Tag: Dariq Whitehead

A March Madness men’s bracket prediction based on the best NBA talent in the tourney

Do you want to see as many NBA players play as many games as possible? Here is how!

March Madness is almost underway, and with the games beginning soon, you’re probably scrambling to get your bracket filled out.

It’s always great to follow along for Cinderella stories and potential upsets. Maybe you don’t want to fill out a bracket, and that’s perfectly okay. The odds of getting a perfect bracket are virtually impossible, anyway.

There are plenty of alternatives you can try to a traditional bracket, like a survivor pool. However, assuming you do want to fill out a bracket, we’ve got some tips!

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My pal, Charles Curtis, offered his bracket based on just 20 minutes of research. You can check out our brilliant staff’s actual predictions for March Madness, too.

But allow me to show you what a bracket would look like if we based it entirely on what would be the best-case scenario for NBA draft scouting. If you want to take a closer look and zoom in, you can click here.

THE BRACKETS ARE BACK: The USA TODAY Sports Bracket Challenge is back. $1 MILLION grand prize for a perfect bracket.

The goal here was to get as many lottery picks playing as many games as possible. Here are some takeaways:

  1. Arkansas is the No. 8 seed in the West and they have a tough first-round opponent with Illinois. But they also have two likely lottery picks, Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black, and two other potential first-rounders with Ricky Council IV and Jordan Walsh. Let me see them play as many games as possible!
  2. Over the last few days, we’ve heard a buzz that Alabama’s Brandon Miller has “closed the gap” on projected No. 2 overall pick Scoot Henderson. If he continues to dominate during the Big Dance, we could see actual movement at the top of the draft.
  3. Duke is a No. 5 seed in the East and they have one of the toughest roads to the Final Four, especially with a challenging opening game against Oral Roberts. But they have three likely first-rounders here (Dariq Whitehead, Kyle Filipowski, and Dereck Lively II) and two more draftable prospects (Tyrese Proctor and Mark Mitchell) as well.
  4. Jarace Walker (Houston), Keyonte George (Baylor), Cason Wallace (Kentucky), Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana), Colby Jones (Xavier), Jordan Hawkins (UConn), Kris Murray (Iowa), Terquavion Smith (NC State), and Julian Phillips (Tennessee) are additionally notable prospects who will be dancing.

If you’re curious about these players, you can learn more about why these prospects are the best in the tournament on our rankings published earlier this week.

My best advice when you’re filling out a bracket is that the eventual winner who will tear down the nets is almost definitely going to be one of these eight teams.

But if you’re an NBA fan and just want to see as many future NBA players play as often as possible, this is the way you need to fill out your bracket instead.

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Ranking the 15 top NBA draft prospects (Jarace Walker!) who are playing in March Madness

These are the future NBA guys you need to know.

March Madness is back, which means basketball fans are going to get a closer look at the next generation of NBA players.

The top-3 prospects in our latest 2023 NBA Mock Draft are not playing college basketball this season. Victor Wembanyama is an MVP candidate in France’s top-tier league, Scoot Henderson is playing his second professional campaign in the G League and the Thompson twins won a championship in the Overtime Elite.

While the NCAA men’s selection committee was far from perfect, over the course of the next few weeks, we will see several notable prospects play on the biggest stage in college basketball.

If you want to prepare yourself for the draft, below are the prospects you need to familiarize yourself with before the tournament begins.

THE BRACKETS ARE BACK! The USA TODAY Sports Bracket Challenge is back! $1 MILLION grand prize for a perfect bracket, $25,000 prize for top bracket. Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now!

Duke: Jon Scheyer provides positive injury update on Dariq Whitehead

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said the freshman avoided a season-ending leg injury on Monday.

Duke men’s head coach Jon Scheyer on Thursday said freshman Dariq Whitehead avoided a season-ending leg injury on Monday in a loss to Virginia Tech.

Whitehead sustained the injury early in the second half after jumping for a loose ball. He immediately grabbed his lower left leg and hit the court in visible discomfort. He limped off the court and later left for the locker room. He was later seen on crutches.

The MRI testing revealed no structural damage; Scheyer referred to the injury as a strain. The team does not have a timetable for his return, but the 6-foot-7 forward will not play on Saturday against Georgia Tech, according to Brendan Marks of The Athletic.

Whitehead is averaging 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 37.3% shooting from 3-point range in 16 games. He missed the first three games of the season due to a foot fracture, but appeared to be settling in; He has scored in double figures in six of his last eight games.

The 18-year-old is projected to be a first-round pick this season given his ability to score in a variety of ways. His slow start has created some questions regarding his ability at the next level, though, and it will be worth monitoring how he bounces back from this latest setback.

Overall, the injury news is certainly encouraging considering how severe it looked on replay. The team will be cautious with his return as Whitehead looks to get back to full strength.

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Wembanyama, Henderson on top; Freshmen rising in latest projections

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands at the midway point of the season.

The 2022-23 basketball season is in full swing as the next wave of prospects across the college level and the professional ranks look ahead to the 2023 NBA draft on June 22.

Of course, Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson remain at the top of draft boards at the start of the new year. Both could shut down their seasons right now and still be viewed as the best two players in the class. In other words: They are locked in at Nos. 1 and 2.

Elsewhere, though, fortunes change seemingly nightly.

Several prospects have improved upon their preseason rankings, while others have struggled and had their stock fall. The latest look at the class even has several freshmen on the rise after some impressive performances through the first half of the year.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the first round stands at the midway point of the season. It is important to note that team needs were not necessarily taken into account with each pick. The projections are rather a look at where each individual player stands at this point of the process.

Note: The order of the draft was pulled from Tankathon as of Jan. 10. The draft will have only 58 picks this year because the Bulls and Sixers were stripped of their second-round picks by the NBA due to tampering violations.

2023 NBA Mock Draft 1.0: An early look at the top prospects next year

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor over the course of the 2022-23 season.

With the basketball world over a month removed from the NBA draft, many have started to look ahead to the next rookie class and which prospects may be available.

The class is headlined by French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who is considered one of the top prospects in recent memory. He has performed well in the top basketball league in France and looks to already be locked in as the top pick in 2023.

Elsewhere, there are several other prospects that will be worth monitoring over the course of next season. The rankings will certainly change but it can be a productive exercise to see how prospects moved up and down draft boards ahead of next year.

Rookie Wire took a very early look at the next rookie class and some of the top prospects to monitor as the 2022-23 season approaches in a couple of months.

Note: The order of the draft was determined by the reverse championship odds set by Tipico Sportsbook. The 2023 draft will only have 59 picks after the Bulls were stripped of their second-round pick by the NBA due to a tampering violation involving the signing of Lonzo Ball.

Iowa reportedly set to square off against Duke in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic

Iowa will meet the Duke Blue Devils in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic. Here’s a look at the all-time series history and Duke’s projected starters.

The start of Iowa’s 2022-23 men’s basketball season is still every bit of five months away. Still, the Hawkeyes just received fantastic news with the return of forward Kris Murray to Iowa City.

Paired with several other decisions by Iowa players to either return or exit via the transfer portal, fans now have a pretty clear idea of what the Hawkeyes’ starting five and key reserves will look like entering next season.

Now, Iowa fans know they can book flights and start planning a trip to New York City for a battle against a blue blood.

CBS Sports and College Hoops Today’s Jon Rothstein reported that Iowa is set to meet the Duke Blue Devils in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic from historic Madison Square Garden. Rothstein also reported that the other game in the event is expected to feature the Texas Longhorns against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Duke is one of the pillar programs in all of college basketball and will enter next season fresh off the Blue Devils’ 17th all-time appearance in the Final Four. Of course, legendary head coach Mike Krzyewski’s 13th and final Final Four appearance ended with the Blue Devils’ archrivals in the North Carolina Tar Heels sending Duke packing, 81-77.

The Kansas Jayhawks would go on to win the national championship over North Carolina, erasing a 16-point deficit in a historic second-half flurry for the largest title game comeback in NCAA Tournament history, topping the Tar Heels, 72-69.

In its history, Iowa has met up with Duke on eight different occasions. The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 7-1. The Hawkeyes and Blue Devils last played on Nov. 27, 2001, in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. It was not to be from the jump for an Iowa team led by guard Luke Recker and forward Reggie Evans.

Duke point guard Jason Williams scored 25 points, center Carlos Boozer added 22 and forward Mike Dunleavy chipped in with 18. The then-No. 1 and defending national champion Blue Devils routed Iowa, 80-62, inside the United Center.

Duke is set to replace some serious star power from last season’s Final Four team, but the Blue Devils have reloaded their roster with some serious talent. Here’s a look at the all-time series matchups between Iowa and Duke and a look at the Blue Devils’ projected starting five.

Kiki Rice, Dariq Whitehead win 2022 Naismith High School Player of the Year

Dariq Whitehead and Kiki Rice have been named the 2022 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Players of the Year.

Montverde Academy (Fla.) senior forward and Duke commit Dariq Whitehead and Sidwell Friends School (Washington D.C.) guard Kiki Rice have been named the 2022 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Players of the Year.

Whitehead helped Montverde — ranked sixth in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 — to a 21-4 regular-season record with 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocks per game. He joins R.J. Barrett, Cade Cunningham and Ben Simmons as the fourth Montverde player to win the award.

“I am humbled and honored to become the fourth Montverde Academy player in the last eight years to receive the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Award,” Whitehead said, per release. “I want to thank Coach Boyle and the rest of my coaches along with my teammates, as well as Dr. Kasey Kesselring and the rest of the Montverde Academy community for helping to make this happen.” 

Rice, a UCLA commit, averaged 16 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.8 steals per game this season. She is the first McDonald’s All-American in Sidwell Friends School program history.

“This is a dream come true,” Rice said. “I am so honored to be recognized with the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy by the selection committee from a group of finalists that I personally know to be outstanding players. I am thankful for my family, teammates and coaches because I know without a doubt that without them this would not have been possible.” 

The Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy for Player of the Year was first presented in 1987. The winners are selected by a group of basketball journalists from around the country who form the Naismith Awards national high school voting academy.

“In a highly competitive and thrilling basketball season, Kiki and Dariq were the most outstanding players in the nation and incredibly deserving to be honored with the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy as Players of the Year,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “They both have proven to be exceptional basketball players, and we wish them well as they continue their careers at the next level.”  

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5-star Baylor commit Keyonte George hits game-winner to lead No. 2 IMG over No. 1 Montverde

IMG Academy. Montverde. The battle between the two top-ranked boys basketball teams did not disappoint.

The matchup between two programs widely regarded as the best high school boys basketball teams in the country came down to the closing seconds on Friday.

No. 2 IMG Academy took down No. 1 Montverde on a second-chance layup from Baylor commit Keyonte George that came with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game. The IMG Academy Ascenders took down the Montverde Eagles 65-64 in an early-season battle between the two juggernauts loaded with collegiate talent.

But despite IMG being ranked lower, don’t tell George that this result was unexpected. After the game, he had a message for Sports Illustrated’s Jason Jordan:

“It’s not an upset.”

George finished with 14 points and five rebounds. His final score, the biggest of the night, can be found around the 1:33:40 mark of the game recording:

That wasn’t George’s only big shot. He ended the first quarter with an impressive drive and finish.

Highly ranked players around the five-star shooting guard also showed out in this battle. Five-star power forward Jarace Walker, a Houston commit, lead IMG with 20 points and added seven rebounds and five blocks.

Five-star small forward Dariq Whitehead, who is committed to Duke, led Montverde with 31 points 10-for-19 shooting and five 3-pointers.

That was just one of the highly anticipated games in the NIBC series. On Saturday, IMG Academy plays Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) while Montverde will play Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)

Montverde’s match will be another big test — after all, Sunrise Christian defeated IMG Academy on Thursday.

All games in this series are broadcast on ESPN+ or ESPNU. Find the full schedule here.