Category: NCAAB

Dylan Harper is the most exciting offensive prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft

Dylan Harper looks like a future STAR.

Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper may not go as the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he has the most potential of any player on offense.

Harper is currently playing in the Players Era Festival tournament in Las Vegas. During a win against Notre Dame on November 26, he scored 36 points. That was the most by any freshman so far this season and it was a breakout performance for the future pro.

Long considered the top lead guard in this draft class, Harper was named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year. He was honored as the MVP of the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr., the 6-foot-6 freshman is playing very well during his first collegiate campaign.

Harper has struggled to finish in transition but has played with excellent efficiency in a set offense. He looks difficult to stop in pick and roll and isolation and can create his own shot with ease, including this vicious dunk that got his father hyped:

He is averaging 4.2 unassisted field goals per game at the rim, per CBB Analytics. Most impressive: No player in Division I men’s college basketball is recording more unassisted field goals made (6.2) per game.

Next up is Kam Jones, a senior from Marquette projected as a potential first-rounder in our latest NBA mock draft, at 5.5 unassisted field goals per game.

The freshman is unafraid to finish at the rim, which is encouraging from a young guard, and it is working. He is shooting an unprecedented 37-of-47 (78.7 percent) near the rim, and while that is hardly sustainable, it is also a huge part of what makes him so appealing.

He is also doing a fantastic job drawing contact at the basket, via CBB Analytics, drawing 2.7 shooting fouls (the most among freshmen) and converting 0.7 and-one attempts per game. Harper attempted 14 free throws versus Notre Dame, which is excellent.

Harper has displayed fantastic court vision and ball control and he has also maintained a very high assist percentage and a low turnover ratio, which are both encouraging traits as a floor general.

Overall, per Bart Torvik, his points over replacement per game is among the highest on record from a freshman in a high-major conference since 2008.

Even if Duke prospect Cooper Flagg hears his name called first in this class, defense is his primary trait that excites evaluators. But for Harper, any NBA team that is looking to improve their offense will rush to the podium if he is available when they are on the clock.

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Dan Hurley ruined UConn’s epic comeback with the most inexcusable technical during overtime

When the coach loses his team a game …

Throughout his coaching career, Dan Hurley has never been one to go easy on the officials. And honestly, officials give him plenty of leeway to complain. But every ref has their limit, and on Monday, Hurley crossed that line at the worst moment.

It essentially lost his team the game in the process.

In the opening round of UConn’s Maui Invitational matchup with Memphis, the Huskies overcame a double-digit deficit in the final 2.5 minutes to force overtime. Momentum was clearly on UConn’s side. But when Liam McNeeley was called for an over-the-back foul, Hurley couldn’t help himself.

Rather than let the (correct) call go in a tie game, Hurley berated the officials. And it doesn’t take expert lip-reading skills to see that Hurley got personal with it too.

Hurley was called for the technical, which sent P.J. Carter to the line for four three throws. He made all of them.

What would have been a one-possession game, turned into two just like that. And it had nothing to do with the players on the court. UConn was able to get a final look at the end, but those two points were so costly in the 99-97 loss.

Hurley’s antics completely changed that game.

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UConn honored Geno Auriemma becoming NCAA basketball’s all-time winningest coach with a literal goat

Goat meets goat.

With a UConn women’s basketball home win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night, Geno Auriemma became the NCAA’s all-time winningest basketball coach.

It’s a remarkable achievement for the basketball coaching great who now has a startling 1,217 wins on his record that eclipses any other NCAA basketball coach.

After the game, UConn honored its “goat” by bringing out an actual goat to commemorate such a special moment for Auriemma and the school.

Auriemma seemed delighted to see the goat on his historic night, as this is a pretty cool gesture from UConn to enshrine its “goat” after so many years of excellence.

As for the actual goat, we hope he gots lots of love and some lettuce to eat.

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The latest 2025 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report has BYU star Egor Demin on the Jazz

This seems like a PERFECT fit for the Jazz if they don’t Cooper Flagg.

One of the most exciting names in college basketball is BYU freshman Egor Demin, who is off to an incredibly hot start this season.

After one of the strongest debuts of any first-year player, the 18-year-old freshman from Russia looks like one of the most promising prospects in all of college basketball. He is averaging 17.0 points and 7.5 assists per game at 6-foot-9, shooting 11-of-20 (.550) on 3-pointers as well.

Read more from Jonathan Wasserman on why this is such a good pick (via Bleacher Report):

“While the Cooper Flagg hype came built in after years of coverage and NBA accessibility, no player has generated more NBA buzz on his own so far than Egor Demin.

BYU coach Kevin Young has given the freshman an ideal role to showcase his on-ball upside, and the Russian has capitalized, looking like a legitimate 6’9″ initiator creating advantages and setting up teammates with his handle, size and passing IQ.

So far, he’s looked fluid and convincing enough for scouts to start feeling confident in his ability to continue playmaking at a high level in the NBA.

He also looks substantially further ahead as a shooter than previous jumbo playmakers like Josh Giddey, Anthony Black or even Scottie Barnes. Demin made 11 threes over his first four games. And even if the accuracy falls off, his early start and track record overseas point to clear shotmaking confidence and shooting becoming a regular part of his scoring attack.

Looking ahead, scouts will be eager to assess Demin against power-conference opponents, specifically his ability to create separation and finish inside the arc.”

Demin has not faced much competition so far this season. Among all teams ranked in the top 30, via KenPom, only five have had less difficult strength of schedule so far. But if he can keep this up, expect he will only continue this ascension on draft boards.

The Jazz could make a lot of sense for Demin to pair him with Keyonte George as their backcourt of the future. Jazz chairman Ryan Smith and CEO Danny Ainge both attended BYU and are reportedly very big donors to the university. They would likely find it thrilling to add the next great BYU star to their roster.

Another team with potential interest is the Spurs, who selected him in ESPN’s latest mock draft.

Here is our latest NBA mock draft at For The Win, where Demin goes to the lowly and injured New Orleans Pelicans.

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Meet Mark Pope, the Kentucky men’s basketball coach who replaced John Calipari

Mark Pope won a championship while playing for Kentucky.

College basketball fans will see someone new on the sidelines coaching the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team this season.

After a decade and a half with Kentucky, former Wildcats head coach John Calipari is no longer leading the program. Now the head coach at Arkansas, the longtime face of the team brought a few of his former players to a new school in the SEC.

In his absence, former BYU head coach Mark Pope is now running the show for Kentucky.

OTHER NEW COACHES: The men’s NCAA basketball coaching carousel’s biggest moves, including John Calipari to Arkansas

Pope is originally from Washington and played college basketball for the Washington Huskies, where he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1992.

He eventually transferred to Kentucky, where he played from 1994 until 1996. As a forward, he was team captain for the Wildcats when they won the NCAA men’s basketball championship in 1996.

Selected in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft, he played professionally both overseas and in the NBA. After his playing career concluded, he began coaching.

Pope served as an assistant coach at Georgia, Wake Forest, and BYU before becoming head coach at Utah Valley in 2015. Pope took over as head coach for the Cougars in 2019 and was able to take the team to the March Madness tournament last season.

Now the head coach of his alma mater, fans will have high hopes for Pope’s first season. While several players left the team for the NBA or the transfer portal, he will bring former BYU top scorer Jaxson Robinson with him to the Wilcats.

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Roy Williams had a perfect reason for not attending Kansas-North Carolina at Allen Fieldhouse

Roy Williams is a man of PRINCIPLE.

Two-time AP Coach of the Year and three-time national champion Roy Williams is currently retired after a long and successful career.

But long before he was the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels for nearly two decades between 2003 and 2021, he led the program for another college basketball juggernaut for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Williams coached Kansas between 1988 and 2003, winning Naismith College Coach of the Year in 1997. He was replaced by Bill Self, who still coaches Kansas.

The two men’s basketball teams are scheduled to play against each other on Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET, in Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. Both teams are currently ranked top-10 in the nation with the Jayhawks at No. 1 overall. So everyone is wondering if Williams will attend the game.

According to Andrew Carter, who spoke to Williams, the answer is no.

Williams could not find it in himself to go to Allen Fieldhouse and applaud when the other team scores, even if that other team is the Tar Heels, where he had so much success and experience.

He is clearly a man of principle, which is why he appeared to refuse to cheer for North Carolina State during the March Madness tournament in 2024.

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Dan Lanning called a timeout so Oregon could watch Michigan fans empty out the stadium

Oregon’s Dan Lanning was inspired by Coach K for this idea.

Oregon Ducks football coach Dan Lanning had a plan heading into Saturday’s game against the Michigan Wolverines.

As the undefeated Ducks prepared to face off against the defending national champions earlier in the week, Lanning told his players about something he wanted to do when they played in Ann Arbor at Michigan Stadium.

In a “Ducks vs. Them” recap video of the victory, fans saw Lanning call a timeout in the fourth quarter so that he could remind them about this idea.

In that video, Lanning is seen telling his players that he told them about “this moment” on Monday. Then, it cut directly to some behind-the-scene footage of a team meeting a few days prior.

During this session, Lanning showed a video of legendary former Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski discussing road victories and what it feels like to watch home fans silenced and leaving early.

Krzyzewski discussed how he would call timeouts to have his players just look into the stands and watch them go home because those are the moments that the student athletes will always remember. Here is more from Lanning:

“I already told you in the beginning of the week. I’m going to remind you at some point in this game. I’m going to tell you to look up at the stands at some point in this game. And you’re going to start to see them empty out. We’ve made the decision before we even stepped on the field.”

When the recap flashed back to the actual game, you could see players wondering where the Michigan fans went. It clearly inspired the roster and everyone seemed excited

This was such a cool idea perfectly executed by the Oregon coach, who currently leads a team ranked No. 1 in the nation.

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Tyreek Smith entered transfer portal for 4th time just hours before Memphis’ season began

His next school would become the fifth for Smith.

Senior forward Tyreek Smith will not play college basketball for the Memphis Tigers, who begin their season at 8:00 p.m on Monday.

Just hours before the NCAA men’s basketball season tips off, Smith reportedly entered the transfer portal. The redshirt senior now looks to play for his fifth collegiate program, although he never actually playing a regular season game for the Tigers.

Smith has previously played for SMU, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech.

There were some concerns raised on social media about “broken promises” between the university and Smith as it resolved NIL-related issues. This was a decision reportedly made on Saturday, two days before the season began.

Smith played in one of the Memphis exhibition games before the season began, though he later requested some personal time away from the team.

He also missed time during the preseason due to an ankle injury and wore a brace on his right foot.

The senior remains eligible to play for a new program once the fall semester ends in December, per Commercial Appeal. But finding a fifth school to take a chance on him could prove difficult at this point.

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4 replacements for Tony Bennett after the Virginia head coach unexpectedly retired

After the shocking retirement, here are some possible replacements for Tony Bennett.

Virginia men’s basketball head coach Tony Bennett is expected to retire.

This is unexpected news for the program, especially occurring so close to the start of the upcoming season. There is still a lot to learn about this decision, and fans will likely get more details at Bennett’s press conference on Friday morning.

But no matter the reason, Virginia still needs a head coach on the sidelines for the 2024-25 campaign. One would assume that the hire would come from their internal staff based on familiarity with the roster and system, so here are a few names they will likely consider.

One of these names will likely become the interim head coach. Then after the season, depending on how it goes, perhaps they get promoted to have the gig on a full-time level.

Ron Sanchez

Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

Current:

Associate head coach, Virginia (2023 – Present)

Past: 

Head coach, Charlotte (2018 – 2023)

Assistant coach, Virginia (2009 – 2018)

Assistant coach, Washington State (2003 – 2009)

Assistant coach, Indiana (2001 – 2003)

Assistant coach, SUNY Delhi (1999 – 2001)

Assistant coach, SUNY Oneonta (1996 – 1999)

Jason Williford

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Current:

Associate head coach, Virginia

Past: 

Assistant head coach, Virginia

Assistant coach, American University

Assistant coach, Boston University

Assistant coach, John Marshall High School

Professional basketball player

UVA collegiate basketball player and captain

Brad Soderberg

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Current: 

Scouting, Virginia (2021 – Present)

Past: 

Assistant coach, Virginia (2015 – 2021)

Head coach, Lindenwood (2009 – 2015)

Head coach, Saint Louis (2002 – 2007)

Assistant coach, Saint Louis (2001 – 2002)

Interim coach, Wisconsin (2000 – 2001)

Assistant coach, Wisconsin (1995 – 2000)

Head coach, South Dakota State (1993 – 1995)

Head coach, Loras (1988 – 1993)

Assistant coach, Loras (1987 – 1988)

Assistant coach, Fort Hays State (1986 – 1987)

Graduate assistant, Colorado State (1985 – 1986)

Assistant coach, Wisconsin–Stevens Point (1984-1985)

Ritchie McKay

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Current: 

Head coach, Liberty (2015 – Present)

Past: 

Associate head coach, Virginia (2009 – 2015)

Head coach, Liberty (2007 – 2009)

Head coach, New Mexico (2002 – 2007)

Head coach, Oregon State (2000 – 2002)

Head coach, Colorado State (1998 – 2000)

Head coach, Portland State (1996 – 1998)

Assistant coach, Washington (1993 – 1995)

Assistant coach, Bradley (1991 – 1993)

Assistant coach, Seattle Pacific (1990 – 1991)

Assistant coach, Queens (1989 – 1990)

Assistant coach, Washington (1988 – 1989)

Player, Seattle Pacific (1983 – 1987)

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The Boozer twins joining Duke is a bigger win than getting Cooper Flagg

Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer announced their collegiate decision and they will play men’s college basketball at Duke. 

Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer announced their collegiate decision and they will play men’s college basketball at Duke.

This is a major win for Duke men’s head basketball coach Jon Scheyer, who officially landed a commitment from one of the top recruits in the nation for the second year in a row. Cameron Boozer is currently the No. 2 player in the class of 2025 and his brother, Cayden, is No. 21 in the class.

It is not exactly shocking that the twin brothers will attend the same school as their father, Carlos Boozer, who won an NCAA title at the university in 2001. But it is majorly impactful for Scheyer.

Plus, t was reportedly not a lock that these incredible basketball players would go to Duke. So for the program to land them both over Miami and Florida was a major win in an era post coach Mike Krzyzewski.

COOPER FLAGG: Every NBA franchise should be praying to the basketball gods for after he cooked Team USA

This news comes one year after the coach also received a commitment from Cooper Flagg, who is the No. 1 player in the class of 2024.

We project that Flagg will also hear his name called as the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, though, so his stay in the NCAA will likely not be long.

Flagg is an elite prospect and joins Wembanyama as one of the best we have evaluated in recent years. But he is just one player who will only be on Duke campus for a few months.

The Boozer twins will headline a Duke recruiting class as two top-tier NCAA prospects. Even though Cameron is almost certainly a one-and-done prospect like Flagg, perhaps Cayden decides to stay an extra year in college. It isn’t an impossible thought!

Plus, it should inspire more highly-touted recruits to play alongside them.

That means Scheyer may have just landed more than two seasons of college basketball in one fell swoop, which is impressive work from the third-year coach.

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