Tag: Jaden Ivey

Ohio State’s furious rally falls short vs. Purdue as Jaden Ivey strikes again with game-winning shot

A heartbreaking loss for Ohio State at Purdue.

Ohio State ran into a Purdue team playing at the top of its game for times on Sunday in front of its home crowd and nearly got run off the court, before showing character and battling back to lose a tough one 81-78.

It didn’t start out so bad with the Buckeyes jumping out to an early lead when the game started, but the Boilermakers began to impose their will down low on both ends of the floor. The size and talent on the blocks clearly bothered OSU on the offensive end and contributed to a poor day shooting until midway through the second half. Purdue’s lead got all the way up to 20 points about a quarter of the way into the last 20 minutes.

E.J. Liddell, in particular, struggled to be the normal force he is early but ended up finding the range, finishing with 20 points while going 7-of-16 from the floor. As OSU began to shoot better from the outside and get some defensive stops, things began to tighten up. Improbably, Liddell hit a long 2-pointer to tie the game to complete the comeback with just 20 seconds left.

As time wound down, however, Purdue was able to get the ball into Jaden Ivey’s hands with the clock running down. He faded away from 3-point range and hit the game-winner to send Purdue off the court with a dramatic win. It’s now the second time in Ivey’s career he’s hit a walk-off jumper against Ohio State. Despite the outcome, you have to give the Buckeyes credit for making a game of it when it looked like things were sailing away from them quickly.

Malaki Branham and Liddell led OSU with 20 points, but the Buckeyes just dug themselves too much of a hole to be able to steal one in West Lafayette. You hate to point to moral victories, but the way OSU finished had to at least give the team a boost for what it might be able to do going forward.

With the loss, Ohio State drops to 13-5 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten, 1/2 game behind Purdue in fifth place in the conference. OSU next takes on Iowa at home on Thursday.

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2022 NBA mock draft roundup: Potential Houston Rockets picks entering February

In the latest wave of 2022 NBA mock drafts, Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren is the most popular selection to the Houston Rockets with their own first-round pick.

As we enter February, the 2021-22 NBA regular season is well past the halfway mark and college basketball is in the middle of conference play. Thus, mock drafts are becoming more valuable to monitor.

After all, the Houston Rockets, who sit at the bottom of the Western Conference, know they have very strong odds to draft high in the first round. Moreover, the track records for many available college players are coming into better focus, since many of the top prospects are facing quality opposition on a more frequent basis.

The Rockets are currently slotted to have two first-round picks in the 2022 NBA draft: Their own, along with the better pick between Miami and Brooklyn. As of now, Houston’s pick is likely to be high in the draft, while the Miami/Brooklyn pick appears likely to be in the 20s — since both the Heat and Nets appear poised to easily make the playoffs.

As of Saturday, the Rockets (14-35) were in possession of the league’s third-worst record. Scroll on for a look at the associated draft lottery odds, if that position holds, along with prospects that recently released mocks have going to Houston with those two 2022 first-round selections.

Johnny Davis named to Andy Katz’s Midseason 1st-Team All-Big Ten

Johnny Davis named to Andy Katz’s Mid-season 1st-Team All-Big Ten.

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The Big Ten conference features arguably the most star-power in all of college basketball this season, and most seasons for that matter. Today, Andy Katz took a swing at narrowing down a 1st-Team All-Big Ten list at the midpoint of the college basketball season.

Among those on Andy Katz’s list was Wisconsin’s sophomore guard Johnny Davis. The La Crosse, Wisconsin native has been one of the most valuable players in the Big Ten, if not the entire country this season.

The sophomore guard currently leads the Badgers in scoring with 22.3 points per game (5th in NCAA), rebounds per game (7.4), assists (2.6), steals (1.4), and free throws made (81).

Davis was joined on the Midseason All-Big Ten list by Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Keegan Murray (Iowa), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), and Kofi Cockburn (Illinois).

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

2022 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Jabari Smith rising in latest projections of every pick

Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. highlighted the prospects on the rise in the latest Rookie Wire Mock Draft.

With the 2021-22 basketball season in full swing, scouts and front-office executives have had an extended look at the next wave of prospects set to enter the NBA.

Prior to the beginning of the season, Duke forward Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren dominated the conversation atop most draft boards. However, the top of the draft looks to be changing with Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. emerging in a big way this season.

Rookie Wire took a look at the next rookie class and projected every pick based on the latest information at hand. Of course, with much of the season left to play, these rankings will change but here is how we see things at the moment.

Note: The order of the draft was pulled from Tankathon as of Jan. 19. The 2022 draft may only have 58 picks after the Bucks and Heat were stripped of their second-round picks by the NBA.

Aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Jabari Smith leaps ahead of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren for No. 1

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Jeremy Woo (Sports Illustrated), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.

Johnny Davis (Wisconsin), Jeremy Sochan (Baylor), Harrison Ingram (Stanford), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), and Walker Kessler (Auburn) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.

The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Tari Eason (LSU), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown), Dereon Seabron (NC State), Christian Braun (Kansas), Trevion Williams (Purdue) and Orlando Robinson (Fresno State).

Some of the top prospects who were not included in any of these most recent mock drafts include Matthew Cleveland (Florida State), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Alex Fudge (LSU), Buddy Boeheim (Syracuse), Josh Minott (Memphis) and Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall).

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Aggregate NBA mock draft 3.0: Jabari Smith leaps ahead of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren for No. 1

The best prospects in the world are all competing for the top spot in the 2022 NBA draft and it is hard to sort how everyone is stacking up.

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from Draft Express (ESPN), Aran Smith (NBADraft.net), Sam Vecenie (The Athletic), Jonathan Wasserman (Bleacher Report), Jeremy Woo (Sports Illustrated), Krysten Peek (Yahoo), Matt Babcock (Basketball News) as well as USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score in order to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion. Predictions for a first overall pick earned a player 58 points while the second overall pick earned 57 points, the third overall earned 56 points, and so on.

Johnny Davis (Wisconsin), Jeremy Sochan (Baylor), Harrison Ingram (Stanford), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame), and Walker Kessler (Auburn) have improved their draft stock the most since our most recent update last month.

The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Tari Eason (LSU), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown), Dereon Seabron (NC State), Christian Braun (Kansas), Trevion Williams (Purdue) and Orlando Robinson (Fresno State).

Some of the top prospects who were not included in any of these most recent mock drafts include Matthew Cleveland (Florida State), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Max Abmas (Oral Roberts), Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Alex Fudge (LSU), Buddy Boeheim (Syracuse), Josh Minott (Memphis) and Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall).

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

2022 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0: Debut rankings of the top 101 prospects

Let’s be honest. Ranking the best NBA draft prospects is a fool’s errand. But evaluating this class is an especially challenging assignment.

Let’s be honest. Ranking the best NBA draft prospects is a fool’s errand. But evaluating this class is an especially challenging assignment.

One of the top pre-season prospects (Patrick Baldwin Jr.) is playing for a mid-major program that has just two wins so far this season. Other top prospects (AJ Griffin and Peyton Watson) are not getting much playing time for their high-major programs. Meanwhile, guard Jean Montero is playing in the inaugural Overtime Elite league. How do we compare his productivity to other prospects? I’m frankly not sure.

But nevertheless, my big board exists. Rather than going small, I decided to blow it up and do the opposite. Why did I go ahead and rank 101 prospects if this class has been so challenging to evaluate? There are two distinct reasons.

One is that I’m absolutely crazy and get a very fulfilling satisfaction with the completion of a mock draft and big board because it feels complete. It looks awesome seeing as many names as I can fit on one article, even if the science behind the rankings is a bit inconclusive.

The other reason is that as I make more big boards throughout the year, it’s interesting to track the progress (and regression) of certain prospects. I am inevitably wrong about most of these placements! But this article serves as a barometer for where I feel certain players are at in their development right now.

Note that several notable prospects (e.g. freshmen Max Christie, Matthew Cleveland, Nolan Hickman, Hunter Sallis, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Jeremy Sochan, Kobe Bufkin) were excluded because I expect them to go back to school to improve their draft stock.

More likely than not, some of those players will declare for the 2022 NBA draft. When that happens, I obviously will not have them outside of my top 101.

Until then, as we prepare to turn the calendar into a new year, here are the debut rankings for 101 of my favorite prospects.

All stats are accurate as of Dec. 14 and are from Sports-Reference unless noted otherwise.

Aggregate NBA mock draft 2.0: Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith battle for No. 1

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, Basketball News and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Since our last update, the players who have improved the most spots are Ismael Kamagate (Paris), Moussa Diabate (Michigan), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Hugo Besson (New Zealand), Efe Abogidi (Washington State),  Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Max Christie (Michigan State), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), and Ochai Agbaji (Kansas).

The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Trevor Keels (Duke), Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), MarJon Beauchamp (G League Ignite), Keon Ellis (Alabama), Christian Koloko (Arizona), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame),  Josh Minott (Memphis), Zach Edey (Purdue), and Johnny Davis (Wisconsin).

Some of the top prospects who did not make the cut this time included Hunter Sallis (Gonzaga), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Tennesse), Kobe Bufkin (Michigan), Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State), Jahvon Quinerly (Albama), Adam Flagler (Baylor), Jaylin Williams (Auburn), Matthieu Gauzin (Le Mans), Isaiah Wong (Miami), Marcus Williams (Texas A&M), and Tyson Etienne (Wichita State).

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

2022 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Predicting all 59 picks, starting with Paolo Banchero

After a few games, we have a much better idea of how prospects like Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren will be used until the 2022 NBA draft.

After a few games, we have a much better idea of how prospects like Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren will be used until the 2022 NBA draft.

Preseason mock drafts, like the one we published back on Aug. 11, are especially challenging. Predictions are mostly guesswork based on uninformed priors until we’ve seen the usage of how each coach will implement the prospects we are evaluating.

Additionally, several players used the offseason to work on certain skill sets (e.g. Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji is now a much better shooter) in ways we couldn’t have projected.

As such, even though it’s only been a few games, it’s a lot easier to discuss the 2022 NBA draft now than it was even just last month. The season is underway for college basketball — and the G League Ignite, Overtime Elite, and several international leagues —  which means draft boards are shaping up.

After a ton of movement, as of right now, here is how we see the 2022 NBA draft unfolding.

Draft order is pulled from Tankathon. All stats are accurate as of 11/22/21.

6 bold predictions for the 2021-22 men’s college basketball season

While predictions can be a fool’s errand, we’ve got some takes we wanted to get off our chest before the season officially kicks off.

The men’s college basketball season is one of the most chaotic times of the year for sports fans because it is always so unpredictable.

This year will be especially fun — there will be more fans in the building, which means we’ll see some wild stuff from student sections around the nation. It’s also the last year that Mike Krzyzewski will coach Duke and the first year Hubert Davis will lead North Carolina.

While predictions can be a fool’s errand, we’ve got some takes we wanted to get off our chest before the season officially kicks off.