Three games is all James Wiseman got during this college career at the University of Memphis. The NCAA ruled him ineligible early in the season in a complex and unfair situation where head coach Penny Hardaway allegedly acted improperly in getting Wiseman’s family to move to Memphis. The young center’s college career ended, and he…
Following in the footsteps of great international bigs like Arvydas Sabonis, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Gasol, 7-foot German forward Aleksej Pokusevski has the talent and skills to have earned a spot among the youngest projected draft picks in this age-limit era. Before the likes of Kristaps Porzingis or Luka Doncic burst onto the scene and…
Only two words describe why Illinois sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu returned to the Fighting Illini this season: unfinished business. Being a Chicago native from Morgan Park, Dosunmu’s reason for staying home was to help coach Brad Underwood turn the university’s basketball program around. “I just want to bring good days back for basketball at Illinois, and…
There is always hope in the next New York Knicks draft pick. Despite the franchise’s frustrating recent history and tumultuous management, there’s a buzz and eagerness to talk about the future in Leon Rose’s first offseason as team president. The talent at the top of this year’s draft isn’t particularly stellar, so many franchises may…
There’s a lot of talent to be found all around the world, and more front offices are searching through Europe, Asia, South America, etc. to find the next great import. This season, 108 players from 38 countries were on an NBA roster for opening night, which includes reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Even though the league…
The NBA Draft is about value as much as it is talent. If somebody is talented, they hold value to a team looking to employ the most skilled players possible. But value can also be derived from non-basketball skills in ways that distort the picture on draft night. Franchises are making investments when they use…
As Benjamin Franklin once pointed out, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Were he still alive to be quoted today, Franklin might have added: “…And committing to play sports at a major university.” Sure enough, that sure-thing, hard commitment from one of the nation’s top high school…
Oregon Senior guard Payton Pritchard may be one of the best point guards production-wise in the entire draft. He was having a career-year while leading the Ducks to a 24-7 record that earned them the No. 13 spot on the NCAA men’s basketball AP Top 25 poll. Averaging 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists on…
While the core of the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets roster is pretty much set, the NBA Draft remains a crucial offseason juncture. Given the current state of the club, general manager Sean Marks may approach the scouting and selection process a bit differently than he has during the past four seasons. The rebuilding Nets hit major…
This season, 108 players from 38 countries were on an NBA roster for opening night. (The record is 113 players from 42 countries, set in 2016-17.) The reigning MVP (Giannis Antetokounmpo) hails from overseas (Greece). There’s a lot of talent to be found all around the world, and all front offices now routinely search through…
