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

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

Here is the latest news on the Top 25 Free Agents in the NBA for the 2014-15 season, as ranked by Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.

Sheridan’s Top 25 Free Agents: July 9 Edition – LeBron going to Cleveland

The Detroit Pistons have done it: They have won a basketball game.
For the first time since October 28, the Pistons earned a victory after surviving a gritty game against the Toronto Raptors, 129-127.&nbsp;
Detroit avoided monumental infamy by finally snapping a 28-game losing skid, which was tied for the worst losing spell in NBA history.
The Pistons were in a losing streak, yes, but it wasn&rsquo;t like they were getting blown out of the gym from the get go; they were competitive throughout games until they faltered at the end. Their past six games have been decided by just 10 points or less, and it was only a matter of time before they could break through.&nbsp;
Detroit coach Monty Williams said prior to the game that the Pistons have been knocking on that door for victory &mdash; they just needed to find a way to finally blow it open &mdash; and they did last night.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been in a ton of locker rooms... That&rsquo;s a first for me&hellip; Guys were screaming. I was almost in tears,&rdquo; Williams said after celebrating in the locker room.&nbsp;
It took a dominant game from Cade Cunningham, who had 30 points, 12 assists and 0 turnovers, to ultimately put the Pistons over the top. He became only the third player this season with the same numbers, joining Nikola Jokic and Tyrese Haliburton. Cunningham also became the first Piston to have a 30-10 game without a turnover since Chauncey Billups in 2008.
&ldquo;Tough times brought us together even more..." Cunningham said. "It's still early. [Monty] just got here. I'm still young in the league, it's only gonna continue to grow."
The 22-year-old is glad that the nightmare is over, but stressed there is still a lot of basketball left to be played.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think moments like that are important to know how to win games," Cunningham said. "I&rsquo;m just happy to be a part of a group of guys that don&rsquo;t quit, stay positive and uplift each other.&rdquo;
Center Jalen Duren backed Cunningham up with 18 points and 17 rebounds as the Pistons had six players in double digits.&nbsp;
In the end, Detroit&rsquo;s 33 bench points (Toronto had 12) and eight-rebound edge (41 against Toronto&rsquo;s 33) was enough to propel them to victory.
What&rsquo;s Next For The Pistons?
With the monkey now off their backs, Detroit hopes to build off this win and head in the right direction.&nbsp;
The next thing they probably want to do is avoid the worst single-season record of all-time (82 games), which is held by the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers (9-73) and the worst single-season win percentage, which is held by the 2012 Charlotte Bobcats (.106).
Despite all the losing, Detroit has young stars who have played well during these dark days. Cunningham, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, is playing like an All-Star &mdash; averaging 23.5 points and 7.3 assists.&nbsp;
His pick-and-roll partner Duren is also blossoming into one of the top young big men in the league. Duren&rsquo;s chemistry with Cunningham is gradually maturing and will only get better as the seasons go on.&nbsp;
Already imposing physically at just 20 years old, Duren has also shown he lives for tough moments after confidently sinking two pressure-packed free throws late in the fourth &mdash; which is rare for a big man.&nbsp;
And rookie Ausar Thompson, even after recently slowing down following Bojan Bogdanovic&rsquo;s return from injury, has shown that he has All-Star potential after going on a tear to start the year.
Combine that with assets to make moves and a players' coach in Monty Williams, the Pistons hope to be in a position to turn it around.

For the first time since October 28, the Detroit Pistons earned a victory, snapping their 28-game losing streak.

Pistons beat Raptors to snap NBA-record 28-game losing streak

The Orlando Magic have had their fair share of ups and downs in their relatively short history. However, since the franchise was established in 1989, they have provided their fans with some unforgettable seasons. From the early success of Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway to the dominant play of Dwight Howard in the late 2000s, the Magic have had some remarkable teams.
The Magic have had quite a bit of lottery luck, landing the No. 1 pick in 1992 (which allowed them to select O'Neal), 1993 (which allowed them to pick Chris Webber and trade him to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway and three future first-round picks), 2004 (which allowed them to select Howard) and 2022 (which allowed them to draft Paolo Banchero).&nbsp;
The current Magic squad has fans in Orlando excited about the future, with a core of Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz among others. But today, let's look back at the past and examine the five best seasons in franchise history.
5. 2007-08 SEASON RECORD: 52-30 FINISH: LOST IN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
This season, the Magic won 52 games and finished as the third-best team in the Eastern Conference. The team was led by a 22-year-old Dwight Howard, who earned his second All-Star selection while emerging as a two-way force. During the regular season, Howard averaged 20.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, while shooting 59.9% from the field. He was even more dominant in the playoffs, averaging 18.9 points, 15.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks. Orlando defeated the Toronto Raptors in five games in the first round, but they were ultimately eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in five games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. This season laid the groundwork for Orlando's Finals run in 2008-09.
4. 2009-10 SEASON RECORD: 59-23 FINISH: LOST IN CONFERENCE FINALS
Despite coming off of an NBA Finals run, the Magic decided to make some big changes entering this 2009-19 season. Orlando acquired Vince Carter in a blockbuster trade with the New Jersey Nets and added some new role players in Matt Barnes, Jason Williams, Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass. The Magic won 59 games, which was the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Orlando was once again led by Howard, who earned his second-straight Defensive Player of the Year award. The Magic were dominant through the first two rounds of the 2010 NBA Playoffs, sweeping the Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks. But in the Eastern Conference Finals, they faced off against the Boston Celtics and lost in six games. Still, their regular-season success and deep postseason run cannot be overlooked.
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3. 1995-96 SEASON RECORD: 60-22 FINISH: LOST IN CONFERENCE FINALS
The 1995-96 season was another successful year for the Magic. The team finished with a record of 60-22, which was the second-best in the Eastern Conference and is still the franchise record for most wins in a single season. Led by one of the best one-two punches in the league in Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, Orlando went 7-1 through the first two rounds of the 1996 NBA Playoffs, eliminating the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks with ease. But in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Magic ran into Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, who got their revenge from the previous year by sweeping Orlando.
2. 2008-09 SEASON RECORD: 59-23 FINISH: LOST IN NBA FINALS
This team was ahead of its time, as Stan Van Gundy surrounded Dwight Howard with shooters and made teams pick their poison. The Magic had a terrific core of Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson, plus excellent role players such as Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, Mickael Pietrus, J.J. Redick and Marcin Gortat. Orlando's run in the 2009 NBA Playoffs was incredible, as they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics (led by the Big Three) and Cleveland Cavaliers (led by LeBron James). Until this year, the Magic were the only team to defeat James in a Conference Finals series. In the NBA Finals, the Magic matched up against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, ultimately losing in five games. What if Courtney Lee hits the game-winning layup at the end of Game 2 in the 2009 NBA Finals? That's one of the biggest "what ifs" among Magic fans to this day.
1. 1994-95 SEASON RECORD: 57-25 FINISH: LOST IN NBA FINALS
The 1994-95 season was the most successful season in the Magic's franchise history. Shaquille O'Neal was virtually unstoppable, averaging 29.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.4 blocks, while shooting 58.3% from the field. Penny Hardaway was excellent as well, averaging an efficient 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals on 51.2/34.9/76.9 shooting splits. The team won 57 games, which was the best record in the East. Prior to the 1995 NBA Finals, the Magic became the only team to eliminate Michael Jordan in the playoffs during the 1990s, beating Chicago in six games in the Conference Semifinals. Jordan came out of retirement midseason and the Magic spoiled his return. After defeating the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the Conference Finals, the Magic faced off against the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. Hakeem Olajuwon put up 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game and helped the Rockets sweep the Magic. Still, the Magic's run to the Finals was nothing short of spectacular.
While the Magic have not won an NBA championship, they have had some great seasons and provided their fans with plenty of memorable moments.&nbsp;

From Shaq and Penny to the Dwight Howard era, Basketball News looks back at the five best teams in Orlando Magic history.

Ranking the 5 best seasons in Orlando Magic history

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Pascal Siakam scored 22 points and the Toronto Raptors rallied from four 9-point first quarter deficits to roll past the Charlotte Hornets 120-100 on Tuesday night.
Toronto has won five of its last six games, improving to 40-39 and solidifying their position for the NBA play-in tournament.
The Raptors scored 19 straight points during a stretch late in the third quarter and into the fourth quarter after Charlotte had gotten within 80-75 with 3:49 left in the third quarter.
Siakam also had 14 rebounds and was joined in double digits by Chris Boucher (21 points), Will Barton (20), O.G. Anunoby (17), Fred VanVleet (16), Precious Achiuwa (12) and Jakob Poeltl (10).
The Hornets were led by Bryce McGowens&rsquo; career-high 20 points. Nick Richards added 18 points and 11 rebounds and Svi Mykhailiuk had 17 points, JT Thor 13 and Theo Maledon 13.
The Hornets (26-54) are without eight players due to injury: LaMelo Ball (right ankle surgery), Gordon Hayward (left thumb sprain), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left shoulder sprain), Terry Rozier (right foot injury), Dennis Smith Jr. (right toe sprain), P.J. Washington (right foot sprain) and Mark Williams (left ankle sprain).
Toronto&rsquo;s 36-20 second quarter was sparked by reserves Boucher and Barton, who combined for nine 3-pointers.
&ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t that sluggish,&rdquo; Toronto coach Nick Nurse said of the early Charlotte leads. &ldquo;They were just really fast and we weren&rsquo;t as fast as they were. I just kept saying, &lsquo;They&rsquo;re really moving&rsquo; so we had to pick it up a half-notch. We switched to zone and got a bunch of stops in a row and obviously got the ... 3-ball going. Fifteen out of 33 is a really good night on 3-pointers.&rdquo;
Boucher said Barton, who converted six of his nine 3-pointers, really helped the Raptors spread the floor in its victory.
&ldquo;We need that off the bench,&rdquo; Boucher said of Barton&rsquo;s production. &ldquo;The more guys we have that can do things will help. They got Will here for a reason. They know what he can do and today was just a peek at what he can do.&rdquo;
Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said Toronto&rsquo;s defense that created 22 points off 18 turnovers was a huge difference-maker.
&ldquo;Ball pressure and passing lane pressure led to live-ball turnovers,&rdquo; Clifford said. &ldquo;It was 22-10 in points off turnovers.&rdquo;
BOUCHER&rsquo;S BIG WEEK
Boucher&rsquo;s big effort came one day after he announced a scholarship program to help his community and young people growing up like he did.
According to Monday&rsquo;s Toronto Star, Boucher grew up in abject poverty, was once homeless, dropped out of school and washed dishes at restaurants.
Now a key to the Raptors&rsquo; second unit who has a three-year, $35 million contract, the Star says he is using &ldquo;an undisclosed amount of money disbursed through his SlimmDuck Foundation&rdquo; to launch a scholarship program that will offer financial support to five students of Caribbean descent. For each of the next five years, a scholarship will be offered to a student with financial struggles who wants to pursue a university degree.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s something I wanted to do for a long time,&rdquo; Boucher said after Tuesday&rsquo;s game. &ldquo;It was just finding the opportunity. I want to help the people that struggle when they move to Canada.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Raptors: Barton is one of the more veteran players on the Raptors&rsquo; roster with 11 years of NBA experience, which includes 29 postseason games with nine starts. But he&rsquo;s played in 12 games with Toronto since being signed as free agent on Feb. 28 and he had missed the previous three games with a left ankle sprain. &ldquo;I guess we&rsquo;re going to have to figure that out in the next four games that we have left,&rdquo; Toronto coach Nick Nurse said of Barton&rsquo;s role.
Hornets: Clifford started his 26th different starting lineup Tuesday. It&rsquo;s the third-most lineups in franchise, behind the 2005-06 and 2006-07 Charlotte Bobcats, which used 28 different starters.
UP NEXT
Raptors: At Boston on Wednesday.
Hornets: Host Houston on Friday.

Toronto has won five of its last six games, improving to 40-39 and solidifying its position for the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Pascal Siakam scores 22, leads Raptors over Hornets 120-100

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; The number was supposed to be 96.
The last time the NCAA seriously considered expanding the men&rsquo;s Division I basketball tournament a plan emerged to add 16 more games and 32 more participants to grow that symmetrically satisfying 64-team bracket.
The backlash that followed from college sports administrators back in 2010 was strong enough to scrap the idea. A modest expansion to 68 teams was approved in 2011.
&ldquo;At the end of the day, membership sentiment was that they were not unified in wanting to expand the tournament beyond 68,&rdquo; recalled Greg Shaheen, the former NCAA vice president for championships.
For the first time in more than a decade, NCAA and college sports leaders are committed to a serious examination of increasing the number of teams allowed to compete in an event that has become one of the crown jewels of American sports.
The mere suggestion of messing with March Madness, which generates hundreds of millions in revenue annually for the NCAA and its 1,100 member schools, is still met with skepticism by a lot of basketball fans and some within college sports.
Making significant changes in the near term will be difficult, if not impossible. There are logistical, financial and even political obstacles.&nbsp;
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s not to say we won&rsquo;t give it it&rsquo;s appropriate level of analysis and consideration, but there&rsquo;s a lot of factors to be considered,&rdquo; said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA vice president for basketball.
Chatter about tournament expansion started more than a year ago, when the NCAA assembled a committee to look into the how Division I, the highest level of college sports, operates.
After more than a year of work, the committee&rsquo;s final recommendations included expanding fields for all NCAA championship &mdash; not just basketball &mdash;- with a high level of participation to accommodate 25% of competing schools.
The 25% recommendation is just that. Whether it is implemented will be a decision made on a sport-by-sport basis. Committee co-chair Greg Sankey, the Southeastern Conference commissioner, has tried to avoid being seen as pushing for expansion while also pointing out some of the reasons to do so.
&ldquo;You have teams that have been the 11-seed in the First Four, make it to the Final Four, the Elite Eight, the Sweet 16,&rdquo; Sankey said in January. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excluding highly competitive teams, because of the structure. Now what does that expansion or those opportunities look like? I have ideas, but I&rsquo;m not going to throw them out now since I don&rsquo;t want to make headlines.&rdquo;
Current selection protocols provide an automatic berth to the champions of all 32 Division I conferences, plus 36 at-large bids. Those are mostly scooped up by the six strongest and richest conferences: the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern.
The Big Six secured 31 of 36 at-large bids on Sunday.
Along with prestige and opportunities to advance, bids have monetary value. The NCAA distributes revenue to conferences based on tournament performance, with conferences earning a unit for each round one of its teams advances.
In 2023, a basketball unit will be worth approximately $2.04 million over the six-year period in which it is paid out. So if you&rsquo;re the SEC or Big Ten, each with eight teams in the tourney, seeing all of them advance a round means more than $16 million.
Coaches, whose job security often depends on making the tournament, have typically supported a bigger field.
&ldquo;Since I coached at Valparaiso University I always was in favor of tournament expansion, because I thought there&rsquo;s enough quality teams,&rdquo; Baylor coach Scott Drew said.
Drew&rsquo;s magic number is 128, which would add another full round to the tournament and include more than one-third of the 358 Division I basketball teams.
Tom Burnett, the former Southland Conference commissioner who also served a stint as the head of the men&rsquo;s basketball selection committee, said he was open-minded but cautious when the topic of tournament expansion would come up.
&ldquo;If there were a practical expansion plan that addressed whatever needs to be addressed &mdash; except here&rsquo;s where I draw the line: It can&rsquo;t expand because my team didn&rsquo;t get in,&rdquo; Burnett said. There will always be teams that feel slighted if they don&rsquo;t get in.
There is some concern outside the power conferences that expansion will result in even more at-large bids going to middle-of-the-pack teams from those leagues with strong mid-major teams still getting squeezed out.
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve got a seventh- or eighth-place team in over a regular-season champion in a conference, from our perspective, that&rsquo;s not the way to expand,&rdquo; said Northern Arizona athletic director Mike Marlow, whose team made an unlikely run to the Big Sky Tournament championship game before losing.
If the Lumberjacks (12-23) had beaten Montana State (25-9) to win the conference, the Bobcats &mdash; with 13 more wins than NAU &mdash; would be heading to the NIT instead of a first-round NCAA game against Kansas State on Friday.
A-10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said she&rsquo;s not concerned about expansion favoring certain conferences.
&ldquo;I think that everybody has a fair opportunity to share in those additional opportunities. You just have to go after it, just like teams and schools are going after it now,&rdquo; McGlade said.
McGlade stopped short of saying she supports expansion, but she enthusiastically supports doing a deep dive into the possibility.
Others are open-minded, but will enter the discussion more tentatively.
&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s be careful because it&rsquo;s really, really good right now,&rdquo; Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said. &ldquo;So make sure whatever we do is additive, and not just doing something for the sake of expansion that might somehow take the tournament a step back.&rdquo;
The calendar alone is likely to limit expansion options. Any plan that requires the NCAA Tournament to start earlier than it already does &mdash;- the First Four games tip-off Tuesday &mdash;- would also require conference tournaments to end sooner and maybe even the regular season.
&ldquo;We already start the regular season in early November where historically some conferences have said it&rsquo;s too early with all that&rsquo;s going on with college football and the like,&rdquo; Gavitt said.
Any expansion of the men&rsquo;s tournament will almost certainly need to be done to the women&rsquo;s tournament, too. The NCAA was slammed in 2021 for not providing a similar experience for the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s teams. An independent review concluded the association had not done enough to invest and promote the women&rsquo;s tournament.
The women&rsquo;s field expanded from 64 to 68 last year. While the depth of competition in women&rsquo;s basketball has unquestionably improved, has it done so enough to justify a large and costly expansion?
But the same thing can be said for the men&rsquo;s tournament. More teams adds expenses for travel, lodging and possibly running additional sites.
Plus, it would almost certainly decrease the value of those performance units, money that is is often the main revenue source for mid-major conferences that don&rsquo;t play major college football.
&ldquo;Cutting that by 10 or 11%, or whatever the different calculation could be, that&rsquo;s actually really important. And it&rsquo;s vital to the stability of Division I,&rdquo; Shaheen said.
When Shaheen led the last expansion effort, the NCAA was heading toward the end of a media rights deal with CBS. A new format was part of negotiations for the next deal.
That&rsquo;s not the case now. The current $8.8 billion contract with CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery, part of an extension the NCAA signed in 2016, runs through 2032.
&ldquo;What role would broadcast partners play?&rdquo; Gavitt said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t do anything without respect and communication with our broadcast partners, who we value significantly.&rdquo;
While CBS and WBD will not publicly insert themselves into any exploration of tournament expansion, their opinions are key and they hold the rights to any men&rsquo;s tournament games for nine more years. The NCAA cannot seek another partner for newly created games.
Contracts between the NCAA and the networks are not made public. But if the networks are under no obligation to pay up for more inventory &mdash; and nothing indicates they are &mdash;- then all this expansion talk might be nothing more than preparation of the next TV deal.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a complicated thing,&rdquo; Shaheen said.
___
AP College Basketball Writer John Marshall contributed.

NCAA and college sports leaders are committed to a serious examination of increasing the number of teams in March Madness.

A bigger March Madness? Many obstacles stand in the way

With five conference tournament finals capping a wild week of men's college hoops, Sunday afternoon officially marked the end of the 2022-23 men's college basketball regular season, which means only one thing: March Madness is upon us.
Princeton (Ivy), Virginia Commonwealth (A-10), Alabama (SEC), Purdue (Big Ten) and Memphis (AAC) punched their official ticket to the men's 2023 NCAA Tournament to round out the group of 32 receiving an automatic bid.
Those teams joined: Vermont (America East), Duke (ACC), Kennesaw State (ASUN), Texas (Big 12), Marquette (Big East), Montana State (Big Sky), UNC Asheville (Big South), UC Santa Barbara (Big West), College of Charleston (CAA), Florida Atlantic (C-USA), Northern Kentucky (Horizon), Iona (MAAC), Kent State (MAC), Howard (MEAC), Drake (Missouri Valley), San Diego State (Mountain West), Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast), Southeast Missouri State (Ohio Valley), Arizona (Pac-12), Colgate (Patriot), Furman (Southern), Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi (Southland), Texas Southern (SWAC), Oral Roberts (Summit), Louisiana (Sun Belt), Gonzaga (WCC), Grand Canyon (WAC).
The selection committee revealed at 6 p.m. that the No. 1 overall seed is Alabama. The other three top seeds are Houston, Kansas and Purdue.
The First Four in Dayton will consist of a 16-seed matchup between Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi and Southeast Missouri State plus an 11-seed matchup between Mississippi State and Pittsburgh. In the other two games, there will be a 16-seed matchup between Texas Southern and Fairleigh Dickinson and an 11-seed matchup between Arizona State and Nevada.
Who else was invited to join The Big Dance on the road to the Final Four in Houston?
Following Selection Sunday, here is the official field of 68 in the men's 2023 NCAA Tournament:
South Region
(1) Alabama Crimson Tide vs. (16) Texas A&amp;M Corpus Christi Islanders/Southeast Missouri State Redhawks
(8) Maryland Terrapins vs. (9) West Virginia Mountaineers
(5) San Diego State Aztecs vs. (12) College of Charleston Cougars
(4) Virginia Cavaliers vs. (13) Furman Palladins
(6) Creighton Blue Jays vs. (11) NC State Wolfpack
(3) Baylor Bears vs. (14) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
(7) Missouri Tigers vs. (10) Utah State Aggies
(2) Arizona Wildcats vs. (15) Princeton Tigers
Midwest Region
(1) Houston Cougars vs. (16) Northern Kentucky Norse
(8) Iowa Hawkeyes vs. (9) Auburn Tigers
(5) Miami Hurricanes vs. (12) Drake Bulldogs
(4) Indiana Hoosiers vs. (13) Kent State Golden Flashes
(6) Iowa State Cyclones vs. (11) Mississippi State Bulldogs/Pittsburgh Panthers
(3) Xavier Musketeers vs. (14) Kennesaw State Owls
(7) Texas A&amp;M Aggies vs. (10) Penn State Nittany Lions
(2) Texas Longhorns vs. (15) Colgate Raiders
West Region
(1) Kansas Jayhawks vs. (16) Howard Bison
(8) Arkansas Razorbacks vs. (9) Illinois Fighting Illini
(5) Saint Mary's Gaels vs. (12) VCU Rams
(4) UConn Huskies vs. (13) Iona Gaels
(6) TCU Horned Frogs vs. (11) Arizona State Sun Devils/Nevada Wolfpack
(3) Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. (14) Grand Canyon Antelopes
(7) Northwestern Wildcats vs. (10) Boise State Broncos
(2) UCLA Bruins vs. (15) UNC Asheville Bulldogs
East Region
(1) Purdue Boilermakers vs. (16) Texas Southern Tigers/Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
(8) Memphis Tigers vs. (9) Florida Atlantic Owls
(5) Duke Blue Devils vs. (12) Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
(4) Tennessee Volunteers vs. (13) Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
(6) Kentucky Wildcats vs. (11) Providence Friars
(3) Kansas State Wildcats vs. (14) Montana State Bobcats
(7) Michigan State Spartans vs. (10) USC Trojans
(2) Marquette Golden Eagles vs. (15) Vermont Catamounts
THE BRACKET
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&mdash; NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1635049575483580416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2023</a>
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An overview of the official men's 2023 NCAA Tournament schedule and March Madness matchups on the road to Houston.

2023 NCAA Tournament: Men's field of 68 teams announced

STORRS, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Joey Calcaterra scored all of his 14 points in the second half to help second-ranked UConn rally from its first second-half deficit of the season for an 84-73 victory over Georgetown on Tuesday night.
Tristan Newton had 17 points and seven assists, while Adama Sanogo added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies (13-0, 2-0 Big East). Jordan Hawkins scored 15 points and Andre Jackson finished with seven points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Primo Spears had 19 points and Qudus Wahab 16 points and nine rebounds for Georgetown (5-8, 0-2).
UConn led by seven at halftime, but a dunk by former UConn forward/center Akok Akok gave Georgetown a 51-49 lead with 16:35 left to play. It was the first time this season that the Huskies have trailed in the second half this season.
NO. 5 ARIZONA 85, MONTANA STATE 64
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Kerr Kriisa scored 18 points, Cedric Henderson Jr. added 16 and Arizona pulled away in the second half to beat Montana State.
Arizona (11-1) pulled it out by wearing down Montana State and hitting 10 of 25 3-pointers for its 26th straight home win. Oumar Ballo had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and the Wildcats scored 20 points off Montana State&rsquo;s 20 turnovers. Kriisa went 6 of 9 from 3.
Jubrile Belo had 18 points and RaeQuan Battle added 17 for the Bobcats (7-6), who shot 3 for 24 from the 3-point arc.
NO. 22 MIAMI 66, NO. 6 VIRGINIA 64
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Isaiah Wong scored 24 points and Miami held on during a frantic finish to beat Virginia.
Jordan Miller finished with 11 points while Norchad Omier had 10 for the Hurricanes (12-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who snapped a six-game losing streak against the Cavaliers.
Miami led 61-51 on a free throw by Wong with 1:56 to play. Virginia (8-2, 1-1) went on an 8-0 run from there. Kihei Clark&rsquo;s layup with 26 seconds left made it 61-59, and Clark made three free throws with 5 seconds remaining to get the Cavaliers within 65-64, but Virginia couldn&rsquo;t finish it off and lost its second straight.
Ohio University transfer Ben Vander Plas scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half, his highest-scoring game for the Cavaliers. Clark had 13 points and Beekman finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
NO. 9 ALABAMA 84, JACKSON STATE 64
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Noah Gurley scored a season-high 16 points and Mark Sears had 15, all in the second half, to Alabama past Jackson State.
The Crimson Tide (10-2), coming off a 100-90 loss to No. 11 Gonzaga, struggled much of the way and even trailed a minute into the second half against the Tigers (1-11).
Nick Pringle had 14 points and nine rebounds for Alabama after coming into the game scoring less than one per game.
Ken Evans led Jackson State with 18 points.
NO. 11 GONZAGA 85, MONTANA 75
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Drew Timme scored a season-high 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Gonzaga won its 72nd straight home game.
Gonzaga&rsquo;s home win streak is tied with UNLV (1974-78) for the ninth-longest in NCAA history. It&rsquo;s the longest streak since Lamar&rsquo;s 80-game run from 1978-84.
Timme started 4 for 9 from the free throw line but went 4 for 4 down the stretch to seal the game for the Bulldogs (10-3) after a late Montana rally. The Grizzlies (6-6) cut a 17-point, second-half deficit to five with 3:06 to play on Josh Bannan&rsquo;s jumper but couldn&rsquo;t get any closer.
Bannan scored 19 points for Montana.
NO. 12 BAYLOR 58, NORTHWESTERN STATE 48
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Jalen Bridges scored 12 of his 13 points in the second half, and Baylor pulled away from Northwestern State.
LJ Cryer and Dale Bonner added 11 points apiece for the Bears (9-2), who have won four in a row.
Baylor went on a 14-0 run to take control for good after Northwestern State&rsquo;s DeMarcus Sharp made a jumper to open the second-half scoring and tie the game at 24.
Sharp had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead Northwestern State (8-4).
WAKE FOREST 81, NO. 14 DUKE 70
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Tyree Appleby had 18 points and eight assists as Wake Forest ended Duke&rsquo;s eight-game road winning streak.
Cameron Hildreth added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Demon Deacons (9-4, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who led nearly the entire game. Wake Forest led 39-30 at halftime, then pushed that margin to as many as 15 points. Wake Forest shot 49.1% and had five double-figure scorers.
Jaylen Blakes scored a career-high 17 points to lead Duke (10-3, 1-1), which never got closer than seven after the break.
DRAKE 58, NO. 15 MISSISSIPPI STATE 52
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Roman Penn scored 19 points, Sardaar Calhoun made four of his career-high five 3-pointers in the second half, and Drake handed Mississippi State its first loss.
Calhoun finished with 17 points and Tucker DeVries added 15 for Drake (9-3), which beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2013.
Eric Reed Jr. scored all of his team-high 11 points in the first half for Mississippi State (11-1).
DeVries&rsquo; floater in the lane put Drake up 52-50 with 1:51 left in the neutral-site game, and Penn hit a jumper for a four-point lead with just over a minute left. Penn made four free throws in the last 10 seconds to secure Drake&rsquo;s first win over a Power Five opponent since it beat Kansas State in the 2020-21 season opener.
NO. 18 INDIANA 96, ELON 72
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Race Thompson had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and short-handed Indiana beat Elon.
The Hoosiers were missing their two leading scorers. Center Trayce Jackson-Davis (16.4 points per game) sat for precautionary reasons with nagging back and hand injuries, and point guard Xavier Johnson (9.9 points) was sidelined by a foot injury.
But the Hoosiers (9-3) had too much depth against the visitors from the Colonial Athletic Association as they ended a two-game skid. Freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino had 17 points and seven assists for the Hoosiers.
Max Mackinnon led Elon (2-11) with 19 points and Sean Halloran added 15.
PROVIDENCE 103, NO. 24 MARQUETTE 98, 2OT
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Bryce Hopkins had 29 points and 23 rebounds &mdash; both career highs &mdash; and grabbed the offensive board on a missed free throw with 15 seconds left in the second overtime to help Providence run out the clock and beat Marquette.
The Friars (10-3, 2-0 Big East) won their fourth straight game and improved to 4-0 in overtime this season. Devin Carter and Ed Croswell scored 20 points apiece for Providence, which beat a ranked team for the fourth straight season.
Native Rhode Islander Tyler Kolek scored a career-high 29 points before fouling out in the second overtime, and Kam Jones added 24 points for the Golden Eagles (9-4, 1-1).
Marquette blew a nine-point lead in the final minutes of regulation and rallied from an eight-point deficit in the first overtime.

A recap of Tuesday night's men's college basketball slate features a handful of top-15 upsets and a close one for the Huskies.

Calcaterra, No. 2 UConn pull away in second half to beat Hoyas

Paul Silas, a member of three NBA championship teams as a player and LeBron James' first coach in the league, has died, his family announced Sunday. He was 79.
The family revealed the death through the Houston Rockets, for whom Silas' son, Stephen, is a second-generation head coach. The Boston Globe first reported Silas' death, and no official cause was immediately announced.
&ldquo;Our heartfelt thoughts are with Stephen and his family during this difficult time,&rdquo; the Rockets said in a statement.
Paul Silas began his career as a head coach with a three-year stint leading the then-San Diego Clippers starting in 1980. After spending more than a decade as an assistant, he returned to being a head coach and spent time with the Charlotte Hornets, the New Orleans Hornets, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Charlotte Bobcats.
He took four of those teams to the playoffs, winning exactly 400 games &mdash; 387 in the regular season, 13 more in the postseason.
&ldquo;Paul made a huge contribution to the game of basketball and will be sorely missed!&rdquo; Hall of Fame guard and Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson wrote on Twitter.
The Rockets were playing host to Milwaukee on Sunday night. It was not immediately clear how long Stephen Silas would be away from the team; the Rockets were planning to have John Lucas lead the team on an interim basis while the Silas family grieves.
Stephen Silas got into the NBA world when his father was coaching in Charlotte, starting as an advance scout and eventually serving as an assistant on his father's staff with the Hornets in 2000. It took Stephen Silas two decades to get a chance to be a head coach, that coming when Houston hired him in 2020.
&ldquo;My dad, obviously, he was my No. 1 mentor, someone who I could lean on, ask questions and he asked questions of me,&rdquo; Stephen Silas said in a 2021 documentary produced by the Rockets about his coaching journey. &ldquo;He really valued my opinion, which was kind of weird to me, me being so young and not having much experience.&rdquo;
Stephen Silas persevered for a long time before getting his big chance. He saw his father wait a long time for the job he wanted as well. Paul Silas was fired by the San Diego Clippers in 1983 and wouldn't have a head coaching opportunity again until 1999 &mdash; coming when Dave Cowens, for whom Paul Silas was an assistant, stepped down in Charlotte after a 4-11 start to the shortened 1998-99 season.
&ldquo;I was known as not a hard, hard, hard worker and it really hurt me when I was an assistant coach, for about 10 years, when I couldn&rsquo;t get a head job,&rdquo; Paul Silas told the Rotary Club of Charlotte while giving a speech there in 2013. &ldquo;I really talked to teams about being a head coach, but I didn&rsquo;t get one. What happened is I stayed positive. I had a positive attitude. Even though I couldn&rsquo;t get the job, I said, &lsquo;No, I&rsquo;m not going to be negative. I&rsquo;m going to be positive.&rsquo;&rdquo;
Eventually, Silas would take over in Cleveland. He got there in 2003, the same year the Cavaliers drafted James.
&ldquo;I coached LeBron for two years, his first two years, and LeBron was unbelievable," Paul Silas said. &ldquo;At 18 years old, he knew about Bill Russell, he knew about a lot of players who came through that most players his age don&rsquo;t even know. And he understood the game. I made LeBron a point/forward because I didn&rsquo;t have one when he first started. He didn&rsquo;t say a word to me. He just took over the game and we did well.&rdquo;
In time, James would become a champion. It took Paul Silas a few years to get to that level as a player as well.
He was a five-time All-Defensive team selection who averaged 9.4 points and 9.9 rebounds in 16 seasons with the St. Louis and Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix, Boston, Denver and Seattle. Silas won two titles with the Celtics &mdash; the first coming in his 10th season as a player &mdash; and claimed a third with the SuperSonics. He averaged 12.8 points and 13.8 rebounds in the 1976 Finals for Boston against the Suns.
&ldquo;Paul Silas was a giant in basketball circles," former NBA player Rex Chapman wrote Sunday on Twitter. &ldquo;A great man. Was fortunate to spend a couple of seasons with Paul when he was an (assistant) coach with the Suns. I don&rsquo;t know anyone with a bad word to say about him &mdash; ever. A sad day."
Paul Silas played his college basketball at Creighton, averaging 20.5 points and 21.6 rebounds in three seasons. He was voted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
&ldquo;I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Creighton legend Paul Silas," Bluejays coach Greg McDermott said. &ldquo;His illustrious career as a player and coach will be matched by few."

Paul Silas, a member of three NBA championship teams as a player and LeBron James' first coach in the league, has passed away.

Paul Silas, 3-time NBA champion and longtime coach, dies at 79

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Zia Cooke scored 17 points, Aliyah Boston had the 61st double-double of her career and defending national champion No. 1 South Carolina opened with a dominating 101-31 victory over East Tennessee State on Monday night.
Boston finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 20 minutes.
The Gamecocks celebrated their 2022 NCAA Tournament title with championship rings and a banner unfurled in the arena rafters to the cheers of a boisterous, happy crowd at Colonial Life Arena.
South Carolina held its opponent to 4-of-28 shooting in the first two quarters. ETSU missed 15 straight shots during one stretch.
East Tennessee&rsquo;s Jiselle Thomas, a first-year transfer from Temple, led East Tennessee with seven points on 2-of-20 shooting.
NO. 2 STANFORD 86, SAN DIEGO STATE 48
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Kiki Iriafen had a team-leading 16 points and six rebounds, sending Stanford past San Diego State to open the season.
Iriafen was one of four players who had double-digit points for the Cardinal, including Elena Bosgana (15 points), Cameron Brink (13) and Indya Nivar (13). Alex Crain and Meghan Fiso each had nine points for the Aztecs, who were held to 31.6% shooting (18 of 57) by the Cardinal defense.
NO. 4 IOWA 87, SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY 34
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Clark scored 20 points as Iowa opened the season with a win over Southern.
Clark, a junior guard who was a unanimous Associated Press preseason All-American, shook off a couple of early injuries to finish with a 6 of 10 shooting night.
Iowa center Monika Czinano, back for a fifth season after leading the nation in field-goal percentage the last two seasons, scored 10 points on 3 of 4 shooting.
Amani McWain led Southern with eight points.
NO. 7 LOUISVILLE 87, CINCINNATI 68
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Hailey Van Lith scored 28 points to lead Louisville to a victory over Cincinnati in the season opener for both teams.
The Cardinals broke the game open with a 15-0 first-quarter run and led 46-25 in the final minute of the first half. The Cardinals shot 51.7% and outrebounded the Bearcats 39-27.
Sophomore Braylyn Milton led the Bearcats with a career-high 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Milton was perfect on five 3-point shots. Mya Jackson and A&rsquo;riel Jackson added 12 points apiece.
NO. 8 IOWA STATE 87, CLEVELAND STATE 54
AMES, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Ashley Joens had 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and Iowa State opened the season with a victory against Cleveland State.
Joens, a preseason All-American, nearly recorded a double-double in the first half with 24 points and nine boards. She has 50 career double-doubles.
Stephanie Soares added 15 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks for the Cyclones. Gabriella Smith led Cleveland State with 16 points and Brittni Moore added nine.
NO. 9 NOTRE DAME 88, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 48
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Olivia Miles had 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and six steals to help No. 9 Notre Dame rout Northern Illinois.
Transfer post players Kylee Watson (Oregon) and Lauren Ebo (Texas) made their Notre Dame debuts. Watson started and scored nine points, while Ebo added 10 points off the bench.
Janae Poisson led NIU in scoring with 14 points.
NO. 10 NC STATE 82, QUINNIPIAC 45
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Jada Boyd scored 14 points as North Carolina State led wire-to-wire in a season-opening victory over Quinnipiac.
Boyd shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. The junior forward also had five rebounds, a block and two steals in just 20 minutes of play. Quinnipiac was led by Cur&rsquo;Tiera Haywood&rsquo;s eight points and five rebounds. Jackie Grisdale also had eight points for the Bobcats.
NO. 13 VIRGINIA TECH 101, MOUNT ST. MARY&rsquo;S 45
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Cayla King made a school record nine 3-pointers and scored a career-high 33 points, All-American Elizabeth Kitley added 17 points and Virginia Tech rolled over Mount St. Mary in both teams&rsquo; season opener.
Virginia Tech never trailed thanks to King&rsquo;s opening 3-pointer and after Mount St. Mary&rsquo;s answered with a basket the Hokies reeled off 20 straight.
Michaela Harrison scored 15 points for Mount St. Mary&rsquo;s, which shot 27% and was outrebounded 45-23.
NO. 15 OKLAHOMA 105, ORAL ROBERTS 94
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Madi Williams scored 19 points, Skylar Vann added 18 and Oklahoma opened the season with a win over Oral Roberts.
The Sooners finished at 47.6% shooting after hitting 60% of their shots in the first half.
Oral Roberts outscored Oklahoma 24-6 in the final 5:18 to get the margin down to 11. Tirzah Moore scored 25 points and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds for the Golden Eagles.
NO. 16 LSU 125, BELLARMINE 50
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese scored 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds in her debut with LSU and the Tigers coasted past Bellarmine in the season opener.
The transfer from Maryland, where she was an All-American, had 14 points in the first quarter when the Tigers took a 31-8 lead and went on to a school record for points in a game.
West Virginia transfer Jasmine Carson added 17 points and Alexis Morris 16 for LSU, which returned only one starter (Morris) and five players from Kim Mulkey&rsquo;s first team, which had the greatest turnaround by a first-year coach in Southeastern Conference history.
Hayley Harrison scored 19 points for the Knights.
NO. 17 MARYLAND 88, GEORGE MASON 51
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) &mdash; Abby Meyers scored 19 points in her debut for Maryland as the retooled Terrapins defeated George Mason.
Meyers, an AP honorable mention All-American at Princeton and one of nine new Terrapins, made 5 of 6 from 3-point range.
Taylor Jameson scored 15 points for George Mason, which was 5 of 22 from 3-point range and had 18 turnovers.
NO. 18 BAYLOR 88, LAMAR 50
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash;Jaden Owens had a career-high 12 assists to go with 11 points for her first career double-double and Baylor pulled away for a season-opening win over Lamar.
Missouri transfer Aijha Blackwell and freshman Bella Fontleroy both added 17 points for the Bears, who used a 7-0 run early in the second quarter and a 9-0 late to go up 47-31 at halftime.
Lamar shot 32% in the second half and finished just 3 of 12 behind the 3-point line. Akasha Davis led the Cardinals with 13 points and eight rebounds.
NO. 20 OREGON 100, NORTHWESTERN 57
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Freshman Grace VanSlooten scored 20 points and Oregon downed Northwestern for the Ducks&rsquo; 10th straight season-opening win, and ninth straight under coach Kelly Graves.
Jennah Isai added 17 for the Ducks, who went 20-12 overall last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament but lost in the first round to Belmont.
Caileigh Walsh had 15 points and six rebounds for Northwestern, which went 17-12 last season.
NO. 21 CREIGHTON 73, NO. 23 SOUTH DAKTA STATE 64
BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) &mdash; Lauren Jensen scored 17 of her 30 points in the fourth quarter and Creighton pulled away from South Dakota State in the only Top 25 matchup on the opening day of the season.
Creighton, the surprise team of the NCAA Tournament last year when they beat No. 8 Iowa and No. 10 Iowa State, made 10 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter.
Myah Selland scored 22 points to lead South Dakota State, which won the WNIT last season.
NO. 22 NEBRASKA 100, OMAHA 36
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Isabelle Bourne had 21 points and nine rebounds, leading Nebraska to the runaway victory in its season opener.
Allison Weidner added 19 points and nine rebounds, and South Dakota transfer Maddy Krull had 18 points with four 3-pointers. Alexis Markowski had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Cornhuskers.
Elena Pilakouta had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Mavericks.
NO. 24 PRINCETON 67, TEMPLE 49
PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) &mdash; Kaitlyn Chen scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Ellie Mitchell added 12 points and 15 boards, and Princeton defeated Temple to spoil the debut of Owls coach Diane Richardson.
Princeton won its 16th straight regular-season game dating to last season. Prior to the game, the Tigers honored its 2021-22 campaign with a banner unveiling and ring ceremony. The Tigers pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the NCAA Tournament, upending Kentucky in the first round.
Jasha Clinton scored 15 points and Tiarra East had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Temple, which was just 18-of-62 shooting.

Opening night for women's college hoops was highlighted by Aliyah Boston and the defending-champion South Carolina Gamecocks.

Defending women's national champs, No. 1 Gamecocks, rout ETSU 101-31

The Oklahoma City Thunder came out of last Tuesday&rsquo;s NBA Draft Lottery as the night&rsquo;s runner-up, taking home the No. 2 overall pick.&nbsp;
The Thunder have never received the first-overall pick in their franchise history, which technically goes back to 1967 when they were still the Seattle Supersonics. They have selected second on two occasions though, and both worked out really well (Kevin Durant in 2007 and Gary Payton in 1990).
The Thunder have a war-chest of draft picks in the coming years, but those picks are meaningless if they don&rsquo;t select a franchise-altering talent. Fortunately, the No. 2 pick should provide an opportunity to do so. The 2022 draft class features a few &ldquo;can&rsquo;t-miss&rdquo; prospects, including Auburn&rsquo;s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga&rsquo;s Chet Holmgren and Duke&rsquo;s Paolo Banchero. All three have their pros and cons, but adding any of them to the existing core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey should work out beautifully.
In the 2021 NBA Draft, the Thunder made six selections, but they traded three of those players. They added Giddey (who was named to the 2021-22 All-Rookie Second Team), Tre Mann and Aaron Wiggins &ndash; none of whom are bigs. The Thunder did trade for a seven-footer in the 2020 draft (Aleksej Pokusevski), but he&rsquo;s still extremely raw and is not the same caliber of player as the top-three prospects.
Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done through the scouting process to effectively evaluate all three of this draft's most-coveted prospects, but a look back at the last 10 NBA drafts reveals a murkier history than one might assume. After <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-the-success-of-teams-selecting-first-in-the-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examining the success of teams selecting No. 1 in the NBA Draft</a> last week, let's look at how recent No. 2 overall picks have fared.&nbsp;
2012 NBA Draft: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets
The Hornets bombed with the second pick in 2012. Kidd-Gilchrist had a fine career, averaging 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game across eight seasons in the NBA. The thing is, Bradley Beal was selected third and Damian Lillard was selected fifth, and both of those guys are All-NBA-caliber players annually. Comparatively, that&rsquo;s a huge miss for Charlotte.
Verdict: Failure.
2013 NBA Draft: Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic
The Cavaliers certainly surprised many of us by picking Anthony Bennett with the first overall pick, but the Magic stuck to the script. Oladipo was universally seen as a top-three player in this draft, and he became the second-best player in the class before knee and quad injuries derailed his career.
As much as injuries have robbed much of what Oladipo was, he is still an intriguing player, and he&rsquo;ll probably command some decent free-agent offers this offseason. Obiously, CJ McCollumn (selected 10th) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (selected 15th) are better players, but neither was being considered by the Magic. Considering that Oladipo is a two-time All-Star, an All-Defensive selection and a one-time All-NBA selection, I&rsquo;d say the Magic did a fine job in picking Oladipo.
Verdict: Success
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2014 NBA Draft: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
The 2014 draft was a weird one. Neither the first nor the second pick ended up being the best player from this draft class. Andrew Wiggins found a good role, even if he is far less successful than most thought he&rsquo;d be, but Jabari Parker really underwhelmed. Granted, Parker stuck around in the league for eight seasons, including some of the current one, but his career simply never materialized even if it&rsquo;s not his (nor Milwaukee&rsquo;s) fault.
Parker tore his ACL twice. He looked like he was becoming a pretty darn good player (even if he was a defensive liability) before the second ACL injury, averaging 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 2016-17. However good Parker could have been, the fact of the matter is that Joel Embiid was intriguing enough as of draft night to be taken one pick later, and that stings.
Verdict: Failure
2015 NBA Draft: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
Here&rsquo;s an instance where a player actually was worth a top-three pick. The problem is that the Lakers had the second pick, and there&rsquo;s a big difference between Karl-Anthony Towns or Devin Booker and Russell. Making matters worse, the Lakers sent Russell to Brooklyn before he matured. His immaturity was part of the reason he was traded, but that doesn&rsquo;t change the fact that the Lakers picked him and moved on very quickly. Russell may or may not end up being a franchise-altering talent, but he hasn&rsquo;t realized his full potential yet, and he clearly won&rsquo;t do so for the Lakers.
Verdict: Failure
2016 NBA Draft: Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers
Ingram is one of the best No. 2 picks in the last 10 drafts. He&rsquo;s a true number one option on a playoff team, a career 18.5 points-per-game scorer and a one-time All-Star. It&rsquo;s debatable that Jaylen Brown (selected third) and/or Jamal Murray (selected seventh) are as good or better players, but both have played alongside more talented teammates throughout their careers.
Ingram has been the best player on the New Orleans Pelicans for a few years now, and we shouldn&rsquo;t take for granted the fact that Ingram led a playoff team this season. Sure, the Lakers didn&rsquo;t cash in on him specifically, but he was part of the package that led to Anthony Davis landing in Los Angeles. So, it worked out for them too.
Verdict: Success
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2017 NBA Draft: Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers picked second overall again in 2017. They weren&rsquo;t as successful this time around. First, there&rsquo;s Jayson Tatum to consider. Tatum was selected third and is the best player in the 2017 draft class. Being selected by the Lakers wouldn&rsquo;t have changed that, and that should be enough. But there&rsquo;s also Ball&rsquo;s rough shooting mechanics to consider. Sure, he&rsquo;s grown into a good shooter, but the Lakers didn&rsquo;t benefit from that. It&rsquo;s hard to categorize Ball&rsquo;s selection as an outright failure because like Ingram, he helped facilitate Davis to the Lakers. Still, it's tough to classify his selection a success.
Verdict: Push
2018 NBA Draft: Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings
Bagley might be the worst second pick in the last 10 years. The 2018 NBA Draft will forever be remembered as the Luka Doncic class. The Kings could have drafted Doncic, as he was still on the board, but they chose to go with Bagley instead. Bagley isn&rsquo;t even on the Kings any longer, and his time in Sacramento was not memorable.
Bagley is a sub-par defender and three-point shooter. He&rsquo;s scored the ball at a decent pace, averaging 19.5 points per-36 minutes, but he&rsquo;s never earned a big enough role to demonstrate what he can really do, and he&rsquo;s exclusively been on losing teams. Comparatively, Doncic and Trae Young (selected No. 5 in 2018) have turned their franchises around.
Verdict: Failure
2019 NBA Draft: Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Ingram was the best second pick in the last 10 years, until 2019. Morant stole that made-up accolade almost immediately in his rookie season. The thing is, the 2019 NBA Draft was supposed to be all about Zion Williamson. However, unlike Williamson, Morant has backed up all the hype and then some. So, while Williamson has dealt with injuries for much of his young career, Morant has brazenly become the face of his draft class.
Morant is drawing comparisons to numerous superstars, and he was named to the 2021-22 All-NBA Second Team. No one selected after him comes close to making the Grizzlies think twice about their decision.
Verdict: HUGE success
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2020 NBA Draft: James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors
Unlike his brother Lonzo, LaMelo Ball was deserving of the second pick in 2020. Instead, the Golden State Warriors went with James Wiseman, though the logic behind the pick is clear, even in retrospect. The Warriors already had two All-NBA guards. The thing is, Jordan Poole looks pretty good alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, doesn&rsquo;t he? So, it&rsquo;s feasible to assume that Ball would have fit too.
After two seasons, Ball is a significantly better player, but he&rsquo;s also had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate that fact. Wiseman has had terrible health-related luck. He played in 39 of the Warriors' first 53 games in 2020-21, but he tore his meniscus in Golden State&rsquo;s 53rd&nbsp;game of the season and hasn&rsquo;t been seen since. Wiseman could still be a serious contributor, as his per-36 numbers were impressive for a rookie (19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 assists on .542/.316/.628 shooting). This is one we&rsquo;ll have to continue monitoring.
Verdict: Unclear
2021 NBA Draft: Jalen Green, Houston Rockets
Basing the success of a pick on only a rookie season is tough. Green posted an impressive rookie campaign, but his defensive deficiencies were clear. That&rsquo;s an understandable flaw for a rookie. Green was the assumed second-best player in the class. Having the luxury of hindsight, we now know that Scottie Barnes (selected fourth) and Evan Mobley (selected third) translated to the NBA incredibly well. But wing scorers have a tougher time making the jump, as they must shoot deeper three-pointers and compete against far more athletic competition. Green&rsquo;s floor may be lower than that of Barnes and Mobley, but I'd argue that his ceiling is still higher. Let&rsquo;s give him a little more time.
Verdict: Unclear&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
In the last 10 drafts, the second overall pick has clearly been one of the best players in the draft class just three times (2013, 2016 and 2019).&nbsp;
A deeper examination of No. 2 overall picks reveals a limited number of franchise-altering talents. For every Kevin Durant, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Earl Monroe and Bill Russell, there are a number of players who didn't live up to expectations. Sometimes, there isn't a generational player on the board; other times, the team picking No. 2 overall just overthinks it or goes in the wrong direction. Either way, No. 2 hasn&rsquo;t produced as many all-time greats as you might expect, but there have been quite a few significant contributors.
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Oklahoma City will pick No. 2 in the 2022 draft. A look back at the last 10 drafts reveals that there are no guarantees for No. 2 picks.

Examining the success of teams selecting No. 2 in the NBA Draft

You are now invited into the NBA rabbit hole you didn&rsquo;t know you needed.
Do you remember Deron Williams before he boxed Frank Gore? The Deron Williams before toiling away with his hometown Dallas Mavericks and ring-chasing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The one before the New Jersey Nets moved to Brooklyn. The one that got you banned on forums because of how vociferously you may have argued that he was better or worse than Chris Paul.
Ten years ago today, on March 4, that dude dropped a franchise-record 57 points. Yeah, you&rsquo;re getting old too, son. (That's still a Nets record, by the way.)
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That game itself, otherwise, wasn&rsquo;t all that memorable. The Nets had about one month left as representatives of New Jersey before relocating to Brooklyn later that year. They, at 12-26, won 104-101 against a Charlotte Bobcats (!) team that dropped to 4-31 on the lockout-shortened season.
Starters in the game included other glorious names like Kris Humphries, who was second on the Nets with 11 points (and 13 rebounds) and played 40 minutes. DeShawn Stevenson finished with an 0-2-1-0-0 line and had one shot attempt in 29 minutes of play. Eduardo N&aacute;jera, DeSagana Diop (who started for Charlotte!) and Shelden Williams got some run, and Tyrus Thomas played about seven minutes.
Kemba Walker was still coming off the bench for D.J. Augustin. Corey Maggette was the game&rsquo;s second-highest scorer, finishing with 24 points on just 4-of-12 shooting, but converted 15-of-16 free-throw attempts.
Current Charlotte (Hornets) star LaMelo Ball was 10 years old.
But it was also one of Williams&rsquo; last awesome NBA moments while still in his prime, a career cut short due to... well, it depends on who you ask, and/or what you believe. It&rsquo;s either related to injuries, which we began seeing take a toll on Williams after the Nets moved to Brooklyn. Or other stuff, like constant clashes with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett during that infamous 2013-14 season together.
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Say what you want about Stephen A. Smith &mdash; and this was before he essentially became the face of ESPN &mdash; but I vividly recall him here in New York saying things like, &ldquo;Deron Williams has the easiest job a franchise player could ever hope to have!&rdquo; And, &ldquo;All he has to do is ball,&rdquo; as Williams, frankly, didn&rsquo;t.
There was also the story that Pierce once mocked Williams, saying, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/2015/7/11/8932649/farewell-to-all-that" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What&rsquo;s the matter now, Deron? Your ____ hurt</a>?&rdquo; (If I&rsquo;m blanking it and not even giving you a letter, just know it was raw.)
The Nets had Williams &mdash; generally hated by their fans to this day &mdash; Pierce, Garnett, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez as a championship-level starting-five (in theory) entering the 2013-14 season. And the head coach was a first-timer in Jason Kidd, who played an integral part on the underappreciated 54-win New York Knicks the season before as a player.
<a href="https://sicovers.com/featured/brooklyns-new-look-nets-who-wants-a-piece-of-them-2013-14-october-28-2013-sports-illustrated-cover.html">Remember that Sports Illustrated cover</a>? Ohhhhhh maaaaaaan.
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You may also recall the famous Jackie MacMullan <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12690080/washington-wizards-paul-pierce-speaks-truth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">profile on Pierce</a> when he was a Washington Wizard in the early John Wall and Bradley Beal days. As far as we know, this was before Wall and Marcin Gortat <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wizards-insider/wp/2018/02/07/marcin-gortat-responds-to-john-walls-comments-whos-attacking-who/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wanted to box each other&rsquo;s heads off</a>.
&ldquo;Before I got there, I looked at Deron as an MVP candidate,&rdquo; Pierce <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12690080/washington-wizards-paul-pierce-speaks-truth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said to MacMullan</a>. &ldquo;But I felt once we got there, that's not what he wanted to be. He just didn't want that.
&ldquo;I think a lot of the pressure got to him sometimes. This was his first time in the national spotlight. The media in Utah is not the same as the media in New York, so that can wear on some people. I think it really affected him.&rdquo;
After noting that Johnson is quiet and doesn&rsquo;t want much attention, Pierce continued.
&ldquo;There's a lot of secondary guys on that team. KG and I went there looking at them as the main guys who would push us, because we were advancing in years. But we ended up doing all the pushing,&rdquo; he said.
(Given what we&rsquo;ve learned, it&rsquo;s mildly surprising that Williams didn&rsquo;t <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1472409021189857287" target="_blank" rel="noopener">just fight him</a> after seeing this, but anyway.)
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Williams remains one of the grand "what ifs" of this century. And let&rsquo;s be responsible &mdash; injuries are one of the driving reasons for his sudden downswing from stardom to shell over a... hmm... two-year span? But we do what-ifs with guys who battled injuries all the time: Penny Hardaway, Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Grant Hill and Derrick Rose, to name a few.
With Williams, just visualize, given how the game was going &mdash; and where he had been trending at one point &mdash; where he would&rsquo;ve evolved to if the talent, health, discipline and mentality all added up. And it doesn&rsquo;t always come together, which is why it&rsquo;s not responsible to purely say &ldquo;talent wins&rdquo; if the implication that talent alone is enough for substantial success.
And he clearly worked hard.
Williams averaged 19.5 points and 10.2 assists from 2007 to 2012 on .460/.346/.827 shooting splits. He attempted four threes a game at a respectable level and nearly six free throws per contest during that span. He consistently was among the league leaders in assists, while simultaneously profiling as one of the NBA&rsquo;s best scoring point guards. His True Shooting percentage was at 56.8% during those five years, hitting 60% in '07-08 and never dropping below 56.6% until the Nets&rsquo; last year in New Jersey. (Understandable when Humphries is your second-best player for most of the season.)
We weren&rsquo;t letting &lsquo;em fly from three the way we are now, and Williams was, like most others, streaky &mdash; but you had to guard him out there. The 35% perimeter clip in his peak reflected the near 36% for his career. The assists came with some high turnover numbers &mdash; Williams averaged 3.5 turnovers per game in those five seasons &mdash; but that still gave him a near 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
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Williams wasn&rsquo;t a usage monster either &mdash; his rating was never higher than 25.8% until a 30.1% usage in 2011-12, but, again, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NJN/2012.html">look at the roster</a>. Even so, he was eighth in the league in usage; otherwise, he never cracked the league&rsquo;s top-20. You know who did during that span? And on multiple occasions? Corey Maggette, Michael Beasley, Stephen Jackson, his then-teammate Brook Lopez and his former teammate Carlos Boozer. (Rashad McCants, Andrea Bargnani, Charlie Villanueva, Josh Smith, Rodney Stuckey and Jordan Crawford were in the top-20 as well during those days.)
Until the trade from Utah to New Jersey, Williams would be in the top-20 in VORP consistently too. Most hadn&rsquo;t yet cared about some of those metrics though.
And his strength was a big part of his game. Williams was built like Eric Gordon, had powerful crossovers like Baron Davis, a passing fluidity that neared Steve Nash, and an offensive creativity that rivaled CP3&rsquo;s &mdash; which is how all those damn fights started.
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Williams, in a lot of ways, was perfect for where the league was going. Surprisingly, he only made three All-Star teams, which were consecutive from 2010 to 2012; though, <a href="https://www.deseret.com/2009/2/12/20301620/all-star-snubs-continue-for-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he had snub arguments in 2008 and 2009</a>, and <a href="https://nypost.com/2013/01/26/nets-wont-stir-pot-about-all-star-snub/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">again in 2013</a>.
It never came together, and everyone missed out because of it. Imagine if his prime stretched into a couple of those Brooklyn seasons... but don&rsquo;t imagine too hard because logistically, it would be a pain in the ass to lay out. But if he did ball out the way people on microphones, in forums and in his own locker room called for? Man.
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Williams would've been toe-to-toe in the mid-2010s against then-prime-entering stars such as James Harden, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. In his own conference, we might&rsquo;ve seen him in the playoffs go crossover-for-crossover with Kyrie Irving, or bump-for-bump with Kyle Lowry, or tough-finish-for-tough-finish with Wall. All of that while still mirroring a stat line of roughly 20 points and 10 assists per game on efficient shooting, further increasing his three-point and free-throw volume in the process.
That said, he did give us multiple All-NBA seasons and, again, a whole-ass fight with Gore. He says he&rsquo;s one-and-done, but that might be because none of you have offered him the Pierce one yet. And as silly as that sounds, you know you&rsquo;d watch.
But seriously, peak Williams was epic. If he continued along the path he had been, we don&rsquo;t know if it would&rsquo;ve brought the Nets a title &mdash; but they would&rsquo;ve been damn close.
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On the March 4 anniversary of Deron Williams' 57-point game, Bryan Fonseca looks back on his career and wonders: "What if?"

Deron Williams dropped 57 a decade ago... what could've been?

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1461360452672245770">StatMuse</a>
ANALYSIS:
While it's no shock the Rockets are amongst the worst in the team, no one expected a historically bad team from this group.
Houston added top draft choice Jalen Green and expected continued development from Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.
The current owner of the worst record in NBA history are the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats, who finished 7-57.
That eam was coached by present-day Rockets coach Stephen Silas' father, Paul Silas--it will be disappointing to see history repeat itself.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

The Houston Rockets have started the season off 1-14. That's a pace of just five wins for the entire season, which would be the worst record of all time.

1-14 Rockets on-pace for worst record ever

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/the-worst-draft-day-comparisons-in-nba-history/" 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>:
Nearly every rookie who enters the NBA draws comparisons to a current or former NBA player leading up to draft night. It helps the fans get more familiar with the players who are coming into the league, and gives a perspective of their capabilities and potential career. Many of these comps are correct and representative, but from time to time, we get horrendously wrong and funny comparisons that end up being way off in the long run. Here are some of the worst draft comparisons in NBA history:
Adam Morrison: Larry Bird
Coming into the 2006 NBA Draft, Adam Morrison was one of the most sought-after prospects, and for good reason. The Gonzaga star averaged 26 points and 8 rebounds in his final season, and got drafted third by the Charlotte Bobcats. Expectations were significant, especially after getting the Larry Bird comparison. At the time, it seemed relatively justified, as Morrison was a small forward with similar size to Bird, a sweet stroke and knack for scoring. After a solid rookie season in which he averaged 12 points per game, Morrison would tear his ACL and never be the same again. He was mostly known for warming the bench during the Los Angeles' Lakers championship runs before eventually going overseas and retiring. Had he not suffered the injury, Morrison could have had a better career, but likely nowhere near Bird's.
Eddy Curry: Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal
Shaq was the most dominant force the NBA has ever seen, so how do you even compare any incoming rookie to The Diesel? When Eddy Curry came into the 2001 NBA Draft right out of high school as a 7-foot, 300-pound center, he had a frame that was very similar Shaq's. And since he also had a finesse game and a jumpshot, NBA decision-makers fell in love with his potential. While Curry would have a few good seasons and even averaged 20 points per game one year for the New York Knicks, he was nothing close to what people predicted. The so-called &ldquo;Shaq with a jump shot&rdquo; battled major weight problems throughout his career and eventually retired from the NBA in 2013 at 30 years old.
Markelle Fultz: James Harden
Markelle Fultz's NBA career is one of the more confusing and unexplainable stories in recent history. The first pick of the 2017 NBA Draft came into the league with the reputation of an all-around scorer and NBA-ready player. But after a mysterious shoulder injury, Fultz&rsquo;s jumpshot simply disappeared and became too ugly to look at. It's something we have never seen before, especially with a No. 1 pick. The comparison he was constantly receiving before the draft was James Harden due to his scoring ability and strength. But as fate would have it, Fultz would be the polar opposite of Harden. Nowadays, Fultz managed to turn things around for the better in Orlando last season before tearing his ACL. Still, even if he continues to improve after getting healthy, Fultz could become a valuable NBA player &mdash; but nowhere near Harden or a No. 1 pick.
Darko Miličić: Dirk Nowitzki
Getting drafted ahead of Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh already made Darko Miličić one of the biggest busts in NBA history. Getting compared to one of the best power forwards ever also didn&rsquo;t help his case. There was plenty of mystery surrounding Darko leading up to the 2003 NBA Draft and, with his size and skill, he had a ton of potential. However, things would just never click for the Serbian big man. His poor work ethic, mixed with a limited skill set, had Darko riding the pine with the Detroit Pistons. Before the draft, Pistons executives fell in love with his mobility and soft touch for a player his size. Naturally, that led to comparisons with another European big man &mdash; Dirk Nowitzki. However, that comparison would turn out to be way off; it seemed to be based more on Darko's appearance and the fact that he was an international big than anything. Darko managed to stick around in the NBA for 10 seasons and even won a ring (with Detroit in 2004), but he still remains a huge draft miss for the Pistons.
Editor's Note: Let's not forget the infamous <a href="https://www.nbadraft.net/players/deshawn-stevenson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBADraft.net prospect profile of DeShawn Stevenson</a>, which compared the longtime NBA journeyman guard to... arguably the greatest player of all-time, Michael Jordan.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

From time to time, NBA Draft comparisons can be way off. Basketball Network looked at some of the worst comparisons in NBA history.

Looking back on the worst draft comparisons in NBA history

Clippers rookie point guard Jason Preston had right foot surgery in Los Angeles today and is expected to miss a significant part of the season, sources tell ESPN.&nbsp;
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1446181136082812930" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;This is a tough blow for Preston, who was the No. 33 pick in this summer's NBA Draft. The point guard played three college seasons at Ohio, where he led the Bobcats to an upset win in the NCAA Tournament.

Preston was the No. 33 pick in this summer's NBA Draft to the Clippers.

Jason Preston undergoes foot surgery, expected to miss significant time

On the dais, his shoulders looked awfully broad for a point guard who's fairly miniature in stature.
But anyone who knows Kemba Walker &mdash; as a Rice High School standout or as a young prep coming of age in the Soundview section of the Bronx &mdash; has always known the truth.
He makes up for his size with his fight. For a long, long time, that&rsquo;s been obvious.
&ldquo;The last couple years have been tough for me,&rdquo; Walker said as he looked upon the sea of reporters who attended the New York Knicks&rsquo; media day.
What an understatement.&nbsp;
In two years, Walker went from having a career-year and being named to the All-NBA Third Team, to being a player who had to have a first-round pick attached to him in order to be traded.
In some ways, the end is fitting, though. Walker&rsquo;s journey &mdash; from the Sack-Wern housing projects to the University of Connecticut &mdash; ended up being circuitous, after all.
Entering his 11th season, at 31 years old, Walker finally comes home. One of the city&rsquo;s own, he joins a Knicks team that has put itself on the radar in relatively short order. Led by reigning Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau and Most Improved Player Julius Randle, New York will attempt to ride the talents of Randle, RJ Barrett and the rest of the club that few around the Association believe is for real.
A team that's still obviously a work in progress, the hope among those who are rooting for the Knicks is that Walker&rsquo;s tough two-year stint in Boston was a bump in the road, not a sign of what&rsquo;s to come.
Way back on draft night in 2011, when Walker became an NBA player, he hosted a post-draft party at one of Lower Manhattan&rsquo;s hotspots. Everyone from his fellow draft mates to Chris Paul was in attendance. The league and its players' union knew that the most likely outcome was that the 2011 season would be delayed due to a lockout, and the incoming class of rookies knew it too.&nbsp;
But Walker didn&rsquo;t let that dampen his mood. He'd made it. And he was especially appreciative of Michael Jordan for &ldquo;taking a chance on him.&rdquo;
It seems like ancient history, but back then, there were many who wondered whether Walker would be able to supplant D.J. Augustin as the lead guard for then-Charlotte Bobcats. In his run up to the NBA Draft, Walker heard it all &mdash; he was too small, his game wouldn&rsquo;t translate, his weaknesses were too great to overcome.&nbsp;
Those questions resulted in less-proven players being taken ahead of him, and he then realized that neither his unprecedented five wins in five nights in the Big East Tournament, nor the ensuing national championship he won at UConn would cause the questions to cease.
He had to do it in the NBA. And in the end, that&rsquo;s exactly what he did.
All his life, Walker has been proving his doubters wrong, and now, he&rsquo;ll attempt to do it in his hometown.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m home,&rdquo; he said on Monday.&nbsp;&ldquo;I&rsquo;m already focused.&nbsp;Last couple years have been kinda rough for me, obviously with my knee, [but] I&rsquo;m locked in, ready to go, ready to play at a high level.&rdquo;
The Knicks will need every bit of it.
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"I'm home. I'm from here, born and raised. And it feels like it. I'm getting a lot of love." - Kemba Walker <a href="https://t.co/eYGG9QJ3h1">pic.twitter.com/eYGG9QJ3h1</a>
&mdash; Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/sny_knicks/status/1442504749723443206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Coming off of a disappointing loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of last season&rsquo;s playoffs, general manager Scott Perry saw Atlanta&rsquo;s growth up close and personally. He then saw a great many of the conference&rsquo;s teams improve this past summer.&nbsp;
The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets are obviously entering the season as the favorites, while the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are expected to be greatly improved.&nbsp;
The Philadelphia 76ers are obviously <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/philadelphia-76ers-trade-seems-certain-but-we-havent-heard-last-of-ben-simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dealing with the Ben Simmons saga</a>, but even without getting a king&rsquo;s ransom in return for what appears to be an eventual trade, they should be one of the top teams out East. Even the Washington Wizards are entering the season with some optimism.
The question for the Knicks this season is whether they&rsquo;ve done enough to keep up. And they&rsquo;ll be counting on Walker to provide the answer.
During their run last season, New York was ultimately undone by their lack of depth from the point guard position. Their hope is that Walker&rsquo;s ability to attack the basket and create space against his defenders &mdash; assuming he still can &mdash; will be tools that should allow him to get easy looks for his teammates. That&rsquo;s not something the Knicks got against Atlanta, and both Randle and Barrett stand to benefit from allowing Walker to create off the dribble.
Perhaps it&rsquo;s fate that now, at 31 years old and with the deck stacked against him, is when Walker will be charged with the task.
Since taking over in New York, Perry&rsquo;s modus operandi has been to buy low on players whose perceived potential was greater than the results they were believed to be able to produce as pros. Randle ended up being buried treasure. They struck oil with Rose. But Bobby Portis, Mario Hezonja and Elfrid Payton? Not so much. 
Nonetheless, overall, the strategy has worked. But at this point, we obviously don&rsquo;t know which bucket Walker will end up in.
Fittingly now, only two years removed from being an All-NBA selection, the four-time All-Star will come back to the city where it all began for him in an attempt to recapture past glory.
Peddled by Brad Stevens, the former Boston Celtics coach-turned-team-president admitted defeat. Boston made a mistake by signing Walker to a four-year, $141 million contract in 2019. At least, that was the message. Stevens attached a first-round pick to him in order to get the Oklahoma City Thunder to agree to take Walker&rsquo;s pact in return for Al Horford &mdash; a player that Boston coincidentally let go in 2019. Stevens wanted a mulligan.
Truth be told, Oklahoma City isn&rsquo;t high on any player&rsquo;s list of cities to spend the latter stages of their career. But still, it&rsquo;s hard to imagine any player not feeling a bit slighted to learn that a team would rather pay him $50 million to go away than keep him around.&nbsp;
Walker, though, obviously wasn&rsquo;t complaining. When Oklahoma City bought him out, according to the Bronx native, New York was the only option he&rsquo;d considered.&nbsp;
The upstart club, for a change, had a duo of budding stars that just led an overachieving group to a playoff berth that didn&rsquo;t seem certain a year ago. With other young players showing promise &mdash; Mitchell Robinson, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin among them &mdash; any observer can truly see the Knicks from afar and wonder what they can be.
And when Walker looked around and realized he wasn&rsquo;t wanted, he probably did too.
As the Knicks began their 2021-22 season, he sat in his orange and blue jersey. The threads were unfamiliar, but ironically, he looked quite comfy.
&ldquo;I'm from here, born and raised,&rdquo; he said.
And in the end, needing one another, Walker and the Knicks united at the right time.
Defying the odds from the beginning, Kemba Walker &mdash; New York City&rsquo;s own &mdash; went back to where it all began. 
And there, in New York, a city and a franchise starved for a winner, he hopes that he can do it once again.

Kemba Walker has defied the odds his entire life. The Knicks hope that he can continue to do exactly that, writes Moke Hamilton.

Finally home, Kemba Walker hopes to turn back clock with Knicks

Back in March, smaller-school Colgate University blew an early first-half lead and lost to a Power-5 program in Arkansas, 85-68, in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64. But viewers might have noticed one Raider guard whose game conjured up thoughts of an NBA superstar.
Despite a cold touch that afternoon, Jordan Burns scored 13 points -- an uncharacteristic low for the 2021 Patriot League Player of the Year -- and put his eye-popping handles and range on display. The broadcast crew applauded one step-back as Damian Lillard-esque, and others took notice on social media.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jordan Burns with the deep 3 from Dame range!!! <a href="https://t.co/DD8RU56yJ3">pic.twitter.com/DD8RU56yJ3</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1372973366928404481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
It meant the world to Burns, who feels the impact of Lillard's collegiate rise at Weber State and professional dedication to the Portland Trail Blazers.&nbsp;
"A lot of people were texting me after the game... it was nice," Burns told BasketballNews.com with a laugh. "It definitely makes you feel good to be compared to a guy like that."
Burns, Javion Hamlet of North Texas and Ohio's Jason Preston make up a trio of prospects taking a shot at the 2021 NBA Draft process. Like Lillard, the three guards made names for themselves at the mid-major level, captivated their respective conferences with the way they played and took pride in sticking it out with the school that recruited them, despite the opportunity to play on bigger stages.
Videographers and recruiting analysts didn't follow these players around in high school. They carved paths that had scarcely been walked before, and through an unflinching resolve, forced the spotlight to shine on them.
Colgate is traditionally more synonymous with toothpaste than basketball; the school has produced a single NBA player (Adonal Foyle) since 1965. But the Raiders were the only Division I program that offered a scholarship to Burns out of high school, and the 6-foot guard enrolled in 2017, intending to put the New York liberal arts university on the map.&nbsp;
He did just that. Colgate made two NCAA Tournament appearances in four years with Burns as the team's floor general. In 2021, the shifty senior averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting over 39 percent from long range. Along the way, Burns flashed "Dame Time" moves, and worked to exemplify one of his favorite players.
"[Lillard] has become one of the better guys shooting from 30-plus feet," Burns said. I think that's something I've tried to experiment with. The further you shoot out -- a lot of those shots are more open... being a smaller guard, that has helped my game tremendously, watching a guy like Dame Lillard."
When Burns played a post-grad year at Kent School in Connecticut, he turned down a late flurry of offers because of his commitment to Colgate. After his junior season with the Raiders ended in a loss to Boston University in the Patriot League title game, Burns tested the NBA Draft waters in 2020 and had the chance to transfer. But he chose to return to Hamilton, NY for this season's tourney-bound run.
"Loyalty is a big thing to me. Since I was a kid, that was something that was always stressed to me by my parents," Burns said. "...For me, I was okay with not going to a big school and staying at Colgate. That was where I had chosen to go, so I think I resonated a lot with him staying in Portland, and deciding that these are the people who invested in me, loved me and brought me in before anybody else believed I was who I was."
Glance at Javion Hamlet's pinned Tweet. He shows a similar conviction:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I&rsquo;m not going nowhere I&rsquo;m getting drafted from North Texas ⏳
&mdash; J hamlet (@javion_hamlet) <a href="https://twitter.com/javion_hamlet/status/1248001163544465408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2020</a></blockquote>

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Hamlet's winding college basketball journey included two stops at the JUCO level and knee surgery before he finally reached North Texas (Sam Blum wrote an <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/unt-mean-green/2021/03/16/ive-always-been-the-underdog-how-javion-hamlet-led-north-texas-to-ncaa-tournament-after-long-being-overlooked/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insightful feature on Hamlet for the Dallas Morning News</a>). Then, the 6-foot-3 guard promptly won Conference USA Player of the Year in 2019-20, and this season, averaged 15.6 points and 4.5 assists per game. Hamlet's 24 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists led the Mean Green to a 78-69 upset of Purdue in March Madness.
"You gotta believe it before anyone else believes," Hamlet told BasketballNews.com. "You just gotta keep going, even if it doesn't work tomorrow, today, the next day or the next couple of months. You just gotta stay true to yourself. Just keep working. The hard work does pay off."
He's got a mantra -- "Doubt the Doubters" -- that has fueled his work ethic and driven him to the doorstep of the NBA.
"I don't get caught up in the hype," Hamlet said. "I ain't [ever] had the hype. I've always been the underdog all my life. I just feel like me doing it is going to motivate other people to be like, 'Man, if he did it from there, I can do it, too.'"
Hamlet said he also had opportunities to transfer to high-major programs after that first year at North Texas. Instead, he adhered to the words of his pinned Tweet.&nbsp;
"I know it's harder for [North Texas] to get to the NCAA Tournament," he said. "[My mindset was] just go there and change the culture -- change it into a championship school."
Like millions of basketball fans around the world, Burns and Hamlet hear the narratives surrounding Lillard in Portland. They hear analysts and critics berate the six-time All-Star for choosing a small market over the flashy cities and super-teams around the league. But Burns and Hamlet know what Lillard knows -- that when you find a team and place that feels like home, you cherish it.&nbsp;
"It's all about staying true to you," Hamlet added. "Dame's trying to do something that hasn't been done in a long time, and I respect him for it. I'm kind of the same way -- big on loyalty. The people that gave you a chance, and stuck with you through your ups and downs -- you can't leave nobody like that."
Jason Preston knows it, too. The Ohio University guard's <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/college-hs/jason-preston-ohio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">improbable hoops journey</a> inspired thousands when it went mainstream during this past college season.&nbsp;
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This attitude right here 👇🏾 by <a href="https://twitter.com/Treballjay11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Treballjay11</a> 👊🏾 will get you all you ever need! <a href="https://t.co/m83F1h0aRf">https://t.co/m83F1h0aRf</a>
&mdash; marcus smart (@smart_MS3) <a href="https://twitter.com/smart_MS3/status/1332750556532789250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
Despite layers upon layers of tragedy and turmoil, Preston tirelessly worked his way to two Division I offers, and from there, helped the Bobcats beat Illinois in the regular season and Virginia in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 15.7 points, 7.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds as a junior.
The 6-foot-4 guard is now testing the NBA Draft process while maintaining college eligibility. He loves to watch LeBron James and Chris Paul, but also appreciates the standard Lillard has set as a leader.
"I love his approach towards the game," Preston said. "If something bad happens to his team -- something good or bad -- he has mostly the same reaction throughout the whole game. CJ [McCollum], too. They're both very even-keeled and have a nice manner towards the game."
McCollum and Stephen Curry are a few of the other mid-major products that Preston, Burns and Hamlet applauded. Ja Morant has also <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/trailblazers/news/mutual-respect-between-damian-lillard-and-ja-morant-keeps-growing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly praised Lillard</a> for his role as a beacon for this next generation.
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say dat 🗣 paved the way for guys like me . RESPECT 🤝 <a href="https://t.co/ddW69YjcFR">https://t.co/ddW69YjcFR</a>
&mdash; Ja Morant (@JaMorant) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1387621541643423751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Every mid-major star, from Lillard to this trio, as well as Oral Roberts' Max Abmas, carries a relentless passion for basketball and personal growth. But as Preston emphasized, every player's story is unique -- and to inspire others with it is a blessing.
"I think the most valuable thing you can give someone is inspiration," Preston said. "For people to hear about my story and to get motivated to do something themselves -- I think that's that's everything. I'm very happy that I can do that for certain people."

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Lillard's rise to fame and loyalty to the Blazers coming from a small school has inspired Jordan Burns, Javion Hamlet and Jason Preston.

In Damian Lillard, the next mid-major NBA hopefuls see a blueprint

According to <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/confidence-mounting-raptors-can-re-sign-masai-ujiri/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Grange of Sportsnet</a>, the NBA could be on the cusp of league expansion, given the revenue hit caused by the pandemic. Seattle and Las Vegas are two notable leading candidates to add an NBA franchise.
"It&rsquo;s widely believed the NBA will expand for the first time since rounding out to 30 teams in 2004 partly to recoup losses from the pandemic," Grange wrote. "Returning to Seattle as part of the process is almost a given (with Las Vegas as the other likely city) now that the arena issues that led to the Supersonics leaving for Oklahoma City in 2008 have been resolved."
Grange added that current Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri has shown signs of wanting to pursue a contract extension, though joining a potential expansion franchise is enticing.&nbsp;
"But there is no timetable for that, and typically there is a minimum two-year lag between franchises being awarded and play beginning," Grange said. "And given the league hasn&rsquo;t formally announced any plan to expand, it makes little sense for Ujiri to remain on the sidelines passing up an opportunity to be the highest-paid executive in the sport while waiting for a day that could be years in the future."
The last time the league expanded, the Charlotte Bobcats joined the Association as the 30th franchise.

The NBA has not expanded since 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league.

NBA 'widely believed' to expand with Seattle, Las Vegas as frontrunner cities

One of the perks of covering the NBA is that you get to attend a ton of games, so you're bound to witness some wild moments firsthand. Our writers have been covering the league for many years, so we asked:
What's the craziest NBA moment that you've witnessed in-person?
Alex Kennedy: For me, it has to be Ray Allen's clutch three-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. During the fourth quarter, my boss and I were sitting in the media area and figuring out our travel plans. If the Spurs won, the series was over and we'd fly home the next day; if the Heat won, we would need to stay in Miami for Game 7. With 28.2 seconds remaining, the Spurs went up by five and my boss, Steve Kyler, booked our flight home for the following day. He assumed the series was over! Shortly after, Chris Bosh grabs the rebound, Allen hits the shot and everyone was stunned. After the game, talking to Bosh, Allen and their teammates was a lot of fun; everyone immediately realized that they had just been part of something really special and historic. And, fortunately, we were able to reschedule our flight!
Spencer Davies: With the exception of seeing Kevin Durant nail a three over LeBron James to win his first championship (and subsequently repeating the shot over JR Smith in the following Finals), I would be lying if I didn&rsquo;t say LeBron&rsquo;s 2018 playoff run as a whole. There were two times -- Game 5 vs. the Indiana Pacers and Game 3 vs. the Toronto Raptors -- where The King nailed game-winners at the final buzzer. The first occasion, LeBron actually came up with the block on Victor Oladipo&rsquo;s layup and then&nbsp;knocked down the three out of the inbound (Indiana likely wins that series without it). With the second, LeBron ripped Toronto&rsquo;s soul right out of its heart with a full-court drive up the left side of the floor, threw up a 16-foot floater and banked it in as his body was going toward the baseline to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a commanding 3-0 lead. Just absolutely ridiculous moments to witness in person, especially having to withhold your thoughts being at the media table.
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Moke Hamilton: I'm so blessed to have covered seven NBA Finals and seen some truly incredible moments at Madison Square Garden, both as a young fan and a pro covering the league. Like in 2003, when Latrell Sprewell set the single-game record for most threes made without a miss (he shot 9-for-9). Years later, I saw the late, great Kobe Bryant score 61 and saw Carmelo Anthony top that by scoring 62. I covered Linsanity. And I saw some crazy things covering the Atlantic Division some years ago. But truth is, I think the craziest thing I ever saw was Ray Allen making &ldquo;the shot&rdquo; in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals; I had the good fortune of witnessing that piece of history live. I think what&rsquo;s more crazy about the shot itself was the amount of blunders the Spurs made in the final minute of that game. From missed free throws to blown coverages to failing to box out, the team that&rsquo;s always credited for its fundamentals couldn&rsquo;t close out a game they needed and they lost both Game 6 (and the ensuing Game 7) as a result. That outcome was crazy and it was only possible with Allen&rsquo;s shot, so I&rsquo;ve gotta go with that.
Imman Adan: Raptor fans booing Vince Carter&hellip; while he was still on the team. I&rsquo;ve been to many games that saw fans in the Scotia Bank Arena (formerly: Air Canada Centre) boo Vince Carter, but none like this. It was a cold autumn night, November 20, 2004, and the Toronto Raptors were in the midst of getting their derri&egrave;res flamb&eacute;ed by the San Antonio Spurs. A dejected Carter looked like he&rsquo;d rather be anywhere else than on the court when boos began to rain down. Eventually, head coach Sam Mitchell put Carter and fans out of their misery by benching him. This miraculously allowed sophomore Chris Bosh to lead a 19-point comeback, with the Raptors outscoring the Spurs 33-9 in the fourth quarter to win, 96-91. Now, this is far from the craziest NBA story, but it was a pivotal game in Raptors history -- a franchise-changing moment that signified a shift in leadership from Carter to Bosh.
Jonathan Concool: This is a tough one, but I&rsquo;m going to go with the November 20, 2010 game between the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks. This was Blake Griffin&rsquo;s rookie year and it was still early in the season, so no one really knew how good this Griffin kid was since he had just missed the previous year due to injury. Well, I&rsquo;d like to think this is the game when the whole world got to know Griffin. Griffin had two literal jaw-dropping dunks during this matchup with the Knicks. One of them, Griffin was on a fast break against Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari and he spun into a monster slam on Gallinari in the open court. The other (more famous) one is, of course, the Timofey Mozgov poster, which will live on for eternity. Being in the arena to witness those dunks was truly an unforgettable experience.
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Kelsea O'Brien: Norman Powell&rsquo;s <a href="https://youtu.be/uao0ZZ8r52s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game 5 dun</a>k against the Indiana Pacers in his rookie season. I was behind the basket when it happened. It was my birthday. It was electric -- a total tectonic, cultural shift for the Raptors (who went on to win the game).
Nekias Duncan: I went to a Heat-Bobcats (yes, Bobcats) game during the 2011-12 season. I was still early in my writer phrase, so this was simply a &ldquo;Hey, I want to watch the Heat&rdquo; experience. Anyway, with around three minutes left in that game, Chris Bosh ISO&rsquo;s at the top of the key. He pumps, drives, then <a href="https://youtu.be/l0yIQUUXJ8o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jams over DJ White</a> for an and-one. It was one of the best dunks I&rsquo;d ever seen in a live setting, and also terrifying because Bosh landed so awkwardly that I was sure he&rsquo;d broken a leg or torn his groin or something.
Chris Sheridan: The craziest moment I have ever seen came when Shaquille O'Neal attempted a foul shot. The ball hit the rim so hard that it actually bounced over the basket stanchion. I challenge anyone to try to replicate that happenstance, and I would love to see a video of it happening. I am unable to find the video, but I saw it with my own two eyes.
Ethan Fuller: Tacko Fall's&nbsp;preseason debut against the Charlotte Hornets was unlike any game atmosphere I have ever witnessed in person. The crowd was thundering when Brad Stevens motioned for Fall to jump in with nine minutes left. It's the loudest I have experienced TD Garden -- and it was a&nbsp;preseason&nbsp;game. Two guys were wearing taco suits! Truly a bizarre, awesome, mythical game to be at.

We asked our BasketballNews.com staff to share the craziest NBA moment they witnessed firsthand.

Roundtable: What's the craziest NBA moment you've witnessed in person?

If your game warrants the spotlight early in your career, chances are the lights will gleam brighter, and with that comes expectations. Some college players lived up to the hype that surrounded them at the next level, but there are quite a few whose success didn't translate to the NBA.
In our latest Roundtable, we asked our BasketballNews.com writers the following question:
Who is the best college player that never became a star in the NBA?
Alex Kennedy: Jimmer Fredette became a household name while at BYU, averaging 28.9 points and 4.3 assists. In 2011, he was the Consensus National College Player of the Year and led the nation in scoring. His games were must-watch TV due to his seemingly unlimited three-point range. He even transcended the sports world and briefly became part of the pop culture lexicon; for example, at the height of Jimmer Mania, Lil Wayne name-dropped him in a song (&ldquo;I got a chopper and a trimmer shootin&rsquo; like Jimmer&rdquo;). He was the 10th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft (ahead of Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Nikola Vucevic, Jimmy Butler, etc.), but he never averaged more than 7.6 points in the NBA. Fortunately for Jimmer, he&rsquo;s thriving in China, where he&rsquo;s dropped 75 points, averaged 37.6 points and made three All-Star appearances.
Spencer Davies: In my lifetime, I&rsquo;m picking two: Michael Beasley and Emeka Okafor. People have to understand just how dominant Beasley was in his lone season at Kansas State, collecting accolade after accolade as a freshman for the Wildcats, as he averaged over 26 points and 12 rebounds per game on 53% from the field! He showed flashes of greatness in the NBA early in his career, but not the kind of superstardom that followed him in the NCAA. As for my other pick, it&rsquo;s crazy remembering how the big question in 2004 was who would be the No. 1 pick: Okafor or Dwight Howard? While the latter was a high-school phenom, the former outworked every big man on the national stage for Jim Calhoun&rsquo;s UConn Huskies en route to an NCAA championship in his junior year prior to entering the draft. Okafor had imposing size and was a walking double-double who blocked every freaking shot in sight. In the NBA, he had his moments; none like Howard, though, who now has an NBA championship on his laundry list of achievements and just passed Walt Bellamy to move up to No. 11 on the league's all-time rebounding list.
Chris Sheridan: The best college player who never became a star in the league was Hank Gathers, who died while playing for Loyola Marymount. He was the No. 1 draft prospect and one of just three players in NCAA history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season (the others were Xavier McDaniel and Kurt Thomas). He averaged 32.7 points and 13.7 rebounds. He once had 48 points and 13 rebounds against LSU&rsquo;s Shaquille O'Neal and Stanley Roberts. He collapsed after dunking in a game and passed away due to a heart issue.&nbsp;
Jannelle Moore: The best college player who never became a star in the NBA is, tragically, Len Bias. He had the athleticism and skill. He gave Michael Jordan fits in college and would have been his biggest rival in the pros.
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Imman Adan: Compared to Larry Bird entering the league and described as a &ldquo;very good scorer with [a] complete offensive repertoire,&rdquo; Adam Morrison was none of that in the NBA. In college, the 6-foot-8 forward out of Gonzaga was a star, averaging 28 points on 43% from three in his final year, making him a finalist for the Naismith Trophy. The NBA did not come as easily to the slow-footed Morrison, who struggled to adapt to the speed of the league. The effortless shooting stroke he had in college seemed to dissipate as well, as he never averaged more than 11 points or shot better than 34% from deep. After tearing his ACL in his left knee and missing his entire sophomore year, what little burst of athleticism he did have vanished, making his NBA career a short (but eventful) one, winning two rings while riding the Lakers&rsquo; bench before retiring at 28.
Ethan Fuller: I'm going to play with a looser definition of "star" for this one and rule out guys like Christian Laettner and Marcus Camby, who did win NBA league awards. Instead, let's go with Joe Smith, who won Naismith Player of the Year at Maryland in 1995. The 6-foot-10 Smith obliterated teams, averaging 20.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game as a sophomore. He then went first overall to the Golden State Warriors in the 1995 NBA Draft. But Smith never found his footing and ended up playing for 11 NBA teams.
Jonathan Concool: Adam Morrison. Morrison averaged over 28 points per game as a junior at Gonzaga University, and led the Bulldogs to the Sweet 16 before suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Bruins in the final seconds. Morrison took home five awards that season with Gonzaga, including WCC Player of the Year, but that&rsquo;s just about where the positives stop for Morrison&rsquo;s basketball career. He went on to get drafted third overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2006 and was out of the league by 2010, with career averages of 7.5 points per game on 37.3% shooting from the field.
Nekias Duncan: I&rsquo;d go with Jimmer Fredette. He absolutely lit it up for BYU &mdash; Mormon Steph, if you will &mdash; and almost none of it translated to the NBA across multiple stints.
Kelsea O&rsquo;Brien: People forget just how small the NBA is, and how good the end-of-bench players were in college and high school. These guys were monsters. They still are! Their only downfall is that they are playing against and alongside even bigger monsters. I&rsquo;m going to go in a different direction here, though, and choose Cheryl Miller. One of the greatest women&rsquo;s basketball players of all-time, and because of ACL injuries, she never got the chance to go pro. Her professional career will always be one of the biggest &ldquo;what ifs&rdquo; in sports history.

Who is the best college player that never became a star in the NBA? We asked our BasketballNews.com staff to weigh in.

Roundtable: Who's the best college player that never became a star in the NBA?

Spencer Davies chats with Aaron Ryan and Brandon Williams about the details of Overtime Elite, a new league that's changing the game.

Quinnipiac Bobcats