Tag: DaRon Holmes

Former Dayton star DaRon Holmes suffered torn achilles in Summer League debut

Former Dayton Flyers star and All-American DaRon Holmes II will miss his rookie season after tearing his achilles for the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

DaRon Holmes, a first round pick by the Denver Nuggets last month, suffered a torn achilles and is likely to miss the entire 2024-25 NBA season.

Holmes suffered the injury on Friday in Denver’s 88-78 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes, before he was seen leaving Cox Pavilion on crutches.

The Nuggets made Holmes the 22nd overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft out of Dayton after he posted an extremely impressive junior season for the Flyers in the A-10.

Holmes averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 58.5% from two and 38.6% from the three point line, earning a consensus All-American nod.

His 6’9 frame, high level athleticism, passing skills, switchability on defense, and outside shooting made him a highly sought after prospect, and he was expected to be Denver’s primary backup center this season behind superstar Nikola Jokic.

The injury is of course a huge blow to Denver, who is attempting to win its second NBA Championship in the past three years, as well as for Holmes who now has to spend an entire year rehabbing before he can realize his dream of playing NBA basketball.

Phoenix Suns traded away one hometown player during NBA draft, then traded for another local standout

The Phoenix Suns were busy during the NBA draft, trading away the rights to former local high school player DaRon Holmes but drafting another, Oso Ighodaro.

Sometimes, professional teams like getting hometown heroes. Other times, it seeks talent from other places.

With the Suns’ NBA draft, the organization both picked a player who attended a local high school and traded away a pick that was used on another Phoenix-area standout. It wasn’t quite the Mikal-Bridges-Philadelphia-76ers Situation, but an interesting turn of events allowed the Suns to do so.

Phoenix traded its first-round pick, No. 22, to the Denver Nuggets for a package that netted them picks 28, 56, and two future second-rounders. With that pick, the Nuggets chose center DaRon Holmes, a former Millennium High School (Goodyear, Ariz.) star who was named Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior for his averages of 23.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.1 assists per game. While the Suns‘ needed another big, they chose to pass on the player from the Phoenix suburb.

They maneuvered with the 56th pick in the draft to move back up to No. 40, which they used on center Oso Ighodaro, another Phoenix native. Ighodaro was part of the 2020 Desert Vista (Phoenix) High School championship team, a season in which he averaged 15.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.4 blocks per game.

In truth, the hometown rarely matters much. LeBron James would have been selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers regardless of his Akron connections; the Charlotte Hornets want Steph Curry because he’s Steph Curry, not just because he went to high school there.

But sometimes, the connection may play a role. The previous Phoenix management team selected Deandre Ayton, who played high school basketball at local Hillcrest Prep and college at the University of Arizona first overall in 2018 despite also hiring Luka Doncic’s former head coach that same offseason.

As for this Suns management group, it seems like trading Holmes was about collecting some much-needed assets, and drafting Ighodaro was about his fit and potential. It has little to do with the high schools.

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DaRon Holmes II: NBA Draft scouting report and intel

2002 | 6’10 | 7’0 WS | 235 LBS Team: Dayton Agent: Aaron Reilly Best aggregate mock draft rank : 22 / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Holmes averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game. He shot 54.4 …

2002 | 6’10 | 7’0 WS | 235 LBS

Team: Dayton

Agent: Aaron Reilly

Best aggregate mock draft rank: 22 / Worst rank: NR

2023-24 stats:

In 2023-24, Holmes averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game. He shot 54.4 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from three, and 71.3 percent from the foul line.

Dayton center DaRon Holmes quietly declared for NBA draft while maintaining NCAA eligibility

DaRon Holmes II is one of the most intriguing big men in this draft class.

Dayton Flyers big man DaRon Holmes II submitted paperwork as an early entry candidate for the 2023 NBA Draft.

As a sophomore, Holmes averaged 18.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. The former Atlantic-10 Conference Rookie of the Year made All-A-10, All-A-10 Defense, and A-10 Conference Tournament MVP.

Holmes is officially testing the waters of the 2023 NBA Draft with the option to return to college. The big man will retain his NCAA eligibility, someone with knowledge of the situation told For The Win.

Underclassmen had until April 23 to submit their paperwork. The early entry withdrawal deadline for underclassmen that wish to maintain their collegiate eligibility is May 31.

That means Holmes will have until the end of next month to decide whether he wishes to stay in the draft or return to college.

NBA draft prospects will have a more clear picture of their potential trajectory after the G League Elite Camp (May 13-14) and the NBA Draft Combine (May 15-21) in Chicago.

Holmes could potentially join New York’s Obi Toppin to become just the second player from Dayton to hear his name called in the first round of the NBA Draft since 1979.

Holmes had the second-most dunks (89) of all Division 1 prospects last season, per Bart Torvik. He was also one of the most efficient players in college basketball when rolling to the rim after ball screens and he was one of the leaders in shooting fouls and floor fouls drawn.

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Tennessee basketball offers 2021 4-star forward

Tennessee basketball offers 2021 4-star forward.

Rick Barnes has been on a recruiting tear for Tennessee basketball, pulling in the nation’s No. 4 class in the 2020 cycle. Tennessee is also still in the mix for top talents in the 2021 class such as Kennedy Chandler and Paolo Banchero.

The effort continues to bring in another elite class in 2021, as the Vols offered 4-star forward DaRon Holmes.

Holmes attends Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida and is a 6-foot-8, 195-pound prospect. The 247Sports Composite rates Holmes as the nation’s No. 37 player, No. 10 power forward and No. 6 player in the state of Florida.

Holmes is a versatile player, with time to fill out his tall, but lean frame. Tennessee joins schools such as Arizona, Virginia, LSU, UCLA and others in offering Holmes.

The Vols do not yet have any prospects committed to the 2021 recruiting class.

Hoophall West to feature top teams including Hillcrest Prep, Prolific, Sierra Canyon

Hoophall West will feature nationally-ranked teams including Hillcrest, Prolific Prep and Sierra Canyon, and will have girls teams for the first time.

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Hoophall West, consisting of three top-10 Super 25 teams and five games that will be aired on ESPN channels, returns to Phoenix.

The tournament will take place from Wednesday through Saturday. For those interested in the high school basketball landscape, this is a good place to start as the 2019-20 season gets underway.

Teams from a handful of Western states, New York and Tennessee will participate in this tournament. It all begins Wednesday, when three girls basketball games — all six teams from Arizona — take place.

Super 25: National boys basketball rankings, Week 1

It will be the first time girls teams are included in Hoophall West.

Here are the top things to watch for:

Hillcrest Prep vs. Prolific Prep on ESPN2

A battle of top-five teams is set for ESPN2. No. 3 Hillcrest Prep and No. 5 Prolific will face off Thursday.

With several games under each teams belt, the transfer players have already had some time to get used to the team. Jalen Green and Nimari Burnett, ranked No. 3 and 15, respectively, in the 2020 Chosen 25, already have a handful of highlight plays ranging from alley-oops to a buzzer-beater from beyond halfcourt to win the Duel in the Desert title game

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Meanwhile, Hillcrest Prep has also come as advertised, scoring more than 110 points in its last five games. Incoming transfers headlined by 2021 Chosen 25 players Michael Foster, Jr. and Keon Edwards and 2022 five-star center Sadraque Nganga have fit in seamlessly thus far.

In addition to roster overhauls, both teams also have new head coaches. Former NBA player Mike Bibby took over Hillcrest, while Joey Fuca, who played professionally in Germany, is the new Prolific head coach.

Hillcrest has yet to see a real challenge while Prolific has played a tougher schedule early in the season.

It will be an early look at two rosters still getting comfortable with new players and schemes taking on top competition with potential future NBA players.

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