Tag: john petty

Where things are moving more quickly, …

Where things are moving more quickly, John Petty said in a telephone interview, are in his contacts with other teams. “I’ve done 12 Zoom interviews already,” Petty said. “I don’t want to say any specific teams but I’ve gotten some great feedback. They have been impressed. We’ve talked about my elbow (a hyperextending which knocked him out of two games late late season.) It has perfectly healed, no problem. My process now is to keep working out, be patient, talk to scouts and hopefully get a great answer from them (about a potential draft position.) If that happens, I’m probably going to stay in. … I will have a decision but I’m going to be patient.”

Could John Petty be hinting that he’s returning for his senior year?

When Petty had an interview with Charity Chambers of WZDX, he hinted that maybe, just maybe, his time in Tuscaloosa isn’t finished just yet.

When John Petty made an announcement in late March that he would be testing the NBA waters, many people understood why he would try to go pro as a junior, but they also hoped he would make the decision to return for his senior season.

When Petty had an interview with Charity Chambers of WZDX, he hinted that maybe, just maybe, his time in Tuscaloosa isn’t finished just yet.

He started by explaining what led him to the decision to try to make it pro this year:

“Basically just some good feedback from some NBA scouts, some of my coaches and also just by the year I had — I know I had a great year. I know that in previous years I could have tried it, so this year, I just thought that it would be best if I just tried and put my name in there and see what I get.”

He was asked about his time at Alabama:

“It’s just a great atmosphere down there, the city, everything,” Petty said of playing for the Tide. “The coaches were good last year. It just felt like home. Even though I wasn’t that far from home, I was two hours away, Tuscaloosa felt like a home for me. So, my time there was amazing. Even though the situation I’m in now, my time might not be up there. I’ll probably be up there another year, depending on how everything else goes, but I’m just really trying to finish this semester out the best way I can.”

Let me emphasize this part one more time: “I’ll probably be up there another year, depending on how everything else goes.”

Petty has a lot to consider, especially what his future means for his 2 year old daughter and family who are from Huntsville, Alabama.

Could this mean he is truly considering a return to Tuscaloosa?

Does Petty want to have one more college season to improve his draft stock?

One thing is for sure, he has enjoyed playing for Alabama head coach. He shared how playing for Oats has made him enjoying basketball again.

Petty, who is a junior, has continued to impress each year. This past season, he averaged 14.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He played in 29 games, starting 28 of them.

Through two seasons, he averaged 10.2 points. His field goal percentage improved as well. He started with a 39.3 percent field goal percentage as a freshman in 2017 and finished this season with a 46.2 percent field goal percentage.

But that’s not all. This season, he led the Crimson Tide in scoring (18.5 ppg.), assists (5.2 apg.), steals (1.8 spg.) minutes (37.6 mpg.) and field goals made (206) and attempted (449). He led the SEC in minutes played and 3-point shooting percentage (.440).

The NBA draft is scheduled to be held on Thursday, June 25, but Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on if that changed due to the coronavirus.

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Latest NBA mock drafts have Kira Lewis as first-round pick

The latest NBA mock draft has Alabama’s Kira Lewis as a first round draft pick.

On the same day Alabama’s 2020 recruiting class ranked 16th in the nation, the latest NBA mock drafts have Alabama’s Kira Lewis as a first round draft pick.

Bleacher Report’s Jake Rill released his latest mock draft, and in his mock draft, he has Kira Lewis as the 29th pick in the first round going to the Los Angeles Lakers.

But other mock draft have Lewis going higher than that.

CBS’ Gary Parrish has Lewis being drafted in the 28th spot by the New York Knicks, while fellow CBS analyst Kyle Boone has Lewis being the 20th overall pick becoming a Milwaukee Buck.

Many analyst have raved about Lewis’ speed, and his ability to make big plays.

In his two years with the Crimson Tide, Lewis average 34.5 minutes, a field goal percentage of 44.7 percent, 1,031 total points, 260 assists and only 183 turnovers.

Lewis made his announcement to enter into the NBA Draft at the end of March by a heartfelt twitter post.

Although Lewis has decided to keep his eligibility to return to Tuscaloosa, it doesn’t seem like he will need to, if the mock drafts continue the way they are.

Two other Crimson Tide players entered their names into the draft. Both Herb Jones and John Petty also decided to test the NBA waters.

Jones, who is a junior, became a household name for the tide. Even after breaking his left wrist, he came back with vengeance and showed off, even at times one handed.

This season, Jones appeared in 27 games, starting 26 of them. He averaged 7.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Petty, who is a junior, has continued to impress each year. This season, he averaged 14.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He played in 29 games, starting 28 of them.

Through two seasons, he averaged 10.2 points. His field goal percentage  improved as well. He started with a 39.3 percent field goal percentage as a freshman in 2017 and finished this season with a 46.2 percent field goal percentage.

But that’s not all. This season, he led the Crimson Tide in scoring (18.5 ppg.), assists (5.2 apg.), steals (1.8 spg.) minutes (37.6 mpg.) and field goals made (206) and attempted (449). He led the SEC in minutes played and 3-point shooting percentage (.440).

The NBA draft is scheduled to be held on Thursday, June 25, but Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on if that changed due to the coronavirus.

2020 aggregate NBA mock draft 5.0: International prospects are rising

Scouting and preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft is incredibly challenging due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Scouting and preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA draft is incredibly challenging due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

As always, we examine the mock drafts from the most trusted analysts to give us the best idea of a consensus for what the upcoming class will look like in June. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from experts at ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic, SB Nation, Sporting News and USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.

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Currently, the first three players expected to be selected (Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman) have remained in the exact same order for the third aggregate mock draft in a row.

After dropping from No. 5 all the way to No. 11 between December and January, Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija has jumped back to No. 4 for this version.

He played well recently at the 2020 Eurobasket Qualifiers, scoring 21 points with eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal while also shooting 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. This was a welcome change of pace for scouts hoping to learn as much as possible about Avdija as he had averaged just 4.0 points in 14.3 minutes in Euroleague games earlier this season.

Several other prospects playing overseas have seen their stock increase as well. This makes some sense considering many in the NCAA rely on their performance in March Madness to solidify their draft position whereas the international players gain momentum in other ways.

Killian Hayes, who was ranked No. 18 overall on our last aggregate mock draft, jumped up to No. 8 for this edition. The 6-foot-5 guard was 14-for-61 (39 percent) from 3-point range while also connecting on 90.9 percent of his free-throw attempts during Eurocup action. Several outlets are currently projecting him as a Top 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Another prospect playing outside of the United States but currently making waves is Leandro Bolmaro. He debuted on our aggregate mock draft in the most recent edition before this one but has jumped all the way to No. 29 this time around.

Meanwhile, in the NCAA, some college basketball players managed to make some serious momentum for themselves before the season was unexpectedly cut short. Some of those players are seniors Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Grant Riller (Charleston), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas) and Desmond Bane (TCU).

As mentioned here, it makes sense for upperclassmen to be more appealing in this class than in previous years. Seniors have far more game film to draw film which may be necessary considering individual team workouts and even the 2020 NBA Draft Combine may be canceled. Plus, older players are likely more ready to contribute immediately.

On the flip side, there are freshmen around the country who have seen their draft stock drastically decline in recent months.

Oregon’s N’Faly Dante has fallen off our boards completely after playing just twelve games and making no appearances in the starting lineup. Kahlil Whitney, who was considered a lottery pick when we did this exercise in October 2019, also dropped off after withdrawing from Kentucky.

Some other freshmen who saw their draft stock fall: Duke’s Matthew Hurt was ranked No. 16 overall back in October but is now at No. 76 overall. LSU’s Trendon Watford was ranked No. 14 in October but has fallen to No. 63. Florida’s Scottie Lewis was No. 9 in July and is currently No. 53 overall.

Less drastic but still valid: Arizona’s Nico Mannion has fallen from No. 6 back in January 2020 all the way to No. 16 now in April. Likewise, UNC’s Cole Anthony dropped from No. 2 back in July 2019 to No. 10 in our new study.

But some encouraging news for prospects who were considered Top-25 recruits coming out of high school but had a disappointing freshman year (e.g. Duke’s Wendell Moore as well as the aforementioned Dante, Whitney, Watford, Hurt and Lewis) can be found in Kentucky’s Immanuel Quickley.

The 6-foot-3 guard was the No. 13 overall recruit in the nation coming into Kentucky as a freshman. But after averaging just 5.2 points as a freshman, he returned for his sophomore campaign.

Fortunately, the SEC Player of the Year dramatically improved his draft stock in 2019-20. His season was highlighted by 21.3 points per game in February and a free throw percentage (92.3%) that ranked as the sixth-best among all underclassmen. This month, he debuted on our aggregate mock draft at No. 42 overall.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

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2020 NBA mock draft: Obi Toppin, LaMelo Ball offer intrigue

Rookie Wire breaks down the film and crunches all the relevant statistics to predict all 60 picks of the 2020 NBA Draft.

Like much of the world right now, the 2020 NBA Draft is full of uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The cancellation of the NCAA Tournament changes the evaluation process and denies NBA teams the opportunity to see how players react to the pressure of performing on college basketball’s biggest stage. Nevertheless, scouts and front offices are doing their homework on this year’s top prospects.

As of now, the draft remains scheduled for June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. However, the event could be pushed back in reaction to the pandemic.

Meantime, our two-round mock draft accounts for potential fit for every team that currently owns picks. Some teams, such as the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Boston Celtics, have enough picks to trade up or turn them into higher picks for future years. Others, such as the Golden State Warriors, may want to trade down to select a player based on roster fit.

That said, we made our selections without trying to predict trades.

A few quick notes: Some notable freshmen (such as Florida’s Scottie Lewis, Villanova’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Duke’s Wendell Moore and Matthew Hurt) have been omitted because Rookie Wire expects them to return to school.

Similarly, top juniors (such as San Diego State’s Malachi Flynn, Iowa’s Luka Garza, Georgetown’s Omer Yurtseven) were excluded because we expect them to return for their senior year.

Generally speaking, players who have already declared for the draft or are testing the waters were given priority over prospects who we may rate a bit higher but have not officially put the name into the draft pool.

Draft order is based on NBA standings when the league went on hiatus.

1. Golden State Warriors: Anthony Edwards, Georgia

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Wing, 6-foot-5, 18 years old

The Warriors, obviously, have little need for a player who needs the ball in his hands as often as Anthony Edwards does. But the SEC Freshman of the Year arguably has the most star power of anyone in this draft class. Edwards averaged a strong 21.8 points per game in February and is a highlight-reel in transition. Edwards could conceivably be traded, which would allow Golden State to collect another asset while also selecting a player (perhaps either Obi Toppin or Deni Avdija) who fits better with the Warriors’ core.

Second pick | Third pick | Fourth pick | Fifth pick | Remainder of lottery | Remainder of first round | Second round

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Latest CBS NBA mock draft predicts landing spot for Kira Lewis Jr.

Lewis actually made 48.8% of his attempts from beyond the arc in the Crimson Tide’s final seven games, which suggests he can be a reliabl…

In a sports world that is flooded with an overwhelming amount of uncertainty due to the Coronavirus pandemic and NFL mock drafts, NBA expert Gary Parrish with CBS released his latest 2020 NBA mock draft.

That mock is filled with big-name talents from across the globe and the college basketball community. Some of those names include LaMelo Ball, who is currently playing in Australia, and Georgia’s Anthony Edwards.

However, a name that the Crimson Tide fanbase is more than familiar with can also be found. It’s a little bit further down the mock at the No. 28 overall pick, but it’s certainly there.

Parrish predicts that Alabama sophomore point guard Kira Lewis Jr. will be selected by the New York Knicks with that late first-rounder.

His CBS positional ranking has him listed as the sixth-best guard in the 2020 draft class.

Parrish goes on to explain his reasoning behind the prediction:

“Lewis is a sophomore but will still only be 19 years old on draft night. So he’s young. . And he’s light. But the 6-3 point was super-productive this season — averaging 18.5 points, 5.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds for an Alabama team that finished 60th at KenPom. He shot 36.6% from 3-point range on the season. But Lewis actually made 48.8% of his attempts from beyond the arc in the Crimson Tide’s final seven games, which suggests he can be a reliable, if not terrific, perimeter shooter as professional.”

While Lewis did announce he will be entering the 2020 NBA Draft process, he also made it clear that he has chosen to maintain his remaining collegiate eligibility, which will be two years.

Lewis had a teammate under Nate Oats, junior guard John Petty, who also announced that he will be entering the NBA Draft process, but was not mentioned in this particular mock.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on the journeys of Lewis and Petty throughout the process leading up to their potential life-changing moments!

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BREAKING: Alabama basketball lands 5-star CG Joshua Primo

Alabama basketball landed a huge commitment on Friday with five-star combo guard Joshua Primo out of Ohio.

Alabama basketball got a huge commitment on Friday morning, as Joshua Primo announced that he would be joining the Crimson Tide’s 2020 recruiting class.

The news was announced by several media outlets, but the five-star combo guard from Royal Crown High School in Toronto (Ohio.) made it official on his own Twitter account:

This is a major addition for head coach Nate Oats and the rest of the Alabama basketball program, as it was announced earlier in the week that starting guards Kira Lewis Jr. and John Petty would be entering their names into the 2020 NBA Draft.

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Primo is a four-star prospect and rated as the No. 47 overall player, the No. 8 combo guard and No. 1 player from the state of Ohio.

The rankings for 247Sports specifically, however, rated the 6-foot-6, 180-pound shooter as a five-star while ranking him No. 27 overall and the No. 7 combo guard.

Primo is officially the Crimson Tide’s second commitment for the 2020 class after reclassifying from 2021. He is joined by four-star power forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton, who is the No. 115 overall player.

Stay tuned for more updates on Alabama sports from Roll Tide Wire, part of the USA TODAY college wire websites!

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John Petty releases heartfelt statement about entering NBA Draft

Kira Lewis Jr. announced he was entering the 2020 NBA Draft while also retaining his remaining eligibility. Hours later, John Petty did too.

On Wednesday morning, Alabama basketball player Kira Lewis Jr. took to announce his decision to enter the 2020 NBA Draft while also retaining his remaining collegiate eligibility. Less than a few hours later, John Petty did the same.

View this post on Instagram

🙏🏾 #RollTide🤞🏾

A post shared by John Petty (@_johnpetty23) on

Petty, who is a junior, has continued to impress each and every year. This season alone, he averaged 14.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He played in 29 games, starting 28 of them.

Both is freshman and sophomore season, he averaged 10.2 points. His field goal percentage continued to improve each season as well. He started with a 39.3 percent field goal percentage as a freshman in 2017 and finished this season with a 46.2 percent field goal percentage.

But that’s not all. This season, he led the Crimson Tide in scoring (18.5 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), steals (1.8 spg) minutes (37.6 mpg) and field goals made (206) and attempted (449) in 2019-20. He also led the SEC in minutes played and three-point shooting percentage (.440).

As of right now, the NBA Draft is still slated to be held on Thursday June 25th, but Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on if that changed due to the coronavirus.

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Kira Lewis Jr. releases statement entering NBA Draft

It was originally reported yesterday by Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News that Alabama guards Kira Lewis Jr. and John Petty would be “tes…

It was originally reported yesterday by Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News, through Alabama head coach Nate Oats, that guards Kira Lewis Jr. and John Petty would be “testing the NBA waters.”

Less than a day later Lewis, who just wrapped up sophomore season in Tuscaloosa, took to Twitter t announce his decision to enter the 2020 NBA Draft while also retaining his remaining collegiate eligibility.

Lewis, who reclassified to join the 2018 class, began playing at Alabama as a 17-year-old, but  despite his youth, he instantly became a leader and a fan-favorite.

In his two years with the Crimson Tide, Lewis average 34.5 minutes, a field goal percentage of 44.7 percent, 1,031 total points, 260 assists and only 183 turnovers.

In his message, Lewis thanks everyone from the fans, who he claims are the “best fans in college basketball” to his coaches, teammates and family.

There is only one piece bolded within the message: “I have decided to enter the NBA draft process while keeping my eligibility”.

Could this mean a potential return from Lewis? Likely not, according to the tweet shared by Hurt from Oats on Tuesday:

It seems as if the Lewis era in Tuscaloosa is coming to an end, but his legacy will remain.

He was one of the few consistent pieces during a time of uncertainty, which means he will be remembered at Alabama as a pioneer of change within a program that was desperately in need of a new look.

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Two Alabama basketball players will test NBA waters

It looks like Kira Lewis Jr. and John Petty will test the NBA waters, according to Alabama head coach Nate Oats.

Alabama sophomore Kira Lewis Jr. and junior John Petty will give the 2020 NBA Draft process a go, according to a quote Cecil Hurt heard from Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats on Tuesday.

Hurt shared the news to his Twitter account while also adding that Oats stated that it would be a “pleasant surprise” if either player returned:

Losing both Lewis and Petty would be a major blow to Alabama, as that combination was two of the team’s top three scorers from last season. As if that wasn’t enough, they were also the Tide’s top two three-point shooters.

There is a silver lining, however.

Former five-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly, who transferred from Villanova prior to the 2019-20 season, will be eligible next season after having his waiver denied by the NCAA.

On top of that news, JUCO transfer James Rojas and former four-star Juwan Gary, who was Alabama’s top recruit in the 2019 class according to Rivals.com, will be back from season-ending injuries this past season.

Combine their presence with standouts Jaden Shackelford and Herb Jones, as well as newcomers such as Keon Ambrose-Hylton, and it’s possible that the Crimson Tide could push for a NCAA Tournament spot in 2020-21.

It would help to have either Lewis or Petty (or both) return, however.

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