Notre Dame up into top 2 in Amway Coaches Poll

Notre Dame moves up in the latest Amway Coaches Poll after upsetting former No. 1 Clemons in South Bend.

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Notre Dame got its signature 2020 win last night, a double-overtime thriller against Clemson in which the Irish outlasted the Tigers 47-40. Yes, presumed No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence didn’t play, but does that really matter?

No, Clemson has been a dominant force in college football without Lawrence and will continue after he moves onto the the NFL. What the Irish did last night was something no other ACC opponent can claim to have done since 2017, beat the Tigers in a conference game.

This is a night many Irish fan’s will not forget; we certainly won’t. The Irish were rewarded for their effort in the latest Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports by being ranked No. 2, two spots ahead of Clemson.

In other games in the ACC, No. 10 Miami barely got by NC State, 44-41, Liberty won on the road at Virginia Tech and No. 24 North Carolina waxed Duke, 56-24.

The full Amway Coaches poll, with ACC teams in bold and last weeks ranking in parenthesis:

1. Alabama (2)

2. Notre Dame (4)

3. Ohio State (3)

4. Clemson (1)

5. Florida (8)

6. Texas A&M (7)

7. Cincinnati (6)

8. BYU (9)

9. Miami, FL (10)

10. Indiana (13)

11. Georgia (5)

12. Oregon (14)

13. Oklahoma St. (12)

14. Wisconsin (11)

15. Marshall (15)

16. Iowa St. (17)

17. Coastal Carolina (16)

18. Oklahoma (19)

19. SMU (18)

20. USC (20)

21. Auburn (21)

22. Liberty (NR)

23. Northwestern (NR)

24. Texas (NR)

25. Army (21)

Dropped out: No. 23 Boise St., No. 24 UNC, No. 25 Michigan

Everything to know about NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process

Rookie Wire obtained every detail possible about the NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process, including all of the known invitations sent.

Rookie Wire obtained every detail possible about the NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process, including all of the known invitations sent.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many draft-eligible prospects not invited to the NBA combine have had trouble getting all of their information to team-decision makers in advance of the 2020 NBA Draft. To combat this, the NBA G League is offering a greater opportunity to be evaluated by team decision-makers.

This information included below was shared with USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire on the condition of anonymity because the person who shared the details was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

While the G League Elite Camp was canceled this year, a “select number” of participants were given the chance to share virtual evaluations through both shooting drills and an NBA pro day.

Prospects who agreed to participate will use HomeCourt, a mobile basketball training application, to record on-court workouts. The results will be shared with NBA team staffers through the app.

Players were encouraged to have two staffers with them in the gym to assist with the process. The coaches and trainers were required to wear a face mask and gloves during the workout.

NBA Evaluation: 8 Shooting Drills (based on previous editions of the Draft Combine)

  • Warm-Up/free-throws (50 shots)
  • Spot-Up shooting (50 shots)
  • Shooting off dribble/pull-up jumpers (30 shots)
  • Mid-Range/off the catch (20 shots)
  • 3-point drill /3-pointers off the catch (20 shots)
  • Side-mid-side/3-point jumpers on the move (2 minutes)
  • 3-point endurance/catch-and-shoot at game speed (5 minutes)
  • Cool down/free-throws (50 shots)

Each shooting drill can be completed a max of three times. Only the best score is uploaded into the NBA Player Evaluation platform for all NBA teams to access the data and video.

This is how the results look, as obtained by Babcock Hoops’ Derek Murray:

NBA Pro Day: 45-Minute Open Workout

  • This workout allows the draft prospect to share the unique
    aspects of his game through a 45-minute open workout.
  • Players are prohibited from partaking in live competition against any other draft-eligible and/or other players, including: informal scrimmages, pick-up games (e.g., 2-on-2), defensive drills (e.g., pick-and-roll coverage, post defense, etc.), offensive drills (e.g., Pick-and-Roll / Pop situations)
  • Pro Day must be a half-court workout.
  • Pro Day is an open workout for up to 45 minutes. If a player does NOT use the full 45 minutes, that is OK.
  • Must be completed on the same date as shooting drills. The player is allowed a 10-minute break in between.

KNOWN INVITATIONS

USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire was able to obtain a list of prospects invited to participate in this process. Note that others may have been included as well, though these were the names we can confirm at this time. 

Tres Tinkle, Oregon State

Malik Fitts, Saint Mary’s

Trevelin Queen, New Mexico State

Freddie Gillespie, Baylor

Jordan Ford, Saint Mary’s

Rayshaun Hammonds, Georgia

Jon Teske, Michigan

Emmitt Williams, LSU

Anthony Lamb, Vermont

Austin Wiley, Auburn

Isiaha Mike, SMU

Nate Darling, Delaware

Kamar Baldwin, Butler

Caleb Homesley, Liberty

Anthony Cowan, Maryland

Dwayne Sutton, Louisville

Steven Enoch, Louisville

Osasumwen Osaghae, Florida International

Kylor Kelley, Oregon State

John Mooney, Notre Dame

Xavier Sneed, Kansas State

EJ Montgomery, Kentucky

Quinton Rose, Temple

Jordan Bowden, Tennessee

Jake Toolson, BYU

Samir Doughty, Auburn

Terry Armstrong, South East Melbourne

Eli Pemberton, Hofstra

Kouat Noi, Cairns

Sacar Anim, Marquette

Jeff Dowtin, Rhode Island

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Notre Dame keeps climbing in latest Coaches Poll

Even with an uninspiring victory over Louisville, Notre Dame moves up in the latest Amway Coaches Poll.

Yesterday’s win over Louisville certainly left a bitter taste is all of our mouths and the Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports showed it didn’t matter much at all. Notre Dame began the week as the No. 4 ranked team and moved up one spot as No. 2 Alabama beat No. 3 Georgia, swapping spots with the losing Bulldogs.

A win is a win, the best part of going 4-0 is the opportunity to go 5-0, but Brian Kelly’s squad has a lot of issues to work out. Most of them fall on the offensive side of the ball, as the passing game has regressed so far this year. Regardless, the Irish are benefactors of the huge SEC contest Saturday night.

Around the ACC, Clemson’s hold on the number one spot got stronger, as Trevor Lawrence and company blitzed Georgia Tech 52-7 by halftime and cruised to a 73-7 victory. North Carolina head coach Mack Brown has a history of dropping games he shouldn’t and that reared it’s ugly head once again as the No. 5 Tar Heels lost to Florida State, 31-28 in Tallahassee. Miami, FL, ranked No. 13, had a sluggish start, the Clemson hangover, but ultimately staved off upset minded Pittsburgh 31-19. The other ranked ACC team was No. 24 Virginia Tech, who cruised to a 40-14 victory over Boston College.

Aside from North Carolina falling from the unbeatens, the shocker in the ACC was Syracuse. They hosted Liberty, and got waxed at home 38-21. Yes, the Flames are 5-0 now, but they have no business going into the Carrier Dome and putting a hurt down on Dino Baber’s squad.

Here is the full Coaches Poll, with the ACC teams in bold and last weeks ranking in parenthesis.

Clemson (1)

2 Alabama (2)

Notre Dame (4)

4 Georgia (3)

5 Ohio State (5)

6 Oklahoma St. (7)

7 Penn. St. (8)

8 Florida (9)

9 Texas A&M (11)

10 Cincinnati (10)

11 Miami, FL (12)

11 BYU (13)

13 North Carolina (6)

14 Wisconsin (15)

15 Oregon (16)

16 SMU (18)

17 Michigan (19)

18 Iowa St. (20)

19 Kansas St. (22)

20 Virginia Tech (23)

21 Minnesota (25)

22 North Carolina St. (NR)

23 USC (24)

24 Coastal Carolina (NR)

25 Marshall (NR)

(Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)

Warriors welcome back WNBA with shoutout to Bay Area native Sabrina Ionescu

Before the WNBA’s return, the Golden State Warriors shared a special shoutout to Bay Area native and first overall pick Sabrina Ionescu.

Before 22-teams open up the NBA’s Orlando Bubble next week, the WNBA kicked off their 2020 season on Saturday morning. Prior to the action getting underway, the Golden State Warriors welcomed back the WNBA on Twitter.

The Warriors shared a series of photos that included Stephen Curry and Draymond Green with WNBA Stars Candace Parker, Sue Bird and Aerial Powers.

Following the Warriors welcome back message to the WNBA, Golden State posted a special shoutout to Bay Area native Sabrina Ionescu.

Prior to a historic college campaign for the Oregon Ducks, Ionescu played her high school basketball in the Bay Area at Miramonte High School in Orinda. On Saturday, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick made her WNBA debut for the New York Liberty against the Seattle Storm.

Via @warriors on Twitter:

Against the Storm, Ionescu tallied 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting with six rebounds, four assists and a steal. Former WNBA Most Valuable Player Breonna Stewart recorded 18 points to lead the Storm to an 87-71 victory on opening day.

The WNBA will play a 22 game regular season schedule followed by a full postseason slate at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

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New York Liberty vs. Seattle Storm odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s New York Liberty vs. Seattle Storm match up, with WNBA betting odds, picks and best bets.

The New York Liberty and Seattle Storm tip off the WNBA regular season Saturday at noon ET at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in the league’s bubble site, or “Wubble” – which the players have been calling it. We analyze the Liberty-Storm WNBA betting odds and lines, with betting advice and tips around the matchup.

The Storm have picked up five consecutive victories in their head-to-head series vs. the Liberty. New York’s last win in the series was way back on July 6, 2017. In addition to going 5-0 straight up (SU) vs. the Liberty, the Storm are 4-1 against the spread (ATS) during the stretch. The Under has also cashed in five of the previous six meetings.

Liberty vs. Storm: By the Numbers

  • We’ll see the long-anticipated debut of Liberty rookie G Sabrina Ionescu, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She was the first player in NCAA history to post at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists while at the University of Oregon.
  • The Storm will be without coach Dan Hughes, who is avoiding the bubble since a medical assessment diagnosed him a high risk if he contracted the coronavirus. He missed time last season due to cancer treatments. Assistant Gary Kloppenburg will step in and serve as the head coach.
  • The Storm (+400) are among the favorites to win the 2020 WNBA Championship, sharing the second-best odds with the Los Angeles Sparks and just behind the defending champion Washington Mystics (+250). The Liberty (+2500) are considered a long shot – only three teams have worse odds.

WNBA season is finally here! Get some action on the 2020 season with an WNBA bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!

Liberty vs. Storm: Key injuries

Liberty

  • G Rebecca Allen opted out of the bubble due to COVID-19 risks.
  • G Asia Durr opted out due to COVID-19 risks.
  • F Megan Walker (COVID-19 concerrns) out.

Liberty vs. Storm: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

WNBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Saturday at 10:35 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Storm 77, Liberty 73

Moneyline (ML)

The Liberty (+450) are an intriguing play as underdogs, but the Storm (-625) are still the gold standard in the Western Conference, and perhaps all of the WNBA.

PASS on the lack of value.

Against the spread (ATS)

The spread is -10.5 for Seattle (-110), and with their head coach leading the way, perhaps NEW YORK (+10.5, -110) is able to keep it fairly close.

Over/Under (O/U)

The UNDER 153.5 (-110) has been a regular happening when these two teams get together. The Liberty should have a nice infusion of offense with Ionescu, but take the Under until further notice.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Liberty’s Keyen Green transfers to Lady Vols

Liberty’s Keyen Green transfers to Lady Vols.

KNOXVILLE — The Lady Vols basketball team has landed a top graduate transfer from the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Keyen Green. a 6-foot-1 forward from Liberty University, announced that she is joining coach Kellie Harper’s Tennessee program after a stellar season with the Flames last year.

Green earned first-team all-Atlantic Sun Conference honors last season as she led the Flames with 231 rebounds, including 120 offensive boards. She also led Liberty in blocked shots with 23 and shot 59 percent from the field after missing the 2018-19 season while recovering from ankle surgery.

She was injured in 2017 and missed two games before returning, but the injury would later require surgery.

In 2017-18, Green was the Big South Conference Player of the Year for the Flames, who shifted conferences the following season.

That year, she was 11th in the country in field goal percentage, knocking down 61 percent of her shots from the floor.

Green, a Philadelphia native, was also being recruited as a graduate transfer by Kentucky, Texas and Maryland.

Her commitment comes just days after Jazmine Massengill and Zaay Green each announced their decision to leave Tennessee.

Senior Bowl report: 3 Day 3 standouts who could be targeted by the Jags

The players at the Senior Bowl wrapped up their third practice Thursday in front of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the league’s other 31 teams. Despite bad weather, both squads put together a solid day of practice indoors and a lot of coverage came …

The players at the Senior Bowl wrapped up their third practice Thursday in front of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the league’s other 31 teams. Despite bad weather, both squads put together a solid day of practice indoors and a lot of coverage came out of Thursday’s session, which marked the last practice.

When considering all of the Jags’ needs heading into the 2020 season, here are some players who stood out Day 3 that the Jags could eventually target:

(AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Josh Jones, OT, Houston

We mentioned Josh Jones before the Senior Bowl kicked off as a player for Jags fans to watch because there were mix reviews on him, however, his performance in Mobile has made a lot of people believers. My comrade at Bleav Podcast Network, Tony Pauline, was iffy on him as a tackle but Jones showed he can handle his own on the outside.

Jones finished his week strong in Mobile and Day 3 was his strongest. As seen above he was basically a wall all day, dominating North Carolina’s Jason Strowbridge and others on his team.

High school football schedule: Top games of Week 13

Some teams are in the playoffs. Others are in the championship game. Take a look at the top 15 high school football games of the week.

Some states are in the playoffs. Others are deciding champions.

This rendition of Top Games of the Week features 15 teams in win-or-go-home situations. One team has four straight championships on the line; another is set to play for its 11th in a row.

Take a look at the schedule of best games of the week.

RELATED: Super 25 National | Regional Rankings

Southlake Carroll wide receiver Wills Meyer (Photo: Cameron Been/Friday Night Glory)

MATCHUP

No. 18 Southlake Carroll (Texas) (11-0)

vs.

DeSoto (Texas) (9-2)

When: 11/22, 6:30 p.m. ET

Tale of the Tape: DeSoto may have been beaten twice this year, but both of those losses were one-point games. This team is just a couple breaks away from being undefeated. Southlake Carroll, though, is undefeated; the closest game was a 12-point win, and last week, the Dragons won by 78 points. They have been unstoppable behind sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers and freshman running back Owen Allen. It will take a big performance from some DeSoto player to keep up: maybe cornerback Jabbar Muhammad or Devyn Bobby, or perhaps an offensive weapon like leading wide receiver Lawrence Arnold. More likely, it’ll take a big performance from several Eagles.

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