Tag: Houston

Potential Thunder draft prospect Jared McCain helps Duke in win over Houston

Potential Thunder draft prospect Jared McCain helps Duke in win over Houston.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to come to OKC than the latter.

With the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament underway, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is Duke guard Jared McCain. He finished with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting, 1-of-4 from 3, six rebounds and four assists in 40 minutes in No. 4 Duke’s 54-51 win over No. 1 Houston in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

McCain will likely be a one-and-done case as the freshman guard has played a vital role in Duke’s success. In 34 games, he averaged 14 points on 46.5% shooting, five rebounds and 1.9 assists. He’s shot 41.5% from 3 on 5.7 attempts.

The 20-year-old is a crafty scorer who can stretch the floor. Size is an issue  at 6 feet, 3 inches and 197 pounds, but he can grow into a solid frame over time.

On the Thunder, McCain can be a crafty scorer off the bench. He can enrich their deep guard depth and can be another catch-and-shoot option for OKC.

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Potential Thunder draft prospect Kyle Filipowski helps Duke in 54-51 win over Houston

Potential Thunder draft prospect Kyle Filipowski helps Duke in 54-51 win over Houston.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to come to OKC than the latter.

With the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament underway, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is Duke center Kyle Filipowski. He finished with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, nine rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes. He shot 3-of-5 from 3. No. 4 Duke escaped with a 54-51 win over No. 1 Houston in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

Filipowski has been the offensive hub for Duke this season. The 7-foot center can stretch the floor and pass when needed. He has an NBA-ready frame at 248 pounds, which means he should immediately contribute and not be physically overwhelmed.

In his second year at Duke, he’s averaged 17.1 points on 51% shooting, 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 blocks. He’s shot 35% from 3 on 3.2 attempts. The 20-year-old has led Duke to a 24-8 record and the No. 4 seed in the South Region.

The Thunder could hope to add Filipowski to add some serious size at their center spot. He could start alongside Holmgren for jumbo lineups. He’s also versatile enough to fit with OKC.

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March Madness: NCAA Tournament South Region odds, picks and predictions

Looking at March Madness futures odds to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament South Region, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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March Madness is upon us, and the South Region bracket features an interesting mix of former national No. 1s, blueblood programs and big-conference contenders that did not win league titles last week.

Below, we look at FanDuel Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament South Region futures odds and and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.

The Houston Cougars (30-4) and Marquette Golden Eagles (25-9) have the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, in the South. Both have some injury and/or return-from-injury continuity issues to overcome, so the betting value in this region may come from further down the ballot.

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South Region futures odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 2 p.m. ET.

1 seed: Houston +140 (bet $100 to win $140)

2 seed: Marquette +500 (bet $100 to win $500)

3 seed: Kentucky +700 (bet $100 to win $700)

4 seed: Duke +650 (bet $100 to win $550)

5 seed: Wisconsin +1200 (bet $100 to win $1,200)

6 seed: Texas Tech +1400 (bet $100 to win $1,400)

7 seed: Florida +1400 (bet $100 to win $1,400)

8 seed: Nebraska +2900 (bet $100 to win $2,900)

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9 seed: Texas A&M +3400 (bet $100 to win $3,400)

10 seed-*: Boise State +6000 (bet $100 to win $6,000)

10 seed-*: Colorado +3400 (bet $100 to win $3,400)

11 seed: NC State +4200 (bet $100 to win $4,200)

12 seed: James Madison +7000 (bet $100 to win $7,000)

13 seed: Vermont +23000 (bet $100 to win $23,000)

14 seed: Oakland +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

15 seed: Western Kentucky +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

16 seed: Longwood +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

*-Play in a Wednesday First Four matchup

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South Region expert pick and prediction

Houston Cougars (+140)

Houston got blown out 69-41 by Iowa State in Saturday’s Big 12 championship game. But the Cougars had previously been 6-0 with impressive defensive analytics in neutral-site contests.

UH won 11 in a row before Saturday, and its ball-hawking, shot-swatting defense should travel well just about anywhere in the brackets. Coach Kelvin Sampson’s Cougar teams have made 3 straight Sweet 16s, and Houston gets a fair return here (although consider holding off to see if the Cougars drift up toward +160 or so).

Top 25: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

South Region contenders

Kentucky Wildcats (+700)

UK (23-9) had an early exit in the SEC Tournament, but the Wildcats won 7 of 8 games from Feb. 13-March 9, beating a trio of KenPom top-15 squads along the way.

Appropriately enough, Kentucky is the speedy colt in this South Region field. The Wildcats play an up-tempo, high-scoring brand of basketball. They are a relatively young team that appears to have grown since an off-kilter mid-winter stretch that saw the team lose 5 times between Jan. 13-Feb. 10. If UK can be responsible in defending the 3 and keep making improvements on the offensive glass, it will be a value at +500, let alone the current figure.

Wisconsin Badgers (+1200)

UW (22-13) made it to the Big Ten title game before being ousted by Illinois. But the Badgers led that championship game by 9 inside the 15-minute mark before failing to close against an Illini 5 that went 26-of-30 at the foul line.

Wisconsin beat No. 3-ranked Purdue in a Saturday Big Ten semifinal, and the Badgers had played the Boilermakers tough in an earlier loss.

South Region long shots

NC State Wolfpack (+4200)

NC State (22-14) has the hot hand. The Wolfpack beat both Duke and North Carolina en route to winning the ACC Tournament. And that tourney run came after NCSU had lost 4 straight games from Feb. 27-March 9.

North Carolina State has a slew of veteran players and is putting together better defensive performances of late. The Wolfpack are certainly not odds-on favorites but are worth a flier at this level of return.

Colorado Buffaloes (+3400)

Colorado (24-10) is a bit of a live wire. The Buffs will have to earn the 10-seed in a First Four contest (against Boise State) in Dayton, but they have some NBA-type talent and present some value at this number.

The Buffaloes are 8-1 in their last 9 games, and their defense has been considerably improved over that stretch. CU presents a tough at-the-rim and beyond-the-arc challenge for defenses. If Marquette or Kentucky were to falter in Colorado’s section of the South bracket, the Buffs could very well be the team there to pick up the pieces.

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NCAA men’s basketball betting odds to win the national championship

We take a look at UNC’s betting odds to win the National Championship.

It’s been a season of highs for the UNC men’s basketball program, and their odds of cutting down the nets in April match the hype they’ve received from the masses.

UNC is in a three-way tie with Alabama and Auburn for sixth-best odds (plus 1800) to win the NCAA national championship. Ahead of the Tar Heels are Connecticut (plus 500), Purdue (plus 650), Houston (plus 950), Arizona (plus 1000) and Tennessee (plus 1300)

UNC has the highest odds of any ACC team, with arch-rival Duke Blue Devils on its heels (plus 2500). The Tar Heels will have a significant opportunity to have improve their odds with notable games against UVA and Duke left.

The Tar Heels have already seen their odds leap favorably after a dominating home win against Duke. Despite a disappointing slate of losses where they were heavy favorites, UNC is still in the driver’s seat as the ACC team predicted to go the furthest in the NCAA tournament.

Saints address some of their top needs in this two-round mock draft

The New Orleans Saints addressed some of their top needs in this post-Super Bowl mock draft:

Here’s a good look at how the New Orleans Saints could address some of their top needs in the 2024 NFL draft. Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy shared a two-round mock draft after the Super Bowl now that the draft order has officially been set. And while the Saints are likelier to check high-priority items off their to-do list in March free agency than wait until April’s draft, their picks here would make a lot of fans happy.

To start out, Popejoy has the Saints picking Florida State defensive end Jared Verse with their first-round pick at No. 14 overall. An accomplished pass rusher from a blue blood program, Verse is someone already hot on our radar. He would bring much-needed speed, agility, and overall athleticism off the edge that the Saints have been lacking. Carl Granderson is their only reliable pass rusher at defensive end.

As for the second round, at No. 45 overall: Popejoy likes the Saints to select Houston left tackle Patrick Paul. He was someone we highlighted as a standout at Senior Bowl practices, where he competed against top-flight competition from around the country. While Paul is a similar high-end athlete like Trevor Penning, he has a ton of experience while playing at a higher level of difficulty and should find more success early on in the NFL.

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Notre Dame commit named to McDonald’s All-American roster

Take a look at the Irish’s future soon.

Notre Dame really seems to have a knack for attracting recruits that ultimately are named to the McDonald’s All-American Game. In fact, six of the 13 players on the Irish’s current roster are former McDonald’s All-Americans. Now, they’ll be able to add another one next season.

[autotag]Kate Koval[/autotag], the fifth-ranked recruit on ESPN’s 2024 HoopGurlz rankings, has been named to the 2024 game, which will be played April 2 in Houston. At 6-foot-4, Koval will be the only center on the East roster. There, she’ll be joined by Long Island Lutheran teammates Kayleigh Heckel, who is heading to USC, and Syla Swords, who will go to Michigan.

Koval signed with the Irish in November as a five-star recruit one year after the program was able to secure three such recruits for 2023. She is the reigning Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year after a season in which she averaged a double-double a game as well as 3.4 blocks a game.

Koval will provide size on a team that always could use more. It will be pretty tough to match the freshman season [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] has had so far, but she should at least give it a shot if for no reason than she could say she tried.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Georgia WR Mekhi Mews announces transfer destination

UGA walk-on wide receiver Mekhi Mews announces Big 12 transfer destination

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Mekhi Mews announced his commitment to Houston on Wednesday.

Mews, a redshirt sophomore walk-on, entered the transfer portal shortly after UGA’s loss to Alabama in the SEC championship and after three seasons and two national championships as a Bulldog.

Playing time was hard to come by for Mews, who received limited snaps as a wide receiver during his time in Athens. In 2023, Mews saw most of his snaps as Georgia’s primary punt returner. His 69-yard touchdown versus Ball State is the first UGA punt return touchdown in five seasons.

The Grayson, Georgia, native played in 18 games as a Bulldog, totaling 15 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown.

It’s unknown if Mews ever received a scholarship at Georgia, but that is expected to change at Houston.

The Cougars, who went 4-8 in their first season in the Big 12, are in rebuilding mode following the recent hiring of head coach Willie Fritz.

Mews will instantly be one of the quickest players in the Big 12.

Former Michigan State football TE Maliq Carr commits to Houston

Former Michigan State football TE Maliq Carr commits to Houston

A few years ago, Michigan State football had a huge victory when they were able to lure tight end Maliq Carr from Purdue via the transfer portal. While Carr showed some flashes in his time with MSU, he will now be moving on to a new home, committing to Houston on Monday.

Carr had his best season as a Spartan this past year, catching 30 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns.

READ: MICHIGAN STATE FOOTBALL TRANSFER TRACKER

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

New Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko spends Tuesday recruiting in Houston area

“A lot of great former Aggies, a lot of great current Aggies and hopefully a lot of great future Aggies down here,” Elko told KPRC 2 Houston.

There are many differences between former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher and new leading man Mike Elko.

One of those differences is recruiting. While Fisher may have brought in the No. 1 recruiting class in 2022, the moves ultimately didn’t pay immediate dividends, leading to his dismissal from College Station.

Elko understands that he not only needs to recruit locally, he also needs to build strong relationships with the high school coaches who are molding the prospects of tomorrow. Elko backed up his words this week by spending Tuesday recruiting in the Houston area.

“Obviously, it’s an extremely talented group of kids,” Elko told Houston’s NBC affiliate KPRC 2. “There are a lot of great programs down here. Certainly the proximity to College Station, this is a place where a huge chunk of our roster is coming from consistently.

“A lot of great former Aggies, a lot of great current Aggies and hopefully a lot of great future Aggies down here!”

 

Seven Aggies hail from Houston currently on the roster: Connor Able, Drake Bhatia, Jacob Graham, Aki Ogunbiyi, Will Smoot, Garrett Townsend and Truette Tumey.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Texans WR Nico Collins teams up with Boys & Girls Clubs of Houston to provide Thanksgiving meals

Houston Texans receiver Nico Collins partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Houston to provide meals.

Nico Collins has been an avid supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Houston.

According to senior director of development Shannon Woodruff, the former 2021 third-round receiver showed initiative as soon as he became a member of the Houston Texans.

“He reached out and said he wanted to provide meals to our families, and it felt like a perfect match for this holiday season,” Woodruff said.

For Collins, partnering The Chosen Foundation to help host a Thanksgiving impact event at the the Morefield Location brought him back to humble beginnings in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

“I have sat here before; I was in their shoes,” said Collins. “I know what it feels like to go through everyday uncertainty, not knowing what the next day is going to bring, not knowing how you are going to get your next meal. So just coming out here and doing this for them, you never know what they are going through. It is wonderful to be a part of, and it is wonderful to do. I am grateful for this, and I am going to continue to do it and give back to the city as much as I can.”

While Collins handed out meals to the underserved, the subject of the Texans’ two-game winning streak wasn’t overlooked. A calf injury nixed Collins for the first time this season, but the 24-year-old is anxious to return against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 11 Sunday.

“I am getting ready for this week and ready to be back out there with the fellas so we can keep this train rolling,” Collins told reporters. “We are getting ready for AZ this week and keeping our foot on the gas and continue to be great.”

The former Michigan product is having a career season with 631 yards receiving on 36 receptions and four touchdowns. Collins ranks in the top-20 in the NFL in yards after catch, averaging 17.5 yards.

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