Latest news with #NaismithPlayeroftheYear
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jon Scheyer Sends Strong Message About Cooper Flagg Ahead of NBA Draft
Jon Scheyer Sends Strong Message About Cooper Flagg Ahead of NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With the NBA draft set for June 25 and 26, the countdown is officially on until former Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg hears his name called as the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks. Advertisement Ahead of the big night, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer joined "The Ryen Russillo Podcast" to discuss Flagg's mindset and the potential of how he might fit at the next level—particularly on a team already loaded with proven star veterans like Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Anthony Davis. 'Cooper had as good and as special of a season as I've ever been a part of with any player," Scheyer said. "But he also had moments where things didn't go his way—when we lost, when there was heartbreak. And in those moments, there were no excuses, no finger-pointing. It was always, 'What does Cooper need to do better?' That's pretty old school, pretty special, and it's a big reason why he's going to be the No. 1 pick and why he'll be a great player for a very long time.' Scheyer continued, 'He's so unselfish—that's just his nature. He could've easily averaged 20-plus points this year. Going forward, I think he'll be just fine With his ability to shoot from three, finish at the rim, and create his own shot, I think he's going to become one of the best scorers in the NBA over time.' Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg and head coach Jon Scheyer© Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Cooper Flagg was widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick before he even stepped on the court at Duke—and somehow, he still managed to exceed the sky-high expectations that followed him from Newport, Maine, to Montverde Academy, where he was the top recruit in the Class of 2024. Flagg led the Blue Devils to both the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles, a Final Four appearance, and topped the team in nearly every major statistical category. His dominant season earned him a sweep of the sport's top honors, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Player of the Year, and both ACC Player and Rookie of the Year. Advertisement Related: Duke Basketball Makes Big Announcement on Tuesday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Exciting Cooper Flagg Announcement Made Ahead of NBA Draft
Exciting Cooper Flagg Announcement Made Ahead of NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It's all but a certainty that Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg will be the first player to hear his name called on June 25, when the NBA Draft begins and the Dallas Mavericks go on the clock to make their selection. Advertisement However, Flagg has been viewed as the consensus No. 1 pick since before he truly even played his first game in Durham, North Carolina, for the Blue Devils. Coming out of Newport, Maine, Flagg was — and still is — considered a generational talent, and even with the sky-high expectations, he's managed to exceed them. This week, Flagg is in the midst of a private meeting with the Mavericks organization and is now just a week away from potentially joining forces with Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and fellow former Duke stars Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively. To add to the excitement ahead of draft night, it was revealed Wednesday that Flagg is the latest cover athlete for "Sports Illustrated," donning New Balance gear — the first major brand deal he signed during his time at Duke. Flagg led Duke to a stellar 35-4 season, capturing both the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles. He also helped guide the Blue Devils to the Final Four, where they were ultimately upset by the Houston Cougars following a second-half collapse. Advertisement Still, Flagg delivered a historic season. He swept the major national awards—winning the Wooden Award, Naismith Player of the Year, and earning both ACC Player and Rookie of the Year honors—while leading Duke in every major statistical category. Cooper Flagg talks to the media at the NBA Draft CombineDavid Banks-Imagn Image The former Montverde Academy star averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting 48.1% from the field and an impressive 38.5% from beyond the arc. Now, he'll join a Mavericks team that's already built to compete—after Dallas shockingly landed the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery despite having just a 1.8% chance to do so. Advertisement Related: Jon Scheyer Sends Strong Message About Cooper Flagg Ahead of NBA Draft This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama All-American Mark Sears reveals mindset in NBA draft workouts
Alabama All-American Mark Sears reveals mindset in NBA draft workouts Mark Sears was a Naismith Player of the Year semifinalist, and the former Alabama guard is working to showcase himself at a high level ahead of the 2025 NBA draft. Sears was a consensus first-team All-American, averaging 18.6 points, 5.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds on 34.5% shooting from 3-point range in 37 games. His 690 total points ranked fourth-most in a single season in program history. The 6-foot standout is projected to be a second-round pick after establishing himself as one of the top guards in the country. He wants to show he can do more than just score and is using feedback from teams to improve over this process. "They want to constantly see me do things that are not going to show up on the stat sheet so that is what I'm doing," Sears said Monday, via Sean Cunningham of KCRA-TV. "I'm trying to show that I can guard bigger players, I can defend at a high level -- doing stuff that doesn't require scoring the ball." Sears left college ranked 19th in all-time career scoring with 2,841 points, having spent two years at Ohio and three at Alabama. He set the Crimson Tide records for points (232), wins (9) and games played (11) in the NCAA Tournament. The 23-year-old helped Alabama advance to the Elite Eight in each of the past two seasons, the only team to accomplish that feat over that span. He was the West Region Most Outstanding Player and set a program record with 10 3-pointers in a win over BYU on March 27. Sears is on the verge of joining a growing list of Alabama players drafted to the NBA. He believes his time in Tuscaloosa helped prepare him for that opportunity. "I feel like they set me up great for this opportunity I'm going through," Sears said. "We played very similar to the NBA style. What Coach (Nate) Oats has going is very high level, and I feel that is going to be a great transformation for me in the league."
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
JuJu Watkins Turns Heads with Major Announcement on Monday
JuJu Watkins Turns Heads with Major Announcement on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The USC Trojans women's basketball team has been considered one of the top brands in its sport for the past several seasons, led by JuJu Watkins. Advertisement Watkins committed to USC as one of the most highly touted recruits in college basketball history. She has now played two seasons with the Trojans, having cemented herself as one of the biggest stars in college basketball, coming off a season during which she was named the Naismith Player of the Year, Women's Wooden Award winner and Associated Press Player of the Year. While it was a successful season for Watkins, she suffered a brutal injury in the postseason, cutting her season short. Watkins went down during the Women's NCAA Tournament with a torn ACL that required surgical repair. During the offseason, while Watkins rehabs, she was featured in a major announcement via Alexa Philippou and Peacock. Advertisement "Little bit of news: 'On the Rise: JuJu Watkins' has been greenlit for a second season on Peacock," Philippou said. "The documentary series — executive produced by LeBron James, Watkins, Rich Paul and more — chronicles the ascent of the USC superstar and 2025 national player of the year." After starring in the first season of "On the Rise," Watkins will be featured in Season 2 of the docuseries. Upon release of the announcement, some fans took to social media, sharing their thoughts on the news featuring JuJu Watkins. "I LOVE GOOD NEWS," said one fan. "Interesting. This would basically be a rehab season. But still not much of a risk for a streaming show on Peacock," said another fan. Advertisement "Intrigued, but i don't have Peacock soooo," mentioned one fan. "On The Rise : JuJu Watkins" Season 2 confirmed of the documentary following the upcoming superstar of@USCWBB:@Jujubballin," commented one fan. "Oh yea," said one fan. "SEASON [two]," said another fan. USC Trojans guard JuJu Hanashiro-Imagn Images Last season with the USC Trojans, JuJu Watkins posted 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. That followed a successful freshman season, during which Watkins averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Related: South Carolina Turns Heads After Team GPA Under Dawn Staley Surfaces Related: Duke Blue Devils Suffer Major Coaching Loss on Saturday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Wisconsin basketball star impresses in key NBA draft combine statistic
Former Wisconsin basketball star John Tonje showcased his shooting prowess during the first day of the 2025 NBA draft combine. Tonje, who delivered a historic 2024-25 season leading the Badgers, displayed the efficiency that Wisconsin fans became accustomed to during his tenure in Madison. The North Omaha, Nebraska, native finished the first day of the event having made 72% of his shots, ranked fifth-best of all participants. Only Alabama's Mark Sears, Tennessee's Chaz Lanier, Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard and Memphis' PJ Haggerty accumulated a more efficient shooting percentage during the first day of action. Notably, Tonje was one of eight players to shoot at least 70% during the first day of drills, per ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony. Advertisement While reflective of only the combine's first day, the mark could prove noteworthy for Tonje's draft stock. The 2025 Naismith Player of the Year Semifinalist was recently projected to fall to No. 47 to the Milwaukee Bucks. An impressive performance at the combine could certainly alter his position on draft boards ahead of the June 25 event. Tonje's ceiling makes him an appealing second-round prospect, and his ability to impact the game from both inside and beyond the arc could transfer to the NBA level. Tonje's most likely route to a regular roster spot would be to become a reliable two-way bench asset, a luxury for any team in the draft's second round. The UW star averaged just under 20 points per appearance in 2024-25 while shooting 46.5% from the floor, 38.8% from outside and 90.9% from the foul line. A 37-point outing against BYU in the NCAA Tournament, 32-point performance against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament and 41-tally performance against Arizona in November showcased his offensive capabilities, something scouts may look towards when evaluating his position as a professional. Advertisement Tonje's status in the combine will be something to monitor throughout the coming days. While projected lottery picks may not have much to prove, players in Tonje's bubble can still bolster their standing. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Basketball star John Tonje NBA Combine Stats
