Tag: LSU basketball

Two former LSU stars appear in Rookie Wire’s latest NBA draft big board

The 2020 NBA draft was originally scheduled to take place in June, with players from LSU set to be taken.

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The 2020 NBA draft was originally scheduled to take place in June. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019-20 season was extended into the summer, meaning the beginning of the 2020-21 offseason would start later than normal for teams like LSU.

That time is now.

The 2020 NBA draft is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

With the draft rapidly approaching, draft boards are set, and teams likely have all the intel they need for each of the 2020 draft prospects.

Bryan Kalbrosky of Rookie Wire recently released his latest big board, which featured the top 100 prospects for this week’s two-round draft.

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And a pair of former LSU Tigers were among Kalbrosky’s top 100.

Guard Skylar Mays is listed as the No. 59 overall prospect, according to Rookie Wire. As a senior for LSU last season, Mays led the Tigers in scoring, averaging 16.7 points per game.

Mays has the ability to play either guard spot at the next level on both ends of the court, and his experience is a plus for NBA teams in such a wacky offseason.

The other former LSU star is 6-foot-6 forward, Emmitt Williams.

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As a sophomore for the Tigers last season, Williams averaged 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest.

Williams is listed as the No. 67 overall player in Rookie Wire’s top 100.

Tremont Waters was the last LSU player picked in the NBA draft, which occurred last year when he went No. 51 overall to the Boston Celtics.

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Could LSU land this 4-star center in early signing period?

The LSU Tigers are scheduled to begin their 2020-21 men’s basketball season this month as they compete in the Golden Window Classic.

The LSU Tigers are scheduled to begin their 2020-21 men’s basketball season this month as they compete in the Golden Window Classic.

However, before the Tigers compete in that three-day event, the early signing period begins for current high school basketball players.

In the 2021 class, the Tigers currently have one player signed in center Bradley Ezewiro. Ezewiro was actually a member of the 2020 class but reclassified to 2021.

LSU also has commitments from forward Alex Fudge, center Jerrell Colbert and guard Brandon Murray. The Tigers’ class is currently ranked No. 10 in 2021, according to 247Sports.

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The Tigers and head coach Will Wade may not be done. Four-star center Roosevelt Wheeler of John Marshall High in Richmond, Va., is the highest-rated player who is expected to sign early, according to Matthew Bain of USA TODAY Sports.

Wheeler has the Tigers among his top-five schools.

The 6-foot-10 Wheeler is also considering Louisville, VCU, North Carolina State and Hampton.

Wheeler is the No. 60 overall player in 2021, per 247Sports.

The early signing period begins on Nov. 11 and ends on Nov. 18.

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LSU basketball unranked in AP college basketball preseason Top 25

On Tuesday, the AP released its preseason Top 25 for college basketball, and the LSU Tigers are the first team out.

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On Tuesday, the AP released its preseason Top 25 for college basketball, and the LSU Tigers are the first team out.

The Tigers finished the 2019-20 season with a 21-10 record and would have made the NCAA Tournament before coronavirus canceled the post-season. The team finished 12-6 in SEC play. Inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, LSU finished 15-2 and 5-6 on the road last year.

LSU comes into 2020-21 with a loaded roster after going over the 20-win mark last season.

Coach Will Wade signed five commitments to the 2020 class, and the team finished sixth nationally and third in the SEC in recruiting.

The class includes Cameron Thomas, Mwani Wilkinson, Eric Gaines, Jalen Cook, and Josh Gray.

The Tigers also got commits from three transfers. Shareef O’Neal, the son of LSU and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, transferred to the Tigers from UCLA. Josh LeBlanc committed to the Tigers after leaving Georgetown and Bryan Penn-Johnson transferred to LSU from Washington after one season with the Huskies.

LSU returns sophomore Trendon Watford, junior Javonte Smart, junior Darius Days, sophomore Aundre Hyatt, and senior Charles Manning Jr.

Here is the AP Pre-Season Top 25.

  1. Gonzaga
  2. Baylor
  3. Villanova
  4. Virginia
  5. Iowa
  6. Kansas
  7. Wisconsin
  8. Illinois
  9. Duke
  10. Kentucky
  11. Creighton
  12. Tennessee
  13. Michigan State
  14. Texas Tech
  15. West Virginia
  16. North Carolina
  17. Houston
  18. Arizona State
  19. Texas
  20. Oregon
  21. Florida State
  22. UCLA
  23. Ohio State
  24. Rutgers
  25. Michigan

LSU received 146 votes, but just missed the Top 25. The Tigers come in at No. 26 to begin the season.

The Tigers tip off the 2020-21 season on November 25 in Lincoln, Nebraska in a multi-team event.

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LSU basketball releases 2020-2021 season schedule

LSU Basketball released its 2020-21 schedule on Friday.

The LSU Tigers basketball team released its 2020-21 season schedule on Friday.

The slate features 14 home games inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

LSU is coming off a 2019-20 season that saw the team finish with a 21-10 record and a 12-6 record in SEC play.

The 2020-21 season tips off for LSU on November 25 with a three-game tournament on the 25th, 26th and 28th of this month as the team will play in a multi-team event in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Tigers’ opponents for that event will be released in the coming days.

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LSU kicks off the home slate on December 6 against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The Tigers and Bulldogs were scheduled to play at CenturyLink Center in Bossier City, Louisiana, but that match-up has been moved to the 2021-22 season.

The Tigers will then host New Orleans, North Texas, and VCU in December to round out non-conference play.

LSU opens the SEC season at home against Texas A&M on December 29. The Tigers then host Georgia, Arkansas, South Carolina and Alabama on January 6th, 13th, 16th and 19th before closing out the month in the Big 12-SEC challenge when they welcome the Texas Tech Red Raiders to Baton Rouge on January 30.

In February, the Tigers host Florida on the 6th, Tennessee on February 13th and Auburn on February 20th. The Tigers conclude their season on March 2nd at Vanderbilt.

The SEC road games for the Tigers are at Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Texas A&M as those are home-and-home conference games. The other road games are at Missouri, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

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LSU Basketball sophomore Trendon Watford on Karl Malone Watch List

LSU sophomore power forward Trendon Watford was named to the Karl Malone Award watch list ahead of the 2020-2021 college basketball season.

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LSU basketball sophomore forward Trendon Watford was selected to the Karl Malone Watch list on Tuesday.

Watford returns to LSU for his second season after considering leaving the program for the NBA draft.

The Karl Malone Award is given annually to the top power forward in college basketball. The award was started in 2014 and is named after 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone.

Watford joins 19 other college basketball players on the watch list. Other notable SEC players include Isaiah Jackson from Kentucky, John Fulkerson from Tennessee, and Kevin Marfo from Texas A&M.

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Since the award began in 2014, no player in the SEC has been the recipient of it. Watford will look to change that this season, but he will be up against some of the NCAA’s best at the position.

Last season, the Tigers’ star power forward averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. The Tigers finished the 2019-2020 season with a 21-10 record and would have likely made the NCAA Tournament before the coronavirus canceled college basketball’s annual 64-team tournament.

He started 30-of-31 games as a freshman for the Tigers and had 53 assists, 22 blocks, and 27 steals while shooting 48.9% from the floor.

In SEC play, Watford averaged 13.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in the 18-game conference schedule.

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The winner of the 2021 Karl Malone Award will be announced on April 9, 2021.

The Tigers begin their season in November.

While the schedule has yet to be released, the NCAA set a target start date of November 25. The SEC will release the conference schedule on Friday.

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LSU guard Javonte Smart named to Bob Cousy Award Watch List

LSU junior guard Javonte Smart was named to the Bob Cousy Point Gaurd of the Year award watch list on Tuesday.

LSU junior guard Javonte Smart was named to the Bob Cousy Point Gaurd of the Year award watch list on Tuesday.

A 6-foot-4 junior from Scotlandville Magnet High School in Baton Rouge, Smart played in all 31 games last season for the Tigers, averaging 12.5 points per game and leading the team in assists with 129.

Smart has played in 65 games in his two-year career, averaged 11.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

LSU is expected to have a strong team in 2020-21, with three starters returning and the No. 6 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports.

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The Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year award was created in 2004, and Oregon’s Payton Pritchard won the award in 2019-20.

Cousy, who played his college basketball at Holy Cross, starred at point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950-63, winning six NBA championships. Cousy was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.

A national committee consisting of some of the top personnel in college basketball determines the 20 players on the watch list, and Smart is the only SEC player on the list.

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LSU basketball: Top-50 forward Alex Fudge commits to the Tigers

The 6-foot-8, 175-pounder plays his high school basketball at Robert E. Lee High in Jacksonville, Fl.

Right in the middle of LSU’s wild football game against Missouri, the Tigers received some good news on the basketball front as four-star forward Alex Fudge picked the Tigers.

The 6-foot-8, 175-pounder plays his high school basketball at Robert E. Lee High in Jacksonville, Fl.

Immediately after his commitment, Fudge spoke with 247Sports to discuss why he committed to the Tigers.

 

I just thought the connection there was strong with me and coach Wade; I built a strong relationship with him, and he recruited me very hard. It was like a home away from home. Also, just the fact that he developed Trendon [Watford] and I feel like I could be like that but a more athletic version. I think he will put me in a position to take my talents to the next level.

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Fudge will graduate early and enroll in January.

He is the fourth commitment in LSU’s 2021 class, which ranks No. 9 in the country, according to 247Sports.

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NCAA says LSU basketball coach Will Wade involved in ‘impermissible payments’ scheme

The NCAA says Wade was involved in an “impermissible payments” scheme.

The NCAA says that LSU basketball coach Will Wade was involved in a scheme in which he provided or helped to provide at least 11 prospective athletes or people within their circle with “impermissible payments,” according to ESPN.

The documents, obtained by ESPN on Wednesday, show that Wade “arranged for, offered and/or provided impermissible payments, including cash payments, to at least 11 men’s basketball prospective student-athletes, their family members, individuals associated with the prospects and/or nonscholastic coaches in exchange for the prospects’ enrollment at LSU.”

Wade was suspended for part of the 2018-19 season after an FBI wiretap transcript went public, and the coach was heard on recording discussing a “strong-ass offer” to a recruit identified as Javonte Smart.

The documents were part of an NCAA request that the LSU case be handled by the Independent Accountability Resolution Process, according to ESPN. The IARS took form in 2018 to handle complicated cases like the one currently on the table.

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LSU, one of many schools whose basketball programs were being investigated for potential rules violations, told ESPN that it had not received a notice of inquiry or notice of allegations from the NCAA in response to an open records request.

When Wade was reinstated in 2019, his contract was renegotiated with the stipulation that he can be fired if evidence comes to light that he was directly involved in major NCAA violations, per ESPN.

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Shaquille O’Neal wishes he could have shared his true feelings with Kobe Bryant

After O’Neal moved on to other teams and later retired, the two reconciled.

Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant will go down as one of the most successful duos in NBA history. The pair played together for eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996-2004.

But they didn’t always see eye to eye.

After O’Neal moved on to other teams and later retired, the two reconciled.

When Bryant was tragically killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, O’Neal was inconsolable with grief for his friend and former teammate.

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On Sunday, Bryant would have turned 42 years old, so O’Neal spoke with Mark Medina of USA TODAY to discuss his feelings on Bryant and things he wished he had shared with him.

“I don’t want to see anybody go out like that and never to be able to talk to him again,” O’Neal said “The thing that hurt me was all the stuff that I wanted to say, I hadn’t said it. I never said it.”

The Lakers won three NBA championships when Bryant and O’Neal were together and despite the tension when they played together, O’Neal always knew he could count on Bryant on the court.

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There’s a myth that you have to be best friends to win championships. We only have to have one thing, and that’s respect. If he goes to the hole with four people coming, he’s dropping it off to me. When I get double or triple-teamed, I look for him first. He knows I need him. I’m damn sure he knows he needs me. I was just hurt I would never be able to tell him anything ever again.

O’Neal regrets that he and Bryant didn’t patch things up sooner.

You never know what stuff is going to happen. So you shouldn’t let stuff linger,” O’Neal said. “Were we best friends? No. Did we respect the hell out of each other? 1,000%. Do I wish we could’ve talked every day and hung out every day. Yes.”

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Skylar Mays goes to Orlando in ESPN’s latest mock draft

The 2020 NBA Draft is now less than two months away, as it’s scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16. Just this week, the NBA held its annual draft lottery which saw the Minnesota Timberwolves come away with the No. 1 overall pick. With the draft order now …

The 2020 NBA Draft is now less than two months away, as it’s scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16.

Just this week, the NBA held its annual draft lottery which saw the Minnesota Timberwolves come away with the No. 1 overall pick.

With the draft order now officially set, mock draft season is in full force. And ESPN’s Jonathan Givony released his first mock draft since the lottery and projects LaMelo Ball to go No. 1 to Minnesota.

A common theme among the many mock drafts since the abbreviated ending of the 2019-20 college basketball was Skylar Mays of LSU going in round two.

That didn’t change with Givony’s mock.

ESPN has Mays going No. 45 overall to the Orlando Magic.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Mays would give the Magic depth in the backcourt and the ability to play both guard spots. During his four years at LSU, Mays played in 130 games, making 121 starts.

Mays improved his scoring average in each of his four years with the Tigers. As a senior last season, he averaged 16.7 points per game.

The former LSU star figures to be an attractive prospect to teams looking for someone who can come in and contribute immediately.