Tag: Purdue

Reports: Purdue S Sanoussi Kane, Tennessee WR RaMel Keyton visit Dolphins

The Dolphins hosted a pair of potential Day 3 draft picks Wednesday.

The Miami Dolphins reportedly hosted two potential Day 3 selections Wednesday with the 2024 NFL draft just a week away.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Dolphins hosted Tennessee wide receiver RaMel Keyton. Tony Pauline of SportsKeeda says Pursue safety Sanoussi Kane also visited Miami.

Keyton was listed by Tennessee at 6’3, 197 pounds and finished with collegiate career with 86 receptions for 1,456 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Kane was listed by Purdue at 6’0, 215 pounds and recorded 11 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, and 10 pass deflections during his collegiate career.

Neither player was invited to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

The Dolphins have been on the hunt for another wide receiver to complement the stellar duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. While they’ve entertained the idea of signing Odell Beckham Jr. and reportedly expressed interest in Tyler Boyd, Miami has also brought in a few receiver prospects for visits leading up to the draft.

It’d also make sense to hunt for safety help, as veteran Jordan Poyer was signed to a one-year deal as a stopgap solution at the team’s strong safety spot.

In recent seven-round mock drafts from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and ESPN’s Matt Miller, neither Keyton nor Kane were selected.

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Potential Thunder draft prospect Donovan Clingan repeats as national champion

Potential Thunder draft prospect Donovan Clingan repeats as national champion.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to convey to OKC than the latter.

With the NCAA Tournament concluded, top prospects were in the spotlight as they drew national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is UConn center Donovan Clingan, who helped the Huskies win back-to-back championships. He finished with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting and five rebounds in 31 minutes in UConn’s 75-60 win over Purdue in the national championship game on Monday.

In his second season, Clingan has been part of a dominant UConn squad that seeks to repeat as national champions. The 7-foot-2 center averaged 12.5 points on 64% shooting, 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

At 280 pounds, he has an NBA-ready frame and can give a team a classic rim-running big who can protect the rim. UConn went 31-3 and was the No. 1 seed in the East Region.

The Thunder could envision Clingan adding serious size at center. He could start alongside Holmgren for jumbo lineups or serve as an efficient backup center for OKC.

Potential Thunder draft prospect Zach Edey loses to UConn for national title

Potential Thunder draft prospect Zach Edey loses to UConn for national title.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to convey to OKC than the latter.

With the NCAA Tournament concluded, top prospects were in the spotlight as they drew national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is Purdue center Zach Edey. He finished with 37 points on 15-of-25 shooting, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 39 minutes in Purdue’s 75-60 loss to UConn in the national championship game on Monday.

Edey is a polarizing figure as a draft prospect. After opting out of last year’s draft, he returned for his senior season at Purdue and put up monster numbers. In 35 games, he averaged 24.5 points on 62% shooting, 12.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. He led Purdue to a No. 1 seed.

The concern with the 7-foot-4, 300-pound big man is his mobility and slowness. If he can’t improve in those areas, he might not survive as an NBA center.

On the Thunder, Edey would add serious size to a small roster. He can play a traditional big-man role and pair with Chet Holmgren nicely. However, he ultimately might not fit with OKC due to his lack of playmaking.

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Big Ten Notebook: UConn secures back-to-back championships with win over Purdue

UConn and Danny Hurley won the NCAA Tournament on Monday night over Purdue.

On Monday night, Purdue’s magical March Madness run ended in the National Championship with a 75-60 loss to UConn. While Zach Edey continued to dominate, the Boilermakers could not prevent UConn from making history.

As the Huskies became the first team to win back-to-back championships since Florida in 2006 and 2007, they were relentless on the boards. The Huskies outscored the Boilermakers in the paint 44-40. They also were better from beyond the arc, making seven three-pointers compared to Purdue’s one.

While Monday ended in disappointing fashion for Purdue, there were a few bright spots, such as Zach Edey. The talented center scored a team-high 37 points while adding 10 rebounds to his resume. He also got some help from Braden Smith, who scored 12 points.

BASKETBALL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD#EVERYTHING pic.twitter.com/aUUx92LiTG

— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) April 9, 2024

Although Purdue put up a good fight, there was no denying this UConn team. Over the last two years, the program has put together a dominant run that head coach Dan Hurley is not taking for granted.

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“I think it’s up there in terms of the greatest two-year runs that a program maybe has ever had,” Hurley told ESPN. “I just think it’s the best two-year run I think in a very, very long time just because of everything we lost from last year’s team. To lose that much, and again, to do what we did again, it’s got to be as impressive a two-year run as a program’s had since before whoever did it before Duke.”

As Purdue turns their focus to the 2024-2025 campaign, they have plenty to be proud of. 

Pat Spencer’s brother Cam wins national championship with UConn

Cam Spencer, the brother of Warriors guard Pat, won the national championship on Monday with the UConn Huskies.

Although the Golden State Warriors don’t have an alum from Purdue or Conneticuit on the roster, one member of the team has a special rooting interest in Monday’s men’s basketball national championship in Phoenix.

New Warriors two-way guard Pat Spencer is the brother of Uconn Huskies star guard Cam Spencer.

Spencer stuffed the box score, leading the Huskies in rebounds and steals as they secured their second straight national championship and the sixth title for UConn in the last 25 years.

Via @BleacherReport on Twitter:

Spencer tallied 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field to go along with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 34 minutes as the Huskies took out Zach Edey and the Boilermakers to end March Madness on Monday night. Behind Spencer and the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Tristen Newton, UConn beat Purdue, 75-60

Spencer earned All-Big East honors in his only season with UConn, averaging 14.2 points on 48.4% shooting from the field and 44% shooting from the field with 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 32.8 minutes per game.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Watch: 2024 edition of ‘One Shining Moment’

In case you missed it.

With UConn’s 75-60 win over Purdue in the championship game of the NCAA Tournament, the 2023-24 college basketball season is complete. Once the clock hit zero, the confetti dropped, the trophy was presented, and the net was cut down. But there still was one more piece of business to take care, and that’s the montage that has closed every tournament since 1987 set to the now-classic “One Shining Moment”:

You’ll notice the severe lack of Notre Dame in this montage because the Irish weren’t anywhere close to being a tournament team this season. [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] took over the program, and he had to scramble just to assemble a roster for the season from the moment he was hired.

Fortunately, all signs point to the Irish heading in the right direction. It might take at least another season before the Irish find themselves back in this montage, but they have the right guy at the helm, and he will rebuild the program into something South Bend can be proud of.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Rutgers baseball dropped Big Ten series against the Boilermakers

On Saturday, Rutgers baseball lost the second game of its series against Purdue 8-6, dropping their second Big Ten series in 2024. 

On Saturday, Rutgers baseball (19-11, 1-4) lost the second game of its series against Purdue (19-12, 4-4) 8-6, dropping their second Big Ten series in 2024.  The Scarlet Knights took a 6-5 lead into the ninth inning, but the Boilermakers hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the final frame to earn the win and clinch the series.

Game One

In game one, the Scarlet Knights rallied to tie the game at 3-3 with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Boilermakers scored a pair in the 10th inning to win.

After Rutgers starting pitcher Justin Sinibaldi posted five shutout innings, Purdue got on the board on an RBI fielder’s choice in the sixth inning to give the Boilermakers a 1-0 lead. In the seventh inning, the Boilermakers added another run on an RBI single giving Purdue a 2-0 lead. Rutgers reliever Joe Mazza came in the seventh inning, recording two strikeouts to hold the Purdue lead to two.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, second baseman Cameron Love got the Scarlet Knights on the board with a solo home run over the left field wall, making the score 2-1.

Purdue added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning to extend their lead to 3-1, but the Scarlet Knights would tie the game in the bottom frame.

The Scarlet Knights cut Purdue’s lead to one when pitch-runner Scotty Young scored on a wild throw by the Boilermakers. Center fielder RJ Johnson Jr. tied the game with an RBI single, but a double play would end the frame and send the game to extra innings.

Purdue grabbed a 5-3 lead in the 10th inning when the Boilermakers scored on a hit-by-pitch and walk. The Scarlet Knights tried to rally in the bottom frame, but fell short, giving Purdue the game one victory.

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Game Two

The Scarlet Knights grabbed an early lead in game two, scoring three runs on an RBI single from shortstop Josh Kuroda-Grauer, a run-scoring double play, and a solo home run from catcher Jackson Natili.

After two scoreless innings by starting pitcher Zack Konstantinovsky, Purdue tied the game when they strung together three hits in the top of the third inning.

Rutgers third baseman Tony Santa Maria recorded his ninth home run of the season in the fourth inning, giving the Scarlet Knights a 5-3 lead. The Boilermakers didn’t quit, answering right back with an RBI double and RBI groundout in the fifth inning to make it 5-5.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Doucette delivered a sac fly to deep center that scored one run, giving Rutgers a 6-5 lead.

Purdue strung together two singles in the top of the ninth inning before a three-run home run put the Boilermakers in front 8-6. The Scarlet Knights couldn’t produce any runs in the bottom frame, going down 1-2-3 in the bottom half to end the game.

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Potential Thunder draft prospect Zach Edey leads Purdue to Final Four win

Potential Thunder draft prospect Zach Edey leads Purdue to Final Four win.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to convey to OKC than the latter.

With the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament concluded, the top prospects were in the spotlight as they drew national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is Purdue center Zach Edey. He finished with 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 40 minutes in Purdue’s 63-50 win over NC State in the Final Four on Saturday.

Edey is a polarizing figure as a draft prospect. After opting out of last year’s draft, he returned for his senior season at Purdue and put up monster numbers. In 35 games, he averaged 24.5 points on 62% shooting, 12.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. He led Purdue to a No. 1 seed.

The concern with the 7-foot-4, 300-pound big man is his mobility and slowness. If he can’t improve in those areas, he might not survive as an NBA center.

On the Thunder, Edey would add serious size to a small roster. He can play a traditional big-man role and pair with Chet Holmgren nicely. He ultimately might not fit with OKC due to his lack of playmaking.

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Zach Edey was a high school baseball pitcher but this video shows basketball was the right choice

Edey eventually outgrew the sport but he was a sight to behold.

Long before he was absolutely dominating during March Madness, Purdue big man Zach Edey was playing a different sport in high school.

Edey, a 7-foot-4 center who is originally from Canada, was the national collegiate player of the year last season and will likely win it again this year. The big man has led Purdue to the Final Four for the first time since 1980.

But what is especially difficult to believe is that Edey did not even play basketball until he was a sophomore in high school. Before that, he was focused on ice hockey and baseball.

This video is resurfacing of him playing baseball and he was not bad! His fastball needed way more velocity but that is an intimidating presence to bat against.

Edey pitched in Ontario for the travel team Leaside. He was even reportedly scouted to play baseball at the University of Alabama.

He had a “stellar” youth baseball career, per The Athletic, and began his career as a first baseman. Edey was also throwing 70 to 75 miles per hour at 13 years old.

Although he wanted to become the tallest MLB player to ever play, Edey admitted that the sport became a lot harder for him as he grew (via Journal & Courier):

“It was something I really wanted during my childhood. Something I dreamed about,” Edey said. “I kind of outgrew the sport. My shoulder was kind of giving out a little bit. It wasn’t very realistic anymore.”

He elaborated about the difficulties of the growth sport (via Stadium):

“I was growing so much, losing muscle mass, and I couldn’t hit,” Edey said. “I was uncoordinated because of the amount of size I put on. My eye line changed, everything changed. I was still pitching fairly well, but had a lot of arm, shoulder and elbow problems. I was throwing too hard for where my muscle development was at, and I lost a lot of my love for the sport because I felt like I was outgrowing it.”

Even though Edey potentially could have played college baseball in the United States, he now has a chance to become a lottery pick as an NBA player.

We projected that the big man will hear his name called in the first round of our latest 2024 NBA Mock Draft.

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Potential Thunder draft prospect Dalton Knecht torches Purdue in Tennessee’s loss

Potential Thunder draft prospect Dalton Knecht torches Purdue in Tennessee’s loss.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to come to OKC than the latter.

With the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament concluded, the top prospects were in the spotlight as they drew national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht. He finished with 37 points on 14-of-31 shooting, 6-of-12 from 3 and three rebounds in 37 minutes in No. 2 Tennessee’s 72-66 loss to No. 1 Purdue in the Elite Eight on Sunday.

The third-year player has enjoyed a career season at Tennessee after spending the last two years with small-school Northern Colorado. The 22-year-old is one of the older lottery prospects, but the negative connotation surrounding age has slowly faded.

Knecht’s best skill is outside shooting; he has been a high-volume 3-point shooter. He has averaged 21.1 points on 47% shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He’s shot 39.7% from 3 on 6.2 attempts.

The high-volume outside shooter would add another 3-point threat for the Thunder. Sharpshooters are always in demand in the NBA. He can provide OKC with spacing.

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