Tag: 2025 NBA Draft

Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe leads Bahamas to semifinals of Olympic qualifying tournament

Edgecombe produced another sensational outing on Wednesday to lead the Bahamas to a win over Poland in the Olympic qualifying tournament.

After scoring 20 points on Tuesday, Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe produced another sensational outing on Wednesday to lead the Bahamas to a win over Poland in the Olympic qualifying tournament in València, Spain.

Edgecombe scored a team-high 21 points and six rebounds, and Buddy Hield had 17 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in the 90-81 victory, which will send the Bahamas to the semifinals of the tournament after finishing as the top team in Group B.

The Bahamas, who also received 18 points and nine rebounds from Deandre Ayton and 12 points from Eric Gordon, did not trail in the contest and led by as many as 19 points. The team shot 51.7% from the field, including 44.8% from behind the arc.

Edgecombe, the No. 5 prospect in the class of 2024, is one of six collegiate players on the roster and is representing the Bahamas for the first time at the senior level. He has emerged as one of their top players and is tied with Hield in total scoring through two games (41 points).

After defeating Poland, the Bahamas will play next on Saturday in the semifinals against the second-ranked team from Group A, which features Angola, Lebanon and Spain. The game will tip off at either 11:30 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. EDT.

The winner of the qualifying tournament will claim one of the four remaining spots in the 2024 Olympic Games. That country will be placed in Group A to start the Olympics, along with Australia, Canada and another team from a qualifying tournament.

The Bahamas are seeking its first appearance in the Olympic Games.

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‘He has shown serious flashes’: VJ Edgecombe dazzles in Bahamas’ win over Finland in Olympic qualifier

Playing alongside three NBA players, Edgecombe dazzled to help the Bahamas defeat Finland to open the 2024 Olympic qualifying tournament.

Playing alongside three players in the NBA, Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe dazzled on Tuesday to help the Bahamas defeat Finland to open the 2024 Olympic qualifying tournament.

Buddy Hield produced a game-high 24 points and six rebounds, while Edgecombe finished with 20 points and four rebounds to lead the Bahamas to the 96-85 victory in Valencia, Spain. Deandre Ayton had 19 points and nine rebounds and Eric Gordon added 16 points.

Finland led by as many as nine points in the first half to take a 54-47 lead at the intermission. The Bahamas responded by outscoring Finland 49-31 in the second half, with Edgecombe scoring 10 points alone in the fourth quarter to help the group pull out the win.

“He has been a high-level talent all of his life,” Hield said of Edgecombe. “He even busted my (expletive) in practice, too. He has shown serious flashes, and he is very coachable. He just wants to learn the game and is fun to be around, fun to play with and responds the right way. He is a high-character kid and the game always rewards that.”

Edgecombe, the No. 5 prospect in the class of 2024, is one of six collegiate players named to the Bahamas’ final 12-man roster. He previously represented his country in the Nike Hoop Summit in April, recording 17 points and five rebounds in a loss to USA Basketball.

The 19-year-old quickly emerged as one of the top players in training camp to earn his first senior national team appearance. He averaged 12 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in two tune-up games before the start of the qualifying tournament.

“He stepped into our training camp right away, and he belonged,” coach Chris Demarco said. “You never really know what somebody is going to look like until you see him around your veterans and your best players… from Day 1, he was ready. He has been waiting for this opportunity and it has been really beneficial for our team.”

After defeating Finland, the Bahamas can become one of two teams from Group B to advance to the semifinals of the tournament by defeating Poland on Wednesday. They would face one of the top two teams from Group A, which features Angola, Lebanon and Spain.

The winner of the qualifying tournament will claim one of the four remaining spots in the 2024 Olympic Games. That country will be placed in Group A to start the Olympics, along with Australia, Canada and another team from a qualifying tournament.

The Bahamas are seeking its first appearance in the Olympic Games.

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An ESPN 2025 NBA mock draft features zero Kentucky Wildcats

An ESPN NBA mock draft for 2025 doesn’t feature any Kentucky basketball players.

Kentucky basketball has dominated the NBA draft over the past decade in a half, with seemingly a player selected in the first round every year, sometimes more than one. This year, both Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham both went in the top ten.

Now with John Calipari gone, and Mark Pope as the new head coach, it’s a new era for Kentucky basketball. How that will translate to the NBA draft isn’t yet known, but it’s something fans will be closely watching.

Related: Kentucky basketball recruiting targets for 2025

The first test for Pope will happen next year, when his first team will go through the draft cycle. However, as of right now, expectations are low as far as the NBA draft goes. ESPN has released an early mock draft (subscription required), and no 2024-25 Wildcats are on it.

The perception of the players on Kentucky will certainly change if the season is a success. Players like Brandon Garrison, Jaxson Robinson, and Andrew Carr, as well as several others could certainly see their draft stock rise as the year goes on.

For now, analysts aren’t very high on the Kentucky players and their draft prospects. Fans would like to see the Wildcats change that perception with their play.

 

Spanish forward Izan Almansa to sign with Perth as part of NBL Next Stars program

Almansa has signed with the Perth Wildcats in the National Basketball League for the 2024-25 season.

Izan Almansa, a 6-foot-10 forward from Spain, has signed with the Perth Wildcats in the National Basketball League for the 2024-25 season, the league announced.

Almansa originally entered the 2024 NBA draft after playing last season with the G League Ignite. He competed in the draft combine and worked out with at least two teams in the predraft process before ultimately withdrawing from consideration on June 16.

The 19-year-old will now join the Wildcats as part of the Next Stars program, a plan introduced by the NBL to give top prospects a way to play professionally. The program has helped the likes of Alex Sarr, AJ Johnson, LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey, among others.

Almansa averaged 10.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 54.3% shooting from the field last season with the Ignite. He registered five games with at least 20 points, including a season-high 23 points and five rebounds on Jan. 2.

He has also represented Spain several times at the junior level, earning Most Valuable Player at the 2022 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup, 2022 FIBA U18 European Championship and 2023 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. He averaged 16.9 points and 7.1 rebounds last year.

Almansa will now look to improve his overall ability and establish himself as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft. He will need to improve his offensive skill set and shooting ability, and he has shown promise in reaching that potential.

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Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe named to Bahamas 12-man roster for Olympic qualifiers

Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe was named to the 12-man roster that will represent the Bahamas in the 2024 Olympic qualifying tournament.

Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe was named to the 12-man roster that will represent the Bahamas in the 2024 Olympic qualifying tournament in Valencia, Spain.

Edgecombe, the No. 5 prospect in the class of 2024, joins a roster that features three NBA players, including Deandre Ayton, Eric Gordon and Buddy Hield. He averaged 12 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in two tune-up games with the team.

The 18-year-old will be making his first appearance with the senior national team. He previously represented the Bahamas on the World Team in the Nike Hoop Summit in April, recording 17 points and five rebounds in a loss to USA Basketball.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C84XdINNAUF/

The Bahamas open the qualifying tournament in Group B on Tuesday against Finland and will then face Poland on Wednesday. The top two teams from the group will advance to the semifinals and face the top two teams from Group A, which features Angola, Lebanon and Spain.

The winner of the qualifying tournament will claim one of the four remaining spots in the 2024 Olympic Games. That country will be placed in Group A to start the Olympics, along with Australia, Canada and another team from a qualifying tournament.

The Bahamas will seek its first appearance in the Olympic Games by winning the qualifying tournament. The team is coached by Golden State Warriors assistant Chris Demarco.

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Three Duke basketball players go within the top 10 in new 2025 mock draft

CBS Sports released an early 2025 mock draft on Saturday morning, and Gary Parrish had three Blue Devils within the first 10 picks.

The 2024-25 Duke basketball team remains a runaway hype train, and CBS Sports added another layer to the momentum on Saturday morning.

In a new 2025 mock draft from Gary Parrish, three Blue Devils came off the board within the first 10 picks.

[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], who is considered the favorite to get taken first in 12 months time, went before anyone else to the Washington Wizards.

“He’s terrific,” Parrish wrote about Flagg, who finished atop every major recruiting ranking. “He’s been an undeniable star at the high school level (and on the grassroots circuit) for years, so much so that I really do believe all 30 NBA franchises would take the 6-foot-9 forward first overall if next year’s draft were held right now.”

Flagg would be the first American picked No. 1 since fellow Duke star Paolo Banchero went to the Orlando Magic in 2022.

Four picks later, 7-footer [autotag]Khaman Maluach[/autotag] went to the Toronto Raptors with the fifth overall pick. The South Sudanese star, whom Parrish said could be the best prospect in NBA Academy Africa history.

The presumed lottery pick contains more than just shot-blocking potential, however, with highlights from his Basketball Africa League games including knockdown 3-pointers.

The third and final Blue Devil in the lottery came from the returning crop with sophomore guard [autotag]Caleb Foster[/autotag] going 10th to the Brooklyn Nets. A 6-foot-5 ball-handler who made 40% of his 3-pointers and averaged two assists per game last year, Foster brings an appealing set of skills to the NBA level.

Parrish’s projection only included the first 14 picks of the lottery, but other names like Tyrese Proctor and Kon Knueppel have been thrown around in 2025 mock drafts already. Check out Duke Wire’s predictions for who heads to the pros and who returns for 2025-26 here.

Nets projected to take Duke’s Cooper Flagg with #1 pick in 2025 NBA Draft

Adam Finkelstein and Travis Branham of CBS Sports projected that the Brooklyn Nets to take Duke’s Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The Brooklyn Nets had been expected to be one of the teams that tries its best to put itself in position to make it back to the playoffs next season. All of that changed when Brooklyn traded away Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, but the Nets should be rewarded for their commitment to their rebuild.

When the Nets traded Bridges to the Knicks on Tuesday, they also made another trade with the Houston Rockets in which they got back their own first-round pick for the 2025 NBA Draft. With Brooklyn expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA as they’re definitely heading into a full rebuild, they should have the chance to draft Cooper Flagg, according to Adam Finkelstein and Travis Branham of CBS Sports.

It should be noted that the rules pertaining to the Draft are different in the sense that there are different tiers in which teams have specified towards getting a specific pick, which is how the Atlanta Hawks were rewards the first overall pick despite having a better record than nine other teams in the 2023-24 season. That means that while the Nets should be one of the worst teams in the league, it doesn’t mean that they’re guaranteed to be rewarded according to their record.

However, for the sake of the way-too-early 2025 NBA Draft projections, the Nets are expected to be in position to take Flagg, a player that many expect to be a generational talent after being one of the best high school players in the United States in recent memory. Here’s what Finkelstein and Branham wrote about Brooklyn selecting Flagg:

“The top-ranked prospect in the national high school class of 2024 is arguably the most anticipated college freshman since Zion Williamson. Flagg is a 6-foot-9 native of Maine who reclassified up last summer, essentially skipping a grade of high school, and wouldn’t even be eligible for next year’s draft if he were born ten days later. Instead, he enters college basketball with the early expectations of being the top overall pick. He’s an exceptional defensive player, and one of the best non-seven-foot shot-blockers I’ve ever evaluated. Offensively, he’s an exceptional passer with some point forward type potential, but the extent to which he is able and willing to step into a signature role offensively will be one variable scouts follow next year.”

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Duke commit Cooper Flagg named to USA Basketball select team ahead of Paris Olympics

Duke commit Cooper Flagg is among the 15 players named to the USA Basketball select team ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Duke Blue Devils commit Cooper Flagg is among the 15 players named to the USA Basketball select team that will train with the senior national team ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Flagg, the consensus No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024, is the lone collegiate player on the roster, which will be led by Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley. He is the first collegian to participate with the select team since Doug McDermott and Marcus Smart in 2013.

The select team will practice and scrimmage daily against the senior roster July 6-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team boasts 12 current players in the NBA or G League and 10 players with USA Basketball experience at the junior and senior levels.

USA Basketball previously announced the 12-man roster for the 2024 Olympic Games with NBA All-Stars LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and Devin Booker headlining the group.

The U.S. qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games by finishing as one of the top two teams in the Americas region of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, despite failing to medal. The group, led by Anthony Edwards, Austin Reaves and Mikal Bridges, finished fourth.

They were selected to compete in Group C. The Americans, who will be coached by Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra, Tyronn Lue and Mark Few, will open on July 28 against Serbia and face South Sudan on July 31 and a team still to earn a berth on Aug. 3.

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New 2025 NBA mock draft from ESPN weighs Cooper Flagg’s chances to go first overall

At this point in his hype, Cooper Flagg’s only competition seems to be historic. On Friday, ESPN asked if his status as top dog is locked.

Based on the hype he’s received and the words thrown around about his talent, the competition for [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] seems to revolve around ghosts more than other college basketball players.

The debates, to this point, haven’t been whether Flagg is better than any other freshman in his class. The questions have been whether he’s the best prospect since Zion Williamson or Anthony Davis, looking at the last decade of No. 1 picks.

On Friday, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released an early 2025 NBA mock draft, and while the duo had Flagg go first overall to the Detroit Pistons, they did take a second to break down whether the future Duke star’s a lock to be the first player off the board.

Givony espoused praise for Flagg’s ability on both ends of the floor. His athleticism has always been his selling point, but the longtime NBA draft writer circled an improved jump shot as a reason for even more optimism. However, even with that considered, he mentioned Rutgers commits Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper as potential threats to his status.

“Some NBA teams say they have Harper ranked No. 1 in the 2025 class, but others are enamored with Bailey’s upside,” Givony wrote. “However, most are sticking with the status quo with Flagg as the early favorite since he’s clearly the most accomplished of the group.”

Givony said the pressure on Flagg once the 2024-25 season kicks off will be intense, but as of June, there seems to be no reason to think he won’t be the top player on the board in 12 months.

Pair of Oregon Ducks go in 1st round of 2025 NBA Mock Draft

A pair of Oregon Ducks are projected to be selected in the latest 2025 NBA mock draft.

We didn’t see any Oregon Ducks get selected in the 2024 NBA Draft this week, though N’Faly Dante did sign a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets when all was said and done.

Going forward, though, that is expected to change.

Now that the 2024 draft is behind us, all eyes are looking forward to the 2025 draft now, with some impressive talent set to come off the board. For the Ducks, there is a pair of players who are expected to be drafted in the first round, one of whom is projected to go in the lottery.

According to the latest 2025 NBA mock draft from CBS Sports, Oregon sophomore Kwame Evans is projected to go to the Houston Rockets with the No. 11 pick in the draft.

A jumbo southpaw wing who covers the court effortlessly with extreme fluidity, Evans may never be an alpha type scorer or playmaker but he’s a projectable shooter, virtually ambidextrous, and has defensive upside. He might have had some real NBA intrigue this year but opted to go back to Oregon for his sophomore season.

Meanwhile, fellow Oregon sophomore Jackson Shelstad is projected to come off the board next, going to the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 24 pick.

Shelstad is a potent scorer out of Oregon who can fill it up in a hurry. He lacks size for a scorer at just 6-foot-1 but he has lots of game and if he proves himself as a playmaker, he could become a household name in college basketball.

If both of these players end up going this early in the draft, it likely means that the Ducks had a great season in 2024-25, so I have a feeling that Oregon fans would be okay with that.

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