Tag: NBA Combine

Rutgers basketball recruiting – Bronny James is heading to the NBA, per report

Bronny James won’t be returning to college basketball.

Bronny James, who was very much in the mix for Rutgers basketball as a member of the 2024 recruiting class, appears headed for the NBA draft.

He is the son of NBA superstar LeBron James.

Bronny James was heavily linked to Rutgers as a former four-star recruit before picking USC. Following his freshman season, Bronny James entered the transfer portal while also keeping his option to pursue the NBA draft. It now appears that James is heading professional.

Per a report from The Athletic’s Sham Charania, Bronny ames appears headed for the NBA draft and won’t be pursuing a college option. Over the weekend, James was invited to the NBA Combine.

In 25 games played at USC last year, the freshman guard averaged 19.4 minutes played. He scored 4.8 points per game while shooting 36.6 percent from the floor and 26.7 percent from 3-point range.

There was some thought and speculation that Rutgers might have been a landing spot for Bronny James this time around, where he would join a star-studded class of 2025:

 

Rutgers basketball currently has a top-10 national recruiting class coming in this summer. It is headlined by five-star forward [autotag]Ace Bailey[/autotag] and five-star guard [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].

Bronny James invited to NBA draft combine as he weighs options

Bronny James will get the chance to show more to NBA scouts after starting just six games as a freshman at USC.

Former USC men’s basketball guard Bronny James — son of LeBron James — has some big decisions to make this offseason. He at least got one piece of clarity on Friday, though.

James was one of 78 players invited to the 2024 NBA draft combine, which will be held May 13-19 in Chicago.

After his freshman season with the Trojans, James opted to enter the transfer portal. However, he also declared for the draft while retaining the option to return to college basketball.

James isn’t considered one of the draft’s top prospects. A former four-star prospect and top-30 recruit nationally, James missed the beginning of his freshman season after suffering a cardiac arrest in July.

He made his return to the court less than three months later and was a role player for a USC team that finished 15-18 and saw coach Andy Enfield leave for the SMU job. James appeared in 25 games this past season, starting six and averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

Where James will return to college basketball or head to the NBA — where he could potentially team up with his father — remains to be seen. But James will have the chance to show off in front of NBA scouts after averaging fewer than 20 minutes per game as a freshman.

Where do Boston Celtics alumni rate among the NBA combine’s highest leapers?

A number of Celtics alumni can be found among the highest leapers in combine history.

With the 2023 NBA draft set to take place on the night of Thursday, June 22nd, a new cohort of athletes (some, admittedly, less athletic than others) will be joining the Boston Celtics and the rest of the league, at least for a little while in some cases.

Much of what will determine how well they will do in their prospective careers in the association in a sport where verticality is key is their ability to leap from both a standing and running position. To determine that aspect of their overall toolkit, players are measured for their maximum vertical reach in both contexts at the NBA Combine ahead of the draft.

A number of Celtics alumni can be found among the highest leapers in combine history — let’s take a look at which made the history books courtesy of research from the staff of our sister site, HoopsHype.

Rockets enter 2023 NBA draft combine with dreams of Victor Wembanyama

The #Rockets will be able to see many top prospects, including Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson, at the NBA’s 2023 draft combine. Victor Wembanyama, however, will not be there.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced the list of 78 players who will take part in the 2023 NBA draft combine, which will be held from May 15-21 in Chicago.

Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five games, shooting and strength tests and agility drills as NBA general managers, head coaches and scouts observe.

One prominent name left off the list was French basketball star Victor Wembanyama, whom many have projected to be the second coming of Lakers superstar LeBron James.

The 19-year-old will still be playing games in his French league and cannot break away from his commitment to attend the NBA’s combine or its draft lottery show on May 16, which is when teams find out who wins the right to draft the 7-foot-4 forward/center.

If selected No. 1 overall, he would be the sixth player in history to be a top pick without having played basketball at the NCAA level.

“Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but (Wembanyama) is more like an alien,” the Los Angeles superstar said in October 2022. “I’ve never seen, no one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is out on the floor. At 7-4, 7-5, 7-3, whatever the case may be, his ability to put the ball on the floor, shoot step-back jumpers out of the post, step-back 3s, catch-and-shoot 3s, block shots, he’s for sure a generational talent.”

The Houston Rockets are one of the teams hoping that luck swings their way and land the opportunity to select Wembanyama, who is averaging 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game this season. Those numbers all lead France’s LNB Pro A League.

Houston has a 14% chance of landing the top 2023 pick, matching the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons.

Should the Rockets fail to secure the top pick, other leading prospects will be in attendance at the pre-draft combine. One of those is Alabama forward Brandon Miller, who declared for the NBA after winning the SEC Player, Rookie and Freshman of the Year Awards this season. Scoot Henderson, a highly touted point guard with the G League Ignite, is also on the list of 2023 combine attendees.

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NBA draft combine to feature two former Crimson Tide members

Two Alabama players invited to 2023 NBA combine

The NBA draft is about a month and a half away, which means it’s time to start getting into the bulk of the draft process. The NBA is different than the NFL in the sense that you can go through the draft process while still maintaining your eligibility and return to college if it seems as if you won’t be drafted where you want to be.

The Crimson Tide had five players declare for the draft, but only two received invites to the NBA combine, Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney. Miller is expected to be a top-three pick and Clowney has been projected to be a late first/early second-round selection, so this comes as not much of a surprise. The 2023 combine will feature 78 players from the NCAA, G-League and overseas. Auburn had no players invited to the combine.

What does it mean for the likes of Jahvon Quinerly, Mark Sears and Charles Bediako? Well, I think it is more likely than not that all three return to Tuscaloosa in the fall. There is a chance that one takes the risk and sticks out the draft process. There is always a chance they enter the portal.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to monitor the NBA draft process.

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Texas transfer portal target Kenneth Lofton Jr. will stay in the NBA draft

Texas will have to look elsewhere for a big man after Kenneth Lofton Jr. announced he is keeping his name in the draft.

After the first season under Chris Beard it was evident that the Longhorns would need a legit big man to help against teams who have larger centers. Continue reading “Texas transfer portal target Kenneth Lofton Jr. will stay in the NBA draft”

How did Rutgers basketball star Ron Harper Jr. test at the NBA combine?

Ron Harper Jr. is at the NBA combine this week.

Ron Harper Jr. is doing himself a solid one this week at the NBA combine. The Rutgers small forward is enhancing his draft stock with somegood showings on the court.

Last season, his fourth with Rutgers basketball, saw Harper average a career-high 15.8 points per game. He also had 5.9 rebounds per game.

This past week, Harper signed with an agent, signally that he isn’t going to return to college basketball.

Here is how Ron Harper Jr. measured up at the NBA combine:

  • Body-fat: 14.5 percent (third-highest)
  • Hand-size: 9.5 inches (second-largest)
  • Hand-width: 10 inches
  • Height (without shoes): 6’4.00
  • Height (with shoes): 6’5.50″
  • Standing reach: 8’9.50″
  • Weight: 240.4 pounds
  • Wingspan: 7’1.25″

Here is how Ron Harper Jr. tested in the speed and agility portion of the combine:

  • Lane agility time: 11.41 seconds (fastest time for a small forward was Julian Strawther at 10.3 seconds)
  • Shuttle run: 3.24 seconds (fastest time for a small forward was Leonard Miller at 3.02 seconds)
  • Three-quarter sprint: 3.4 seconds (fastest time for a small forward was Gabriele Procida at 3.07 seconds)
  • Standing vertical leap: 26 inches (longest leap for a small forward was Kendall Brown at 31.5 inches)
  • Max vertical leap: 30.5 inches (longest leap for a small forward was Kendall Brown at 41 inches)

All NBA combine numbers are courtesy of the NBA’s combine portal.

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Harper has been earning solid praise throughout the NBA combine.

 

In a recent interview, former NBA scout Michael VandeGarde, who spent 18 years scouting for the Philadelphia 76ers, had Harper as a second round pick.

2022 Draft Prospect and former Baylor guard Kendall Brown talks Thunder interview, potential fit

. @BSO ‘s @BasketballGuruD asked 2022 NBA draft prospect Kendall Brown about his interview with the Thunder and potential fit with team

Baylor guard Kendall Brown revealed during the 2022 NBA draft combine that he has interviewed — not worked out, not yet at least — with the Oklahoma City Thunder, per Black Sports Online’s Daniel Bell.

The Thunder continue to interview and workout with draft prospects as the team does its homework for the 2022 NBA draft, which will be held on June 23. The Thunder own the second, 12th, 30th and 34th overall picks.

Brown also spoke about the possibility of playing with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Lu Dort and said that he’s definitely excited about the thought of playing with them as an off-ball threat.

“Those are great players. I can see myself moving without the ball and playing in transition wherever they have me at,” said Brown. “I feel like I can fit in.”

Brown spent his lone season at Baylor this past year, where he averaged 9.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 58.4 percent shooting in 34 games. Brown is currently projected to go around the late first round to second round area, where the Thunder own two picks at with 30 and 34.

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Ron Harper Jr. will be part of the NBA draft combine

Rutgers basketball forward Ron Harper Jr. was invited to the NBA draft combine.

The NBA combine will include former Rutgers basketball star Ron Harper Jr.

Harper is the only member of the Rutgers basketball team invited to the combine event, which begins next week.

Senior guards Geo Baker and Caleb McConnell also decided to make a declaration to go professional. Like Harper, McConnell has the option to return to Rutgers if he does not hire an agent.

Freshman guard Jaden Jones also declared for the NBA draft.

Harper had 15.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as a senior last season, his fourth at Rutgers. His play including being a tenacious defender helped Rutgers basketball to a second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

 

This past season, he set career-best marks in scoring (15.8 points per game), assists per game (1.9), three-point shooting percentage (39.8), field goal percentage (44.2) and free throw percentage (79.5).

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He is the son of Ron Harper Sr., a five-time NBA champion. His younger brother is Dylan Harper, who is turning into a priority recruit at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.).

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Where Texas’ four NBA draft prospects are projected to land after the combine

Where are Texas’ NBA draft prospects projected to land in the upcoming NBA Draft?

With the NBA Combine concluded, some players helped their stock while others are going to need to excel in individual workouts and team interviews to make up for a subpar combine.

Of the five Longhorns that entered the NBA Draft, four have officially foregone their college careers with Jericho Sims signing with Klutch Sports Group this past week. Whether or not all four of them will be in the NBA is yet to be seen. Courtney Ramey was the lone player to withdraw his name on Saturday and will head back to college.

Of the four prospects that entered their names into the draft — Greg Brown III, Matt Coleman III, Kai Jones and Jericho Sims — it seems as if two of them getting drafted is very likely while the other two will have to work a tad harder to carve out an opportunity to find themselves on an NBA roster.

Let’s take a look at where the four prospects are currently projected to go come draft night.