Tag: Ochai Agbaji

Players with best odds of becoming No. 1 pick after draft lottery

Rookie Wire took a look at the players with the best odds of becoming the No. 1 pick after the lottery, according to @Tipico.

The Orlando Magic were rewarded the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft on Tuesday and the conversation surrounding which player will be the top pick will begin to heat up now that the order is set.

The consensus is that Duke forward Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. are the three front-runners to hear their names called first on June 23. According to one report, the race may even now be between Holmgren and Smith.

With the top pick in tow, the Magic will now begin to ramp up their preparations by hosting those prospects for workouts and interviews. The team will do its homework on each player to best determine who will be the best long-term fit.

With the draft order now set, Rookie Wire took a look at the prospects with the best odds of becoming the No. 1 pick, according to the Tipico Sportsbook. The odds will certainly change before the draft but here is how things stand:

2022 NBA draft: Jabari Smith has highest odds of becoming No. 1 pick

Rookie Wire took a look at those prospects with the highest odds of becoming the No. 1 pick this year, according to @Tipico.

On Sunday, the first major deadline of the NBA pre-draft process arrived as the date marked the last opportunity that underclassmen could declare as early-entry candidates.

The top prospects all opted to enter the draft as the deadline offered little drama regarding their respective decisions. Some decided to hire an agent and forgo their remaining collegiate eligibility while others left the door open to return to school.

With the first step in the pre-draft process this year completed, Rookie Wire took a look at the prospects with the highest odds of becoming the No. 1 pick, according to the Tipico Sportsbook. The odds will certainly change before the draft on June 23 but here is how things stand now.

Ochai Agbaji shared an emotional postgame moment with his family after Kansas’ national title

No, YOU’RE crying.

Moments like what we saw on Monday night are exactly what makes college basketball so great.

The top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks went into the locker rooms trailing North Carolina by 15 points at halftime, and they responded with one of the most remarkable turnarounds you’ll see in a championship game. Kansas outscored UNC by 18 points in the second half en route to the biggest comeback in men’s NCAA Championship history.

Obviously, any championship is a huge accomplishment. But for Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji — an under-recruited four-year player who blossomed into a star — the championship was extra special. We saw that genuine emotion after the game when he caught up with his parents, Olofu and Erica, and his sister, Orie.

We can hear as Ochai’s father shouts, “You’re a champion! Job well done!” And Agbaji couldn’t hold back the tears.

In his final game with Kansas, Agbaji scored 12 points and was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player. What a way to go out.

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Iowa Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark wins Naismith Trophy fan vote

Iowa sophomore guard Caitlin Clark was the winner of the Naismith Trophy fan vote.

Iowa sophomore guard Caitlin Clark authored a historic season, averaging 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game. As a result, Clark was named one of the finalists for the Naismith Trophy.

While the Naismith Trophy was awarded to South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, Clark did win the fan vote. She joined Kansas men’s basketball junior guard Ochai Agbaji as players to win the Naismith Trophy fan vote this season. Texas Tech head men’s basketball coach Mark Adams and South Carolina head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley were the two coaches that took home the most Naismith Trophy fan votes.

Clark was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors for her standout sophomore season. She earned national player of the week honors four times this season: twice by the USBWA (Jan. 18 and March 1), by Naismith on Jan. 25 and by ESPN on Feb. 7.

Clark led the nation in points per game and finished with the most total points of any player with 863 this past season. She also led the nation in assists per game and total assists with 257.

Clark recorded back-to-back triple-doubles versus Nebraska on Jan. 16 and at Minnesota on Jan. 20. She became the 10th collegiate women’s basketball player to record back-to-back triple-doubles. On the season, Clark registered five triple-doubles.

Clark broke Iowa’s single-game assist record with 18 against Penn State on Jan. 25 and tied the Big Ten record for most assists against a Big Ten opponent. She also holds three women’s basketball arena scoring records: 39 points at Nebraska’s Pinnacle Bank Arena her freshman season, Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena with 44 points versus Evansville on Jan. 2 and Michigan’s Crisler Center with 46 points on Feb. 6.

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Iowa Hawkeyes’ Keegan Murray named Wooden Award finalist

Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray was named a finalist for the Wooden Award.

The recognition keeps on rolling in for Iowa sophomore [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag]. The 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward was named one of five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award.

Murray joins Kansas junior guard Ochai Agbaji, Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis, Gonzaga forward Drew Timme and Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe as finalists. All five players have been invited to Los Angeles for the 46th annual presentation of the award.

With Murray announced as a Wooden Award finalist, it marks the third consecutive season that Iowa has had a finalist for the award. Murray joins Luka Garza (2020 and 2021) in that distinction.

Murray averaged 23.5 points per game this season, which ranked fourth nationally and was tops among power-five players. He finished second-best among Big Ten players, averaging 8.7 rebounds per game. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native also averaged 1.9 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. In fact, Murray joined Kevin Durant as just the second Division I player in history to total more than 800 points, 60 blocks and 60 made 3-pointers in a single season.

Murray finished the 2021-22 season with 822 points, 303 rebounds, 68 blocks, 66 made 3-point field goals, 52 assists and 45 steals during the campaign. He also joined North Carolina’s Antawn Jamison as the first player since 1998 to shoot 55% or better while scoring more than 800 points and grabbing more than 300 rebounds.

Murray shot 55.4% from the field and 39.8% from 3-point range. He declared for the NBA draft earlier this week and he is considered a potential lottery pick. In addition the Wooden Award, Murray is also a finalist for the following national awards: the Naismith Trophy, the Lute Olson National Player of the Year, the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year and the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year.

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NCAA Sweet 16 matchups for potential Houston Rockets draft picks

Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero are so close to an Elite Eight showdown. Here’s our look at who Rockets fans should watch in the Sweet 16 for 2022 NBA draft purposes.

For some of the elite 2022 NBA draft prospects, their stay in “March Madness” was an abbreviated one after a loss in the first or second round of the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tounament.

Top prospects that saw their teams lose on the opening weekend included Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Iowa’s Keegan Murray, Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis, Memphis’ Jalen Duren, and Kentucky’s TyTy Washington. All are projected in the top 10 of our latest consensus NBA mock draft.

Others, however — led by Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero — remain in the mix. Should those teams win Thursday, Banchero and Holmgren would be on course to face off in one of Saturday’s regional final games, with a spot in the Final Four on the line.

Fans of the Rockets, of course, are watching intently. Not only does Houston (18-54) have its own draft pick, which currently is in the No. 1 positioning slot for the 2022 NBA draft lottery, but they also own a pick from Brooklyn that is tracking to be at No. 16 in the first round, as of now.

With those draft parameters in mind, here’s a look at college prospects from the top 20 of the latest consensus mock draft who will be in action on Thursday or Friday in the “Sweet 16” round. Should that prospect’s team advance, Elite Eight games would be held on Saturday (for Thursday’s winners) and Sunday (for Friday’s winners).

With the tournament field culled from 68 teams to 16, the good news is that nearly every matchup from the Sweet 16 onward features a quality opponent. Thus, from a scouting perspective, it’s an ideal opportunity to see how the elite 2022 NBA draft hopefuls perform under pressure.

Scroll on for tournament highlights, statistics, and television details pertaining to each of the remaining top prospects in March Madness.

Iowa Hawkeyes’ Keegan Murray named Naismith Trophy finalist

After sophomore Keegan Murray averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, the star forward was named a Naismith Trophy finalist.

Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray had a season for the ages. After averaging 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, Murray was named one of four finalists for the Naismith Trophy.

The 6-foot-8, 225 pound native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, joins Kansas senior guard Ochai Agbaji, Wisconsin sophomore guard Johnny Davis and Kentucky junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe. The award is presented annually to  recognize the nation’s most outstanding men’s college basketball player. With Murray’s inclusion among the finalists, it now marks three consecutive seasons that the Hawkeyes have had a Naismith Trophy finalist.

Luka Garza was also a finalist during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. Of course, Garza won the Naismith Trophy last season after 24.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. Garza shot 55.3 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from 3-point range last season with the Hawkeyes.

Murray’s 23.5 points per game ranked fourth nationally and was tops among power-five players. His 8.7 rebounds per game ranked second in the Big Ten behind only Illinois junior center Kofi Cockburn. Murray recorded 26 games where he eclipsed 20 points and 16 games where he surpassed 25 points.

He increased his points per game average from last season by more than 16 points per game. Illinois’ Rick Schmidt was the last Big Ten player to increase their points per game average by more than 16 points per game from one season to the next. Schmidt accomplished that feat back in the 1973-74 season. Murray also averaged 1.9 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game and shot 55.4 percent from the field and 39.8 percent on 3-point attempts.

Murray became Iowa’s fourth consensus first-team All-American, joining Murray Wier (1948), Charles Darling (1952) and Garza (2020 and 2021). Murray totaled a Big Ten Tournament record 103 points, averaging 25.8 points in the Hawkeyes’ four Big Ten Tournament games en route to the program’s third tournament title. The sophomore star earned Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player for his efforts in the tournament.

Murray also registered a program-best six Big Ten Player of the Week awards this season. That feat meant Murray joined Ohio State’s Evan Turner and Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan as the only players in league history to win the weekly award six or more times in a single season since the honor was introduced in the 1981-82 season.

Murray is also a Wooden Award semifinalist, was named to the Lute Olson National Player of the Year midseason list and is a Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year finalist.

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Iowa Hawkeyes’ Keegan Murray named USA TODAY Sports second team All-American

USA TODAY Sports released its 2021-22 All-America teams. Iowa’s Keegan Murray was selected as a second team All-American.

Iowa’s 2021-22 basketball season came to a close in its first round NCAA Tournament loss to 12th-seeded Richmond, 67-63. Sophomore standout forward Keegan Murray isn’t done collecting hardware, though.

USA TODAY Sports released its 2021-22 All-America teams and Murray earned second team recognition. Murray joined Duke freshman forward Paolo Banchero, Auburn freshman forward Jabari Smith, Arizona sophomore guard Bennedict Mathurin and Purdue sophomore guard Jaden Ivey on the second team.

Murray had a remarkable second season in Iowa City. The 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward ranked fourth nationally, averaging 23.5 points per game. That mark was tops in the country among power-five players. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native also ranked second in the Big Ten in rebounds per game with 8.7 per contest. That figure trailed only Illinois center Kofi Cockburn’s 10.6 rebounds per game.

Murray shot 55.4 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from 3-point range this season. He also blocked 1.9 shots and collected 1.3 steals per game. Now, he has a decision to make on his future. A pair of writers recently forecasted Murray as a 2022 NBA Draft lottery pick. SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell had Murray landing with the San Antonio Spurs as the No. 7 overall pick, while CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone projected Murray to be drafted No. 11 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans.

Following the Hawkeyes’ upset loss to Richmond, Murray didn’t sound like a player that had completely closed the door on returning to Iowa.

“I think for us it’s really just on to next year. Go through the offseason again, get better. We put our stamp on this program I feel like positively, so just go into the offseason and work,” Murray said.

Iowa finished its season 26-10 overall and won the program’s third Big Ten Tournament championship and first since the 2006 season. If it was his final game with Iowa, Murray was proud of what he and his teammates accomplished with the Hawkeyes.

“I think these two, especially our team last year kind of laid the framework just for what the expectations are now at Iowa and just what you’ve got to do to win here, and these last two seasons, I feel like kind of put the stamp on our program from what it was. These two were part of it, them two, and I feel like they’re a really big part of our program and will forever be a big part of our program,” Murray said of teammates Jordan Bohannon and Connor McCaffery.

The USA TODAY Sports selection for national player of the year went to Kentucky junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe. The rest of USA TODAY Sports’ first team All-Americans included Gonzaga junior forward Drew Timme, Illinois junior center Kofi Cockburn, Wisconsin sophomore guard Johnny Davis and Kansas senior guard Ochai Agbaji.

USA TODAY Sports’ third team All-Americans were comprised of Gonzaga freshman center Chet Holmgren, North Carolina junior forward Armando Bacot, Baylor senior guard James Akinjo, UCLA junior guard Johnny Juzang and Villanova senior guard Collin Gillespie. The national coach of the year was Duke’s Mike Krzyewski.

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5 players to watch during March Madness 2022

A who’s who of the best March Madness players to watch.

March lives on in fame (and infamy) for the heroes it creates. The underdogs it uplifts to incredible moments of glory. But every year, this month of men’s college basketball also presents an opportunity for some premier players to stamp their name into all-time lore. For as much as we preach teamwork and dedication, especially in the context of a college game, no one has as much influence in basketball as a true superstar. With only 10 players on the court at any given moment, they can hold all the power in the world if they want to.

Here’s a primer on the players and names that will likely be used quite often in your household over the next month and perhaps even years.