Gators

The Florida Gators have clinched their third NCAA Men's Basketball Championship after narrowly defeating the Houston Cougars 65-63 in a thrilling title game on Monday, April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.&nbsp;
Trailing by as many as 12 points in the second half, the Gators mounted a remarkable comeback. Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr., who was scoreless in the first half, emerged as a pivotal figure by scoring all 11 of his points after halftime. His defensive prowess was on full display in the final moments, forcing a crucial turnover that sealed the victory for Florida.&nbsp;
Guard Will Richard led the Gators with 18 points, while forward Alex Condon contributed 12 points, playing a significant role in countering Houston's formidable defense.&nbsp;
This championship marks Florida's first national title since 2007 and positions head coach Todd Golden, at 39, as the youngest to win the championship since 1983.
On the opposing side, Houston's L.J. Cryer led all scorers with 19 points. Despite holding a significant lead and showcasing strong defense throughout the game, the Cougars were unable to secure their first national title, with late-game turnovers proving costly. ​
This victory adds Florida to the elite list of programs with at least three NCAA men's basketball titles, underscoring the team's resilience and determination throughout the tournament.

The Florida Gators have clinched their third NCAA Men's Basketball Championship after narrowly defeating the Houston Cougars 65-63

Florida clinch third NCAA title overall with comeback win over Houston

The 2025 NCAA Final Four delivered thrilling outcomes, setting the stage for compelling national championship games in both men's and women's basketball.​
Men's Final Four: Houston's Dramatic Comeback Against Duke
The Houston Cougars orchestrated a stunning 70&ndash;67 comeback victory over the Duke Blue Devils. Trailing by 14 points with just over eight minutes remaining, Houston closed the game on a 9&ndash;0 run in the final 42 seconds. Junior guard Emanuel Sharp ignited the rally with crucial baskets, while J&rsquo;Wan Roberts sealed the win with decisive free throws. Duke's standout freshman, Cooper Flagg, contributed 27 points but was held scoreless during the critical final minutes.
This victory propels Houston to the national championship game against the Florida Gators, who secured their spot by defeating Auburn 79&ndash;73.&nbsp; Florida was led by star guard Will Clayton Jr., who had 34 big points in the win.
Women's Final Four: UConn and South Carolina Advance
In the women's bracket, the University of Connecticut Huskies, led by standout guard Paige Bueckers, advanced to the national championship game after a commanding 85&ndash;51 victory over UCLA. Bueckers, projected as the top pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, showcased her exceptional talent throughout the tournament.
UConn will face the defending champion South Carolina Gamecocks, who earned their place in the title game by defeating Texas 74&ndash;57. The championship matchup features two powerhouse programs with a history of intense competition, each vying for the national title.&nbsp;
The women's national championship game is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.&nbsp;
Both championship games promise to deliver high-stakes action as these teams compete for collegiate basketball supremacy.​

The 2025 NCAA Final Four delivered thrilling outcomes, setting the stage for compelling national championship games.

Houston stuns Duke; Bueckers and UConn set up title game with South Carolina

In a remarkable display of superb basketball, the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament will feature all four No. 1 seeds&mdash;Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, and Houston Cougars&mdash;advancing to the Final Four. This marks the first occurrence since 2008 that all top seeds have reached this stage.​
The Final Four matchups are set to take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, April 5. The semifinal games feature Florida facing Auburn at 5:09 p.m. ET, followed by Houston against Duke at 7:49 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast on CBS and streamed on March Madness Live and Paramount+.​
Each team's path through the Elite Eight was marked by decisive victories. The Florida Gators secured their Final Four berth by defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders with a final score of 84-79. The Auburn Tigers overcame the Michigan State Spartans in a 70-64 contest despite a scare from star player Johni Broome, who suffered an elbow injury during the game. Broome returned to contribute crucial points, helping Auburn advance and keep dancing in March Madness.
The Duke Blue Devils dominated the Alabama Crimson Tide with an 85-65 win led by standout freshman Cooper Flagg. The Houston Cougars delivered a commanding 69-50 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers. The Cougars' strong defense and cohesive play have been instrumental in their journey, and this will once again be needed for them to win in the Final Four.
In the Final Four, each team will bring a compelling narrative to the tournament.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Florida Gators: Making their first Final Four appearance since 2014, the Gators aim to capture their third national title.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Auburn Tigers: Under the leadership of Coach Bruce Pearl, Auburn seeks its first national championship, adding to the excitement surrounding their journey.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Duke Blue Devils: Led by standout freshman Cooper Flagg, Duke continues its storied tradition in the tournament, with insights from Coach K and current coach Jon Scheyer highlighting their path to the Final Four.&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Houston Cougars: With a strong bond and loyalty praised by alumnus and legendary broadcaster Jim Nantz, Houston aims for its biggest achievement since the 1980s.</li>
</ul>
This convergence of top seeds sets the stage for an electrifying conclusion to March Madness 2025, as fans eagerly anticipate which team will emerge as the national champion.​

In a remarkable display of superb basketball, the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament will feature all four No. 1 seeds.

March Madness 2025: All No. 1 Seeds Advance to Final Four

The 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has reached the Elite Eight stage, featuring a mix of top seeds and formidable challengers. The matchups are as follows:​
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">South Region: #1 Auburn Tigers vs. #2 Michigan State Spartans​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">West Region: #1 Florida Gators vs. #3 Texas Tech Red Raiders​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">East Region: #1 Duke Blue Devils vs. #2 Alabama Crimson Tide​</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Midwest Region: #1 Houston Cougars vs. #2 Tennessee Volunteers​</li>
</ul>
This after the respective teams defeated their opponents in the Sweet Sixteen. Duke superstar freshman Cooper Flagg took the center of the spotlight with an outstanding performance of 30 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks against Arizona.
Notably, all four No. 1 seeds&mdash;Auburn, Florida, Duke, and Houston&mdash;have advanced to the Elite Eight, underscoring their dominance throughout the tournament.
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) boasts a strong presence, with four teams&mdash;Auburn, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee&mdash;competing in this stage. ​\\
These matchups promise high-caliber basketball as teams vie for a coveted spot in the Final Four, as fans anticipate the intense competition and memorable moments as the tournament progresses.​

The 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has reached the Elite Eight stage, featuring a mix of top seeds and formidable challengers.

March Madness 2025: Elite Eight set for NCAA Men's Basketball

The 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has reached the Sweet Sixteen stage, highlighted by Duke's commanding victory over Baylor and the elimination of reigning champions UConn.​
In their second-round matchup, the No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils showcased their dominance against the No. 9 seed Baylor Bears. The game, played on March 23, 2025, saw Duke's offense and defense operating at peak performance, leading to a decisive win. Fans can view extended highlights of this game on the NCAA's official website.
Conversely, the University of Connecticut Huskies, aiming for a third consecutive national title, faced a narrow defeat against the No. 1 seed Florida Gators. The intense game concluded with a 77-75 victory for Florida, ending UConn's bid for a third consecutive national title.&nbsp;
The tournament now advances to the Sweet Sixteen, with matchups scheduled as follows:​
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Purdue Boilermakers vs Houston Cougars</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Michigan Wolverines vs Auburn Tigers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kentucky Wildcats vs Tennessee Volunteers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ole Miss Rebels vs Michigan State Spartans</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Arkansas Razorbacks vs Texas Tech Red Raiders</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Arizona Wildcats vs Duke Blue Devils</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Maryland Terrapins vs Florida Gators</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">BYU Cougars vs Alabama Crimson Tide</li>
</ul>
As the competition intensifies, fans eagerly anticipate the forthcoming games that will determine the teams advancing to the Elite Eight.​

The 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has reached the Sweet Sixteen stage, with the games starting today, March 28, 2025.

March Madness 2025: The Sweet Sixteen commences

The UConn Huskies made history Monday night by becoming the first team since 2007 to win back-to-back NCAA Men&rsquo;s Basketball championships after defeating Purdue 75-60 at the State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona.
The last team to do the same feat was the Florida Gators, who won back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. They were led by then-head coach Billy Donovan and eventual NBA stars Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer.&nbsp;
UConn capped off one of the most dominant runs ever in college basketball history with the best point differential in a single NCAA tournament all-time with a +140 spread. They beat the previous records set by Kentucky in 1996 (+129), Villanova in 2016 (+124), and Duke in 1999 (+123). This is their sixth championship in program history.
The Huskies were only up 36-30 after a tight first half but then poured it on after the break, showing why they were the defending champions from a year ago.
UConn used every offensive set they ran to perfection and executed their defensive game plan: let Zach Edey score and stay home on shooters. This limited Purdue to only one three-pointer made on just seven attempts overall.
The two-time National Player of the Year feasted with 37 points and 10 rebounds, but the rest of the team only managed to score 23 points. 
"We didn't want to give up 3's," UConn head coach Dan Hurley shared. "We didn't care if Edey took 25, 28 shots to get 35 points. The gameplan was no Smith, no Loyer, no Gillis, no Jones. Keep that collective to under 20 points as a group and they had no chance to win no matter what Edey did."
Tristen Newton, who was named the tournament's most outstanding player after the game, led UConn with 20 points on an efficient 6-of-13 shooting from the field along with 7 assists and 5 rebounds, while projected 2024 NBA draft first-rounders Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan added 15 and 11 points respectively for the Huskies.

UConn finished their dominant tournament run by beating Purdue 75-60, becoming the first back-to-back champ since Florida in 2007.

UConn overpowers Purdue to win back-to-back NCAA Men’s Basketball titles

The NBA today announced its celebrations of the first-ever World Basketball Day.&nbsp;
Established by the United Nations on August 23 during the FIBA World Cup, World Basketball Day will be observed annually on Dec. 21 &ndash; the day Dr. James Naismith first introduced the game of basketball at the Springfield YMCA in 1891.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The NBA family is thrilled to join the global basketball community in celebrating the first World Basketball Day,&rdquo; said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. &ldquo;More than 130 years after Dr. James Naismith invented the game at the Springfield YMCA, World Basketball Day is a reminder of basketball&rsquo;s ability to transcend borders, cultures and languages and unite people around the world.&rdquo;
Nearly 600 million people across the globe play basketball annually and basketball is the second-most popular sport in the world, while the number one team sport to play in the United States.&nbsp;
Alongside the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), USA Basketball and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the NBA family will honor the game and celebrate World Basketball Day through various programming such as youth clinics and respective social media campaigns &ndash; all demonstrating basketball&rsquo;s societal contributions.
This year the NBA will host the following global celebrations in observance of World Basketball Day:
Domestic
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>United Nations&rsquo; World Basketball Day Panel: As part of World Basketball Day, the Philippines will host a panel discussion to share the significance of the day and highlight the impact the game brings to everyone around the world at the United Nations on Dec 21.&nbsp; Panelists include Professor David Hollander, founder of World Basketball Day; a representative from the Philippine Embassy; John Doleva, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame President; and Julius Erving, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>United Nations&rsquo; World Basketball Day Diplomats Pick-Up Games: On Dec. 21, friendly games between 30 diplomats from 20 different countries at the Vanderbilt YMCA in New York City. </li>
<li>Jr. NBA Clinic: In celebration of World Basketball Day, the Jr. NBA will host a clinic at the Harlem PAL Center, uniting 80 youth participants, ages 6-14, to learn the fundamentals of the game at the Harlem Police Athletic League in New York City.</li>
</ul>
International
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>NBA Cares Packing Project: On Dec. 15, as part of the first-ever Republika ng NBA Month, the NBA hosted an NBA Cares packing project at the NBA Community Court presented by TITAN in Mandaluyong City.&nbsp; NBA staff and partners assembled care packages for high school students from select public schools around the NBA Community Court ahead of World Basketball Day.&nbsp; Each package included a "Republika ng NBA" t-shirt, a pair of socks and slippers, Gatorade bottle, and vivo-branded backpack and water bottle. </li>
<li>NBA Basketball School Virtual Conversation: On Dec. 15, NBA Basketball School, a network of basketball development programs around the world for youth ages 6-18, held a virtual conversation with former WNBA player Mery Andrade and former NBA player Zaza Pachulia, who spoke about how basketball has positively impacted their lives, why they are excited about the inaugural World Basketball Day, and answered questions from the attendees. </li>
<li>NBA Egypt Hoops: On Dec. 21 at the Al Sadat School Gharbia in Egypt, NBA Egypt is setting out to provide public schools with the basic infrastructure which would allow students to practice and experience basketball.&nbsp; This includes installing two basketball hoops, providing three basketballs and doing basic refurbishments in some of the courts where national school competitions take place.</li>
</ul>

The NBA today announced its celebrations of the first-ever World Basketball Day.

NBA joins celebration of first-ever World Basketball Day

This article was initially published on BasketballNews on October, 29, 2020.
I take pride in my defense. I&rsquo;ve always enjoyed guarding the best scorer on the other team. I look forward to it. When I&rsquo;m assigned one of those match-ups, I know it&rsquo;s gonna be a fun night.
In my 13 years as an NBA player, I guarded many perennial All-Stars and future Hall-of-Famers. I&rsquo;m talking about the best of the best. I tried to contain them and get under their skin. I'd constantly poke my hands in to try to get a pick or at least throw off their rhythm. If I could get scorers to think and worry about my hands, that was a win for me. But for these guys, it was basically impossible. They were always locked in.
What is it like to guard these superstars? In part one, I shared <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-corey-brewer-guarding-stars-lebron-james-giannis-antetokounmpo-james-harden-kevin-durant-stephen-curry-damian-lillard-russell-westbrook-kawhi-leonard-carmelo-anthony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my experiences defending current elite scorers</a>. Today, I&rsquo;ll break down some of the retired legends that I matched up against:
Kobe Bryant
You never forget the first time you played against Kobe Bryant. For me, it was in my rookie year in Minnesota and he dropped 30 on us. When he stepped on the court, just his swag, his whole demeanor, made me feel like, &ldquo;Damn, this is Kobe Bryant!&rdquo;&nbsp;
Kobe was a nightmare to guard. Seriously. He knew what he wanted to do, and I couldn't make him do anything different. It was like the game was a script to him; it was really a Hollywood script, and he was going to put me in his movie. I can&rsquo;t explain it any other way except that I was in Kobe&rsquo;s movie. When I was in the mid-post with him, he knew what he was about to do. It was: &ldquo;I'm gonna fake left and then fade over my right shoulder,&rdquo; or, &ldquo;I'm gonna pump-fake you, make you foul me and get the and-one,&rdquo; or &ldquo;I&rsquo;m gonna pump fake and go dunk on your head.&rdquo; He had a plan and he executed it. He was amazing, man. Unbelievable. Kobe would make so many difficult shots and I&rsquo;d just be amazed.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/brewer_kobe_2_lg.jpg" alt="" width="796" height="AUTO" />
He was a no-nonsense killer, and that's why I'm glad I got to play him in the playoffs a couple of times. Just to see him in that environment, playing at that level and being the way he is on the basketball court, that's why everybody respects him so much. He was that good, and he was really a student of the game. That's why he played for 20 years. He worked his tail off, and he was that good for so long because he was such a hard worker in all the nuances and technical aspects of the game. He was everything. He was relentless and steadfast in his plan: from his footwork to his bank shots to getting fouled--everything he did, I knew he had thought about it, worked on it and watched film on it. He loved the game. That's why Kobe Bryant was Kobe Bryant. Rest in Peace.
Dirk Nowitzki
I actually used to get to guard Dirk a lot. Dirk's tough, man -- the one-leggers! He's a "footer" meaning he's at least 7 feet tall, so I'm not gonna block his shot, and I'm not gonna speed him up no matter what. Like Kobe, he had a plan and I just hoped I could try to do something that made him get out of a rhythm. When I guarded Dirk, I just tried to deny him in his favorite spots or front the post. I just tried to be a little 6-9 pest. It felt like the only thing I could do guarding Dirk was be a nuisance because when he got the ball, it was over. He might miss, but he was typically going to get the shots he wanted. If I could just force him to shoot 12 inches away from where he most wanted to go, I did my job.&nbsp;
Dirk is one of the best scorers I've seen in the NBA. Ever. I played with him in 2011, when he had that incredible postseason and got us a Championship ring when we defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. It didn&rsquo;t matter who they put out there, he wasn't going to be stopped during our run to the championship.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/brewer_dirk_1-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
Dirk is for sure the reason we have all these stretch-fours now. The trail three, that was his bread and butter! At the time, bigs used to run back into the paint, but Dirk Nowitzki trailed in, stopped at the three-point line and let it fly -- and it would splash. Dirk was a bad boy, man.&nbsp;
While we all revel in how he shot the ball, it was the tireless work he put into his craft that made him that kind of shooter. He worked on the one-leg jumper so much. It wasn&rsquo;t just some random move he would do sometimes; he worked on it a lot, and that's why he made so many and why it became his go-to. He changed the game and evolved the big man position we all see now.&nbsp;
Dwyane Wade
I hated guarding D-Wade because his pump fake was just unbelievable. He was so athletic. Going to the rim, he&rsquo;d dunk on people. Then he'd go and just stop on a dime, pump fake, then draw a foul. I knew his plan so I'd try not to foul him, but that&rsquo;s when he had me right where he wanted--not as aggressive as I normally am. He was just tough with the way he approached the game, the way he played the game and how good he was at getting to the basket and finishing.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/brewer_wade_1-1_lg.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="AUTO" />
And, seriously, Dwyane Wade's pump fake has to be up there as one of the greatest ever. I hated that pump fake. My goal there was just to stay down and make him shoot a jump shot over me. I feel like if I did that, I did my job -- which, a lot of times, it still wasn't good enough. But hey, I did my job; I'd rather him pump fake, shoot a jump shot and make it than him pump fake and draw a foul or dunk on me or my teammate -- because his dunks would always get his team and the crowd going. My job wasn't to stop scorers like him, it was to get them to take shots they were less likely to make than they otherwise would if I didn't do my job. Fouling was the worst thing I could do--most scorers shoot free throws well.&nbsp;
Gilbert Arenas
If Gilbert Arenas didn&rsquo;t get hurt, we&rsquo;d be talking about him on a different level. I feel like people don't realize how good he was and how well he played during his prime. When he got that big contract, he deserved it. He just got hurt and had bad luck. That's all you can say. But he was a tough guard with the way he could shoot it.&nbsp;
I wanted him to pass. I would try to send him to my help and get the ball out of his hands because when he had that ball in his hands, he could get going. They didn't call him "Hibachi" for nothing! When he got going, he got going. He heated up fast when his confidence soared.
Gilbert Arenas was actually one of the first dudes to be coming off the pick-and-roll and pull it from deep. He used to pull from deep, and he had the ball on a string; when he went to the basket, that was his thing. Gilbert was tough, and I feel like if he didn't get hurt, we're talking about him in a different sense. But I have to show him love because he was that good.
Tracy McGrady
I caught T-Mac toward the end of his time with the Houston Rockets. T-Mac was tough. I remember the first time I played T-Mac, he'd catch it and he'd jab step. He'd jab me off, and it was a thing of beauty. I&rsquo;d be thinking, &ldquo;What is he gonna do? Is he gonna pull up? Is he gonna try to get by me?&rdquo; His jab step was one of the best ever. I wish I could&rsquo;ve faced off against T-Mac more.
Check out Corey&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-corey-brewer-guarding-stars-lebron-james-giannis-antetokounmpo-james-harden-kevin-durant-stephen-curry-damian-lillard-russell-westbrook-kawhi-leonard-carmelo-anthony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article breaking down what it&rsquo;s like to guard current superstars</a> such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo and more.

Corey Brewer details his experiences defending the legends of the past in the NBA.

Guarding Legends: Corey Brewer on defending Kobe, D-Wade, Dirk, more

High-school basketball phenom Cooper Flagg recently made headlines when he announced that he reclassified from the 2025 class to the 2024 class.
He's now the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. But before he sets his sights on the NBA, where will he play next season?
BetOnline has released odds on Flagg's next team, with the Duke Blue Devils emerging as the heavy favorites to land the 6-foot-8 forward. Can the G League Ignite or another college program steal him away from the Duke? Here are the complete odds:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 53.0017%; height: 147px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.724%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">NEXT TEAM</td>
<td style="width: 14.6196%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">ODDS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.724%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Duke Blue Devils</td>
<td style="width: 14.6196%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">-300</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.724%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">G League Ignite</td>
<td style="width: 14.6196%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+275</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15px;">
<td style="width: 34.724%; height: 15px; text-align: center;">Michigan State Spartans</td>
<td style="width: 14.6196%; height: 15px; text-align: center;">+900</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.724%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">UCLA Bruins</td>
<td style="width: 14.6196%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+1100</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.724%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Connecticut Huskies</td>
<td style="width: 14.6196%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+1200</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 34.724%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Any overseas team in Europe</td>
<td style="width: 14.6196%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">+3300</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Flagg has received offers from many schools, including Albany, Bryant, UConn, Duke, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Maine, Michigan, Providence, Texas, UCF, UCLA, Villanova and West Virginia. He received his first offer (from Bryant) when he was still in middle school.
While he has plenty of offers, it's worth noting that he has only visited one school: Duke. The Blue Devils are considered the heavy favorites to land Flagg's services.
If Flagg does commit to Duke, he would have a chance to become the latest Blue Devil to be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft, joining Paolo Banchero, Zion Williamson, Kyrie Irving, Elton Brand and Art Heyman.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
After reclassifying, Cooper Flagg is now the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. Where will he play next year? <a href="https://twitter.com/betonline_ag?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@betonline_ag</a> has odds: Duke (-300) G League (+275) Michigan State (+900) UCLA (+1100) UConn (+1200) Overseas (+3300) <a href="https://t.co/iG6IIQxTV1">pic.twitter.com/iG6IIQxTV1</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1691849341206495342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Flagg is the top-ranked prospect in <a href="https://247sports.com/Season/2024-Basketball/RecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">247Sports' prospect rankings</a> for the class of 2024. The <a href="https://247sports.com/player/cooper-flagg-46129443/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experts at 247Sports</a> are also predicting that he will choose Duke.
Flagg is from Newport, ME, but he is currently attending Montverde Academy in Florida.
In 2022, he was named USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year, becoming the youngest player to ever win the award after thriving on Team USA's Men's U17 National Team. He was also named Maine's Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year for the 2021-22 season.

The Duke Blue Devils have emerged as the heavy favorites to land Cooper Flagg, who's projected to go No. 1 in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Duke has best odds to land potential 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg

Today, the NBA and Zignia announced that the NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will feature the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic playing a regular-season game at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Thursday, Nov. 9.&nbsp; The matchup will mark the league&rsquo;s 32nd&nbsp;game in Mexico since 1992, more than any country outside the U.S. and Canada.&nbsp;
The Magic will be playing its fourth game in Mexico since 2012 and currently features 2022 No. 1 overall pick and 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, 2021-22 NBA All-Rookie First Team member Franz Wagner, and 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz.&nbsp; 
The Hawks, who will be playing their first game in Mexico, are coming off their third consecutive playoff appearance behind two-time NBA All-Star Trae Young and 2022 NBA All-Star Dejounte Murray.
&ldquo;With the Magic having been to London twice, Japan, China, Brazil and Mexico City previously, we love representing the NBA and the City of Orlando when we have the opportunity to play in these Global Games," said Magic CEO Alex Martins. "We&rsquo;ve had the opportunity to be in Mexico City before, and we know the passion of the fans and are really looking forward to bringing our team back to Mexico City to play.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It is always a privilege to showcase our team, the city of Atlanta and the NBA in the Global Games," said Hawks CEO Steve Koonin. "We had an incredible time last year starting the season in the first NBA Abu Dhabi Games and we are excited to connect with the fans in Mexico City and experience the wonderful culture there.&rdquo;
The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will air live in Mexico on ESPN, Star+, TUDN and NBA League Pass, the league&rsquo;s premium live game subscription service available on the NBA App, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories&nbsp;on television, digital media and social media. In addition to the NBA Mexico City Game 2023,&nbsp;the league and its partners will conduct NBA Cares community outreach initiatives, Jr. NBA youth basketball development programming and interactive activities that will bring the NBA experience to fans in Mexico City.&nbsp;
To conclude the week-long celebration of basketball in the country, the Mexico City Capitanes will host the Osceola Magic on Friday, Nov. 10 as part of the NBA G League&rsquo;s Showcase Cup schedule.&nbsp; Additional details about the 2023-24 NBA G League season will be available at a later date.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited to welcome the Hawks and Magic to Mexico City next season and give our passionate fans the opportunity to see some of the brightest young stars in the game," said NBA Mexico Vice President and Managing Director Raul Zarraga. "There is so much momentum around basketball in Mexico, and this game and the surrounding events will serve as the ultimate celebration of the NBA for fans across the country and throughout Latin America.&rdquo;
The game and surrounding events will be supported by a roster of NBA marketing partners, including AT&amp;T, Gatorade, Hisense, Michelob ULTRA, Nike, Tissot and Wonder as well as Zignia&rsquo;s associate partners Banco Azteca and TotalPlay. Additional partners will be announced in the coming months.
Beginning today, NBA ID members interested in attending the NBA Mexico City Game 2023 can register their interest in tickets and receive access to an exclusive ticket pre-sale that will take place Aug. 14-15 by visiting <a href="http://www.nbaenmexico.nbaid.mx/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.nbaenmexico.nbaid.mx&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3iFCuhxfH0EJnuN_HZ5qrp">this site</a>. Tickets for the game will go on sale to Banco Azteca card holders from Aug. 16-18 and to the public on Aug. 19. Special ticket packages offering premium access, VIP experiences, hospitality and local hotel accommodations are available for purchase at <a href="https://nbaexperiences.com/nba-mexico-city-game-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://nbaexperiences.com/nba-mexico-city-game-2023&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0FHra0Wvi4LYlOnDrJWkB_">here</a>.
Fans in Mexico can find more information&nbsp;about the NBA at&nbsp;<a href="http://nba.com/Mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://NBA.com/Mexico&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3RDeoUuYjsl81AvmiLZ2rK">NBA.com/Mexico</a>,&nbsp;by downloading the&nbsp;<a href="https://global.nba.com/nba-apps/index.html?_branch_match_id=811567537499273278&amp;_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MvJzMvWy0tK1EvOz9UH0kAxAF91y5sfAAAA" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://global.nba.com/nba-apps/index.html?_branch_match_id%3D811567537499273278%26_branch_referrer%3DH4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXTywo0MvJzMvWy0tK1EvOz9UH0kAxAF91y5sfAAAA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Lkj6NKq6NfRyPJNCju-QY">NBA App</a>, and on Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NBAMexico/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/NBAMexico/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3eDMVn5p5OHnPAfbI3uxxf">@nbamexico</a>), Tiktok (<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@nbamex" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.tiktok.com/@nbamex&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2VI8mtyeHRh5nJmRe6D-9T">@nbamex</a>), Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/NBAMEX" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/NBAMEX&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Hjjd6eX8OFrcgbwCgk-Cv">@nbamex</a>), YouTube (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/NBAMexico/featured" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/user/NBAMexico/featured&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0aqa1qSUkw385nECaz2B2B">NBA M&eacute;xico</a>) and Instagram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/nbamex/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/nbamex/?hl%3Den&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw15R7OZhTHc26bKeQ6olM9s">(@nbamex</a>). Fans can also purchase official NBA merchandise online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbatienda.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nbatienda.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1690465572681000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3DwZWTfnYo9g9umEsTAacU">NBATienda.com</a>&nbsp;and at the Arena CDMX on game night.

The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will feature the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic playing a regular-season game at the Arena CDMX.

Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic to play regular-season game in Mexico City

Today, the NBA and FIBA announced 80 of the top high-school-age prospects from across Africa who will participate in the 19th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa, which will be held July 28-31 at the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) in South Africa.
BWB Africa 2023 will bring together 80 boys and girls from more than 25 African countries &ndash; including 19 NBA Academy Africa and NBA Academy Women&rsquo;s Camp Africa 2022 prospects &ndash; to learn directly from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches and compete alongside their peers from across the continent.&nbsp;
The campers will be coached by two-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat; U.S.; ties to Nigeria), 2022 NBA All-Star Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers; U.S.), 2022 NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State Warriors; Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Jalen Suggs (Orlando Magic; U.S.).
Five current and former NBA head coaches will also serve as BWB Africa 2023 coaches: Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff; two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Nigeria Men&rsquo;s National Team head coach and Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown; 2018 NBA Coach of the Year Dwane Casey (most recently with the Detroit Pistons); Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham; and veteran NBA coach Dave Joerger (most recently with the Philadelphia 76ers).
Several former NBA and WNBA players will also serve as BWB Africa 2023 coaches, including 2015 FIBA AfroBasket champion Olumide Oyedeji (Nigeria), 2011 NBA champion Ian Mahinmi (France; ties Benin), former NBA player and Basketball Africa League Head of League Operations Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje (Cameroon), former NBA player Tacko Fall (Senegal), 2003 WNBA champion Astou Ndiaye (Senegal), two-time WNBA champion Taj McWilliams-Franklin, four-time WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes and Mozambique basketball legend Clarisse Machanguana.&nbsp;
Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman, Team President and Alternate NBA Governor Masai Ujiri; New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin; and Portland Trail Blazers Assistant General Manager Mike Schmitz will serve as camp directors, while David Crewe and Frank Adams (Phoenix Suns) will serve as the camp&rsquo;s athletic trainers.
The players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities, including movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests, 5-on-5 games, and life skills and leadership development sessions.&nbsp;&nbsp;A ceremony on the final day of the camp will award the Kim Bohuny Camp MVP, the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award, the B.J. Johnson Most Improved Player Award, the Three-Point Champion and the Defensive MVP to the boys and girls who distinguish themselves on the court and as leaders.
As part of the camp, NBA players and coaches will also participate in several community outreach initiatives around Johannesburg, including a hospital visit and a Her Time to Play seminar for the female campers on July 28, and a court unveiling in the Alexandra Township on Saturday, July 29.&nbsp; In addition, BWB Africa 2023 coaches will lead a development clinic for local coaches at AISJ on July 30.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Also on July 29, select&nbsp;NBA players&nbsp;will visit the NBA Store at Sandton City Mall in Johannesburg and engage with fans.
BWB Africa 2023 will be supported by Nike, a global partner of BWB since 2002, which will outfit participants with Nike apparel and footwear, and Gatorade, which will keep players and coaches hydrated throughout the camp.
BWB has reached more than 4,100 participants from 136 countries and territories since 2001, with 112 former campers advancing to the NBA or WNBA.&nbsp; The NBA and FIBA have staged 70 BWB camps in 47 cities across 32 countries on six continents.
The following is a complete list of players participating in the 19th&nbsp;BWB Africa camp (rosters subject to change):
&nbsp;
<table style="width: 447px;" width="447">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 403px;" colspan="2">
GIRLS
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Name
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Country
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Ines Bellahmer
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Algeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Filomena Luis
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Guigma Sadia
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Burkina Faso
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Gisele Kipo*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Cameroon
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Hannah Dibadjou
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Cameroon
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Salma Khedr*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Leila El Sanadily
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Aisha Hassan
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Lucie Mounganga
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Gabon
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Fatoumata Sylla
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Guinea
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Roseline Ooko
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Kenya
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Harena Randriamasimanana
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Madagascar
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Fitahiana Ratsimason
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Madagascar
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Joanie Rakotonanahary
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Madagascar
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Fatoumata Samake*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Mali
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Oumou Soumare
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Mali
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Aya El Kallali*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Morocco
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Albertina Matsinhe*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Mozambique
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Bata Lurdes*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Mozambique
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Shanaya Matusse*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Mozambique
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Joy Biribebe
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Benitha Ngarambe
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Rwanda
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Jane Dusabe
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Rwanda
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Fatou Sima
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Marie Diouf
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Ndickou Matar Diop*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Tacko Sy
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Sheriffa Rahman
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Sierra Leone
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Onnetse Molokwame
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Luhle Ndaba
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Reneilwe Motebele
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Susan Peter
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Asunta Ring
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Nawasa Lazaro
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Tanzania
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Ibouanga Moussounda
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Togo
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Arwa Ghorbel*
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Tunisia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Eya Nasri
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Tunisia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Afef Bengoula
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Tunisia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Christine Namyalo
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Uganda
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 191px;">
Immaculate Adongpiny
</td>
<td style="width: 212px;">
Uganda
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*Participated in NBA Academy Women&rsquo;s Camp Africa 2022
&nbsp;
<table width="447">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 418.75px;" colspan="2" width="447">
BOYS
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Name
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Country
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Aginaldo Neto*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Manuel Camboma*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Inacio Anatoli Da Silva
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Claudino Capangaa
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Sansao Wika
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Angola
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Philippe Ntungicimpaye
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Burundi
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Arnold Eyadi Kenfack
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Cameroon
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Hermann Bel Gassina
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Cameroon
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Chris Naguidebe
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Central African Republic
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Tahir Doungous*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Chad
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Zie Cheikh Conde
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Tarek Khairy
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Ahmed Nedale
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Karim El Gizawi
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Egypt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Courage Agbekpornu
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Ghana
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Kiggundu Austin Omondi
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Kenya
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Chouhaybou Keita
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Mali
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Mahamadou Konate
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Mali
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Hamza Bechchar
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Morocco
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Bolaji Oderinlo
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Sultan Baruwa
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Ibrahim Dan-Mutum
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Jonah Precious
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Ezekiel Obe*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Nigeria
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Andre Bonazebi
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Republic of Congo
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Jude Fred Nkouka Silaho
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Republic of Congo
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Khadim Mboup*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Assane Mandian*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Yakhya Diop*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Amar Diop*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Mouhamed Camara
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Senegal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Siyanda Radebe
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Gilchrist Storm
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Africa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Khaman Maluach*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Moses Marial Mandiria
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Bol Wieu Mou Thet
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Lual Deng Lual Aguek
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
South Sudan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Rayen Rouissi
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Tunisia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Amen Hammi
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Tunisia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 197.167px;" width="208">
Liberty Fusire*
</td>
<td style="width: 221.583px;" width="239">
Zimbabwe
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*NBA Academy Africa prospect

Bam Adebayo, Darius Garland, Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Suggs will coach 80 top high-school-age prospects from across Africa.

Adebayo, Garland, Kuminga, Suggs to coach prospects at BWB Africa 2023

The NBA and Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced that the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 will feature the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. The teams will play two preseason games on Oct. 5 and Oct. 7 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;
The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 will air live in the UAE and across the Middle East and North Africa on beIN SPORTS, The Sports Channel and NBA League Pass. The games and surrounding events will be supported by a roster of marketing partners, including Aldar, Experience Abu Dhabi, Gatorade, Nike and Tissot.
&ldquo;We are excited to be preparing for the new season of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 with the thrilling preseason head-to-head games between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves," said H.E. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, the director general for tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi. "We look forward to welcoming the players, teams, and fans to experience the destination and strengthening our efforts to bring the very best in sporting entertainment and engagement across Abu Dhabi.&rdquo;
NBA games have aired in the UAE since the 1987-88 season, and the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 are part of a multi-year collaboration between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi that last year saw the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks play the league&rsquo;s first games in the Arabian Gulf.
&ldquo;Following the success of last year&rsquo;s games and events that welcomed fans from across the globe to Abu Dhabi, we&rsquo;re excited to return in the 2023 preseason with two great matchups between the Mavericks and Timberwolves and some of the best players in the world," said NBA Europe and Middle East managing director Ralph Rivera. "Our collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi continues to support the NBA&rsquo;s goal of introducing basketball and its values to young boys and girls in the UAE and globally, and that will be the case once again through these games and the surrounding activities."
In January, the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi launched an expanded second season of the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, featuring boys&rsquo; and girls&rsquo; leagues each composed of 450 players ages 11-14 from schools across the UAE capital. The collaboration also includes a variety of interactive fan events featuring appearances by current and former NBA players, a series of NBA FIT clinics promoting health and wellness, and an NBA 2K League exhibition event. The collaboration sees DCT Abu Dhabi, under Experience Abu Dhabi, the tourism promotion initiative of the UAE&rsquo;s capital, serve as the Official Tourism Destination Partner of the NBA in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and China.
&ldquo;The Dallas Mavericks certainly recognize the importance of globalizing the game of basketball," said Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall. "For many years, we have enjoyed international players and a growing international fanbase. We are honored to play the game we love for NBA fans in Abu Dhabi and around the world. We appreciate all who have worked so hard to create this exciting opportunity for our team and our fans.&rdquo;
&ldquo;As the NBA continues its global expansion, the Minnesota Timberwolves are honored to be selected for the NBA Abu Dhabi Games," added Timberwolves CEO Ethan Casson. "Thank you to the NBA and the host city of Abu Dhabi for allowing us the opportunity to bring fans together through the game of basketball.&rdquo;

The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023 will feature the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves facing off in two preseason games.

Mavericks, Wolves will face off in NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023

Emoni Bates is entering the <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/wembanyama-nba-draft-spurs-ee1a9bd2232173666d3302bb491c7c5c">NBA draft</a>, banking on teams being intrigued with&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-eastern-michigan-eagles-toledo-rockets-basketball-dante-maddox-60c4d3c06a9adafc02aec7d92f9d03a4">his potential as a scorer</a>&nbsp;after seeing flashes of his talent in two seasons of college basketball.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cra8j-DLSM0/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bates made the announcement</a>&nbsp;Monday on social media.
&ldquo;What I been dreaming for my whole life,&rdquo; he posted on Instagram.
The 6-foot-10 wing averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds in 30 games at Eastern Michigan last season, making 40.5% of his shots overall and 33% of 3-point attempts.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited for Emoni and his future,&rdquo; Eagles coach Stan Heath told The Associated Press. &ldquo;He is a talented young player who works extremely hard and is passionate to be successful.&rdquo;
After graduating from high school in three years and being regarded as a basketball prodigy, Bates went to Memphis for one season and averaged 9.7 points in 18 games during an injury-shortened season. He transferred to play for the school in his hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan.
&ldquo;I know he will continue to improve and mature as he continues the journey,&rdquo; Heath said. &ldquo;There is no question his best basketball is ahead and I support him on his decision.&rdquo;
Bates will spend the next couple of months working out for NBA teams and answering their questions about his life on and off the court.
Last September, he was charged with two felonies &mdash; carrying a concealed weapon and &ldquo;altering ID marks&rdquo; &mdash; after a traffic stop and was suspended by Eastern Michigan as a student and basketball player. His attorney said the vehicle and the gun didn&rsquo;t belong to Bates.
Bates was sentenced in December to 18 months of probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge, a conviction that will be expunged from his record if he completes probation successfully. He was reinstated to the school and basketball team in October after prosecutors agreed to drop felony charges against him.
Bates bounced back as a basketball player and at times during his sophomore season, showed some of the skills that made him the first sophomore high school basketball player to win the&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/543a9453210d69bbb54bf3aadf5ae739">Gatorade national player of the year award</a>&nbsp;and landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
He scored 29 straight points for Eastern Michigan in the first half of a loss last season at Toledo, where he finished with career highs in points (43) and 3-pointers (nine) after making 15 of 23 shots.
In 2019 as a high school freshman, the slender and skilled guard led Ypsilanti Lincoln to a state title and was named Michigan&rsquo;s Division 1 Player of the Year by The Associated Press. His sophomore season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic and he attended Ypsi Prep Academy as a junior, his final year of high school.
Bates initially committed to playing for Tom Izzo at Michigan State. He later de-committed and signed with Memphis and coach Penny Hardaway.

Emoni Bates is entering the 2023 NBA Draft, banking on teams being intrigued with his potential after two seasons of college basketball.

Emoni Bates entering 2023 NBA Draft after 2 seasons in college

College basketball is full of excitement and drama. While winning a national championship is the ultimate goal for every team, there have been many loaded squads that came up short.&nbsp;
While the teams on this list didn&rsquo;t win a title, they are still often mentioned among the best teams in the history of college basketball. Here are the best college-basketball teams that failed to win it all.&nbsp;
11. 1965-66 Kentucky Wildcats
The 1965-66 Kentucky Wildcats were coached by Adolph Rupp and their talented roster included future NBA stars Pat Riley and Louie Dampier. The Wildcats finished the season with a record of 27-2 and advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the Texas Western Miners. In a game that would later be immortalized in the movie "Glory Road," the Miners upset the Wildcats, 72-65.
10. 2006-07 Ohio State Buckeyes
Led by future No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden and longtime NBA point guard Mike Conley, the Buckeyes were hoping to win their second national championship in program history. Ohio State, traditionally a football school, finished the season 35-4 and ranked No. 1 in the AP poll. The Buckeyes advanced to the national championship game, where they faced a loaded Florida Gators squad that was led by future NBA All-Stars Joakim Noah and Al Horford.&nbsp;
In the national championship game, Oden avoided the foul trouble that had plagued him earlier in the tournament and put up a dominant 25 points and 12 rebounds. However, it wasn&rsquo;t enough, as the Gators defeated the Buckeyes 84-75 behind Horford's 18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Four players from the Buckeyes' roster would go on to play in the NBA: Conley, Oden, Daequan Cook and Othello Hunter.
9. 2004-05 Illinois Fighting Illini
The 2004-05 Illinois Fighting Illini were a dominant force in college basketball. Coached by Bruce Weber and led by Dee Brown and Deron Williams, the Illini won their first 29 games of the season and finished with a 37-2 record.&nbsp;
Illinois advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the North Carolina Tar Heels (who were led by Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams). Despite a valiant effort, the Illini fell just short, losing 75-70. Five of their players would go on to play in the NBA: Williams, Brown, Luther Head, Roger Powell and James Augustine.
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8. 2007-08 Memphis Tigers
Yes, John Calipari has back-to-back teams on this list. Coach Cal&rsquo;s 2007-08 Memphis Tigers were absolutely loaded and they were led by Derrick Rose, who would go on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011. Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey and Antonio Anderson were also key contributors who eventually had stints in the NBA.
The Tigers finished the season with a record of 38-2 and they advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the Kansas Jayhawks. Despite a strong effort, the Tigers were unable to overcome the Jayhawks. Memphis missed a number of late free throws, which opened the door for Mario Chalmers to hit <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/march-madness-ranking-the-top11-ncaa-tournament-buzzerbeaters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most memorable buzzer-beaters in modern NCAA Tournament history</a> and force overtime. Kansas would go on to win, 75-68.
7. 1974-75 Indiana Hoosiers
Led by head coach Bob Knight, the 1974-75 Indiana Hoosiers finished the season with a record of 31-1 and advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the Kentucky Wildcats. Despite a strong effort, the Hoosiers were upset by the Wildcats, 92-90.&nbsp;
The Hoosiers would have eight players who would go on to play in the NBA: Scott May, Steve Green, Kent Benson, Quinn Buckner, John Laskowski, Bob Wilkerson, Tom Abernethy and Wayne Radford.
6. 1996-97 Kansas Jayhawks
The 1996-97 Kansas Jayhawks featured a pair of future NBA stars (Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz) and one of the best coaches in college-basketball history (Roy Williams). The Jayhawks finished the season with a record of 34-2 and advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the&nbsp; Arizona Wildcats.&nbsp;
Pierce put together a monster performance &mdash; 27 points, 11 rebounds, 3 threes, 2 blocks and 2 steals on 69.2/60/100 shooting splits &mdash; but it wasn't enough to defeat Mike Bibby&rsquo;s Wildcats. The Jayhawks lost 85-82 in overtime. In addition to Pierce and LaFrentz, Kansas had four other players go on to the NBA: Scot Pollard, Billy Thomas, Jacque Vaughn and Ryan Robertson.
5. 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats
The 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats, coached by John Calipari, featured quite the collection of young, high-upside talent. Led by future NBA superstars Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker, the Wildcats finished the season with a perfect record of 38-0.
Kentucky advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the Wisconsin Badgers and were ultimately upset 71-64. In total, a whopping nine Wildcats would go on to play in the NBA: Towns, Booker, Trey Lyles, Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Tyler Ulis, Dakari Johnson and Alex Poythress.
4. 1984-85 Georgetown Hoyas
The 1984-85 Georgetown Hoyas, coached by John Thompson, were a powerhouse team that featured future NBA star Patrick Ewing. The Hoyas finished the season with a record of 35-3 and advanced to the national championship game, where they faced the Villanova Wildcats.&nbsp;
In one of the biggest upsets in college-basketball history, the Wildcats defeated the Hoyas 66-64. In addition to Ewing, Georgetown had four other players who went on to play in the NBA: Reggie Williams, Bill Martin, David Wingate and Michael Jackson.
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3. 1992-93 Michigan Wolverines
The prior season, the Fab Five took college basketball by storm, with bald heads and baggy shorts. They started five true freshmen and had a great season, making it all the way to the national championship game, where they were handled by a veteran Duke squad that was led by Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley, losing 71-51.
In the 1992-93 season, the Wolverines were widely regarded as the most talented team in the country and they were the favorites to win it all. Unfortunately, they fell short to North Carolina in the national championship game in one of the most memorable endings in sports history. Future No. 1 pick Chris Webber called a timeout that Michigan didn&rsquo;t have, as they lost 77-71. Michigan had five players who would later play in the NBA: Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Eric Riley (plus Rob Pelinka would go on to run the Los Angeles Lakers' front office).
2. 1982-83 Houston Cougars
Led by future Hall-of-Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, the 1982-83 Houston Cougars were known as "Phi Slama Jama" for their high-flying style of play. The Cougars were a dominant force on both ends of the court. They advanced to the Final Four, where they faced the N.C. State Wolfpack. Despite a 20-point lead in the second half, the Cougars were upset by the Wolfpack, 54-52. In addition to the superstar pairing of Olajuwon and Drexler, Houston also had two other players who would go on to play in the NBA: Michael Young and Larry Micheaux.
1. 1990-91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels
The 1990-91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels are one of the greatest college basketball teams of all-time, despite not winning the national championship. Coached by Jerry Tarkanian, the Rebels had an incredible season, finishing with a record of 34-1.&nbsp;
Led by Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony, the Rebels played an up-tempo style of basketball that was both thrilling and effective. In the Final Four, they lost a close game to the Duke Blue Devils, who would go on to win the national championship. Johnson, Augmon and Anthony would go on to thrive in the NBA, and two other Rebels would also make it to the league (Elmore Spencer and Eyric Gray).
Would you rank these teams differently? Who is missing from this list? <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tweet us your thoughts now</a>!

Jamal Shakespeare looks back on 11 all-time great college basketball teams that failed to win a championship.

Revisiting 11 loaded NCAA-basketball teams that failed to win it all

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Zia Cooke scored five of her 24 points in overtime to help No. 1 South Carolina remain unbeaten with a 64-57 victory over Mississippi on Sunday.
The defending national champion Gamecocks (27-0, 14-0 Southeastern Conference) got one of their biggest scares of the season before winning their 33rd straight game. The Rebels (20-7, 9-5) never trailed by more than six points in regulation and flirted with their first win over a No. 1 team in 46 years.
Cooke had six rebounds and four assists to help off-set a 7-of-18 shooting performance. Aliyah Boston added 13 points and 11 rebounds on 4-of-14 shooting and didn&rsquo;t score in the first quarter.
The deep Gamecocks didn&rsquo;t get their usual supply of scoring help for the two stars, though Kamilla Cardoso had eight points and 11 boards.
Angel Baker led Ole Miss with 17 points.
No. 2 INDIANA 83, PURDUE 60
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 20 points, Grace Berger added 14 points and 10 assists and Indiana beat Purdue to clinch a share of its first Big Ten regular-season title in 40 years.
The Hoosiers (26-1, 16-1 Big Ten) won their 14th straight, matching the second-longest winning streak in school history, before cutting down the nets in front of the program&rsquo;s first home sellout. Indiana has broken the single-game attendance mark four times this season, this time celebrating its 18th straight home win in front of 17,222.
Lasha Petree led Purdue with 23 points and Abbey Elliss added 12. The Boilermakers (17-8, 8-7). have lost nine straight in this rivalry.
No. 4 UTAH 74, ARIZONA STATE 69
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Gianna Kneepkens scored 22 points and Jenna Johnson added 15 to push Utah to a Pac-12 victory over stubborn Arizona State.
The Utes (23-3, 13-3), who had a seven-game winning streak stopped at No. 18 Arizona on Friday, struggled to put away Arizona State without post player Alissa Pili.
Pili, the Pac-12&rsquo;s leading scorer at 20.7 points per game, did not play after suffering an apparent right ankle sprain the final minutes of the loss at Arizona. Her ankle was re-taped on the bench after the first quarter but she never entered the game.
Sydney Erikstrup had 15 points, Treasure Hunt had 13 and Kayla Mokwuah had 11 for the Sun Devils (7-18, 0-16), who lost their 16th straight game despite leading most of the way.
No. 5 LSU 90, FLORIDA 79
GAINSVILLE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Angel Reese had her ninth first-half double-double, Jasmine Carson had a career-high five 3-pointers before the break, and LSU raced past Florida.
Reese finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds for her 25th double-double of the season, two shy of Sylvia Fowles&rsquo; LSU single-season record. She also had five assists, three blocks and two steals.
Carson also scored 25 points, a career-high, as the graduate transfer from West Virginia went 7 of 14 behind the arc, helping the Tigers (25-1, 13-1 Southeastern Conference) to a season-best 11 3s on 20 attempts. The last time LSU had a player hit seven 3-pointers was in 1997.
KK Deans, a West Virginia transfer, matched her career high with 30 points, for the Gators (14-13, 3-11), who have lost five straight.
No. 9 DUKE 56, VIRGINIA 52
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Elizabeth Balogun scored 12 points, Taya Corosdale had 10 and Duke survived a stern test from Virginia.
The Blue Devils (22-4, 13-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) led only 47-45 with just over eight minutes left, but Celeste Taylor hit a 3-pointer from right in front of the Duke bench to make it a five-point game, starting a 7-2 run that gave them some breathing room and they held on.
Taylor Valladay led Virginia (15-12, 4-12) with 19 points and McKenna Dale had 10. The Cavaliers had split their last six meetings with the Blue Devils after ending a 26-game losing streak in the series, but still lost for the 30th time in the last 33 meetings.
No. 10 NOTRE DAME 83, PITTSBURGH 43
PITTSBURGH (AP) &mdash; Maddy Westbeld and Sonia Citron scored 13 points each and Notre Dame used a huge first-quarter push to race by Pittsburgh.
The Fighting Irish (22-4, 13-3 ACC) went on an 18-3 burst over the final 6:47 of the opening frame to build a 16-point lead that the Panthers (10-17, 3-13) never really threatened.
Ten days after avoiding an upset at home against Pitt and three days after Olivia Miles hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to top Louisville, the Fighting Irish made sure no such heroics were necessary this time around.
No. 11 VIRGINIA TECH 75, N.C. STATE 62
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) &mdash; Roommates Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore both had double-doubles and Virginia Tech won its fifth straight, defeating North Carolina State.
Kitley had 24 points and 10 rebounds for her 50th career double-double and had six blocks. Amoore had 15 points and 11 assists, which tied her career high.
Virginia Tech (22-4, 12-4 ACC) has won six straight, the previous three against ranked teams, starting with a 73-61 win over the Wolfpack. That marked the Hokies&rsquo; first-ever win in Raleigh and now they have their first-ever sweep of NC State.
Aziaha James scored 20 points in her first start for the Wolfpack (18-9, 8-8), who are out of the poll for the first time in 96 weeks dating to February of 2018.
No. 15 OKLAHOMA 86, KANSAS 80
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Madi Williams scored 23 points, Liz Scott had a double-double, and Oklahoma held off Kansas.
A free throw by Zakiyah Franklin drew Kansas within 82-80 with 3:12 remaining. Neither team would score another field goal as Kansas missed its last nine shots and Oklahoma&rsquo;s last field goal came with 5:12 remaining.
Williams made two free throws with 37 seconds left and Ana Llanusa added two more with nine seconds left to wrap up Oklahoma&rsquo;s sixth consecutive victory.
Scott had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Sooners (22-4, 12-3 Big 12).
The Jayhawks got 73 of their 80 points from the trio of Franklin, Holly Kersgieter and Taiyanna Jackson. Franklin led with a career-high 30 points, Kersgieter added 24 and Jackson 19 for Kansas (16-9, 6-8). Jackson added 13 rebounds.
No. 17 TEXAS 74, WEST VIRGINIA 48
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) &mdash; Shaylee Gonzales had 18 points, Rori Harmon scored 16 and Khadija Faye added a double-double to power Texas to a romp over West Virginia.
Gonzales made half of her six 3-pointers and all seven of her free throws for the Longhorns (21-7, 12-3 Big 12 Conference). Harmon sank 10 of 12 fouls shots and added six rebounds and six assists. Faye finished with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 11 rebounds.
Ja&rsquo;Haiya Quinerly had 16 points before fouling out to pace the Mountaineers (16-9, 7-7). Madisen Smith hit three 3-pointers and scored 12. Jayla Hemingway pitched in with nine points and seven rebounds.
No. 18 ARIZONA 61, No. 21 COLORADO 42
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Shaina Pellington scored 19 points with five assists and Arizona smothered Colorado, ending the Buffaloes&rsquo; five-game winning streak.
The Wildcats (21-6, 11-5 Pac 12 Conference) held the Buffaloes to their lowest total of the season and their worst shooting game, 28.3% overall (15 of 53), 1 of 12 from 3-point range (8.3%).
Esmery Martinez had 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and seven rebounds for the Wildcats, who were coming off a 10-point win over No. 4 Utah and have won five of six.
Tameiya Sadler led the Buffaloes with 12 points and Quay Miller added 10 with 10 rebounds.
No. 19 NORTH CAROLINA 71, WAKE FOREST 58
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Deja Kelly had 24 points, five rebounds and six assists to lead North Carolina to a victory over Wake Forest.
Destiny Adams added 11 points off the bench and Kennedy Todd-Williams scored 10 for the Tar Heels (19-8, 10-6 ACC).
North Carolina went up by 20 midway through the fourth quarter and cruised from there, making just two field goals and three free throws over the final 6 1/2 minutes.
Wake Forest (14-13, 5-11) shot 3 for 14 in the third quarter and was outscored 16-6. The shooting slump came after the Demon Deacons shot 50% in the first half and trailed just 40-36 at halftime.
No. 24 FLORIDA STATE 80, GEORGIA TECH 66
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Ta&rsquo;Niya Latson scored 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 9-of-10 free throws, leading Florida State to a victory over Georgia Tech.
Latson scored 24 points through three quarters and the Seminoles took a 63-57 lead into the fourth. Latson, a freshman averaging 21.8 points per game, had gone nine games without reaching 20 points.
Georgia Tech got within four points early in the fourth quarter, but the Seminoles responded with an 8-0 run that gave them a 73-61 lead with 4:11 remaining. Florida State added 3-pointers from Latson and Erin Howard to close out the victory. The Yellow Jackets made one of their last 12 shots from the field.
Sara Bejedi scored 14 points and O&rsquo;Mariah Gordon added 10 off the bench for Florida State (22-7, 11-5 ACC).
Cameron Swartz scored 17 points, Kara Dunn 16, and Kayla Blackshear 10 for Georgia Tech (13-13, 4-11).
CALIFORNIA 81, No. 25 USC 78, OT
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Jayda Curry scored 27 points and Michelle Onyiah had six points in overtime as California upended USC.
The Trojans (19-8, 9-7 Pac-12), back in the rankings for the first time since 2016, had their chances to win this one after falling to No. 3 Stanford 50-47 on Friday.
From the final four minutes of regulation until Destiny Littleton hit a 3-pointer with 1:08 to go in overtime, USC missed eight straight shots. After Littleton tied the game at 78 and Leilani McIntosh put the Golden Bears (13-14, 4-12) on top with two free throws with 44 seconds to go, the Trojans came up empty on their next possession despite two offensive rebounds.
Onyiah made 1 of 2 from the line with eight seconds to go and Littleton&rsquo;s late 3 was off the mark.

A recap of a busy Sunday in top-25 women's action includes a thriller between the Gamecocks and Rebels that had to go to overtime.

Top-ranked South Carolina edges Ole Miss in OT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Tyrin Lawrence knocked down a 3-pointer from the right corner at the buzzer as the Vanderbilt Commodores snapped an 11-game skid against its in-state rival by upsetting sixth-ranked Tennessee 66-65 on Wednesday night.
Students rushed the court and joined the Commodores (12-12, 5-6) in celebrating easily the biggest win in coach Jerry Stackhouse&rsquo;s fourth season.
Tennessee (19-5, 8-2) had a chance to finish off the win after Olivier Nkamhoua knocked down a 15-foot jumper with 50 seconds left for a 65-63 lead. Liam Robbins missed a turnaround jumper with 27 seconds for Vanderbilt, and Zakai Zeigler grabbed the rebound.
Lawrence finished with a team-high 19 points. Robbins added 14 and nine rebounds, and Jordan Wright had 12.
Santiago Vescovi and Tyreke Key each had 14 to lead Tennessee. Nkamhoua and Julian Phillips added 10 apiece.
NO. 2 HOUSTON 80, TULSA 42
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser scored 25 points and had five 3-pointers, Emanuel Sharp added 13 points and Houston earned its fifth straight win.
Sasser scored 19 points on 8 of 13 shooting in the first half as the Cougars (23-2, 11-1 American Athletic Conference) built a 46-18 halftime lead. The senior guard had the first 12 points in a 24-2 run that gave Houston a 31-12 lead with six minutes remaining in the first half.
Tim Dalger scored 13 points, and Sam Griffin added 11 points for Tulsa (5-18, 1-11).
NO. 3 ALABAMA 97, FLORIDA 69
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Miller scored 24 points and made 4 of 8 3-pointers to lead No. 3 Alabama over Florida.
The Crimson Tide (21-3, 11-0 Southeastern Conference) raced to a 29-point halftime lead against the Gators (13-11, 6-5), who had knocked off then-No. 2 Tennessee a week earlier.
Miller added nine rebounds and three assists for the Tide. Mark Sears made 4 of 6 3s and scored 19 for Alabama, which buried 15 shots from long range. Jahvon Quinerly had 11 points.
Colin Castleton led Florida with 29 points and 10 rebounds. He accounted for 13 of his team&rsquo;s 23 in the first half and made 11 of 14 free throws. Riley Kugel added 15 points and Will Richard scored 11.
WEST VIRGINIA 76, NO. 11 IOWA STATE 71
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) &mdash; Kedrian Johnson tied a career high with 22 points, and West Virginia held off Iowa State.
Emmitt Mathews added a season-high 20 points for the Mountaineers (15-9, 4-7 Big 12), who have won five of seven to get their season moving in the right direction after they dropped five in a row during one stretch.
Jaren Holmes led the Cyclones (16-7, 7-4) with 18 points. Freshman Tamin Lipsey had a season-high 16 points and Caleb Grill added 13.
NO. 14 BAYLOR 82, OKLAHOMA 72
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Keyonte George had 23 points, Adam Flagler scored 20 and big man Johnathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua made a couple of key 3-pointers as Baylor held on to beat Oklahoma.
Langston Love added 19 points for Baylor (18-6, 7-4 Big 12), which has won eight of nine overall since losing its first three league games.
The Sooners (12-12, 2-9) lost their sixth consecutive conference game, the last three since a still-hard-to-explain 93-69 win over then-No. 2 Alabama in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Grant Sherfield had 15 points, including four 3-pointers, for the Sooners, and Milos Uzan added 11 points. Otega Oweh and Joe Bamisile both scored 10.
NO. 20 PROVIDENCE 74, GEORGETOWN 62
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) &mdash; Bryce Hopkins scored 17 points and Providence won for the fourth time in five games.
Devin Carter and Ed Croswell had 12 points apiece as the Friars (18-6, 10-3 Big East). Noah Locke added 11 points, shooting 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Bradley Ezewiro paced last-place Georgetown (6-19, 1-13) with 19 points and Primo Spears added 18. Brandon Murray scored 16 as the Hoyas dropped their fourth straight.
NO. 23 CREIGHTON 75, SETON HALL 62
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) &mdash; Baylor Scheierman had 19 points and nine rebounds, Ryan Nembhard added 15 on 6-of-7 shooting and dished out four assists, and Creighton fended off a feisty Seton Hall.
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 13 points and Arthur Kaluma had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Bluejays (16-8, 10-3 Big East).
Seton Hall (15-10, 8-6) opened up the second half with an Al-Amir Dawes 3-pointer to take the lead before Kalkbrenner quickly tied things up at 42. Tyrese Samuel drilled a 3-pointer in the corner to give Seton Hall a 49-43 lead &ndash; its largest of the game &ndash; with 16:49 left.
Dawes had 19 points, Samuel had 11 points and Kadary Richmond added 10 points for Seton Hall.
NO. 25 SAN DIEGO STATE 63, UTAH STATE 61
LOGAN, Utah (AP) &mdash; Matt Bradley scored 18 points and San Diego State held on to beat Utah State.
Bradley made his first seven shots and went 7 of 9 from the field overall to help keep the Aztecs (19-5, 10-2 Mountain West Conference) atop the conference standings. Jaedon LeDee had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Micah Parrish added 12 points for San Diego State. The Aztecs&rsquo; top three scorers grabbed a combined 22 rebounds.
Steven Ashworth had 18 points, six assists and five rebounds for Utah State (19-6, 8-4). Taylor Funk added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Aggies, who lost at home for just the second time this season.&nbsp;

A recap of Wednesday night's action in men's college hoops includes two top-15 upsets, most notably the Commodores downing the Vols.

Vanderbilt’s late three-pointer stuns No. 6 Tennessee 66-65

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Colin Castleton is accustomed to being double-teamed every time he touches the ball, so he was pleasantly surprised &mdash; maybe even downright stunned &mdash; when Tennessee opted to guard him with a single defender in the second half.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got to take advantage of that,&rdquo; Castleton said.
He did. Castleton scored 20 points, including 16 in the second half, and Florida upended the second-ranked Volunteers 67-54 on Wednesday night.
Kyle Lofton added 14 points for the Gators, who delivered coach Todd Golden his most significant victory in his first season in Gainesville. It was Florida&rsquo;s second Quad 1 win in the last two weeks.
The Volunteers, playing with their highest ranking in four years, lost for the first time in five games. They had won nine of 10.
&ldquo;Our guys are disappointed,&rdquo; Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re better than this, but tonight we weren&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Tennessee (18-4, 7-2 Southeastern Conference) looked like it had taken control midway through the second half. They outscored Florida by 10 points in the early going to take a six-point lead.
But the Gators (13-9, 6-3) stormed back behind Castleton, who scored 11 of 14 points as Florida rallied. The senior had a dunk, two free throws, a three-point play, a layup and a short jumper &mdash; essentially putting the team on his back down the stretch.
&ldquo;They went small, and I felt like I had a mismatch,&rdquo; Castleton said.
Myreon Jones and Will Richard chipped in nine points apiece for the Gators.
Zakai Ziegler led the Vols with 15 points on 6-of-19 shooting. Olivier Nkamhoua added 11 points and nine rebounds for the visitors, who also got 11 points and eight boards from Vescovi Santiago.
The Gators were red hot to start the game, making six of their first eight shots &mdash; including all three from 3-point range &mdash; while building a 17-4 advantage. But they quickly cooled against the nation&rsquo;s best defense, missing nine of their next 11 as Tennessee made cut it to 22-21.
The Vols had it going coming out of the locker room, with Ziegler getting into the paint and making things happen. But it was short-lived &mdash; thanks mostly to Castleton.
&ldquo;We gave them a chance to start believing in what they&rsquo;re doing, and they took it,&rdquo; Barnes said.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Tennessee surely will drop a few spots in next week&rsquo;s AP Top 25 college basketball poll.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: The Volunteers gave up 10 points in the opening four minutes of the games, a rare sluggish start for the nation&rsquo;s best defense. Tennessee had held four of its first eight SEC opponents scoreless at the first media timeout, roughly the first four minutes of games. It was a sign of things to come.
&ldquo;We kept fighting uphill all night long,&rdquo; Barnes said.
Florida: The Gators are two games into the toughest stretch of their season. Coming off a loss at Kansas State, they have road games against Kentucky and Alabama up next. So to say they needed this one would be an understatement.
&ldquo;It was a desperation game,&rdquo; Castleton said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a tough schedule here and we&rsquo;ve got to win games. We were able to claw and fight.&rdquo;
IN THE HOUSE
Football coach Billy Napier watched the game from a few rows behind Florida&rsquo;s bench alongside his two sons and receiver Ricky Pearsall. Former Florida tennis star Ben Shelton, the NCAA singles champion in 2022, also was in attendance. So was former Gators and NFL quarterback Doug Johnson.
UP NEXT
Tennessee hosts No. 25 Auburn and former coach Bruce Pearl on Saturday.
Florida plays at Kentucky on Saturday. The Gators have lost seven of eight in the series.
NO. 1 PURDUE 80, PENN STATE 60
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mason Gillis broke the Mackey Arena record by making nine 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 29 points as Purdue beat Penn State.
Gillis went 10 of 14 from the field and 9 of 12 from beyond the arc. Zach Edey added his 18th double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
The Big Ten-leading Boilermakers (22-1, 11-1) have won nine straight overall, six straight in the series and are the only Power Five team with fewer than two losses this season.
Seth Lundy had 18 points to lead the Nittany Lions (14-8, 5-6).
NO. 14 MARQUETTE 73, VILLANOVA 64
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (AP) &mdash; Tyler Kolek scored 20 points and Marquette rallied down the stretch to beat Villanova and maintain a share of the Big East lead.
Kam Jones added 18 points for Marquette (18-5, 10-2), which has won four straight games and nine of 10.
Eric Dixon and Caleb Daniels scored 14 each for Villanova (10-12, 4-7), which committed a season-high 19 turnovers. Brendan Hausen added 12 points.
In a game neither team led by more than six until the final minute, Kolek put Marquette ahead for good at 63-62 by sinking two free throws with 4:32 remaining, starting a 10-0 spurt.
NO. 16 XAVIER 85, NO. 17 PROVIDENCE 83, OT
CINCINNATI (AP) &mdash; Jack Nunge had 23 points and 14 rebounds as Xavier held off Providence in overtime.
Colby Jones and Souley Boum each scored 20 for the Musketeers, who won a first-place showdown in the Big East without injured forward Zach Freemantle.
Noah Locke had 22 points and Ed Croswell added 21 for Providence (17-6, 9-3), which had beaten Xavier three straight times.
A layup by Boum put the Musketeers (18-5, 10-2) ahead 82-79 with 51 seconds remaining in overtime. A layup by Devin Carter cut Xavier&rsquo;s lead to one with 24 seconds left. Boum hit one of two free throws, and Jared Bynum&rsquo;s 3-point attempt from the left corner rimmed out at the buzzer.
NO. 25 AUBURN 94, GEORGIA 73
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Johni Broome scored 19 points and matched a career high with 18 rebounds, Allen Flanigan scored a season-high 22 points, and Auburn beat Georgia.
Wendell Green Jr. added 18 points and six assists and made two 3-pointers during a 17-0 first-half run for the Tigers (17-5, 7-2 Southeastern Conference).
Broome secured his seventh double-double of the season with 2:54 remaining in the first half, then added six points and six rebounds in the second half.
Mardrez McBride led the Bulldogs (14-8, 4-5) with 20 points.

A recap of Wednesday night's action in men's college basketball includes an impressive upset in SEC play from the Gators.

Florida upends No. 2 Tennessee 67-54 behind Colin Castleton

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Grant Sherfield scored a season-high 30 points, and Oklahoma beat No. 2 Alabama 93-69 on Saturday in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge to end the Crimson Tide&rsquo;s nine-win streak.
Jalen Hill added a career-high 26 points, helping second-year Oklahoma coach Porter Moser to his biggest win with the program. Tanner Groves had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
The Sooners (12-9) had lost three straight, but against the Crimson Tide shot 58% from the field.
Rylan Griffen led Alabama (18-3) with 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Brandon Miller, who came in averaging 19.5 points per game, finished with 11.
NO. 3 HOUSTON 75, CINCINNATI 69
HOUSTON (AP) &mdash; Jarace Walker had a career-high 25 points and seven rebounds, and Houston rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat Cincinnati.
Walker, who scored 13 points in the second half, was 10 of 14 from the field. J&rsquo;Wan Roberts added 14 points and six rebounds, and Jamal Shead scored 13 points for Houston (20-2, 8-1 American Athletic Conference).
Houston has won at least 20 games in eight straight seasons under coach Kelvin Sampson.
Landers Nolley II had 24 points, including 6 3-pointers. Vicktor Lakhin added 15 points, and David DeJulius had 14 points and nine assists for Cincinnati (14-8, 5-4).&nbsp;
NO. 4 TENNESSEE 82, NO. 10 TEXAS 71
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Olivier Nkamhoua scored 27 points and Zakai Zeigler had 22 points and 10 assists to lead Tennessee over Texas in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Josiah-Jordan James added 14 and Santiago Vescovi had 12 for Tennessee (18-3), which led by as many as 22 midway through the second half.
Sir&rsquo;Jabari Rice scored 21 to lead Texas (17-4). Marcus Carr and Brock Cunningham finished with 11 each.
NO. 5 KANSAS STATE 64, FLORIDA 50
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; Keyontae Johnson had 13 points and 11 rebounds against his former team, Markquis Nowell flirted with the first triple-double in Kanas State history, and the Wildcats beat Florida in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Nowell finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Nae&rsquo;Qwan Tomlin also had 11 points. The Wildcats improved to 18-3 to match the 1972-73 team for the best start through 21 games in school history.
Johnson struggled from the field, going just 5 of 16 and even getting stuffed by the front of the rim during a windmill dunk on a second-half fast break. But it was nevertheless a special night for the senior forward, who collapsed on the Gators&rsquo; sideline due to a heart condition during a game against Florida State just over two years ago.
Colin Castleton scored 13 points for the Gators (12-9). Myreon Jones and Will Richard had 11 apiece.
NO. 6 ARIZONA 95, WASHINGTON 72
SEATTLE (AP) &mdash; Azuolas Tubelis had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Oumar Ballo added 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Arizona used a big second-half run to pull away to win its fourth straight.
Tubelis topped 20 points for the first time in five games and his rebound putback while being fouled with 4:29 remaining gave the Wildcats a 78-63 lead and sent Washington fans headed for the exits.
Kerr Kriisa added 18 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and Courtney Ramey scored 14 for the Wildcats (19-3, 8-3 Pac-12).
Keion Brooks Jr. led Washington with 25 points and Keyon Menifield added 21. But the Huskies (13-10, 5-7) suffered from too many scoring droughts and didn&rsquo;t have an answer for Arizona&rsquo;s 19-1 run in the early stages of the second half.
NO. 7 VIRGINIA 76, BOSTON COLLEGE 57
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) &mdash; Armaan Franklin and Jayden Gardner scored 18 points each and Virginia used a big first-half run to take control over Boston College for its sixth straight victory.
The Cavaliers (16-3, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed 18-15 before starting an 18-4 run over the next 11 minutes. Virginia put the game away with a 16-4 second-half spurt.
Quinten Post scored 24 to lead the Eagles (10-12, 4-7) and Makai Ashton-Langford added 12 points.
Virginia&rsquo;s Isaac McKneely finished with 12 points and Reece Beekman had 11 and eight assists.
NO. 9 KANSAS 77, KENTUCKY 68
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Jalen Wilson scored 22 points, including one in a series of huge 3-pointers down the stretch, and Kansas avoided its first four-game losing streak under coach Bill Self.
Wilson made 9 of 18 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds for Kansas (17-4), which finished even with Kentucky at 49% shooting. K.J. Adams Jr. added 17 points, Dick had 13 and McCullar 11 with 12 rebounds as the Jayhawks edged Kentucky 34-29 on the glass.
Oscar Tshiebwe had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Jacob Toppin and Cason Wallace each added 14 for Kentucky (14-7), which had won its previous four.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 81, NO. 11 TCU 74, OT
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Tolu Smith had 27 points, 13 rebounds and five assists to lead Mississippi State to an overtime victory.
Dashawn Davis added 16 points to help Mississippi State (13-8) snap a five-game losing streak. Shakeel Moore had 11, including six in overtime, while Cameron Matthews had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Tyler Stevenson also added 10 points off the Bulldogs&rsquo; bench.
Damion Baugh led TCU (16-5) with 19 points and Emanuel Miller had 13. Shahada Wells and Jakobe Coles each had 12 for the Horned Frogs and Chuck O&rsquo;Bannon had 10.
Davis&rsquo; 3 pointer with 55 seconds left in the second half gave the Bulldogs a 66-64 advantage. Emanuel Miller scored with 32 seconds remaining and then both teams missed chances to win in regulation.
MISSOURI 78, NO. 12 IOWA STATE 61
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) &mdash; Kobe Brown scored 20 points, and D&rsquo;Moi Hodge scored 17 points to help Missouri take down Iowa State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Brown scored 14 of his points in the first half and led Missouri (16-5) with 12 rebounds. Nick Honor added 12 points and DeAndre Gholston scored 10.
Jaren Holmes led Iowa State (15-5) with 19 points, and Gabe Kalscheur added 14.
The Tigers&rsquo; 78 points were a season-high for an Iowa State opponent in regulation; the Cyclones are 0-3 this season when allowing at least 70 points in regulation.
CREIGHTON 84, NO. 13 XAVIER 67
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Arthur Kamula scored 20 points, Creighton&rsquo;s four other starters finished in double-figures and the Bluejays earned their fourth straight Big East win.
Creighton (13-8, 7-3) steadily built a double-digit lead throughout the game and made 34 of its 60 field goal attempts (56.7%) before a sold-out crowd.
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 17 points, Baylor Scheierman had 14, Trey Alexander finished with 13 and Ryan Nembhard added 11 for the Bluejays, who avenged a 90-87 loss at Xavier on Jan. 11.
Zach Freemantle led Xavier (17-5, 9-2) with 18 points, followed by Colby Jones and Adam Kunkel with 13.
NO. 14 GONZAGA 82, PORTLAND 67
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Julian Strawther had a career-high 40 points, including eight 3-pointers, and Gonzaga pulled away down the stretch for its 16th consecutive victory over Portland.
Anton Watson added 17 points for Gonzaga (18-4, 7-1 West Coast Conference).
Strawther is the first player to reach 40 points for the Zags since Kyle Wiltjer had 45 against Pacific in 2016.
Portland (11-13, 3-5) was led by Moses Wood with 19 points. Juan Sebastian Gorosito, a freshman, finished with a career-high 17 points.
WEST VIRGINIA 80, NO. 15 AUBURN 77
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) &mdash; Erik Stevenson scored a career-high 31 points and West Virginia withstood a furious late rally from Auburn to win an SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchup.
The Mountaineers (13-8) have won two straight for the first time in a month. Jimmy Bell Jr. added 15 points for the Mountaineers.
Charles Barkley cheered on his alma mater from a courtside seat, but Auburn (16-5) couldn&rsquo;t overcome another slow start. The Tigers have lost two straight for the first time in two years.
Jaylin Williams led Auburn with 18 points. Johni Broome added 15 and Allen Flanigan scored 13.
NO. 16 MARQUETTE 89, DEPAUL 69
CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; David Joplin went 8 for 11 from 3-point range for a career-high 28 points, Tyler Kolek had 24 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds, and Marquette defeated DePaul.
Marquette has won eight of its last nine games, and moved into a tie with No. 13 Xavier atop the Big East.
Marquette (17-5, 9-2) pulled away in the second half. Oso Ighodaro had 10 points, making all five of his shots, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 13 and had 8 rebounds.
Umoja Gibson scored 25 points for DePaul (9-13, 3-8) on 8-of-12 shooting.
NO. 17 BAYLOR 67, ARKANSAS 64
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Keyonte George scored 24 points, including seven in a row down the stretch, and Baylor beat Arkansas in an SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Baylor (16-5) fell behind by as many as eight points in the second half after an early 11-point lead. But the Bears closed it out after Flo Thamba made two free throws for a 55-53 lead with 3:37 left.
LJ Cryer added 20 points and Jalen Bridges had 10 for the Bears, who won their sixth game in a row despite shooting a 34% (20 of 59) from the field. They offset the season-worst shooting from the field by making 21 of 24 free throws, including two by Cryer with 10 seconds left and two by George with 4.3 seconds remaining.
Ricky Council IV scored 25 points for Arkansas (14-7). Davonte Davis had 16 points, but missed the front end of a 1-plus-1 with 2.3 seconds left, though Joseph Pinion got the ball in the right corner only to miss wildly on a 3-pointer as time ran out.
HOFSTRA 85, NO. 18 COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 81
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Aaron Estrada scored 25 points and Darlinstone Dubar added 18 as Hofstra ended College of Charleston&rsquo;s 20-game winning streak.
The Pride (15-8, 8-2 Colonial Athletic Association) were down 28-20 early before rallying past the Cougars (21-2, 9-1), who had not lost since falling to then-No. 1 North Carolina on Nov. 11.
Tyler Thomas had 17 points and eight rebounds for Hofstra.
Ante Brzovic finished with 18 points to lead Charleston.
PITTSBURGH 71, NO. 20 MIAMI 68
PITTSBURGH (AP) &mdash; Blake Hinson tipped in a Jamarius Burton miss with 31 seconds remaining and Pittsburgh rallied past Miami.
The Panthers (15-7, 8-3 ACC) held the Hurricanes (16-5, 7-4) scoreless over the final 2:26 while closing on an 11-0 run to beat a ranked team for the third time this season to bolster its increasingly impressive NCAA tournament resume.
Hinson finished with 21 points for Pitt. Burton had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Panthers stunned Miami in front of a rare sell-out crowd at the Petersen Events Center.
Jordan Miller led the Hurricanes with 18 points. Isaiah Wong added 14 but Miami committed three of its 12 turnovers in the final 35 seconds as the Panthers stormed back.
NO. 21 FAU 70, W. KENTUCKY 63
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Brandon Weatherspoon scored 14 points and Florida Atlantic remained undefeated at home.
The victory extended FAU&rsquo;s winning streak to a program-record 20 games, which is now the nation&rsquo;s longest. The Owls&rsquo; 21 victories on the season ties their Division I record set in 2010-11. Western Kentucky (11-11, 3-8 Conference USA) has lost five straight.
Alijah Martin scored eight while grabbing seven rebounds for the Owls (21-1, 11-0).
Jordan Rawls led all scorers with 17 for W. Kentucky. Dayvion McKnight and Emmanuel Akot each had 16.
NO. 22 SAINT MARY&rsquo;S (CAL) 57, BYU 56
PROVO, Utah (AP) &mdash; Logan Johnson had 14 points and freshman Aidan Mahaney scored all 10 of his points, including a fade-away jumper just before the buzzer, in the second half and Saint Mary&rsquo;s (Cal) won its 10th in a row.
Mitchell Saxen had 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks for Saint Mary&rsquo;s (19-4, 8-0 West Coast Conference). Alex Ducas scored 12 points and Augustas Marciulionis added 10.
Dallin Hall was fouled on a driving lay-up attempt with 10.2 seconds left and made 1-of-2 free throws to give BYU a 56-55 lead but Mahaney took the inbounds pass, probed the defense before he drove the lane, stopped near the right block and pivoted away from the basket before hitting the winning jumper over the out-stretched arm of defender Fousseyni Traore.
Hall scored a career-high 23 points on 9 of 14 shooting but made just 3 of 6 from the free-throw line for BYU (14-10, 4-5). Fousseyni Traore added 11 points and eight rebounds.
NO. 24 CLEMSON 82, FLORIDA STATE 81
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Chase Hunter drove the lane and drew a foul, sinking the free throw, to help Clemson escape with a win over Florida State.
Hunter Tyson scored 27 points on 10 of 17 shooting for Clemson (18-4, 10-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which halted an eight-game road losing streak to Florida State. Hunter finished with 25.
Matthew Cleveland scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half for Florida State (7-15, 5-6), which made a season-high 13 3-pointers. Caleb Mills and Darin Green Jr. each hit four 3-pointers for the Seminoles. Freshman forward Baba Miller had his best game, scoring 11 points and pulling down four rebounds in 20 minutes.

A recap of Saturday's action in men's college hoops includes five upsets in the AP top 15.

Oklahoma's rout of No. 2 Alabama one of many top-15 upsets on Saturday

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) &mdash; There are still a handful of players left at Florida who remember the exact moment, during a timeout against rival Florida State more than two years ago, that Keyontae Johnson collapsed to the floor and time seemed to stand still.
Johnson was loaded onto a stretcher, taken to the hospital and remained there for more than a week.
It was the last time he stepped on the floor for the Gators, other than a senior-day sendoff when he went out for an opening tip. Considering doctors at Florida and numerous other schools would not clear him to play given the heart condition that led to his collapse, it could have been the last time he stepped on the floor, period.
Kansas State was willing to let him play, though. Its medical staff examined his history, put him through a battery of tests and ultimately decided, with close observation, the senior could resume his basketball career.
He&rsquo;s set to the lead the No. 5 Wildcats against &mdash; you guessed it &mdash; Florida on Saturday night.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be amazing just playing against the team (where) I started college basketball,&rdquo; Johnson said, &ldquo;and just seeing my brothers back on the court, and just having to have that feeling of a family around me again.&rdquo;
The exact nature of Johnson&rsquo;s heart condition has never been disclosed, though he told The Associated Press prior to the season that he was on medication to help control it. But he said he hasn&rsquo;t harbored animosity toward Florida or its medical staff, understanding full well the ramifications if something happened again.
&ldquo;It was very tough,&rdquo; Johnson acknowledged this week, &ldquo;but they just had to do what was best for them medically and what they felt was safe for me. There is no ill will or hate for them. I&rsquo;m still a Gator for life.&rdquo;
Except on Saturday, when he&rsquo;ll most decidedly be a Wildcat.
Johnson was voted SEC preseason player of the year in 2020, and the 6-foot-7 forward with the NBA-ready inside-outside game was staring at the possibility of becoming a first-round pick.
He never imagined becoming a glorified coach, which is what happened when he was released from the hospital and rejoined the Gators &mdash; a role he took on with a passion. Johnson even had a $5 million insurance policy that he could have collected had he never played another minute of college or professional basketball.
He loved the game too much for that.
Once cleared by K-State, Johnson became perhaps the most important piece in the program&rsquo;s major transformation. First-year coach Jerome Tang, who had helped build Baylor&rsquo;s dynasty over the past two decades, brought together a collection of talented but largely underappreciated Division I and junior college transfers, along with a couple of prep prospects, to join a couple of holdovers from the end of Bruce Weber&rsquo;s tenure.
In all, 14 players from last season were gone and a dozen newcomers arrived.
The Wildcats have been one of the incredible stories of the college basketball season, climbing into the top 5 in the AP poll for the first time in more than a decade. They scored 116 points in beating No. 6 Texas, edged No. 19 Baylor in overtime and produced a court-storming 83-82 overtime win over No. 2 Kansas &mdash; thanks to Johnson&rsquo;s alley-oop dunk out of a timeout.
&ldquo;We all watch (his) games when we&rsquo;re on the road in hotels, and we just cheer him on, &rsquo;cause we know how much he cared about basketball,&rdquo; Florida&rsquo;s Colin Castleton said. &ldquo;Everything he&rsquo;s been through just shows you how strong a human he is, and just how much fight he has. He just pushed through it all, came with a great attitude every day.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s really superhuman, to be honest, in everybody&rsquo;s eyes,&rdquo; Castleton added. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be awesome to see him play. I know everybody in the locker room and everybody who knows him is really happy for him.&rdquo;
That includes Mike White, his old coach at Florida, who is now in charge of SEC-rival Georgia.
&ldquo;Wish he was wearing red and black,&rdquo; White said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s unbelievable. He is so good.&rdquo;
Johnson is third in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.3 points per game, and third in rebounding at 7.5 per game. He&rsquo;s shooting nearly 40% from the 3-point arc, nearly 75% from the foul line and is in the league&rsquo;s top 10 in field-goal percentage.
Just as importantly, Johnson is providing leadership for a team assembled in a span of months.
&ldquo;The silver lining, if there is any silver lining, is he had a long time where he just worked on his skill level,&rdquo; White said. &ldquo;He got in the gym and shot. He&rsquo;s gotten even better and better. His confidence level is at an all-time high. Those guys are doing a terrific job with him. We root for him like crazy. My kids love watching them on TV.&rdquo;
You can bet a lot of people will be watching this weekend.
&ldquo;This guy&rsquo;s overcome stuff that none of us can even understand,&rdquo; Castleton said. &ldquo;When he had chances to feel sorry for himself or pout or have a bad day, he didn&rsquo;t let it happen. It wasn&rsquo;t going to happen. He&rsquo;s the epitome of character.&rdquo;
___
AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Gainesville, Florida, contributed to this report.

“It’s going to be amazing just playing against the team (where) I started college basketball,” Johnson said.

Keyontae Johnson at No. 5 K-State to face ex-Gator teammates

Over the last month, San Antonio Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan has turned heads by switching his free-throw approach. He abandoned his traditional form, opting to shoot one-handed instead.&nbsp;
Early in the season, Sochan was one of the worst free-throw shooters in the NBA, making just 45.8% of his attempts. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and assistant Brett Brown pitched the one-handed idea to Sochan during a shootaround in late December, and he&rsquo;s been shooting that way ever since.
Since making the switch on Dec. 19, Sochan has shot 77.2% from the line. And he&rsquo;s clearly getting more comfortable shooting one-handed; over his last 16 games, he's shooting 83.3% from the charity stripe.
Given how well this experiment has worked, could we see more players try the one-handed approach going forward? It&rsquo;s possible. When asked if he would recommend it to his peers, Sochan didn't hesitate.
&ldquo;Yeah, why not? The thing is, if it&rsquo;s working and it helps your shot, why not do it?" Sochan told Basketball News. "When I started doing it, I feel like a lot of people were like, &lsquo;Why are you doing that?' or, &lsquo;It looks weird.' Or, they&rsquo;d ask, like, &lsquo;How did you do it mentally?&rsquo; But I&rsquo;m going to do anything [to improve] my game. If that helps, I&rsquo;m going to do it. And who cares if people laugh at you? Who cares if there are critics who talk about it? It is what it is at the end of the day. If it&rsquo;s helping me, I&rsquo;m going to do it.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jeremy Sochan is shooting one-handed free throws after he has struggled at the line this season. Thoughts?<a href="https://t.co/3cZyMBZm8K">pic.twitter.com/3cZyMBZm8K</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1605017808710111233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Sochan deserves credit for being open-minded and trying this new approach. Over the years, there are plenty of examples of players who have balked at the idea of adopting an unconventional free-throw routine out of fear of looking foolish.&nbsp;
For example, Rick Barry has offered to teach players his famous underhand foul shot on numerous occasions, but nobody has been willing to take him up on it.
Over the course of Barry&rsquo;s Hall-of-Fame career, the 12-time All-Star knocked down 5,713 free throws and shot 89.3% from the line. If you remove his ABA seasons and only count his NBA career, Barry shot 90.0% from the charity stripe. He&rsquo;s known as one of the all-time great free-throw shooters, up there with Stephen Curry (90.9%), Steve Nash (90.4%) and Mark Price (90.4%).&nbsp;
While we have seen players tweak their shooting motion or switch from shooting left-handed to right-handed (like Tristan Thompson), players don't seem willing to try the underhand (or "granny style") shot.
&ldquo;I told Rick Barry I&rsquo;d rather shoot 0% than shoot underhand. I'm too cool for that,&rdquo; Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2017/12/11/shaq-on-free-throws-i-told-rick-barry-id-rather-shoot-0-than-shoot-underhand/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">famously said</a>. In his biography, Shaq explained that his father told him &ldquo;that&rsquo;s a shot for sissies.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Wilt Chamberlain, who famously struggled from the charity stripe, briefly switched to shooting underhand during the 1961-62 season and saw his free-throw percentage jump from 50.4% to 61%. However, he abandoned the approach, explaining in his biography that it made him "look silly" and "like a sissy." Over the final 11 years of his NBA career, he shot 48.7% from the free-throw line.
Back in 2016, Rockets center Chinanu Onuaku used the underhand shot during his brief stint in Houston. After making the switch in college, his free-throw percentage increased by 13% the following season. While his NBA career was short-lived (only appearing in six games), he never missed a free throw across his two seasons with Houston &ndash; shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
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Nowadays, the only player who&rsquo;s carrying on the underhand form is Barry&rsquo;s youngest son, Canyon Barry, who plays for the Iowa Wolves in the NBA G League. Barry's other sons &ndash; Brent, Jon, Drew and Scooter &ndash; all shot free throws traditionally. But Canyon has had success with the underhand shot.
"It's just a matter of the 10,000-hour rule in repetitions and getting the feel and building that technique, and that's part of the reason that the underhand free throw is such a successful shot again," Canyon <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/basketball/iowa-wolves/2021/12/09/canyon-barry-iowa-wolves-underhand-free-throw-shooter-rick-barry/8842914002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. "It's backed by science...
"You have to have your wrist, elbow and shoulder moving in unison every time you do an overhand shot versus the underhand shot that's just your shoulder joint. So it's a lot more repeatable and you can build that muscle memory faster because you really only need to focus on the memory at one joint versus having three working in unison."&nbsp;
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Canyon switched to shooting underhand before his junior year of high school and it worked, especially as he got more comfortable with the form. As a senior with the Florida Gators, he shot 88.3% from the free-throw line. During his four years in the G League, he&rsquo;s shooting 84.8% from the charity stripe. And during the 2020-21 campaign, he shot a perfect 100% at the line.
"It's one of those things where I'm pretty much the only person that does it now, and I would hate to see it die when I stop playing because it's such a good and reliable shot," Canyon <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/basketball/iowa-wolves/2021/12/09/canyon-barry-iowa-wolves-underhand-free-throw-shooter-rick-barry/8842914002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.&nbsp;
Rick and Canyon are shocked that more players aren't willing to try the underhand approach.
"I really truly can't comprehend the aversion people have to trying something that could be very effective for them," Rick <a href="https://www.npr.org/2017/05/28/530504774/why-rick-and-canyon-barry-stay-true-to-the-granny-shot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.&nbsp;
"Logically dictated, if you have one of the greatest free throw shooters of all-time as your personal free throw coach, you should at least give it a try," Canyon <a href="https://www.npr.org/2017/05/28/530504774/why-rick-and-canyon-barry-stay-true-to-the-granny-shot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Interestingly, Brent Barry is now an executive in the Spurs' front office, serving as their vice president of basketball operations. Perhaps Sochan&rsquo;s success with the one-handed shot will lead to more unconventional free-throw forms popping up around the NBA.

Jeremy Sochan has had success shooting one-handed free throws. Will we see more players experiment with their free-throw approach?

Will one-handed or underhand free throws ever catch on in the NBA?

Fresh off the 2023 Basketball Africa League Combine and heading toward the NBA Paris Game between the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons in France, retired 13-year basketball pro Joakim Noah is soaking up every second of the international scene.
With Noah on site for both, Basketball News had the chance to catch up with the longtime Bull and former national-champion Florida Gator to discuss the rise of the BAL, the Paris Game on Thursday, basketball expanding to a global stage and much more.
Being at the BAL Combine and seeing the momentum of the league going into its third season, what's the energy like there?
Joakim Noah: "Well, it's very special to be in Paris. This is a full-circle moment for me personally, and to be able to come to the Combine and to see the energy of the young men trying to get jobs and work in the BAL, I thought it was really special. Obviously, we're building a professional league and it's growing. To build something sustainable... to see the growth from year-to-year is really special, but also to see the energy of the kids who want to be a part of it. Kids who are from all around the world, and everybody, you can feel that the kids are just in really high spirits and want to be a part of it. This is obviously so much bigger than basketball, and everybody who was at the Combine felt that way."
There are many former players who are heavily invested in the BAL, including guys you've played with and against like Grant Hill, Dikembe Mutombo, Ian Mahinmi and Luol Deng to name a few. All of you coming together and contributing to this, how does that feel?
Noah: "I think the contributions of some of the players that were able to invest is great because it also changes our mindset. Because you know, we were raised as competitors and competition can be very divisive, and just to be able to be in a position to be able to grow and unite is special. Not everybody has an opportunity to have that, to be at the table with the big dogs and see how we can grow something from scratch is really special. And now that we have this platform, especially for African players, it's really powerful."
What is the ultimate goal for the league?
Noah: "I think just to have a really powerful league on the continent where African kids don't feel like they have to go anywhere to get paid off of basketball. The game is growing, it's the fastest growing sport in the world and a lot of the talent comes from the motherland. So just to be a part of this and to watch the growth and seeing it at the highest level, but also on a grassroot level, is what it's all about. And now, we're able to have those conversations at a table altogether and look at the big picture and see where the growth needs to happen.
"I mean, Africa's so big, so different culturally. I'm learning a lot, and I feel like not only am I involved in something that I know a little bit about &mdash; because basketball has been my whole life &mdash; but I feel like I found my purpose. And there's a lot to be proud of with that. I didn't grow up on the continent, I wasn't born on the continent, but this is my heritage, and I feel like a lot of people feel that way. I felt that at the Combine (Monday). It's like, people came from all around the world to be a part of this and the energy was that the people who were involved really understand that big picture, and just want to see this game grow. And it's bigger than them just playing and getting a check. A lot of the time with basketball, that's what it becomes, but with this opportunity, I think that people really feel the purpose and I'm proud to be a part of that."
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You kind of mentioned it, but internationally, the game is becoming so popular and has a ton of momentum. Even in the NBA, you're seeing more of that at a rapid pace, as there were 58 European players and nine different players from France on opening night. We know that Victor Wembanyama is at the top of NBA Draft conversations. In general, the way basketball is growing across the world, why do you think it's happened so fast and is this going to continue in that trajectory?
Noah: "You know, I remember being in Paris and going to my first NBA game and seeing Michael Jordan play and the power of his influence all around the world. My father brought me to the game in Bercy. And 25 years later, the Bulls are coming to play in Paris again. The French players have had that kind of access. And now, the future of not just French basketball, but the future of basketball is this kid Wemby, who's an unbelievable talent. He grew up seeing a lot of winning, not just in basketball, but you think of France with winning the World Cup. He was raised and he saw what winning is all about and he knows that it's very possible.
"So when I was coming up, [Tariq] Abdul-Wahad was the only NBA player. And I remember seeing Tony Parker coming up at 15 years old playing at ABCD Camp and seeing the career that he had, that was my inspiration. And now, there's just a whole generation of French players and they're just taking it to the next level. But France is a country that has all the resources to be the best. They have everything. They have the coaching, they have the structures, they have the stadiums. They have everything. So you see the growth, and that's what we're trying to do in Africa. The structures aren't there yet, and we have to build it step-by-step."
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You brought up the Paris game. The Bulls are going to be taking on the Detroit Pistons, and Killian Hayes is a French player who's found his stride this year. How special is it to play in your home country in such an event?
Noah: "Well I can't even imagine how he feels, but it's a beautiful story being able to play in front of your family and friends in your country. Nothing gets better than that. So it's gonna be really special for him. And just understanding that there's gonna be younger kids there watching him, and he's gonna be inspiring as well. So not only is it an unbelievable feeling to play on that court, but understanding every layup, every dunk, every opportunity that he gets on the court is inspiring for the next generation."
Going back to finding your purpose in working with the BAL, but on a broader subject, what has your transition to retirement been like? It sounds like you have a solid feel of what you're trying to accomplish post-career.
Noah: "Oh, a hundred percent. I think that everybody who's in this position, our careers are short. It's crazy to know that I won't be playing basketball anymore. It happens so fast. You have a dream from when you're a kid and not everybody gets to live out their dreams as players, and I was able to do that. I got to do it at the highest level, and I'm really proud of that. Now, I have my family. I just got married this summer, I have my kids. So I'm really happy, trying to find that balance of working and working on my purpose work and raising my family."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Joakim Noah (<a href="https://twitter.com/JoakimNoah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoakimNoah</a>) lending a hand to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JrNBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JrNBA</a> ‼<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAParis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAParis</a> <a href="https://t.co/23ejEVVfqz">pic.twitter.com/23ejEVVfqz</a>
&mdash; NBA Cares (@nbacares) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbacares/status/1615701027122036736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Do you still keep in touch with your college teammates like Al Horford who's still playing and Corey Brewer who's coaching in New Orleans and your old Bulls teammates?
Noah: "Oh of course. These are people that I shared some of the most special times of my life with. I love Corey. We just sat down not long ago. Obviously, I have strong relationships with everybody and was able to do a beautiful trip with Derrick [Rose] to Africa, where he brought the Simeon (Academy) kids to Senegal this summer. These are all trips, these are all moments that I'm really proud of the relationships that I build off the court. And I just want to keep building."
If there are any players in the NBA today that you have your eye on, who would you say stands out?
Noah: "I love Bol Bol. Bol Bol is probably my favorite player to watch right now. I love to see his growth. Obviously, his back story is unbelievable. His father was so much more than just a basketball player. And just to see him become the player that he is and you just see him... you're not used to seeing somebody who's that tall &mdash; 7-foot-2 African guy &mdash; with handles, with that kind of ability. It just shows how much the game has grown. I just love watching him play. He's just a really exciting player. I wish him nothing but the best."
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More infomation regarding the BAL and the NBA Paris Game:
<ul>
<li>The third BAL season will tip off on March 11 and once again feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African cities playing games in Dakar, Senegal; Cairo, Egypt; and Kigali, Rwanda over three months in 2023</li>
</ul>
<ol>
<ol>
<li>The 12 club champions will be divided into two conferences.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The Sahara Conference will play a 15-game group phase at the Dakar Arena in Dakar from March 11-21.</li>
<li>The Nile Conference will play a 15-game group phase at the Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo from April 26 &ndash; May 6.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The top four teams from each conference will advance to an eight-game, single elimination Playoffs and Finals at BK Arena in Kigali from May 21-27.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Each of the 12 BAL teams will have up to 13 players, at least eight of whom will be citizens in their respective team&rsquo;s home country and up to four of whom can be from other countries, with no more than two players per team from outside of Africa.&nbsp;</li>
<ul>
<li>One roster spot on each team is reserved for an NBA Academy Africa prospect as part of the BAL Elevate program, which will once again provide an opportunity for the next generation of African prospects to participate in a professional league, showcase their talent on a global stage and help their respective teams compete for the 2023 BAL Championship.</li>
</ul>
<li>The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the NBA, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that completed its second season in May 2022.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, the BAL builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA Africa has organized in Africa and marks the NBA&rsquo;s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America.</li>
<li>On May 28, Tunisia&rsquo;s US Monastir defeated Angola&rsquo;s Petro de Luanda 83-72 to win the 2022 BAL Finals in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000 at BK Arena.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The 2022 BAL season featured players from 23 countries across Africa, Europe, and the U.S, reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 14 languages - including all 54 African countries - and generated more than 600 million online engagements.</li>
</ul>
NBA Africa
<ul>
<li>With the support of strategic partners, in May the NBA launched NBA Africa as a new, standalone entity that conducts the league&rsquo;s business in Africa, including the BAL.</li>
</ul>
o&nbsp;&nbsp; The investors&rsquo; and strategic partners&rsquo; expertise in a wide range of industries and established relationships with African businesses, governments and NGOs will help accelerate the NBA&rsquo;s growth across the continent.&nbsp;
o&nbsp;&nbsp; The funding will contribute to the growth of the BAL, help expand the NBA&rsquo;s presence in priority African markets and Africa&rsquo;s basketball ecosystem, and deepen the league&rsquo;s engagement with players and fans through initiatives such as the launch of additional NBA Academies and social responsibility initiatives that improve the livelihoods of African youth and families.
<ul>
<li>The strategic investors include a consortium led by Babatunde &ldquo;Tunde&rdquo; Folawiyo, Chairman and CEO of Yinka Folawiyo Group; and Helios Fairfax Partners Corporation (HFP), led by Tope Lawani, Co-CEO of HFP and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Helios Investment Partners.</li>
</ul>
o&nbsp;&nbsp; NBA Legends Junior Bridgeman, Luol Deng (South Sudan), Grant Hill, Ian Mahinmi (France; ties to Benin), Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Joakim Noah (grandfather from Cameroon) have also invested in NBA Africa and will use their collective influence to contribute to our growth goals.
<ul>
<li>In July, the NBA announced that former President Barack Obama has joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner and will help advance the league&rsquo;s social responsibility efforts across the continent, including programs and partnerships that support greater gender equality and economic inclusion.</li>
<li>In December, global economist and New York Times best-selling author Dr. Dambisa Moyo and Academy Award-winning actor and social activist Forest Whitaker joined NBA Africa as strategic investors.</li>
</ul>
The NBA Paris Game 2023
<ul>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will feature the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls and the three-time NBA champion Detroit Pistons playing a regular-season game at the Accor Arena in Paris on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.</li>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the first NBA game in Europe since 2020 and the league&rsquo;s 12th game in France since 1991.&nbsp; The NBA Paris Game 2020 &ndash; the first regular-season NBA game in Paris &ndash; took place Jan. 24, 2020, and featured the Charlotte Hornets and the Milwaukee Bucks.</li>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the Bulls&rsquo; third game in Paris, having played two preseason games in the French capital in 1997.
<ul>
<li>The Bulls are among the top three most-popular NBA teams in international merchandise sales (No. 2 in Europe), among the top five most-popular teams on NBA League Pass outside the U.S. (No. 5), and among the top five most-popular NBA teams on social media in terms of following (No. 2 on Facebook, No. 4 on Instagram, No. 4 on Twitter)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Pistons will be playing their first game in France, having previously played regular-season games in London (2013) and Mexico City (2019).</li>
</ul>
NBA in France
<ul>
<li>NBA games and programming have aired in France since 1985.</li>
<li>During the 2022-23 NBA season, fan in France can watch the NBA on beIN SPORTS, the NBA&rsquo;s exclusive Broadcast &amp; Digital partner in France, and NBA League Pass. beIN SPORTS airs up to 14 live games per week during the regular season, as well as the Play-In, Playoffs, all Conference Finals, Finals, All-Star Weekend, the Draft and Classic Games.</li>
<li>The 2022-23 regular season features 45 games that will air in primetime in Europe, the Middle East and Africa as part of &ldquo;NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K23,&rdquo; marking the 10th consecutive regular season that the league has scheduled weekend games that air in primetime in EMEA.</li>
<li>France ranks fourth among European markets in League Pass subscriptions.</li>
<li>Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 games &ndash; featuring French star and top 2023 NBA Draft prospect Victor Wembanyama &ndash; are available for free on the new NBA App throughout the 2022-23 including the LNB All-Star Game and select LNB Betclic ELITE Playoffs and Finals games.</li>
<li>The NBA&rsquo;s localized social media channels in France (Facebook and Twitter) have more than 1.5M collective followers.</li>
<li>The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the second regular-season game in France, the 12th NBA game overall in France (dating back to 1991) and the 94th NBA game in Europe (dating back to 1984).</li>
<li>Opening-night rosters for the 2022-23 NBA season featured 58 European players, including nine players from France.
<ul>
<li>France has had more players drafted into the NBA than other country outside North America and has been the most-represented European country in the NBA for each of the last 16 seasons.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <a href="https://pr.nba.com/nba-fanatics-paris-store-open/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pr.nba.com/nba-fanatics-paris-store-open/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1674099893476000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Pk9FJqixBAsT8n3qeg9n7">NBA Paris Store</a> &ndash; the first in France &ndash; opened&nbsp;in July 2022 and has featured player appearances by Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls. Top selling teams Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.</li>
<li>The NBA works with 18 marketing partners in France: adidas, EA, FDJ/ParionsSport, Foot Locker, Hennessy, Hotels.com/Expedia, ISG, Kellogg&rsquo;s, Microsoft, Mitchell &amp; Ness, New Balance, New Era, Nike, Rakuten, SAP, Tissot, Under Armour, Yop, and 2K Sports</li>
</ul>

Spencer Davies speaks with Joakim Noah ahead of the 2023 NBA Paris Game about his BAL passion, international hoops and more.

Joakim Noah Q&A: NBA Paris Game, investing in BAL, basketball's growth

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) &mdash; Aliyah Boston had 11 points and 10 rebounds for her 68th career double-double to keep No. 1 South Carolina undefeated with a 102-39 victory over Coastal Carolina on Wednesday.
Boston, who played just 13 minutes, moved four games away from matching the program&rsquo;s all-time mark for double-doubles held by Sheila Foster established four decades ago.
Freshman Ashlyn Watkins had a career high 16 points and Zia Cooke 14 as the defending national champs improved to 12-0 for a second straight season and fourth time in Dawn Staley&rsquo;s 15 years as coach.
This figured to be a challenge for the Chanticleers (5-6), who have just two players 6 feet or taller while South Carolina had 10.
NO. 3 OHIO STATE 84, NO. 16 OREGON 67
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Rebeka Mikulasikova scored 27 points, Taylor Mikesell added 25 and Ohio State remained undefeated to win the San Diego Invitational.
Ohio State (13-0) is off to its best start since 2011-2012, when the Buckeyes won their first 15 games
Oregon (10-2) was led by forward Grace VanSlooten, who scored 29 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Freshman teammate Te-Hina Paopao, who grew up in Oceanside, California, just outside San Diego, added 17.
NO. 4 INDIANA 67, BUTLER 50
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 17 of her 21 points in the first half, and Indiana completed an unbeaten nonconference schedule with a win over Butler.
Yarden Garzon added 13 points and Sydney Parrish 10 for the Hoosiers (12-0).
Rachel McLimore scored 13 and Sydney Jaynes 11 for Butler (5-7).
Indiana is nearing the program record for most successive wins to open a season: 15-0 in 1972, the first year for women&rsquo;s basketball at the school. The Hoosiers were 14-0 in 2013-14.
NO. 5 NOTRE DAME 85, WESTERN MICHIGAN 57
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Maddy Westbeld scored 10 points in four minutes and Notre Dame started the second half on a 17-0 spree en route to a big win over Western Michigan.
The Fighting Irish (10-1) led 38-30 at the half, but scored on seven of their first eight possessions during the third quarter with a trio of 3-pointers. Westbeld scored a season-high 23 points, including 15 in the third quarter, and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
The Broncos (5-6) missed their first nine shots from the field in the period and saw their three-game winning streak snapped. Lauren Ross led Western Michigan with 15 points.
NO. 8 VIRGINIA TECH 86, HIGH POINT 66
HIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Elizabeth Kitley scored 25 points and dished out a career-best seven assists as Virginia Tech captured a road victory over High Point.
Kitley, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, shot a season-high 78.5% from the floor, making 11-of-14 field goals, and had seven rebounds and four blocks for the Hokies (11-1). Taylor Soule added 24 points and Kayana Traylor chipped in 22 for Virginia Tech.
Claire Wyatt led High Point (2-8) with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point land. Callie Scheier added 11 points and Nakyah Terrell had 10.
NO. 9 UCONN 98, SETON HALL 73
STORRS, Conn. (AP) &mdash; Aaliyah Edwards had 23 points, leading six players who scored in double figures for UConn in its rout of Seton Hall.
Caroline Ducharme and Nika Muhl each had 16 points and were a combined 8 of 11 from 3-point range. Lou Lopez Senechal had 14 points, Aubrey Griffin added 13 points and seven rebounds, and Dorka Juhasz had 10 points and 10 rebounds for UConn (9-2, 2-0 Big East).
Sidney Cooks had 18 points and Lauren Park-Lane finished with 17 for Seton Hall (9-4, 2-1), which had its seven-game winning streak snapped.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma missed his second straight game due to illness. Associate coach Chris Dailey ran the team and improved to 15-0 when filling in for Auriemma.
NO. 13 IOWA 92, DARTMOUTH 54
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Clark&rsquo;s 20 points tied her for the quickest men&rsquo;s or women&rsquo;s Division I player to reach 2,000 career points since at least 1999-2000, and Iowa beat Dartmouth for its fifth straight victory.
Clark hit the career scoring mark in her 75th game, tying Elena Delle Donne for the quickest DI player to hit the mark, according to ESPN Stats &amp; Info. And Clark did it in style with her 242nd career 3-pointer.
Clark also had 10 rebounds and six assists. Teammate Monika Czinano, who entered with 1,969 career points in 98 games, also scored 20 points for Iowa (10-3).
Iowa scored 34 points in the first quarter and held Dartmouth to just five points in the second quarter.
Allie Harland led Dartmouth (2-11) with 11 points.
NO. 15 MARYLAND 88, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 51
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) &mdash; Shyanne Sellers scored 18 points, Diamond Miller had 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and four blocks and Maryland beat Purdue Fort Wayne in the final nonconference matchup for the Terps.
Abby Meyers added 14 points and Brinae Alexander had 13 off the bench for Maryland (10-3).
Shyanne Sellers, Miller, Meyers and Alexander were all in double figures by the end of the third quarter when Maryland led 71-35. Amellia Bromenschenkel led Purdue Fort Wayne (4-8) with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
SOUTH FLORIDA 66, NO. 17 ARKANSAS 65, OT
SAN DIEGO (AP) &mdash; Elena Tsineke scored all four of South Florida&rsquo;s points in overtime and finished with 23 points lifting the Bulls over Arkansas in the San Diego Invitational.
Maria Alvarez forced overtime against Arkansas by making three free throws with 17 seconds left to tie it at 62-all. Arkansas was trapped in the corner at the other end and wasn&rsquo;t able to get a shot off before the buzzer.
Fankam Mendjiadeu finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for South Florida (11-4).
Erynn Barnum scored 21 points and Daniels added 20 for Arkansas (13-2).
NO. 18 ARIZONA 78, UT ARLINGTON 59
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) &mdash; Esmery Martinez scored 13 points and was part of dominating Arizona rebounding performance with nine boards in a win over UT Arlington.
Lauren Fields, Shaina Pellington, and Cate Reese scored 10 points apiece for Arizona (10-1), which won its third straight game. Maya Nnaji grabbed nine rebounds to go with six points before fouling out at the start of the fourth quarter.
Arizona outrebounded the Mavericks 47-26, including 17-7 on the offensive glass resulting in a 22-4 bulge in second-chance points.
Starr Jacobs scored 15 points, Kayla White 13 and Taleya Jones 12 for the Mavericks (6-6), who lost their first home game this season after four wins.
NEBRASKA 85, NO. 20 KANSAS 79, 3OT
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Jaz Shelley scored 24 points, hitting two of Nebraska&rsquo;s three 3-pointers in the third overtime, and the Cornhuskers handed Kansas its first loss of the season.
Alexis Markowski had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cornhuskers (10-3), who are now 2-2 against ranked teams with their next two games against ranked Big Ten rivals. Sam Haiby had 12 points in just her third game after an offseason injury and Isabelle Bourne scored 10.
Zakiyah Franklin finished with a career-high 27 points in 54 minutes for Kansas (10-1). Taiyanna Jackson had 18 points and a career-high 21 rebounds, Holly Kersgieter had 12 and 11. Ioanna Chatzileonti had 10 points and Chandler Prater had 10 rebounds as Kansas had a 68-46 advantage on the boards, including 25 offensive rebounds.
NO. 22 GONAZAGA 82, MONTANA 67
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) &mdash; Brynna Maxwell scored 23 points and Kaylynne Truong added 18 and the pair combined to hit nine of Gonzaga&rsquo;s 12 3-pointers to lead the Bulldogs over Montana.
Maxwell made 8 of 12 from the field and 5 of 9 from 3-point range and Truong finished with five rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Yvonne Ejim had 15 points and nine rebounds, Eliza Hollingsworth scored 13 points and McKayla Williams finished with 11 points, five assists and two steals for Gonzaga (12-2).
Carmen Gfeller had 22 points and eight rebounds for Montana (4-7) and Sammy Fatkin added 21 points and five steals. Libby Stump scored 14.
NO. 23 OKLAHOMA 95, FLORIDA 79
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Madi Williams had had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Taylor Robertson added 18 points on six 3-pointers, and Oklahoma defeated Florida at the Jumpman Invitational.
Robertson made 6-of-7 3-pointers and matched her own Big 12 record of 53 consecutive games with a 3-pointer. It marked the 14th time during the current streak that she has made at least five 3-pointers.
Skylar Vann had 15 points and Nevaeh Tot scored 12 for the Sooners (10-1), who have won seven in a row.
Florida&rsquo;s KK Deans made a career-high seven 3-pointers, scored 28 points and had nine assists. Ra Shaya Kyle had 16 points and 13 rebounds for her second consecutive double-double, the fifth in her career. Nina Rickards added 15 points for the Gators (11-2).
NO. 24 BAYLOR 73, LONG BEACH STATE 52
WACO, Texas (AP) &mdash; Caitlin Bickle scored 17 points, Sarah Andrews missed a triple-double by one point and Baylor pulled away for a win over Long Beach State.
Andrews had career highs of 14 assists and 12 rebounds to go with nine points on 2-of-11 shooting. Je&rsquo;Mee Asberry and Bella Fontleroy both had 11 points for the Bears (9-3).
Tori Harris scored 14 points for the Beach (5-5) and Ma&rsquo;Qhi Berry and Kianna Hamilton-Fisher had 10 each.
NO. 25 ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 80, WAGNER 51
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jayla Everett scored a season-high 24 points to lead St. John&rsquo;s over Wagner and its best start in program history.
St. John&rsquo;s (12-0), ranked for the first time in almost seven years, surpassed the 11-0 start of the 2004-05 team for the best in the history of the program&rsquo;s 48 years.
Kadaja Bailey added 14 points for the Red Storm, who had 11 of 12 players reach the scoring column.
Lina Loceniece scored 13 points for Wagner (5-6) and Zhaneia Thybulle had 10.

A recap of Wednesday night's women's college hoops slate includes Aliyah Boston notching another double-double for South Carolina.

Boston four double-doubles from tying Gamecocks’ all-time mark

After calmly knocking down a buzzer-beating three to send his team to victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center, Indiana Pacers rookie Andrew Nembhard received a wave of praise and compliments all around. But the strongest words came from his head coach.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;ll go down as a top-12 or 15 pick when it&rsquo;s all said and done,&rdquo; Rick Carlisle stated on Nov. 28 about the No. 31 overall selection this past summer. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s where he should have been taken.&rdquo;
Eight days later at Golden State, following Nembhard&rsquo;s career-high 31-point, 13-assist effort against Stephen Curry and the Warriors, Carlisle doubled down: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m elevating that to top-10. He really is a special player.&rdquo;
On Friday morning in Cleveland, Nemhbard shared what he thought of Carlisle&rsquo;s commendable comments.
&ldquo;It just shows you the confidence they have in me on the court, and it allows me to have confidence in myself,&rdquo; Nembhard told Basketball News. &ldquo;I don't want to get too wrapped into the words, but obviously, it fuels the confidence in me for sure.&rdquo;
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steal 👉 slam Andrew Nembhard finds Aaron Nesmith in transition! <a href="https://t.co/tcugZFDTVL">pic.twitter.com/tcugZFDTVL</a>
&mdash; Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1601757878267715586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Nembhard has plenty of reasons to believe in himself, In December, he is averaging 11.0 points, 5.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds to go with 1.2 steals over 10 games with .489/.366/.778 shooting splits &mdash; nothing to gloss over for a first-year player. However, it&rsquo;s not about flashy statistics with him.
The very reason he got on the court in the first place is because of what he showed Indiana on the defensive end during training camp and preseason. Then, when Chris Duarte got injured in early November, the team looked his way to step up &mdash; and he&rsquo;s continued to reward that decision from that point on.
&ldquo;As we got into the year, he got tossed into a couple of games early,&rdquo; Carlisle said. &ldquo;He had tough matchups; the first time we played Miami, he guarded [Tyler] Herro some and was able to stay in front of him and contest some of his shots well.&rdquo;
That game was a sign of things to come. Since then, Nembhard has been tasked with going head-to-head with the NBA&rsquo;s best. Have a look at a sample of who the 22-year-old has matched up with the most and how they&rsquo;ve fared, per <a href="https://go.nba.com/4apvl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com&rsquo;s matchup data</a>:
<ul>
<li>Stephen Curry: 2-for-7 with 3 turnovers in 11:36 (two games)</li>
<li>Kyle Kuzma: 4-for-9 with 2 turnovers in 7:48 (two games)</li>
<li>Jimmy Butler: 1-for-6 for 4 points with 1 block in 7:17</li>
<li>CJ McCollum: 2-for-4 for 6 points in 6:38</li>
<li>Damian Lillard: 2-for-5 for 5 points in 6:13</li>
<li>Jamal Murray: 2-for-8 with 1 turnover in 5:53</li>
<li>Scottie Barnes: 1-for-4 for 2 points in 5:39</li>
<li>Jalen Brunson: 5-for-9 for 11 points in 5:12 (Nembhard's worst output)</li>
<li>Darius Garland: 0 field goal attempts with 2 turnovers in 5:09</li>
<li>LeBron James: 0-for-4 with 1 block in 4:32</li>
</ul>
&ldquo;It's exciting man,&rdquo; Nembhard told Basketball News of the Pacers&rsquo; trust in him on that end. &ldquo;Personally, I've got so much confidence in my game that it's just like, I felt like I could do that. I like to compete, so that's something I just like to bring to the game every day, and I'm super happy that they've just allowed me to kinda do that and help the team in that way.&rdquo;
&ldquo;He's a guy that if you watch him within the defensive system, he always seems to be in the right place,&rdquo; Carlisle said. &ldquo;He's very aware and does a good job of blocking out. He does a good job of chipping blockouts, which means going and helping a big guy. Like [Friday], when Myles [Turner] is blocking out [Jarrett] Allen, his job is to go be the second guy, to try to take away his athletic step and stuff like that. And Drew just naturally does that stuff.&rdquo;
Backing Carlisle's words, film savant Caitlin Cooper of SB Nation's Indy Cornrows provided another example of the little things that Nembhard does on that end.
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Here's another very tiny defensive detail from Andrew Nembhard: push switching. When the screener gets close enough to ghost screen, he makes them actually set the screen. That physicality makes the action more static and easier for Mathurin to navigate with the switch. <a href="https://t.co/Q9B8JYkPro">pic.twitter.com/Q9B8JYkPro</a>
&mdash; Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1601623476733104128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;I'm just like beyond impressed with the poise and maturity that he showed,&rdquo; Pacers veteran point guard T.J. McConnell told Basketball News. &ldquo;Asking him to come off the bench and then start, play a certain amount of minutes and guard the best players while you're out there, usually you don't have enough energy to do it on both ends, but he's done it... unreal. He's been unreal on both ends this year, and it's been a joy to watch."
According to McConnell, what Nembhard is putting on display now is what he saw over the offseason in the first few games of pickup. Admittedly, the 30-year-old didn&rsquo;t know it would translate for him this way, this seamlessly.
&ldquo;You kinda get so used to playing against someone, then you saw him do it against other NBA guys and do it consistently. When he just continued to do it, continued to do it, I'm like, 'This dude is the real deal,'&rdquo; McConnell said. &ldquo;You saw it from the beginning, but you didn't know how it was gonna adjust from an NBA season [standpoint], and he has hit the ground running and hasn't looked back. Just very proud. I see the work he puts in and the type of guy he is. Extremely happy for him.&rdquo;
Though tending to use the trusted pull-up game he excelled at as a high schooler and an underclassman at Florida, Nembhard has started to become a ready catch-shooter over the last few years at Gonzaga and, now, with the Pacers, converting on a healthy 36.4% on the season overall despite some inconsistencies in December. At the very least, he&rsquo;s a threat, which allows him to drive off the catch and go from there.
Nembhard&rsquo;s also moved the ball with ease, constantly making touch passes and heady reads. It helps that he&rsquo;s had reps as a handler and away from the ball already this early into his career.
&ldquo;I think it's similar honestly in terms of where I get the ball,&rdquo; Nembhard said. &ldquo;I'm still just playmaking off of our pace, stuff that we still do. So similar touches, just not bringing the ball up as much. Just not directing as much.
&ldquo;I think the way it's been so far has been good for me to just ease into getting comfortable on the court. I don't think I need it to be the primary guy right off the bat just 'cause that's tough as a rookie. I think they've allowed me to kinda grow and develop and slowly get to the point where I feel comfortable being in that primary role at times.&rdquo;
And to that point, Nembhard has been right at home with these fast-and-furious Pacers, who boast the league&rsquo;s fifth-highest pace at 102.26 possessions per game.
&ldquo;I think I've been a guy who's been able to play well in transition because of my assist-to-turnover ratio,&rdquo; Nembhard said. &ldquo;I feel like playing fast has just always been something about my game that I've succeeded at, so it's natural for me. I think for us, a young team, I think with our energy and our effort, it plays into our strengths.&rdquo;
(Per <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/5120#tab-offensive_overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleaning the Glass</a>, his 1:29 assist-to-usage rate is in the 95th percentile among his peers in the league, additionally, and his 117.3 points per 100 shot attempts illustrates his efficiency.)
Nembhard&rsquo;s fellow rookie Bennedict Mathurin is garnering rave reviews as a real-deal Sixth Man of the Year candidate, and Tyrese Haliburton has upped his game to another level where he&rsquo;s leading the entire NBA in assists. Together as a trio this month, they&rsquo;ve combined for a net rating of plus-23.7 in 76 minutes.
&ldquo;I think me and Hali are good at playmaking and just like reading the game, and I think Benn's an aggressive scorer who's just confident in himself,&rdquo; Nembhard said. &ldquo;So we look for him. I think it's easy for him to play with both of us. I think we just flow well together just 'cause of our mix of skill and talent.&rdquo;
For these two rookies to be developing and producing at the same time is one thing, but to do it and rack up W&rsquo;s on a competitive, 15-win Indiana ball club that few on the outside saw coming is remarkable.
&ldquo;Man, it's exciting honestly. Personally, I love winning,&rdquo; Nembhard said. &ldquo;Ain't nothing like winning in basketball to be around that team environment. So that's a big plus, and I'm excited we're doing what we're doing so far. It's always early... But, I'm super excited I've been able to get on the floor and just help impact that winning."
"Got a lot of respect for Mathurin and Nembhard, two rookies who really like, talk. Like, they&rsquo;re there. Like, they make their presence felt," Donovan Mitchell said postgame Friday. "...Nembhard&rsquo;s had pretty big games against some good teams."
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
&ldquo;This is obviously probably the youngest locker room I've been a part of, and one of the best, if not the best. Just the positive energy each day and the youthful energy that everyone brings,&rdquo; McConnell added. &ldquo;I'm only 30, so when I say youthful energy, it's just 'cause everyone else isn't as old (laughs). But it's been great. [Through the] ups and downs of a season, we've stuck together. And I think that not a lot of people expected us to have the record we do now, and I think that's because of the tightness of the locker room.&rdquo;
As Carlisle made his aforementioned top-10 comment, he described Nembhard as &ldquo;old school, but new-school.&rdquo; Basketball News followed up on what he meant by that.
&ldquo;Well, he's tough, physical. He plays an efficient game,&rdquo; Carlisle explained. &ldquo;He has a natural aptitude for moving the ball and finding people and just getting to the pass that leads to the hockey assist. And he just has a real, pure intellect for the game; that's the old-school side. The new-school side is he's probably on social media like everybody else (laughs).
&ldquo;But he understands the style of today's NBA. At Gonzaga, they did some things as a team where, a lot of times, they played an NBA style. They played up-tempo, a lot of ball movement, not a lot of play-calling &mdash; play the game, play with each other, play random, find the best shot &mdash; all that kind of stuff.&rdquo;
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first bucket of the night is an and one by <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewNembhard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AndrewNembhard</a>. 💪 watch the game live on <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsIN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BallySportsIN</a> or stream here: <a href="https://t.co/KN9XtXzQSD">https://t.co/KN9XtXzQSD</a> <a href="https://t.co/osXrE10Ftn">pic.twitter.com/osXrE10Ftn</a>
&mdash; Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1603915535992999940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Month-by-month, Nembhard has gotten better. You can see the jump happening in both the box scores and on the floor in general.&nbsp;
And maybe of the utmost importance, he is learning what life in the NBA is like.
&ldquo;It's just so much talent in this league,&rdquo; Nembhard said. &ldquo;You've gotta bring it every night. You could be playing against their best five, (but) the next six are still NBA players who can hoop. So it's like, there's not a night off in this league. Any team can beat anybody with a certain attitude, a certain demeanor every night.
&ldquo;I really don't know how to nitpick his game. He's been unbelievable on both ends,&rdquo; McConnell said. &ldquo;Maybe one thing is just try to stay out of foul trouble. But when you're guarding the best players, it's impossible not to pick up a foul here and there. But like, on the offensive and defensive end, he's been damn near close to perfect, and that's asking a lot of a rookie. He definitely doesn't play like one.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies interviews Andrew Nembhard and speaks to Rick Carlisle and T.J. McConnell to discuss the promising Pacers rookie.

Real-deal rookie: How Andrew Nembhard has already wowed the Pacers

The Big Ten keeps getting tougher in women&rsquo;s basketball.
The conference sent four teams to the NCAA Sweet 16 a second straight year in 2022, and it leads the nation with six programs in the Associated Press preseason Top 25.
Caitlin Clark, who could go down as one of the greatest college players of all time, leads a fourth-ranked Iowa team that returns all five starters for a third straight year and is the pick to win the league title.
&ldquo;I think the rest of us will be chasing after that,&rdquo; Indiana coach Teri Moren said. &ldquo;The great thing about the parity in our league, proven night in, night out, is there&rsquo;s no game that&rsquo;s safe, right? If you&rsquo;re talking at the top or the bottom, the bottom is making strides and they&rsquo;re going to compete every single night.&rdquo;
No. 11 Indiana filled its backcourt needs through the transfer portal and is expected to contend after finishing fifth last season. No. 14 Ohio State brings back its top three scorers from the team that shared the title with Iowa.
No. 17 Maryland lost key players but brought in five transfers who should help stave off any drop-off for a team that was a half-game out of first place. No. 22 Nebraska is ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2014 with a veteran roster led by Alexis Markowski in the post.
Now consider No. 25 Michigan, the only Big Ten team to make the Elite Eight. Though the Wolverines lost star Naz Hillmon, they return their next four top scorers and got a 2021 McDonald&rsquo;s All-American out of the portal. They&rsquo;re picked fifth, which is testament to the strength of the Big Ten.
Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said she wouldn&rsquo;t be surprised if the conference ended its national championship drought this season. Purdue won the Big Ten&rsquo;s most recent national title, in 1999. Maryland was in the Atlantic Coast Conference when it won it in 2006.
&ldquo;I think our league is going to be more challenging than ever,&rdquo; Barnes Arico said. &ldquo;Obviously Caitlin Clark is a phenomenal basketball player, but I think from top to bottom there are tremendous, tremendous players in our league, as well as coaches.&rdquo;
NEW COACHES
Rutgers&rsquo; Coquese Washington and Illinois&rsquo; Shauna Green are the only first-year head coaches.
Washington was associate head coach at Notre Dame the past two seasons. She replaces C. Vivian Stringer, the Basketball Hall of Fame member who retired in April after 27 seasons at Rutgers and 50 as a head coach.
Green coached Dayton to four NCAA Tournament appearances in six years and replaces Women&rsquo;s Basketball Hall of Fame member Nancy Fahey, who retired after five seasons with the Illini.
COMING AND GOING
Brinae Alexander and Lavender Briggs are among five Division I transfers at Maryland. Alexander was Vanderbilt&rsquo;s top scorer last season, averaging 15.2 points per game, and Briggs was scoring better than 12 points per game for Florida when a shin injury ended her season in January. She averaged 19.5 points for the Gators in 2020-21.
Indiana strengthened its backcourt by bringing in Sara Scalia from Minnesota and Sydney Parrish from Oregon. Scalia was a 41% 3-point shooter and averaged 17.8 points last season.
Michigan brought in 2021 McDonald&rsquo;s All-American Greta Kampschroeder from Oregon State, where she had an up-and-down freshman season.
Kamaria McDaniel landed at Michigan State, her third school after two years at Penn State and the past two at Baylor. She was the Big Ten&rsquo;s second-leading scorer (19.8 ppg) in 2019-20.
Taniyah Thompson heads a list of three Division I transfers at Penn State. Thompson was the American Athletic Conference&rsquo;s second-leading scorer (18.5 ppg) for East Carolina.
FRESHMEN TO WATCH
Ohio State has the conference&rsquo;s highest-rated freshman in forward Cotie McMahon, who enrolled last spring. She averaged 14.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists in six games while helping Team USA win the FIBA U18 Americas Championship.
Two of Minnesota&rsquo;s in-state recruits were ranked in the top 50 nationally. Amanda Battle was the state&rsquo;s 2022 Miss Basketball and fellow guard Mara Braun averaged better than 18 points per game over her high school career.
Nebraska&rsquo;s Maggie Mendleson was the nation&rsquo;s No. 2 volleyball recruit, and the middle blocker has appeared in 10 matches for one of the nation&rsquo;s premier programs. A forward-center in basketball, she was No. 32 in the HoopGurlz-ESPNW basketball rankings.
EARLY BIG GAMES
Ohio State, Indiana, Maryland and Nebraska will test themselves early.
Ohio State hosts No. 5 Tennessee on Nov. 8, Maryland hosts top-ranked defending national champion South Carolina on Nov. 11, Indiana visits Tennessee on Nov. 14, Nebraska heads to Omaha to play No. 21 Creighton on Nov. 15 and Maryland goes to No. 18 Baylor on Nov. 20.
Iowa will play either Duke or No. 6 Connecticut over Thanksgiving weekend in Portland, Oregon, and host No. 10 North Carolina State on Dec. 1 and No. 8 Iowa State on Dec. 7.&nbsp;

The Big Ten keeps getting tougher in women’s basketball.

Caitlin Clark-led Iowa women are pick to win loaded Big Ten

If this month has given us any indication, the 2023 NBA Draft could be special.
Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson went head-to-head in two thrilling showcases to start October, exemplifying the potential greatness that could headline this prospect group.
Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock has Wembanyama atop <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his initial 2023 Big Board</a>, with Scoot Henderson at No. 2. But they're just the headliners. Amen and Ausar Thompson, twin uber-athletes, are carving up the court with Overtime Elite. Then you get to the collegiate standouts, led by Villanova's Cam Whitmore and Arkansas' Nick Smith Jr.
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New on <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a>: this season's first 2023 NBA Draft Big Board.👇 Link: <a href="https://t.co/UD5Dv0rDJ2">https://t.co/UD5Dv0rDJ2</a> <a href="https://t.co/d6UEUTsjip">pic.twitter.com/d6UEUTsjip</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1584921955357990912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Babcock broke down the top names to monitor as the scouting season gets rolling. He also dove into his own scouting process and the challenges that come with criss-crossing the globe to watch basketball's best young talents.&nbsp;
How much did Victor Wembanyama's dominance in Las Vegas change his reputation as a generational prospect compared to before the exhibitions?
In my role as an NBA Draft Analyst, I do my best not to go too high or too low on guys based on individual performances. But to be in Las Vegas in person, sitting courtside to see Victor Wembanyama, an 18-year-old that's 7-foot-4 and has an 8-foot wingspan do the things that he did &mdash; it was remarkable. The combination of his length, coordination, and skill level is unbelievable. I don't know if we'll ever see a prospect quite like Victor Wembanyama again. He's so incredibly unique and has about as much upside as possibly imaginable.
What do you want to see from Wembanyama over this next season before making the likely leap to the NBA?
Although this may seem obvious, I'd like to see Victor stay healthy and out on the court this season. Considering that he has such a unique body type, I think that is very important. He's such an incredible prospect, but he needs to get stronger and take care of his body to maximize his potential.
How does Scoot Henderson compare to some of the dynamic guard prospects we've seen over the past decade?
Suppose we look at the top-tier guard prospects from recent years' drafts. In that case, we'd be talking about guys like LaMelo Ball, Ja Morant, Darius Garland, Trae Young &mdash; and I guess you could put Luka Doncic in that group, too, since he's essentially a big point guard.&nbsp;
Well, I'm comfortable saying I'm just as excited about Scoot Henderson as I was about all those guys at the same stage. But, of course, Scoot needs to take care of his business to get to those players' levels. However, my point is I do think he has that type of talent and potential.
What makes Amen and Ausar Thompson special, and could the twins also be franchise-altering talents?
Although the Thompson brothers are identical twins, I do see differences in their games. For example, Amen seems to have better ball skills and a feel for the game, and Ausar is wired more as a scorer. However, they're both incredible athletes with so much versatility on both sides of the ball. Outside shooting is their swing skill, and their development in that area will likely determine how much career success they'll find. It seems as if both guys are about all of the right things and are serious about their craft, which tells me they'll continue to improve. I think they're both big-time prospects and worthy of being high lottery picks.
Wembanyama, Henderson and the Thompson twins come from unconventional pathways. How does that change your scouting process?
Well, first of all, I take a compartmentalized approach to evaluating prospects regardless of whether they take an unconventional pathway or not. Each evaluation presents unique challenges, so I don't think it changes things for me too much.&nbsp;
Players taking unconventional pathways sometimes allow me more direct access to them. For example, with these players, as mentioned earlier, it's been more advantageous for me because I have unique connections to them. Victor Wembanyama's agent, Bouna N'Diaye, is a good friend, and I collaborated with him and his agency, Comsport, for years when I was an agent.&nbsp;
Scoot's mentor in Atlanta, Desmond Eastman, aka "The General," has been my guy since I played high school ball in Atlanta. The General, Scoot, and his family invited me out to their family's gym, Next Play 360, a couple of years ago to watch Scoot work out, and I got a chance to spend some time with all of them. And I've kept in touch with them since then.&nbsp;
I've also had opportunities to spend some time with the Thompson Twins. Before Overtime Elite was publicly launched, I spent about six months as an advisor for them; I assisted in setting up their scouting operations. So naturally, I'm close with all of the folks out there. A little while back, Overtime Elite invited me to come to Atlanta to speak to their players about scouting, intel, and the business of the NBA. Of course, I'm not always connected to top prospects like I am with those guys, but my background and experience in hoops does tend to serve me well regarding access, which I certainly don't take for granted.
Which other 2023 draft-eligible players do you think have a chance at putting themselves in that Tier 1 prospect conversation?
I'm not sure if any other players will be able to crack that first tier. Still, I am excited to track some college freshmen like Cam Whitmore at Villanova, Nick Smith at Arkansas, Dariq Whitehead at Duke, Dillon Mitchell at Texas, and Keyonte George at Baylor, to name a few. I could list off a handful or so more, too, as I think the freshman class this year has a bunch of talented prospects.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
We hit the Main Line for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BIGEASThoops?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BIGEASThoops</a> Preseason Freshman of the Year, <a href="https://twitter.com/NovaMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NovaMBB</a>'s Cam Whitmore! Cam was the Most Outstanding Player on <a href="https://twitter.com/usabasketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usabasketball</a>'s FIBA U18 Americas Championship squad this past summer &amp; was the Gatorade Maryland POTY at Archbishop Spalding! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoNova?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoNova</a> <a href="https://t.co/s0JUUeqIPn">pic.twitter.com/s0JUUeqIPn</a>
&mdash; BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/BIGEASTMBB/status/1582344744449019904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As a scout, how do you make sure you're being fairly critical of top prospects without overanalyzing their flaws?
My process for evaluating prospects is to ask questions constantly, whether by asking myself questions internally or blowing up my right-hand man, Derek Murray's phone, to ask him questions. A comprehensive evaluation or conclusion of the evaluation of a prospect before their draft ultimately comes down to the concept of the sum of all its parts.&nbsp;
Experienced scouts can gather comparable information on prospects, evaluating the players' on-court talent and gathering intel on their background, character, and personality. Generally, we all know a prospect's strengths, weaknesses, and questions that need to be raised at a certain point in the process. The most challenging part is how one weighs out all the different variables within the evaluation.&nbsp;
For example, maybe a player lacks physical strength, has character flaws, or is an inconsistent shooter. How big of a problem are specific players' "issues" compared to how much talent and upside they have, and how much could their issues limit their ability to maximize their potential? It's all about balancing out the risk versus the reward. It's certainly a juggling act, but you know what? I love it. I live for it. I wake up as a scout everyday seeking more information on prospects in hopes of figuring out the big puzzle, which is the NBA Draft.
Which top returning college players are you most excited to see make improvements in their games?
There are many returners I'm hoping will make a big jump in their development. Some players that come to mind first are Terquavion Smith from NC State, Marcus Sasser from Houston, Kris Murray from Iowa, Harrison Ingram from Stanford, Oscar Tshiebwe and Daimion Collins from Kentucky, Arthur Kaluma and Ryan Kalkbrenner from Creighton, Terrence Shannon and Coleman Hawkins from Illinois, and Caleb Love from North Carolina. 
Honestly, I could list off a bunch of guys. I love to see guys return to school and keep grinding. Having a front-row seat to watch young players' stories unfold as they chase their dreams is perhaps the best part of my job. I love it!
Beyond Wembanyama, what does this year's international prospect landscape look like?
Of course, Wembanyama is the big name this year. Some other internationally-born prospects that are playing overseas that I'm excited to track are Rayan Rupert with the New Zealand Breakers, Nikola Djurisic with Mega in Serbia, and James Nnaji and Ousmane NDiaye with Barcelona and Baskonia in Spain, respectively.
How do you set a roadmap for the early scouting season &mdash; do you prioritize geography, teams or specific players at first?
I first get my initial player rankings and priority watch list together, which helps me prepare and organize who I need to see. Secondly, I identify "must-see" games and events. For example, early this college season, I plan to attend the State Farm Champions Classic in Indianapolis, including Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State. Then I plan to attend the Phil Knight Invitational and Legacy events in Portland, which include many talented teams. There are some other double-headers and unique matchups in neutral locations I have penciled in too.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
From there, I look at "low-hanging fruit" games. This would include games and events with NBA prospects that I can travel to cheaply and easily. I live in Denver, Colorado, so the drivable spots for me are mainly the University of Colorado, Colorado State, Air Force, and I drive to Wyoming here and there too. I also pencil in high-priority high school events into my schedule, like the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, City of Palms in Fort Myers, Florida. My tentative schedule is planned through March already. I still need to squeeze in a couple of trips overseas, and I will likely make some adjustments as we go, but I like to prepare ahead of time.
What are some of the challenges when it comes to planning scouting trips for a draft class that could have several special players at the top?
Having "special players" doesn't change scheduling much, or at all, honestly. However, I will say this; I generally go extremely hard in November and December to get my bases covered regarding scouting the higher-rated prospects. This is because I like to get a head start so that I can pick and choose my spots later.&nbsp;
Injuries can be a significant disruptor. It's impossible to predict who will be healthy throughout the season. Fortunately, my processes have served me well at times. For example, I went to see Vanderbilt play USC in LA a few years back for their season opener, and I'm sure glad I did because I got to see Darius Garland, who was terrific. Unfortunately, he got hurt shortly after and only played five games that entire season before becoming a high lottery pick.&nbsp;
Similarly, I watched Patrick Baldwin Jr. several times before him missing the bulk of the season with a foot injury. He only played in 11 games the entire season. Anyway, I don't underestimate seeing a top prospect while I can; you never know how things will unfold.
What under-the-radar college teams should NBA Draft enthusiasts make sure to watch?
Although they're ranked high, we don't usually see Houston and Creighton mixing it up with the blue bloods and top programs. However, I think both teams have a chance of doing big things this season.
Coach Kelvin Sampson has done a terrific job building up that program in Houston. I was a bit surprised that their stud guard, Marcus Sasser, decided to return to school after doing so well at the NBA Draft Combine, but I'm happy he did. I think he's poised for a breakout year. They have a lot of other talented players too. Most specifically, I'm excited to see five-star recruit Jarace Walker. I have had the chance to watch Walker many times at various high school events. His physical tools, toughness, and versatility are interesting.
I usually head out to Omaha, Nebraska, once or twice yearly to see Creighton games. It's an easy flight to Omaha for me coming from Denver, there is a fantastic Marriott hotel right across from Creighton's arena, and they take great care of the media, as they have always given me a seat courtside. I've seen some terrific games there in the last few years. I remember watching teams like Villanova, including Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Eric Paschall, and then a stacked Gonzaga team featuring Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke.&nbsp;
I will likely try to see Villanova play Creighton this season because they have highly touted freshman Cam Whitmore, who is projected as a lottery pick. Still, I will also focus on Creighton's prospects this year, as Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Baylor Scheierman have been generating some buzz.
Has the success of some of last year's rookies changed your scouting philosophies at all?
The biggest thing for me recently is not necessarily adjusting to how individual players have performed but just keeping the pulse on the trends and how the game continues to evolve. For example, the idea that the NBA is moving towards a positionless game is becoming more apparent each year. Subsequently, players with decent size, well-rounded skill sets, and versatility on both ends of the ball have never held so much value.&nbsp;
On the flip side, undersized guards and traditional big men are not carrying as much value across the board as they once did. Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules, but it has certainly changed how I look at specific prospects.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
What is the most enjoyable part of this first month of college scouting for you?
I will be a little cliche here, but I just love getting back in the arena.&nbsp;
I'm a member of the staff for Damian Lillard's Formula Zero, a group of top high school and college prospects. One exercise we do as a group is having everyone take a turn to share one thing they have been doing well and one thing they have been struggling with or would like to improve on. It got me thinking about that recently regarding myself; I've gotten to a point in my career where I've developed to become very organized, detail-oriented, and prepared, which hasn't always been the case. Over time, I've turned these areas from my weaknesses into strengths. And I'm proud to be able to say that.&nbsp;
Alright, now my weakness. Of course, the offseason is a great opportunity to spend time with my family, which I do, and I love having that time! But the fact is, I don't have any real hobbies, and I essentially am obsessed with the game and what I do. So I get impatient and uneasy when I don't have a lot of basketball in my life &mdash; it happens every year. So naturally, when the season starts, it puts me at ease. There is so much great basketball to see in November and December, and I'm just ecstatic to get back out there and start chipping away, trying to figure out this year's NBA Draft.

Ethan Fuller previews the 2023 scouting season with BasketballNews.com Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock.

2023 NBA Draft: Previewing top prospects to watch with Matt Babcock

YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) &mdash; Emoni Bates was reinstated to the Eastern Michigan basketball team and as a student Thursday after prosecutors agreed to drop felony charges against him, his attorney and the school said.
The 18-year-old Bates was a top prospect out of high school who transferred to Eastern Michigan in August after playing his freshman season at Memphis. He was charged after police found a gun in a car he was driving last month. Defense attorney Steve Haney said the vehicle and the gun didn&rsquo;t belong to Bates.
Bates was &ldquo;immediately reinstated to all athletic and campus activities&rdquo; because of the agreement between prosecutors and Bates&rsquo; attorneys, the school said in a statement, adding that the move was made in accordance with athletic department policies.
Bates was charged with two felonies &mdash; carrying a concealed weapon and &ldquo;altering ID marks&rdquo; &mdash; on Sept. 19 after a traffic stop. Bates failed to stop at an intersection and a search turned up the weapon, the Washtenaw County sheriff&rsquo;s office said. He pleaded not guilty at his probable cause hearing last week.
Bates will plead down to a misdemeanor charge, Haney said. A hearing was scheduled for next Wednesday. Bates also must complete a diversion program to have his record expunged.
Bates attended Eastern Michigan&rsquo;s practice on Thursday, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The 6-foot-9 guard will play for his hometown school after averaging 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds last season as a freshman at Memphis, where he enrolled after reclassifying to skip a year of high school.
Bates became the first sophomore to win the Gatorade national player of the year award in 2020, beating out Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley. The Detroit Pistons drafted Cunningham No. 1 overall last year, two spots before Cleveland took Mobley in the draft.
Bates initially committed to playing for Tom Izzo at Michigan State. He later de-committed and signed with Memphis and coach Penny Hardaway. Bates played in 18 games for the Tigers, missing several weeks with a back injury.
In 2019, as a high school freshman, the slender and skilled guard led Ypsilanti Lincoln to a state title and was named Michigan&rsquo;s Division 1 Player of the Year by The Associated Press. His sophomore season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic and he attended Ypsi Prep Academy as a junior, his final year of high school.

Bates attended Eastern Michigan’s practice on Thursday, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Emoni Bates reinstated at Eastern Michigan after charges dropped

TJ Power, a four-star high school senior at Worcester Academy, announced his verbal commitment to Duke on Wednesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
TJ Power is headed to Duke 🔷 🏀 <a href="https://t.co/eJuQlO7W1M">pic.twitter.com/eJuQlO7W1M</a>
&mdash; Ethan Fuller (@ethman43) <a href="https://twitter.com/ethman43/status/1567622178765520901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Power, a 6-foot-8-inch forward, is ranked No. 23 in the Class of 2023 by 247 Sports and No. 40 by ESPN. He joins a loaded recruiting class that also included five-star talents Mackenzie Mgbako, Sean Stewart, Caleb Foster and Jared McCain. The 6-foot-8-inch forward was named 2021-22 Gatorade Player of the Year for Massachusetts.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Ever since I was little, I wanted to play on the biggest stage in college, and Duke is the biggest stage,&rdquo; Power said after his announcement. &ldquo;But what&rsquo;s great about my experience is I didn&rsquo;t have to sacrifice anything as far as fit [or] relationships. I think the way Coach [Jon] Scheyer wants to play, and the way he's making these classes and this team fits my game. Play fast, move the ball, be able to shoot.
"Our relationship, bottom line, is what got me," Power added. "Him being a younger coach, he's super relatable, and having a chip on his shoulder to step into that position and really prove himself &mdash; I can relate to a lot of those same things."

Power joins a stacked Duke recruiting class that already included four 5-star talents.

4-star high school forward TJ Power commits to Duke

MEXICO CITY &ndash; The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Zignia today announced that the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs and the three-time NBA champion Miami Heat will play a regular-season game at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Saturday, Dec. 17, marking the first NBA Mexico City Game since 2019 and the league&rsquo;s 31st game in Mexico overall, more than any country outside the U.S. and Canada. The NBA and Zignia will continue to collaborate on future NBA initiatives in Mexico over the next several years.
Tickets for The NBA Mexico City Game 2022 will go on sale at a later date. &nbsp;Beginning today and through Saturday, Sept. 3, fans interested in attending the game can register their interest in tickets and receive access to an exclusive ticket pre-sale by visiting www.nbaenmexico.com.
The Spurs are led by five-time NBA champion head coach Gregg Popovich, who during the 2021-22 season became the winningest coach in NBA history, and currently feature 2020 Olympic gold medalist Keldon Johnson, 2022 No. 9 overall pick Jeremy Sochan, and 2021 No. 12 overall pick Joshua Primo. &nbsp;The Heat are coached by Erik Spoelstra, who has led the franchise to two NBA championships, and currently feature six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, 2020 NBA All-Star and three-time All-Defensive Second Team member Bam Adebayo, and 2021-22 Kia Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro.
The NBA Mexico City Game 2022 will air live in Mexico on ESPN, TUDN and NBA League Pass, the league&rsquo;s premium live game subscription service. &nbsp;The game will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories around the world on television, digital media and social media. &nbsp;Leading up to the game, the league and its partners will also conduct interactive fan events and NBA Cares community outreach initiatives. &nbsp;The game and surrounding events will be supported by a roster of marketing and merchandising partners, including AT&amp;T, Gatorade, Hennessy, Nike, SAP and Tissot, with additional partners to be announced in the coming months.
The Spurs made their debut in Mexico in October 1994 with two preseason games at the Palacio de los Deportes. &nbsp;Overall, the Spurs have played six games in Mexico, most recently a 121-119 overtime win against the Phoenix Suns as part of The NBA Mexico City Games 2019. &nbsp;The matchup will mark the Heat&rsquo;s second game in Mexico, after defeating the Brooklyn Nets 101-89 as part of The NBA Mexico City Games 2017.
The NBA Mexico City Game 2022 will also mark the 30th anniversary of the league&rsquo;s first game in the country, which featured the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks playing a preseason game at Mexico&rsquo;s Palacio de los Deportes in October 1992. &nbsp;Overall, 22 NBA teams have played preseason and regular-season games in Mexico.
Fans in Mexico can find more information about the NBA at NBA.com/Mexico and on Facebook (@nbamexico), Twitter (@nbamex), YouTube (NBA M&eacute;xico) and Instagram (@nbamex). &nbsp;Fans can also purchase official NBA merchandise at the NBA Store in Polanco, online via NBATienda.com, and at the Arena CDMX on game night.
Executive Quotes:
Zignia Live Director Alejandro Arce Sald&iacute;var:
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re honored that NBA games will once again be held in our country this coming December. &nbsp;We remain fully committed to enhancing the sports viewing experience for dedicated fans across Mexico, and the Arena CDMX looks forward to delivering an ideal stage to enjoy the magic of basketball with your family. &nbsp;We thank the NBA, the teams and of course the fans in Mexico for their support.&rdquo;
NBA Mexico Vice President and Managing Director Raul Zarraga:
&ldquo;We couldn&rsquo;t be more excited to bring two storied franchises with strong local fanbases to the Arena CDMX next season. &nbsp;Hosting NBA games in Mexico is an important part of our wider efforts to grow basketball and engage fans across the country, and we look forward to once again bringing the live NBA experience to our devoted fans in Mexico on December 17 and in the years to come.&rdquo;
Spurs Sports &amp; Entertainment CEO RC Buford:
&ldquo;We have played six games in Mexico City and every time thousands of Spurs fans showed up, making us feel loved and right at home. &nbsp;We are grateful for our loyal fans in Mexico and are thrilled for the opportunity to play in front of them as part of our 50th anniversary season. &nbsp;This is one way we continue to purposefully engage and celebrate our growing number of fans in Mexico.&rdquo;
The HEAT Group President of Business Operations Eric Woolworth:
&ldquo;​Doing our part to grow the game on a global level has always been important to ​the Heat. &nbsp;Mexico is our neighbor, and its citizens have shown us a tremendous amount of support. &nbsp;We&rsquo;re thrilled to return to its capital city.&rdquo;

Spurs-Heat will mark the first NBA Mexico City Game since 2019 and the league’s 31st game in Mexico overall.

NBA Mexico City Game to return with Spurs-Heat matchup on Dec. 17

CAIRO, EGYPT &ndash; The NBA, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Egyptian Basketball Federation today announced that the 2022 Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa camp will be held Sunday, Aug. 28 &ndash; Wednesday, Aug. 31 at Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo, Egypt. &nbsp;The 18th BWB Africa camp will mark the first time the NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s global basketball development and community outreach program will be held in Egypt and the first time on the continent since 2019 in Senegal.
BWB Africa 2022 will bring together more than 60 of the top male and female players ages 18 and under from across Africa to learn directly from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches and compete alongside the best young players on the continent. &nbsp;The campers and coaches will also take part in life skills, leadership development and community service programming.
&ldquo;Basketball Without Borders is our flagship elite development camp in Africa, and we are delighted that the event is resuming on the continent for the first time in three years,&rdquo; said NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams. &nbsp;&ldquo;Since its launch in 2003, BWB Africa has provided a platform for top young players from Africa to develop and showcase their skills while continuing to grow the continent&rsquo;s basketball ecosystem. &nbsp;We look forward to once again working with FIBA on this signature program and are excited to collaborate with the Egyptian Basketball Federation to bring this special event to Egypt for the first time.&rdquo;
&ldquo;It is great to see Basketball Without Borders return to Africa for this 18th edition,&rdquo; said FIBA National Federations &amp; Sport Director, Zoran Radovic. &nbsp;&ldquo;It is clear that the talent in this part of the world is strong, and we have seen some great players who have attended BWB camps rise up and become superstars. &nbsp;Together with the NBA, we are proud to help continue to build and strengthen basketball in Africa and provide these future players with skills they will use both on and off the court.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We are delighted to host BWB for the first time in North Africa and Egypt,&rdquo; said Egyptian Basketball Federation President, Dr. Magdy Abo Frekha. &nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great honor to welcome the young talents of Africa to the land of the Pharaohs. &nbsp;In 2022, Cairo has hosted the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, Basketball Africa League, and now BWB, which gives us the feeling that basketball in Egypt is growing and flourishing. &nbsp;I want to thank NBA Africa and FIBA for their trust in Egypt&rsquo;s capabilities to organize remarkable events.&rdquo;
A record 41 former BWB campers were among the record 121 international players on opening-night rosters for the 2021-22 NBA season, including 2019 NBA champion Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012) and five-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011). &nbsp;The 2022 NBA Draft saw two former BWB Africa campers drafted into the NBA: Christian Koloko (No. 33 overall by the Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2017) and Khalifa Diop (No. 39 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers; Senegal; BWB Africa 2018). &nbsp;In total, 12 former BWB Africa campers have been drafted into the NBA since 2003.
The NBA and FIBA have hosted 65 BWB camps in 30 countries since the program&rsquo;s launch in 2001. &nbsp;BWB has reached more than 3,800 participants from 133 countries and territories, with 105 former campers drafted into the NBA and WNBA or signed as free agents.
BWB Africa 2022 will be supported by Nike, which will outfit participants with Nike apparel and footwear, and Gatorade, which will keep players and coaches hydrated throughout the camp.
BWB Africa 2022 campers and coaches will be announced in the coming weeks.
About NBA Africa
NBA Africa is a standalone entity formed in May 2021 that conducts the NBA&rsquo;s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL). &nbsp;The NBA has a long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010 before opening additional offices in Dakar, Senegal, and Lagos, Nigeria. &nbsp;The league&rsquo;s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, the BAL, and more.
NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015. &nbsp;The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that recently completed its second season. &nbsp;Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

BWB Africa 2022 will bring together more than 60 of the top male and female players ages 18 and under from across Africa.

Egypt to host NBA's Basketball Without Borders Africa in late August

NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s Global Basketball Development and Community Outreach Program will be Held Aug. 7-10 in Canberra in Partnership with Basketball Australia.
12th Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp Will Bring Together Over 60 of the top High-School Age Boys and Girls from more than 15 Countries Across Asia-Pacific.
NEW YORK AND CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, Aug. 4, 2022 &ndash; The National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and Basketball Australia (BA) today announced over 60 of the top boys and girls from more than 15 countries across Asia-Pacific will travel to Canberra, Australia for the 12th Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia camp from Sunday, Aug. 7 &ndash; Wednesday, Aug. 10 at NBA Global Academy, the league&rsquo;s elite basketball training center at BA&rsquo;s Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport.
BWB Asia 2022 will mark the first time the NBA and FIBA&rsquo;s global basketball development and community outreach program will be held in Asia-Pacific since 2019 in Japan and the first in Australia since 2016 in Melbourne. &nbsp;The camp will bring together the top male and female players ages 18 and under from throughout Asia-Pacific to compete alongside their peers from across the region and learn directly from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players and coaches.
The campers will be coached by NBA players Jarrett Allen (2022 NBA All-Star for the Cleveland Cavaliers; U.S.), Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks; Australia), Cameron Johnson (Phoenix Suns; U.S.) and Coby White (Chicago Bulls; U.S.). &nbsp;NBA assistant coaches Damian Cotter (Bulls; Australia), David Akinyooye (Oklahoma City Thunder; U.S.) and Eric Glass (Miami Heat; U.S.); New York Knicks international scout and Serbia Men&rsquo;s National Team assistant coach Adam Tatalovich (U.S.); former WNBA players Kristi Harrower (Australia) and Annie La Fleur (Australia); and former Australia Women&rsquo;s National Team player Jenni Screen (Australia) will also serve as BWB Asia coaches.
Patrick Hunt (President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches; Australia) will serve as camp director, while Dan Shimensky (Denver Nuggets; U.S.) will serve as the camp&rsquo;s athletic trainer.
Players and coaches will lead campers through a variety of activities, including movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests, 5-on-5 games, and life skills and leadership development sessions. &nbsp;A ceremony on the final day of the camp will award the BWB Asia 2022 MVP, Defensive MVP, Three-Point Champion and the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award to the boys and girls who distinguish themselves on the court and as leaders.
A record 41 former BWB campers were among the record 121 international players on 2021-22 NBA opening-night rosters, including 2022 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member and NBA Global Academy graduate Josh Giddey (Thunder; Australia; BWB Asia 2018 and BWB Global 2020), Green (BWB Global 2018) and 2020 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards; Japan; BWB Global 2016).
The NBA and FIBA have hosted 64 BWB camps in 30 countries since the program&rsquo;s launch in 2001. &nbsp;BWB has reached more than 3,800 participants from 133 countries and territories, with 105 former campers having advanced to the NBA or WNBA.
BWB Asia 2022 will be supported by Nike, which will outfit participants with Nike apparel and footwear, and Gatorade, which will keep players and coaches hydrated throughout the camp.
Fans in Australia can follow the NBA at NBA.com/Australia and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and follow BWB using the hashtag #BWBAsia.
The following is a complete list of players participating in BWB Asia 2022 (rosters subject to change):
GIRLS ROSTER
<table width="399">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="198">
First Name
</td>
<td width="201">
Last Name
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Opal
</td>
<td width="201">
Bird
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Layla
</td>
<td width="201">
Cameron
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Holly
</td>
<td width="201">
Griffiths
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Lulu
</td>
<td width="201">
Laditan
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Ruby
</td>
<td width="201">
Vlahov
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Shomira
</td>
<td width="201">
Bidaye
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Kavya
</td>
<td width="201">
Singla
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Angelica Jennifer
</td>
<td width="201">
Candra
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Deewell Windy Dido
</td>
<td width="201">
Gosal
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Vanissa Renata
</td>
<td width="201">
Siregar
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Reina
</td>
<td width="201">
Fukuo
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Honoka
</td>
<td width="201">
Morioka
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Chinami
</td>
<td width="201">
Yokoyama
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Anna
</td>
<td width="201">
Kochura
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Waimanu
</td>
<td width="201">
Clarken
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Maia Riley
</td>
<td width="201">
Jones
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Lilly
</td>
<td width="201">
Taulelei
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Quinn Kacey
</td>
<td width="201">
Dela Rosa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Dianne Camille
</td>
<td width="201">
Nolasco
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Kayla
</td>
<td width="201">
Lim
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Seo
</td>
<td width="201">
Jinyeong
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Sooin
</td>
<td width="201">
Kim
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Siriwimon
</td>
<td width="201">
Damrongchai
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="198">
Priscilla Langkilde
</td>
<td width="201">
Jensen
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
BOYS ROSTER
<table width="397">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Lachlan
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;">Brewer</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Carlin
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Briggs
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Joshua
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Dent
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Joshua
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Hughes
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Joshua
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Ibukunoluwa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
James
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
O&rsquo;Donnell
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Kye
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Savage
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Roman
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Siulepa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Rocco
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Zikarsky
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Soy
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Pisey
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Junjie Barry
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Wang
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Yijiong &ldquo;Joe&rdquo;
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Zhang
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Xian-Wei
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Lin
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Arthur Vadel
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Krisma Putra
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Mohamad
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Amini
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Sarem
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Jafari
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Akira
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Jacobs
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Yuto
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Kawashima
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Taiga
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Okada
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Hayato
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Wakugawa
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Adil
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Kuantayev
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Daniil
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Severgin
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Rayan
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Hachem
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Azbayar
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Altangerel
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Kaia
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Berridge
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Dontae
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Nance
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
William
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Passi
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Kalid
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Petzer
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
William
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Shortt
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
L.A. John
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Andres
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Jared
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Bahay
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Caelum Emmanuel
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Harris
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Seungwoo
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Kim
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Chan You
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Ko
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Gwanwoo
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Lee
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Vladimir
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Bespalov
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Artyom
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Malikov
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 176px;" width="198">
Dinh Quang
</td>
<td style="width: 178px;" width="198">
Duong
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Jarrett Allen, Josh Green, Cam Johnson and Coby White will coach over 60 of the top high-school age girls and boys from 15+ nations.

4 NBA players to coach at Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp in Australia

ATLANTA (July 28, 2022) - Overtime Elite kicked off day four of its signing week with the announcement of point guard Jeremy Fears and big man Jayden Williams. Both players bring elite skill sets and a competitive edge to the league as season two kicks off this fall in Atlanta. Fears and Williams join other highly-coveted prospects including Naas Cunningham, Trey Parker, Kanaan Carlyle, Jahki Howard, Bryson Tiller, ZZ Clark and Tyler Bey as OTE&rsquo;s newest signees. Fears and Williams have signed a scholarship option preserving their NCAA basketball eligibility.
As season two approaches, Fears and Williams will compete against some of the best teenage basketball players including Ausar and Amen Thompson, Jazian Gortman, and Alexandre Sarr. Building on the success of OTE&rsquo;s historic first season, Fears and Williams&rsquo; games will be showcased for millions of fans this season across social media channels and YouTube.
Fears is a 6&rsquo;1&rdquo; point guard from Joliet, Illinois. He is a savvy point guard that loves to get his teammates involved first with great vision on the court. He can also finish well around the basket and has a quick release. He has had a big summer playing in the FIBA U17 World Cup in Malaga, Spain, earning honorable mention honors from ESPN for being one of the best players in the tournament. In the championship game, Fears finished with 17 points and a game-high six assists in a 79-67 win over Spain for the title. It was his second experience with USA Basketball after winning a gold medal in the FIBA U16 Americas Championship in Mexico last summer. Fears is currently committed to play at Michigan State.
&ldquo;Jeremy&rsquo;s competitive spirit is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about the dynamic he brings to our league,&rdquo; said Tim Fuller, OTE Vice President of Recruiting and Player Personnel. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the definition of a competitive and elite defender that will add toughness and physicality to our program. He plays with a bit of a chip on his shoulder which makes him difficult to guard and even more difficult to escape on defense.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Jeremy is a true point guard and makes everyone on his team better when he&rsquo;s on the floor,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Director of Player Development. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had some great experiences already playing with USA Basketball and high level players all over the world, so he&rsquo;ll bring that into our program as we continue developing his game.&rdquo;
Williams is a five star, 6&rsquo;9&rdquo; center from Chicago. He most recently played at Brookwood High School in Lilburn, Georgia where he was a force in the paint on both ends of the floor using his 7-5 wingspan and athleticism. Last season, he recorded a triple double with 10 blocks. Williams has also developed his outside shot and can stretch the floor. Williams plays AAU for the Atlanta Celtics.
&ldquo;Jayden&rsquo;s shot blocking and finishing at the rim is a welcome addition to our front court,&rdquo; said Tim Fuller, OTE Vice President of Recruiting and Player Personnel. &ldquo;Two of the things that stand out about Jayden are his ability to run the floor, and he can catch and finish through traffic.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Jayden&rsquo;s an elite player with a large upside who will benefit tremendously from our development resources,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Director of Player Development. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t teach the length and athleticism he brings to the court, so as he uses OTE&rsquo;s resources to continue developing his overall game, his potential is limitless.&rdquo;
Every contracted OTE player is offered a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs. Starting this season, players have the option to choose a scholarship or salary option.&nbsp;
ABOUT OTE
Overtime Elite (OTE) is a professional basketball league featuring top 17-20-year-old domestic and international players. There are three teams in the league, and games are played primarily at the OTE Arena in Atlanta. OTE, owned and operated by Overtime, brings fans as close as possible to the action through broad digital distribution on accounts that have millions of followers.&nbsp;
While playing in the league, players receive innovative, cutting-edge education and training to prepare them for college and professional basketball. OTE's three founding sponsors are State Farm, Gatorade and Meta Quest.

Jeremy Fears and Jayden Williams are part of nine new players joining OTE this season in Atlanta.

Jeremy Fears, Jayden Williams become Overtime Elite's newest members

ATLANTA (July 27, 2022) - Overtime Elite announced the signing of two elite prospects today - point guard ZZ Clark and small forward Tyler Bey. Keeping the momentum of OTE Signing Week, both players bring dynamic skills and athleticism to the league as it prepares for its second season of elite basketball. Clark and Bey join other highly-coveted prospects including Naas Cunningham, Trey Parker, Kanaan Carlyle, Jahki Howard and Bryson Tiller as OTE&rsquo;s newest signees. Both players signed a scholarship option preserving their NCAA basketball eligibility.
With season two on the horizon, Clark and Bey will compete against some of the best teenage basketball players including Ausar and Amen Thompson, Jazian Gortman, and Alexandre Sarr. Building on the success of OTE&rsquo;s historic first season, Clark and Bey&rsquo;s games will be showcased for millions of fans this season across social media channels and YouTube.
Clark is a 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; point guard from Brentwood, Tennessee. He committed to Illinois after a standout sophomore season at Windermere Prep in Orlando, Florida. The strong, explosive guard averaged 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals leading his team to a 20-8 record before losing in the FHSAA Class 3A regional semifinals to the eventual state champions during his sophomore season. He played AAU for The Skill Factory this summer. His brother, Skyy Clark, will be a freshman at Illinois this fall.
&ldquo;If you&rsquo;ve seen ZZ play, you know he&rsquo;s an electric playmaker in the open court,&rdquo; said Tim Fuller, OTE Vice President of Recruiting and Player Personnel. &nbsp;&ldquo;His unparalleled discipline makes him a true floor general, and the competition in our program is going to help maximize his potential to be a lockdown defender.
&ldquo;ZZ is joining a group of elite ball handlers at OTE and I&rsquo;m excited to see him thrive in our league,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Director of Player Development. &ldquo;He&rsquo;ll be pushed daily to be the best playmaker, and I&rsquo;m looking forward to seeing his confidence on the court translate into competition.&rdquo;
Bey is a 6&rsquo;8&rdquo; small forward from Newark, New Jersey. Last year, he played at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, California and helped lead them to a city championship. Being from New Jersey, he&rsquo;s played for the NY Rens with former OTE, and current San Antonio Spurs player Dominick Barlow and new OTE signee Naas Cunningham before playing for the Oakland Soldiers this summer. &nbsp;Long, athletic and capable of hitting shots from deep, he has three and d potential at the next level and has seen his recruitment take off this summer. Bey plays hard and is very active on the offensive glass.
&ldquo;The striking thing about Tyler is his tremendous size and skill for his position,&rdquo; said Tim Fuller, OTE Vice President of Recruiting and Player Personnel. &ldquo;His activity on the glass makes him a valuable rebounder who will bring a scrappy energy and unmatched work ethic, and his consistency will add skill and depth to our league.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;The first thing I noticed about Tyler is his size and his potential for development,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Director of Player Development. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s committed to the work and has seen the benefits of our OTE resources through his relationship with Dominick Barlow. I&rsquo;m excited to see him follow in Dom&rsquo;s footsteps and take advantage of all the development opportunities in our league.&rdquo;
Every contracted OTE player is offered a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs. Starting this season, players have the option to choose a scholarship or salary option.&nbsp;
ABOUT OTE
Overtime Elite (OTE) is a professional basketball league featuring top 17-20-year-old domestic and international players. There are three teams in the league, and games are played primarily at the OTE Arena in Atlanta. OTE, owned and operated by Overtime, brings fans as close as possible to the action through broad digital distribution on accounts that have millions of followers.&nbsp;
While playing in the league, players receive innovative, cutting-edge education and training to prepare them for college and professional basketball. OTE's three founding sponsors are State Farm, Gatorade and Meta Quest.

Both ZZ Clark and Tyler Bey add elevated talent to an already top-tier class ahead of OTE's second season.

ZZ Clark and Tyler Bey Sign with Overtime Elite for Season 2

ATLANTA (July 26, 2022) - Overtime Elite announced the signing of two highly-rated prospects from Georgia, Jahki Howard and Bryson Tiller, during day two of OTE Signing Week. Howard and Tiller join Naas Cunningham, Trey Parker and Kanaan Carlyle as OTE&rsquo;s newest signees for the highly-anticipated second season of the league in Atlanta. Both players signed a scholarship option preserving their NCAA basketball eligibility.
The five star forwards will compete against some of the best teenage basketball players including Ausar and Amen Thompson, Jazian Gortman, and Alexandre Sarr. Building on the momentum of OTE&rsquo;s historic first season, Howard and Tiller&rsquo;s games will be showcased for millions of fans this season across social media channels and YouTube.
Howard is a 6&rsquo;7&rdquo; small forward from Norcross, Georgia. He joins OTE after one year playing for Donda Academy. Howard uses his length and athleticism to be disruptive on the defensive end and get his looks on offense. He also has USA Basketball experience participating in the 2021 USA Men's U16 National Team training camp. Before transferring to Donda Academy for his sophomore year, Howard played for Norcross High School his freshman season.
&ldquo;The first thing that comes to mind with Jahki is his explosiveness,&rdquo; said Tim Fuller, OTE Vice President of Recruiting and Player Personnel. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a wing with tremendous length and a great playmaker in the open court, not to mention his flashy finishes in transition. His dynamic personality is going to light up the court&rdquo;
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to get Jahki in the building - his energy on the court and dedication to perfecting his game comes through every day,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Director of Player Development. &ldquo;Working with our elite skills development team and playing against top level competition is going to turn him into a powerful defender and consistent shotmaker.&rdquo;
Tiller is a 6&rsquo;8&rdquo; forward from Atlanta. He&rsquo;s ranked number six in the ESPN25 for 2025. The rising sophomore attended Pace Academy during his freshman year. Last summer before he was in high school, Tiller played at the 17U level with Atl Xpress and looked very comfortable playing against players that were at least three years older than him including current OTE player TJ Clark. Coming off of a strong freshman season, he participated in USA Basketball&rsquo;s U17 Minicamp. College coaches haven&rsquo;t been able to make contact yet with Tiller, but he already holds several high major offers to colleges.
&ldquo;We found a young phenom in Bryson Tiller, the first rising sophomore we&rsquo;ve recruited to OTE,&rdquo; said Tim Fuller, OTE Vice President of Recruiting and Player Personnel. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m continually impressed with his ability to stretch defenses and his terrific court vision.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Bryson will be the youngest player in our league, but I was instantly impressed with his maturity and poise on and off the court,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Director of Player Development. &ldquo;With our development resources, we are looking to help him transform into a multi-faceted player with enhanced perimeter skills and develop his ability to guard multiple positions.&rdquo;
Every contracted OTE player is offered a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs. Starting this season, players have the option to choose a scholarship or salary option.&nbsp;
ABOUT OTE
Overtime Elite (OTE) is a professional basketball league featuring top 17-20-year-old domestic and international players. There are three teams in the league, and games are played primarily at the OTE Arena in Atlanta. OTE, owned and operated by Overtime, brings fans as close as possible to the action through broad digital distribution on accounts that have millions of followers.&nbsp;
While playing in the league, players receive innovative, cutting-edge education and training to prepare them for college and professional basketball. OTE's three founding sponsors are State Farm, Gatorade and Meta Quest.

Overtime Elite has announced the signing of two highly-rated prospects from Georgia, Jahki Howard and Bryson Tiller.

Georgia's own Jahki Howard and Bryson Tiller join Overtime Elite

ATLANTA (Monday, July 25) - Treymane &ldquo;Trey&rdquo; Parker and Kanaan Carlyle, two of the best high school players in the country, have signed a scholarship to join Overtime Elite for the league&rsquo;s second highly anticipated season. They join 2024 #1 rated prospect Naasir Cunningham, and like Cunningham, they have not accepted a salary, preserving their NCAA basketball eligibility.
OTE returns to action this fall for its second season, with Parker and Carlyle competing against some of the best teenage basketball players including Ausar and Amen Thompson, Jazian Gortman, Nass Cunningham and Alexandre Sarr. Parker and Carlyle's games will be viewed by millions this season across OTE's social media channels and YouTube.
Originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, Parker is a 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; shooting guard that previously attended Vertical Academy. Parker is a high flier on the court, whose jaw-dropping dunks have been viewed globally by millions. His game extends far beyond dunking with his elite shooting range. In the Underclassmen All-American Game, he made 10 three pointers on his way to scoring 42 points. In two games against Overtime Elite last season for Vertical Academy, Parker averaged 19 points and scored a game high 24 points in the second game.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve spent my career working with the top athletes around the world, and Trey&rsquo;s natural explosiveness continues to blow me away&rdquo; said Tim Fuller, OTE Vice President of Recruiting. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited to see the results of putting a professional basketball development program around him because the sky's the limit.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Having the athleticism that Trey possesses is something you can&rsquo;t teach, so OTE is the perfect place for his next phase of basketball development,&rdquo; said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Director of Player Development. &ldquo;My coaching staff and I are excited to build off his terrific foundation and prepare him to have success on and off the basketball court for years to come.&rdquo;
Carlyle is a 6&rsquo;2&rdquo; combo guard from Alpharetta, Georgia. The five-star prospect previously attended Milton and is committed to Stanford for college. He&rsquo;s had a big summer so far winning a gold medal playing on USA&rsquo;s team in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Tijuana, Mexico. At Milton, he led his team to a state championship his sophomore season going 8-10 from the free throw line in the final minute to ice the game. Carlye is known for being a dynamic playmaker for his team on the offensive end and is able to use his length on the defensive end to be a tenacious defender.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When I think about the dedication and investment it takes to be an elite player, I think of Kanaan Carlyle,&rdquo; said Tim Fuller, OTE Vice President of Recruiting and Player Personnel. &ldquo;He has a warrior mentality on both sides of the ball - he won&rsquo;t be outworked on any possession. He&rsquo;s received much-deserved recognition for being a terrific playmaker, adding a level of intensity and ball-handling to our league.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The energy Kanaan brings to every game is going to make a direct impact on our league,&rdquo; &nbsp;said Kevin Ollie, OTE Head Coach and Director of Player Development. &ldquo;He joins a group of talented ball-handlers at OTE, and that daily grind of elite competition is going to take his game to another level.&rdquo;
Every contracted OTE player is offered a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs. Starting this season, players have the option to choose a scholarship or salary option.&nbsp;
ABOUT OTE
Overtime Elite (OTE) is a professional basketball league featuring top 17-20-year-old domestic and international players. There are currently three teams in the league, and games are played primarily at the OTE Arena in Atlanta. OTE, owned and operated by Overtime, brings fans as close as possible to the action through broad digital distribution on accounts that have millions of followers.&nbsp;
While playing in the league, players receive innovative, cutting-edge education and training to prepare them for college and professional basketball. OTE's three founding sponsors are State Farm, Gatorade and Meta Quest.

Treymane “Trey” Parker and Kanaan Carlyle have signed a scholarship to join OTE for the league’s second season.

Overtime Elite signs Treymane Parker and Kanaan Carlyle

Overtime Elite (OTE) announced today that 2x NBA Champion and 6x All-Star Pau Gasol has joined the Board of Directors. Gasol&rsquo;s appointment is effective immediately, and he participated in his first board meeting this week. Gasol joins Overtime CEO and Co-Founder Dan Porter, Overtime President and Co-Founder Zack Weiner, Overtime CFO Farzeen Ghorashy, Carmelo Anthony and Jay Williams on the OTE Board.
&ldquo;We could not be more fortunate to have Pau join the OTE Board of Directors,&rdquo; said Overtime CEO and Co-Founder Dan Porter. &ldquo;Pau&rsquo;s resume on and off the court speaks for itself, but his insight and hands-on approach will be fundamental to the league&rsquo;s growth and long-term success. We saw this firsthand when Pau visited with our players and staff this past Spring in Atlanta.&rdquo;
&ldquo;When I walked through OTE Arena in April and met with the players, I saw up close the life-changing experiences that Overtime Elite is providing them,&rdquo; said Pau Gasol. &ldquo;I am honored that Dan and Zack have asked me to join the board and I look forward to working with my fellow board members and OTE staff to build, not only a world-class developmental league, but a basketball league that captures the imagination of basketball fans all over the world.&rdquo;
Every contracted OTE player is offered a six-figure salary, with a guaranteed minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, plus bonuses and shares of equity in Overtime. In addition, players will participate in revenue from use of their name, image and likeness, including through sales of custom jerseys, trading cards, video games and NFTs. &nbsp;Starting this season, players have the option to choose a scholarship or salary option.&nbsp;
ABOUT OTE
Overtime Elite (OTE) is a professional basketball league featuring top 17-20-year-old domestic and international players. There are three teams in the league, and games are played primarily at the OTE Arena in Atlanta. OTE, owned and operated by Overtime, brings fans as close as possible to the action through broad digital distribution on accounts that have millions of followers.&nbsp;
While playing in the league, players receive innovative, cutting-edge education and training to prepare them for college and professional basketball. OTE's three founding sponsors are State Farm, Gatorade and Meta Quest.

“We could not be more fortunate to have Pau join the OTE Board of Directors,” said Overtime CEO and Co-Founder Dan Porter.

Pau Gasol appointed to Overtime Elite board of directors

A perfectly orchestrated out-of-bounds set is a thing of beauty.&nbsp;
Plays ran after timeouts, or ATOs as they're commonly referred to, are by far the most intricately designed sets in any NBA game.
We hear the phrase "read and react" quite frequently, but that's truly the best way to describe the typical flow of NBA offenses. Possessions in the half-court without any sort of stoppage regularly feature some sort of pick-and-roll or handoff action, maybe with 1-to-2 additional tinkerings depending on the team you're watching. But the point is: There is a great deal of freelancing going on out there. These guys are pros for a reason &mdash; they don't need a guy in a suit telling them exactly&nbsp;what to do for every second of the game.
ATOs, however, are quite different. They allow head coaches to step in, sit down with their players for a full minute and 15 seconds, precisely rehearse and recall a scripted action from practice, and, most of all, tactically prey on the weaknesses of an opponent.&nbsp;
And when they're executed well? Sheesh, there's truly nothing better.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Now, just for size, imagine watching two back-to-back successful ATOs in the final eight seconds of a playoff game. That'd be crazy, right? Huh?! For all my play-by-play geeks out there?
Alas, that is what happened during Tuesday's Game 5 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Let's set the stage a little bit: This contest was not a gorgeous showing of pristine execution. It was a back-and-forth, frenetic affair, with both teams streaking up-and-down the floor like the Gatorade coolers had been spiked with C4 pre-workout. All of that speed didn't necessarily equate to production; collectively, both teams turned the ball over a ghastly 39 total times, and Memphis couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from deep at just 25.0% (7 of 28).
Minnesota controlled the tempo for most of Tuesday's game, building a lead as large as 13 in the second half. The Grizzlies looked dead in the water on their home floor, unable to get much of anything going in the halfcourt. Then, Ja Morant did this, and the mood completely changed...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Chasing History -Episode 12 🏆 A jaw-dropping dunk&hellip;.a clutch late 3&hellip;.a game-winning shot. Ja Morant did it all in game 5, leading the Grizzlies to victory over the Timberwolves to take the 3-2 series lead. <a href="https://t.co/pKbwxriEws">pic.twitter.com/pKbwxriEws</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1519677816828313601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

(Seriously, it's tough to get enough of this freakin' dunk. BBN's Mark Schindler even <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ja-morants-jadropping-dunk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote an entire article on it</a>! I mean, what the actual HECK, Temetrius Jamel Morant.)
That audacious poster lit something inside of Morant, who went on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-grizzlies-helped-ja-morant-find-himself-as-a-scorer-in-game-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an absolute tear in the final period of the game</a>, eventually boosting his fourth-quarter point total to 16 after a pair of free throws. This put Memphis up by 3 with just eight seconds remaining.
With the first-round series hanging in the balance at 2-2, Minnesota needed a three-pointer more than ever to even things up at 109 apiece. And gosh darn it, Wolves head coach Chris Finch delivered.&nbsp;
Minnesota sets things up with Jordan McLaughlin inbounding, its two strongest offensive players &mdash; Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards &mdash;on the strong side of the floor and D'Angelo Russell and Jaden McDaniels on the weak side.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-04-27-at-4-24-57-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="699" height="373" />
McLaughlin inbounds the ball to Towns at the left slot to initiate things. All the while, McDaniels streaks toward the left dunker spot and Russell brushes a backscreen for McDaniels. Then, Russell proceeds to "ghost" or fake a secondary back-screen for Edwards cutting up from the low block to the right slot.
Here's a video of that specific action involving that trio of players:
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cIxs0UZKxKU" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
In the end, it was a simple exchange of positioning; McDaniels had replaced Russell in the right dunker spot, Edwards had taken McDaniels' place as the lifted shooter on the weak side of the floor, and Russell was now in Edwards' spot on the strong side. But most importantly, Brandon Clarke, the largest Grizzly available, was now tasked with manning rim-protection duties as the "low man."
Now, let's zoom out a bit. Minnesota inbounds the ball to its most dangerous offensive player, Towns, who at this point has scored a team-high 28 points on the night. Yet as the inbounder, it's McLaughlin who is technically the most dangerous player on the floor, and so Towns immediately returns the rock to give the zippy backup a running start. As such, McLaughlin gains a step on his defender, Kyle Anderson, and this causes Clarke to hesitate for a second, unsure if he's supposed to protect the rim or track the weak-side shooters.
Because Clarke decides to hold his ground in the paint, Morant then becomes responsible for "zoning up" and guarding the two weak-side offensive players, Edwards and McDaniels. So, Edwards drifts down to the baseline for deep positioning to create a brutally tough angle of recovery, and McDaniels sets a back-screen on Edwards' man (Morant).
This specific screening setup is known as "exit" action, where one offensive player pins the "zoned-up" defender with a screen to generate a corner three for his teammate. (Finch loves&nbsp;his exit-screen plays, I tell ya.)
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-04-27-at-5-03-55-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="699" height="360" />
McLaughlin flicks a ridiculous bounce pass to the corner like he's skipping rocks across a pond, and Edwards&mdash;quietly shooting ~42% on catch-and-shoot threes in the regular season and postseason&mdash;nails the corner jumper over an excellent closeout from Clarke.
Here's Finch's pi&egrave;ce de r&eacute;sistance in full:
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Tie game at 109.
Which meant it was Taylor Jenkins' time to cook for the Grizzlies' response.
Unlike Minnesota, Memphis set up by overloading one side of the floor with Desmond Bane, Anderson and Morant all sharing the strong side, and Tyus Jones on the weak side.
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Morant sets a cross-screen for Jones to cut across the paint, only to have Ja then come off a pindown screen from Desmond Bane. This specific action is known as "screen the screener," in which a player (Morant here) sets a screen for one teammate (Jones) and then receives a screen from another (Bane). Meanwhile, Anderson cuts across the paint from the left corner to the right slot to drag Minnesota's only rim-protector, Towns, completely out of the play.
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Memphis' screen-the-screener setup, or STS, forces Morant's defender (Edwards) to navigate not one, but two&nbsp;off-ball screens while tracking the hottest player on the floor. Edwards falls slightly behind the lightning-quick Morant, and exasperates things by gambling for the steal. Ant giveth, Ant taketh.
Now, Morant has the advantage with a free lane to the rim and Clarke in the right dunker spot. Jarred Vanderbilt rotates over to the stop the drive, and Towns inexplicably (??) turns his body away from the ball instead of rotating down to Clarke. This effectively leaves Vanderbilt in no man's land, forced to defend perhaps the best downhill dude in the league and&nbsp;a premier lob-threat... and, well, you know the rest.
Let's see the full play.
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Game. Set. Match. The Grizzlies went on to win Game 5 by a final of 111-109, and took an emphatic 3-2 lead in the series all behind Morant's 18 fourth-quarter points.
And sure, the night was dominated by the highlights (again, whew, that dunk), but it's sequences like the final eight seconds that make this NBA game what it is &mdash; great.
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&nbsp;

Matt Brooks gives kudos to both Chris Finch and Taylor Jenkins for their ATOs in the crucial moments of Game 5 in Memphis.

Applauding Chris Finch and Taylor Jenkins' ATO play-calling wizardry

The NBA G League today announced that the Rio Grande Valley Vipers have earned three annual performance awards for this season, including&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8htEopW0yJ8" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8htEopW0yJ8" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">guard Trevelin Queen being named the 2021-22 Kia NBA G League Most Valuable Player</a>. Additionally, head coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah is the recipient of the Dennis Johnson Trophy as the 2021-22 NBA G League Coach of the Year, while General Manager Travis Stockbridge has been named the 2021-22 NBA G League Basketball Executive of the Year.
NBA G League Head of Basketball Operations Malik Rose will present all three winners with their awards tonight before the Vipers host the Texas Legends in the Western Conference Semifinals at the Bert Ogden Arena (8 p.m. ET, ESPNews).
Rio Grande is the second team in NBA G League history to earn MVP, Coach of the Year and Basketball Executive of the Year accolades in the same season. The MVP and Coach of the Year awards were voted on by the league&rsquo;s 28 head coaches and general managers, while Basketball Executive of the Year was voted on by the general managers only.
Queen, a two-way player with the Houston Rockets, averaged 25.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.3 steals in 19 games.Queen (6-6, 190, New Mexico State) received an NBA GATORADE Call-Up when he signed his two-way contract with the Rockets on Dec. 18, 2021, and has appeared in 10 games for Houston this season. He is the third Rio Grande Valley Vipers player to win the Kia NBA G League MVP award, joining Mike Harris (2009-10) and Andrew Goudelock (2012-13). In his third season as head coach of the Rockets&rsquo; NBA G League affiliate, Abdelfattah steered the Vipers to the top regular-season record in the Western Conference (24-10), earning a bye in the NBA G League Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. Under Abdelfattah, the Vipers led the league in points per game (124.5), free throws made (12.4), offensive rebounds (16.5) and total rebounds (51.4).Since being named head coach prior to the 2019-20 season, Abdelfattah has led the Vipers to a record of 48-43 and two consecutive playoff appearances. He is the second head coach in Rio Grande Valley history to earn Coach of the Year honors, joining current Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch (2009-10).
Stockbridge becomes the first executive in Vipers&rsquo; history to win the Basketball Executive of the Year award. Key player acquisitions by Stockbridge included Marcus Foster (18.7 ppg, 4.3 apg), Mfiondu Kabengele (17.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg) and 12-year NBA veteran Gerald Green (16.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg). Since Stockbridge became general manager in 2019, five Rio Grande Valley players have earned GATORADE Call-Ups: Queen, Armoni Brooks, Anthony Lamb, Ray Spalding and Brodric Thomas.
The Sioux Falls Skyforce is the only other NBA G League team to win all three awards in the same season. Sioux Falls accomplished this feat for the 2015-16 season, with Jarnell Stokes winning MVP, Dan Craig earning Coach of the Year and Adam Simon receiving Basketball Executive of the Year honors.
Motor City Cruise guard Saben Lee, who was on assignment from the Detroit Pistons, and South Bay Lakers two-way guard Mason Jones finished in second and third place, respectively, in voting for Kia NBA G League MVP.
Raptors 905 head coach Patrick Mutombo and Agua Caliente Clippers head coach Paul Hewitt finished in second and third place, respectively, for NBA G League Coach of the Year.
Delaware Blue Coats General Manager Prosper Karangwa and Raptors 905 General Manager Chad Sanders finished in second and third place, respectively, for NBA G League Basketball Executive of the Year.

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers have earned three of the G League's end-of-season awards, including MVP for guard Trevelin Queen.

Vipers' Trevelin Queen named NBA G League Most Valuable Player

The Miami Heat were supposed to be peaking now.
After nearly one calendar year, Victor Oladipo returned earlier this month. Shortly thereafter, four months removed from <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1479485862962413574" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a neck injury via that Nikola Jokić incident</a>, Markieff Morris finally came back. Beginning on March 5, the Heat were engaged in a stretch that included seven-straight home games &mdash; of which they won five &mdash; before their current back-to-back losing streak, their worst of the season.
Still, despite holding first place in the Eastern Conference, it&rsquo;s felt like the Heat have needed a jolt &mdash; nothing more amplifying of that fact than their last two games. In Philadelphia, against the 76ers without James Harden and Joel Embiid &mdash; <a href="https://twitter.com/5ReasonsSports/status/1507045025296928776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whose broadcast apparently didn&rsquo;t want them to win</a> &mdash; defeated a mostly healthy Heat team. Miami was missing Oladipo and Gabe Vincent, but still had Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, all of whom were nearly 30-balled by Tyrese Maxey.
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Okay, road game, regular season, 1-of-82 &mdash; sh*t happens.
But Wednesday, with no Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, James Wiseman, Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II (or Baron Davis, Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway or Monta Ellis), the Golden State Warriors &mdash; led by a 30-ball from Jordan Poole &mdash; punked the Heat on their home floor, 118-104.
Look, these are still NBA players, sometimes that happens too.
What typically doesn&rsquo;t &mdash; in public &mdash; was the, &ldquo;<a href="https://twitter.com/LeBatardShow/status/1507040697219797000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kerfuffle, a hurly-burly, tomfoolery, a skirmish, a quarrel, a brouhaha, a dust-up, a hubbub or agree to disagree</a>.&rdquo;
You&rsquo;ve probably seen it by now, but here:
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Jimmy Butler was HEATED in the Miami huddle after the Warriors went on a big run to start the second half <a href="https://t.co/6waBmHlL1r">pic.twitter.com/6waBmHlL1r</a>
&mdash; Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1506804574320955392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<ul>
<li>Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra picks up a clipboard just so he could throw it.</li>
<li>Butler and Udonis Haslem need to be separated.
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll beat yo ass,&rdquo; which we&rsquo;ll get to in a bit.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Markieff Morris and PJ Tucker act like this is a regular Wednesday, and it might be.</li>
<li>Warriors rookie Moses Moody looks amazed and/or confused.</li>
</ul>
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Haslem telling Jimmy Butler &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll beat your ass&rdquo; 😂 <a href="https://t.co/9AcQiNw6WY">pic.twitter.com/9AcQiNw6WY</a>
&mdash; Ted Buddwell 🏀🏈 (@TedBuddy8) <a href="https://twitter.com/TedBuddy8/status/1506806343402893315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After the game, and after joking that the team was heated about making dinner plans, Spoelstra offered his thoughts on the tense moment.
&ldquo;It was pretty clear. We have a very competitive, gnarly group; we were getting our asses kicked, for two straight games, we were not playing to the level that we wanted to play," Spoelstra said. "Every single person in that huddle was pretty animated about our disappointment in how we were playing...
&ldquo;... Everything has to be better across the board. It starts with our leadership &mdash; our veteran players have to lead. And then, we just have to play better. Play better to our identity, play more consistently, and that&rsquo;s really all the discussions were. I know how it can look to the outside, but as I mentioned before, that is more our language than playing without passion or without toughness or without multiple efforts and lifelessness.&rdquo;
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Tucker, along with Lowry and Adebayo, was one of the three Heat players to address the media after the game. He also downplayed the confrontation.
&ldquo;Something happened?&rdquo; Tucker <a href="https://youtu.be/A4T3AbNbufs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked with a smirk</a>. &ldquo;You put cameras on any NBA team, football team, any team, man. (We&rsquo;re) No. 1 in the East, finally got our whole team back, got our butts handed to us two games in a row by teams who don&rsquo;t even have their star players... emotions run high ... I laughed, man. I walked off the court laughing... This is part of the game.&rdquo;
Lowry acknowledged that "it&rsquo;s crazy,&rdquo; but quickly added that &ldquo;it&rsquo;s passion.&rdquo;
"We&rsquo;re in a situation where we have a lot of competitive guys. Our biggest competitor is our head coach. Jimmy and UD are tough competitive guys. It&rsquo;s good sometimes to get some anger and frustration out and just talk about it," Lowry <a href="https://youtu.be/ssv0jGhR50Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>. "We&rsquo;re gonna have situations that make people uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, as long as we&rsquo;re comfortable and we figure it out, it&rsquo;s all that really matters. And as long as we&rsquo;re still together, and we are.&rdquo;
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NBA players, veterans, reporters, veteran reporters, coaches, staff, referees, families and secret families would all tell you that this happens, and particularly with contenders. With the Heat specifically, it&rsquo;s an organization still run by the famously confrontational Pat Riley, who probably looks at this as a regular Wednesday despite the magnitude of social media amplification in 2022. Because this happened publicly, though, chances are this isn&rsquo;t the first time, just the most public. &nbsp;
Hardened personalities clash every now and then because they want the same goal and might have occasional philosophical differences on how to get there with their teammates. They can argue off of raw emotion because that&rsquo;s who they are, and the emotion itself mainly expresses that they care &mdash; care enough to argue over it, and are prideful enough to defend themselves publicly because of it. That&rsquo;s probably closer to what this actual is &mdash; the Heat, more than most teams and organizations &mdash; have probably earned that.
We&rsquo;ve heard his story, but it bares reiterating: Butler was homeless as a teenager and worked his ass off to become a first-round pick four years after being a JUCO-signee out of high school. Four years after being drafted, he won Most Improved Player, and has been a perennial NBA All-Star and All-Defensive player ever since while earning nine figures.
Just think. No, really, think about the self-belief that dude must have to pull that off? He never would&rsquo;ve went toe-to-toe with LeBron James in an NBA Finals without it.
Haslem is 41 years old, still in the league and has the respect of damn near everyone you could think of. He&rsquo;s a been through it all, seen it all and is an old-school dude who really values respect. Haslem went undrafted out of the Florida Gators program in 2002, played in France, came to the Heat in 2003 and has been there ever since.
Spoelstra was initially hired as the Heat&rsquo;s video coordinator in 1995 &mdash; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/sports/basketball/spoelstra-has-heat-right-where-it-wanted-to-be.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even predating Riley&rsquo;s tenure in Miami</a> &mdash; and worked his way up onto eventually becoming the head coach in 2008.
Remember last season when Haslem went at Dwight Howard? Notably, before even discussing this with teammate Duncan Robinson and podcast co-host David Reid on the Long Shot, Haslem notes how close he&rsquo;s been with Coach Spoelstra. We don&rsquo;t know what Butler said, but it might be fair to suggest Haslem felt someone was being disrespectful; sometimes, in the heat of battle, that happens too.
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&ldquo;Me and Spo been through a lot, man,&rdquo; Haslem said on the Long Shot in August. &ldquo;We done been through the bottom, we done been mad at each other, we&rsquo;ve been on the same team, we done evolved to now, we&rsquo;ve just got a great relationship. It&rsquo;s symbiotic, we don&rsquo;t have to say it, we can just feel it. I can look at him, and he can look at me.&rdquo;
Sometimes, these blowups are necessary &mdash; in a team environment, with your siblings, significant other, your bodega guy, your barber and/or your side piece. (Sometimes, you gotta get people to know their role, yanno?) Often, you just can&rsquo;t let failures fester, and there&rsquo;s a need to outwardly address them. Miami did that in a very "Heat" way, according to them.
For the Heat, it's very simple from here. This either invigorates you in time for the playoffs, or it derails your season at the worst possible time. It either really works or it really doesn&rsquo;t.
&ldquo;You can use moments during a season to catapult you,&rdquo; Spoelstra said. &ldquo;You can galvanize together over frustration and disappointment. Teams can also go the other way; I don&rsquo;t see that with our group, I don&rsquo;t see that with our locker room. But we have needed a kick in the butt from these two games.&rdquo;
They did, and now, they&rsquo;ll also have one of the most essential things an organization could obtain this last in the year &mdash; clarity.
If this works, the Heat will be a legit contender, mixing it up in a loaded Eastern Conference dogfight with the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and 76ers.
If it doesn&rsquo;t, and they flame out of a second-straight post-season, they&rsquo;ll have clarity on what to do next this summer.
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Bryan Fonseca reviews Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra's tense moment and why it might've been beneficial for the Heat.

The Heat’s blow-up was necessary, but now the rest is up to them

It still feels like yesterday.
Boston Garden was going crazy because we knew the championship was ours. Guys started celebrating, Paul dumped that red Gatorade on Doc&rsquo;s head and we all celebrated like 10-year-old kids.
Somehow, it&rsquo;s already been 14 years since we beat the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, and even after all this time, I haven&rsquo;t forgotten those moments. It&rsquo;s like I have pictures ingrained in my head.
And going back to where it all went down to join my teammates to honor Kevin Garnett &mdash; even after all these years, man, Boston still feels like home.
I feel so blessed to have been able to play a part in such a great team accomplishing the ultimate goal. And we all felt like we played a small part in Ticket&rsquo;s jersey getting retired.
Last weekend, I was invited by the Celtics organization to attend Kevin Garnett&rsquo;s jersey retirement ceremony. It was scheduled to happen during Sunday&rsquo;s game against the Mavericks, and a bunch of the members of the 2008 team got together and spent the entire weekend in Boston. It was amazing.
It was like the band was back together. Just like old times, I was hanging out, cracking jokes and reminiscing with Paul Pierce, Big Baby Davis and Eddie House. I got to chop it up a bit and catch up with Danny Ainge. And of course, I got to not only catch up with Ray Allen and KG; I got to see them publicly, and once and for all, squash whatever beef they may have had.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
About last night. Appreciate the love as always <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@celtics</a> Great to be HOME<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KGweekend?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KGweekend</a> <a href="https://t.co/Vt5ZRqw8bP">pic.twitter.com/Vt5ZRqw8bP</a>
&mdash; James Posey (@James_Posey41) <a href="https://twitter.com/James_Posey41/status/1502702175775907840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Sometimes in life, one tiny decision you make ends up having such a huge impact. Before I signed with Boston, I really thought I was going to New Jersey to play with Jason Kidd and the Nets. But for a few reasons, I ended up heading to Boston instead.
One of the things I&rsquo;ll always remember about being a Celtic was the fact that when I came to Boston, I was the only player on the team who had already won a championship. Doc would sometimes ask me questions in front of the team and want to get my perspective. He&rsquo;d ask me about things that Pat Riley preached and habits that Dwyane Wade and Shaq had. He figured that I&rsquo;d gotten the top of the mountain, so I at least knew what the view looked like, you know?
But even though I had that experience, being around Ticket was just different.
He was so easy to rally around because he made it his personal duty to do all that he could to push everybody around him. And even after all these years, he still has the same unique energy.
When Ticket walks in the room, it&rsquo;s like you immediately get on guard. He just makes you want to be sharp and on point. He has the same energy today, but it was that times 10 when he was your teammate pushing you on the floor.
Everyone on the 2008 team just has a special love and appreciation for Ticket.
So being able to reconnect with guys that you won a championship with and doing it in honor of someone who helped to bring out the best in you, that just made the entire weekend in Boston all the more enjoyable.
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It felt like everywhere we went in the city this past Friday and Saturday, people loved us and respected us and knew us by name. With the Celtics organization itself, they treated us like first-class citizens and made sure we were taken care of.
Not only does Boston remember what we achieved, they will never stop showing us love. And we owe a lot of that to KG. It was nice to see him get the highest honor that an organization is able to bestow on one of its own.
What I&rsquo;ll remember most from that weekend &mdash; aside from Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1503106193102831620" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monstrous dunk</a> over Maxi Kleber &mdash; was KG shedding tears as he saw his jersey go up into the rafters.
A couple of us, including Big Kendrick Perkins, may have had one or two side bets about whether Ticket would cry. KG himself didn&rsquo;t think he would crack, but he obviously couldn&rsquo;t hold it all together, so we at least have something to tease him about the next time we see one another.
When I replay the weekend in my head, though, I kept finding myself thinking about Ray Allen. I was happy to see him there, but wasn&rsquo;t surprised that he attended.
I knew that everything that was said about him after he left for Miami would eventually become water under the bridge. But I knew that because I was a member of that team. The guys on that 2008 team simply loved each other too much and had too strong of a bond to let Ray&rsquo;s decision to leave ruin the bond forever. Even as words were exchanged over the years, I had all the confidence in the world that KG and Ray would bury the hatchet, and it unexpectedly happened during KG&rsquo;s moment.
While being interviewed during his jersey-retirement ceremony, out of nowhere, Ticket basically interrupted the interviewer just to say that it was good to see Ray there. Everyone started cheering before the two met at halfcourt and hugged.
As great as he was, Ticket was truly unselfish. So I guess it was fitting for him to share his moment in the spotlight with Ray and finally, publicly, squash the beef.
Nothing says &ldquo;brother&rdquo; more than that.
I think what most people don&rsquo;t really understand about being a pro athlete is how strong the relationship between teammates can become. The longer guys are together, the deeper the connection usually gets. And when you actually have success as teammates and when you win a championship together, it&rsquo;s almost as if the bond is solidified. And I speak from experience. Not only do you become members of an elite fraternity together, you helped one another get there.
Deep down inside, I think Ticket and Ray both had those feelings about each other.
After what&rsquo;s been said over the past few years, that was a beautiful thing to witness, and I&rsquo;m happy I was there in person to see it.
I&rsquo;ll never forget seeing KG and Ray hugging and jumping up and down at halfcourt at TD Garden back in 2008. It truly feels like yesterday.
In honor of Kevin Garnett &mdash; our leader and the engine that pushed that team &mdash; no other Celtic will ever wear No. 5.
I&rsquo;m proud to call him a friend and a teammate, and even prouder to see him receive the ultimate honor.
Fortunately, I have some new memories that I&rsquo;ll forever cherish.
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James Posey recounts his trip to Boston for Kevin Garnett's jersey retirement, which basically became a 2008 Celtics reunion weekend.

Even after 14 years, I was right at home with Kevin Garnett in Boston

March Madness is underway!
Across the country, teams are competing in conference tournaments and trying to punch their ticket for the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is almost here, and then the tourney starts next Tuesday.
If you missed any of the Day 2 action, here's a recap of what went down on Thursday.
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Games of the Day
Indiana def. Michigan 74-69 &mdash; B1G Second Round
With 11:03 remaining, Michigan led 60-43 and appeared to be in complete control. The Hoosiers would go on a 20-2 run and took the life right out of the Wolverines, completing the comeback by winning 74-69. Trayce Jackson-Davis led all players with 24 points and 4 blocks in a stunner. Indiana faces No. 1 Illinois next.
Texas A&amp;M def. Florida 83-80 in OT &mdash; SEC Second Round
This one was wild. The Aggies dominated all afternoon and held a 9-point lead with 1:07 to play, but the Gators went on a 12-3 run of the next 50 seconds to tie it at 70-70, forcing the game into overtime. They stayed deadlocked at 78-78 with 1:10 left in overtime when Hassan Diarra hit a triple with one second on the clock to win 83-80. A huge win for a true Bubble Team in A&amp;M.
Arizona def. Stanford 84-80 &mdash; Pac-12 Quarterfinals
The largest lead either way today was 7 points &mdash; in a game where Stanford was given a whopping 5% chance of victory. The Cardinal took a 75-74 lead with just over three minutes to go, but the Wildcats had answers. Kerr Kriisa exiting with injury is important to monitor, but Christian Koloko led the team with 24 points as Arizona survives and advances.
Miami (FL) def. Boston College 71-69 in OT &mdash; ACC Quarterfinals
Kam McGusty led the Canes with 16 points in the nail-biter, as they avoided the upset in overtime. Only one basket was scored in the final 2:30 of the contest &mdash; a Jordan Miller layup that sealed the deal. A big save by Miami.&nbsp;
Villanova def. St. John&rsquo;s 66-65 &mdash; Big East Quarterfinals
The Red Storm let a 17-point second half lead slip away to end their season. Villanova was carried by its starting five, with only 7 points coming from the bench unit. Caleb Daniels led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Justin Moore added 15 points of his own.&nbsp;
Toledo def. Central Michigan 72-71 &mdash; MAC Quarterfinals
In a game where the largest lead was 7 points for each team, Toledo held on for the 1-point win. Harrison Henderson scored with 20 seconds remaining to make it 71-70 Central Michigan, but a RayJ Dennis layup with 10 seconds left would seal the deal. Setric Milner Jr. led the way with 22 points for the Rockets. It's a big win for Toledo who currently projects a No. 13 seed.
Providence def. Butler 65-61 &mdash; Big East Quarterfinals
This one was back-and-forth from the tip, as the teams traded leads the entire contest. Tied at 55 with 3:06 remaining, Simas Lukosius hit a big pair of free throws for Butler to take the lead, but Al Durham hit a huge triple with 43 seconds to go for the Friars to take a 61-59 lead. Durham would follow with a dunk at the end of the game to seal the deal at 65-61. Despite the loss, it was a hard-fought game by the Bulldogs.&nbsp;
Wyoming def. UNLV 59-56 &mdash; Mountain West Quarterfinals
The Cowboys held a 9-point lead in the second half, but allowed the Rebels to fight their way back into it. Xavier DuSell hit a huge three with 30 seconds, and then, Brendan Wenzel iced the game with a pair of free throws. A great game from UNLV&rsquo;s Bryce Hamilton comes up just short.&nbsp;
Akron def. Buffalo 70-68 &mdash; MAC Quarterfinals
This was a fight from start to finish. Led by Ali Ali&rsquo;s 19-point effort and a pair of Greg Tribble free throws with four seconds remaining, the Zips survive and advance. They will face No. 1 seed Toledo on Friday afternoon in the MAC semis.
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The Upsets, the Madness
Oklahoma def. Baylor 72-67 &mdash; Big 12 Quarterfinals
The Sooners took the lead with 11:51 to play and never gave it back. With a balanced offensive attack of five players in double-digits, Oklahoma shocked the Bears. Jacob Groves led the way with 15 points, while Marvin Johnson provided 12 off the bench.&nbsp;
Vanderbilt def. Alabama 82-76 &mdash; SEC Second Round
Bama led by 10 points at the break but Scotty Pippen Jr. and Co. had other plans. Vandy roared back to take a 68-67 lead with 4:26 to play, and was able to hold the Crimson Tide off the rest of the way. Jordan Wright hit a pair of free throws late to ice the game, and the Commodores advance. Pippen Jr. ended with 26 points and 7 assists.
TCU def. Texas 65-60 &mdash; Big 12 Quarterfinals
The Horned Frogs had a win probability of 29.3% entering this one, and that&rsquo;s all they needed. After being down 40-20 in the first half, TCU did a complete 180 and outscored the Longhorns 45-20 the rest of the way. Mike Miles and Co. are setting themselves up well, and will take on the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 semis.
Penn State def. Ohio State 71-68 &mdash; Big Ten Second Round
The Nittany Lions were given a 24.2% chance of winning today, and they did just that behind Sam Sessoms' 18 points off the bench. Jalen Pickett also had a huge game with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Penn State moves on to play No. 3 Purdue.&nbsp;
Grambling def. Southern 60-58 &mdash; SWAC Quarterfinals
Led by Tra&rsquo;Michael Moton&rsquo;s 12 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, Grambling took the lead with 10 minutes left in the game and never gave it back. The Tigers will face Texas Southern next.&nbsp;
Tulsa def. Wichita State 73-67 &mdash; American First Round
The Golden Hurricane had four players with 10 or more points, including two with at least 20. After an 11-19 season, this was a nice win for Tulsa as it tries to make a late push in the conference. Tulsa will move on to face No. 2 SMU.&nbsp;
Portland State def. Southern Utah 77-65 &mdash; Big Sky Quarterfinals
The Vikings entered this game under .500 on the season, but put up 77 points on 51.9% shooting from the floor. They held Southern Utah to a lowly 36.8% from the floor and are able to advance.
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Standout Performers
Noah Fernandes (UMass): 29 points, 7 assists
Spencer Jones (Stanford): 28 points, 8 rebounds
Jimmy Boeheim (Syracuse): 28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Grant Sherfield (Nevada): 25 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds
Joel Murray (Long Beach State): 25 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana): 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 10-17 FG
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 26 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
Nate Watson (Providence): 26 points, 7 rebounds, 9-14 FG
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt): 26 points, 7 assists
Tristen Newton (East Carolina): 26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists
Jordan Walker (UAB): 26 points, 5 steals, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
EJ Liddell (Ohio State): 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State):&nbsp;25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Christian Koloko (Arizona): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG
Dillon Jones (Weber State): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Prentiss Hubb (Notre Dame): 23 points, 5 assists
Zyon Pullin (UC Riverside):&nbsp;23 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds
Amadou Sow (UC Santa Barbara): 21 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Bryce Hamilton (UNLV): 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Mahki Morris (Abilene Christian): 22 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Chuba Ohams (Fordham): 20 points, 16 rebounds, 2 steals
Darien Jackson (Tulsa): 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
Brady Manek (UNC): 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Malique Jacobs (Kent State): 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Kowacie Reeves (Florida): 21 points, 6 rebounds
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2022 NBA Draft: Prospect Watch&nbsp;
Keegan Murray (Iowa): 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Wendell Moore Jr. (Duke): 26 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
EJ Liddell (Ohio State): 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks
Orlando Robinson (Fresno State):&nbsp;25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Christian Koloko (Arizona): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA): 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Tari Eason (LSU): 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
Justin Lewis (Marquette): 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
Ochai Agbaji (Kansas): 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
Trevor Keels (Duke): 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Jabari Walker (Colorado): 18 points, 16 rebounds
Iverson Molinar (Miss. State): 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Julian Champagnie (St. John&rsquo;s): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Collin Gillespie (Villanova): 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
David Roddy (Colorado State): 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
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March Madness is underway! If you missed any of the Day 2 action, here's a recap of what went down during Thursday's games.

March Madness: Conference tournament Thursday recap

Knoxville, TN&nbsp; &mdash; The Tennessee Volunteers (14-5, 5-3 SEC) have had a rocky start to conference play, but secured an important victory tonight by defeating Florida 78-71. The Gators (12-8, 3-5 SEC) are entering the &ldquo;must win&rdquo; part of the schedule, and after letting a second half lead slip away in this one, face an uphill battle moving forward. Santiago Vescovi led all players in scoring with an efficient night, posting 23 points on 6 of 10 from the field and 6 of 6 shooting from the free throw line.
Florida held a 42-34 at the break behind strong performances from Tyree Appleby and Brandon McKissic. Zakai Zeigler, Kennedy Chandler and Vescovi carried the early load for the Volunteers. Both teams shot the ball well and combined to hit 15 three-pointers in the half.&nbsp;
Tennessee came out hot to start the second period, scoring quickly and cutting the lead to 48-47 at the 15-minute mark. Anthony Duruji was providing both buckets and turnovers, up until the 11-minute mark when Florida started to get back on track a bit, re-extending their lead to 55-52. After a Josiah-Jordan James triple, followed by a John Fulkerson layup, the Vols held a 57-55 lead &mdash; their first lead since 10-8 early in the first half.
The Vols extended their lead to 67-62 at the 4-minute TV timeout and were able to hold on from there. Fulkerson came up huge late in the game with some key jumpers, and Vescovi knocked down important free-throws. Tyree Appleby hit a triple with 32 seconds on the clock following a James turnover, but then more makes from the charity stripe sealed the deal.&nbsp;
Appleby ended with 16 points on 4 of 8 from deep to go along with 7 assists. Duruji posted 16 points and 6 rebounds before fouling out. Freshman Zeigler had a strong game for the Vols, scoring 11 points to go with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.
Coming into tonight, Chandler was averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game as he continues to solidify himself as a likely first rounder in this summer&rsquo;s NBA draft. He posted 17 points and 5 assists.
Tennessee hit 17 of 18 from the free throw line which was crucial down the stretch. The team moves to fourth in the SEC standings.
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UPCOMING
Tennessee will visit the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night.&nbsp;
The Gators will host Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral"> Order online now</a>!

The Tennessee Volunteers (14-5, 5-3 SEC) have had a rocky start to conference play, but defeated Florida 78-71.

No. 18 Tennessee gets big conference win, defeats Florida 78-71

With his explosiveness, elite level athleticism, charismatic personality and trademark blonde-dyed hair, it is impossible to not take notice of JD Davison the moment you walk into a gym. The freshman sensation from the small town of Letohatchee, Alabama (population of just over 1,000) has been putting the basketball world on notice.
Davison&rsquo;s vicious open floor dunks, preternatural sense in the passing lanes and laser-beam passes that require a third eye to see coming have been the source material for SportsCenter&rsquo;s Top-10 during this fledgling college season.
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These highlight-reel plays are nothing new for Davison, who lit up the state of Alabama his entire career while playing for Calhoun High School. His production in high school was nothing new for the Davison namesake either, as JD followed in the footsteps of his three older brothers, Jerome, Jermarques and Ja&rsquo;Keem, all of whom were extremely talented players for the Calhoun program. JD, the youngest in the family, just took it to a new level.&nbsp;
As a junior, JD led Calhoun to the Class 2A state title, hitting the game-winning shot with 1.1 seconds left. Averaging 30 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists per game, Davison became only the fifth high school junior to win Alabama&rsquo;s Mr. Basketball award. Between his junior and senior campaigns, JD began to be approached by all of the major prep schools in the country. From Hillcrest Prep (AZ) to Oak Hill Academy (VA), everyone came knocking on Davison's front door, but each sales pitch was rebuffed by JD, as his loyalty to Calhoun was unwavering.&nbsp;
After reaffirming his commitment to his hometown school, his senior year did not disappoint; the sequel led to another 2A state championship heading home with Calhoun. Davison also reeled in another Alabama Mr. Basketball award to complement his Gatorade Player of the Year honors. The result of his illustrious Calhoun career made him a consensus five-star prospect and one of the most sought after talents in the country.&nbsp;
Davison arrived to Alabama this season to much fanfare and excitement as the No. 9 RSCI recruit, making him the highest-ranked Crimson Tide commit since Collin Sexton. Davison thus far has made good on that ranking, playing a key role off the bench and electrifying in his 24.5 minutes per game. JD has come on strong as of late, averaging 9.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
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I had a chance to see Davison up close during the Crimson Tide&rsquo;s trip to Orlando during the Thanksgiving ESPN Events Invitational, and despite the loss to Iona, the game was very insightful. Getting to watch Alabama&rsquo;s shootaround session illuminated JD&rsquo;s outgoing and contagious personality. He was talking and dancing with nearly every teammate on the floor, and seemed to know every lyric to the warm-up songs playing over the loudspeaker. Throughout the entirety of the pre-game a smile never left his face.&nbsp;
As the game came down the stretch, JD&rsquo;s intensity and concentration reached new heights, and he was locked-in the whole way. He got to the free-throw line multiple times throughout the game, dealing with hecklers leftover from the Kansas game that took place beforehand. Despite the out-of-line jeers from the fans in the compact gym. JD never broke focus and paid them no mind.&nbsp;
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I asked BasketballNews.com&rsquo;s Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock for his thoughts on JD, here is what he had to say:
&ldquo;There is a lot to like about JD Davison. First of all, his physical gifts are very impressive. At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, he has a naturally strong build and is incredibly athletic. From a skill set standpoint, he has terrific court vision, is a high level passer, and has the potential to be a big scorer. Alabama currently brings Davison off of the bench as they have several veteran guards with more seniority. However, don&rsquo;t let that fool you, Davison is a top notch prospect with significant upside. I expect for him to be one of the first guards selected in the 2022 NBA Draft.&rdquo;
The talent of Davison has been undeniable, as his abundance of awe-striking moments has put even the casual basketball fan on notice. The future for the native son of Alabama is as bright as anyone&rsquo;s in this draft class.
JD Davison is currently ranked No. 9 on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.

Grant Aqui digs into JD Davison's local background in Alabama and how he's stepped up for the Crimson Tide.

2022 NBA Draft: Getting to know JD Davison, Alabama's native son

Lincoln, Nebraska has not been the traditional home of one-and-dones or high-profile recruits in years past, but Bryce McGowens is looking to change that.&nbsp;
As the No. 28 recruit in the RSCI rankings, McGowens headlines a consensus top-20 recruiting class for head coach Fred Hoiberg&rsquo;s Nebraska Cornhuskers. McGowens selected the program after decommitting from Florida State in October 2020. He opted instead to join his older brother, Trey McGowens, who transferred from Pittsburgh to Nebraska after two seasons.
Bryce&rsquo;s arrival to the Nebraska program has made Lincoln a must-see stop on the scouting trail this season, and the early returns have been extremely promising. Through eight games, McGowens has averaged 18.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest while shooting 46% from the field. He has shouldered a massive workload to start the season, frequently taking turns running the offense alongside Arizona State transfer Alonzo Verge Jr. With Trey suffering a foot injury that&rsquo;s expected to keep him out 6-to-8 weeks, we have seen Bryce take on an even bigger responsibility. His ability to carry a large offensive workload is what makes the younger McGowens so special.
BasketballNews.com Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock detailed his thoughts on McGowens:
&ldquo;The most noticeable aspects that pop out about Bryce McGowens as a prospect are his terrific positional size for a guard at 6-foot-7 and his potential to score at three levels, while also being able to create off of the dribble. He seems to have a bit of a quick trigger, so improving his shot selection is something that I&rsquo;d like to see him address. However, with proper coaching from former NBA player Fred Hoiberg and his staff, I expect him to continue to improve throughout the season. McGowens&rsquo; potential to develop into a versatile NBA-level scorer is very intriguing. He is a prospect that I am excited about, and I certainly look forward to monitoring his development.&rdquo;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17226392_lg.jpg" alt="" width="549" height="365" /> Athletic success was seemingly in the cards from the word &ldquo;Go&rdquo; in the McGowens family, as athletic prowess runs throughout the family tree. Bryce and Trey&rsquo;s mother, Pam, was a basketball player at Western Carolina, and now is the women&rsquo;s varsity head coach at her alma mater Wren High School in Piedmont, South Carolina. Their father, Bobby, played football at Clemson before transferring to South Carolina State as a dual-sport athlete in football and basketball, and he now works as a principal and basketball coach. The family ties extend all the way to the youngest McGowens sibling, Raina, who is a Class of 2024 guard at Wren.
In an interview with the Greenville News, Pam stated: &ldquo;Bobby and I never said, &lsquo;This is what you&rsquo;re going to do because mom and dad did it,&rsquo; I think just us being coaches, they were those gym rats and became interested in the sport. They fell in love with it.&rdquo;
Bryce began his high school career at Wren, too, before eventually transferring to Legacy Early College (SC) to finish his prep career. During his senior year, McGowens was named the 2020-2021 Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina, joining Josiah-Jordan James, Aaron Nesmith and P.J. Dozier as one of the recent recipients of the award. He was also named to the Jordan Brand Classic roster, but the event was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the beginning of this season has been any indication, there will be more accolades and recognitions on the horizon for Bryce McGowens. The Nebraska freshman will continue to be a player to track as we progress towards the 2022 NBA Draft.
Bryce McGowens is currently ranked No. 25 on the BasketballNews.com <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.

Grant Aqui shares his takeaways on Nebraska freshman standout Bryce McGowens and details his family history in basketball.

2022 NBA Draft: A look at Bryce McGowens, Nebraska’s star freshman

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Stephen Curry has made Azzi Fudd his Splash Sister.
Curry is bringing the star Connecticut freshman into his SC30 Inc. brand in a unique, wide-ranging partnership that will support her successes both on and off the court as the nation&rsquo;s top recruit builds her collegiate career &mdash; a multi-dimensional name, image and likeness contract.
Golden State&rsquo;s reigning NBA scoring champion, with two young daughters, has long been dedicated to helping women shine and vowed to do more for the women&rsquo;s game. In 2018, Fudd&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-ap-top-news-basketball-sports-stephen-curry-4869df139a714a5da07854abf35e3d83">participated in Curry&rsquo;s elite camp&nbsp;</a>as one of two women invited to take part and she and Curry have continued to build their friendship since. Curry also held an all-girls camp that summer.
Fudd&rsquo;s involvement with SC30 &mdash; the athlete-run organization handling Curry&rsquo;s off-court business &mdash; will entail far more than strictly a sponsorship deal, too.
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<div class="Component-adTitle-0-2-15">Curry plans to personally mentor the 5-foot-11 guard from Arlington, Virginia, who played at St. John&rsquo;s College High School in Washington, D.C., as she balances school, basketball and the demands of being a face for female athletes. He wants to help Fudd show the world who she is through not only her personality and passions but by also providing a platform and financial backing to share her values and ideas.</div>
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&ldquo;Azzi Fudd is the best choice to start a brand relationship like this because she is the next face of women&rsquo;s basketball and has been a part of SC30 Inc. and the Curry Brand family since she was an invitee to the All-American Camp,&rdquo; Curry said.
Two-time MVP Curry and his SC30 team plan to give Fudd guidance through professional services and growth opportunities to develop her brand. That will mean chances to host and attend events and be part of new brand partnerships, and to deliver her personal social impact initiatives while additionally promoting and being involved in some of those dear to Curry and his family.
&ldquo;Our values are aligned when it comes to family, and in terms of hard work and for the appreciation of blessings in your life,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;For me, this is the right time because I have identified the platforms that I have, aligning purpose over profit, and the ability to collaborate with the right partners for the right opportunities. I want to be able to unlock that for Azzi, and for other talented athletes and influencers that see the world the same way I do. It is my hope that we can inspire the next generation of athletes and non-athletes who want to do amazing things.&rdquo;
College student-athletes can now be compensated, and Fudd&rsquo;s UConn teammate, Paige Bueckers, received a deal from Gatorade on Monday.
For Fudd, like Curry, this could just be the start.
&ldquo;Since I first met Steph at his camp a few years ago, I&rsquo;ve stayed connected to him and have always admired his incredible talent and accomplishments, but also his humility and the impact he has on people,&rdquo; Fudd said. &ldquo;As I continue to focus on becoming the best player and student I can be while in college, I also look forward to broadening my understanding of business and life beyond basketball. This partnership with Steph and his SC30 team will help me do that. I&rsquo;m really excited about everything we&rsquo;ll do together in the future.&rdquo;
___
More AP women&rsquo;s college basketball:&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball">https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://twitter.com/AP_Top25</a>

Fudd joins teammate Paige Bueckers as UConn athletes to sign major NIL deals in recent days.

Azzi Fudd signs NIL deal with Stephen Curry, SC30 brand

The college basketball season is underway, which means BasketballNews.com's scouting coverage has been kicked into full gear. The bulk of my travel and scouting schedule is set through the entire season, and let me tell you &mdash; I have some terrific basketball to see! As I scour the map evaluating prospects at various levels, I'll be sharing my takeaways every step of the way. I hope you enjoy it!
Here&rsquo;s who I watched in-person this last week:
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jabari-smith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jabari Smith</a> - Auburn vs. South Florida MIN: 28 | PTS: 9 | REB: 10 | AST: 0 | STL: 0 | BLK: 1 | FG: 3-12 | 3PT: 2-7 | FT: 1-2 | TO: 1
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I am in Tampa, Florida tonight to watch top-rated Jabari Smith and his Auburn Tigers take on the South Florida Bulls. To start the season, Smith, a 6'10" forward is averaging 15.5 points and 8 rebounds per game. He is currently ranked at No. 3 on our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board. <a href="https://t.co/Yp1BgGkgEf">pic.twitter.com/Yp1BgGkgEf</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1461843250311045131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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A little over a year ago, I visited Phoenix, Arizona to attend Dinos Trigonis&rsquo; Pangos All-American Festival. There, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren stole the show. However, I was also able to see Jabari Smith, a 5-star recruit that was committed to the Auburn Tigers. I loved his potential as a mobile, stretch 4, but he seemed to be quiet and somewhat unassertive, and I was left with some questions about his lack of strength and overall toughness. &nbsp;
Fast forward to this past Friday, and I had an opportunity to see Smith for the first time with the Tigers as they took on the South Florida Bulls in Tampa, Florida.
Although it was not Smith&rsquo;s best game &mdash; he only shot 3-for-12 from the field &mdash; I walked away thoroughly impressed. He possesses a unique combination of length, fluidity as an athlete and an ability to shoot the ball with range, giving him a ton of potential on the offensive end. On the defensive end, I&rsquo;m not sure he is getting enough attention for his talent and upside. He has aggressive hands, covers a lot of ground laterally with ease and makes quick reactions. He has gotten much stronger, has a frame that looks like it will fill out very well, and subsequently, has become tougher and more physical. Any questions that I had about his lack of toughness and assertiveness have been tossed out the window. In fact, I&rsquo;m not overly concerned about anything with him.&nbsp;
Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren are still top-tier prospects in my book, but Smith is not far behind, at all. He can score on all three levels and has a chance of being an exceptional defender. He checks a lot of boxes. I think he has a chance of becoming a prototypical stretch 4, which can&rsquo;t be said lightly. If someone wanted to make an argument for Smith as the top prospect for this year&rsquo;s draft, I&rsquo;d be more than willing to listen.
We currently have Jabari Smith ranked at No. 3 on the BasketballNews.com <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/patrick-baldwin-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patrick Baldwin Jr.</a> - UW-Milwaukee vs. Florida MIN: 34 | PTS: 13 | REB: 3 | AST: 1 | STL: 2 | BLK: 2 | FG: 6-15 | 3PT: 0-3 | FT: 1-2 | TO: 3
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I&rsquo;m in Gainesville, Florida tonight to see projected lottery pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. and his UW-Milwaukee Panthers take on the Florida Gators. Baldwin Jr., a smooth 6-foot-9 wing, is currently slotted as the No. 6 player on the <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> 2022 NBA Draft Big Board. <a href="https://t.co/bne3hgnd9c">pic.twitter.com/bne3hgnd9c</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1461460374650343428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Prior to arriving at the O&rsquo;Dome in Gainesville, Florida, I had seen freshman Patrick Baldwin Jr. before, but it had been a couple of years back at a USA Basketball mini-camp. Seeing him recently, his size was the first thing that grabbed my attention. Listed at 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, he looked like a power forward and not a guard, the position he is listed as on the UW-Milwaukee website. I also noticed that he has huge hands, as he snatched the ball from the ground with ease like Kawhi Leonard might do. Once the Panthers began formal warmups, they split into two groups: guards and bigs. Baldwin worked out with the guards. I found all of that to be interesting. That said, it was immediately apparent that his skill level was very high. He handles the ball well and has a terrific shooting stroke, especially for a player of his size. Before tip-off, I was very intrigued, to say the least.
Once the game started, it was clear that UW-Milwaukee was far overmatched by an experienced Florida team. It was not a very good game overall. Baldwin showed flashes of his high skill level, consisting of abilities to shoot with range, dribble, pass and utilize advanced footwork. Despite Baldwin&rsquo;s translatable tools and skills, his casual approach was concerning. I left the arena torn; I felt teased and wanted to see more. The good thing is I&rsquo;m able to watch him again Tuesday night, as I&rsquo;ll be in attendance to see his UW-Milwaukee team take on Bowling Green in Fort Myers, Florida. I&rsquo;m also set to see him in Colorado on Dec. 10 &mdash; so stay tuned for more updates on him.
In the meantime, we currently have Patrick Baldwin Jr. ranked No. 6 on the BasketballNews.com 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/matthew-cleveland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Cleveland</a> - Florida State vs. Loyola Marymount MIN: 17 | PTS: 13 | REB: 1 | AST: 1 | STL: 1 | FG: 6-8 | 3PT: 0-1 | FT: 1-2 | TO: 0
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I have a close eye on Florida State&rsquo;s Matthew Cleveland tonight in Jacksonville, Florida, as the Seminoles take on the Loyola Marymount Lions. Through 3 games this season, Cleveland, a true freshman, is averaging 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. <a href="https://t.co/3WHjH4aSjG">pic.twitter.com/3WHjH4aSjG</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1462556486723330055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Last spring, I was able to see Matthew Cleveland play for the first time, as his high school team (Pace Academy) was competing at GEICO Nationals in Fort Myers, Florida. I was impressed with him, as he was an aggressive and effective slasher and scorer. Although I can&rsquo;t say I had a firm grip of him as a prospect going into the season, he had made a big enough impression for me to justify including him in our initial 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
Sunday night in Jacksonville, Florida, I was able to see Cleveland for the first time with his new team and school, Florida State. Despite not starting for the Seminoles and head coach Leonard Hamilton giving 11 players double-digits minutes of playing time, Cleveland was able to show a lot of the things that made me like him in the first place. Listed at 6-foot-7 (I question if he&rsquo;s actually that tall) with a reported 6-foot-11 wingspan, Cleveland is visibly long for a wing. Watching him, I found him to be extremely mature and poised, especially for a freshman; he made terrific decisions throughout the game. He has room for improvement as an outside shooter, but his ability to score as a slasher while also being a great defender is a valuable combination. I&rsquo;m quite confident that he will develop into a steady contributor in the NBA &mdash; he&rsquo;s solid! It is yet to be seen whether or not he&rsquo;ll play a big enough role for the Seminoles this season to generate widespread media attention for himself, but let&rsquo;s not forget that Patrick Williams was selected No. 4 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft after coming off the bench for Florida State as a freshman and only playing 22 minutes per game.&nbsp;
We currently have Matthew Cleveland ranked at No. 27 in our 2022 NBA Draft Big Board.
Last Week's Takeaways: <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/babcock-takeaways-banchero-agbaji-keels-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero, Ochai Agbaji, Trevor Keels, more</a>.

Matt Babcock details his scouting observations from this past week's trip around the state of Florida.

Babcock’s Takeaways: Jabari Smith, Patrick Baldwin, Matthew Cleveland

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/michael-jordan-tops-the-list-of-25-highest-paid-athletes-ever/" 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>:
Michael Jordan is atop so many lists. Whether based on metrics or subjective assessments, if he&rsquo;s eligible for it, you better believe MJ&rsquo;s name is up there, and Sportico&rsquo;s &ldquo;Top 25 Highest-Paid Athletes of All Time&rdquo; is the <a href="https://www.sportico.com/personalities/athletes/2021/highest-paid-athletes-earnings-1234645635/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most recent example</a>.
When Michael entered the NBA in 1984, Magic Johnson was the highest-paid NBA player with $2.5 million in salary. Today, players with 10 or more years of experience in the league get veteran minimums worth around the same amount. Guys who have yet to make their NBA debut can earn up to $925,528 per year &mdash; Michael Jordan, as a rookie, made $550,000.
Thirteen years and four NBA championships later, Jordan inked a one-year deal worth $33.1 million &mdash; more than an average team payroll at the time &mdash; representing the highest single-season salary in NBA history up until 2017-18, when LeBron James and Stephen Curry each surpassed it. Today, 31 players are on track to earn north of $30 million.
Boosted mostly by huge TV deals &mdash; $75 billion over the next nine years &mdash; star salaries have increased dramatically over the last four decades. But despite Michael only earning $90 million from NBA contracts &mdash; non-inflation adjusted, that's equivalent to Danny Green &mdash; he&rsquo;s still the highest-paid athlete of all time, despite the fact only 6% of his estimated earnings come from his playing salaries.
The estimate is based on salaries, endorsements and memorabilia earnings since Michael joined the NBA, including his ongoing deals with Nike, Hanes, Upper Deck, Gatorade, and other large and established companies.
According to Forbes, Michael has made over $1 billion from Nike alone since first signing a deal with the sportswear giant in his rookie year. Today, the Jordan Brand is easily worth over $10 billion, dominating the booming &ldquo;retro&rdquo; or lifestyle basketball business with a market share of 52%, according to market research firm NPD Group.
Unrivaled marketability
Michael Jordan, as well as his brand, show no signs of slowing down. It&rsquo;s been nearly two decades since his final goodbye to the game, and MJ is still arguably the most popular basketball persona in the world. A run that started almost four decades ago, still with no end in sight, is yet to be replicated, despite the impact and platform today&rsquo;s NBA superstars have.
And while some of them were able to build images that transcend the game of basketball, no one used it to MJ&rsquo;s extent. Guys like LeBron James, the late Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal tried and will continue to try for decades to come &mdash; the fact each of them also made the list says they&rsquo;re on the right track. But it seems His Airness will always be the standard.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Michael Jordan is listed by Sportico as the highest-paid athlete of all time.

Michael Jordan tops the list of 25 highest-paid athletes ever

Every year, there are NCAA freshmen who step into college basketball and dazzle right off of the bat, subsequently earning opportunities to be selected in the NBA Draft following their lone season at the college level. This year will be no different.
Here is a list of incoming freshmen that we currently have included in our <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>:
1. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/chet-holmgren" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chet Holmgren</a> | Gonzaga | Forward/Center
2. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/paolo-banchero" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paolo Banchero</a> | Duke | Forward
4. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jalen-duren" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jalen Duren</a> | Memphis | Center
6. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jabari-smith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jabari Smith</a> | Auburn | Forward
7. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/patrick-baldwin-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patrick Baldwin Jr.</a> | UW-Milwaukee | Forward
8. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/caleb-houstan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caleb Houstan</a> | Michigan | Forward
9. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/aj-griffin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AJ Griffin</a> | Duke | Guard/Forward
12. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/tyty-washington" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TyTy Washington</a> | Kentucky | Guard
13. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/kennedy-chandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kennedy Chandler</a> | Tennessee | Guard
14. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jd-davison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Davison</a> | Alabama | Guard 
16. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/peyton-watson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peyton Watson</a> | UCLA | Guard/Forward
23. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/daimion-collins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daimion Collins</a> | Kentucky | Forward
24. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/kendall-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kendall Brown</a> | Baylor | Forward
25. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/matthew-cleveland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matthew Cleveland</a> | Florida State | Guard/Forward
While the players listed above are currently included on our Big Board, here is a list of other freshmen prospects (in alphabetical order) who our scouting staff will be keeping close tabs on:
Nate Bittle
Forward/Center | Oregon
Height: 7-0 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 7-5 Weight: 215 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.1
Nate Bittle is a long and lanky stretch big who can really open up the floor as a shooter. On the offensive end, he&rsquo;s an adequate passer, and has shown great promise as a scorer on all three levels. He can get bumped off his line with contact and needs to fill out his frame, but his combination of length and touch is impressive at his age. On defense, Bittle utilizes his length really well as a rim-protector, but it&rsquo;s yet to be seen how his lateral mobility and movement skills translate to tougher competition. The Oregon native will suit up for his home-state Oregon Ducks this season as one of four centers listed at 6-foot-11 or taller. He will likely be utilized as a floor-stretcher, but I&rsquo;m curious to see how he fits in their lineup construction.&nbsp;
Max Christie 
Guard | Michigan State
Height: 6-6 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 6-9 Weight: 190 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.8
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/unnamed_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" />
Max Christie is a sharpshooter who has the potential to be one of the best 3-and-D prospects in the 2022 draft class. He averaged 24.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.1 steals and 2.0 blocks per contest as a high-school senior, and was named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. His combination of shot-making and finishing craft should allow him to provide value offensively quickly for the Michigan State Spartans, as they will likely rely on him to carry a heavy load. Christie is an active rebounder and defender who uses his hands well to contest shots and deflect passes when engaged. He&rsquo;s a skilled playmaking wing who has the tools to produce at a high level, which could potentially propel him into the 2022 draft.
Moussa Diabate 
Forward/Center | Michigan
Height: 6-11 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 7-3 Weight: 210 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 20.4
Born in Paris, France, Moussa Diabate comes to Michigan after two years at IMG Academy. He is a long, athletic, high-energy big with the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor. Due to his aggressive nature, he excels on the offensive end by finishing through contact and being a high-level rebounder. He also has the ability to block shots and impact plays around the rim on the defensive end. With improvement as a ball-handler and shot-maker, Diabate can make a great case for himself as a one-and-done option next summer.&nbsp;
Cerebro Sports note: Per their 2021 Geico Nationals data, he was one of only six players to post a Defensive Statistical Impact rating of &gt; 90 and &gt; 60 in the Big Man Strengths metric.
Nolan Hickman
Guard | Gonzaga
Height: 6-2 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 6-6 Weight: 185 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.1
Nolan Hickman comes to Spokane, Washington as Gonzaga&rsquo;s fifth-highest rated recruit of all-time. The 6-foot-2 point guard is an impressive athlete who can get to his spots and create scoring opportunities at will. His tight handles and skills as a facilitator only make him that much more lethal when paired with his shooting. He is routinely found at the top of Cerebro Sports&rsquo; Floor General Skills and Pure-Scoring Prowess metrics, regardless of the event and competition. Hickman is a fiery competitor in all facets of the game, and could be poised for a strong year for the Bulldogs.
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield 
Forward/Center | Tennessee
Height: 6-10 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 7-1 Weight: 246 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 18.9
After graduating from Scotland Campus Prep in Pennsylvania, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield returns to his home state of Tennessee to play for the Volunteers. Standing 6-foot-10 and 246 pounds, he has the tools to be an ideal power forward in today&rsquo;s game. He&rsquo;s a powerful athlete with strength, length and an ability to score from anywhere on the floor. He is already a tremendous rebounder who has also shown promise as a ball-handler and defender. He will still be only 18 years old on draft night, and has plenty of room to develop into an elite prospect.&nbsp;
Harrison Ingram 
Forward | Stanford
Height: 6-8 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 7-0 Weight: 230 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Draft Day Age: 19.6
Harrison Ingram is one of the most intelligent and competitive prospects in this year&rsquo;s freshman class. At 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, he is savvy on both ends of the floor, and is capable of playing both on and off the ball. Even though he&rsquo;s not an elite athlete, he has shown flashes as a shooter and projects well as a high-level defender. Another aspect of his game that stands out is his poise, as he rarely gets sped up and plays under control. As a skilled point-forward who can make plays, score and also be effective on the glass, Ingram has a great opportunity to shine for the Cardinal.
Cerebro Sports note: Per their database, Ingram was one of only four players in the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup with a Defensive Statistical Impact rating &gt; 92 and a Three-Point Efficiency rating &gt; 58.
Trevor Keels 
Guard | Duke
Height: 6-4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 6-7 Weight: 221 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 18.8
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/unnameddd_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="504" />
The Clinton, Maryland native comes to Duke after finishing high school as a consensus top-25 prospect. At 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds, Trevor Keels has phenomenal physical strength for his age and position. He excels in attack mode on the offensive end, using his combination of strength and skill to score on all three levels. He possesses a unique ability to finish through contact in the lane, and also knock down shots by spotting up or as his own creator. At the Iverson Roundball Classic in May, Keels&rsquo; footwork and smooth shooting stroke impressed me, a swing skill he&rsquo;ll look to maintain as a freshman. With continued improvement as a passer, shooter and on-ball defender, Keels has a chance to be a solid one-and-done option.&nbsp;
Bryce McGowens
Guard | Nebraska
Height: 6-7 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 6-9 Weight: 179 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.6
Possessing positional size and length, Bryce McGowens has a chance to be one of the best shot makers in college basketball. He&rsquo;s flashed space creation as a shooter with pull-up craft, ball-handling and the ability to elevate over defenders. Although he can be a bit streaky, the mechanics and fluidity with his shooting are special. He is also a solid defender due to his length, athleticism and instinctual play. With his combination of great athleticism, shot-making and finishing craft at the rim, McGowens should be a go-to scorer for the Huskers, and will look to make a strong case as a potential draft pick in 2022.
Hunter Sallis
Guard | Gonzaga
Height: 6-5 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wingspan: 6-8 Weight: 175 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Draft Day Age: 19.2
Hunter Sallis stands 6-foot-5, giving him solid positional size as a scoring guard who also excels as a facilitator. The McDonald&rsquo;s All-American averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game as a high-school senior. Gonzaga will have a handful of capable ball-handlers on the roster this season, but Sallis&rsquo; ability to control the game and be a scoring floor general should create a solid role for him. He will need to add physical strength, but the size, skill set and scoring prowess give promise to him as a likely high-level prospect. Sallis is currently included on the 2022 Jerry West Award preseason watchlist, and has the potential to be one of the leaders of the Zags&rsquo; offense.&nbsp;

Derek Murray analyzes the upcoming college freshman class and under-the-radar names to watch out for in the 2022 NBA Draft.

2022 NBA Draft: Top incoming college freshmen with pro potential

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced plans for the first NBA Week Mexico City 2021 presented by AT&amp;T, a multi-day celebration of the growth of basketball and the NBA in Mexico ahead of the league&rsquo;s 75th Anniversary Season.
NBA Week Mexico City 2021, which will take place from Thursday, Sept. 23 &ndash; Sunday, Oct. 3, will feature a wide range of experiences for fans and players, including interactive basketball-themed activities, pop-up events, youth and elite basketball development programming, and the first virtual innovation summit featuring speakers from across the NBA family, headlined by NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum and NBA 2K League President Brendan Donohue.&nbsp; Fans can participate and receive access to additional information, exclusive content and more by registering at <a href="http://www.nbaweek.com.mx">www.nbaweek.com.mx</a>.
&ldquo;The NBA has incredibly dedicated fans and partners across the country, and NBA Week Mexico City is a culmination of their continued support,&rdquo; said NBA Mexico Vice President and Managing Director, Raul Zarraga.&nbsp; &ldquo;We are committed to engaging fans and players in Mexico in new and unique ways and remain focused on creating more opportunities for young people to enjoy the game.&nbsp; We&rsquo;ve never been more excited about the future of the NBA in Mexico and look forward to celebrating our 75th Anniversary Season with fans throughout the country.&rdquo;
Initial activities for NBA Week Mexico City 2021 include:
NBA Cave (Sept. 23-26)
NBA Cave is a pop-up fan experience that will be hosted next to NBA Tienda in Polanco and offer fans an array of basketball-themed games and activities.
NBA Academy Exhibition Games (Sept. 24-25)
Players from NBA Academy Latin America, NBA Academy Africa and the Atlanta-based organization The Skill Factory will compete in exhibition games at La Loma Centro Deportivo in San Luis Potos&iacute;, the home of NBA Academy Latin America.&nbsp; Games will be livestreamed on <a href="http://www.nbaweek.com.mx">www.nbaweek.com.mx</a> and called by broadcaster &Aacute;lvaro Mart&iacute;n and analyst Carlos Morales.
NBA Locker Fan Experience (Sept. 24-26)
Twelve lockers, each featuring a unique historical NBA fun fact will be placed throughout the Antara Mall in Mexico City as part of an NBA scavenger hunt.&nbsp; A map will be available on <a href="http://www.nbaweek.com.mx">www.nbaweek.com.mx</a>.&nbsp; The NBA Locker Fan Experience will also offer interactive digital content, photo opportunities and more entertainment for fans.
Her Time To Play Clinic (Sept. 25)
Former WNBA player Allison Feaster and NBA staff will lead a virtual basketball and leadership development clinic for girls ages 13-16.&nbsp; The NBA and WNBA created Her Time To Play in 2018 to inspire the next generation of girls to play basketball in a positive and healthy way and provide them with ways to engage with one another through the game.
Jr. NBA Mexico Finals (Sept. 26)
Sixteen of the top male and female youth basketball players in Mexico will compete in a virtual skills challenge via the HomeCourt app as part of the 2021 Jr. NBA Mexico Finals.&nbsp; Top performers from the qualifying competition (Sept. 8-21) on HomeCourt will earn a spot in the Finals.&nbsp; Winning boys and girls teams (4 players each) will be crowned.&nbsp; The Jr. NBA Mexico Finals will be livestreamed on <a href="http://www.nbaweek.com.mx">www.nbaweek.com.mx</a> on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 12:00 p.m. CDMX.
NBA Time Machine Experience (Sept. 28)
13 lucky influencers will be joined by an NBA legend for an NBA Time Machine Experience as they revisit a classic game and participate in a live Q&amp;A.
Innovation Summit Presented by SAP (Sept. 29)
The first NBA Week Mexico City Innovation Summit presented by SAP will bring together experts from a range of industries, including sports, entertainment and technology, for a series of virtual panels.&nbsp; Guest speakers will include NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum; NBA 2K League President Brendan Donohue; NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Global Strategy &amp; Innovation Matt Wolf; NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Gaming &amp; New Business Ventures Scott Kaufman-Ross; NBA Vice President, Team Marketing &amp; Business Operations Stacy McWilliams; San Antonio Spurs Executive Vice President of Revenue, Brand &amp; Communications Brandon Gayle; SAP Mexico Head of Innovation &amp; Solutions Rosendo Perez; AT&amp;T Mexico Vice President and General Manager, Business Sales &amp; Solutions Ana Michelle; and Gatorade Sports Science Institute Latin America Scientific Consultant Lourdes Mayol.&nbsp; The panelists will discuss the NBA&rsquo;s upcoming 75th Anniversary Season, innovation across the league and its teams, the business of sports, sports betting, esports and the <a href="https://2kleague.nba.com/">NBA 2K League</a> &ndash; a professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO), which launched in 2018 and features the best NBA 2K players in the world.
NBA Beyond the Lines Art Exhibition (Oct. 1-3)
The work of local artists showcasing the spirit of the NBA will be on display at the NBA Beyond the Lines Art Exhibition, which will be located at Lago Tanganica 67, Polanco.
In addition to AT&amp;T, partners supporting NBA Week Mexico City 2021 include Gatorade, Hennessy and SAP.&nbsp; For the latest details on NBA Week Mexico City 2021, including opportunities to participate, fans can visit <a href="http://www.nbaweek.com.mx">www.nbaweek.com.mx</a>.
Fans in Mexico can find more information&nbsp;about the NBA at <a href="http://NBA.com/Mexico">NBA.com/Mexico</a>, on Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NBAMexico/">@NBAMexico</a>), Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/NBAMEX?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@NBAMEX</a>) and Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nbamex/?hl=en">(@nbamex</a>), and use the hashtags #NBAMexicoWeek and #NBA75.

The NBA will hold a multi-day celebration of the growth of basketball and the NBA in Mexico ahead of its 75th Anniversary Season.

NBA Week Mexico City to celebrate growth of basketball in Mexico

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; For the second time in five years, the Oklahoma City Thunder went Down Under to find a first-round pick in the NBA draft, taking Josh Giddey at No. 6 on Thursday night.
The 18-year-old Giddey, a 6-foot-8 guard from Melbourne, Australia, attended the NBA Global Academy in 2019-20 and played last season for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia&rsquo;s National Basketball League. He was named the league&rsquo;s rookie of the year after averaging 10.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and a league-best 7.6 assists per game.
He already has an Oklahoma connection: His sister, Hannah Giddey, is a 6-foot-1 forward headed into her sophomore season at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, about 100 miles from Oklahoma City. Giddey called it a &ldquo;dream situation&rdquo; to be able to play so close to his sister.
&ldquo;Oklahoma is actually one of my favorite teams and to be picked by them it&rsquo;s a dream come true,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So, love the guys, the coaches, the staff on the team and really happy to be there.&rdquo;
Oklahoma City traded its second first-round pick, at No. 16, to Houston and chose Alperen Sengun for the Rockets. The Thunder received a pair of future first-round picks in return.
The Thunder also took Tre Mann, a 6-foot-5 guard from Florida, with the No. 18 overall pick in the first round.
&ldquo;We felt it was an extremely productive night for us,&rdquo; Thunder&rsquo;general manager, Sam Presti said. &ldquo;We are excited about the players that we were able to add and excited about those guys coming into the program. They all bring something different and I think will be positive contributors to the organization. They all have a lot of work in front of them and this is just the starting point for their careers. &hellip; We&rsquo;re looking forward to walking with them through their development paths.&rdquo;
Giddey is the first NBA Global Academy graduate to be drafted into the NBA and the highest-drafted player from Australia since Ben Simmons, who went first overall to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Giddey is the eighth Australian to be drafted in the first round. Although he wasn&rsquo;t from Australia, in 2017, the Thunder used the No. 21 overall pick on Terrance Ferguson, who had played for the 36ers the previous season.
&ldquo;To follow on from the guys we have had (from Australia) go through the NBA, it means a lot to me and I looked up to those guys for a long time and I speak to them and try and get advice from them,&rdquo; Giddey said. &ldquo;The Australian basketball community is really tight. So, to have those guys by my side and supporting me through this whole process has been really good for me.&rdquo;
Should Giddey play for the Thunder next season, he&rsquo;ll be the second teenager on the Thunder roster, joining Aleksej Pokusevski, who won&rsquo;t turn 20 until December. The Thunder obtained Pokusevski, the 17th pick of the 2020 NBA draft, through a trade with Minnesota.
Giddey &ldquo;is somebody that really has a lot of room to grow as a basketball player, but already has shown through his experience overseas the ability to impact professional games at a very, very young age,&rdquo; Presti said. &ldquo;He makes other people better and that&rsquo;s a really important trait as we continue to add other players to our team.&rdquo;
Mann averaged 16.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for Florida as a sophomore. He finished eighth in the Southeastern Conference in scoring and sixth in free-throw percentage (83.1) and assists per game (3.5). He was an All-SEC second-team selection.
He&rsquo;s the first first-round draft pick produced by the Gators since Bradley Beal in 2012.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all just so excited for Tre,&rdquo; Florida coach Mike White said. &ldquo;He has put in an incredible amount of work to get to this point, and his dedication, commitment and maturity have helped him reach this goal. He has earned this moment, and I couldn&rsquo;t be happier for him.&rdquo;
In the second round, the Thunder picked up 6-foot-9 forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl of Villanova. He led the Wildcats in scoring (15.7 points per game) and rebounding (8.5 per game) while helping them advance to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.
The Thunder swapped two of its second-round picks, at No. 34 and No. 36, with New York for the rights to Robinson-Earl, who the Knicks selected at No. 32.
&ldquo;The Thunder are lucky to be getting a high-character, hard working young man,&rdquo; Villanova coach Jay Wright said on Twitter. &ldquo;Jeremiah is ready to compete at the next level in the NBA.&rdquo;
With the No. 55 pick, Oklahoma City selected Aaron Wiggins, a 6-foot-6 guard from Maryland who averaged 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game last season as a junior. As a sophomore, he was named as the Big Ten Conference&rsquo;s sixth man of the year as the Terrapins won the league title.

For the second time in five years, the Thunder went Down Under to find a first-round pick in the NBA Draft, taking Josh Giddey at No. 6.

Thunder shock everyone by selecting Josh Giddey at No. 6

Blake Hairston breaks down the top NBA Draft prospects to keep an eye on from the Southeastern Conference.

San Francisco State Gators