemson on Tuesday.&nbsp;

In Coach K’s final trip to Chapel Hill, the Blue Devils (19-3, 9-2 ACC) took care of business with a big win on the road, 87-67.

Duke handles North Carolina 87-67, Griffin scores 27

In a battle between Division I men's basketball's two winningest coaches, Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski went head-to-head once again. Duke and Coach K exited victorious, 79-59.
After a one point, overtime loss to Florida State, Duke aimed to get back on track at home. The Blue Devils (15-3, 5-2 ACC) are currently ranked No. 6 nationally thanks to an offense led by star freshman Paolo Banchero, and junior Wendell Moore Jr. Banchero is averaging 18.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest, making a strong case to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year&rsquo;s NBA draft.
Syracuse (9-10, 3-5 ACC) have had a tumultuous start to 2022, losing four of their first six games. Senior Buddy Boeheim is fourth in the ACC in scoring at 19.2 points per game, and Villanova transfer Cole Swider, has been impactful on both ends averaging 12.7 points and 7.1 rebounds.&nbsp;
Three-point shooting made all the difference in this one. With Trevor Keels out due to injury, Duke connected on 14 out of 37 shots from deep, while Syracuse hit 5 of 28. Potential top-10 pick AJ Griffin, led the charge with 5 threes. Moore Jr. had a terrific game with 15 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals.
Duke got started early, jumping out to a 16-6 lead behind multiple three-pointers from Griffin. Syracuse responded with a 9-0 run on a handful of Jesse Edwards buckets. With the combination of Duke&rsquo;s efficient ball movement and shooting, and Syracuse&rsquo;s turnovers and struggles from deep, Duke held a halftime lead of 36-22. Griffin led all scorers with 12 points (4-6 3FG) at the break. Duke had 13 assists on 13 made field goals.
The Blue Devils started the second half on a tear and ran away with this one, at one point extending the lead to 31. Banchero and Mark Williams were simply too much to handle on the interior. Williams finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds on 6-7 shooting from the field. Banchero posted a dominant double-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists.&nbsp;
Syracuse&rsquo;s 6-foot-11 sophomore, Jesse Edwards, was a bright spot for the Orange. He battled inside and finished with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 4 steals. Jimmy Boeheim also played well, scoring 12 points.
Moore Jr. said after the game, &ldquo;It started with ball movement. We were ready to shoot, total team effort.&rdquo;
Mike Krzyzewski wins career game number 1,171.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
UPCOMING
Duke will host Clemson on Tuesday.
Syracuse will travel to Pitt on Tuesday evening.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

The Blue Devils started the second half on a tear and ran away with this one, at one point extending the lead to 31.

Duke gets back on track, routs Syracuse 79-59

Judging by their past three games, the New York Knicks could definitely use some help.
Perhaps newly acquired Cam Reddish will be able to provide some.&nbsp;
Prior to Thursday night's contest against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was asked about the newest Knick and whether he would soon be ready to debut for the club.
It would seem so.
&ldquo;Pretty close,&rsquo;&rsquo; Thibodeau said when asked where Reddish is with respect to his debut, according to <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/20/tom-thibodeau-cam-reddishs-knicks-debut-any-day-now/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&amp;utm_medium=site%20buttons&amp;utm_campaign=site%20buttons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the New York Post</a>. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s moving around pretty good. Should be any day now.&rsquo;&rsquo;&nbsp;
His arrival couldn&rsquo;t come at a better time.
With Thursday night&rsquo;s loss, the Knicks have dropped to 0-3 on their current four-game homestand and sport a record of 22-24 &mdash; good for 11th in the Eastern Conference. Even worse is the fact that, in those three losses, the club looked listless and uninterested. It&rsquo;s become an alarming trend for a team that entered the season with high hopes.
En route to dropping a 102-91 decision to New Orleans, the Knicks fell behind by as many as 25 points, and could have certainly used another player who could create plays off the dribble and perhaps help his teammates find easier scoring opportunities. In some ways, it&rsquo;s easy to see how Reddish might have helped. But with Cam unavailable, Thibodeau ended up sticking with his reserves down the stretch.
The third-year swingman was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/reddish-trade-was-a-nobrainer-for-new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired from the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 13</a> in exchange for Kevin Knox and a future conditional first-round draft pick, but he is yet to make his debut due to an ankle injury. Still considered to have loads of untapped potential, after being selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Reddish showed some promise in his first two seasons, but had to compete with many other talented players at his position for minutes.
In New York, he might not have that problem &mdash; especially considering the extent to which Thibodeau has been impressed by what he&rsquo;s seen so far.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s learning what we&rsquo;re doing, so that takes a little time,&rdquo; <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/20/tom-thibodeau-cam-reddishs-knicks-debut-any-day-now/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&amp;utm_medium=site%20buttons&amp;utm_campaign=site%20buttons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thibodeau said</a> of the 22-year-old.&nbsp;&ldquo;We love his size. He&rsquo;s been terrific. He comes in early. He studies. He works hard. So, he&rsquo;s doing all the right things, which is the first step.&rsquo;&rsquo;&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
There is a belief that Reddish may make his debut when the Knicks complete their home stand in a Sunday matinee against the Los Angeles Clippers. At this point of the season, few would have thought that New York would be looking for a shot in the arm that can help to change the team&rsquo;s fortunes, but that&rsquo;s the opportunity that now presents itself to the former Duke Blue Devil.
Aside from being RJ Barrett&rsquo;s teammate at the collegiate level, Reddish has had some flashes of brilliance. As we approach the All-Star break, the Knicks are hoping he can replicate the success he had during last year's Eastern Conference Finals. In his four-game postseason run &mdash; which got started late thanks to an Achilles injury &mdash; Reddish was impressive, scoring 12.8 points per game on 52.8% shooting from the field (including 46.4% on threes).
The Knicks obviously haven&rsquo;t lived up to the expectations borne from their run to the fourth seed last season, and the hope is that Reddish could provide a spark, especially since Julius Randle <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/as-a-franchise-player-julius-randle-has-left-a-lot-to-be-desired" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hasn&rsquo;t come close to improving on last season&rsquo;s success</a>.
Things seem to be going from bad to worse for the league&rsquo;s reigning Most Improved Player, with the final 30 seconds of the Knicks&rsquo; two-point loss to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves serving as a microcosm for his nightmare season. Randle gave up a three-point play to Karl-Anthony Towns, which lost the lead for his Knicks before Julius split a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession that could have tied the game.
But Randle is far from the only problem that the Knicks have had.&nbsp;
Derrick Rose has been missing in action since undergoing ankle surgery on Dec. 22, while Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier haven&rsquo;t exactly lived up to the hype. It&rsquo;s obvious that the Knicks need something, and the hope is that &mdash; even if only to a small degree &mdash; Reddish can help provide some sort of solution.
In short order &mdash; and perhaps as early as Sunday &mdash; Tom Thibodeau will get his answer.
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Could Cam Reddish be the shot in the arm the Knicks need to get out of their team-wide funk? Moke Hamilton ponders.

Cam Reddish nears debut as Knicks continue to search for answers

Duke's&nbsp;two games this week -- at&nbsp;Clemson&nbsp;on Wednesday and at&nbsp;Notre Dame&nbsp;on Saturday -- will not be played as scheduled because of COVID-19 issues within the Blue Devils' program, a source confirmed to CBS Sports early Monday.
Source: <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/duke-basketballs-next-two-games-postponed-due-to-positive-covid-19-tests-in-blue-devils-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Garry Parrish/CBS Sports</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;According to Parrish, multiple players tested positive upon returning from Christmas break. Per Duke University policy, every player on the team is vaccinated. The Blue Devils are currently ranked No. 2 in the country and are 11-1 this season.

According to CBS Sports, multiple players tested positive upon returning from Christmas break.

Duke's next two men's basketball games posptponed

Trevion Williams had a season-high 22 points to go with 12 rebounds and a career-best nine assists to help No. 1 Purdue beat North Carolina State 82-72 in overtime Sunday in the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational.
Jaden Ivey added 22 points for the Boilermakers (9-1), who had to rally from 13 down midway through the second half to win this one. And Purdue never led in regulation, taking its first lead Sasha Stefanovic&rsquo;s 3-pointer 15 seconds into the extra period.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re not pleased with the position that you&rsquo;re in,&rdquo; Purdue coach Matt Painter said, &ldquo;but you&rsquo;re pleased about being able to dig yourself out of a hole.&rdquo;
Stefanovic also hit a driving layup with 21.5 seconds left to force the overtime, ultimately helping Purdue bounce back from a last-second loss at Rutgers in the program&rsquo;s first-ever week atop The Associated Press men&rsquo;s college basketball poll.
Freshman Terquavion Smith scored a season-high 21 points for the Wolfpack (7-3), who had a prime chance to earn the program&rsquo;s first win against a top-ranked opponent in nearly nine years.
Dereon Seabron added 18 points, including a driving basket over Williams that pushed N.C. State to a 66-64 lead with 31.7 seconds left in regulation &mdash; only to see Stefanovic answer with the OT-forcing basket.
The Wolfpack shot just 3 for 10 in overtime as Purdue pushed ahead. That included Ivey blocking a driving shot by Seabron in OT with replays showing the ball had first hit the backboard for what should have been a goaltending call.
The frustration built for the Wolfpack until coach Kevin Keatts picked up a technical foul with 43.2 seconds left and the Boilermakers on their way to a win.
&ldquo;It was a heck of a battle all the way to the end,&rdquo; Keatts said. &ldquo;And the message to our guys was, &lsquo;Hey, you&rsquo;re playing the No. 1 team in the country and you&rsquo;re fighting all the way to the end.&rsquo; We had our chances, but we can play with anyone in the country.&rdquo;
BIG PICTURE
Purdue: The Boilermakers&rsquo; first ever stay at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 was likely to be short even before Sunday after losing on a near-midcourt shot at Rutgers. They flirted with a second loss with that top ranking in four days before shooting 58.1% after halftime to finally wrestle control away of this one, improving to 3-0 against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.
N.C. State: The Wolfpack entered this game just 6-28 against No. 1-ranked teams in the AP poll, with most of those meetings coming against instate neighbors Duke or North Carolina in the ACC. The program&rsquo;s last win against a top-ranked team remains an 84-76 home win against the Blue Devils in January 2013.
UP NEXT
Purdue: The Boilermakers meet Butler in Indianapolis on Saturday in the Crossroads Classic.
N.C. State: A home-state meeting with Richmond awaits in Charlotte on Friday in the Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout.

Trevion Williams had a season-high 22 points to go with 12 rebounds and a career-best nine assists to help No. 1 Purdue beat North Carolina State 82-72 in OT.

Williams, No. 1 Purdue rallies past NC State 82-72 in OT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Zed Key scored a career-high 20 points and Ohio State held top-ranked Duke scoreless for the final four-and-a-half minutes, completing a rally from a 15-point second-half deficit to beat the Blue Devils 71-66 on Tuesday night.
E.J. Liddell hit two free throws with 1:06 remaining to give the Buckeyes (5-2) their first lead since early in the first half, and his jumper made it 69-66 with 16 seconds left. Duke freshman star Paolo Banchero missed a tying 3-pointer, and Cedric Russell got the rebound and closed it out at the free-throw line. Ohio State fans stormed the court as time expired.
The Blue Devils (7-1) claimed the top spot in this week&rsquo;s AP Top 25 poll &mdash; a stay that could be brief &mdash; after beating then-No. 1 Gonzaga in Las Vegas. Ohio State improved to 2-1 against ranked foes this year with its fourth straight game decided in the final minutes.
Liddell finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for Ohio State, which beat the No. 1 team in the country for the second straight time on its home court. The Buckeyes knocked off Michigan State 80-64 on Jan. 7, 2018.
Wendell Moore Jr. led the Blue Devils with 17 points and Banchero finished with 14.
Duke led by 13 points at halftime and extended that advantage to 49-34 early in the second half. Moore&rsquo;s layup with 5:19 remaining made it 65-57, and Trevor Keels made a free throw with 4:29 left.
The Blue Devils didn&rsquo;t score again, missing their last six shots as Ohio State closed the game with a 12-0 run. Duke endured a 1-for-14 stretch earlier in the half, allowing the Buckeyes to draw closer.
Ohio State took an early 13-7 lead but Duke responded with a 13-2 run. The Blue Devils shot 52.9% in the first half.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
BIG PICTURE
Duke: Moore and Banchero, Duke&rsquo;s leading scorers coming in, were solid, shooting a combined 11 for 29, but they came up empty when it mattered most.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes had 12 turnovers and shot 50% (11 of 22) at the free-throw line, areas they will have to clean up before beginning Big Ten play this weekend.
UP NEXT
Duke: Hosts South Carolina State on Dec. 14.
Ohio State: At Penn State on Sunday.

Zed Key scored a career-high 20 points and Ohio State upset No. 1 Duke, 71-66, on Tuesday night.

Ohio State upsets No. 1 Duke in final minutes, 71-66

LAS VEGAS (AP) &mdash; Paolo Banchero scored 21 points to lead No. 5 Duke over No. 1 Gonzaga 84-81 on Saturday night.
Duke (7-0) handed Gonzaga (6-1) its first loss since April&rsquo;s national title game, when Baylor beat the Bulldogs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Paolo Banchero is going CRAZY in this first half 🔥 15 points in 11 minutes 👀👀 <a href="https://t.co/xIjZnnWcjO">pic.twitter.com/xIjZnnWcjO</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1464446945141919747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Gonzaga battled back from a nine-point deficit thanks to Julian Strawther&rsquo;s offensive prowess early in the second half, as he scored eight of the Bulldogs&rsquo; first 14 points to help them get within two. But Gonzaga suffered through a 0-for-5 span down the stretch and turned the ball over three times to allow Duke to seize the momentum and close the game on a 13-9 run.
Wendell Moore Jr. scored 20 points and Mark Williams added 17 points and 9 rebounds for the Blue Devils.
Strawther led Gonzaga with a career-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. Drew Timme added 17 points, Chet Holmgren had 16 points and Rasir Bolton chipped in 15 for the Bulldogs.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Chet getting his NO MATTER WHAT 😈<a href="https://twitter.com/ChetHolmgren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChetHolmgren</a> (via <a href="https://twitter.com/ScubaSteve_33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScubaSteve_33</a>) <a href="https://t.co/V6KOu4tCCn">pic.twitter.com/V6KOu4tCCn</a>
&mdash; Overtime (@overtime) <a href="https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1464462264866586624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

The long-anticipated showdown involving Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski became a battle of Duke&rsquo;s relentless defensive pressure and Gonzaga&rsquo;s precise passing through lanes that the Bulldogs created on the fly.
After Gonzaga took an early 4-0 lead, Duke quickly established dominance with a 17-6 run, with Banchero and Williams putting on a show for the heavily favored Duke crowd.
The Bulldogs closed the gap to three, 19-16, but Banchero scored 13 of Duke&rsquo;s next 21 points. Holmgren, who had to sit midway in the first half due to foul trouble, returned with 1:27 left in the half and drained a soft one-handed jumper followed by a 3-pointer by Strawther.
Duke held 45-42 lead at halftime.
BIG PICTURE
Duke: The Blue Devils faithful proved it travels well, with the majority of the 20,389 fans inside T-Mobile Arena draped in Duke blue.
Gonzaga: Before Friday night, the Bulldogs trailed for a total of 3:18 in four games &mdash; against Texas, Alcorn State, Bellarmine and UCLA. Gonzaga trailed for more than 20 minutes against Duke until retaking the lead on a pair of Timme free throws at the 17-minute mark of the second half.
UP NEXT
Duke: Visits Ohio State on Tuesday.
Gonzaga: Hosts Tarleton State on Monday.

Paolo Banchero scored 21 points to lead No. 5 Duke over No. 1 Gonzaga 84-81 on Saturday night.

Banchero scores 21, No. 5 Duke holds off No. 1 Gonzaga in 84-81 win

The college basketball season is underway, which means BasketballNews.com's scouting coverage has been kicked into full gear. The bulk of my travel and scouting schedule is set through the entire season, and let me tell you &mdash; I have some terrific basketball to see! As I scour the map evaluating prospects at various levels, I'll be sharing my takeaways every step of the way. I hope you enjoy it!
Here&rsquo;s where I was last week:
State Farm Champions Classic &mdash; New York, New York
Last Tuesday, Nov. 9, the college basketball season officially began, and I didn&rsquo;t waste any time getting out into the scouting trenches. I traveled to New York City for the State Farm Champions Classic to see a star-studded doubleheader that pitted Michigan State against Kansas and Kentucky against Duke. Here are a few of my thoughts and takeaways on some of the top prospects:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/paolo-banchero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero, Duke</a> MIN: 31 | PTS: 22 | REB: 7 | AST: 0 | STL: 2 | FG: 7-11 | 3PT: 0-3 | FT: 8-9 | TO: 1
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17128891_lg.jpg" alt="" width="487" height="325" />
I was already very familiar with Banchero prior to this trip. We had already discussed with our staff internally that Chet Holmgren and Banchero are likely in a category of their own in regards to the 2022 NBA Draft. We started the season with Holmgren at No. 1 and Banchero right behind him at No. 2.
After seeing Banchero in a Duke uniform &mdash; under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, dominating a talented Kentucky team &mdash; it&rsquo;s hard not to get even more excited about him as a prospect. At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, Banchero possesses a unique combination of traits, as he is so strong and powerful, but also skilled. He does a little bit of everything, but what intrigues me the most about Banchero is his ability to create on his own versus essentially anyone that&rsquo;s matched up against him, big or small. There are not many players on the NBA level that you can run your offense through, and I think Banchero is going to be one of those guys. I&rsquo;m starting to think it could be the separating piece between Banchero and Holmgren. However, there&rsquo;s a lot more to watch in order to figure things out. But the good thing is we won&rsquo;t have to wait long to see them square off, and the next time I&rsquo;ll see Banchero in-person will be Nov. 26 in Las Vegas &mdash; facing off against none other than Holmgren&rsquo;s Gonzaga Bulldogs.
In the meantime, we&rsquo;ve moved Banchero into the No. 1 spot on our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/ochai-agbaji" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ochai Agbaji, Kansas</a> MIN: 36 | PTS: 29 | REB: 2 | AST: 1 | STL: 2 | FG: 9-17 | 3PT: 3-7 | FT: 8-8 | TO: 0
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17126616_lg.jpg" alt="" width="487" height="325" />
It seems like it was just yesterday that my friend and former colleague, Luca Desta, called me after he scouted Kansas at Baylor for us while we worked for Babcock Hoops during the 2018-19 college season. A lot has changed since then: I&rsquo;ve transitioned our scouting coverage from Babcock Hoops to BasketballNews.com, Luca is now Vice President of Global Scouting for the Utah Jazz and Ochai Agbaji is now in his senior season for the Jayhawks. I&rsquo;m happy to say that we&rsquo;ve all been moving up, including Agbaji.&nbsp;
In New York, Agbaji showed me everything that I wanted to see from him. His athleticism and physical tools were never in question; however, he has always seemed a little bit mechanical and inconsistent on the offensive end. That was not the case at the State Farm Champions Classic. In 29 minutes, Agbaji played with such fluidity and confidence, knocking down shots from all over the place, and he seemed to be everywhere with lob finishes and slashing plays. He played with such great energy, and had a major presence. Naturally, some will be turned off since Agbaji is a bit older for an NBA prospect &mdash; he will be 22 on draft night &mdash; but I&rsquo;d like to remind those folks that Chris Duarte, who was 24 years old on draft night, is already contributing to the Pacers at a high level as a rookie. Although I&rsquo;ve scouted Agbaji for years now, I&rsquo;ve never been so excited about him as a prospect. Subsequently, we have moved him up our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board to No. 38.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/trevor-keels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevor Keels, Duke</a> MIN: 34 | PTS: 25 | REB: 1 | AST: 3 | STL: 3 | FG: 10-18 | 3PT: 1-4 | FT: 4-6 | TO: 2
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17128894_lg.jpg" alt="" width="486" height="325" />
I had watched some film and was familiar with Trevor Keels&rsquo; status as a top recruit, but last Tuesday was the first opportunity I had to see him play in-person. In these scenarios, I go in with an approach to be a sponge and absorb as much information as possible. I do it in an effort to be able to create my own unique and unbiased evaluation of the player, rather than be influenced by rankings, hype or other people&rsquo;s opinions.
At first glance, I didn&rsquo;t know what to make of Keels&rsquo; body type. He&rsquo;s listed at 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds. He looks more like a football player rather than a basketball player &mdash; he&rsquo;s big and thick, especially for a guard. On the court, he was able to utilize his physicality and ball handling ability to regularly get to the rim and play &ldquo;bully-ball,&rdquo; effectively overpowering a Kentucky team that tends to play multi-guard lineups including Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington and Davion Mintz. They all struggled to stop Keels. He also showed an ability to shoot the ball from outside. All in all, I&rsquo;m not sure he could have had a better start to his college career, as he scored 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting in 34 minutes.&nbsp;
I walked away a little torn in my opinion of Keels as a prospect. On one hand, he&rsquo;s a true freshman who lit up a talented Kentucky team in his first college game on a huge stage. You really can&rsquo;t ignore that. On the other hand, I question his body and his lack of athleticism. Also, what role will he fill in the NBA? Despite my questions (it&rsquo;s part of my evaluation process), I am certainly intrigued with Keels and plan to monitor him closely. In the meantime, I have decided to include him on our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board, at No. 29. &nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/tyty-washington" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TyTy Washington, Kentucky</a> MIN: 28 | PTS: 9 | REB: 1 | AST: 3 | STL: 1 | FG: 3-14 | 3PT: 0-2 | FT: 3-4 | TO: 0
I&rsquo;ve gotten to know TyTy Washington as a player very well over the last year, and I think it would be safe to say that I&rsquo;m one of his biggest supporters. Unfortunately, opening night was not Washington&rsquo;s best game. Although his decision making was solid, he struggled to make shots, making only 3-of-14 shot attempts. I think he had a hard time finding his rhythm, as Kentucky played him mostly off the ball alongside small point guard, Savhir Wheeler.&nbsp;
Long-term, I see Washington being an on-ball point guard in the NBA who will play with a solid balance of scoring and facilitating. Unless head coach John Calipari makes some dramatic changes, Washington is going to need to adapt to his new role to make the most of this season. However, I believe that he will be able to do so effectively.&nbsp;
He didn&rsquo;t light the world on fire in his first game, but there won&rsquo;t be any knee-jerk reactions from me anytime soon. We currently have TyTy Washington at No. 11 on our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/max-christie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Max Christie, Michigan State</a> MIN: 31 | PTS: 9 | REB: 3 | AST: 0 | STL: 1 | FG: 3-10 | 3PT: 2-4 | FT: 1-2 | TO: 2
My first thoughts when watching Max Christie for the first time last week was, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s very thin, he has a baby face and he looks like a young freshman.&rdquo; Furthermore, his stat line and production wouldn&rsquo;t blow away anyone either, as he only scored 9 points on 3-of-10 shooting. I could easily see someone thinking he blended into the game and was underwhelming, and subequently drawing a quick conclusion of &ldquo;he&rsquo;s not ready.&rdquo;
Christie certainly didn&rsquo;t dominate in that game by any means. However, one of my favorite things about evaluating young NBA prospects is reading between the lines. With Christie, I saw a 6-foot-6 guard with a sweet stroke that has a great feel for the game. I also find it to be interesting that Tom Izzo &mdash; a great, but demanding and tough coach &mdash; trusted Christie, a true freshman, to start and play 31 minutes in his first career college game. A huge one at that.
There&rsquo;s a reasonable argument that a player like Christie would benefit from staying in school to get stronger, mature as a player and get his game polished to a point where he could produce at a high level in college before entering the pros. However, the same exact thing could have been said about Josh Primo at Alabama, who only averaged 8.1 points in 22 minutes per game last season. Primo was selected No. 11 by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2021 NBA Draft. That leaves me thinking: Could Max Christie be this year&rsquo;s Josh Primo?
Christie is currently No. 18 on our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/oscar-tshiebwe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky</a> MIN: 29 | PTS: 17 | REB: 20 | AST: 1 | STL: 1 | BLK: 2 | FG: 8-14 | 3PT: 0-0 | FT: 1-1 | TO: 2
My uncle, Rob Babcock, a former longtime front office executive in the NBA, used to say &ldquo;playing hard is a skill and it&rsquo;s not discussed enough.&rdquo; Oscar Tshiebwe has his limitations, but he plays so hard. At 6-foot-9 and a rock solid 255 pounds, Tshiebwe is so physical and has &ldquo;the pedal to the metal&rdquo; at all times. He was undoubtedly the bright spot for the Kentucky team versus Duke, scoring 17 points and grabbing an incredible 20 rebounds. Actually, he secured 20 rebounds in their second game versus Robert Morris too.
Tshiebwe likely won&rsquo;t be for everyone in the NBA, as bruisers without an ability to stretch the floor are not nearly as valuable as they once were, however, I think Tshiebwe finds a way to stick.
We currently have Tshiebwe at No. 50 in our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/mark-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Williams, Duke</a> MIN: 18 | PTS: 5 | REB: 6 | AST: 0 | STL: 2 | BLK: 3 | FG: 2-3 | 3PT: 0-0 | FT: 1-2 | TO: 0
At 7-foot tall with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, Mark Williams is big and long. There will be a place for him in the league as a rim-protector, rebounder and finisher around the rim. I&rsquo;m still not overly confident as to what his draft range will ultimately look like, but he&rsquo;s a prospect certainly worth tracking.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/aj-griffin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Griffin, Duke</a> MIN: 11 | PTS: 2 | REB: 2 | AST: 0 | FG: 1-3 | 3PT: 0-1 | FT: 0-0 | TO: 0
Former 5-star recruit AJ Griffin didn&rsquo;t get a chance to do much in his college debut. He just recently returned from a minor injury and I think he's just getting in the swing of things. He wasn't able to show much, but what I did see, I liked. At 6-foot-6 and a sturdy 222 pounds, Griffin looks to have the tools to be a a very good NBA player. I am certainly excited to keep watching him as his upside is very high.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/daimion-collins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daimion Collins, Kentucky</a> MIN: 2 | PTS: 0 | REB: 0 | AST: 0 | FG: 0-0 | 3PT: 0-0 | FT: 0-0 | TO: 0
I&rsquo;m sure this was not how Daimion Collins envisioned his college career starting. But although he didn't get much of a chance to play in the season opener, he did have a breakout game this past Friday vs. Robert Morris. He scored 14 points and blocked 4 shots in that contest. He has a lot of room for growth, but considering his length and athleticism, Collins&rsquo; upside is very high.
Latitude Longitude Classic &mdash; Phoenix, Arizona
Following the double-header, I made a cross-country flight out to Phoenix, Arizona to watch some top high-school talent. In doing so, I was able to get another look at top prospects in the Class of 2022: Dior Johnson (committed to Oregon), Adem Bona (committed to UCLA), MJ Rice (committed to Kansas), Chance Westry (committed to Auburn) and Dylan Andrews (committed to UCLA). I was also able to see top prospects in the class of 2023: Baye Fall, Mookie Cook, Kylan Boswell and Assane Diop.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I&rsquo;m in Phoenix, Arizona, tonight to see top-rated big man Baye Fall of <a href="https://twitter.com/DenverPrep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DenverPrep</a> as they face <a href="https://twitter.com/PhhPrep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PhhPrep</a> in the Latitude Longitude Classic. Fall, a 6&rsquo;11&rdquo; center, is currently a consensus top-6 player in the class of 2023. <a href="https://t.co/ebum3SEOxh">pic.twitter.com/ebum3SEOxh</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1458973833449259010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

As an NBA Draft Analyst, for me to be able to get opportunities to see likely future NBA prospects while they&rsquo;re in high school, is invaluable to my evaluation process. Of course, players at that stage are far from finished products, but it is great to be able to start the evaluation process early. I&rsquo;m not going to provide detailed breakdowns on these players today, but don&rsquo;t be surprised if you start hearing these names more and more. There is a lot of talent coming up!
All in all, my first big trip of the season was a fruitful one. Needless to say, I&rsquo;ve started the season off with a bang, but I have no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. I have another big trip set to begin Thursday, when I head to Florida for a number of college games, and they'll be loaded with NBA talent.
Next week's preview: Jabari Smith, Patrick Baldwin, Matthew Cleveland and more.

Matt Babcock details his observations from NCAA opening night at the State Farm Champions Classic in New York.

Babcock's Takeaways: Paolo Banchero, Ochai Agbaji, Trevor Keels, more

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/grant-hill-at-peace-about-not-getting-enough-credit-for-his-career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
Grant Hill accomplished a lot throughout 18-year career, earning awards and racking up accolades that put him in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. Despite that decorated career, many have viewed him as one of the "what if" players in NBA history because of the immense potential he couldn't maximize due to several reasons. In an <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/grant-hill-at-peace-with-how-career-turned-out-not-having-jersey-retired-164031552.html?ncid=facebook_yahoosport_l0w2dc1068w&amp;guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmFza2V0YmFsbG5ldHdvcmsubmV0Lw&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGtZKQBsScDAfgha0UPJXCnfVRleu1SNINGCCM9SLzogww_7rY1a0-WisgnVjc5UQVe2pwhdO4sseOs-DtGvGOS3KFDnWWkYNUqOT4tmsjf161_NjmjckTFYB_OSDtHIJcICMC98UK_n5Ey9UBzm7HZx60xwjTdOFW9JyWrvmCnU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with Yahoo Sports</a>, Hill revealed his thoughts on how everything turned out.
Grant Hill on not getting jersey retirement tribute
Based on his resume alone &mdash; 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist, back-to-back NCAA champion with Duke from 1991-92 &mdash; Hill deserves to be associated with the elites in basketball. He was able to translate his successful college career to the pros. In the NBA, he made the All-Star games seven times and earned All-NBA Team selection five times.&nbsp;
However, something lacking in Hill's trophy case is championship hardware. Winning titles, a common factor often cited by purists in categorizing great players into different tiers, also lacked in the resumes of Reggie Miller, Chris Webber and Karl Malone; they are all in the Hall of Fame with Hill. However, Miller, Webber and Malone all got their jerseys retired by the teams they starred for (the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and Utah Jazz, respectively).
Hill, on the other hand, has not had that happen, despite making an impact in almost every team he played for. In an interview with Yahoo, he said that <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/grant-hill-at-peace-with-how-career-turned-out-not-having-jersey-retired-164031552.html?ncid=facebook_yahoosport_l0w2dc1068w&amp;guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmFza2V0YmFsbG5ldHdvcmsubmV0Lw&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGtZKQBsScDAfgha0UPJXCnfVRleu1SNINGCCM9SLzogww_7rY1a0-WisgnVjc5UQVe2pwhdO4sseOs-DtGvGOS3KFDnWWkYNUqOT4tmsjf161_NjmjckTFYB_OSDtHIJcICMC98UK_n5Ey9UBzm7HZx60xwjTdOFW9JyWrvmCnU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he doesn&rsquo;t think much of it</a>.
&ldquo;If it doesn&rsquo;t happen, it still means a lot and it doesn&rsquo;t change how I feel, the years that I had, and the experiences and relationships throughout the years," Hill <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/grant-hill-at-peace-with-how-career-turned-out-not-having-jersey-retired-164031552.html?ncid=facebook_yahoosport_l0w2dc1068w&amp;guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmFza2V0YmFsbG5ldHdvcmsubmV0Lw&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGtZKQBsScDAfgha0UPJXCnfVRleu1SNINGCCM9SLzogww_7rY1a0-WisgnVjc5UQVe2pwhdO4sseOs-DtGvGOS3KFDnWWkYNUqOT4tmsjf161_NjmjckTFYB_OSDtHIJcICMC98UK_n5Ey9UBzm7HZx60xwjTdOFW9JyWrvmCnU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
That speaks volumes about Hill&rsquo;s humility in not expecting tributes given by teams, even if he deserves it.
Which team should retire Grant Hill's jersey?
Hill played for the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers; with the exception of L.A. he suited up for at least five years with each team. The talented small forward had the most impact in Detroit, where he made the All-Star game five times. He also averaged 21.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists in his six seasons with the Pistons &mdash; all career-highs. These numbers prompted experts to say that Hill was the basically the NBA&rsquo;s LeBron James before LeBron James. He possessed a unique skill set that was rare for his size during his time. Hill even believed he was <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/grant-hill-in-his-prime-felt-he-was-a-better-player-than-michael-jordan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greater than Michael Jordan at his peak</a>, and he had every reason to feel that way.&nbsp;
As a member of the Magic, Hill averaged 16.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists; his lone All-Star appearance with Orlando came in his first season with the team in 2000-01. Hill's numbers further dipped while in Phoenix, as he averaged 12.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Injuries derailed his career, and he never made it to the top tier of NBA greats. However, Hill has accepted things as they are.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m at peace with what happened, the ups and the downs," Hill <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/grant-hill-in-his-prime-felt-he-was-a-better-player-than-michael-jordan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "Honestly, I probably wouldn&rsquo;t change it. I didn&rsquo;t necessarily get to where I thought I could go. I&rsquo;m proud of that point of my career, but I&rsquo;m also proud of what I went through and how I was able to come out on the other end.&rdquo;
The devastating injuries he suffered could have ended his career sooner, but Hill persevered and played the cards he was dealt with. Hill was a consummate professional, never got involved in off-court drama and never got in trouble with his coaches and teammates.&nbsp;
Among the teams he played for, it was the Pistons that could have retired his jersey; aybe it will still happen in the future. Either way, Hill can still be proud of his achievements and making the Hall of Fame. Thousands of other players could only dream of having his career. Not having his jersey retired won&rsquo;t diminish Hill&rsquo;s impact during his tenure in the NBA.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Grant Hill shared his thoughts on not having his jersey retired by any team he played for and making peace with his NBA career.

Grant Hill 'at peace' with not getting enough credit for his career

With the 2021-22 basketball season upon us, we will be highlighting prospects currently included in our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a> over the course of the next few weeks.
First up, we'll break down the top NBA prospects from the ACC:
Paolo Banchero
Forward | Duke
Height: 6-10 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Class: Freshman Weight: 250&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.6 Wingspan: 7-1 &nbsp;&nbsp; Nationality: Italy, USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YOQOwx1N57Y" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Roles: Offensive Engine, Scorer, Brute
Bottom Line: At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, Paolo Banchero is incredibly versatile. He excels in the post, can create off the dribble, and continues to improve as a face-up shooter from deep. He lacks elite athleticism on the defensive end, but has flashed a great feel and discipline to counter that. Players with his build and skill set don't come around very often, so with a strong season at Duke, Banchero will likely be in the discussion for No. 1 in the 2022 NBA Draft.
AJ Griffin
Guard/Forward | Duke
Height: 6-6&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Class: Freshman Weight: 222&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Draft Day Age: 18.8 Wingspan: 7-0 &nbsp;&nbsp; Nationality: USA
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
AJ Griffin: Buy stock NOW 📈 <a href="https://t.co/R4eQ80PV62">pic.twitter.com/R4eQ80PV62</a>
&mdash; Duke Digest (@DukeDigest) <a href="https://twitter.com/DukeDigest/status/1390760124092932096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
Roles: Wing-Initiator, Defender, Scorer
Bottom Line: AJ Griffin is 6-foot-6 and possesses a 7-foot wingspan. He is a powerful and versatile wing that has a tremendous physical profile and promising skill set. He has also shown the ability to create for both himself and others. Griffin hasn't played a ton of basketball over the last 18 months due to both COVID-19 and injuries, and the freshman has already suffered a knee injury in practice. But once he gets back to action, tracking him early in the season while at Duke will be a top priority. AJ is the son of former NBA player and current Toronto Raptors assistant coach, Adrian Griffin.
Caleb Love
Guard | North Carolina
Height: 6-4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Sophomore Weight: 195&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 20.7 Wingspan: 6-9&nbsp; &nbsp;Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Eqb_ZHMIO_c" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Roles: Primary Ball-Handler, Scorer, Facilitator
Bottom Line: After being a highly-touted recruit out of high school, Caleb Love had a somewhat underwhelming freshman season for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He averaged 10.5 points and 3.6 assists per game while only shooting 26.6% from three-point range. Love is a good athlete with a quick first step and knack for playmaking, but will need to take a step forward in the 2021-22 season. If he is indeed able to take steps in the right direction, Love could be in the mix of the first point guards taken in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Matthew Cleveland
Guard/Forward | Florida State
Height: 6-7&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Class: Freshman Weight: 200&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 19.8 Wingspan: 6-9&nbsp; &nbsp;Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UOnY-7jQoS4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Roles: Slasher, Scorer, Defender
Bottom Line: Matthew Cleveland is potentially the next name that could be put on the list of Seminoles to develop into first-round picks under Leonard Hamilton&rsquo;s watch. Standing at nearly 6-foot-7, Cleveland is at his best when he&rsquo;s attacking the rim. Possessing great athleticism and body control, he finishes well with both finesse and through contact. Outside shooting is still a question mark at this point in his development. On the defensive end, he is stellar. He is aggressive and provides versatility, which should allow him to shine in Florida State's system. Cleveland is a strong candidate to be a one-and-done prospect.
Mark Williams
Center | Duke
Height: 7-0 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Class: Sophomore Weight: 242&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 20.5 Wingspan: 7-7&nbsp; &nbsp;Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KaeBjaseszg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Roles: Low-Post Scorer, Rebounder, Rim Protector
Bottom Line: Over the final six games of Mark Williams&rsquo; freshman season, his usage and role rose. He was clearly up to the task, as he averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per contest. Utilizing his size, length and interior presence, Williams has an opportunity to solidify himself as one of the best young bigs in the country. A solid season for Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils could lead to him to first-round pick status in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Matt Babcock breaks down the top 2022 NBA Draft prospects from the ACC.

2022 NBA Draft: Top prospects in the ACC

The 2021-22 NBA season is right around the corner, and the hottest names in the Most-Valuable-Player discussion are there for good reason: Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic, who's expected to take yet another leap.
However, with all of the elite talent throughout the NBA, there are a number of names that aren't currently in the top-tier of discussions who should also be mentioned.
Here are five under-the-radar players who could eventually be crowned the 2021-22 NBA MVP.
LEBRON JAMES
With a new superstar on board in Hollywood, the Lakers&rsquo; new Big Three featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook is expected to help the purple and gold soar back to the top of the Western Conference standings. If the Lakers get back to their winning ways, the &ldquo;Washed King&rdquo; narrative is going to die off quickly as it relates to LeBron. Although James is entering his age-37 season, he&rsquo;s undoubtedly still one of the best players in the Association.
Averaging 25.0 points, 7.8 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game last season, James was slowed down by a hamstring injury that caused the Lakers to slip into the No. 7 seed come playoff time &mdash; ultimately leading to the King&rsquo;s first defeat in an opening-round playoff series versus the Phoenix Suns. Now, with Westbrook onboard, the creation duties will substantially subside for LeBron. James can focus on bullying teams as a three-level scorer, conserving energy for attacking the basket with his well-known ferocity. This isn&rsquo;t prime LeBron, but he&rsquo;s not far away from those years.
From a narrative vantage point, no NBA player has ever won MVP above his age-35 season, let alone a couple of years later at 37. If James were to put up similar numbers as last season, maybe with a slight uptick in points per game, there&rsquo;s a legitimate argument to be made for James to be a top MVP candidate if the Lakers climb back to being the No. 1 seed in the West.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
DEVIN BOOKER
Booker has become a superstar following the Suns&rsquo; miraculous run to the 2021 NBA Finals, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks after taking a 2-0 lead. The soon-to-be 25-year-old is not a player to count out, though. Every single season of his professional career, Booker has taken a leap forward by improving weaknesses in his game.
Over the last three seasons, Booker has averaged at least 25.0 points per game while continuing to round-out his overall two-way profile. During the Suns&rsquo; first playoff appearance in 11 years, Booker displayed a newfound tenacity on the defensive end. And it carried over to the Olympics, which helped Team USA win the gold medal once again. Add in Booker&rsquo;s underrated playmaking and three-point shooting, and he could be one of the best dark-horse bets to make in the MVP race.
The Suns are going to be very good, even better than they were last season. Thanks to an <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-poised-to-be-one-of-the-nbas-best-teams-in-early-portion-of-202122-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">easy start to their schedule</a>, there&rsquo;s a real opportunity for Phoenix to be atop the West standings around Thanksgiving and Christmas. An early-season buzz surrounding the Suns would only help Booker&rsquo;s case further, as Chris Paul is expected to rest some nights following the re-signing of Cameron Payne and Elfrid Payton&rsquo;s addition on a one-year deal.
As Paul continues to age like fine wine, Booker will take back more of the scoring burden as the other young-core pieces in Phoenix continue to develop further. Booker has proven time and time again that he&rsquo;s ready for the big stage, and his seventh NBA season figures to be no different.
If the Suns end up winning close to 60 games, which I think is a strong possibility, Booker showcasing his game on a national stage (34 nationally televised primetime games) will push his stardom to even higher levels.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15993840_lg.jpg" alt="" width="572" height="339" />
JAYSON TATUM
From March 1 and on, Tatum averaged 29.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 39.7% on three-pointers. Tatum is quickly climbing the ladder as one of the best three-level scorers in the entire league.
With the Celtics not making many splashes this offseason &mdash; outside of taking away a high-usage scoring option in Kemba Walker &mdash; it opens up even more opportunities for Tatum to score. He's a potential threat to lead the NBA in points per game next season.
When I noticed Tatum&rsquo;s MVP odds on DraftKings were at +2500, I did a double-take. Boston is likely to finish in the middle of the pack in an improved Eastern Conference, where many teams are pushing their chips all-in. But what if the Celtics overachieve with new head coach Ime Udoka? If they eclipse 50 wins, Tatum is going to receive sleeper MVP buzz due to his scoring binges. There&rsquo;s a plausible reality where Tatum averages 30-plus points per game next season. The Celtics have constructed a roster tailor-made for what Tatum does best &mdash; score the bucket relentlessly.
Keep an eye on Tatum, because those odds are way too good to pass up. Tatum is already a star, but the superstar jump should be expected from the former Duke Blue Devil in 2021-22.
PAUL GEORGE
The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard all of next season, or at least potentially not until the playoffs, due to a partially torn ACL. However, in Kawhi&rsquo;s absence late in the postseason, Paul George went supernova, putting the team on his back on the way to pushing Phoenix in the West Finals. At certain points, George was unconscious as a scorer, once again flexing his muscles that he can be a No. 1 scoring option whenever is necessary.
Well, the 2021-22 season is when the Indiana version of George is primed for a return. Now, with more seasoning under his belt as an improved three-level scoring engine, George is poised to become an -contender once more. If George returns to averaging 28 points per game as he did during his last season in Oklahoma City alongside Russell Westbrook, the Clippers are going to be comfortably in the playoff picture.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
George&rsquo;s offensive game is silky smooth, and his defense also has continued to be a mainstay calling card for him. If George taps back into the MVP discussions three years later, it will be one of the most impressive runs of any player next season.
Los Angeles has copious amounts of depth going over 10-deep, but George will be their Batman and Robin simultaneously carrying them up the proverbial mountaintop without Leonard around. That&rsquo;s a perfect recipe to generate noise around a potential MVP push.
ZION WILLIAMSON
The 2019 No. 1 overall pick is only entering his third season in the NBA, but it seems his brilliance at this stage of his career is truly flying under the radar.&nbsp; During his age-20 season, Williamson averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while carrying a ridiculously efficient 64.9% True Shooting percentage. And as Zion&rsquo;s sophomore season progressed, New Orleans felt more comfortable putting the ball in his hands more frequently as a point-forward creating everything for the Pelicans&rsquo; offensive attack.
After adding more perimeter shooting to space the floor &mdash; Devonte&rsquo; Graham, Tomas Satoransky and Trey Murphy III &mdash; plus the addition of Jonas Valanciunas in place of Steven Adams, Williamson will have more room to bully through defenses with regularity. Add in Brandon Ingram&rsquo;s star equity, and the Pelicans are cooking with gas to finally break through as a playoff team next season.
Don&rsquo;t underrate the addition of Willie Green either. The former Phoenix Suns lead assistant coach was instrumental in player development and defensive improvement. Green is one of the best young coaches in the Association, and his ability to mesh well with players will do wonders for Williamson and Ingram.
Although the Pelicans&rsquo; offseason has been questioned by some, it accomplished on the margins what needed to be done to make things easier on Williamson as a scorer. If Williamson was able to average close to 30 points per game with a clogged paint, imagine the possibilities for him when there&rsquo;s ample outside shooting gravity allowing him to make magic happen around the basket.
Williamson is a real threat to be near the top of the league in scoring next season, which is a scary thought for other organizations. If everything clicks into place for Williamson with a more polished roster around him, New Orleans will be a playoff team, which only strengthens an underdog case for the super-athlete big to make waves in the MVP discussion.

Who is flying under the radar for a potential MVP run? Here are five names to keep an eye on throughout the 2021-22 season.

5 under-the-radar NBA MVP candidates for the 2021-22 season

On Sunday, NBA teams descended on Las Vegas for the first time in over two years for the 2021 MGM Resorts Summer League. And viewers got one of the greatest starts to a summer showcase in recent memory.
Almost every NBA prospect showed flashes of talent and long-term potential. Even the "disappointing" players showed glimpses and displayed foundations for growth. It makes breaking down prospects all the more fun.
With any type of summer league analysis comes a bold, italicized warning. This is a small sample of games in a unique environment with limited chemistry and a focused shifted away from winning. We'll be listing the five "studs" and "duds" from Sunday's slate, but by no means should this reflect a stance on a player &mdash; it's merely observing their current state as a player in summer league and a prospect in general.
Let's get into it.
STUDS
Jalen Green, guard, Houston Rockets
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Yeah you can't teach this. Jalen Green is how old, again? <a href="https://t.co/vHLJCYyYD1">pic.twitter.com/vHLJCYyYD1</a>
&mdash; Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1424509320138399747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats: 23 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 9-for-18 FG, 4-for-9 3PT
Green simply dazzled in his Rockets debut. The first G League Ignite alum to log summer league minutes, Green demonstrated the array of scoring moves that made him this year's second overall draft pick (see above). But he also operated as the lead ball-handler on most possessions for Houston, <a href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA/status/1424523845621325826" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hitting some of the passing reads</a> he'll need to make in the future. That's a good sign for Green's continued growth as an offensive centerpiece.
Malachi Flynn, guard, Toronto Raptors
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Some solid defense from Deuce McBride, but Malachi Flynn still hits the tough step-back 3! <a href="https://t.co/uVeS3vzsrr">pic.twitter.com/uVeS3vzsrr</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1424486067634323458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats: 23 points, 6 rebounds, 8-for-13 FG, 4-for-5 3PT
Leading the early voting for "guys who have outgrown summer league" is Flynn, who effortlessly carved up the Knicks on Sunday. He cruised to an efficient 23 points, knocking down floaters, pull-ups, step-backs and more in Toronto's 89-79 win. The second-year guard dealt with pressure from the Knicks' defense, but he seemed unbothered.
Scottie Barnes, forward, Toronto Raptors
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Scottie Barnes today: 18 points 10 rebounds 5 assists 2 steals Jumper looking smooth 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/xmNkmAvYgv">pic.twitter.com/xmNkmAvYgv</a>
&mdash; NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1424501730327384069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 7-for-18 FG, 1-for-4 3PT
Another Raptor? It's well-deserved for Barnes, who made quite the impression after surprisingly being chosen by Toronto with the fourth overall draft pick. The do-it-all forward filled up the stat sheet and left his mark on the game with relentless energy. His lone three-pointer looked solid off the catch, and along with some midrange touch, Barnes showed progress on his jump-shot, which was deemed "questionable" by many.
The rookie rarely appeared out of control, even when he dove for loose balls and whipped long passes. Barnes' debut should excite Raptors fans who see his potential as a versatile weapon on both ends.
Jalen Johnson, forward, Atlanta Hawks
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
WHAT A BLOCK BY JALEN JOHNSON 🚫 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> <a href="https://t.co/hkomVGsPo8">pic.twitter.com/hkomVGsPo8</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1424483847475924993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Box Score Stats:&nbsp;20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 8-for-12 FG, 1-for-2 3PT
Johnson showed that he's ready for the NBA by exhibiting the strength and power needed to make an impact in the league. Atlanta's No. 20 overall pick consistently attacked the Celtics off the dribble, finishing through tough contact at times. He wasn't perfect on the defensive end, but the former Duke Blue Devil hustled, as demonstrated by the above highlight block on Carsen Edwards. Without even showing off his passing and vision &mdash; arguably his greatest strengths as a forward &mdash; Johnson made his mark early.
Antonio Blakeney, guard, Portland Trail Blazers
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Antonio Blakeney (27 PTS &amp; 9/10 FG) was DEEP in his bag against the Hornets 🎒 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBASummer</a> <a href="https://t.co/pLq3YFvwIM">pic.twitter.com/pLq3YFvwIM</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1424528749307985922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
Box Score Stats: 27 points, 1 block, 9-for-10 FG, 2-for-3 3PT
He's not a prospect, but Blakeney raised plenty of eyebrows with an electric performance that included 19 fourth-quarter points and 27 total in just over 18 minutes off the bench. The 24-year-old killed the Hornets off the dribble with change-of-pace moves and impressive touch. Blakeney has always been a scorer; he's averaged 26.3 points per game over his G League career. If he can keep things up in summer league, perhaps Blakeney finds another NBA opportunity.
DUDS

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

Josh Christopher, guard, Houston Rockets
Box Score: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 5-for-15 FG, 0-for-4 3PT
It wasn't all bad for Christopher, who played solid defense and dished a couple of nice passes for the Rockets, but the rookie guard had some serious tunnel vision on Sunday, often driving into crowds and finding himself without an escape route. Christopher's strength is his scoring ability, but he has to work on playing within the flow of the offense and being more methodical against NBA size.&nbsp;
Tre Mann, guard, Oklahoma City Thunder
Box Score Stats: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3-for-14 FG, 0-for-4 3PT
When Josh Giddey went down with an ankle sprain, Mann assumed the lead ball-handler duties with Theo Maledon. But Mann couldn't buy a bucket in the 76-72 win. He created open looks with his handle and burst off the dribble, but missed a number of at-rim attempts and open perimeter shots.
Though Mann had zero assists, he made some smart passes that his teammates missed. He also threw away two quality alley-oop chances. The 18th pick of this year's draft will look to bounce back next game.&nbsp;
Aaron Nesmith, guard/forward, Boston Celtics
Box Score Stats: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 5-for-14 FG, 1-for-8 3PT
Boston's resident sharpshooter was simply ice-cold in the summer opener. Nesmith took plenty of catch-and-shoot threes and just never found a rhythm. This shouldn't cause any type of long-term concern &mdash; Nesmith is a proven threat from long range. Slumps happen, and especially in this setting, a cold streak should not raise alarms.
Cade Cunningham, guard, Detroit Pistons
Box Score Stats: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 5-for-17 FG, 2-for-7 3PT
I should be clear that this was far from a terrible game from Cunningham. He was active both on and off the ball defensively, creating transition opportunities that typically ended well. Cunningham's assist numbers were also limited by some poor finishes from teammates.
Still, the No. 1 overall pick delivered an inefficient performance. He cooled off from deep after a strong start and missed a critical (by summer league standards) fourth-quarter three-pointer. In the half-court, Cunningham lacked explosiveness off the dribble. He also logged five turnovers. There's definitely room for improvement here.
Bol Bol, center, Denver Nuggets
Box Score Stats: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 5-for-14 FG, 0-for-3 3PT
In this case, I actually think Bol's final stat line masks what was another frustratingly inconsistent performance. The third-year center had just eight points with eight minutes remaining in the game; overall, it was a tale of two Bols in the 97-77 loss to Miami.
When Bol was engaged &mdash; like in the fourth quarter &mdash; he threw down putbacks, altered shots and handled the ball in the full-court before using his length to attack the basket. When he wasn't, he disappeared for extended stretches. Eleven of Bol's 21 points came via free throws. At this stage of his career, it's time to start turning the flashes into full games of consistent production.
It's been a while since we've had summer NBA basketball. Fortunately, it's back... And not a moment too soon.

Plenty of prospects made a positive first impression on Day 1 of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Others struggled in their debut.

5 studs and duds from the first day of NBA Summer League action

With the 2021 NBA Draft just days away, BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has put together a list of the top available prospects by position. He recently listed the draft's top&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-point-guards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">point guards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-shooting-guards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting guards</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-small-forwards-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small forwards</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-top-centers-in-this-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">centers</a>.
Here are the best small forwards in this year's class:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MB99vtLU6Cg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Johnson, Duke</a>
Although he had a disappointing freshman season at Duke (in which he left his team early), Jalen Johnson possesses an intriguing combination of strength, athleticism, and playmaking skills. Considering his abilities as a ball-handler, distributor, and finisher at his size, he&rsquo;s one of the more talented forwards in this year&rsquo;s draft class and he has a ton of upside.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vF65lCIBod4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/kai-jones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kai Jones, Texas</a>
At 6-foot-11, Jones teased with his athleticism and offensive tools this past season at Texas. He will need to develop his physical strength and add polish to become a high-level NBA player; however, his long-term ceiling is extremely high. At the end of the lottery, he might be worth the risk.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Eq272ZiiKI" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/isaiah-jackson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah Jackson, Kentucky</a>
<span data-sheets-value="{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;Due to his length and leaping ability, Isaiah Jackson is a premier rim protector. He will need to add physical strength, but his presence in the interior is felt on both ends with his mobility and explosion. A bit raw on the offensive end, he's flashed decent touch and the ability to play above the rim. Jackson could serve as an effective rim protector, rim runner, and roaming big.&quot;}" data-sheets-userformat="{&quot;2&quot;:6847,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;4&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:13756105},&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;6&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;7&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;8&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;10&quot;:2,&quot;12&quot;:0,&quot;14&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0},&quot;15&quot;:&quot;Arial&quot;}">Due to his length and leaping ability, Isaiah Jackson is a premier rim protector. He will need to add physical strength, but his presence in the interior is felt on both ends with his mobility and explosion. A bit raw on the offensive end, he's flashed decent touch and the ability to play above the rim. Jackson could serve as an effective rim protector, rim runner, and roaming big.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KeNjxCP3QXA" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/trey-murphy-iii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trey Murphy III, Virginia</a>
A sniper as a shooter and an effective defender, Trey Murphy III came into his own at Virginia after transferring from Rice. He doesn't excel in creating for himself, but as a movement and spot-up shooter, he can be incredibly valuable to just about any NBA offense. Considering his size, length, mobility, defense, and ability to stretch the floor, Murphy is a viable option in the first round.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pbPL0HyHJS8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/usman-garuba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Usman Garuba, Real Madrid</a>
Known mostly for his defensive prowess, Usman Garuba causes problems for opponents all over the floor with his length and explosiveness. He is instinctual at the rim, as both a protector and play-finisher. Aside from his positive contributions on the defensive end, his offensive abilities have been somewhat of a concern for some time now. This past season in Spain, Garuba&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/international-basketball-fiba-europe-euroleague-real-madrid-usman-garuba-progressing-as-shooter-trending-upward-2021-nba-draft-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three-point shooting improved greatly</a>, providing real hope that his game might translate to the NBA better than initially expected.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CG89TyhX1-8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jt-thor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JT Thor, Auburn</a>
Thor is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing prospects in this class. He's long, rangy, and fluid for his size. He also has the ability to shoot the deep ball and protect the rim. Thor is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jt-thor-could-be-2021-nba-draft-diamond-in-the-rough-auburn-tigers-prospect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a potential diamond-in-the-rough</a> who could make a great impact at the next level if it clicks. He likely won't be ready to contribute early in his career, but the physical tools and skill set are worth betting on.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oU2OEAnWVdo" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/j-robinson-earl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova</a>
Although he isn't the flashiest player in the class, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl projects to be a reliable contributor. He averaged 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds this past season, showing that he's willing and able to do the little things necessary for team success. He's a strong rebounder, screen-setter and passer, and he has flashed the ability to stretch the floor as well.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BHk6l_B1ODE" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/kessler-edwards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kessler Edwards, Pepperdine</a>
Kessler Edwards is a proven shot-maker who excels in both three-point shooting and scoring in the post. He has good size at 6-foot-7 and a knack for doing all the little things well. Edwards is a disciplined and active team defender who can provide a decent amount of switchability. While he doesn't have a ton of upside, he looks to provide solid value on both ends of the floor in versatile roles.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9aZORFFao-A" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/isaiah-todd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah Todd, G League Ignite</a>
Isaiah Todd is an impressive athlete with good physical tools that he uses to his advantage, making him a difficult assignment for defenders. Todd averaged 12.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 15 games this past season for the G League Ignite. He has good length at 6-foot-10 and has shown the ability to stretch the floor, as he shot 36.2% from deep. If he is able to improve his decision-making and discipline, Todd could likely tap into his significant potential.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CKore3ukIlk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/greg-brown-iii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greg Brown III, Texas</a>
Greg Brown III is arguably the most explosive athlete in the draft. His leaping ability off one or two feet is incredible, which led to many highlight plays at Texas this past season. He has a high motor and a knack for attacking the offensive glass. He has shown flashes of being able to shoot from outside and make plays on the offensive end. However, his basketball IQ and self-awareness as a player seem to be lacking. Considering his level of athleticism, overall physical tools and raw talent, Brown should still be selected somewhere in the first round.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qO9k6c66ReE" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/isaiah-livers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isaiah Livers, Michigan&nbsp;</a>
Isaiah Livers is one of the best shooters in this draft, especially off movement. He has NBA size for a wing at 6-foot-6 and he was a career 41.2% three-point shooter at Michigan. He likely won't be relied upon to create much offense at the next level, but his ability to stretch the floor will likely provide him an opportunity.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rYgopTASoLY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/sam-hauser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Hauser, Virginia</a>
Hauser projects as a stretch big at the NBA level due to his impressive shot-making ability. He excelled at Virginia shooting off movement and the standstill, and has shown he can hit big-time shots from the mid-range as well as from deep. Hauser is one of the older players in this Draft cycle at 23 years old, but his skillset is one that organizations covet. Look for him to get a good NBA opportunity next season.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/91cPfdj-q60" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/matthew-hurt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Hurt, Duke</a>
Hurt was one of the best three-point shooters in the country last season, knocking dow 44.4% of his 126 attempts. After being ranked No. 12 in the 2019 RSCI, he had an underwhelming freshman season at Duke. As a sophomore, he came into his own as a scorer and showed that he can contribute on the interior as well as the perimeter. He's tough on the glass, has good size, and projects as a stretch four at the NBA level.
To see BasketballNews.com's latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.

BasketballNews.com's Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has put together a list of the top power forwards in the 2021 NBA Draft.

2021 NBA Draft: Top power forwards in this class

The <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 NBA Draft</a> is less than three weeks away, so BasketballNews.com is breaking down the best prospects in each conference. Today, we&rsquo;ll look at ACC players to keep an eye on.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HSnaSkbmRqM" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/scottie-barnes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scottie Barnes, Florida State</a>
STATS: 10.3 PTS, 4.0 REB, 4.1 AST, 1.4 STL
When talking about versatility in this year&rsquo;s class, you don&rsquo;t have to look far to get to Scottie Barnes. What makes Barnes so unique as an athletic, 6-foot-8, 225-pound freshman is his high level of impact as a playmaker on the offensive end, with the potential to guard up to five positions on defense. While his size suggests he&rsquo;ll translate smoothly as a forward to the NBA, he played and defended the guard position over the course of last season. His 4.1 assists per game came from the combination of his very unselfish style of play, the utilization of his height to see over defenses, and effectively navigating ball screens.
On the other side of the ball, his 7-foot-2 wingspan allowed him to get deflections and make opposing players uncomfortable, which created advantages for Florida State. What&rsquo;s also evident is his communication and effort on defense &mdash; two things that are very appealing to NBA decision-makers.
What limits Barnes is his scoring ability, as the numbers and film suggest he was not very effective or comfortable as a shooter. Off the ball, he can play as a cutter, but the percentages are less favorable when out on the perimeter (without him initiating the offense and getting downhill). At his NBA Combine Pro Day, Barnes displayed some improved mechanics and fluidity to his jump shot, so it will be interesting to see how it translates to the next level. Scouts rave about his passion and energy on the court along with his charismatic personality off of it.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scottie Barnes is projected as the No.6 pick to the OKC Thunder in our latest mock draft.</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MB99vtLU6Cg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/jalen-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Johnson, Duke</a>
STATS: 11.2 PTS 6.0 REB 2.2 AST 1.2 BLK
The Duke Blue Devils continue to attract top-ranked high school prospects, and Jalen Johnson was expected to be the next star to carry the torch for another season of deep tournament runs. Unfortunately, that didn&rsquo;t happen and his season was cut short by an injury and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-duke-university-jalen-johnson-opts-out-nba-draft-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a decision to leave the team</a> (which was questioned by scouts and fans alike). However, Johnson is still a tantalizing talent with major potential as an athletic, playmaking, combo forward.&nbsp;
From day one, he should be able to provide high-level athleticism, fill the lane in transition and either finish at the rim or find open teammates with his passing ability. He&rsquo;s also a good ball-handler, which makes him a grab-and-go threat on the defensive boards. Speaking of defense, he has upside as a prospect who can guard all frontcourt positions and has the tools to stay with guards, although he&rsquo;ll have some work to do before a team should feel comfortable on switches against the NBA&rsquo;s best guards.&nbsp;
The last few years of Johnson&rsquo;s career have been questioned by scouts, as he bounced around teams and left college early. Johnson was projected to be a top-six pick at one point, but he could fall out of the lottery if teams feel more confident about other prospects. While teams will want to see how he&rsquo;s moving post-injury and how well his shot is coming along, the pre-draft interviews could end up being drastically more important for Johnson during these final weeks.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Johnson is projected as the No. 9 pick to the Sacramento Kings in our latest mock draft.</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KeNjxCP3QXA" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/trey-murphy-iii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trey Murphy III - Virginia&nbsp;</a>
11.3 PTS 3.4 REB 1.2 AST 43.3% 3FG
In every recent draft, teams have been highly valuing 3-and-D prospects because their skill set obviously translates to the NBA and they can immediately contribute in two important areas of today&rsquo;s NBA. Elite three-point shooters who can also lock down the opposing team's best offensive player are highly coveted. One of the next players in this mold is Trey Murphy III of Virginia. Murphy III is an elite catch-and-shoot three-point shooter who should contribute right away when stationed around the perimeter. On defense, his 6-foot-8, 206-pound frame and a 7-foot wingspan make him a tough on-ball defender who can cover up to four positions.&nbsp;
While Murphy III has mostly flown under the radar this season, the pre-draft process is really exposing how much of a translatable skill set he has and how he can be utilized on the NBA level. Although not all players stick in the NBA, finding a role is half the battle and Trey Murphy III checks the boxes that teams need. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if his name is called in the first round.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trey Murphy III is projected as the No. 25 pick to the L.A. Clippers in our latest mock draft.&nbsp;</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T2bQz8PoaSQ" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/day-ron-sharpe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe - North Carolina</a>
9.5 PTS 7.6 REB 1.4 AST 0.9 BLK
A high-school teammate of projected No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham and projected lottery pick Scottie Barnes, Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe also had some high expectations entering this season with the Tar Heels. Sharpe is a 6-foot-11, 265-pound presence on the interior and he uses that frame to excel as a rebounder, especially on the offensive glass. Scouts love his ability to outwork the opposing team&rsquo;s big men for 50-50 balls, block shots, and be a play finisher around the rim. Something that jumps out when watching him play is his potential as an interior playmaker that a team could run some inside-out offense through at times.&nbsp;
While Sharpe isn&rsquo;t a tremendous athlete, his motor and second-jump quickness make up for it. He didn&rsquo;t stretch the floor during his year at UNC, but he did display some touch during his pro-day shooting drills, providing optimism that he can add that to his game in the years to come.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe is projected as the No. 33 pick to the Orlando Magic in our latest mock draft.</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l1QXNUhc7lQ" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/d-j-steward" target="_blank" rel="noopener">D.J. Steward - Duke</a>
13 PTS 3.9 REB 2.4 AST 1.1 STL
Although Jalen Johnson didn&rsquo;t have the opportunity to impact Duke for a full season, D.J. Steward was the other freshman tasked to lead the Blue Devils for Coach K. Steward is a speedy 6-foot-2 combo guard who doesn&rsquo;t only use speed to create advantages on the floor. As a guard who is slightly undersized, he impressed by showing a quick first step and converting well around the rim on drives in the halfcourt and in transition. His shooting numbers are interesting considering that he shot better off the dribble than in catch-and-shoot situations. Steward shot 81.1% from the free throw line, which suggests his 34.1% from beyond the arc could rise.&nbsp;
Steward&rsquo;s role at the next level needs some time to solidify. Right away, he projects as a combo guard who may play more off-ball as his playmaking will need some time to develop. However, he also needs to gain more consistency as a spot-up shooter to play off-ball. What could get Steward on the court is his on-ball defense, especially as his body strengthens.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">D.J. Steward projects as the No. 48 pick to the Atlanta Hawks in our latest mock draft.</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rYgopTASoLY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/sam-hauser">Sam Hauser - Virginia</a>
16.0 PTS 6.8 REB 1.8 AST 41.7% 3FG
The premium on shooting in the NBA will always benefit any prospect who was a 40%+ volume three-point shooter. Sam Hauser fits that profile; he has good size as a combo forward at 6-foot-8 and he shot nearly 44% from three throughout his collegiate career at Marquette and Virginia. &ldquo;Big Smooth&rdquo; has a smooth stroke he displays in shots off the catch and even some flashes off the dribble or using turn-around jumpers in the post. He also played well as a cutter, finding open lanes for easy baskets and making plays for his teammates doing the same.
Hauser is a solid prospect who has the ability to fit within a team&rsquo;s offense to provide a major floor spacing threat. If the rest of his game is able to adjust to NBA-level size, speed, and athleticism, he&rsquo;ll be an impactful glue guy.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Hauser is projected as the No. 54 pick to the Indiana Pacers in our latest mock draft.</a>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cVC25uQ-2Zw" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/big-board/players/david-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Johnson - Louisville</a>
12.6 PTS 5.8 REB 3.2 AST 1.1 STL
David Johnson is a talented player who had some intrigue coming into his second season with the Louisville Cardinals. As a lead guard, Johnson makes his impact as a pick-and-roll ball-handler who can make high-IQ plays in the halfcourt. At 6-foot-5, he has elite positional size to defend both guard spots as well as the length to cover ground as a help defender. Although he had struggles shooting the ball from deep his freshman year, he returned as a sophomore and shot a much-improved 38% from three-point range.&nbsp;
Although he doesn&rsquo;t offer much off-the-dribble creation as a scorer, if Johnson can consistently put pressure on the defense as a passer and scorer from inside and out while also effectively defending opposing backcourts, he&rsquo;ll find a role in the NBA. He also had a solid showing in the Combine scrimmages that displayed his ability to defend and fill a stat-sheet in various ways.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Johnson is projected at the No. 56 pick to the Charlotte Hornets in our latest mock draft.</a>
Check out our breakdown of the top 2021 NBA Draft prospects <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-analyzing-the-pac12s-top-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in the Pac-12</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-analyzing-the-big-ten-top-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Big Ten</a>.

Blake Hairston breaks down the top NBA draft prospects to keep an eye on from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

2021 NBA Draft: Analyzing the ACC's top prospects

I'm not sure who could've predicted this Eastern Conference Finals.
On one side, the Milwaukee Bucks are seeing the fruits of their switch-it-up labor. They've tinkered all year long in preparation of this postseason. They mollywhopped the Miami Heat in round one. They then snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, before snatching victory anyway in a seven-game slugfest against the Brooklyn Nets.&nbsp;
On the other side are the Atlanta Hawks, a team that didn't look playoff bound midway through the season due to injuries, roster instability, and coaching turmoil. The firing of Lloyd Pierce, and the subsequent hiring of Nate McMillan, jumpstarted their turnaround. They proved to be too prolific for the New York Knicks in round one, and too resilient for the Philadelphia 76ers in round two.
And so, here we are. Two teams with unique (and oft-hated) offensive engines. Two teams that have had a microscope on their head coaching jobs for different reasons. Two teams that haven't won a title in decades, both presented with the opportunity to make the Finals.
I&rsquo;m not a coach -- I'm just a pun-loving basketball fan with a hankering for film breakdowns. But instead of a traditional series preview, I decided to go into the basketball trenches and devise gameplans for both teams. The tone of this piece will be a little more informal, but it will still be informative (at least I hope).
Without further ado, let's look at how the Atlanta Hawks will try to stop the Milwaukee Bucks.
Defensive Matchups
Kevin Huerter --&gt; Jrue Holiday
Trae Young --&gt; Pat Connaughton
Bogdan Bogdanovic --&gt; Khris Middleton
Clint Capela --&gt; Giannis Antetokounmpo&nbsp;
John Collins --&gt; Brook Lopez
The Hawks have a decision to make with the frontcourt. Do you go with Capela on Giannis to start, considering he's the most physically equipped to deal with him? Or do you start with Collins as an innings-eater of sorts, and have Capela roam off of Lopez to muck things up if necessary?
I think I'd choose the former option, understanding the foul trouble risks that come with it. Slowing Giannis down should be priority number one. Not only is Capela better equipped to do that, Collins does have solid weakside rim-protection chops. He's also faster than Capela, so he should be able to help in the paint and scoot out to Lopez on the perimeter with a little more ease.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Top Priority on Defense: Make it a Half-court Affair
If you look at the personnel for each team -- specifically, who the stars are -- you'd likely think of the Hawks as a run-and-gun squad, while the Bucks profile as a grind-it-out, beat-em-up half-court. It's pretty much the opposite.
No team pushes more than the Bucks, with nearly 18% of their possessions starting in transition, per Cleaning The Glass. While Giannis is a battering ram in the half-court (more on that shortly), he's at his best when long-striding in the open floor. He drives the transition attack, figuratively and literally.
Giannis ranked in the 85th percentile when operating as the lead ball-handler in transition; when filling the "trailer" role, that bumped up to the 91st percentile per Synergy. There are few things scarier in the NBA than that guy coming with a full head of steam.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/nwipxa" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The proverbial "wall" has been talked about ad nauseam over the past couple of (post)seasons, but it's imperative to get back and cut off the middle of the floor. Making Giannis navigate in close quarters is the best way to slow him down. He's nimble for his size, but he isn't guard-level slithery.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/rw26fg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Of course, it isn't&nbsp;just&nbsp;Giannis. Jrue Holiday is not only good at pushing in transition, he adds value as an early seal threat. He's a big man in a guard's body in that way, willing to leak out early and either put smaller defenders on his hip, or to lurk around the dunker spot for dump-offs.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/tgrqom" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
It may not be safe to play the offensive rebound game; getting back and cutting off easy opportunies should be of higher importance.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Bucks' Team Stats (and Milwaukee's stats vs. Atlanta)
<ul>
<li>Offensive Rating: 116.5, 5th (119.3)</li>
<li>Half-Court Offensive Rating: 102.0, 6th (106.5)</li>
<li>True Shooting Percentage: 59.3, 5th (59.5)</li>
<li>Assist Percentage: 56.9, 25th (57.0)</li>
<li>Turnover Rate: 13.4, 13th (12.8)</li>
<li>Pace: 102.85, 2nd (98.67)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Attempts: 21.4, 16th (21.3)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Percentage: 76.0, 23rd (81.3)</li>
<li>Three-Point Attempts: 37.1, 8th (34.0)</li>
<li>Three-Point Percentage: 38.9, 5th (33.3)</li>
<li>Offensive Rebounds: 10.3, 12th (11.3)</li>
</ul>
Bucks' Play Type Breakdown
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2021-06-22-at-12-44-41-pm.png" alt="" width="755" height="325" />
Defending Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis is one of the most dominant rim threats the NBA has ever seen. He's been a monster this postseason, averaging [checks notes] 29-14-5. Okay then.
He wasn't superhuman during the regular-season series, but still scored efficiently (24.3 points, 67.8 TS) and <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shooting/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;OpponentTeamID=1610612737&amp;TeamID=1610612749&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;sort=Restricted%20Area%20FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">owned the interior</a> (84.6% on 8.7 attempts).
He's been working on counters all season long. Some of that is quicker decision-making -- the passes on drives are coming a beat earlier than last season, for example. Some of that is adding to the shot repertoire. Post hooks, step-in middies, and turnarounds are all shots he has shown more comfort getting to.&nbsp;
There's no way to&nbsp;stop&nbsp;this guy. Slowing him down, and hoping his extremely poor luck from the free throw line (48.3% vs the Nets, 53.8% overall) carries over, will go a long way to swinging the series.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Major Key: Crowd the Paint
The same principles that apply in transition -- taking away the middle, being active with your hands on the drive -- also apply in half-court situations.&nbsp;
Giannis attempting to add half-court counters to his game is fine. Ultimately, his primary method of attack can be devastating enough to render those counters useless.
It's hard to overstate just how strong this dude is. He has no issue doing his work early, putting a guy on his hip and setting up shop on either block. His backdowns create genuine space. Once he gets to the restricted area, you're pretty much dead. He'll nudge you off-balance with fakes or, if they don't work, simply extend his never-ending arms to get a good look.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/tc9lpv" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
That's not a bad rep from Danilo Gallinari, who actually bumps Giannis off his spot on the catch. Three dribbles and a head fake later, Giannis is taking a shot two-and-a-half feet from the basket, if that. That's how tough it's going to be.
The key to hindering Giannis in the half-court is doing your homework early. Building the "wall" is an easy example, particularly when he's isolating above the break. When he isn't at the center of the court, pinching in early will be necessary to making him work.
Wing isolations or post-ups should look like this.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2021_06_23_21_51_09.png" alt="" width="577" height="325" />
It's not a hard double from Capela, but he's pulling in early from one pass away. He's trusting that he can get out to Bobby Portis for a contest if necessary. Brandon Goodwin is at the nail. Lou Williams has his toe at the edge of the paint. The only place Giannis can go is to the baseline.
Sure enough:
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;">
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/kpda4f" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
</div>
Giannis won't always settle for that -- you saw what he did in the clip against Gallinari -- but you bump up the odds of him settling if you restrict his space.
As far as actual doubles, timeliness will be key. He's no Nikola Jokic, but he's also a step above Joel Embiid as a passer in terms of ability and willingness. The Bucks generated nearly 1.3 points per possession when Giannis passed out of a post double this season, per Second Spectrum.
Show the hand too early, and he'll make the right play.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/mpzqjz" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
If you're able to blindside him a bit, wait for him to begin his move or get into his gather, you may be able to fluster him. Take this rep for example.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/gpqeyv" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Bogdan Bogdanovic comes over to the right elbow once Giannis starts his post-up, but doesn't commit until he drives to the baseline. As that happens, Capela pulls in to cut off the dump-off pass to Portis. Behind that, Williams sinks down to the opposite baseline to take away a potential kick to the corner.&nbsp;
This is the blueprint.
As a bonus: whenever Giannis is starting a post-up or an isolation with a lefty drive, make sure there's someone ready to pinch in to the middle of the floor. The left-to-right spin is his go-to move in close quarters (while the eurostep is more of a transition weapon).&nbsp;
As another bonus: if you're going to pinch in to bother the spin,&nbsp;fully commit to that sucker.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/m1zlx0" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Bogdanovic doesn't sink quickly enough, nor does he reach in with any fervor. This is one heck of a move by Giannis, but it's still a help-defense failure.
Can't have that.
Defending the Shooters (Perimeter)
Jrue Holiday: soft close-out
<ul>
<li>Holiday is coming off the best three-point shooting season of his career (39.2% on 4.8 attempts), though he's cooled off considerably in the postseason (24.6% on 5.5 attempts). He's solid with his feet set so you don't want to completely ignore him off-ball, but alarm bells shouldn't be ringing if someone kicks it out to him.</li>
</ul>
Bryn Forbes: hard close-out
<ul>
<li>Forbes is Milwaukee's best shooter, able to drill set shots, fly off screens, pull off of dribble handoffs, or relocate when chaos is happening elsewhere. He's also not a strong playmaker at all, and only took 25 shots at the rim in half-court situations during the regular season, per Synergy. Run him off the line, deal with the rest later.</li>
</ul>
Pat Connaughton: soft close-out
<ul>
<li>Connaughton is a solid shooter (37.1% on 3.9 attempts this season, 35% on 3.6 attempts during the postseason). He's good at finding creases off the ball, particularly sneaking down to the corner on drives. Keep an eye out for him, but he isn't worth selling out against. He's not&nbsp;that&nbsp;level of shooter.</li>
</ul>
Khris Middleton: hard, but controlled close-out
<ul>
<li>If Forbes takes the top shooter billing, Middleton is a close second -- especially once you factor in how much he self-creates. You don't want him getting clean looks on the perimeter, though with his release point, contests only mean so much. He ranked in the 68th percentile on "guarded" catch-and-shoot looks, per Synergy. Still, try to get him off the three-point line and stay attached to him. Live with the contested pull-up twos.</li>
</ul>
Defending the Shooters (Frontcourt)
PJ Tucker: Let him fire above the break, soft close-out in the corners
<ul>
<li>Tucker has shot 36.6% from deep on moderate volume over the last four seasons. The kicker: a whopping 72.2% of those threes have come from the corner. He's made those at a respectable 38.6% clip. But considering how open those shots have been, it's a bit underwhelming. Tucker doesn't have a particularly quick release, and he's prone to streakiness. Make him think when he's in the corner, but ignoring him elsewhere should be fine.</li>
</ul>
Thanasis Antetokounmpo: Let him fire
<ul>
<li>The Other Antetokounmpo likely won't have a sizeable role in this series, but his jumper is nothing to be afraid of. Well, except for that one game against the Knicks.</li>
</ul>
Brook Lopez: Soft close-out
<ul>
<li>Lopez has a high, but slow release on the jumper. As long as you don't cheat too far off of him, a balance can be struck between crowding the paint and getting out to the big fella. He doesn't mind driving -- really, slow-grinding -- a sloppy close-out. Discipline will be key here, especially from the corners.</li>
</ul>
Bobby Portis: hard, but controlled close-out
<ul>
<li>Running Portis off the line isn't an admission of elite shooting, though he is good (39.1% over the past four seasons). It's more of a tendency play; he's not a threatening passer on the move, and he may still take a tough shot anyway.</li>
</ul>
X-Factor: Jrue Holiday
Beyond Giannis, Holiday may be the most important Buck in this series.
He'll have to hound Trae Young for a majority of his minutes on the defensive end. I don't have to explain why that's important. If the Bucks come out in a deep drop, Young may need to dig into the foul-drawing bag to get Holiday out of there.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/ngivyw" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Don't sleep on Holiday's offensive importance either. Unlike 6'8 Khris Middleton, Holiday likely won't be at a size advantage against whoever defends him (likely Kevin Huerter). He'll be needed as a genuine shot creator, particularly when Giannis is off the floor.
Holiday&nbsp;can&nbsp;do it; he generated 1.07 points per possession on isolations during the regular-season series, per InStat tracking data. It's always a risky proposition once Holiday gets into his pull-up bag, but it adds another dimension to his, and the Bucks', attack when he has it rolling.
Frankly, dare him to knock down isolation pull-ups. Duck under picks against him and make him drain threes off the bounce. What you don't want is Holiday getting downhill consistently and finishing, making kick-outs, or drawing fouls himself.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/scouting-report-how-the-bucks-can-stop-the-hawks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out Nekias' breakdown of how the Bucks should defend the Hawks.</a>

Nekias Duncan puts on his amateur coaching hat and puts together a game plan on how the Hawks should defend the Bucks.

Scouting Report: How the Hawks can stop the Bucks

I'm not sure who could've predicted this Eastern Conference Finals.
On one side, the Milwaukee Bucks are seeing the fruits of their switch-it-up labor. They've tinkered all year long in preparation of this postseason. They mollywhopped the Miami Heat in round one. They then snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, before snatching victory anyway in a seven-game slugfest against the Brooklyn Nets.&nbsp;
On the other side are the Atlanta Hawks, a team that didn't look playoff bound midway through the season due to injuries, roster instability, and coaching turmoil. The firing of Lloyd Pierce, and the subsequent hiring of Nate McMillan, jumpstarted their turnaround. They proved to be too prolific for the New York Knicks in round one, and too resilient for the Philadelphia 76ers in round two.
And so, here we are. Two teams with unique (and oft-hated) offensive engines. Two teams that have had a microscope on their head coaching jobs for different reasons. Two teams that haven't won a title in decades, both presented with the opportunity to make the Finals.
I&rsquo;m not a coach -- I'm just a pun-loving basketball fan with a hankering for film breakdowns. But instead of a traditional series preview, I decided to go into the basketball trenches and devise gameplans for both teams. The tone of this piece will be a little more informal, but it will still be informative (at least I hope).
Without further ado, let's look at how the Milwaukee Bucks will try to stop the Atlanta Hawks.
Defensive Matchups
Jrue Holiday --&gt; Trae Young
Pat Connaughton --&gt; Kevin Huerter
Khris Middleton --&gt; Bogdan Bogdanovic
Giannis Antetokounmpo --&gt; John Collins
Brook Lopez --&gt; Clint Capela
The core four + PJ Tucker lineup has performed well this postseason (plus-10.3 net rating in 133 minutes), though it may make sense to downsize with Connaughton in this matchup.
That unit has also worked well (plus-8.3 in 38 minutes), and having Connaughton on the floor may make it a little more difficult to hide Young on the other end. Connaughton has some value as a ghost screener, while Tucker is primarily used to space in the corner or lurk around the dunker spot for offensive rebounds.
Top Priority on Defense: Disrupt Early offense
The Hawks aren't a team that wants to play particularly fast. They rank in the bottom third of the league in seconds per possession off of missed shots and turnovers, per <a href="http://stats.inpredictable.com/nba/ssnTeamPoss.php?season=2020&amp;po=0&amp;frdt=2020-12-22&amp;todt=2021-06-20&amp;view=off&amp;sort=aotopdr&amp;order=DESC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inpredictable tracking data</a>.&nbsp;
Being okay with grinding down possessions doesn't mean they can't attack early.&nbsp;They'll mix in a variety of looks to keep you off-balance.
A favorite, and one that Bucks fans in particular should recognize: a quick-hitter in which a player receives an off-ball screen in the middle of the floor, then immediately flows into a pick-and-roll. Call it Middleton Action if you want. There's also a built-in hand-back option if the middle screen doesn't gain enough traction.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;">
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/p1s2sp" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
</div>
"Pistol" action is also a favorite of theirs. Combining a guard screen (and flare) with an empty corner set-up can be incredibly difficult to defend.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/0ln57h" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Ultimately, the Hawks remain the NBA's preeminent Double Drag team. Young trotting up the court with a pair of screeners waiting for him is a scary sight.
One screener, likely Capela, will dive the basket. The other screener -- mostly Collins, but sometimes the guards get involved -- will pop above the break or flare out to the wing. Young can hit the roller, hit the pop, get downhill for floaters, or make corner skips. It's a nightmare, really.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/1m9339" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
No team ran more "double-pick" plays than the Hawks this season, per Second Spectrum tracking data. They generated a healthy 1.1 points per possession on those looks; that number ballooned to [checks notes] over 1.9 points per possession on 26 direct hookups against the Bucks this season. That is a small sample, but it gives you an idea of how deadly the Hawks can be.
Being able to contain those kind of actions will force&nbsp;the Hawks to play deeper into the clock. No matter the comfort level, that's still a tough diet to live on.
Hawks' Team Stats (and Atlanta's stats vs. Milwaukee)&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Offensive Rating: 114.3, 9th (113.2)</li>
<li>Half-Court Offensive Rating: 99.2, 9th (108.8)</li>
<li>True Shooting Percentage: 58.1, 10th (58.7)</li>
<li>Assist Percentage: 59.1, 18th (60.3)</li>
<li>Turnover Rate: 13.3, 10th (10.5)</li>
<li>Pace: 98.68, 22nd (98.67)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Attempts: 24.2, 4th (21.3)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Percentage: 81.2, 5th (81.3)</li>
<li>Three-Point Attempts: 33.4, 19th (36.0)</li>
<li>Three-Point Percentage: 37.3, 12th (38.0)</li>
<li>Offensive Rebounds: 10.6, 7th (6.0)</li>
</ul>
Hawks' Play Type Breakdown
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2021-06-22-at-12-31-41-am.png" alt="" width="751" height="325" />
Defending Trae Young
How much is there to say about Young at this point?&nbsp;
His blend of scoring and playmaking chops are rivaled by a handful of players in the NBA. He's faced two strong defenses in the postseason, and neither was able to consistently slow him down. It's hard to scoff at 29 and 10, even with the efficiency taking a hit from the regular season (55.3 TS%).
Young struggled in his lone showing against the Bucks this season -- 15 and 9 with six turnovers, while shooting 3-of-17 from the field -- though that was an outlier performance based on the shots he took (and&nbsp; missed). He is absolutely good enough to shape this series in his image if he isn't pressured.
Major Key: Restrict his Airspace
There isn't a good answer for a guy like Young, particularly in ball screens. He's a fearless pull-up threat with range extending to darn-near half-court. The danger levels rise when he gets downhill.
He's the most prolific floater taker (and maker) in the NBA; per Synergy, Young led the NBA in points off floaters (332), edging out second-place Richaun Holmes (226) by 106 points.&nbsp;
Put another way: Young took 345 floaters, while Holmes and third-in-points Luka Doncic took 347 combined.
It's the ultimate Small Guy Weapon, made even more dangerous by the fact that Young's floater looks identical to his lob pass. Backpedaling defenders don't know whether to step to give a moderate contest, or hang back to take away lob passes.
Defending Young in ball-screens will have to be a 2-on-2 endeavor if possible. This may not be a deep-drop series. Young shot 3-of-17 in the regular-season meeting, but he missed a ton of makeable shots that, frankly, he didn't have to work super hard to get.
The gameplan will need to resemble what was seen in the semis against Kevin Durant. Lopez may not have to be above the three-point line like he was against those Durant-Bruce Brown pick-and-rolls near half court. As hot as Young can run as a pull-up shooter, he is not Durant in that regard.
However, the answer probably isn't hanging back a step or two below the free throw line either. Finding that middle ground would allow time for Young's defender (mostly Holiday) to recover.&nbsp;
We talk about "rearview contests" when it comes to point-of-attack defenders in drop coverage. It's important for guys to be able to recover and contest shots from behind, making the ball-handler squirm a bit.&nbsp;
Young has removed that from the table with his ability to stop-and-pop. Quibble about those foul calls if you want, but it's a smart (and legal) way to make him even more difficult to defend. If he gets you on his hip, you're pretty much done for.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/17ag2f" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Again, infuriating. But again, smart and legal.&nbsp;
Instead of straight-line recovery paths, taking a different angle to end up on Young's side (instead of his hip) may be the best way to bother him. Peep this rep from Middleton.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/xry89r" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
<div class="c-message_kit__gutter">
<div class="c-message_kit__gutter__right" data-qa="message_content">
<div class="c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text">
<div class="c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer" data-qa="block-kit-renderer">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first">
<div class="p-rich_text_block" dir="auto">
<div class="p-rich_text_section">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="p-rich_text_section">With that plan, Young would have to go with a super unnatural shooting motion to lean in and draw fouls that way. He still could -- he's that slithery -- but it's at least extra work. That kind of extra work, with his usage, can add up over the course of the series.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
If the deeper drop remains a default, that will not only put strain on Young's defender. It'll also require some extra help off the ball. You can afford to have Lopez deeper in the paint, the last line of defense, if there's someone who can throw off Young's cadence in the intermediate area. Timely digs from the perimeter will be key in this instance.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/5d40od" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Jeff Teague (I would hope there won't be any Teague in this series) gets lost in the sauce early, while Bobby Portis is dropping&nbsp;from&nbsp;the dotted line area. Tucker is able to bridge the gap by showing some help right as Young begins his gather. That can work on occasion; you just have to be weary of Young making kick-outs.
Something to consider: one way to cut off Young's rhythm could be to switch. That will depend on the personnel on the floor, as well as who Young's partner is in ball-screen actions.
(Quietly, this is the case to keeping Tucker in the starting lineup. Switching Young-Bogdanovic or Young-Huerter pick-and-rolls, whichever assignment Tucker draws, could put a dent into Young's mismatch hunting.)
In terms of the partnerships, switching the Young-Collins pick-and-roll should be worth considering. The two generated just 0.94 points per possession when facing a switch, well below their overall efficiency (1.06 PPP) per Second Spectrum.
Forcing Young to shoot over the outstretched limbs of Giannis may be a worthwhile gamble. Collins has been a menace on the block against guards (1.23 PPP), though Holiday is not your ordinary guard (0.88 PPP allowed on post-ups).
Defending the Shooters (Perimeter)
Lou Williams: Soft close-out
<ul>
<li>It seems counterintuitive based on his production. Williams shot north of 44% from three as a Hawk this season, though did so on low volume. The argument is that Williams, even at this stage, is more dangerous getting downhill (and grifting for fouls) than he is as a three-point marksman. Show him you're coming without getting too close to him; that could eliminate some of his pump-and-drive or pump-and-lean-in game.</li>
</ul>
Kevin Huerter: Hard close-out to his right hand
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Huerter is a lights-out shooter, a career 38% marksman with volume and shot versatility. He can drain spot-up shots, convert on pump-and-sidestep looks, and is a willing relocator when the action is flowing elsewhere. Running Huerter off the line makes sense; doing so and forcing him to use his left is the optimal outcome. He already isn't a rim threat, and has oddly shot much worse on pull-ups when driving left.</li>
</ul>
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2021-06-22-at-9-59-16-am.png" alt="" width="1013" height="325" />
Bogdan Bogdanovic: Hard, but controlled close-out
<ul>
<li>Bogdanovic is an elite shooter with a high release point. He cares not for your contests; per Synergy, Bogdanovic ranked in the 91st percentile on "guarded" catch-and-shoot looks. That doesn't mean you don't try, but you also don't want to get sloppy. He absolutely has the playmaking chops to beat a rotating defense, and complements that with a more complete scoring arsenal than Huerter. Don't let him get busy.</li>
</ul>
Tony Snell: Hard close-out
<ul>
<li>Snell hasn't shot well this postseason, but he has long earned the pedigree of a high-level spot-up shooter. He also... doesn't do much else with the ball. Force him off the line and make him make decisions.</li>
</ul>
Defending the Shooters (Frontcourt)
Danilo Gallinari: Hard close-out
<ul>
<li>Gallinari can stroke it from deep (career 38.2% shooter on 5.2 attempts), and resides in the cares-not-for-your-contest division. Injuries and age have sapped a lot of his burst off the bounce; running him off the line and forcing him to beat you with drives, pull-ups, and tough turnarounds might be a reasonable bet.</li>
</ul>
Solomon Hill: Let him fire
<ul>
<li>Hill has shot above league average from three once in his career, and even that mark (36.8% in 2019-20) came on relatively low volume (2.9 attempts). He's okay from the corners (career 36.6%), but it's underwhelming considering a majority of those looks have been wide open. Muck up the action elsewhere.</li>
</ul>
John Collins: Soft close-out
<ul>
<li>At a certain point, the scouting report on Collins has to change a bit. We're now two years into Collins becoming a stretch option; he's drilled 40% of his threes over the past two seasons on moderate volume. He's shooting 39% in the postseason. His release is a bit slow so there's no need to blitz him, but he's at least graduated from "tip-your-cap-if-he-beats-us" status.</li>
</ul>
X-Factor: Bogdan Bogdanovic
Bogdanovic has been huge for this Hawks team all season, thriving as a secondary option and completely taking over games when he's rolling. To that point: Bogdanovic dropped 28-6-7 against the Bucks on April 15, then dropped 32 on them on April 25.&nbsp;His shot-making is a perfect complement to, and occasionally a cover for, Young.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/uvxbey" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The issue is less about Bogdanovic's playoff mettle, and more about his health. He suffered a knee injury early in Game 6. It didn't keep him out of Game 7, but he was clearly hampered (four points on 2-of-8 shooting in 21 minutes).
This isn't a profound point, but the Hawks will need him to be at or near full strength to have a hope in this series. And to that point, pressuring Bogdanovic will go a long way to stifling Atlanta's half-court attack.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/scouting-report-how-the-hawks-can-stop-the-bucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out Nekias' breakdown of how the Hawks should defend the Bucks.</a>

Nekias Duncan puts on his amateur coaching hat and puts together a game plan on how the Bucks should defend the Hawks.

Scouting Report: How the Bucks can stop the Hawks

Joining the likes of many successful players before him (such as Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Kevin Love, John Wall and Isaiah Thomas), NBA hopeful and Clemson Tiger alum Aamir Simms is tirelessly grinding at Impact Basketball to prepare for the upcoming 2021 draft.&nbsp;
Working with longtime pro trainer Joe Abunassar, one of the most respected influences in the game, Simms has toiled away in the gym with the scorching Las Vegas heat seeping into the facility, focusing on two areas of his skill set that he believes weren&rsquo;t on display in college: shooting the basketball and defending 1-through-5.
&ldquo;I feel like a part of my game was definitely kinda swept under the rug a little bit 'cause of what I had to adapt to when I was at Clemson, and I wasn't able to showcase as much,&rdquo; Simms told BasketballNews.com in an exclusive phone interview. &ldquo;There was a lot asked of me while I was there, so I had to kinda sacrifice that part. Not that it was a bad thing, but I'm definitely ready to showcase [those skills].
&ldquo;I'm still trying to improve in [my] consistent shooting. At times, throughout my two years as a junior and senior, I had some streaky shooting times, especially at the beginning of the year. As the season went on and progressed, I definitely shot the ball better to raise my percentages... I didn't shoot it as much at school as I wanted, but just being out here and working with Joe, I have more confidence than I ever have [had] in my shot. And going into these workouts, being able to show that and just being able to defend. That's my biggest area of improvement, to show people that I can guard guys that [are] quicker or maybe the same size and faster, so those two areas are just something we've emphasized while I've been here. Guarding guys that's a lot quicker, smaller than me, it's just been really helpful for my hips and my lateral movement.&rdquo;
Simms has been in this position before. In March of last year, he declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, but withdrew his name within a couple of months to return for his senior season with the Tigers -- a decision that he feels good about now looking back.
&ldquo;Last year was tough,&rdquo; Simms said of the pre-draft process. &ldquo;I felt as though, at least in the draft, it came down to picking names out of a hat. They didn't really have guys come work out, they didn't have guys they really interviewed or anything like that. It was over Zoom and whatnot, and it's not the same when it's [not] in person.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was projected [as a] late-round [pick] in the second, so being able to come back to school and showcase a little bit more of what they'd asked me in my interviews, I think it definitely helped, and I had a good feeling going back to school. I thought I improved in the areas they asked, and just coming out now, I definitely see a difference and it's definitely given me a step ahead of other guys who are coming out for the first time."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
This weekend, Simms is set to be one of 40 participants at the G League Elite Camp in Chicago, which will allow him the chance to prove himself in front of executives, scouts, coaches and notable personnel in the NBA and G League. Standouts from the event will be awarded an opportunity to participate in next week&rsquo;s NBA Draft Combine.
The version we see of Simms today is not the same version of Simms from 2020, nor the same as the Virginia native that took one visit to Clemson and decided to make the university his home for the next four years.&nbsp;
Every season, Simms got better, and molded his craft with his experiences. It&rsquo;s that amount of experience that he claims gives him an edge on inexperienced prospects who need polishing, and will allow him to come in on day one and help a team right away.
&ldquo;A lot of teams don't value a four-year veteran in college as much. That's not really the sexy thing nowadays. But for the teams that do, I definitely think I'll be better at making an impact early 'cause I understand the game a lot better,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;Being at Clemson, we kinda transitioned to an NBA-type offense where there was a lot of motion and you've got to make a read instead of having a set play. We had our plays, but the majority of our offense was motion offense and playing out of the high post and down screens and away screens and curls and everything.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So I think I do have that advantage on the young guys. A lot of guys that go into [the draft] young have got the potential 'cause of their skill set and being able to score, but when it comes to thinking games and the mental game, I think I've got the upperhand on that.&rdquo;
Experience is something you can&rsquo;t teach, but Simms also possesses another unteachable quality, and that&rsquo;s a professional physique. In addition to his lengthy wingspan, he stands at 6-foot-8 and weighs in at 245 pounds, sporting a frame that most rookie players don&rsquo;t have.
&ldquo;There's a lot of switching in the league, and a lot of guys get stuck on bigger opponents, and they just kinda crab dribble down to the rim and dunk the ball. In my workouts that I've been going through, I've been guarding guys two inches, three inches taller than me [and] probably 10 or 20 pounds heavier or just around the same weight, and I think I do a pretty good job of standing 'em up,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;So obviously, someone like Joel Embiid who's got 40 pounds on me, I'm definitely gonna have to try a little harder. But for the most [part], I think I can hold my own against anybody that's in my same weight class or a little bit heavier.&nbsp;
&ldquo;At the end of the day, it's a mental thing. As long as you put your mind to it, you can do it, so I definitely think I can make an immediate impact."
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15461500_lg.jpg" alt="" width="713" height="475" />
Simms anticipates going up against more NBA talents when the draft approaches nearer in July. He&rsquo;s looking forward to gaining knowledge and taking tips from whoever comes through Impact and other workouts he&rsquo;s planning on having. At the moment, he&rsquo;s not close with many guys at the next level, meaning this whole college-to-pro ordeal is an adventure.
&ldquo;I'm definitely a lone wolf out here,&rdquo; Simms said.
One of the guys he has a great relationship with is Milwaukee Bucks big man Mamadi Diakite, a high-school teammate of his at Blue Ridge whom Simms battled with for a number of seasons when Clemson faced off against the Virginia Cavaliers. Those matchups helped Simms mature as a player over the years, as did the lessons he took from his elder Tigers.
Donte Grantham, Gabe DeVoe, Elijah Thomas, Marcquise Reed, Shelton Mitchell and David Skara all taught him what it meant to play in the vaunted ACC. Though coaches knew he had the chops to do a little bit of everything, Simms primarily set screens and pick-and-popped, while his teammates did the facilitating and distributing during his freshman year.&nbsp;
Clemson&rsquo;s staff knew that he had a knack for backdoor finds and a high-basketball acumen, the team just didn&rsquo;t require him to bring that to the table in his early seasons. However, with each season, his responsibilities increased, as did his statistical output. Once he was given free reign to expand his game in his junior and senior years, he was able to produce the numbers to confirm his contributions. Simms averaged 13.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and a steal in over 30 minutes per game in his upperclassmen seasons.
Ask him what he got better at from year one to year four, and Simms will tell you: everything.
&ldquo;Whether it was putting the ball on the floor, half-court or full-court, shooting the ball in many different actions (pick-and-pop, catch-and-shoot or off down screens), and just my toughness,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;I came in as a pretty tough kid [and] I'm pretty competitive naturally, but going against Eli and other greats of the ACC at the 5 and 4, that time I was there, it improved my toughness and the physical component that I think other people lack at times.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And just being able to bring it every night. I just thought I saw a huge improvement in that. My defense improved every year, being able to guard different guys, [as well as] being able to shoot and kinda make plays from the top of the key or the elbow was just a huge improvement I saw... Just from the first day I was there, to my last, the environment, the atmosphere did nothing but [help me] grow and progress in my four years. It taught me a lot of life lessons, and the doors that opened in my four years was just unbelievable and definitely unexpected. That's a place, if you really buy into [it] and trust and give it your all, it's gonna set you up for future endeavors for the rest of your life... I would definitely say my four years at Clemson was nothing short of amazing.&rdquo;
There wasn&rsquo;t a single summer where Simms took a vacation in the offseason. He&rsquo;d stay in the gym, relentlessly working on his perimeter shooting with Clemson assistants Steve Smith, Antonio Reynolds Dean and Dick Bender. He got as many reps up as possible, until his "arms fell off&rdquo; to get his muscle memory down on his jumpers.&nbsp;
While Simms had a fair share of outstanding performances with the school, none compare to what happened in his third season at Clemson. In mid-January 2020, the Tigers knocked off the North Carolina Tar Heels in Raleigh for the first time in program history in 60 meetings. The following game three days later, Clemson returned home and took down the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils in front of a raucous crowd for&nbsp; Brad Brownell's record-setting 178th win as head coach. It was the first time the men&rsquo;s basketball team defeated both schools since 1995-96.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sqLdWeRl-i4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Simms scored 20-plus points and nabbed 8-plus rebounds in back-to-back games as a major part of that, among the stat-sheet filling he did in those consecutive wins.
&ldquo;I just felt like I was just on another level in that time frame,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;Performing the way that I did for my team and my school is just something I won't forget, being able to do what we did at UNC and knocking them off at home for the first time, and then turn [it] around beating Duke, who at the time was ranked third in the country. Beating those schools for the first time back-to-back in almost 20 years was just unbelievable... I felt as though I always had the upper hand. Those two games alone, I think, stand out for themselves."
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/umSrQsKkuhk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The body of work Simms had at Clemson speaks for itself. He leaves behind a decorated career that saw him make two All-ACC teams, win the Skip Prosser Man of the Year award as the top scholar-athlete in the conference and become just the fourth player in the program&rsquo;s history to record over 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 150 assists, 75 steals and 75 blocks.&nbsp;
What Simms accomplished, he admits he won&rsquo;t appreciate fully until down the road. He&rsquo;s had conversations with his parents about the success he had as a Tiger, and everybody is proud. But right now is a time to focus on the next chapter, and that&rsquo;s all he&rsquo;s zoned in on.
Though he had to adapt in college to what the team asked of him, Simms considers himself a tweener 4 with an ability to play as an undersized 5. He does feel that he&rsquo;ll be able to play the 3 as he sharpens his skill set further in the pros. He models his game after four NBA guys: Jae Crowder, Paul Millsap, Al Horford and Tobias Harris. Simms likens their physique and capabilities to his: scoring at all three levels and providing versatility. They can put it on the floor, face-up, play from the block and catch-and-shoot.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Along with that set of skills, Simms has the determination to prove his worth in the pros.
&ldquo;Since I've been at Clemson or since I've come out of school, I've been ranked in all these other things, but I've always felt as though my game was underappreciated,&rdquo; Simms said. &ldquo;So I think going into it, being able to be an older guy both still with a great skill set and understanding the game or being able to adapt to it, it's kinda the thing that separates me from a lot of guys.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I'm not just a shooter on the perimeter. I'm not just a good passer. I'm an all-around player, I think, and that's something I think that separates me. I'm not a one-dimensional guy. I think there are many attributes to my game that people have yet to see because of my [adaptation] at Clemson. But I think coming out, once I get into this Combine, I'll really get myself going. A lot of people are gonna see why I say what I say, and that's just something I think that separates myself is being able to adapt to the game while being an older guy who's still kinda young and affecting the game in many ways that most people don't really see."
His motivation isn&rsquo;t just that, either. It&rsquo;s about his future, his family&rsquo;s future and others. Minoring in Nonprofit Leadership, Simms understands that there are bigger things than the game of basketball, and those philanthropic moments he desires to create will ultimately stem from the career path he&rsquo;s chosen.
&ldquo;Basketball is not the only thing that inspires me in life. Helping others is a huge thing, and I know a great way to do that is by playing basketball, making the most out of what I can with my time there and then being set up to be able to help others -- whether it's in this country or others, being able to help people who need it more than I do,&rdquo; Simms said.
&ldquo;Looking at guys like Harrison Barnes and Jimmy Butler and other guys who are deeply involved in their community, that's something that pushes me. They just kinda go hand-in-hand with basketball and that's a huge passion and motivation for me. So I can work my butt off on the court, so when I'm off the court, I can help people who need it more than I do."

Spencer Davies speaks with Aamir Simms about his time at Clemson, the skills he's looking to showcase in the pros and more.

Aamir Simms eager to exhibit more of his game at the next level

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski recently announced that he will <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mike-krzyzewski-retires-from-coaching-jon-scheyer-to-take-over-at-duke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retire following the 2021-22 season</a>, going out on top as the winningest coach in Division I men's basketball history.&nbsp;
Over his 46 years as a head coach, Coach K lead Duke to five NCAA championships and accumulated a 1170-361 record (giving him a winning percentage of .764). He&rsquo;s also coached Team USA to five Olympic gold medals -- three as the head coach and two as an assistant. He&rsquo;ll undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game.&nbsp;
Coach K will hand the program&rsquo;s reins to Jon Scheyer, who played for Duke from 2006-2010 and has been an assistant coach under Krzyzewski since 2014 (and he&rsquo;s been the Blue Devils&rsquo; associate head coach for the last four years). Scheyer is known as a terrific recruiter, and he&rsquo;s reportedly a big reason why Duke landed Jayson Tatum, Cam Reddish, Luke Kennard and incoming five-star recruit Paolo Banchero, among others.
Scheyer, who has never been a head coach before, will obviously have big shoes to fill. Fortunately, he&rsquo;ll have a good support system around him, including Duke&rsquo;s current assistant coaches, Nolan Smith and Chris Carrawell.
Like Scheyer, Smith spent four years playing for Krzyzewski (from 2007-2011), leading Duke to an NCAA championship in 2011 and becoming a consensus First Team All-American. After a five-year playing career in the NBA and overseas, Smith joined Coach K&rsquo;s staff as a special assistant in 2016. Then, he became Duke&rsquo;s director of basketball operations and player development in 2018. The 32-year-old was promoted to assistant coach in April of 2021.
Carrawell also played under Krzyzewski for four seasons, then he played overseas from 2000-2007. In 2011, he got his start as a coach with the Springfield Armor of the NBA D-League, then spent four years at Marquette before ultimately joining Coach K's staff in 2018.
BasketballNews.com caught up with Nolan Smith to discuss Coach K&rsquo;s decision to retire, his legacy, the succession plan, what fans can expect from Scheyer, expectations for the upcoming season and much more.
Take me behind the scenes of how this all went down. Was this decision and succession plan something that Coach K had been discussing for a while?
Nolan Smith: &ldquo;Yeah. It definitely wasn&rsquo;t a quick thing. Coach obviously had to come to the decision that he ended up coming to and that took time. For him, he has such a passion and love for this game; it&rsquo;s something that he&rsquo;s been doing for 40-plus years, so it wasn&rsquo;t a quick decision. It&rsquo;s something that he had to talk over with his wife and family. And then, he brought it to our attention that this was going to be his last year. Obviously, we were all in great support of that. When a legend says &lsquo;it&rsquo;s time,&rsquo; then it&rsquo;s time. Going from there, we just sat down and started having many conversations about who Coach felt should become the next head coach. Obviously there were a lot of candidates, but we were talking and trying to figure out what would be the smoothest and easiest transition for the program, and ultimately Coach ended up going with Coach Jon Scheyer. Obviously, myself and Chris Carrawell were really excited about that, and we knew that we were going to be a part of all this as well, so we were like, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s go!&rsquo;&rdquo;
When did you guys start talking about this possibility?
Smith: &ldquo;It started right around when our season ended, probably right around March. But then it probably started [to get] for real in about April.&rdquo;
How would you describe Coach K&rsquo;s legacy and how he&rsquo;ll be remembered as a coach?&nbsp;
Smith: &ldquo;His legacy comes down to winning. He consistently won in four different decades; that right there is unheard of. There are so many big-time coaches that have been in this game, but a lot of them most likely [won] in one or two decades. Not many have gotten to four decades and had the continued success that he&rsquo;s had. I think another part of that legacy is that he&rsquo;s created these relationships with players over and over again, so players continually wanted to play with Coach K. A lot of coaches get old; he never got old, he&rsquo;s still not old. Even heading into his last season, he stays up-to-date, he&rsquo;s adjusted to the times and he&rsquo;s adjusted to the game. I think that right there is part of his legacy, the fact that he&rsquo;s been able to change with the times of this game and not let it pass him up.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/coachk_444_lg.jpg" alt="" width="751" height="377" />
You played for Coach K and now you&rsquo;ve spent a lot of time with him as a member of his coaching. What kind of impact has Coach K had on you?
Smith: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s helped me tremendously in so many different ways. First, I&rsquo;ll start with basketball; he helped me be the best basketball player that I could be. The way he challenged me every day, the way he taught me to prepare every single day, how to approach the game every single day -- those were all lessons that helped me as a player. A lot of those lessons ended up helping me when I transitioned into my coaching career, too. All of those lessons that he was teaching are things that he does as a coach: he prepares better than anybody, he puts the time in, he watches film and he dedicates himself fully to his craft as a coach. That&rsquo;s probably something that a lot of people don&rsquo;t know about coaches: you put that same time in. And Coach puts in more time than anybody when it comes to his craft. Just being able to watch him and take notes... I&rsquo;ve made sure to have a notepad and a pen in every single meeting with him because he&rsquo;s always going to give you some kind of gem, some kind of lesson, that I can take with me and use in my coaching career when I deal with my players and, one day, have my own program.&rdquo;
This will be Krzyzewski&rsquo;s final season, so what will this upcoming year look like? Will he gradually pass the torch to Coach Scheyer? What can he do throughout this upcoming season to make sure Coach Scheyer is prepared?
Smith: &ldquo;No, I think this year, he&rsquo;s going to go out in the only way that he knows how to, and that&rsquo;s running this program like it&rsquo;s his first year -- not like it&rsquo;s his last. (laughs) I think he&rsquo;s gonna be so fired up, especially coming out of COVID since he&rsquo;s coming off of a year where he couldn&rsquo;t really be close to our guys. Because of his age and COVID, he couldn&rsquo;t really build those relationships like he&rsquo;s used to doing, so I think he&rsquo;s going to be very hands-on; he might even try to break out a crossover or two this year. (laughs) I think that&rsquo;s how excited he&rsquo;s going to be heading into this season. But every year, he gives us assistants -- and obviously Coach Scheyer -- so much power to speak up when we need to speak up and run a certain drill&hellip; I mean, we&rsquo;ve been doing that, so nothing like that will change. But Coach K is going to be Coach K all year long.&rdquo;
For people who may not be as familiar with Coach Jon Scheyer, how would you describe who he is as a coach?&nbsp;
Smith: &ldquo;First of all, as a coach, he&rsquo;s a competitor. He&rsquo;s a great competitor and he wants to win. Secondly, offensively, he&rsquo;s a genius when it comes to offensive sets. I&rsquo;ve sat in his offense [meetings] many days and gone over offense, and I&rsquo;ve just sat there in awe of stuff that he comes up with. He studies it all the time, so he&rsquo;s going to have an offensive playbook that&rsquo;s masterful. I think that&rsquo;s going to be an area where people are gonna be like, &lsquo;Wow, he&rsquo;s pretty good.&rsquo; (laughs) The third thing is relationships. I think he&rsquo;s really good at creating relationships with players and keeping them, and making sure that players are going to want to play hard for him. I think in today&rsquo;s college-basketball landscape, that&rsquo;s almost half the battle. And I think he&rsquo;s going to be able to do that, getting guys to want to play hard for him and stick around.&rdquo;
Duke has been so good at keeping alumni involved and maintaining strong relationships with former players. It&rsquo;s sort of like a fraternity of guys who have played for Coach K. How will you ensure that continues even after Coach K is gone?
Smith: &ldquo;I think we&rsquo;ll continue to do some of the things that we&rsquo;ve always done. I hope K Academy -- Coach K&rsquo;s fantasy camps -- keep going because those are obviously like family reunions for us. All of us are young: I&rsquo;m 32, Coach Scheyer is 33 and Coach Carrawell is 43, so we&rsquo;re a very young staff and we&rsquo;re going to have to get creative in how we do things. We might have to do some retreats and invite guys from the brotherhood out and just have a nice little hang-out session with all of the generations of the brotherhood. We already all have great relationships -- from Gene Banks to Grant Hill to Christian Laettner. We have really good relationships with all of those guys, so we&rsquo;ll continue to build those and make sure they know that we need them more than ever now, to make sure this thing stays strong and stays exactly where we&rsquo;re at. We don&rsquo;t want to take a dip, by any means; we want to keep this thing rolling strong right away.&rdquo;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/nolan2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="375" />
Are there certain advantages that come with being a younger coaching staff? Coach K has been able to do an amazing job as an older head coach, but when you have a staff that&rsquo;s much closer in age to the players, could that give you an edge?
Smith: &ldquo;I think the advantage is really simple: A lot of these guys that are coming up that want to get into the college game want to be NBA players, and they just finished watching Coach Scheyer and myself doing it (in 2010 and 2011). They probably didn&rsquo;t see Coach C-Well, but he&rsquo;s still young enough that you can probably pull some clips of him and they can see that he can do it too. This generation loves to see what you&rsquo;ve done, so I think that&rsquo;s the beauty of it. And we can still get out there and show them every now and then, too. I think that&rsquo;s always a good thing. Using that youth to our advantage and showing our guys more so then we tell them, I think that&rsquo;s definitely an advantage that we have and that we&rsquo;ve gotta utilize.&rdquo;&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re able to win a championship and help Coach K go out on top, what would that mean to you guys?
Smith: &ldquo;Oh man, that would be a storybook ending. If you look at the history of sports, that&rsquo;s rare. You look at Kobe&rsquo;s last game, but even that wasn&rsquo;t in the Finals. If Michael Jordan had ended it with &lsquo;The Shot&rsquo; over Utah, he would&rsquo;ve had the storybook ending, but he decided to come back and therefore, he didn&rsquo;t have the storybook ending. We&rsquo;re now in position to do that; we&rsquo;re excited about it, we&rsquo;re really fired up about it. Our players are going to [be aware] of that, and I think it puts us in a very unique position to work toward that goal. We know it&rsquo;s not going to be easy, we&rsquo;re going to get every team&rsquo;s greatest shot -- not even just their best shot, we&rsquo;re going to get every team&rsquo;s greatest shot every single night. Night-in and night-out, we&rsquo;ll be prepared for that. If we are able to send Coach out on that note, that&rsquo;s going to be legendary.&rdquo;
What are your thoughts on the 2021-22 team? What do Duke fans have to look forward to this season?
Smith: &ldquo;I think this year, we have a great mix. We have guys back from last year -- Jeremy Roach, Joey Baker, Wendell Moore, Mark Williams... Having those guys returning, two of those guys (Joey and Wendell) haven&rsquo;t been to the tournament two years in a row due to COVID, and then Jeremy and Mark also haven&rsquo;t been to the tournament because of COVID. Those four guys right there should be very fired up about this season. So, you have those returning guys who are mixed in with the young group of [incoming] guys that are very talented like Paolo Banchero, Trevor Keels, AJ Griffin, Jaylen Blakes and that class. And then we added [transfers] Theo John and Bates Jones, some older guys to bring some leadership to our squad. I think we have the perfect mix of ingredients to put us where we want to be come April. That&rsquo;s definitely what excites us.&rdquo;
This was a difficult year for everyone. But dealing with COVID and having to make some hard decisions, how tough was this past season for the program?&nbsp;
Smith: &ldquo;It was very tough. I think the main thing was that we didn&rsquo;t have any fans all year long, so it put all of us in a position -- especially our players -- where every game almost didn&rsquo;t feel real. When we were on the road, obviously we had fans. But at home, every single game felt like a scrimmage -- and a closed scrimmage at that. On top of that, our players couldn&rsquo;t even see their parents all year long, and they had no interaction with the student body or really anybody other than the team. From just a mental standpoint for our guys, I feel for them. I can&rsquo;t imagine if that&rsquo;s how my senior year went, when I was back in school in 2011. If that was the case, would I have accomplished what I accomplished during my senior year? I salute all of the student-athletes this year who had to go through it because it was different. But next year, Cameron Indoor Stadium, with the Cameron Crazies, [will be back]. We&rsquo;re hearing that it&rsquo;s going to be back to normal by then, so we&rsquo;re excited to have our fans back and have that place back rocking for Coach K&rsquo;s last year.&rdquo;

Duke assistant coach Nolan Smith opens up about Mike Krzyzewski's retirement, Coach K's legacy, Jon Scheyer taking the reins and more.

Duke's Nolan Smith talks Coach K retiring: "When a legend says 'it's time,' it's time"

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has decided to retire after this coming season, multiple sources told Stadium. Official announcement expected soon. The leading candidate to replace K is assistant and former Duke player Jon Scheyer.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1400135966619209729" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeff Goodman/Stadium</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;As it seems right now, this marks the end of one of the greatest coaching careers in college basketball history. Krzyzewski led the Blue Devils to 12 Final Four appearances and five national chamionships since beginning his tenure in 1980.
<a href="https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1400135966619209729" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goodman also added</a> that, "He is obviously nearing the end of his career, but name, image and likeness coming into college basketball, and the transfer portal being out of control definitely sped up his timeline,&rdquo; according to his source.
<a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1400140061858017280" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Per Adrian Wojnarowski</a>, "Krzyzewski is finalizing a search process with university officials to name Duke's associate head coach Jon Scheyer as the coach-in-waiting, sources tell ESPN." Scheyer was the lead recruiter for Duke alumni Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson.

Krzyzewski has coached the Blue Devils since 1980.

Mike Krzyzewski to retire, Jon Scheyer may take over as Duke's coach

With the majority of High School All-America events cancelled in 2021, the Iverson Classic stood alone as the opportunity for scouts to get eyes on many 2022 NBA Draft prospects. After a weekend of catching up with NBA personnel, friends and getting my eyes on 28 of the best high school players in the country, I left with many takeaways. Here are a few I&rsquo;d like to share.
Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero: The Battle for No. 1
These two are special.&nbsp;
Holmgren&rsquo;s size and length make him incredibly unique. Standing at 7-foot-1 with a 7-5 wingspan provides him with such an advantage over his peers on both ends of the floor. He&rsquo;s a smooth ball-handler, has flashes of tremendous playmaking on offense, and on defense, he is one of the best young shot-blockers we&rsquo;ve seen in years. He stands head and shoulders above his current competition, but as he progresses to the NCAA and NBA level, he will need to improve his physicality, at least in part. In 1-on-1 competition, he was a bear to go up against due to his length, but Trey Alexander (undecided) was able to get into his chest and displace him at times, opening up just enough room to get a shot off. As he continues to develop, I hope to see Holmgren get stronger, but I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s a complete make-or-break issue due to his skill set and competitive instincts.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
ICYMI, Chet Holmgren finished w/ 20pts, 11reb, and co-MVP honors in last night&rsquo;s <a href="https://twitter.com/iversonclassic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IversonClassic</a> Full <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SUVtv?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SUVtv</a> replay: <a href="https://t.co/4eYcSZjfph">https://t.co/4eYcSZjfph</a> 🎙<a href="https://twitter.com/macdaddy706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@macdaddy706</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinWBrantley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinWBrantley</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChetHolmgren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChetHolmgren</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/grassrootshoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@grassrootshoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MathurineAgency?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MathurineAgency</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ZagMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZagMBB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBMethod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheBMethod</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NaismithTrophy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NaismithTrophy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IversonClassic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IversonClassic</a> <a href="https://t.co/Mj6E8k2TS5">pic.twitter.com/Mj6E8k2TS5</a>
&mdash; SUVtv (@SUVtv) <a href="https://twitter.com/SUVtv/status/1391499928535543809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

If anyone contends with Holmgren for the top pick next year, Banchero appears to be the one. At 6-foot-10 and listed at 250 pounds, he already possesses the NBA frame and strength to handle the next level. What impressed me the most in Memphis was his mobility on defense, and how comfortable he appeared creating for himself. In both 1-on-1 and in-game competition, he put the ball on the deck with purpose and displayed an array of moves as a pull-up shooter. He&rsquo;ll need to improve some decision making with the ball, but the versatility makes him a special talent and I won&rsquo;t be surprised if he has a monster year for the Blue Devils.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Paolo Banchero wins the 1-on-1 competition here <a href="https://twitter.com/iversonclassic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iversonclassic</a>. At 18 years old, he&rsquo;s 6&rsquo;10, 230 pounds and has shown unique playmaking and special touch for his size. He&rsquo;ll certainly contend for the #1 pick in 2022. <a href="https://t.co/U1WxsmlSFY">pic.twitter.com/U1WxsmlSFY</a>
&mdash; Derek Murray (@dmurrayNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/dmurrayNBA/status/1390836885992443905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IversonClassic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IversonClassic</a> Different stage - same Paolo Banchero versatility on display<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SUVtv?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SUVtv</a> replay: <a href="https://t.co/4eYcSZjfph">https://t.co/4eYcSZjfph</a><a href="https://twitter.com/Pp_doesit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pp_doesit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MarioBanchero?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarioBanchero</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MrYeahIKnow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrYeahIKnow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinWBrantley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinWBrantley</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/macdaddy706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@macdaddy706</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rotaryhoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rotaryhoops</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamRoweTDD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AdamRoweTDD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDevilsDen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheDevilsDen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MathurineAgency?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MathurineAgency</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ABACE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ABACE</a> <a href="https://t.co/FQZQ16BT6h">pic.twitter.com/FQZQ16BT6h</a>
&mdash; SUVtv (@SUVtv) <a href="https://twitter.com/SUVtv/status/1391895860691226628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
TyTy Washington | 6-foot-3 | Guard | Kentucky
After seeing him in Dayton, Ohio at Flyin&rsquo; To The Hoop, I have been enamored with TyTy as a prospect. After announcing his committment to Kentucky last night, Big Blue Nation is getting a natural floor general who processes the floor quickly, and <a href="https://twitter.com/dmurrayNBA/status/1391188656451461121?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often seems one step ahead of his opponents</a>. He&rsquo;s a skilled passer on the move and is unselfish, providing his teammates with scoring opportunities. Along with this, he has great mechanics and a repeatable, effortless shot from three, which he uses both off the catch and dribble. He won the Three-Point Contest in Memphis, and I believe he can carry that scoring to the next level.&nbsp;
AJ Griffin | 6-foot-7 | Forward | Duke
As I arrived at the gym, Griffin stood out immediately based on his frame and physical profile. At 6-foot-7, he has a reported 7-2 wingspan and a powerful lower body, giving him great versatility, as he is able to score on all levels. I&rsquo;m concerned initially with his lack of versatility as an initiator, but he&rsquo;s a solid shooter and projects to be a strong defender at Duke next season. While there were times his legs looked a bit heavy due to returning from injury, he jumped well in the Dunk Contest and came away with the crown. Griffin is a special talent that's still only 17 years old, and I would expect him to be a one-and-done and a player to enter the 2022 draft.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
AJ Griffin (Duke) showing off the hops in the <a href="https://twitter.com/iversonclassic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iversonclassic</a> Dunk Contest. Potential top-10 pick in 2022. <a href="https://t.co/VlFfBeAxEQ">pic.twitter.com/VlFfBeAxEQ</a>
&mdash; Derek Murray (@dmurrayNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/dmurrayNBA/status/1390847674841194500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

JD Davison | 6-foot-3 | Guard | Alabama
It&rsquo;s no secret that Davison is one of the most <a href="https://youtu.be/0_vnSHl0ook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">athletic, explosive players in the country</a>. With his leaping ability and craftiness, he&rsquo;s able to finish plays at the rim in a variety of ways, but he has been improving as a passer as well. In transition, he has the vision and ability to lead his teammates to the basket, but remains aggressive for his own buckets when pushing the pace. Whether or not he&rsquo;s a one-and-done player is yet to be seen, but he has the physical tools to be a tremendous playmaker, rebounder and defender at high levels.&nbsp;
Michael Foster | 6-foot-9 | Forward | G League Ignite
Foster is a big-time physical presence. He stood out as the player who dominated the glass during the event, doing so with a great combination of strength and motor. On the offensive end, he was able to elude box outs and use his frame to clear out space as he elevated for putback dunks; he ended up with 17 points. I expect his physicality to hold up well at the next level, but would love for him to become a bit more versatile on the offensive end. With some improved skill and ball-handling improvements during his time in the G League, Foster could see his 2022 stock rise.&nbsp;
Trevor Keels | 6-foot-5 | Guard | Duke
Keels is committed to Duke, but there doesn&rsquo;t seem to be a ton of hype around him across the media. It makes sense because he isn&rsquo;t wildly athletic and doesn&rsquo;t regularly provide high soaring dunks, but he made a real impression on me with his play. Quietly one of the best scorers I saw, Keels plays with tremendous basketball IQ and has the ability to score at all levels. His shooting from deep is what drew me in, displaying good footwork and a smooth, balanced release. Keels is also disciplined on both ends, and has a strong physical frame, allowing him to be a plus-defender both on and off the ball.&nbsp;
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a9-EbLgqmYw" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Josh Minott | 6-foot-8 | Forward | Memphis
I had not seen Minott live this season, but while watching him score 18 points and gather 5 rebounds, it became apparent why he is a top-50 recruit. He&rsquo;s 6-foot-8 with a 7-2 wingspan, and has easy athleticism that allows him to play above the rim. He elevates well in traffic and displays strong body control with some crafty finishes, as well. Minott has the potential to provide real versatility for the Tigers next season, both on the wing and with some ball-handling responsibility. I don&rsquo;t expect him to be a one-and-done prospect, but he is certainly one watch for the NBA down the road.
Kendall Brown | 6-foot-8 | Forward | Baylor
After a terrific showing at Geico Nationals, Brown looked good again in Memphis. Brown is an athletic swingman who excels as a slasher. He&rsquo;s bouncy on the interior, and pairs his athleticism with strong body control to finish tough plays. I really liked his defense as well, as he has good mobility and length, allowing him to defend the perimeter at a high level. I see Brown as a potential one-and-done player at the next level, so it will be interesting to watch how his offensive game and skill set develop this season in Waco.&nbsp;
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield | 6-foot-9 | Forward | Tennessee
Huntely-Hatfield recently reclassified to the Class of 2021 and will be taking his talents to Knoxville. Another young player that was immediately captivating with his size and strength, his defense is what really captured my attention. He is a bit mechanical in his movement, but when locked in and focused, his strength and ability to contest shots were impressive. On offense, he remains a bit raw, and the shooting mechanics are funky -- but I think there is promise as an interior scorer. Potentially a multi-year player for the Volunteers, I look forward to seeing him again next season.&nbsp;

Derek Murray recaps the Iverson Classic in Memphis by breaking down the top prospects who stood out and their performances.

Central Connecticut State Blue Devils