Tag: BJ Boston

Top Class: What is it like to be the first person to interview Bronny James?

Top Class director Tevin Tavares shared his experiences about what it was like to create the documentary series about Sierra Canyon.

In the upcoming documentary series, “Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers,” releasing February 26 on Amazon Prime Video, we get an intimate look at the raucous environment that followed every move of the most famous high school basketball team in the country. Viewers are also given their first look into what it’s like to be Bronny James, approved by the James family.

Top Class Director Tevin Tavares doesn’t take the trust he’s been given from the James family lightly. He knows just how special it is to be the first person to conduct an on-camera interview with Bronny.

“He’s guarded,” Tavares said about the James family’s approach to telling the story of Bronny’s basketball career. “That’s the one thing I will say that I respect about Savannah and LeBron, they make sure that they control the story. Because the amount of questions that reporters would ask him would be wild.”

Bronny typifies the experience for many of the Canyon players. They may have massive followings, but the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers are still kids.  

“I think he’s humble, he’s smart, intelligent, funny, he loves his siblings. He’s still a kid,” Tavares says. “But he takes the pressure so well. And he’s respectful. Every time he saw me and the crew he would say what’s up. He would always joke around on camera. Sometimes he would have the VHS, sometimes Bryce would have the VHS recording stuff. Good, good kid.”

But as Tavares conveys in Top Class exceptionally well, Bronny is one part of an incredibly unique moment in time and a unique program in the country. Sierra Canyon’s basketball team operates almost like a European soccer club, finding players from all over the country and even China, to win at the highest level.

But it’s also a high school, one which the kids like Amari Bailey point out, that is geared towards the success of their students by having small class sizes.

“One day these kids are in Biology class and then the next day they’ve got 17,000 people screaming at them,” Tavares said.

Among some of the more poignant moments in the documentary involve Bailey, who puts on a show when the TrailBlazers make their trip to China after reflecting on how incredible it is to have made it all the way around the world because of a basketball. At 15 years old. Tavares felt a special connection with Bailey.

“Amari is an Aquarius and I’m an Aquarius as well. We didn’t even know if he was going to be featured on camera when we started. But as the season went on and on, the camera started getting more of him and when we sat down with him, he’s so smart. And he was only a sophomore, he was giving me so many gems and I was saying, this kid is light years ahead of his age.”

Perhaps if there’s one constant thread in the story is the struggle these kids face as basketball players with more fans than NBA teams and also the desire to simply be a kid.

And for Tavares, 26, he still finds himself in awe of the moment he was able to capture because of what started as his 18-year old dream. He first got inspired to become a filmmaker because of the legendary “Ringmaker” commercial that Nike made after LeBron James won his first championship ring. That he’s now directed a documentary series executive produced by LeBron, featuring his son, makes it feel “full circle,” as he experienced things he’d ever seen before in sports.

“In Virginia, there was an energy there that was like a college basketball game and a Super Bowl. There was an MC. Like NBA Street type of stuff. It felt like I was at a concert. I played sports all of my life and I had never experienced anything like that before at an NBA game.”

Of course, the Life and Times of the Trailblazers were not all increased followers, adoring fans and a lot of fun. We get to see the not-so-great side to being the son of a superstar with Zaire Wade, but we also see the heartwarming moments when his teammates hold him up.

We also see the team at a time of tragedy across the world following Kobe Bryant’s death, including an intimate look at LeBron James during his first public appearance after Bryant’s death, at a Sierra Canyon game in which they honored Bryant. The team also comes to grips with having their opportunity to win a state championship canceled due to the coronavirus.

There’s been no shortage of coverage of Bronny or Sierra Canyon. But what Top Class is able to do is cut through the noise and bring you an authentic and artistic look at a special group of kids, who both belies the maturity of professionals but also the natural desire to still be a kid while they can.

[lawrence-related id=37176]

 

 

 

 

New mock draft projects Celtics to take a wing and forward in 2021 draft

It’s already time to start thinking about the next NBA draft.

If it feels like the NBA draft was just a few months ago, that’s because it WAS just a few months ago in November of 2020. But in this pandemic-disrupted basketball timeline, nothing is happening when it normally does, and the 2021 draft doesn’t even have a finalized date yet.

But given the NBA playoffs will end late in the month of July, the draft will fall soon after, so it’s not too soon to start thinking about potential draft targets with the NCAA’s March Madness inching closer by the hour. To that end, we took a look at who our sister site For The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky projects the Celtics to take in the 2021 draft.

Boston projects to have a selection in each round of the upcoming draft, so let’s see what For The Win sees in the Celtics’ future.

2021 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Latest updates before March Madness

This mock should provide an update, if the season ended today, on the talent that could be available when your favorite team is on the clock.

We’re rapidly approaching March Madness and top prospects like Jonathan Kuminga have started their long-awaited season, which means the 2021 NBA draft finally has some more clarity.

Even though it took a while for us to see the G League Ignite in action, the bubble season is underway in Florida, giving us a more confident assessment of the full class. Meanwhile, in the NCAA, enough of the regular season has eclipsed to extract meaning from a larger sample size of scouting.

Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the collegiate season due to the ongoing pandemic, this class has multiple players that project as potential stars. Remember, though, this class is incredibly fluid.

This mock should provide an update, if the season ended today, on the talent that could be available when your favorite team is on the clock.

For more information on many of the second-rounders, as well as some sleepers that were not included in this mock draft, I expanded in my big board published late last month.

The main difference from the big board is that this mock factors intel, team fit, front office philosophy and roster construction. For example, there are more international players included here because I’m projecting teams with surplus picks will select draft-and-stash players rather than roster four or five rookies next season.

This draft order, which factors in trades and pick protections, was pulled from the latest Tankathon update following the games on Feb. 11.

All relevant statistics are from BartTorvik.com, KenPom.com, Sports-Reference, RealGM and Synergy Sports Tech. Data is accurate as of February 11, 2021.

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0: Who are the top players to know?

While the college basketball season has been strange, we have a more clear idea of which top prospects are expected in the 2021 NBA draft.

While the college basketball season has been strange, we have a more clear idea of which top prospects are expected in the 2021 NBA draft.

Unfortunately, putting together a big board at this point in the year is an incomplete task. The inaugural NBA G League Ignite team, a new developmental team that plays exhibitions and is meant to serve as an alternative to college for some players, has not yet begun their season.

That makes it impossible to track development for top prospects like Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green as well as potential risers like Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix.

While there are some honorable mentions included for some fringe prospects, several names (e.g. Duke’s DJ Steward, UNC’s Caleb Love, Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon, Miami’s Earl Timberlake) were omitted on account of projected returns to the NCAA. As of right now, however, it is still a great challenge to predict who will be in this class.

The key to this draft is fluidity and being willing to accept that things will change quickly. Players will have slumps and some may be slow to adapt to the new normal. Rankings now are hardly reflective of where they will be as we get closer to March Madness.

Note that any conversations with NBA scouts mentioned in the article were held under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on behalf of their teams.

All relevant statistics are from BartTorvik.com, KenPom.com, Sports-Reference, RealGM and Synergy Sports Tech. Data is accurate as of January 22, 2021.

Improved toughness, intelligent defense keys to beating Kentucky on Saturday

The Gators are coming off a blowout loss to Alabama. Here’s how they can use their matchup against the limping Wildcats as a get-right game.

Florida is scheduled to tip off against Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in a game that should be downright fascinating. The Gators came away from their last SEC contest with a stinging 15-point loss to Alabama, and in previous seasons, this would feel like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. However, this year’s Kentucky squad is a shadow of its former self and could even serve as a get-right game.

It’s been a rough start to the year for the Wildcats, to say the least. They entered the year with understandably high expectations. As one of the more dominant teams in the conference, they have annually impressive recruiting classes and one of the most reputable coaches in college basketball. Prior to the season, they were even ranked as the nation’s tenth-best college team by CBS Sports.

However, after an opening day win against the hilariously outmatched Morehead State Eagles, they fell into a skid and ate six consecutive losses before getting a pair of W’s against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

The Gators will enter this contest as the betting favorite on all the books and the ESPN Basketball Power Index gives them a 76.2 percent chance of victory. Clearly, though, Florida will have to play better than they did against Alabama. Here are three things they can do to lock in a win on Saturday.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 2.0: How has the NCAA season changed rankings?

Now that the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is underway, we are getting a more clear picture of the top prospects in the upcoming class.

Now that the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is underway, we are getting a more clear picture of the top prospects in the upcoming class.

Former top recruits like Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs have made a great first impression and have confirmed why many already feel they are going to be solid future professionals in the NBA.

Of course, considering the unusual nature of the college basketball season, some players are struggling a bit more than others. The performance on the court will likely stray closer to the mean with a larger sample size as the year continues.

But to get a better sense of where everyone stands right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, The Athletic and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

We highlighted the prospects who have been the biggest risers since we published our last edition of this exercise.

College basketball standouts who have most drastically improved their draft stock through the early parts of the season include Keon Johnson (Tennessee), James Bouknight (UCONN), Jared Butler (Baylor), Corey Kispert (Gonzaga), Day’Ron Sharpe (UNC), Aaron Henry (Michigan State), Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), Marcus Bagley (Arizona State), Moussa Cisse (Memphis), Charles Bassey (Western Kentucky), Jason Preston (Ohio) and Luka Garza (Iowa).

Below are the rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts:

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Mike Brey Speaks Ahead of Notre Dame’s Game at Kentucky

Having lost two of its first three games to ranked Big Ten teams in Michigan State and Ohio State, Notre Dame can see where it stands.

Having lost two of its first three games to ranked Big Ten teams in Michigan State and Ohio State, Notre Dame can see where it stands. Fresh off a difficult, injury-riddled season, improvement doesn’t appear to be that obvious, and the team still is very thin. Still, Mike Brey sees it as a learning experience for a team led by juniors Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski and Dane Goodwin.

“We are older, and I think we’ve kind of found out a little more about ourselves through these first three games,” Brey said during a Thursday news conference.

The Irish will face another underachieving team in Kentucky on Saturday. After a season-opening win over Morehead State, the Wildcats have dropped three in a row. That means a lot of pressure from a rabid fan base expecting more out of a team led by BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke, two freshmen currently projected as lottery picks in next year’s NBA draft. Brey expected excitement when he worked with John Calipari to get these teams together for the first time since their thrilling 2015 Elite Eight matchup, but he probably didn’t expect it would pair up teams trying to find their footing.

“I think both teams have their backs up against the wall right now,” Brey said.

The Wildcats have enough talent that a win in Lexington would mean the world to the Irish. It would give them a great boost heading into ACC play, and they need one. The conference is stacked this year, so there’s almost no game the Irish can waltz right into expecting things to go easily.

“If you look further into our schedule, it’s not like we’ve got one week and say, ‘Hey, there’s a win where we can feel better about ourselves,’ ” Brey said.

What Brey can feel better about is knowing that whatever the Irish do runs through Hubb. It’s difficult to come to any other conclusion regarding the team leader in scoring (22.3) and assists (5.3). Hubb also is one of four players averaging at least 35 minutes a game. But even if the Irish weren’t so stretched out, would Hubb playing so much necessarily be a bad thing?

“It all comes off of [Prentiss],” Brey said. “It’s hard to take him out of the game.”

Hubb’s 37.7 minutes a game are tied with Cormac Ryan, who had a frustrating game against the Buckeyes. He was shut out in the second half leading all scorers with 15 in the first. Though he was guarded more closely after the first 20 minutes, he also might have run out of gas. He had to sit out last season after transferring from Stanford, and now, he’s playing almost entire games.

“Overall, Cormac’s really trying,” Brey said. “His body is getting conditioned into extended minutes…It’s very new territory for Cormac.”

2021 NBA Mock Draft: Predicting all 60 picks, starting with Cade Cunningham

Now that the 2020-21 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is in full swing, we examined what the 2021 NBA draft class is shaping up to look like.

Now that the 2020-21 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is in full swing, we examined what the 2021 NBA draft class is shaping up to look like.

Consider this an introduction to the top players in college, as well as those on the inaugural NBA G League Ignite team, a new developmental team that plays exhibitions and is meant to serve as an alternative to college for some players. We’ll also look at international prospects who are playing abroad.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, this is going to be an unusual season for all hopeful pros. The bizarre offseason made it hard to get in the swing of things and some may struggle early as they adjust accordingly. As they already have been, games will inevitably be postponed or outright canceled.

Even in a normal season, a mock draft this early is a bold move. With these circumstances in mind, our mock draft is obviously going to look very different from how the actual night will shake out next offseason.

But it does offer a general starting range to encapsulate where the top prospects may be selected if they draft were held now. It also gives some insight on the kinds of players who may be available when your favorite team is on the clock.

The draft order was determined by projected wins from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, whose projected real plus-minus has “outperformed” the over-under figures from Las Vegas since 2015. Pick swaps and trades were pulled from the future draft picks section on RealGM.

Note that all conversations with NBA scouts mentioned in the article were held under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on behalf of their teams.

All relevant statistics are from BartTorvik.com, KenPom.com, Sports-Reference, RealGM and Synergy Sports Tech. Statistics for 2020-21 college basketball freshmen were calculated from their most recent AAU season via Open Look Analytics.

Steph Curry serves as presenter for USA TODAY High School Sports Award show

Stephen Curry presented Kentucky commit Brandon Boston Jr. with the honor of USA TODAY High School basketball Player of the Year.

Stephen Curry made an appearance in USA Today’s High School Sports Awards. The two-time Most Valuable Player presented a bevy of honors including, the High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

After recording 19.7 points and 7.0 boards per game during his senior season, Brandon Boston Jr., out of Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California brought home the award presented by Curry.

Next season, the McDonald’s All-American product will report to Lexington to play college basketball in John Calipari’s program at the University of Kentucky.

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs presented Boston with his second piece of hardware of the evening. Boston was also named California Boys Athlete of the Year. After presenting the award, Mahomes congratulated Boston and wished him luck at Kentucky. 

Via @Tarek_Fattal on Twitter:

ESPN’s Jesse Palmer and Sage Steele hosted the event. Venus Williams, Drew Brees, Gabby Douglas, Rose Lavelle and Michael Phelps joined Mahomes and Curry as virtual presenters.

[lawrence-related id=28528,25191,25658,28337,26576,25400]

Two Sierra Canyon players crack 2021 NBA Draft Big Board

BJ Boston and Ziaire Williams both cracked Bryan Kalbrosky’s Big Board for the 2021 NBA Draft.

It’s never to early to start thinking about the future, even during a time of uncertainty. And while nobody is quite sure when this year’s NBA Draft will be, there will be another group of players who will eventually be drafted when the NBA does return, who will at least have to wait a full school year more before they make the jump to the NBA. Our own Bryan Kalbrosky of the Rookie Wire put together his latest Big Board for the 2021 Draft class, which included two of Bronny James’ Sierra Canyon teammates, BJ Boston and Ziaire Williams.

The Kentucky-bound Boston came in No. 11 on Bryan’s first edition of the 2021 Big Board, while the Stanford-bound Williams came in at the No. 19 spot on the list. Obviously, there will be plenty of changes between now and then, but both of those guys are definitely ones to watch when it comes to going to the next level.

According to Kalbrosky, Boston’s playmaking and shot creation are very enticing, while Williams’ ability as a shooter also has him likely headed to the next level.

[lawrence-related id=29191,28049]