Two teams have emerged as potential trade destinations for Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. Okafor told reporters last week that he requested either a trade or buyout from the 76ers, but added that team president Bryan Colangelo denied a buyout because the team wouldn’t be able to recoup assets in return. Continue reading “Trade destinations reportedly emerge for former NBA No. 3 overall pick Okafor”
The U.S. Census Bureau statistics (2009) report that over 24 million Americans play basketball and over 10 million Americans play volleyball. Did you know basketball and volleyball were invented by instructors at the Young Men’s Christian Association – YMCA? Continue reading “The YMCA’s great history: More than just basketball”
Game Scouted: Wake Forest vs Queens
I was able to attend Wakes first exhibition game of the season against D2 nationally ranked Queens from Charlotte. Two highly touted freshman and one grad transfer played significant minutes and will all 3 be counted on heavily for the Deacs this season. Wake was able to narrowly escape Queens upset bid with a score of 76-74.
Olivier Sarr, 7’0″, C, FR
Wake Forest was fortunate to land the 4 star French prospect who was labeled one of the top international prospects by multiple recruiting services and had his share of offers. First thing you notice about Sarr is his length and size. Lanky but runs the floor like a deer. Can hedge ball screens pretty well and is fluid. Needs to add strength and is still a bit raw at this stage, but Coach Manning has a great track record when it comes to developing bigs, so Sarr should improve weekly especially with more game experience. High upside with size and his athleticism which is what NBA teams love with him. I can see him getting into foul trouble especially in ACC play. Showed some flashes last night in limited minutes and finished with 4 pts and 3 boards.
Chaundee Brown, 6’5″, G, FR
Brown is Wake’s highest ranked recruit since 2008 and after watching him play 27 minutes last night I can see why. Absolutely loved his composure and court presence. Great body, strong and athletic. Plays hard and doesnt play outside his strength. Defends and can guard multiple positions- I can see this eventually being one of his biggest calling cards as a lockdown defender. Shot is a little slow and his 3- point shot needs to improve- did hit one 3 in the second half. Showcased the ability to score off the bounce and in transition. Definitely a player NBA teams need to add to their list if he isn’t on it already. Would not be surprised if he made the leap to the pros before his 4 years was up. Finished with 9 points, 2 rebounds, and a block.
Terrence Thompson, 6’7″, F, GR
Thompson is a grad transfer after playing the previous 2 years at Marshall. Thompson is going to be asked to fill a big hole after the departures of John Collins and Dinos Mitoglou, 2 big men who are now pro’s. Gritty player who fights inside and is a traffic rebounder. Plays hard on both ends. Underrated hands. Not a good outside shooter, did attempt one 3 (which he missed), and needs to improve his FT shooting. His calling card is going to bring toughness, rebounding, and some scoring out of pick and rolls (Which the Deacs run at a high rate). Would like to see if he could score with his back to the basket, which he was not able to showcase much in this game per lack of post ups. Low to mid level European prospect.
Five-star small forward Brian Bowen was reportedly involved in the FBI probe that has shaken the college basketball world to its core. It’s one of the major reasons that former Louisville head coach Rick Pitino was ousted. Continue reading “After initial suspension, former five-star SF Brian Bowen faces one last obstacle to reinstatement”
Auburn forward Danjel Purifoy and center Austin Wiley will be sidelined indefinitely due to “potential eligibility issues,” the school announced Thursday. Their absences are presumably tied to the FBI investigation into college basketball corruption that led to the arrest of Auburn associate head coach Chuck Person and nine others. Continue reading “Auburn to sit F Purifoy, C Wiley amid FBI investigation”
After a surprisingly slow start to the 2017-18 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers held a lengthy team meeting on Tuesday to address their struggles. The Cavaliers (3-4) have struggled on the defensive end through their first seven games of the season as they currently rank 27th in the NBA after giving up 109.8 points per 100 possessions. Continue reading “Cleveland Cavaliers hold “air-it-out” meeting”
Shares of Under Armour stumbled early Tuesday after the athletic apparel and shoe maker slashed its full-year profit forecast following weak quarterly earnings caused by falling sales in North America. Continue reading “Under Armour shares stumble on weak forecast”
NCAA president Mark Emmert, citing polling numbers and talking about a federal investigation into criminal activity in college basketball, said Monday the public is losing confidence in his organization. Continue reading “Emmert: Public losing trust in NCAA”
INDIANAPOLIS — Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, to lift the Indiana Pacers to a 97-94 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points lead San Antonio, which lost its second game in a row. Continue reading “Oladipo lifts Pacers to win over Spurs”
Five-star small forward Wendell Moore is getting closer to making a decision on where he’ll be going to play his college basketball. He’s taken an important step with a top 10 list that he dropped on Twitter: TOP 10‼️ pic.twitter.com/C5NcxdSIs2 — thewendellmoore (@thewendellmoore) October 26, 2017 The 6-foot-4, 200-pound forward out of Charlotte is ranked as the No. 6 player at his position and No. 25 recruit overall in the class… Continue reading “Five-star SF Wendell Moore drops top 10 schools list”