Tag: Jabari Smith

Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler to take part in Rising Stars game

Two former Tiger teammates are taking part in the NBA Rising Stars game

Former teammates turned young and budding NBA stars [autotag]Jabari Smith Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] have accepted their invitations to play in the NBA Rising Stars game to kick off the 2024 All-Star Weekend.

It’s the second straight year the former Tiger teammates will be participating in the event. This year’s version takes place on Friday, February 16 at 8 PM CST.

Smith comes into the All-Star break amid a breakout sophomore season for the Houston Rockets. The former second-overall pick has parlayed an outstanding Summer League and preseason into a 14-points-per-game and 9-rebounds-per-game campaign. He also averages nearly a block per contest.

As for Kessler, the 22-year-old has slightly regressed in terms of production this season for the Utah Jazz. The 7-foot center from Atlanta, Georgia is averaging 8 points and 7 rebounds this season after 9-point and 8-rebound averages in his rookie year.

Smith and Kessler make up a player poll of 28 rookies, sophomores, and G League players who will be drafted into four teams to compete in a single elimination tournament.

Other notable players in the poll rookies Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Scoot Henderson, and Alabama alumni Brandon Miller. Former Kentucky center Oscar Tshibwe is one of seven players in the G League poll.

The Panini Rising Stars Challenge can be seen on TNT and HBO Max at 8 PM CST on February 16. NBATV will also be televising practice in the morning, starting at 10 AM CST.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Rockets’ Tari Eason pretended to be a reporter to ask teammate Jabari Smith a funny question

Tari Eason may have a future in this business, too!

After another victory, Houston Rockets wing Tari Eason got a journalistic itch that he just had to scratch.

During a media scrum with forward Jabari Smith following the win over the Grizzlies, Eason put on his metaphorical reporter hat. Eason said that he was from the “Clutch City Inquirer” (which is a truly phenomenal fake name for a Rockets publication) and got Smith’s attention.

Eason said that he noticed Smith “get to the paint” unlike ever before.

He wanted to know if Smith felt that he was on his “bully” this season. While the question got a chuckle from the other reporters in the locker room, it was an insightful observation from Eason.

Smith, indeed, is getting to the rim more often this season than he did when he was a rookie. He finished 23 percent of his attempts at the rim last year, per Cleaning The Glass. This season, that has increased to 31 percent.

He averaged 2.6 paint touches per game last season and is now up 3.9 per game. That increase (1.3) ranks fifth-most among the 125 players who have averaged at least 40 touches per game this season and last season.

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Jaylin Williams, Aden Holloway win SEC Player of the Week honors

Jaylin Williams and AdenHolloway were honored by the SEC after dominating Indiana.

Following dominant performances against Indiana, [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag]  have both won the SEC’s Player of the Week awards.

Williams was named the conferences Player of the Week for the first time in his career. The senior tied his career-high with 24 points and added seven assists and six rebounds to lead Auburn to an 104-76 win over the Hoosiers.

Holloway busted out of a mini-slump with a 24 point performance of his own and was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week for the second time this season. He once again looked like one of the best shooters in the country, going 5-of-8 from behind the arc and making all five of his free throws.

It was the first time Auburn has had two 20-point scorers in once game since [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] (31 points) and [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] (22 points) did go against Vanderbilt on Feb. 16, 2022.

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Aden Holloway named preseason Freshman All-American

Hype continues to build for Aden Holloway’s freshman season.

As anticipation for the 2023-24 college basketball season continues to build the hype around [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] is only increasing. On Thursday the point guard was named a First-Team Freshman All-American by 247Sports.

Here is what Isaac Trotter had to say about the ranking.

Aden Holloway just looks like a Bruce Pearl point guard. He won’t be handed the starting gig – sophomore Tre Donaldson is more than competent – but Holloway is the dynamic shotmaker the Tigers so desperately needed. Plenty of freshmen struggle to make shots every year, but it’s easy to see why Auburn is so bullish that Holloway can buck that trend. Holloway should, in theory, be a drop-coverage killer who can scurry around Johni Broome’s bulldozer-like picks and make defenses pay for going under ball screens. If the playmaking sticks, Holloway can change the ceiling of Auburn in 2023-24.

Holloway ended his school career ranked as the No. 18 overall player and No. 4 point guard in the 247Sports composite ranking. That makes him the second-highest-ranked signee in program history, trailing only [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag].

Holloway looks like the perfect point guard for a [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] offense, he is a great shooter and looks to score first but is also capable of setting up his teammates.

He and the rest of his teammates are set to open the season on Tuesday, Nov. 7 against the Baylor Bears. The game will be played at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and can be seen on ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

Bruce Pearl hints at Auburn’s 2024 rotation

Auburn will have a very different looking rotation this season.

Auburn men’s basketball coach [autotag]Bruce Pear[/autotag]l addressed the media via Zoom on Friday. With fall camp fast approaching, Pearl pointed out four key areas where the Tigers need to make up for lost production from last season.

“We gotta replace [autotag]Wendell Green[/autotag], we gotta replace [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag], we gotta replace [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag], and we gotta replace whoever backed up [autotag]Jaylin Williams [/autotag] last year.”

Pearl mentioned freshmen guard [autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] as the likely replacement for Green.

He called Holloway “a combination of a lot of the guards [Auburn] has had in the past.” Holloway was a McDonald’s All-American in 2022, leading his team to a 36-1 record while averaging 18.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game as a senior.

Auburn’s head coach is high on the former five-star recruit, likening his work ethic to that of former Auburn first-round picks [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag], and [autotag]Isaac Okoro[/autotag].

The starting point guard spot is Holloway’s to lose, although Pearl did mention [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag] as a player who will see some minutes and push Holloway to be better.

Pearl’s next test will be replacing defensive wizard [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag]. While the loss of Jasper will hurt the Tigers defensively, Pearl did note the potential for the team to improve scoring the basketball, where he is opting to give transfer guard [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] a run in the starting five over fan-favorite [autotag]K.D Johnson,[/autotag] at least for now, due to his high-volume scoring ability.

“Denver Jones could be a candidate for one of our top two or three scorers.”

It’s hard to argue with that statement, Jones was absolutely lethal as a scorer last season. The sophomore guard was one of only 26 players in Division 1 to average at least 20.0 points per game in 2022, helping him become the first-ever FIU Panther to win Conference USA first-team all-conference honors.

Pearl was a little more ambiguous when discussing how he would deploy his front-court options.

He did take time to praise JUCO transfer [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] and Division 2 transfer [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag], calling Baker-Mazara “really good,” while citing his accomplishments at Northwest Florida State College and San Diego State.

The issue with Baker-Mazara is his size, where he measures 6 feet 7 inches but weighs only 190 pounds. That body type does not bode well for a healthy season, especially in the physical SEC.

As for Johnson, Pearl called him “one of the best athletes on our team,” citing his ability to shoot, guard multiple positions, and dribble the basketball.

Of course, returning Tigers [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell [/autotag] will see ample minutes in the front court as well.

Pearl still has plenty of time to figure out his final rotation ahead of Auburn’s season opener against Baylor on Nov. 7, but it seems like he at least has an idea of how he would like to deploy his roster ahead of this season.

Fall camp performances and injuries will surely change some things too.

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Jabari Smith Jr. appears to say ‘he can’t guard me at all’ after lighting up James Wiseman

Lip readers think they saw Jabari Smith deliver some epic trash talk.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. had a tremendous game during NBA 2K24 Summer League on Sunday.

Smith finished with a game-high 38 points (13-25 FG, 9-10 FT) during a victory over the Pistons. He also added 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block during the stellar performance.

But perhaps the most memorable moment of the match came when former No. 2 overall pick, James Wiseman, picked Smith up on the perimeter during the third quarter. Smith spotted up beyond the arc and received the ball, then nailed a dribble jumper for three points.

It was one of multiple field goals Smith made with Wiseman credited as the primary defender and it was beautiful to watch:

As he made his way back to the other end of the court, Smith appeared to say that Wiseman “can’t guard him at all” while maintaining eye contact with the Pistons bench.

Later in the quarter, Smith also beat Wiseman at the rim and drew contact for an and-one foul. It was a wonderfully encouraging sequence for the Houston forward.

Smith, who had an incredible buzzer-beater to secure the first victory for Houston during NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas, looks primed for a potential breakout campaign next season.

He will join a starting lineup that also includes the likes of Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Alperen Sengun.

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Three former Tigers to play in NBA 2k24 Summer League

jabari Smith, Sharife Cooper and Wendell Green Jr. are set to return to the court.

Three former Tigers are set to compete in the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023. The event will take place on July 7-17 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.

[autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] headlines the group after being drafted by the Houston Rockets with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He is joined by guards [autotag]Sharife Cooper[/autotag] and [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] who will both be playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Smith was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Rockets. He will be looking to improve his efficiency after shooting 40.8% from the field and just 30.7% from deep last season.

Cooper is looking to show he is ready to compete in the NBA after making the All-NBA G League Second Team last season. He averaged 21.3 points, 6.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Cleveland Charge last season.

Green went undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft and is looking to earn a contract.

Every game of the event will be on either an ESPN network (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews) or NBA TV. You can also stream them on the ESPN App or NBA App.

Here is a look at the schedule for both the Cavaliers and the Rockets.

Jabari Smith on Eurocamp, rookie year, Rockets future and James Harden

Jabari Smith caught up with HoopsHype to talk about the upcoming season, his goals, and James Harden rumors.

Jabari Smith has been among several NBA players in attendance for the Adidas Eurocamp 2023 in Treviso, Italy, the only officially sanctioned NBA pre-draft camp outside the United States.

Smith, 20, finished his first season in the NBA averaging 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while also making the All-Rookie Second Team.

The young star caught up with HoopsHype to talk about his experience at the Eurocamp, his first season in the league, the 2023-24 Houston Rockets, James Harden and more.

Aden Holloway earns fifth star, becomes second highest rated recruit in program history

Jabari Smith… you have company.

[autotag]Aden Holloway[/autotag] has earned his fifth star according to 247Sports. This is the fourth recruiting class in a row where [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and company have landed a five-star recruit and the fourth time in program history. The nine highest-rated recruits in program history have all been signed during Pearl’s tenure.

Holloway has a composite rating of 0.9931 according to 247Sports, following only [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] who had a 0.9980 composite rating.

The Napa, California native attends Prolific Prep and is the No. 17-ranked player in the class of 2024, the No. three-ranked point guard and the No. 2 player in the state of California.

The 6-foot, 155-pounder was invited to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game where he had the chance to show off his skills on a national stage.

Holloway will join [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Chaney Johnson [/autotag] as new additions to the Auburn roster in 2023.

Jones is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard transfer from FIU and Johnson is a 6-foot-7 forward transfer from UAH.

Auburn is putting together a roster that will have its eyes set on making another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielJLocke

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Wendell Green Jr. makes decision regarding his future with Auburn basketball

It appears that Green will be preparing for another chapter of his basketball career.

Another Tiger has made a decision regarding their future with the program.

Nearly a week after freshmen [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag] and [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag] announced their decision to test the transfer portal waters, point guard [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] has made an important decision regarding his next step.

In a tweet published on Sunday, Green revealed that he will begin his professional career by declaring for the NBA Draft. Green shared his appreciation for several people in his announcement.

It has been a great honor to play for Auburn University for the past few seasons. Thank you to the coaching and training staff  for your guidance, advice, and leadership. I would also like to thank my teammates and everyone who has played a role in helping me get to where I am today. I would like to announce that I will be starting my professional career and declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft.

Green appeared in 68 games in two seasons at Auburn after transferring in from Eastern Kentucky. In 2022-23, Green started in all 34 games as the Tigers’ point guard. He leaves Auburn after averaging 13.7 points and 4.7 assists per game.

Green looks to push Auburn’s streak of having an NBA draft pick to five years and looks to become the first Tiger chosen in the draft since [autotag]Jabari Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag] were both drafted in the first round of the 2022 draft.

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