Each of the high risers and talented playmakers was taken in the lottery, with Edgecombe selected third by Philadelphia and Fears taken seventh by New Orleans. With both the 76ers and Pelicans betting big on each young gun, the duo will continue to take the next step in their pro path as they begin their Summer League play. 

If they hoop as expected on the court throughout their rookie seasons, Adidas has already shown a willingness to build a sudden marketing push around each player. Both players took note of how The Three Stripes fast tracked its push around Damian Lillard and Anthony Edwards in the last decade, after each player took the league by storm in their first two seasons. 

“For them to put their brand in someone so young’s hands, it’s knowing my opportunity could be there very soon, if I continue to do what I gotta do and take care of business,” said Fears. “Being able to see Ant take on that role and become the face of the Three Stripe Life is dope.”

With the 23-year-old “Ant Man” having already successfully launched his first signature shoe, the duo next up is hoping to make a similar impact with the brand. 

“He solidified himself and built that fanbase, where everyone would want to wear his shoes,” added Edgecombe. “They want to jump like Ant or play like Ant. I feel like I have similar characteristics to that.”

We recently got up with both VJ and Jeremiah at the Adidas showroom in New York, to hear more about the biggest factors that went into signing with The Three Stripes. 

Three Keys for VJ ///

For Edgecombe — who played on the Adidas AAU circuit heading into his senior year of high school and blew up at Adidas EuroCamp in Italy to kick off the 2023 summer — the brand has been right there all along for his upward trajectory through the prep ranks. 

These were the key factors that led VJ to The Three Stripes: 

Impact in the Bahamas

It’s one thing to sign with a brand as an ambassador and help headline statement sneakers on the pro level. It’s another to work together out the gate to plan out a series of activations and givebacks to impact the region that made you.

As his Adidas deal was being finalized during the early spring, Edgecombe knew he wanted to give back in the Bahamas off top. In April, he held a basketball camp for 50 kids in his hometown of Bimini, where he also officially declared for the NBA Draft. Each happy camper was given a pair of the latest AdiZero hoop shoe and a branded shirt that simply read: “Bimini To The World” 

“It was great, because growing up, I didn’t have that,” Edgecombe beamed. “I just want to be that role model for the younger kids back home, just knowing how hard it is sometimes. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to go and buy a pair of shoes, so I wanted to give back.”

Having already played on the Bahamas national team throughout international competition, and even weaving the vivid blue and yellow national color accents into his Draft night suit sleeves, Edgecombe is proud to carry his Bahamas heritage with him on his basketball journey and continue to champion the foundational traits he learned back home. 

“Staying disciplined and staying true to who you are. Staying humble is something that I learned as time went on,” he described. “You ain’t going to just get recruited for D1 out of the Bahamas. The basic principles that I was taught by my mom, my grandma and my different role models have helped me. I’m going to try to do as much as I can.” 

The Dame Effect 

Everyone has a NBA star they look up to, and for Edgecombe, his hoop idol was playing across the continent in Portland. 

“Growing up, Dame was my favorite player. I used to rock his shoes and thought I was Dame, to be honest,” laughs VJ, as he motions a well-practiced “Dame Time” wrist tap. 

Watching the Adidas lifetime-deal-holding Lillard from afar, Edgecombe got accustomed to the Dame signature series of sneakers while emulating the explosive Top 75 scoring guard. 

“Going into my senior year was the first time I played on the Adidas circuit. I went out there and did what I expected, and I opened some eyes,” he reflects. “I used to always wear Damian Lillard’s shoes. I had the Dame 3, 4, 5 and 6. I had all of them!”

As he rose the ranks in High School, Edgecombe was even invited to Lillard’s “Formula Zero” camp, a hands-on series of skills sessions that also focuses on the integrity, the commitment, and the mindset that it takes to make a pro. 

“Dame is a great person — super humble and down to earth,” continued Edgecombe.  “He can have a ego, but he doesn’t, because of who he is.”

Edgecombe went on to be named Formula Zero Elite Camp MVP by the end of that summer session in 2024. As the two continued to develop a relationship after the Formula Zero camp, VJ thinks back to how Lillard continued to reach out and check in, even in times that he was looking for guidance and support. 

“After my first game in college, I had a bad game,” recalls Edgecombe. “He hit me and said, ‘You’re going to get in the flow of the game.’ He was giving me advice and telling me how in basketball, you’re going to have bad games, but you can’t let that affect the rest of your time.”

As Edgecombe begins his rookie season in Philly, he plans to wear a variety of sneakers to highlight all of the latest designs and innovations from the brand. He’ll also definitely be wearing the new Dame 10, bringing his sneaker rotation full circle and highlighting his favorite players’ signature series on the biggest stage. 

Building With Family 

Thanks to the relationship he had built with the folks behind the scenes at the brand over the last few years, that familiarity added to the allure of officially partnering as a pro. 

“I always had a feeling that I was going to sign with Adidas,” he says now. “Since I played AAU with them and went to EuroCamp, it just opened my eyes up to the brand and gave me a full perspective of what’s going on with the brand.”

The process for players to land their shoe deal is entirely different now in the NIL landscape. Rather than wait til the spring just weeks before the Draft, Edgecombe had been having ongoing talks with several brands that expressed interest over the last year. 

He wanted to take his time with the shoe deal, and instead signed major deals with the likes of Panini and PSD Underwear during his freshman season at Baylor. 

Rather than pocket all of his NIL money, he created a scholarship fund at Gateway Christian Academy in his hometown, where he’ll cover the tuition, books and additional resources for at least three students each school year. 

Edgecombe highlights how he’s already focused in on how to “invest and grow my money, instead of wasting it and spending it all,” all before he actually steps foot on the NBA hardwood for his regular season debut. 

“I’m so happy that NIL came around while I was there in college,” Edgecombe beamed. “There’s definitely pros and cons, but there’s a lot of pros. It helped me take care of my family. It’s helped my mom and my little sister.”

As brands reached out last fall ahead of Edgecombe’s expected one-and-done season at Baylor, he leaned on the importance of family throughout his life, and the familiarity he already had with Adidas.

“When I signed, it was still during my freshman year in college,” revealed Edgecombe. “I said, ‘This is a family, and I’m going to keep doing whatever I can do within that to help grow the brand.’”

Three Keys for Jeremiah /// 

Unbeknownst to Jeremiah Fears, just before he began his freshman season at Oklahoma, Adidas execs had tabbed him as one of their very favorite players in the entire 2025 Draft class that they hoped to sign. 

As talks with his agents at LIFT Sports Management heated up this spring and he shot up the mock draft boards after his impressive single Sooner season, Fears was locked in on the vision that the brand saw ahead for him. He now credits a trio of key elements towards his signing with The Three Stripes: 

Jeremiah 1s??

For both Edgecombe and Fears, the allure of breaking through as a pinnacle Adidas player proved to be a major factor. 

“The relationship they have with their guys, and potentially having a signature shoe in the future was big,” Fears said.

While his game is relentless on the floor, Fears also points to a variety of other qualities he brings to the table that brands saw considerable appeal in. 

“My mentality, being unique and my creativity,” he said. “I’m excited for the journey.”

As he landed deals like his major Adidas endorsement and a Tissot partnership ahead of the Draft, his understanding of the marketing world at just 18 years-old was already fast tracked thanks to the NIL landscape. 

“It’s been dope, being able to experience everything before it’s time for the big leagues,” said Fears. “Being able to go through photoshoots, meet so many new people and build relationships — and being someone that brands know they can trust and market well — has been really cool for me.”

He’s been keeping tabs of the qualities that signature athletes at the highest level must have. How their top tier game is matched off the court by a presence that carries them into touchpoints of fashion, music and culture beyond just hoops.

“The swag is a little different,” he adds. “How you carry yourself and how you can promote it on a big stage.”

As Fears dreams of his own low-top signature silhouette in the years ahead, he’s mindful of the work that’ll he’ll have to put in towards building up his brand and his standing in the sneaker game. 

“Eventually, you want to have little kids looking up to you,” he continued. “That want to go get the Jeremiah 1s.”

The DRose Effect 

Growing up less than an hour outside of Chicago, a young Jeremiah soon had a childhood idol to follow as he was in elementary school. He loved how the Bulls’ homegrown #1 pick and franchise player hooped. 

When Derrick Rose exploded through traffic and attacked the lane with an arsenal of finishes and floaters, he was showcasing where the new era of scoring point guards was headed. The future generation in Fears was following. 

As DRose headlined his own Adidas signature series and put on for the brand, Fears couldn’t help but notice, and be inspired. 

“Being able to get Derrick Rose’s first pair of basketball shoes, I wore those for a long time,” he says now. “Playing on his AAU team as well, was my earliest memory of picking up more Three Stripes shoes. I was on his team in the 6th grade. We ended up going to Alabama for a Big Time Tournament on the Adidas Gauntlet and that was dope.”

Fears works out before the Draft with Pro Hoops Inc. in the Harden Vol. 9. (Courtesy @highlights.from.heaven & @ProHoopsInc)

Starting out with a love for Rose’s line, Fears began to keep an eye on all of the key Adidas guards that followed.

“Ant Man, Dame Lillard and James Harden, I’ve loved all of their kicks,” Fears says, thinking back through the last decade of Three Stripes staples. 

As he takes his own step into the pro stage, he’ll soon be facing off against each of the players he looked up to during his prep career. He now officially feels a shared Adidas connection with his fellow endorsers, as one of the brand’s next up-and-coming guards. 

“In the future, we’ll build that relationship,” said the 18 year-old. “When I play against them, I won’t wear their signature shoe against them though. But I’ll definitely show them a lot of love.”

For Fears, there’s still a line to draw as a competitor.

“It’s off limits, definitely,” he added, with a smile. “That would be a one up thing, and I don’t want nobody to have a one up on me. I won’t wear their shoes against them, but definitely when I’m playing against someone else.”

For his rookie season, look for Fears to help headline the new Dame X, along with a key rotation of sneakers from Anthony Edwards and James Harden’s lines. 

“Three Stripes have been doing something special for awhile now,” continued Fears. “Being able to be join the team and join the wave is great. The Harden Vol 9s are great. I really enjoy the material on the shoe and the way the shoe is designed, it sticks out to me. The feel and comfort is amazing.” 

Continuing To Grind 

Over the years, Fears has found a few phrases that resonated and pushed him. Mantras that he rallied behind that have led him to already reaching some of his biggest dreams. Some he’s even tattooed along his left leg for inspiration.

“Dream Until Its Your Reality”

“Be Different”

“The Creator of My Own Destiny”

Even his #0 jersey selection went viral for its double meaning: “Zero Fears”

Since a young age, one phrase stuck out amongst them all. Just a 7th grader at the time, Fears was often training with fellow Chicago-area native and eventual pro DJ Steward, when he first heard of his charging tagline. 

“I just asked him,” Fears says now. “‘Why do you say GOLA?’”

“Grind or Live Average,” Steward responded.

From that point on, he was locked in.

“I went home later that day, and I thought about it the whole time,” reflects Fears. “You can either grind and get the life that you want, or you can just continue to dream about it and talk about it, but not put any of the work in.”

Ever since that day, the newly-turned teenager has worked towards living out his dreams. He credits the phrase with powering him further, leading to his eventual path as a top selection in the NBA Draft and a hopeful future in the Association ahead.

“I have it tattooed on my leg, right underneath my knee cap,” he added.

As he continues to build with Adidas to begin his NBA career, he’s hoping to showcase his story through marketing, and highlight how that dedication and commitment can inspire others to grind towards their own dreams.

“I’ve just carried that with me every step of the way,” said Fears. “And throughout everything that I did.”

The post VJ Edgecombe & Jeremiah Fears Are Next Up For Adidas appeared first on SLAM.

Injuries have posed some adversity for the Fever this season. And while they headed into the Cup Final without starting guard Caitlin Clark, who’s been battling a groin injury, Indiana rallied around their core of old and new. “Learning to play without her [Caitlin], learning to make big plays in tough moments on both ends of the floor, is important, because that’s going to pay dividends down the stretch of the season for us,” head coach Stephanie White said postgame.

Despite being down 20-12 at the end of the first quarter, Indiana had no problem bouncing back. “We know that they’re a great team and they were going to go on runs, and so for us it’s about containing those runs and then going on our own,” Aliyah Boston told Tabitha Turner-Wilkins during her sideline interview.

Indiana turned it up in the second period, igniting an 18-0 run in the final eight minutes of the second, outscoring the Lynx 20-7 in the quarter. Defense was the lynchpin to their Tuesday night win. During the presentation of the Commissioner’s Cup trophy, Stephanie White told Michael Grady, “Our defensive energy when we got into that second quarter was outstanding. Our sense of urgency, our detailed orientation on the defensive end of the floor, and it allowed us to get up and down and do what we’re best at.”  

The Fever played a resilient game and put out an entire team effort to snag the dub, but at the end of the day, there’s only one Commissioner’s Cup MVP. Natasha Howard took home the honor, with a 16-point and 12-rebound double-double. “Tash is a pro that flies under the radar. She’s won on every level, and I think we have to give her her flowers a little bit more.” Kelsey Mitchell told reporters postgame.  

Howard wasn’t the only one cooking from the low post. Aliyah Boston’s impact was felt everywhere through her 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. And the Fever’s guards were on point from the perimeter. Sophie Cunningham put up 13 points and seven rebounds. Kelsey Mitchell dropped 12 points and three assists. Aari McDonald posted 12 points and three rebounds.

After an offseason that saw the organization build out a competitive roster, the Fever entered the season primed to compete for a title in October. While they currently sit in 8th place in the League standings with an 8-8 record, the Fever are taking the Commissioner’s Cup win to the bank, investing in that momentum heading into the halfway point of the season. The past three winners of the Commissioner’s Cup have all made it to the WNBA Finals since the tournament’s inception. And the Fever are vying to keep the streak alive.

“If anything, tonight what I learned is they have what it takes. I mean, they played five of their last six games on the road coming in here. And if you can win games on the road like they did, in an environment like they won in tonight, the sky’s really the limit. This is a team that’s starting to get their confidence, they’re showing their depth,” LaChina Robinson said via ESPN.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Indiana Fever Take Home WNBA Commissioner’s Cup for the First Time appeared first on SLAM.

To honor the freshly minted MVP and his magical title run, we’ve put the irrepressible offensive force front and center on SLAM’s annual champs issue – cop it at the SLAM Store today.

While the significance of Gilgeous-Alexander’s season from an individual standpoint (he’s the first player to claim MVP, Finals MVP, Conference Finals MVP and the scoring title in the same season) is no secret, credit belongs equally to the historically dominant team behind him.

The 2024-25 Oklahoma City Thunder where a stubbornly merciless defensive juggernaut that moonlit as a Top 3 offense, an unrelenting swarm of switchable length and suffocating grit that fed on the souls of opposing offenses when not racking up a 119.2 offensive rating of their own.

Now they’re NBA champions with the youngest NBA Finals squad in nearly 50 years and fascinatingly deep war chest of draft capital that could keep them in position to be back here year in and year out.

But this isn’t about Oklahoma City’s hypothetical stranglehold on the future, this is about the very tangible, confetti-filled present.

Celebrate the moment with all-new champs cover merchandise, the yearly tradition print magazine and special serial-numbered versions of the mag at the SLAM Store while supplies last.

View the Oklahoma City Thunder Champs Issue Collection now.

The post Big Rings: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Graces Champs Issue appeared first on SLAM.

“I’m like a new mother, just trying to figure out life,” Collier says, thinking back to her mindset on that day. “I feel way more sure in myself and like motherhood [now],” she says. “I’m back to playing, so that feels really good. Being around my teammates again. I just feel way more grounded in my life. That time was so uncertain. Everything was brand new.”

Today, on set with Collier—better known in these parts as Queen Phee—you can see a change. She’s now a two-time Olympic Gold medalist, a WNBA finalist, the co-founder of Unrivaled, the unmistakable leader of her team and now a captain for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. As we went to press, Collier was averaging a League-leading 24.5 ppg along with 8.4 rpg and 3.8 apg for the League-leading Lynx. 

Three years have flown by, but one thing remains the same: Collier is still a superwoman.

SLAM: You were the first Western Conference Player of the Month this season. What has changed for you from last year to this year?

NAPHEESA COLLIER: You know, last year felt like it was a happy accident. Every year you try your best, of course, but we happened to have the best team chemistry-wise and then we also happened to be really good basketball players. And to have both of those things—it sounds small, but it’s really rare when you love all of your teammates and you guys are good at basketball at the same time. So we kind of fell into that last year. And so now we know what it can be. I think just making sure that we don’t lose that opportunity. This year, that’s what it feels like—we want to make the best of it and make the most of this year.

SLAM: You’ve played under Coach Cheryl Reeve your whole professional career. What is it about her coaching style that has pushed you to grow?

NC: I think Cheryl does a really great job of putting people in places to be successful. She brings out the best in you as a player, and she knows where you’re going to fit well into the team and how to get that out of you. So she’s really taught me, like, how to take advantage of the things you’re really good at, and obviously work at the things you need to. She kind of makes you look at the game a little bit more technically, and I think that makes you a better player.

SLAM: There are so many great former Lynx players. Which veterans have had the biggest impact on you?

NC: That’s so hard because we have two [Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen] on the coaching staff. But I mean, Mama Syl [Sylvia Fowles] is definitely one of my favorites. I played with her for four years. She’s just, like, the best person you ever want to meet. So I have to say she’s definitely one of my favorites.

SLAM: Can you give us a story during the time you played together?

NC: Syl was the first person that welcomed me when I came to the Lynx, the very first day of training camp, which—she’s, like, a Hall of Fame player, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year. She’s like, What’s up baby? If you ever need anything, you come to me, and she just, like, got me in a huge bear hug. I was squished on her. And that’s just who she is. So that was awesome to have her as my vet coming into the League, and now still she texts me after every game day. You know, Good job, or Good luck, or whatever it is. She’s awesome.

SLAM: You’re in this period of your career where you’re not yet a vet…

NC: Thank you for saying that.

SLAM: Over the last few years, you’ve seen the League grow, but you’ve also grown yourself as a player. How has that transition been?

NC: Yeah, I think it’s just more responsibility for the younger people on your team. I talked earlier about how Syl made me feel as a rookie, so inviting. And now it’s my job to do that for the younger people. You see what that responsibility is. This is my seventh season. I still feel young on the inside, but now I have to realize that it’s my job to take care of the younger ones. So having that transition was a little bit harder a couple years ago when it started.

SLAM: Looking back, can you think of a moment in your career that felt small at the time but ended up changing everything?

NC: Getting drafted to Minnesota, because you have no control over where you get drafted. And you always think, Wherever I go, you’re gonna make the best of it. But I’m so lucky to have gotten drafted here, and it’s changed the trajectory of my entire career. So it might have seemed small at the time—like, obviously not small in the sense that you’re getting drafted and it’s so exciting, but you have no control and you’re gonna go wherever you go. You have to go there. But I’m so lucky that it happened that way. And when I got drafted here, that definitely changed my life. 

SLAM: If we were to take all the titles and accolades away, how would you describe yourself at your core?

NC: I feel like mother is a huge one—mother and wife. I am so family centered. I take a lot of pride in those areas. I’m a family person. At my core, I love just decompressing, being around my family. I would much rather have a night and play games with my family than be out anywhere else. 

SLAM: What does a perfect off-day look like?

NC: A perfect off-day for me—it depends on if it’s a weekend or a school day, or Mila, if it’s a school day, you know, she’s at school for a little bit so I get some time to relax. I’ll probably—this is going to sound boring—but get errands done. Getting that done for me is fun now, so I don’t know, buying stuff for my house, or taking a nap is awesome, binging some shows, just doing, like, lazy stuff is the perfect day.

SLAM: What drives you now that maybe didn’t drive you early on in your career? 

NC: Definitely my family, my daughter. It just puts so many things into perspective. Like I said before, basketball has never been the most important thing in my life, but it was the biggest thing for a really long time. And so now there are just so many more things that are so much more important to me. And it really grounds you, it makes you see that it’s not so important. Like, we’re playing a game at the end of the day, and playing the game is really important, but my family is the number one always. So whether I have a good day or a bad day, Mila at the end of the day, she’s like, “Mama!” [and] runs into your arms. It just makes everything better. So my why has definitely changed in that way.

SLAM: How do you manage the chaos of everything that the season brings? 

NC: I don’t feel like I take work home with me. I’ve never been one that was obsessed with basketball. I really like to do other things in my life. And so definitely, I love napping. I have always loved napping. So napping is number one when I have time, but, also, like starting shows or watching movies, doing things away from basketball, really kind of fills my cup back up so I can give my all when I am playing.

SLAM: You won your second Olympic God medal last summer with Team USA. Does it feel like the Olympics were just yesterday or actually almost a year ago?

NC: Honestly, both. Because when I think about it, that it’s been almost a year, it’s crazy—so much has happened in between then [and now]. Also, it’s so vivid in my mind that it feels like it could be yesterday. But then I think, after that we went to the WNBA Finals, we launched Unrivaled—I’ve done all these things since then. So it’s kind of like that at the same time. It feels far away and like it just happened.

SLAM: The landscape of women’s basketball has been constantly growing and evolving. When you think back to your rookie season, did you ever imagine this would be the reality?

NC: No, honestly. I mean, it’s crazy, because usually change happens so slowly, you can’t really track it. Like, it happens little by little, and all of a sudden you look at where you are and it’s different. This change has happened so fast. You can track year by year how different it is. So it’s amazing to be a part of. I didn’t know if this would happen [during] my career, so to see it happen so quickly, it’s so fun to be a part of.

SLAM: Your involvement in the growth has not gone unnoticed, with the creation of a new community in Unrivaled. As a player, trailblazer and leader within the league, how would you describe this time in women’s basketball?

NC: I think it’s just like such a time of empowerment, honestly, like we hold the most cards we’ve ever held, the most power that we’ve ever held as women athletes. Just the way that people view women’s sports, the accessibility to us is more than it’s ever been, the availability, the way that you’re able to see us on TV more than ever. Like, we still want to make a lot of changes in that area, but it’s better than it’s ever been, and you can see the growth that’s happening because of that. And so, yeah, I just feel like we’re in a time where you can see the cards, like, changing hands almost, or the power the players clearly have the most power. And it’s obviously, as a player, a really fun time to be a part of women’s sports.

SLAM: Building the League one brick at a time, you’ve always stressed the importance of the W being a space to play and to invest. Now seeing the business side, what are some lessons you’ve picked up? 

NC: I think you see what happens when you invest in women’s sports—like, when you pay the players accordingly, when you give them a chance to be owners in a league. I think it’s incredible. Just the buy-in that you get from the players, how well it’s received by the fans. You also get a little bit where the League side comes from. Obviously as players, we want to ask for the most amount of money. And you see the business side where you have X expenses. What I do think is there are areas where we could push the boundaries some more.

SLAM: If someone 10 years from now says, “Napheesa changed the League,” what do you hope they mean?

NC: I hope by “change the league” they mean definitely through Unrivaled. I hope Unrivaled is thriving in that way, and because of that, it’s pushed the envelope in all of women’s sports [and] we’re changing what it means to pay and treat women’s athletes. So I hope that we are trailblazers in that way—that is the goal of what Unrivaled is. 

There’s still a lot I want to accomplish as a player, too. So I hope I change the League in that way. I want to win championships, I want to win different things, so in both of those areas, I hope I leave a mark.

Portraits by Matthew Coughlin.

The post Minnesota Lynx Superstar Napheesa Collier on Leading the Lynx to the Top of the League and Evolution of the Women’s Game appeared first on SLAM.

“I mean, if we’re gonna play, why not be as competitive as you can and go as hard as you can? Because if you’re not going hard, to me, it’s not fun. It’s not how the game’s supposed to be played,” she says.

That’s been the mantra the 6-2 wing has played under for her entire hoops career. Pull up the tape and you’ll see.

On the offensive end, Knox gets buckets from all levels, scoring in the post and occasionally letting one fly from deep. Defensively, she locks down opponents on the interior, blocking shots like A’ja Wilson—the player she molds her game after.

But most notable on the tape is Knox’s hustle. She makes timely cuts, sets brick-wall screens and comes down with every 50/50 ball. “Even if other things, like points, aren’t showing, I was taught that other things matter, like rebounding, 50/50 balls, playing defense—and those can really determine the game at the end of the day,” she says. “Just trying to focus on what I’m good at, and I’m pretty athletic, so I think that helps a lot and brings a lot to my game.”

Knox always had athletic talent, originally aspiring to play in the NFL. Once she moved on from that dream, she switched to basketball. With the help of her father, she started seriously working at the game. After hooping in Nevada, Knox transferred to Etiwanda High School in California to better prepare for college and gain higher levels of exposure.

She dealt with nagging back injuries, which sidelined her for her sophomore season, leading to a lengthy rehabilitation process. Throughout that journey, she received vital support from her family and used her goal of playing college hoops to motivate herself to recover. Even from the bench, Knox still improved her game in different areas.

“I think it helped me as well in an IQ way, just learning the floor from a different angle, from a different perspective, and just kind of seeing things that I wouldn’t see if I was playing,” she says.

When she returned to the court, the accolades began piling up.

Playing alongside guard Puff Morris, Knox averaged 17.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per game in her junior season, leading the Eagles to a CIF Open Division state championship. During her senior season, Knox averaged another double-double and was stuffing around four shots a game. She was named a McDonald’s All-American and played in the Nike Hoop Summit.

As if scouts weren’t already turning their heads after the showcases, her final playoff push cemented her status as a top player in the nation.

Knox closed out her high school career in a league of her own, winning her second CIF Open Division state championship in a row.

It’s easy to see why Knox received over 40 DI offers during her recruitment. Powerhouse programs like USC, Texas and Tennessee offered her, but she eventually committed to LSU in November. “I felt like their program in general, their style of play, matches really well with how I want to be able to play and develop along the years,” Knox says. “The culture had a lot to do with my decision as well, just the family welcoming, comfortable culture, just knowing that I’ll be taken care of.”

But more importantly, coach Kim Mulkey’s development program factored into her decision.  The four-time champion’s pipeline goes far. Brittney Griner. NaLyssa Smith. Angel Reese. The talent speaks for itself. Now, Knox is in a prime position to become Mulkey’s next great wing.

Alongside fellow five-star recruits ZaKiyah Johnson and Divine Bourrage, Knox headlines LSU’s No. 2 ranked recruiting class (according to 247sports) for the 2025-26 season.

Her goal for the upcoming season is simple, and one that will have Tiger Nation excited for what’s to come. Knox said she wants to bring home hardware and hang another championship banner in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. “My goal is to eventually become a starter during my freshman year,” she says. “I want to be on the first All-Conference team for the SEC and just [win] as many freshman accolades as I can, just so people know who I am and that I can prove myself.”

Portraits by Sam Muller.

The post Grace Knox, the No. 7-Ranked Player in the Class of 2025, is Poised to Make a Whole Lot of Noise at LSU appeared first on SLAM.

Sure, every prospect who’s reached this point has had to sacrifice something to get here. But Egor’s sacrifice was just…different. Not in the abstract sense, but in the deeply personal kind—the kind that asks a teenager to leave home at 15, cross continents, learn two new languages and carry the weight of not just his own ambition, but his family’s dreams. That kind of sacrifice.

We’re a few days out from the NBA draft, and Egor is on the cusp of hearing his name called, walking across the stage and shaking Adam Silver’s hand. The 19-year-old, 6-9 point guard—yes, point guard—has the vision of a veteran optometrist and the feel for the game of a seasoned pro. But none of that means much unless you understand what it took to get here.

You have to start in Russia.

Egor was born into basketball. His father had a long professional career and represented Russia on the national team. And his mother, who played until she was 18, was the first person to put the battery in his back.

“For me, it was just like, Well, that’s fun, because all my family was doing it,” Demin tells SLAM. “But then I had the moment where I heard my mom saying, Hey, if you really like it, then respect it. Put effort in this. And if you really want to play basketball, then try to be the best in it. And this is the moment when I kind of started to take it serious.”

But while kids stateside grow up with the NBA stitched into their imagination, Egor grew up a world away, where that dream felt distant, if not impossible.

“Growing up in Russia, it was always a dream, and it was always in my head,” he recalls. “But it always felt unreal, because it’s really far, and not many Russian players were in the NBA. It was always a feeling of, Well, how’s it even gonna happen?”

So rather than chase a dream that felt so out of reach, he focused on improvement. Relentlessly. By 15, it became clear he wasn’t just another tall kid with a nice handle. His gifts were unordinary for a kid his age, a kid his size. The way he processed the game. The way he saw space. The purpose he played with.

And with that clarity came a new choice: stay in Russia and hit the ceiling or leave everything behind in pursuit of something greater.

Egor moved to Spain to join Real Madrid’s famed youth system. His parents stayed behind.

Imagine that. You’re a teenager. You live in a new country. You barely speak the language. Your parents—your comfort, your counsel—are more than four thousand miles away.

“It was really hard to move to a different country and spend three years in Spain, really far away from my family and they couldn’t really come visit me. This was the hardest stage of my path,” he says. “When something was frustrating, or if I was sad, I couldn’t just call my parents, because they’d just freak out. So I’m thinking about how I could take care of my mental health, but I also gotta take care of my parents’ mental health.”

But he did it. And in doing so, he learned what it meant to be a pro. Soon enough, the dream no longer felt far-fetched. It felt tangible. And more than that, it felt earned. Now, it was time to take it to yet another level.

Egor could’ve taken the traditional NCAA route. Blue bloods lined up. He fielded offers from the likes of Duke, UConn and more. But like he’s done his entire basketball life, he took the path less traveled. He committed to Coach Kevin Young and Brigham Young University, becoming the Cougars’ then highest-rated recruit in program history.

Some asked, why BYU? The answer was simple: NBA pedigree.

“Who can prepare me better than an NBA coach?” Egor says. “Besides [Young], they had an NBA strength and conditioning coach. They had a nutritionist from the NBA. We had a mental coach from the NBA. Everybody’s like, Provo, Utah, is so boring. I’m like, You play basketball there, man!”

In Provo, he was everywhere. Guarding multiple positions. Running the break. Dishing with touch. Setting screens. Reading rotations. He became BYU’s connective tissue. And through it all, his game spoke louder than he did.

He sees the pass before you see the lane. He anticipates plays before they happen. His frame—long and fluid—lets him make plays few guards can. His basketball IQ exceeds his age, and his character might rate even higher than his game. That might be the most impressive part.

This isn’t a kid who’s been handed anything. He doesn’t see himself as a final product. He sees himself as a piece that can fit in any puzzle. A weapon that can be sharpened. A player who can make an impact now while evolving into something even greater.

His potential is untapped, but he’s eager to make an instant contribution to any organization that takes a bet on him. As for what that contribution may be? He doesn’t care.

“I just want to be helpful. Whatever it takes,” he says. “I want to bring my versatility to any team that takes me, and that’s why I believe I can be a good fit for any team.

“I’m not just a point guard, I’m a playmaker,” Egor continues. “I told every team I was meeting with [during the pre-draft process], Hey, I can be whatever you want me to be. I want to learn.”

Egor envisions himself being one of the strongest, most complete guards in the League someday. He envisions himself being one of the best defenders in the League. He wants to dominate in every aspect of the game. And he’s building the foundation brick by brick.

“I’m not running away from anything. I’m not trying to hide my weaknesses. I know it’s going to be hard anywhere I go,” he says. “I’m ready for the worst, but I’m expecting the best.”

His voice never wavers. You can tell he’s said this to himself in the mirror. During tough nights in Spain. During quiet days in Utah. During the moments no one sees. He isn’t playing for applause. He’s playing for meaning.

Every conversation with Egor eventually comes back to his family. His father, whose dreams stopped short. His mother, who first planted the seed of seriousness. The weight of their faith propels him to stay the course.

“I just talked to my dad a couple of days ago, and he was talking about how crazy life is,” Egor shares, “for bringing his kid dream to life through his kid.

“For me, it’s hard to really understand how big it is for him, because I don’t have kids yet. But I see myself in the future as a really proud father. My parents were living this whole process through me, and it was probably even harder for them than it was for me.”

The draft is days away. There will be cameras. A fresh suit. Green room nerves. And millions of new eyeballs on him. But Egor will walk in with the same mindset that took him across an ocean: gratitude.

“I have a lot of good people surrounding me. The opportunities that I’m getting are a blessing. It’s nothing but gratitude from my part,” he says. “Everything around me is taken care of, thanks to all these people around me. Now I just have to grind. I just gotta give my best to the game.”

There’s something riveting about the long road. The scenic route. The inconvenient path. It reveals more. Demands more. Shapes more.

Egor didn’t come up through viral mixtapes. He wasn’t raised in the AAU circuit. His journey—from Russia to Spain to Utah to the NBA—is the epitome of a tireless pursuit of excellence. And when his name is called on draft night, he won’t act surprised. He won’t act entitled. He’ll simply get ready.

To train. To adapt. To lead. To prove, over and over, that he belongs. He’s not a dreamer anymore. He’s the dream realized.

Photos via Getty Images.

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The journey began in the late ’90s when the Real Run’s founder, Deanthony Langston, kicked off the summer league for graduating high school seniors and local L.A. legends who were home from campus, guys like John Williams, Reggie Theus and Stephen Thompson. Over the years, the pro-am became a revolving door for NBA greats, too; Paul Pierce, Baron Davis, Penny Hardaway and Gilbert Arenas mixed in with Cal State Northridge’s Jason Crowe, UCLA’s Toby Bailey and Washington State’s Dominic Ellison. The competition wasn’t just legit, it was must-see.  

Between working as the athletic director at Verbum Dei High School, heading up the summer league and running his own AAU program, Langston was ingrained across all three levels of hoops in the L.A. area. But he still saw a need, a league dedicated solely to the college players who called the greater Los Angeles area home. And for the past five years, Langston, local rappers and key leaders across the community have filled that need.

For the next eight weeks, the Real Run L.A. College Summer League is providing a platform for the region’s best to continue competing, developing and getting real exposure. And in true West Coast fashion, each of the 10 teams are repped by local hip-hop and R&B artists from BLXST to The Game, Dom Kennedy, Symba, Reason and more. 

The league is back on June 22nd with even more resources for players of new and old. Chase Bank and JP Morgan have partnered with the league to offer financial literacy services, while the City of Carson’s sponsorship is providing connections off the hardwood.

“We’re trying to have more than just a basketball league coming in there, free for the community. We’re trying to give them something that they can really learn from. If somebody taught us like this, a lot of us would be better off right now, foundationally,” Langston says. “There’s so many different things that we can do to help it because Southern California basketball is the best in the country. And the only way that you can say that is by how many pros that we’ve produced and how many are projected out in the future.”

The Veterans Park Sports and Complex in Carson, CA, where the games are held, has been churning out both pros and second chances for years. Just ask Jeremy Dent-Smith, the third-year returner who’s gone from being a CCAA champion with Cal State Dominguez Hills to suiting up for Stanford next season.

“L.A. sometimes is so big that you might not always have the attention of someone else. It’s a lot of diamonds in the rough out here,” Jeremy says. “So just being able to play against them, being able to get good bump and hoop, it’s kind of amazing to me.” 

After being overlooked by the major programs on the West Coast, Jeremy began his freshman year at the Division 2 level in Carson, averaging 6.3 points per game. He could have been jealous, could have doubted himself. Instead, he shifted his perspective to be “thankful and patient for what you have.” And he used the Real Runs as his lab.

The 6-1 point guard proceeded to take home CCAA Player of the Year as a sophomore, win the CCAA championship as a junior and snag back-to-back All-American honors in the process.  

“When I would come into the runs wanting to play against them dudes who went off to college, went off to the DI [that] I wanted to go to, I think that helped motivate me every time I stepped onto the court because I wanted to beat them or I wanted to show that I was better than them. Just being able to play against that every single weekend, every single Saturday, it’s something that not too many people in the world get.”

With two summers in the league under his belt, the Hawthorne native isn’t the only one who’s been using the runs to expand their net of possibilities. Newly signed San Francisco guard Meghan McIntyre’s been suiting up since the Real Run added a women’s league in 2023. 

“Getting to play with other girls that are top-tier talent that you wouldn’t normally play with is such a cool experience,” she says. “It’s something that obviously helps in the offseason. Try new things, kind of showcase what you’ve been working on in the spring and summer to prepare you to go to [the] next step later on in the next year and for other athletes as well.”

Operating with freedom in the runs has given her more reps at balancing the scales of a point guard’s responsibilities. Who needs the rock and when? Who’s on a streak? When can you get yours? 

“It’s a hard balance, but it’s something I love. And I’m passionate about my position as a point guard, being able to make the right read, whether it is scoring or making the right pass,” Meghan says. “So playing in the league allows me to kind of come in and not really think too much. Just get out there and kind of showcase what I’ve been working on and gain that confidence so that, when the time comes for the season, it’s no thinking. It’s just happening.”

The 5-6 Long Beach native has been making it happen for each team she’s been on over the past four seasons, from Golden West Community College and Orange Coast CC to landing at Southern Oregon in 2023. In between seasons, she’s been testing her growth in the Real Runs. And in her first year at the NAIA level, Meghan led the Raiders to the conference regular season and tournament championships. In her senior year, they recorded the first undefeated regular season in Cascade Conference history and advanced to the NAIA Final 8. The confidence built into her game from the past two summers has led to her final college chapter taking place at the DI level and back in her home state, hooping with the Dons.  

“Those stories right there about those kids is the essence of Real Run,” Langston says. “They were All-League in high school, but they were forgotten by USC, UCLA, Long Beach State, Arizona State, they were forgotten. And their redemption is a motherfu**er coming back right here.”

The theme of finding opportunities has been consistent since the college summer league debuted. Los Angeles native Doctor Bradley’s been using the past two summers to make a name for himself following a long and winding path across numerous campuses.

After redshirting with Cal State Fullerton and playing a reserved role in his debut campaign, Doctor transferred to Salt Lake Community College for a season before landing at New Mexico State. It wasn’t until his junior year at Arkansas-Pine Bluff that his game began to blossom. The 6-8 guard went from dropping 5.3 points a game as a freshman to dropping 19.6 with ease as a junior. His breakout season has landed him at Bethune-Cookman for the 2025-26 campaign. 

In between the various stops across the country, Doctor’s been using the Real Runs to fine-tune his confidence as he arrives at each new program.

“I work on my game the whole summer, and then I’m going to my new school, it helps me boost my confidence playing well against top talent in the college community,” Doctor says. “I’ve been working on my jumper this whole summer and [now] I get to try it and work out with the best college players, with the L.A. community, and see how I am now.” 

Doctor’s not just motivated by his ascension, he’s trying to put on for the kids sitting in the stands in Carson. He wants to be an example. He wants them to learn from his story. Just keep going.

“I feel like people get motivated in different ways. Like, if you see somebody go through the worst and make it out, then that could motivate somebody more than somebody just telling somebody, You got it. Keep going. But if you actually see a person going through a lot of trauma and a lot of ups and downs and making it out, then that can motivate somebody even more,” Doctor says. “I feel like even second chances, second chances are different for everybody. The Real Run. The Real Run is a second chance for me because it gives you the opportunity to even get another scholarship. Players make names from there. I can’t just always count down and think negatively. I just have to have that faith and keep going.” 

Every Saturday for the next eight weeks, word of mouth will spread the stories of L.A.’s next undiscovered stars. Scholarships and offers are on the horizon. But this space, built for college hoopers to keep their games sharp in the offseason, is about more than getting to the next stop. It’s about prolonged success afterward. The connections made in the gym. The knowledge picked up during virtual learning sessions. Deanthony Langston and the Real Runs are still fulfilling the need.

Photos courtesy of Real Run L.A.

The post How the Real Run L.A. College Summer League is Giving the Area’s Best Another Chance to Shine in the Offseason appeared first on SLAM.

It’s a fitting representation of the game and the opening line of the new book Courtside Candy.

Everybody remembers their first time watching basketball. The satisfaction of swishing a jumper or using creativity to get to the rack. In a new book, former SLAM Editor-in-Chief Ben Osborne explores the impact of the game beyond these core moments.

In collaboration with German independent publishing house gestalten, Courtside Candy explores how the game has transcended beyond the court—how it’s created new fashion, art and a subculture that brings all hoop fans together.

“The photos are spectacular. It’s basically a coffee table book that anyone who appreciates basketball culture will love,” Osborne says.

There are five sections in the book. An introduction about basketball’s impact beyond the court and a personal tribute to Stephon Marbury, a player whom Osborne believes embodies the book’s message. Displays of basketball fashion trends, the game’s global reach, artistic interpretations and the variety of courts found worldwide fill the pages.

Nearly 40 artists, photographers and fashion designers are featured, with each page draped in a myriad of colorful images and short essays that tell the unique backstories of each work.

“I’m not sure a book has been presented in this manner that kind of tries to touch all the different things that basketball has influenced,” Osborne says. “I think it’s really like a love letter to the game.”

Courtside Candy is out July 1.

Photos courtesy of Wenpeng Lu, Walter Looss Jr., Maddy Talias, An Rong Xu and Jorge Espinoza.

The post Former SLAM Editor-in-Chief Ben Osborne Showcases the Game’s Global Impact in New Photo Book Courtside Candy  appeared first on SLAM.

Four straight state championships at Christopher Columbus High School. Three consecutive Nike EYBL Peach Jam titles on the 15U, 16U and 17U circuits. Two gold medals — one at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and another at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup. Both players are McDonald’s All-Americans and national champions. Cameron’s a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year. Cayden’s the 2025 Chipotle Nationals All-Tournament MVP. And they’re both headed to Duke this fall to helm yet another stacked recruiting class. 

The post Behind the Brotherhood: Cameron and Cayden Boozer Break Down Their College Commitment and Bringing Their Winning Ways to Duke  appeared first on SLAM.

Highlighted by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (MVP), Jared McCain (Rookie of the Year) and Dalen Terry (Most Improved), there’s only one place to tap in to the full breadth of the League’s eclectic choices and avant-garde ensembles: here.

ALL-LEAGUEFITS FIRST TEAM

We’re talking the best of the best. The ones so comfortable with themselves that any piece, any coat, any accessory, looks perfectly in place. The king of the tunnel, SGA, collected his sixth First Team nod alongside Jordan Clarkson. Devin Booker’s overwhelming consistency landed him back in the League’s upper echelon, while Bol Bol and Nickeil Alexander-Walker affirmed back-to-back First Team appearances. 

ALL-LEAGUEFITS SECOND TEAM

“Look good, play good” might as well be a proven science based on the Thunder’s tunnel this season with Jalen Williams and Lu Dort repping the All-LeagueFits Second Team in the Finals. Jordan Poole’s range from Canadian tuxedos to racing jackets had to be honored alongside his eyewear. Plus, Naz Reid locked up his first All-LeagueFits appearance while Jalen Green returned for his first selection since his rookie season.

ALL-LEAGUEFITS THIRD TEAM

This year’s Third Team saw a crop of newcomers enter the equation with Jared McCain repping for the rooks and James Johnson putting on for the OGs. Bruce Brown’s commitment to being the League’s first cowboy was a must-see all season, while Jeremy Sochan got a bump from last year’s honorable mention. And you already know Jarred Vanderbilt, an All-LeagueFits mainstay, made his fourth Third Team appearance.

ALL-LEAGUEFITS ROOKIE TEAM

With 76ers rookie Jared McCain leading the pack, the 2024-25 rookie class brought even more variety to the League. Cody Williams pulling up to draft night with the brown Rhude suit was just the beginning. From AJ Johnson’s vibrant rugby knit and Tyler Smith’s chains to Rob Dillingham’s fixation on denim, the rooks didn’t just keep pace, they pushed the tempo. 

ALL-LEAGUEFITS HONORABLE MENTIONS

With an otherworldly amount of threads to cover across 30 different squads on a nightly basis, honorable mentions are a necessity. How else are we supposed to give love to Tre Mann’s devoted 2000s aesthetic, Isaiah Hartenstein’s amplified options in OKC and Jerami Grant’s locally-stitched pieces? 

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS: ALL-LEAGUEFITS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

ALL-LEAGUEFITS: ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

ALL-LEAGUEFITS: MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Check out the award winners from years past below:

2023-24 Awards

2023 WNBA Awards

2021-22 Awards

2018-19 Awards

2017-18 Awards

The post The 2024-25 All-LeagueFits Awards Are Here, SGA Wins Third Straight MVP appeared first on SLAM.

Next thing he knew, Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks was being stretchered off the court to the back of American Airlines Center in Dallas. The injury, which he now describes as a “freak accident,” had occurred during a regular-season matchup between the Jazz and the Mavericks as Hendricks, who was running down the court, seemingly slipped. After athletic trainers rushed over to pop his dislocated ankle back in place, Hendricks thought to himself, OK, I’m probably good. I’ll probably be out for a few weeks. I’m probably straight. But later, X-rays would reveal that his season was over before it had ever really started. Three games in, he was ruled out indefinitely with a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle on his right leg.

“I was like, bro, there’s no way this is happening to me,” Hendricks tells us in late April, six months after the injury went down in October. “You know, you would see it online happen to other players, like crazy injuries, but for it to actually happen to you, it’s crazy.”

Hendricks, whose family was watching the game live on television, remembers his phone immediately blowing up with calls from his mom, Danielle, and his siblings. “They were really distraught,” he remembers. “I was just trying to keep a calm voice, pretty much tell them everything is straight, I’m good…[But] inside my mind, I’m thinking about 100 different things.”

The reality of everything that had happened didn’t really hit him until he got back to Salt Lake City and was laying in his bed with his foot elevated. “That’s probably when it really hit me,” he says. “Like, Wow, I’m really hurt. I can’t do nothing. My season’s over.”

But instead of letting the disappointment consume him, Taylor faced the injury head-on. The journey would go on to shape his character—not just as a hooper, but as a person determined to bounce back.

Hendricks knew he didn’t want to let the injury define him, but in those early months, he also realized that he had a ways to go before even thinking about returning to the court. After undergoing surgery, Hendricks focused on getting stronger and “building up the bricks,” as he puts it. Learning how to rely on others for help, though, was one of the biggest learning curves for him throughout the process.

“I’m the type of person that likes to do things, if I can, by myself. I try not to ask for help unless I really, really need it,” Hendricks says. “So to be in a position like that where you can’t really do anything or you can’t do a lot of things yourself, it was really frustrating.”

With the help of his support system, which includes Danielle, who even moved to SLC to support him post-op, teammates like Collin Sexton and the Utah coaching staff, Hendricks has gone from taking things day by day to almost a full recovery going into the summer. From starting to walk without crutches to without a boot and scooter entirely. Throughout the process, he’s even picked up new approaches to taking care of his body, including icing and wearing barefoot shoes, which help with his strength and mobility. “I really felt myself getting better every week, so that was kind of the motivation, the driving point,” Taylor says.

If the healing process sounds quick, it’s because it was. Taylor’s twin brother, Tyler, also shared what it was like watching Taylor go through this process from the outside. “His healing process was pretty quick honestly. I felt like he healed pretty well. He took it very well, and he did all the right things to get better,” Tyler said. “He wasn’t forcing it to get better. He was just taking his time and doing all the stuff he had to do. So we’re happy to see him out there.”

Now on the other side of his setback, Taylor is focused, driven and ready to elevate his game using everything he’s learned during the recovery process.

“The way this season went, I’m going to keep that in mind,” he says. “Anytime it gets hard, just think about where you were a year ago. You weren’t able to play, you weren’t even able to walk. So I feel like things like that will definitely help me push through. Be grateful and have gratitude for where I am—or where I will be.”

Photos courtesy of Taylor Hendricks.

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As they gear up to take their talents to the next level at their respective programs, we’re celebrating each of them. Meet the future of hoops:

The post The 2025 SLAM HS All-Americans appeared first on SLAM.

This year’s group of high school seniors have already caught the world’s attention with their versatile and elite skillsets, but soon, college hoops fans will know their names, too.

With arguably the highest ceiling in his class, 6-9 forward Nate Ament can already do it all, with the drive to continuously fine-tune the framework of his three-level scoring. The locks on defense are there, too. Mind you, with a handle and quickness to break down defenders in transition and off the wing, he’ll be a problem for people for a lot of years.

The world has known the name AJ Dybantsa for a minute now, and that’s because the 6-9 Brockton native is really like that. With otherworldly athleticism and shot-creating skills that look like they’re straight from an NBA arena, it’s no surprise that hardly any have rivaled his vice grip on the No. 1 ranking in the class of 2025.

After completing one of the most successful high school careers in recent memory, featuring four state championships and three EYBL Peach Jam titles, Cameron Boozer is already looking to up the ante at Cameron Indoor next season. Consistency is the backbone of his game, with sneaky defensive instincts that will be sending shots into stands across the ACC next season.

You don’t have to look far for John Calipari’s next great point guard. Darius Acuff Jr. has cemented himself as one of the best scoring lead guards in the country. The EYBL Scholastic, USA Basketball and Peach Jam circuits have all witnessed the show that the future Arkansas point guard puts on, tuned to the sound of the ball constantly falling through the net.

It doesn’t get much smoother than Darryn Peterson getting buckets. The 6-6 combo guard who’s heading to Kansas this fall has quietly been improving his already elite offensive arsenal. Between registering a near triple-double in his Chipotle Nationals debut and winning co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game, Peterson’s heading to the Jayhawks with dominance on his mind.

The post The 2025 SLAM HS Boys All-Americans appeared first on SLAM.

One of the most versatile players in the class of 2025, Jazzy Davidson makes things happen on both ends of the floor: she can get to the rim with her quickness and shifty handles, knock down shots, play off of her teammates and block the best person on the floor. Jazzy will be taking her flashy game to USC in the fall.

Grace Knox is a 6-2 wing with major bounce. The Etiwanda star can block shots, rebound, score and dunk. If that sounds flashy, imagine what she’ll do next year at LSU. Knox, who is part of the country’s No. 1 recruiting class (per ESPN), will fit right in with the Tigers. For more on Grace, flip to page 70.

When the ball is in her hands, Agot Makeer makes winning plays every single time. The 6-1 combo guard from Toronto with an all-around game can dish it, shoot it, run the floor and snag rebounds. All of that potential has Gamecocks fans hyped for the program’s future. Under Dawn Staley’s nurturing vision, Makeer is a star in the making. 

Just give Aaliyah Crump the ball because when she’s got it, magic happens. The 6-1 guard can create her own shot from anywhere on the floor, which makes her tricky to cover considering she’ll release it from well beyond the three-point line, too. Texas has a sharpshooter on the way. 

Don’t think just because her last name is Betts that Sienna is a carbon copy of her older sister, Lauren. But, we do have to  say that the thought of them playing together next year at UCLA is pretty exciting. The five-star power forward can knock down shots from beyond the arc, hit an ill step-back from the mid-range and finish at the rim, just like her big sis. Getting buckets must run in the fam. 

Aaliyah Chavez is on her own wave. The five-star standout is an elite and next-level efficient scorer with nine 50-point performances in her high school career (yes, you read that right). She’ll take her generational talent to Oklahoma, but if there’s one thing you should know about our High School Diarist, she’s never been one to listen to the critics. Instead, Chavez lets her game do all the talking. 

The post The 2025 SLAM HS Girls All-Americans appeared first on SLAM.

My roots in Brooklyn go way back. When Liberty CEO Keia Clarke and Chief Brand Officer Shana Stephenson were dreaming up a new mascot for our team to reflect our move to Brooklyn, Keia came across this fun fact of Brooklyn history: Before the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883, people weren’t sure of its structural integrity. So, what did Mr. P.T. Barnum, the legendary showman, do? He marched 21 elephants across the bridge to prove its strength. That moment was legendary, and now, I get to carry that legacy forward – proudly stomping through Brooklyn with the same spirit of strength and showmanship. Everything about me is unapologetically Brooklyn – my style, my performances, my voice. Like Brooklyn, I contain multitudes – I’m an artist, dancer, performer, and advocate.

My goal has always been to inspire and connect with as many people as I can. Our home games at Barclays Center are such a joy for me. I know that our fans come from near and far to the Liberty and me in action, and I want to give them every second of entertainment and joy that I can. On game day, you can find me everywhere from courtside to the suites and upper levels at the arena. I consider it my mission to welcome and shine love on each and every fan we welcome into our home. These are the things that make the Liberty game day experience unique and memorable – and what I’m most proud of.

Now, a word on the New York Liberty crowd: if you’ve been to a game at Barclays Center, then you know what I’ve always known — New York Liberty games are the best party in the city! Maybe the best party in sports — and don’t call me biased. Under the direction of Senior Director of Entertainment Criscia Long and Senior Manager of Entertainment Shenay Rivers, there is truly no show like Liberty entertainment. We perform for REAL. 

It’s not just the trending moments you see on social media — my team and I believe in giving it our all, every play of every game. Like our fans, I do not play about my team. I am extremely passionate about maintaining a positive atmosphere in the arena so that my sisters on the court feel nothing but positive energy radiating from the crowd.

Watching the Liberty bring home our first WNBA Championship in 28 seasons was one of the most invigorating experiences I’ve ever had. The Liberty are an original franchise of the WNBA, and at that final game, you could feel the determination – the many years of history shifting into victory. New York fans were hungry, and the Liberty finally brought home our city’s first professional basketball championship in over 50 years! While some folks in the crowd might have been sweating those last few seconds, I was thinking about each and every Liberty legend, past and present, who paved the way for that moment – I was more sure than ever that our story was ending with a WIN. Turns out, it wasn’t the end of our story at all. Looking back, it almost feels like the beginning! After the confetti fell, the team launched into a truly surreal couple of days. The New York Liberty were everywhere: morning shows, late night shows, parading through the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan with thousands of fans, holding the trophy up for New York and the world to see!

Since then, everyone’s been asking me what I’ve been up to during the offseason, which always makes me laugh. One thing you’ll learn about me is I’m never “off.” Being forever “ON” is one of my superpowers – it’s what’s enabled my limitless growth, especially in the last year.

When I’m not courtside at Barclays Center, I’m in rehearsals and training to truly take my brand to the next level. I have been making moves and strategically planning how to bring my Herd an even higher, ELLIE-vatedlevel of entertainment and content for the 2025 WNBA season. While many of my plans have yet to be revealed, I can say that my team and I have been brainstorming new looks, hustling on new deals, and crafting exciting moments on and off the court for Liberty fans. Everyone wants to know what and who I’ll be wearing in the tunnel this year. Trust me: My team has more than a few tricks up our sleeves, and we have our finger on the pulse of what the fashion girlies are loving these days.

Like many Brooklynites, fashion and how I represent myself through style means a lot to me. It’s a goal of mine to be viewed as more than a mascot, more than a dancer – I want to be viewed as an artist, an icon, an extension of the team and the spirit of the Liberty.

I’m not a traditional mascot, so I’m going to have a look that’s totally me. Every detail from nail to tail is intentionally crafted and curated by our team to reflect the culture and essence of Brooklyn. It started with introducing my now iconic braid. Look around Barclays Center on any given game day and you’ll see me – and Liberty fans at every level in the arena – swinging our braids around. Last season, we introduced my jersey dress, or the ‘Herzey,’ as I like to call it. So many people were talking about my new fit that we decided to officially sell them this season! I expect to see a sea of Herzey dresses at Liberty games soon. 

Fashion was a big part of my brand and my story last year, and it still is, but I have my eyes on some other prizes too. My team is already making moves so we can take the Ellie brand to the next level. Maybe you saw the Liberty’s partnership with essie? I got my first manicure and became essie’s first-ever celebrity spokesperson! Remember what I said about looking good from nail to tail? So yeah, I’m thinking beauty, business, and beyond. I’m thinking about how I can really breakthrough in the business world and bring value to our partners, attract brands who vibe with the way we do things at the Liberty, and keep giving our fans the best experience every time they walk through the doors for a Liberty game. Don’t be surprised if you see me and my team in your boardroom talking business sometime soon. I want to continue my ascent to unforeseen heights, and I know that I can and will inspire people and brands to be limitless. I really do believe if you can dream it, you can do it – so just watch what I dream up next.

Can I tell you a secret, SLAM? I put the SLAM cover on my vision board back before the 2024 WNBA season, so to be the first mascot ever to be featured on the cover of SLAM is truly a dream come true. When I saw my girls Stewie, JJ, and Sab on the cover of SLAM 253, I knew it was time to hustle harder than ever before and make my dream a reality.

I’ve been thinking about what this honor means to me, and I created an acronym for what SLAM represents for me: Solidifying Legacy & Achieving Mastery. I’m so honored to be featured by a magazine that has chronicled the greats of basketball, and I am more inspired than ever to keep reaching for the next level of excellence. For me, it’s not about finding contentment in being good – or great, even. It’s about continual refinement, growth, and control over my craft. If I stopped at being a good mascot, I wouldn’t be writing to you all today. I truly believe when you use your gifts, you can redefine any role and bring unlimited value to it – and it all starts with being YOU. To see this come to fruition is a testament to my belief that when you have a vision, make a plan, and apply work to the faith: It. Will. Happen.

I was putting in the work well before my first real viral moment: long rehearsals, running around the arena making sure every fan felt shined on, hustling and preparing for the moment I knew was going to come. It all seemed to change for me when two of my Torch Patrol dancers (shoutout Jocinda and Eileen!) and I did a Cardi B dance challenge that was trending on TikTok. Imagine my surprise when I opened up my phone to see Cardi B herself commented and reposted. The next thing I know, I’m going viral on social media, giving interviews, doing photo shoots, Ciara’s team is calling me up to perform with her, I’m the first professional sports team mascot to have their own float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and before you know it – I’m on the cover of SLAM! Now I’m working harder than ever, and I couldn’t be happier. It brings me such joy to connect with fans – in person at Liberty games, over social media, and on the pages of their favorite magazines. My goal has always been to inspire as many people as I can to embrace life and live authentically.

I’m so excited for Liberty and WNBA fans to share in what we’ve been planning to bring the Ellie-vation to new heights this season. So much has been in the works, and I want everyone on the edge of their seats, so I won’t be revealing too much of my master plan here. If there’s one thing you can be sure of when it comes to Ellie the Elephant: Expect a show! The Liberty have been hard at work this offseason. I’m so excited to cut up with my new and returning Liberty besties, show off my new looks in the tunnel, and continue to share my love of dance and connecting with fans.

To all the Liberty fans out there, to my Herd near and far: I Stomp. You Stomp. We Stomp. Dream big, work hard, and always stay true to YOU. You never know – you may end up on the cover of SLAM one day too.

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Ellie The Elephant Runs the City | WSLAM Digital Cover Story appeared first on SLAM.

On an overcast day in mid-April, Cloud was welcomed to the New York Liberty with a seafoam carpet roll out. “WELCOME TO BROOKLYN” signage filled nearly every LED screen in and around the arena, from the marquee outside to the video board in the team’s locker room, where her Rebel Edition threads were already set up. Coaches, front office staff, the PR department and the social media team huddled around the organization’s star offseason pick-up, capturing every second of her first day. You couldn’t get Cloud to stop smiling if you tried. And after an offseason filled with uncertainty, there’s a genuine joy behind her grin. She’s back on Cloud 9.

“I just kind of thought that I was coming in and just getting my locker. I’ve never had a big kind of reveal like that. So when I came and everyone was kind of outside, it was a shock for me, especially with the way that I was traded. It has been hard to kind of trust in the next process, but I truly am in the place that I’m meant to be,” Cloud told us when she sat down for her SLAM 256 cover shoot in early May. “So I’m just really thankful to be here, be part of this organization and to be in a position to even compete for championships again. That’s really all I want at this point in my career. I feel like I have a lot left to give the game, and this is the best place for me to try and go win a championship with this group of people, with this coaching staff, with this front office. I’m really excited.”

To fully understand how we got to the corner of Flatbush Ave. and Atlantic Ave., we’ve got to take it back to the winter of 2024, when the future wasn’t so certain. With free agency looming at the end of her eighth season with the Washington Mystics, Cloud says she was never offered an extension from the team she helped lead to six playoff appearances and the 2019 WNBA championship. The lack of commitment bruised her ego. So she leaned into the challenges that arose with a new organization and a new city, locking in with the Phoenix Mercury on a two-year deal. “This was, like, my big kind of leap to see if I can spread my wings and fly and be who I was for DC, be that in Phoenix. And so I did that,” Cloud says. 

The crop top papi poured in 11.5 points, 6.9 dimes and 1.4 steals a night, notching her third All-Defensive team selection and leading the Mercury to the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs before they were knocked out in two games by a Finals-bound Lynx squad. 

The past few seasons have been, as Cloud puts it, “a whirlwind,” but the 2022 assist champ was feeling good about riding out the rest of her career in the desert. That was until she started scrolling through her social media feed while at Unrivaled in early February and found out she’d been traded, without warning, to a Connecticut Sun organization in rebuild mode. 

“I very much said my piece after those calls, because for me as a player, you asked me to do a few things: to show up, to change a culture, to bring you back to the playoffs. And I did all three things while also having one of my best statistical years,” Cloud says. “So on paper, it doesn’t really make sense, but from the business aspect, I understand. So that’s all for me as a player, telling my truth of the story is just that, the business side of things fans don’t always see, the media don’t always see, but there is still a healthy way of doing business.

“So not only am I being traded in the middle of an offseason, which was not communicated to me, unexpected, didn’t necessarily make sense, but [I’m] having to do it in front of my co-workers and go in the next day with people that I actually was traded for,” she continues. “So emotionally, that was really hard. But the beauty of this game is, it has always been my oasis. So when things got really chaotic and tough for me emotionally, mentally, spiritually, within that trade, I just really dove back into basketball. And like it always has, it kind of saved me, kept my head above water.”

The gym is where Cloud says she can be both vulnerable and comfortable with herself. The frustration and confusion of the past few months were channeled into every drill, every jumper, every lift. She found comfort in conversations with her therapist, the community in the Phantom BC’s locker room and a newly established backcourt connection with Unrivaled teammate Sabrina Ionescu. 

The drive and hunger to compete for a championship were still as strong as when she was a rookie, but Cloud and the Sun knew their timelines to that goal didn’t align, so she asked the front office to do right by her. “I need y’all to help me at this point in my career to just put me in a place that I deserve to be in,” she explains. A week before she was set to leave Miami, Cloud got a call from New York Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb. She wasn’t just heading to a contender, she was teaming up with the reigning champs.

“I truly feel saved in a lot of ways,” Cloud says. “I know that sounds dramatic, but where my feet are today is truly a blessing. I’m so grateful to be where I am. I’m really grateful to put this Liberty jersey on and excited. Excited to play for this organization. Excited to play for this community. Excited to be in a city that is just like what I’m used to. Nitty gritty. We get everything out the mud. We appreciate hard workers. We don’t put up with no bulls**t. I like to think that I’m the New York menace. I’m going to change my name to that. I used to say, ***hole. I think New York menace is better.”

A new oasis resides in Brooklyn. One where Cloud can facilitate freely, put the clamps on ballhandlers with confidence and drop buckets at will. She’s already locked in with head coach Sandy Brondello on how to be an extension of her vision on the court. And the overwhelming depth the Liberty have entering this season hasn’t been lost on her either. Cloud’s taking ownership in making sure that everybody eats. Sab. Stewie. Jonquel. Leonie. Marine. Nyara. Izzy. Kennedy. Everyone’s getting touches. 

“And then defensively, I’m our dog. There’s going to be a bunch of dogs on defense, but I like to think that I’m the head of the snake of that. So the pressure that I apply will get us going,” Cloud
says. “We get to play with pace and in transition. And that’s where basketball really gets to become fun—when you get to play positionless. And that’s why I’m so excited to be here.”

The main point guard duties will fall to Cloud 9, allowing Ionescu to find even more success off the ball. We’ve already seen the guard-on-guard screening actions play out perfectly in training camp with Cloud whipping over-the-shoulder passes to Ionescu at the three-point line after drawing her defender away. It’s all just a continuation of the chemistry they developed together this offseason. 

“I’m pretty sure Sab probably didn’t like me when we got to Unrivaled,” Cloud says with a laugh. “Mainly because I’m the one who defends her as the opposing player. And for me, Sab is one of the best guards in our league. So when I played against New York, like, I got to get into her s**t. I got to bully her and push her off her places. So, yeah, in turn, I don’t really think she messed with me that much.”

With lockers right next to each other, the bond we’ve come to see across the Liberty’s social channels formed quickly. “I just remember being around her and just being like, Wow, you’re low-key funny. Like, Sab says lowkey s**t all the time that’s hilarious,” Cloud says. “And it just kind of fit. Like, the vibes were immaculate. We really did get along.”

Instead of using training camp to adapt to each other’s play styles, they built on the foundation that was laid in Miami. Cloud knows how Ionescu moves, where her spots are and how to “set her up, get easier shots for her and really just make her life just a tad bit easier.” The preseason has been proof enough with Cloud already building out cerebral connections across the roster, allowing everyone to tap into a new feeling: an oasis of creativity.

These first few weeks in Brooklyn have been a refreshing yet familiar shift. She’s enjoying the pace of Brooklyn, walking to practice every day, interacting with fans and those who “notice my dogs before me, which is low-key cool,” she says. She’s back on the East Coast and more importantly, back to competing for championships. 

“Overall though, I want to be exactly who I said I am. That was the goal with moving from DC to Phoenix. That’s the same goal here in New York,” Cloud says. “I’m going to prove I’m exactly who I said I am. There is not a selfish bone in my body. I will do whatever this team needs on any given night. If that’s scoring, if that’s not scoring, if that’s defending, if not, whatever it is. I’m just going to be that piece, that role player, whatever, every single night. But yeah, I’m going to get into the people’s s**t, too. I’m gonna be the menace.” 

Portraits by Alex Subers.

The post Back on Cloud 9: New York Liberty Star Natasha Cloud Covers SLAM 256 appeared first on SLAM.

Kelsey Plum has never been one to hold back. Not when she was 10 years old and told her mom that she wanted to play in the WNBA. Not in Washington, where she broke numerous records. Not in San Antonio, where, as the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 pick in 2017, she made it clear in her introductory press conference that critics were “good” because they “make skin tough.” And not in Vegas, where the team relocated in 2018 and where Plum would go on to show just how tough she really was by bouncing back from an Achilles injury to win Sixth Woman of the Year and then back-to-back championships. 

The KP that is talking to us now is in Los Angeles. Having been acquired by the Sparks via a three-team trade in early February, her words are a message to the fans regarding what they can expect from her new squad this year. But really, they echo a truth about her entire career, too. Plum has always been about putting in the work. 

“Kelsey’s just elevated our whole organization because of the hard work she does on and off the floor,” says Cameron Brink, who is sitting with Plum, Dearica Hamby and Rickea Jackson inside a gym at El Camino College, where the Sparks are hosting their preseason content day. “She’s been a huge inspiration for me in that sense. We both have the same trainer—I’ve said that before—but she’s the hardest worker I know, and it inspires me to just put in that much more effort every day. So obviously she’s amazing on the floor. She’s one of the best players in our league, but she’s really taking our organization to the next level.”

Long before they were teammates, Cam got a glimpse of just how competitive KP truly was during a workout they had together. Brink was only in high school at the time. “I was very intimidated. She kicked my ass in every drill, everything,” she says.

The way Plum remembers it, Brink dished it right back, too. “You probably don’t remember, but you blocked the s**t out of me in that workout,” Plum says to her.

“Did I?” Brink says, stunned at the memory, as if she isn’t a 6-4 shot blocking machine. Neither of them could have known all those years ago that one day they’d join forces.

The same goes for Plum and Hamby, who played together in San Antonio at the beginning of their careers and now, years later, are teammates yet again. They go way back, too. “I first met D in the hotel lobby. What was that? The Final Four?” Plum asks her. “You had just had Amaya [in 2017], [she] was cute in the baby stroller. I’ll never forget that. You just said, Hi, you’re going to be my new teammate.” 

“She’s been one of my best friends since she came into the league, and I’m just grateful to have her back,” says Hamby. As for when Plum met Jackson, neither of them had talked to each other until the Aces played the Sparks last season. “I just remember looking at her shoes and being like, OK, she’s got swag,” says Plum. 

It’s crazy how things can change in the course of an offseason, but here they are, together, all wearing the purple and gold. The timing couldn’t be any more perfect for the Sparks, who went 8-32 last year, haven’t made it to the playoffs since 2020 and have had three coaching changes since then. But with new head coach Lynne Roberts, a new floor general in Plum to help set the tone and a roster full of ultimate bucket-getters, which also includes Odyssey Sims and Azurá Stevens, to name a few, the team is ready to get back to what it once was: a winning franchise. 

If this were a movie, then Jackson has the perfect title. 

“Baddies and Buckets,” she says. 

Say less. 

Even though they only played one preseason game against the Golden State Valkyries on May 6, that down-to-the-wire matchup provided a glimpse at what the Sparks can do offensively. Plum was shifty with the ball in her hands and facilitated the offense by dishing off plenty of dimes—5, to be exact—to her new teammates, which included one to Hamby right from the jump. Hamby, a three-time All-Star and 2022 champ who had 4 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds, plays with power and poise on both ends of the floor.

“I think D is one of the most underrated players in our league. Plays both ends of the court,” says Plum. “I kind of said this earlier in the press conference, [but] the 4 position is the most difficult in our league because you’re matching up with the best of the best in the world. So what she [has done] on a night in and night out basis throughout her career is, to me, one of the most impressive things. She plays both ends. She plays incredibly hard, she moves well without the ball, almost better than anyone I’ve seen, and she’s very instinctive and plays to that strength. And she’s going to have a great year.”

As a two-time Sixth Woman of the Year, Hamby is ready to add All-WNBA honors to her stacked résumé this season. “I think the next step for me would be to be All-WNBA,” she says. “I think I’ve kind of had every role possible throughout my career, but definitely want to be an All-Star again.”

Then there’s Jackson, who was so silky smooth from beyond the arc, going 2-4 and leading the team in scoring with 13 points. She carries herself with the confidence of a seasoned vet despite being drafted just last year by the Sparks as the No. 4 pick. “I just want us to win, whatever that looks like,” she says, when asked about her goals this season. “Whatever my role is, I’m just ready to contribute and continue to sharpen out the tools in my toolbox.”

“She’s being humble,” KP adds. “She’s an All-Star waiting to happen, but that’s OK. I respect that.” Later, Plum also describes Jackson as “one of the most talented players I’ve ever played with.”

“I’ve played with some talented players, but her ability to create her own shot—and because of her length at her position—she’s really a size big but in a guard body and she can shoot the three, which is incredible,” Plum adds. “I think the sky’s the limit for her. She can go as far as she wants to go in her career.” 

The only player we haven’t seen yet is Cam, who is still rehabilitating from an ACL injury suffered last season. “I think it’s just doing everything I can to be back on the floor with these three amazing women, that’ll be a success for me,” Brink says of her goals this year after averaging 7.5 points and 5.3 boards last season. 

It’s that positivity and resilience that will guide her throughout the process, but when she does return, everyone will be tuning in to see her do what she does best. “I think Cam is a Defensive Player of the Year waiting to happen,” Plum says. “Cam has everything she already needs in her toolbox. She really just needs to be empowered and continue to build that confidence. But the skills are there. God gave her some incredible talents. I have never played with someone who has been able to affect people’s shots and really deter entire plays. And I [would] know, I played against her. I would try to go in there and there’s not a lot of room to go in there. I would foul her.” 

Despite the absence of Brink, the Sparks have their sights set on the upcoming season. They’ll meet the Valkyries again in their first regular-season game and have a packed schedule that also includes the jersey retirement of Candace Parker, who helped bring the City of Angels a WNBA title in 2016. It’s been nearly a decade since then, but expectations are high.

“I think that a lot of people can have statistics, but do you affect winning?” KP says of her mentality. “I think that’s why I chose to come here. The individual stuff ends up happening when collectively you work together and you win games, so that’s my mentality.” 

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson.

The post Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson on how LA is finding their SPARK this Season appeared first on SLAM.

Long before any of them were dominating in college, the WNBA and NBA, they were once high school standouts on a mission to prove that their game wasn’t all hype. As the basketball landscape has changed over the years, today’s stars have to navigate so much more when it comes to NIL (Name, Image and Likeness), brand deals and having so many eyes watching their every move online and on the court. 

For a 16, 17-year old hooper looking to get their name out there, exposure is everything. No one knows that better than ACES CEO Brian Kortovich, who, just six years ago, put together an elite (no pun intended) All-American game, known as the ACES Elite Classic, in New York City. Over the years, the AEC has evolved into a platform for the culture; there, every player can shine on the biggest stage and learn the business side of the game when it comes to working with major brands, too.

“At ACES, we’ve positioned ourselves as one of the premier storytelling platforms centered around sports, music & entertainment,” says Kortovich. “What we’ve seen since the start, is how ACES resonates with iconic athletes, musicians & entertainers, and globally renowned brands. ACES is being recognized across the board for our unique ability to connect corporate partners with the real culture of sports and entertainment. The AEC continues to attract the top-ranked high school players in the country to New York City, which has become one of the premiere All-American Games in the nation. This is bigger than a game to our city, it’s a responsibility to tradition, hoops culture, and the next generation of athletes.” 

The event, which takes place this year from May 21 at the Gauchos Gym in The Bronx, has featured over 35 McDonald’s All-Americans and hundreds of Division-1 players, including all of the names we mentioned earlier and so many others. 

Over 30 of their alumni have gone on to play in the pros, too, and even grace the cover of SLAM. It’s at the ACES Elite Classic that they’ve been able to show that the hype isn’t just real, it’s just getting started. 

“Being able to play at some of the historic courts in NYC is always special,” says Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo, who played in the AEC twice during her high school career. “This area has produced some of the best basketball players in the world and a game like the ACES Elite Classic showcases just that. I’m truly blessed to represent Jersey hoops and am excited to continue doing so at the next level.”

This year, we’re proud to announce that SLAM will be the official media partner of the AEC. The event, which starts at 6PM ET, will be streamed exclusively on the NBA App.

To watch this year’s standouts compete in-person, you can purchase a ticket here:

The post The Aces Elite Classic RETURNS to New York City May 21 appeared first on SLAM.

1. Be in the WNBA.

“I was always somebody that was driven by goals and that has always remained the same throughout my life,” the Des Moines native told ESPN in March of 2024. Just two months after that interview, a record-breaking 2.4 million broadcast viewers tuned in to watch as Clark was selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. Dressed in head-to-toe Prada, Clark sat at a table alongside her two brothers, Blake and Colin, and their parents, Brent and Anne, inside the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Right before Clark heard her name called on stage by Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the 6-0 guard looked down. The moment she’d envisioned for herself as a kid had arrived, except now the whole world was in on it.

Clark, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, didn’t just make it to the League. She’s lifted the game to completely new heights. In her first season, the now 23-year-old became the first rookie in League history to record a triple-double. She also set a new record for assists in a game (19), set a rookie record for threes made (122) and received the most All-Star votes in WNBA history (over 700,000). In 2024, Fever games in Washington, Atlanta and Vegas were moved to NBA and NHL venues to accommodate the unprecedented demand to see Clark in action. Ahead of this season, six teams have already announced venue upgrades, including the Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun, that will allow for audience sizes two to three times larger than normal.

“I think what people love the most is the emotion I play with. I think it’s easy to connect with. I think they can feel that I’m real on the court,” Clark said, when asked to describe the effect she’s had on the game at an event celebrating her selection as TIME’s 2024 Athlete of the Year, an award that only one other basketball player—LeBron James—has ever received. Anyone who has watched Clark on the court can attest to the thrill of seeing her effortlessly launch her signature long-range logo threes. From distances where players typically heave desperate attempts to beat the buzzer, Clark regularly pulls up to shoot with intention and ease. In the milliseconds after her wrist flicks, Clark becomes one with the crowd, watching as the ball spins through the air toward its inevitable destination and erupting alongside them if the moment so calls.

In early May, Clark and the Fever traveled to Iowa to play a sold-out preseason game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, where her transcendent rise began during her final two collegiate seasons. It was Clark’s first time back since her jersey was retired in February. Permanently marked on the court by a sticker that reads “22 Clark” is the spot where she infamously broke Kelsey Plum’s all-time NCAAW scoring record with a shot several feet behind the three-point line. “I told my teammates, It’s going to be louder than any arena you’ve played in. That’s just the type of energy [these fans] bring every single night,” she told Holly Rowe, as they revisited some of the sites of her most memorable buckets before the game.

Perhaps one of the reasons the connection Clark has with her fans is so strong is because she remembers so clearly being in their shoes. “When I step off the court, I try to be very authentic and genuine and make as much time for people as I can. I never want to big time anybody because I was just that young girl screaming for an autograph,” Clark said. As the all-time NCAA scoring leader knows firsthand, and any fan can attest to, the smallest interactions have the ability to create long-lasting ripple effects.

On the prophetic page her mom saved from her childhood, another dream Clark wrote down was “to meet Maya Moore,” which came true the night she attended her first WNBA game as a kid. Clark’s father drove her from their home in Des Moines to Minnesota and purchased tickets last minute. The box office rep asked if they would like to watch the players warm up before the game. Clark said she remembers sitting courtside and taking a picture with some of the players. After the game, she stayed to watch a post-game question-and-answer segment that featured her idol Maya Moore. Because she didn’t have a sharpie or a phone, Clark simply ran up to Moore and gave her a hug. “There’s no documentation of that moment, but in my brain, it was probably one of the most pivotal moments of my entire basketball career,” she said in a pregame presser last season, on the night Moore’s jersey was retired by the Lynx. “As a young girl loving sports, that meant the world to me.”

During Clark’s senior season at Iowa, Moore surprised the rising star on College GameDay. When the four-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic Gold medalist emerged into view, Clark’s calm and confident demeanor immediately dropped as she let out a squeal and covered her mouth with both her hands.

“I feel like I’m fangirling so hard,” she said with a smile after embracing her idol. “I still feel like when I was this tall and freaking out and I ran across the court and gave you a hug.” When asked how it felt that the best player in the women’s game was inspired by her, Moore said it was a full circle moment because she too remembers being a 10-year-old girl running up to Cynthia Cooper, one of the legends of the game.

According to Clark, her biggest skill is the ability to block out the noise, an imperative one for any athlete to perform at the highest level, let alone one who gets as much attention as she does. However, as much as she’d like it to, the conversation around Clark and her place in the game hasn’t always remained focused on basketball. As a white cis-heteronormative woman in a league of predominantly Black women, Clark has found her name in the center of hot button debates, such as the off-court privileges her identity affords her, and at times weaponized in racist and anti-LGBTQ narratives. When Clark was initially asked last season if she was bothered by this, she mentioned her focus was solely on basketball before expanding further: “I think it’s disappointing, it’s not acceptable…everyone should be treated with the same amount of respect.”

Clark acknowledged the role race plays and her privilege in last year’s Time Magazine cover feature. On stage at the TIME event, Clark said that the only opinions she really cares about are of the people she loves: her teammates, coaches, the people inside their locker room, the people she sees every single day. “I feel like I’m just scratching the surface of what I can accomplish,” she said. In the current unstable and polarized climate of the country and world, maybe the greatest luxury Clark has is this—the privilege of realizing her childhood dreams and continuing to pursue them.

It’s clear that the WNBA and women’s sports are having their long-awaited moment, at a time when the excitement of the game is needed more than ever. Heading into her second season, Clark has her sights set on championship glory and etching her name among the greats, as she inspires the next generation of hoopers alongside the more than 140 women who comprise the League.

Clark said that a lot of people have asked her where she thinks the growing popularity of women’s sports is headed, a question that she doesn’t have an answer for. “If you would’ve told people this is where the WNBA is going to be five years ago, people probably wouldn’t have believed you,” she said. “They never thought they’d buy tickets. They never thought we’d play on ABC or ESPN. They never thought there would be sold-out arenas.” The smartest thing, Clark advised, is to get in now because the price is only going up.

The biggest thing Clark said she’s learned about herself throughout her journey thus far is that dreams can come true. While she admits that her dreams were not at the magnitude of success she’s currently experiencing, Clark said. “I was always somebody who dreamed and wanted to achieve things.” Her parents encouraged her to go after the things she wanted, whether it was to keep up against her older brother and his friends or to follow her goal of making it to the WNBA. “They probably knew at times I would fail and they let me fail, but I think that taught me a lot of lessons about myself and life in general.”

While the increased value and attention the Indiana Fever superstar has brought to the sport has been clear, it may be that her greatest impact will be immeasurable by numbers. Perhaps her lasting legacy won’t be apparent for another decade or two when the next face of basketball shares their encounter with Clark, whose rise will be discussed as one that accelerated the momentum that was already building and brewing long before she ever stepped into the League. It’s hard to project where all this growth is headed but as the world has seen, in the hands of players like Clark, who possess a pure love, joy and competitive fire for the game, the only way for it to go is up.

Portraits by Alex Subers

The post What Noise? Caitlin Clark STAYS DIALED IN | SLAM 256 Cover Story appeared first on SLAM.

With 7:17 left in the first quarter, Young, one of the best scorers in the W, drove right at the 6-0 guard and former UConn star. “[DiJonai] was there to get the jump ball so I could catch my breath for a second, but that was no joke. The slide to contain, stay in front on a closeout, just get checked. Yeah, that was real,” says Bueckers, who had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist, with a smile. It’s May, and Bueckers is here with us at the University of Texas Arlington gym, where she and her new Wings teammates, Arike Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington, are posing for their first SLAM cover together.

Individually, they each have a swagger that’s undeniable. Arike, who was drafted by the Wings in 2019 at No. 5, is their captain and the second-longest tenured player on the team with a game so flashy and clutch it’s earned her All-Star and All-WNBA honors. Then there’s DiJonai, who was last year’s Most Improved Player and is bold and confident in everything she does, from guarding the best player on the floor to scoring over everybody and then hitting ’em with the seatbelt celly. As for the rook, Bueckers exudes an aura so captivating, she’s become beloved—from gracing our cover in high school to winning a national championship at UConn just two months ago to reinvigorating the Wings as the No. 1 pick. There are even hundreds of TikTok edits and fan pages obsessed with her every (dance) move. But like the braid she once wore in college, she’s leaving the hype in the past and embracing her new role as a rookie.

“It’s crazy, I went from being the oldest and I guess the vet on the UConn team to being the youngest here, or one of the youngest,” she says. “I’m [continuing] to stay humble, stay hungry and working to be the best teammate, best leader I can be, [and] working to find my voice. Obviously, I don’t have as much experience, but I still feel like I have a lot of knowledge and wisdom for the game and a lot of love for it.”

It’s here in Dallas that she’ll learn how to compete in the pros. And it’s together as a unit that she, Arike, DiJonai and their squad of standouts will look to show the entire League that the Wings can hold their own, too.

“New” is the theme this year for the Wings, who are now led by first-year head coach and former defensive coordinator Chris Koclanes, who, per the Dallas Hoops Journal, is emphasizing “playing fast…playing smart. Every action has to have purpose.” New is also the word Arike uses when asked about the team so far ahead of the season. “It’s just new, there’s a lot of new, [which is] something that I’ve wanted to happen and something that’s needed to happen for the city,” she says. “I think the front office did a great job bringing in the players they brought in, drafting the players they drafted, the trades that they made happen in free agency. So now I feel like this team is really ready and willing to compete, and we’ll have fun while doing it.”

Last season, the Wings were 9-31 and didn’t make the playoffs. But this year, they’ve got their sights on changing that. For Arike, who averaged 22.2 ppg and has experienced all the ups and downs over the years, including losing in the semis to the Aces in 2023 and three head coaching changes since she first arrived, her goal is to make everyone around her better. “Last year, Year 6, it was tough in the win column,” she says. “[My goal now is] just being better than last year, getting my teammates involved, going higher in every statistical category. But definitely more wins is the main thing for me.”

Her teammates will look for her to guide them. “She’s been a leader for the team, she’s captain of the team and she’s your voice,” Bueckers says. “She’s a bucket, of course. Everybody knows that. Just being around her, she’s super selfless, super welcoming.”

While it’s only been a few weeks since training camp started in late April, it’s obvious that the key to the Wings’ success this season will be their ability to develop chemistry quickly in a short amount of time. It’s all happening before our very eyes—from Carrington helping fix Bueckers’ hair mid-photo shoot to attending the SZA and Kendrick concert as a team (the Wings even got them a suite, says Arike). “We’re still finding our chemistry,” Arike says. “I think it helps that we like each other off the court. We’ve been to a couple dinners together, we’ve been to a concert together, we’ve hung out these last couple of weeks more than I think I have in the past couple of years, which is good. To build that type of chemistry and relationship off the court, it’s gonna transfer to on the court.”

In the Wings’ most recent exhibition game against the Toyota Antelopes at home, fans got a glimpse of just how flashy, energetic and most importantly, connected, their team can be on the floor—from Bueckers dishing a crisp, overhead dime to Ogunbowale that was so on target, you’d think they’d played together for years, to Ogunbowale’s buzzer-beater and Carrington’s ability to finish at the rim. The three of them, along with Myisha Hines-Allen, all finished the game in double digits. 

“We’re all uptempo,” says DiJonai. “We like to play fast and just get out and have fun. It’s never too serious, which I like.”

For the 5-11 guard, the move from Connecticut, where she averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.0 rebounds last season, to Dallas serves as an opportunity to be in an entirely new environment that’s unlike anywhere she’s ever been before. “There are no similarities, actually, between here and Connecticut or here and Waco,” she says. Carrington also brings a level of competitiveness, energy and leadership to the team, as well as a fun-loving attitude, which is especially apparent in the way her teammates talk about her.

“Nai/DC/DJ, she doesn’t like DC or DJ [as nicknames], she only likes Nai…she’s great,” says Paige. “She’s like a baby vet because she’s still young. She’s just a fun time to be around. I’m always trolling her, making fun of her, annoying her. That’s been fun. She just has a heart and a passion for the game that you can tell.”

When asked about her first impressions of Arike and PB, Carrington dishes it right back. “Paige is God punishing me for how I bothered my vets when I was a rookie,” Carrington says, lovingly. “Rike, she’s cool. She’s a vibe. I already knew that, though.”

And just like that, the building blocks of a team are already in motion. As for what the Wings will accomplish this season, we’ll all have to wait and see, but as for what we can all expect: a lot of buckets, elite dimes and plenty of LeagueFits-worthy tunnel fits. It’s never been a more exciting time to be a Dallas sports fan.

“I’m sure big money NIL Paige will come correct and DiJonai as well, I know she’ll be fitted,” says Arike.

“I don’t know what they got going on, but I’m coming trim, Game 1,” says DiJonai, hinting at the looks she has planned. “I can’t tell y’all yet. Just know it’s gon’ be tea. I can’t spill it.”

“I do think we’ll have the best dressed team in the League,” adds Bueckers. “I’ll say that.”

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson.

The post With Paige Bueckers, DiJonai Carrington and Arike Ogunbowale, the Dallas Wings are Ready to FLY this season appeared first on SLAM.

DT was the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 pick in ’04, and from the moment she arrived until she retired 20 years later, she was the franchise’s centerpiece, the iron at the core of their offense. Taurasi played a style of basketball tougher than the element itself: the spin moves, the fadeaway pull-up jumpers, the crisp dimes, all that attitudeand fire. Everyone’s got a DT story, a moment they’ll never forget: the trash talk, the kiss, that selfie she took after getting ejected (“Got tossed, lol.”), the door. Early on, the Mercury played a fast-paced, run-and-gun offense under then-head coach Paul Westhead, known as the “The System,” that allowed DT to evolve into a scoring machine. By ’06, she averaged a career-high 25.3 ppg; by ’07, she was a champion. Just two years later in ’09, the Merc’s legendary trio of DT, her now-wife Penny Taylor and Cappie Pondexter won another one.

In 2013, the Mercury drafted a 6-9 anomaly from Baylor named Brittney Griner as the No. 1 pick. BG opened up the team’s spacing, dunked on their competition and helped bring another title back to the Valley of the Sun in 2014. The rest is…

History. No one could have imagined that last season would be the very last time we’d ever see those two in the purple and orange. This past February, the franchise as we know it changed forever: Griner signed with the Atlanta Dream in free agency. Right around the same time, the Mercury made a four-team trade to acquire Alyssa Thomas from Connecticut and Satou Sabally from Dallas, as well as center Kalani Brown and guard Sevgi Uzun (from the Wings). As for Taurasi, it was a matter of if she was going to retire or return for Year 21. On February 25, she announced in TIME that she was retiring from the game. The end of an era.

Now, for the first time in a very, very long time, the Mercury are starting over. Under the helm of head coach Nate Tibbetts, the Mercury have a vision for how their squad, led by the new Big 3, will compete this season. Everyone’s calling it positionless basketball.

The term isn’t one Tibbetts came up with directly, but it is one he’s embracing. “I don’t know who has termed it ‘positionless,’” he said, via Desert Wave Media. “I love the term. We’re just trying to figure it out and play with space.”

For the past decade, the Mercury relied heavily on DT’s scoring ability and BG’s defensive dominance, but Tibbetts has reimagined the Mercury’s system entirely. They’ll still play fast and aggressive defensively, but he’s emphasizing way more versatility. “Us going in and getting [Thomas] and [Sabally] is just going to give us more size. Maybe just not at the center position, but just positionally,” Tibbetts continued. “Like [Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren] said, let’s make this our own path. We’ve got different ideas.”

By utilizing each player’s individual skill set and not limiting them to the confines of their traditional positions, Tibbetts is going to let his stars unleash their creativity while creating opportunities for others. For a player like Sabally, who earned the nickname “Unicorn” because of how dynamic and unique her game is (in Dallas, she averaged 17.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and a career-high 5.0 assists last season in just 15 games due to injury), it’ll allow her to play with the freedom she hasn’t had before. “Positionless basketball is what we’ve all been doing as individual players,” Sabally said to the media on May 8, while sitting alongside Copper, Thomas and Tibbetts. “Now we’re put into a system that will really enhance that and will let us be free.”

As she spoke, Thomas, who is one of the best facilitators in the League and a six-time All-Defensive superstar, nodded her head in agreement. During her time in Connecticut, AT broke the WNBA single-season record for assists (316) and double-doubles (28) in 2023 and remains the franchise’s leader in almost every major category, including games played, rebounds and assists. “[Thomas is] a basketball wizard,” Tibbetts told the media, via TheNext. “I’ve been super happy with how she’s been willing to speak up and use her voice in situations. You can say a lot of things about [Thomas], but the number one thing is, she’s a winner. Her teams win, and they win at a high level. That’s what we want, to win at the highest level here, too.”

With 11 years of veteran experience, Thomas can now tap into all the different layers of her game, from running the point to also playing center and forward. “AT starting the break, imagine a 4 trying to pick her up full court? That’s tough,” said Copper.

As for Kah, who averaged a career-high 21.1 points per game while earning her fourth All-Star appearance last year, she’ll be expected to drop buckets, play aggressive defense and bring that same intensity, grit and Philly-bred attitude she’s always played with (who could forget the in-your-face staredown she gave Sophie Cunningham in Game 2 of the Finals in 2021?). But her impact this season, specifically, will go way beyond just the Xs and Os. Kah is undeniably one of the team’s leaders, and having played with greats like Candace Parker, whom she won a title with in Chicago, as well as Griner and Taurasi last year, this is now her time to lead a squad of her own.

“Playing with great players is a great thing,” Copper said earlier this month, via AZcentral. “You learn different leadership styles. Just going back to my 2020-21 season [in Chicago], winning the championship, that team was full of leaders, but leaders in their own way. And I think you’re able to be your best, most authentic and genuine self when you do it your own way.”

While it’s only been a few weeks since training camp started in late April, it’s Copper who will “set the tone” every single day, according to Tibbetts. “[Copper] is special,” Tibbetts said, via TheNext. “She means a lot to me and what we’re trying to do, and her growth over the course of the year, like, a year ago, she and I, we had just met for the first time, and our conversations, our relationship, our trust, is at the ultimate level…My whole challenge to her this year is lead. And it’s not just with what you say, it’s what you do…And every day she has set the tone.”

Her presence is already being felt by her teammates, too. “We’ve already had a conversation… she was like, I’m gonna demand a lot from you,” says Sabally. “We looked each other in the eyes and we were like, Yeah, good. I want that. I know her drive as a player. That’s where I want to be.”

As for what happens next, all eyes will be on Phoenix to see how exactly they rise to the occasion this season, which officially starts May 16. Still, it’s obvious that the Mercury are not looking to rewrite the past, but pen their own chapter. No one can replicate what Taurasi and Griner brought to the organization, but with a new roster, a new training facility, a new philosophy and a ton of new additions—including sharpshooter Sami Whitcomb from Seattle, overseas standouts Monique Akoa-Makani, Anna Makurat and Shyla Heal, and new signees like Alexis Prince and Kitija Laksa, to name a few—the opportunities are endless. “I anticipate I’ll get some of the most open looks I’ve had probably in my career, because people will leave me to guard them,” Whitcomb says of the Big 3. Adds Kalani Brown: “Nate has given me a green light, and he wants me to evolve. So I’m very happy about that. It’s very uncomfortable at first, but I think once I get it down, it’s gonna be better.”

Without the present, there’s no future, and right now, the Mercury are locked in on just that. Exactly how it’ll all come together, only time will tell.

“In the end, it’s still basketball,” says Satou. “The ball has to fall in the hoop, and we’re pretty good at that.”

Portraits by Erik Isakson.

The post The Phoenix Mercury—and their New Big 3—are ready to RISE to the Occasion This Season appeared first on SLAM.

Now, the Hall of Famer transitions into a front office role as the President of Basketball Operations, a position he announced by revealing a shirt that said “El Jefe” on the front.

Although he’ll still be involved with the Spurs organization, Popovich’s impact on the sidelines, the League and San Antonio hoops in particular is one that cannot be overlooked.

Before his 29 years with San Antonio, Popovich started with the Air Force Academy.

After playing high school basketball in Indiana, where he grew up, Popovich enrolled in the Air Force Academy, where he played for the basketball team. Popovich was a key contributor, leading the team in scoring during the 1970 season, averaging over 14 points a night.

While on active duty, he earned a roster spot on the U.S. Armed Forces all-star basketball team, and played consistently across Europe. He earned a tryout to the U.S. Olympic trials, which were attended by Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, who had just begun his coaching career in the ABA.

Popovich failed to make the team, and later began a coaching career with his alma mater as an assistant coach. After spending six seasons with the Air Force Academy, Popovich was hired by the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens, a Division III joint-basketball program shared between Pomona College and Pitzer College in California. He rebuilt the struggling program into a powerhouse, leading the Sagehens to a conference title in the 1980’s, their first in 68 years.

With his success at the Division III level, Popovich was hired by Brown, who was then coaching the Kansas Jayhawks. Brown would give Popovich the breakthrough he needed, as when he became the Spurs head coach in 1988, he again added the Hall of Famer to his staff.

Under Brown, Popovich first crossed paths with a superstar who he would eventually coach years later—David Robinson.

“I loved Pop from the beginning because Pop’s a military guy,” Robinson said in an interview on Joe Buck’s podcast. “Pop had a vision. He knew what he wanted to accomplish. He knew how he wanted to accomplish it, so guys started to buy into it. That really was the big turnaround, that was when things started falling into place.”

After a two-year stint as an assistant with the Warriors, Popovich returned to San Antonio for the 1994 season.

He became the general manager of the Spurs, helping sign veteran point guard Avery Johnson from the Golden State Warriors, and trading away fan-favorite Dennis Rodman to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for center Will Perdue, both who would eventually be contributors to San Antonio’s first title in 1999.

After a 3-15 start, Popovich hired himself as head coach for the 1996-1997 season, in what proved to be a lost season for the Spurs.

Robinson suffered a season-ending foot injury after playing only six games, while the team’s second-leading scorer Sean Elliott only played 39 games due to a knee injury. Chuck Person, another team veteran was out for the entire season with a back injury.

With a roster turning over with injuries, the Spurs ended the season with a 20-62 record, the worst record in franchise history. Popovich himself had coached the team to a 17-47 record.

However, it proved to be a blessing in disguise.

The Spurs won the 1997 Draft Lottery, earning the rights to draft Tim Duncan, the consensus top-overall pick out of Wake Forest.

From then on, the two would form a 19-year partnership. But more importantly, a standard for how Popovich would treat his players.

“The standard you set. You showed up after I got drafted, you came to my island. You sat with my friends, my family. You talked with my dad. I thought that was normal—it’s not. You are an exceptional person, thank you for teaching me about basketball, but even beyond that, teaching me that it’s not all about basketball,” Duncan said in his Hall of Fame speech.

Duncan’s impact on the Spurs was immediate. Popovich coached San Antonio to a 56-26 record in his second season on the sidelines.

Under Pop, Duncan ran away with the Rookie of the Year award, averaging 21.1 points per game and nearly 12 boards a game. As a 21-year-old, he was named to the All-NBA First-Team and immediately became San Antonio’s best player.

With a youthful roster, the team fell short in the playoffs to the Utah Jazz, but bounced back.

In his third season, Popovich led the Spurs to their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. In the 1999 lockout season, the Spurs cruised through the postseason, only losing two games en route to a 4-1 Finals victory over the underdog New York Knicks.

In only three seasons, Popovich transformed the small market Spurs into a title-winning franchise, led by an emphasis on tough defense and slow-paced games that grinded opponents down. With Robinson and Duncan manning the paint, San Antonio boasted the third-best scoring defense in the League, and ranked top in defensive rating.

Strong defenses and an emphasis on a slower, high movement offense would be the standard for Pop-led teams moving forward.

That same season, Popovich drafted an unknown international talent out of Argentina in the second round of the 1999 NBA Draft named Manu Ginobili.

Two years later, he drafted French point guard Tony Parker in the 2001 NBA Draft, setting the foundation for the San Antonio’s Big Three.

After remaining contenders for the next three seasons, the Spurs failed to get past the Shaq and Kobe Lakers, but finally broke through in the 2003 season.

Ginobili made his NBA debut after playing Italy for three seasons, and the Spurs formed their Big Three of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker.

Under the Big Three, the franchise won three more titles in 2003, 2005 and 2007. In 2003, the Spurs helped Robinson close out his career with a ring, defeating the New Jersey Nets in six games.

Pop’s team spread the ball, with four players averaging in double-digit points in those Finals, while having the rookie Ginobili provide a spark off the bench. In the closeout game, San Antonio’s defense suffocated the Nets, holding them to 77 points while Duncan nearly posted a quadruple-double, falling two blocks short on the stat sheet.

In 2005, the roster gained new role players—who instantly found their place in Popovich’s schemes. Players like Robert Horry, Brent Barry, Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed played tough defense while the Big Three continued to play selfless basketball. On Popovich’s teams, everybody had a role, regardless of their standing in the rotation.

Especially Horry, who carried the offensive load in Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals and hit the game-winning three to return to San Antonio up 3-2 in the series. San Antonio would close out the series against the defending champion Detroit Pistons, after clamping up Detroit for an 81-74 Game 7 victory, earning Popovich his third ring.

In 2007, the Spurs won their third championship of the 2000’s, sweeping a young LeBron and an overmatched Cleveland Cavaliers team. That season, Ginobili voluntarily relinquished his starting role to come off the bench to help spark the team’s offense.

Ginobili’s selfless play represented Popovich’s teams—selfless basketball, and players who put their egos and statistics aside for the better of the team.

From that standard, it wasn’t a surprise that Popovich was the first coach to believe in Kawhi Leonard. After being drafted to the Pacers on draft night, the Spurs traded George Hill and the rights to two players for Leonard, who instantly made an impact in Texas.

Leonard became a star playing alongside the Big Three, helping lead the franchise to its most recent championship in 2014 over the Miami Heat. Popovich helped coach Leonard into a superstar, with the San Diego State product earning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016.

With a revolving door of contributing role players and the core of Parker, Duncan, Ginobili and Leonard, the Spurs were always racking up wins and contending—even if it didn’t turn into championships.

However, fans don’t remember the defensive efforts or focus on the fundamentals, but rather Popovich’s revolutionary offense. The Spurs taught the world how to pass, run a motion offense and emphasized ball movement. Star players would pass up difficult shots to give a teammate a better look. At their peak, fans called the team’s style, “The Beautiful Game.”

Even now, Pop’s younger rosters still show flashes of the offense that made the Spurs famous.

With their selfless play and adaptable offense, San Antonio remained title contenders for nearly Popovich’s entire tenure with the team. The Spurs made the playoffs for 22 consecutive seasons, leaving him with a 170-114 career postseason record.

Even as the Spurs have been rebuilding for the past few years, it feels as if history is repeating itself.

San Antonio won the 2023 Draft Lottery, earning the rights to draft another generational prospect—Victor Wembanyana.

Similar to Duncan, Wembanyama instantly became the best player on the court. He won Rookie of the Year in a unanimous decision, and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Rudy Gobert.

Pop has helped coached Wembanyama into a lockdown defender, and an offensive threat who can score from anywhere on the court. For the past two seasons, he’s been coaching and teaching Wemby the right way to play the game.

A season later, he helped coached another Rookie of the Year winner in Stephon Castle.

With the talent, draft capital and trajectory San Antonio has been on, there’s still a chance Popovich could get his sixth ring in a few seasons, and first outside of the sidelines.

But with all the hypotheticals aside, the accolades speak for themselves. 1,422 wins, the most ever. Three NBA Coach of the Year awards. A 62.1% winning percentage. Five rings. But most importantly, the care and mentorship he gave to his players, past and present.

Duncan summed up the sentiment in his Hall of Fame speech.

“For everything, thank you for being the amazing human being that you are,” he said.

The post Gregg Popovich leaves behind a legacy of greatness in San Antonio Hoops appeared first on SLAM.

After being voted as the most overrated player by his counterparts in The Athletic’s anonymous player poll back in April, the two-time All-Star has all but silenced those critics with clutch shots and signature performances.

He first crossed up Giannis to hit a series-winning layup to eliminate the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.

Then after being down by as much as 20 on the road to the top-seeded Cavs, the Pacers clawed their way back into Game 2 within the final minute of play.

As the “overrated” chants followed Haliburton to Cleveland, he silenced the home crowd with one shot.

Down two with seconds to play, Haliburton grabbed his miss on a free throw and reset Indiana’s offense at the top of the key. He hit Ty Jerome with two crossovers before stepping back and draining a cold-blooded three to put Indiana up one.

Ballgame.

Not a single “overrated” chant could be heard in the Rocket Arena. However, those chants and detractors only fuel the Iowa State product, who thrives when people doubt him.

“I love negativity. I love seeing negativity on Twitter. I love hearing people say negative comments about my game. It always interests me. It could be somebody with, like, no followers, I just want to prove them wrong,” Haliburton said in an interview with SLAM.

This postseason, Haliburton and his team have done just that—continuously proving everyone wrong.

The Pacers have been one of the most efficient teams in the postseason. Haliburton himself is averaging a double-double, dropping a quiet 18.4 points per game while dishing out 10.7 dimes a game against top competition.

They easily handled the Bucks in the first round, and after being underdogs in both games against the Cavaliers, stole home-court advantage from the top dogs in The Land.

With the Pacers traveling back to their home court up 2-0, Haliburton’s got everybody in the state of Indiana excited—especially his fellow star counterpart on the Fever.

The post Tyrese Haliburton calls game AGAIN—this time against Cleveland in Game 2 appeared first on SLAM.

From Angel Reese—who was an honorary member of the host committee alongside track superstar Sha’Carri Richardson and the GOAT of gymnastics, Simone Biles—to the reigning New York Liberty champs Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu, women’s athletes took over the event.

This year’s theme was a celebration of Black fashion and identity, titled, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”

Barbie Returns to the Met: Angel Reese

Reese, who also pulled up to her first preseason game against the Brazilian National Team in Thom Browne, wore the designer on the grand stage, rocking a custom-made, stunning corseted ensemble. And she did it all on the day before her birthday.

Oh, and she linked up with THEE Megan Thee Stallion and Doechii:

The Finals MVP: Jonquel Jones

JJ owned the theme in a tailored suit and hairstyle that truly was a MOMENT.

Queen of NY: Sabrina Ionescu

Sab looked elegant in a flowy skirt, blazer and white top.

STEW-YORK: Breanna Stewart

Stewie pulled up in a too-clean, all-white fit that truly was giving Monday best.

HER MOMENT: Clara Wu Tsai

BIG 4: Flau’jae Johnson

From LSU to her first Met, Flau’jae Johnson looked like the STAR that she’s always been.

The Williams sistas: Serena and Venus Williams

Meltdown? More like Serena and Venus ATE DOWN at the Met.

Venus’ look even featured a tennis-skirt moment. We’re here for all the sporty spice vibes.

THE GOAT: Simone Biles

Simone always scores a perfect 10 in everything she does, on and off the mat.

HER OWN VIBE: Sha’Carri Richardson

Sha’Carri dominated the Met’s theme with a look entirely tailored for her, from the nails to the fit to the bows in her hair.

RED, GABBY’S VERSION: Gabby Thomas

Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas showed up and showed out at the Met in a red set.

The post Angel, Big 4 and Liberty: Women’s sports takes over the Met Gala appeared first on SLAM.

The move was made official via the WNBA’s transactions page, and then shortly announced on the Dream’s socials:

The Maryland-standout guard, who averaged 14.4 points per game, was drafted this year by the Valkyries in the second-round as the No. 17 pick. She was then waived by the Valkyries, a move that stunned fans as Sellers had not yet played in a preseason game.

Just a few days ago on May 3, head coach Natalie Nakase said via ESPN’s Kendra Andrews that “she picked up everything we asked her to, did everything that we asked. It’s just that I have to choose the best 12 that are going to fit. Doesn’t mean it’s the most talented, it means it’s the best 12.”

With limited roster spots across the W, many were hoping to see another team pick up Sellers, who has become a favorite for her elite game and Tik Tok, where she and her fiancé, Seton Hall forward Faith Masonius, who also played at Maryland, give a glimpse at their life and journey both on and off the court.

Now, Sellers will head to ATL. Best believed we’ll be tuned in for every bucket and vlog, too.

The post SHY TO ATL: Shyanne Sellers claimed by Atlanta Dream off of waivers appeared first on SLAM.

That’s what Agot Makeer would think to herself wherever she watched South Carolina play. The five-star recruit and the No. 4-ranked player in the class of 2025 recently committed to the Gamecocks in March, but even before that, she’d always felt drawn to the program. “Seeing the crowd, seeing the energy, seeing the joy they all have playing with each other, it’s just like, I want to be part of that,” Makeer tells us over the phone a few weeks after the news became official. 

As the latest signee, along with Cypress Springs forward Ayla McDowell, who committed in November, the Gamecocks now have a top-25 recruiting class (according to ESPN). At 6-1, Makeer is a versatile wing who can knock down shots, cross up opponents and get buckets against anyone who tries to guard her. When it came time for the Montverde senior to make her college decision, she narrowed it down to three very important factors: Who do I want to be surrounded by? What school will give me the best chance to win a national championship? What school will help me become a better woman in every aspect of my life?  

For her, South Carolina was that answer. 

With an undeniable talent and the ability to play multiple positions, Makeer, who is originally from Canada and attended Crestwood Prep before transferring to Montverde for her senior season, has averaged 10 ppg and 5.7 rpg for the program. While she’s been battling a hip injury and most recently tore her PCL in January, Makeer says she’s hoping to bounce back in time so she can still play in the McDonald’s All-American Game and compete in the Chipotle High School Nationals. 

Her faith and her family keep her going. Her two older brothers inspired her to play sports in the first place; as the younger sis, she just wanted to do what they were doing. First it was soccer, and then by second grade, she started playing basketball.

Now the game is about to take her from Florida to South Carolina. When asked how she envisions her game evolving under a visionary like Dawn Staley, Makeer speaks with a sense of confidence that’s sure to get Gamecock fans hyped. 

“I think right now, I’m kind of a two-way player who can have an impact both on offense and defense,” she says. “I can also score the basketball at all three levels. So I think that makes me even harder to guard because you have to respect me at all parts of the court. Towards the end of my senior year at South Carolina, I feel like my body will be a lot different. You might not be able to see it, but I feel like I’ll be stronger, even mentally and emotionally.” 

Portraits by Trenton Junior. Follow him on IG, @mindofjr.

The post Agot Makeer is Ready to Bring Her Versatile Game to South Carolina appeared first on SLAM.

The night started rough for Florida. Houston’s bruising defense swallowed their early offensive rhythm, and Clayton, the Gators’ human torch all season long, was completely bottled up. Scoreless at the break. This is, simply, not a recipe for success.

Florida was trailing at halftime.

Then the dam nearly broke. Houston’s three-point edge swelled to 12 right out of the break. And for the briefest of moments, it felt like the Gators might unravel. Instead, they rose, just as they had all season whenever their backs were against the wall. When the margin for error vanished and the moment demanded greatness, it was Florida that delivered. On both ends.

FLORIDA GATOR COLLECTION IS AVAILABLE NOW.

They locked in defensively, forced contested shots and willed their way to stops. They made shots—not many, but enough. Clayton, dormant through 20 minutes, caught a bit of fire—scoring 11 in the second half, hitting tough jumpers, finishing through contact and controlling the tempo like the seasoned vet he is. And with every deflection, rebound and dive on the floor, Florida chipped away at Houston’s lead, eventually tookthe lead and ultimately secured the victory with a gut-wrenching, last second stop as time expired. Florida wins, 65-63.

Anybody who’s even vaguely familiar with team sports knows the old adage: offense wins games; defense wins championships. And yes kids, that still rings true, even in the Stephen Curry era. But when it comes to college basketball, if you want any chance at cutting down the nets, you better have at least one killer in the backcourt. As it turns out, Florida had the best guard in the country this year: Walter Clayton Jr.

“We did what we did all year: We stayed the course,” head coach Todd Golden said after the game. “We have the best backcourt in America. I think we have the best frontcourt in America. And like we’ve done all year, we made plays when we needed them the most. We guarded our butts off down the stretch, made every 50-50 winning play.”

“It’s a feeling I can’t even explain, man,” Walter Clayton Jr. said in the aftermath, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player still visibly awed by what he and his team had just accomplished.

Collective confidence was Florida’s identity all year. Unlike the 2010s, when Final Fours were often bloated with McDonald’s All-Americans and one-and-done prospects, today’s most competitive teams veer to the older end of the spectrum. This Florida squad was a blend of high-IQ veterans, under-recruited gems and a fearless leader in Clayton Jr., whose journey from three-star recruit, to two-year mid-major standout at Iona, to March Madness and Florida Gators icon is a testament to both patience and purpose.

It’s hard to overstate Clayton Jr.’s rise. In a tournament teeming with NBA prospects, it was Clayton Jr. who emerged as the best player on the floor game after game. His March was the stuff of legend: 134 total points over six games (22.3 per game). He had a flair for the moment, stamped with Curry-esque shots, fearless drives to the cup and a control of pace that can’t be coached. He was cold when the pressure got hot.

“[Clayton’s] put together the greatest individual campaign in the history of Florida basketball, and it’s a campaign for the record books,” Jonathan Safir, Florida’s director of basketball strategy and analytics, told ESPN.

That’s not hyperbole. Florida’s basketball lineage is deep—NBA All-Stars like Bradley Beal, NBA champs like Al Horford and Mike Miller, defensive savants like Joakim Noah, and playground legends like Jason Williams all wore the orange and blue. But none of them authored a tournament run quite like this. None of them carried a team the way Clayton Jr. did.

His accolades from this year alone: NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team, NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player, NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team, Consensus 1st-Team All-America—and more.

Walter Clayton Jr. very likely played his way into the first round of the 2025 NBA draft. Once considered a fringe prospect with questions about his size and position fit, Clayton Jr. used March to silence every doubt. Scouts marveled at his poise, his ability to shoot from NBA range and his knack for scoring in isolation against elite defenders. More importantly, he’s shown he can carry a team on the biggest stage. Most mock drafts now slot Clayton Jr. as a mid-to-late first-round pick.

And yet, ask him, and he’ll still deflect credit.

“I’m just thankful to even be in this position,” Clayton Jr. said on Good Morning America a few days after the game, humbly, as if he hadn’t just put the program on his back and walked them to immortality.

Florida was a squad that was battle-tested, learned how to win, stayed together, and never wavered. They played connected. Trusted each other. Believed in the guy next to them—whether he was a transfer from a mid-major or a homegrown Gainesville talent.

And while Clayton was inarguably the face of this team, he’d be the first to let you know this championship run was an all-around effort. “[M]an, we got multiple guys on this team that can go…You never know who’s night it’s gonna be. And we showed that as a team, he said.”

“I do think what separates us and has separated us all season long is our team talent, how our guys have played together and for each other all year,” Golden said in his postgame presser. “Because of that, we can call each other national champions for the rest of our lives.”

Meanwhile, Golden’s coaching job deserves its own chapter. In an era when young coaches are often chewed up by the pressure cooker that is the Big Dance, Golden looked unfazed. His ability to blend egos, manage rotations, and make late-game adjustments was exemplary. (This is a great time to note that Golden coached them to a 36-4 record—surviving the SEC gauntlet, from which a record 14 teams made the NCAA Tournament this year.)

At just 39, Golden’s name is now etched into Florida’s lore forever. He joins coaching royalty as the youngest man to win the NCAA Tournament since Jim Valvano guided NC State to a Cinderella title in 1983. Golden curated a roster that was, frankly, a masterclass in portal-era roster construction. Golden is the face of a new generation of coaches—sharp with the analytics, relatable to his players, and completely locked in on culture. He got this group to buy in from Day 1. And now they’re champions for the third time in program history, and the first time since 2007.

It’s hard to imagine a more perfect tournament run—because perfection, in March, doesn’t look like blowouts. It looks like resilience. It looks like Florida.

Florida wasn’t the biggest, or the flashiest, or the preseason favorites. They didn’t have the highest-ranked recruiting class. But they had the best player, and they had the best team when it mattered most.

The post Walter Clayton Jr. PUT ON FOR FLORIDA by leading the Gators to a National Title | SLAMU Cover Story appeared first on SLAM.

The Rockets had all the momentum, rattling off two consecutive wins after being down 3-1 in the series. Following a gritty Game 6 that saw the Rockets stave off elimination on Golden State’s home court, Draymond Green, set the message straight with a passionate speech for the deciding Game 7.

“I wanted to come out and prove again just who I am—with poise, but with the same fire, same tenacity. I think I delivered that and gave our guys something to follow,” Green said. “That was the message, that was the goal and we got it done.”

On the road, the Dubs came out firing with energy, even from the most unlikeliest of postseason heroes.

Buddy Hield delivered a signature performance, draining nine triples on a 12-15 shooting night, posting a playoff career-high 33 points to lift the Warriors to a 103-89 win over the Rockets in Game 7.

Stephen Curry finished with a double-double, posting 22 points and 10 rebounds after a shaky first half. Jimmy Butler added 20 points, while Green finished with 16.

Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 24 points, while Alperen Sengun finished with a 21-point, 14-rebound double-double. Fred VanVleet finished with 17 points after a strong performance in Game 6.

The Dubs opened up the game hot, quickly cracking double-digit points three minutes into the game. Green continued his streak of delivering in Game 7’s, knocking down two threes while Brandin Podziemski added another.

The Rockets were able to battle back, forcing a 13-13 tie after efficient scoring in the paint from Sengun and Thompson.

Later in the quarter, Jalen Green made an and-one layup to give Houston a 19-17 lead with just over a minute remaining in the opening frame. That two-point lead was Houston’s only lead for the entire game, lasting for 13 seconds.

Hield quickly drained a triple on the ensuing possession to give the lead back to the Dubs. Houston played catch-up for the remainder of the game. To cap off the quarter, Hield launched from 42-feet out and sank a buzzer-beater from just beyond the half-court line to give Golden State a 23-19 lead at the end of the quarter.

“When I shot it, I knew I had a chance. I didn’t know it was going in—I knew I had a chance,” Hield said. “When that went in, that just helped me relax. I didn’t celebrate too much because I know we had three more quarters to go.”

The Dubs carried the momentum from Hield’s half-court heave into the second quarter. They quickly opened up a double-digit lead with under three minutes in the quarter before rattling off a 12-8 run to close out the quarter.

Hield sank three triples on three consecutive possessions, before Curry scored his first points of the game with 33 seconds to play. Golden State rode that scoring run to a 12-point advantage at the half.

The Rockets battled back in the third quarter, consistently chipping away at the lead. After going on a 17-7 scoring run, Houston cut the lead to a one-possession game after Jabari Smith Jr. sank a three. However, the Rockets failed to tie the score up and take the lead.

The three-point deficit would be the closest Houston got to overcoming the lead. Golden State closed out the quarter with two Green buckets and a Butler triple to take an eight-point lead into the final frame.

It was all Golden State from there. Curry scored 14 points in the fourth quarter alone, and the Dubs outscored the Rockets 33-27 in the quarter. Hield made another three with eight minutes to play to give the Warriors a 10-point lead, and they never looked back. The Rockets failed to cut the deficit to single-digits.

In a fitting end, Golden State’s final bucket was a deep three by Hield, capping off his signature performance.

The story of the game was Golden State’s offensive efficiency from beyond the arc. The Dubs shot 41.9% from three and drained 18 triples, while Houston struggled, only knocking down six threes. Houston also shot 40.5% from the field, but missed easy opportunities inside the paint.

With the series win, Golden State has now eliminated the Rockets from the playoffs for the fifth time since 2015.

The Warriors will now match up against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round. But for now, they’re going to enjoy their victory on the road.

“We were lucky to get out of this series,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I’m not talking about Minnesota right now, we’ll talk about them tomorrow. We’re just gonna enjoy the win tonight, spend the night and we’ll get ready for Minnesota tomorrow.”

The post Dubs Advance after 103-89 Game 7 Victory over the Houston Rockets appeared first on SLAM.

“Make that next step now.”

Minnesota dominated in the series, winning three out of their four dubs by double-digits, and putting the clamps on the Lakers’ offense. In the closest game of the series, Edwards delivered a signature 43-point performance in Game 4.

Upon returning to the West Coast, the Timberwolves were still 5.5 point underdogs. In the closeout game, Edwards cooled off, scoring 15 points.nBut it didn’t even matter as Minnesota’s depth took over and they won the series, 103-96.

After the game, as fans shuffled out of the Crypto.com arena, Edwards took a victory lap around the LA where he was greeted by numerous fans and heckling Lakers fans. Hilariously, even Laker fans were going up to Edwards asking for photos or handshakes, despite having been trounced by the Ant-Man himself.

In his postgame interaction with LeBron, James told the Georgia product to “Make that next step now.”

Edwards and the T-Wolves will now await to see who they’ll play next, as Warriors are tangled in a gritty first-round matchup with the Houston Rockets.

But for now, Edwards seems to be basking in the glory of his victories out in Cali.

The post LeBron James to Anthony Edwards: ‘Make that Next Step.’ appeared first on SLAM.

At his celebratory press conference, San Antonio’s previous Rookie of the Year winners: all-time greats David Robinson and Tim Duncan and a future face of the league Victor Wembanyama, all appeared on stage to hand Castle the trophy and welcome the UConn product into elite company.

Castle’s victory marked the first time since 2016 an NBA team had back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners after Wembanyama took home the award last season. The last team to do so was the Minnesota Timberwolves, when Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns won the award in 2015 and 2016.

In a landslide victory, Castle earned 92 out of 100 first-place votes. He also earned seven second-place votes and a single third-place vote. Castle finished with 482 points, 237 ahead of Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, the top overall pick in the draft, who finished with 245 points.

Risacher garnered five first-place votes 64 second-place votes and 28 third-place votes. Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells finished with three first-place votes, 23 second-place votes and 39 third-place votes. No other candidate received any first-place votes.

Castle had a breakout rookie season for a rebuilding Spurs team built around Wembanyama. He appeared in 81 games, starting in 47 of them, and averaged 14.7 points per game. He posted two 30-point performances, including a career-high 33 points on Feb. 7 in a 117-116 loss to the Hornets, where the rookie shot an efficient 10-15 from the field and 60% from beyond the arc.

To cap it off, he even took three-time dunk contest winner Mac McClung to the wire in the final round of this year’s contest.

The Spurs currently are one of the youngest teams in the league rebuilding a young core, with only three rostered players over the age of 30. Despite their youth, the Spurs improved their win total from last year by 12 wins, finishing with a 34-48 record.

With a talented draft class entering the 2025 NBA Draft, San Antonio is hoping the lottery falls into their favor to potentially draft another Rookie of the Year candidate.

The post Stephon Castle wins Rookie of the Year Award appeared first on SLAM.

Since 2003, the father of Darius’ uncle Rashad has taken care of that very gym. Known across the community as Coach V, Virgil Phillips serves as the director of youth programs for America’s Community Council Youth Center on Seven Mile. And along with Darius’ father and his uncle, Coach V is one of the main reasons why Darius still calls that particular hardwood home. Even after becoming the nation’s top-ranked point guard, winning EYBL Scholastic Player of the Year with IMG Academy and committing to Arkansas as John Calipari’s next great PG. 

“I was just in there every day working out. Literally since I was around that age up to now, I’ve been working out there. It’s never changed. I’ve been working with my dad, uncle, all types of stuff. Even our AAU team when we were little, that’s where we practiced at. All the memories are definitely in that gym,” Darius says. 

After securing the 2023 MHSAA Division 1 title as a sophomore at Cass Tech in Detroit, Darius set his sights on an even larger challenge: a nationally-ranked schedule of opponents. IMG was a perfect fit, and in his junior year with the Ascenders, he took home the EYBL Scholastic scoring title with 21.4 points per game. By late July 2024, he’d officially declared his allegiance to the Razorbacks. 

The 6-2 guard who plays at an incalculable pace has been itching to test his duffel against the gauntlet of the SEC. Coach Cal has already been pushing the future head honcho of his program to be more active with his voice and on the defensive end before he arrives in Fayetteville later this summer.

“He knows my game. He just wants me to be more of a leader and everything will come with itself,” Darius says. But as the No. 5 player in the class of 2025 (according to 247 Sports) sits down with us in mid-March during IMG’s spring break, he tells us his focus has been poured into the gym in preparation for Chipotle Nationals in April, where IMG received the No. 8 seed. 

Darius entered his senior year with even more confidence than the season prior. The assist output grew from 3.7 to 5.4 a game, ranking second in the EYBL Scholastic. His 24 points a night secured another scoring title. Leading IMG to a 7-4 record in league play helped cement Player of the Year honors. It wasn’t just confidence that fueled his 34-piece against Link Academy or the 26 he posted against Montverde.

It was the thousands of hours spent in the gym just down the road from his home.  

Portraits by Trenton Junior. Follow him on IG, @mindofjr.

The post Top-ranked point guard Darius Acuff Jr Looks Ahead of Arkansas and Cal’s Vision For His Game  appeared first on SLAM.

As the organization finalizes their roster and gets ready for preseason games—on Saturday, May 3 the Fever will face off against the Mystics—Bonner talked to the media about the level of competitiveness in camp so far, and how, even with so much “firepower,” they’re still figuring out team fit and chemistry within rotations.

“It’s been competitive and great,” Bonner says of camp so far. “[We’re] just trying to figure out how we all can fit and how we can all make these rotations work. Giving each other a lot of grace because we have people coming in—like myself—that haven’t played since losing last year in the playoffs, so all just trying to figure it out. I think that’s the most exciting part because we have so [much] firepower and we can go anyway any given night and just be unpredictable. Just making sure everybody is locked in on the goal and understands what we want to do.”

Bonner, who signed with Indiana in free agency, is coming off of an All-Star-level season in Connecticut, where she played alongside her wife and now Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas for the past five seasons. Prior to that, DB was in Phoenix for the first eight years of her career as their No. 5 pick in the ’09 draft.

Earlier today, DB arrived for her first media day with her new squad:

Bonner has been praised by the Fever’s new head coach Stephanie White, who coached Bonner in CT, as having a “mama bear” type of personality as a veteran leader.

The Fever recently unveiled their new campaign this year, “Now You Know,” with a cinematic video featuring the team’s stars. The slogan is meant to emphasize the Fever’s “passion, pride and the pursuit of greatness,” this upcoming season.

The post DeWanna Bonner: Fever have so much ‘firepower’, still figuring out fit appeared first on SLAM.

With the 2025 WNBA season just around the corner, training camp—which started April 27—is well underway. All across the W, teams have given us a glimpse of what to expect ahead of preseason games, which tip-off May 2.

Here’s training camp updates on the Wings:

April 29: Kaila Charles has arrived:

The Wings also gave us an exclusive look at how the runs in camp are going. Let’s dive in…

In the clips we’ve seen so far, the Wings’ ball movement has been eliteeeeee.

Mai Yamamoto was knocking down shots, too:

New head coach Chris Koclanes shared his thoughts on DiJonai Carrington’s top-tier defense.

He told the media, “I love Dijonai’s ability to guard multiple positions and she will for sure be attacking ball handlers and getting into the ball early. She just has a presence and an instinct that you can’t teach.”

After practice, Arike, PB and DiJonai went through shooting workouts today.

And here’s a clip, from Grant Afseth, on the Wings’ defense:

On a non-basketball note, the team’s rocker-paper-scissor game continues. Arike is still undefeated:

April 28: More Paige content.

April 27: It’s only Day 1 and the team’s chemistry is already apparent:

Speaking of Paige, journalist Dorothy J. Gentry asked her what’s the different between playing in college and the pros. Her response? SCREENS.

The post Dallas Wings: Training Camp Updates appeared first on SLAM.

It’s crazy to think that just two years ago, all Tyrese Haliburton wanted to do was get to this moment he is in right now. Not only are the Indiana Pacers competing right now, but since he said those very words, they’ve have had their best playoff runs since the 2019-20 season.

Last year, they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals and now, with the game on the line, it was Haliburton that delivered a game-winning layup to defeat the Bucks and clinch the series.

Winning has always been the goal, but with this win in particular, Haliburton sent a message.

Ty talked to us about that, too: the criticism he’s had to face throughout the entirety of his career. Ain’t nothing new.

“I just love proving people wrong. I don’t know, I love negativity,” he said in the SLAM cover story. “I love seeing negativity on Twitter. I love hearing people say negative comments about my game. It always interests me. It could be somebody with, like, no followers, I just want to prove them wrong.”

Since he arrived in Indy after a mid-season trade from the Kings, Haliburton has proven that he truly has no ceiling.

In the postgame press conference, Haliburton, who was critical of himself for missing shots and key possessions earlier in the game, said that it was his teammates encouraged him to just keep playing. Ultimately, the Pacers “made plays when we needed to,” especially when they went on an 8-0 run the last 40 seconds.

“Resilience” is the word Haliburton then used to describe this Pacers squad: Haliburton had 26-point performance and Myles Turner tallied 21-points and nine boards in the 119-118 dub.

As they get ready to play No. 1 Cleveland, that’s exactly what they’ll need going into the second round.

The post Tyrese Haliburton Calls GAME against the Milwaukee Bucks to Win the Series appeared first on SLAM.

With the 2025 WNBA season just around the corner, training camp—which started April 27—is well underway. All across the W, teams have given us a glimpse of what to expect ahead of preseason games, which tip-off May 2.

Here’s daily updates on the Sun:

April 29:

April 28: A glimpse of Day 2 of camp, where, according to The Hartford Courant’s Emily Adams, the team practiced on the floor at Mohegan Sun for the very first time.

Sun players answered a pretty tricky riddle – “What runs around the court but never gets tired?”

Not gonna lie, had to think about this for a minute…

ROSTER UPDATE: The team has waived Abbey Hsu and Mya Hollingshed.

April 27: Happy first day, Sun fans!

The post CT Sun: Training Camp Updates appeared first on SLAM.

With the 2025 WNBA season just around the corner, training camp—which started April 27—is well underway. All across the W, teams have given us a glimpse of what to expect ahead of preseason games, which tip-off May 2.

Here’s daily updates on the Atlanta Dream:

April 29: Happy birthday Rhyne Howard!

It’s crazy to think that just two years ago, the Dream guard was on the cover of SLAM 244. Now, she’s gearing up for Year 4 in the W. The coverline says it all: she’s a nightmare for any opponent.

April 28: Brittney Griner shares her first impression of the city:

BG was knocking down threes in practice today, too:

April 28: From Colombia to Georgia, former Gamecock Te-Hina Paopao opened up about her new teammate, Allisha Gray, and how Dawn Staley has prepared them for the pros:

April 27: First day for the rookies!

The post Atlanta Dream: Training Camp Updates appeared first on SLAM.

With training camp having just started, Wings fans have already been preparing for what looks to be one of the most exciting seasons they’ve had in some time, especially with the backcourt of Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale. 

The duo has a new nickname by Wings fans: Parike. With excitement surrounding likely their new backcourt featuring the No.1 draft pick and their leading point in Ogunbowale, journalist Dorothy J. Gentry got their thoughts on the new nickname:

“It’s pretty cool, obviously Arike’s established herself,” says Bueckers. “To be on the same team as her and share the floor with her, it’s a great blessing.”

Added Arike: “I’m so glad that Dallas was able to get her. She’s an amazing player and she’s already really mature, so she’s gonna come in and make a big impact.”

As camp continues, fans will look to see just how their backcourt—which includes a dynamic scorer in PB and one of the most clutch shotmakers in Arike—builds chemistry and, alongside the entire team, helps re-define Wings basketball in this new era.

Expectations are high, but with new additions and a new head coach in Chris Koclanes leading the helm, the future is looking bright.

The post New Nickname Alert: Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale Deemed “Parike” by Wings Fans appeared first on SLAM.

According to the NBA, the Hustle Player of the Year Award is given to a player who makes effort plays that aren’t represented on stat sheets, but often positively impact outcomes of games—a microcosm of Green’s entire career with the Warriors.

Green is the ninth recipient of the award, joining Alex Caruso, Marcus Smart, Thaddeus Young, Montrezl Harrell, Amir Johnson and Patrick Beverley as the only players to win the award since its inception during the 2016-17 season.

According to the NBA, deflections, loose balls recovered, drawing charges, setting screens, boxing-out and contesting opposing shots all quantify under “hustle stats,” which are tracked and compared to determine the winner of the award.

This season, Green ranked within the top-40 of all hustle statistic categories, earning him the win. Green ranked sixth in charges drawn, second in contested-three-point shots and 10th in defensive box outs.

This comes as no surprise for Green, who has always been known as the emotional leader and key defender for the Warriors dynasty. Green’s versatility on defense has allowed him to guard all five positions, and provide a tenacity and motor that doesn’t stop until the final buzzer sounds.

In his 13th season with Golden State, Green has continued to remain a factor in the lineup, starting 66 games and averaging 29.2 minutes per game. He averaged nine points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, 5.6 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game and a block per game.

Currently, the Dubs have battled in a tightly contested opening round series against the upstart Houston Rockets. Both Games 1 and 2 have been low-scoring slugfest games, with Green already making his presence known, leading the Dubs in total rebounds, while averaging three steals and a block over the course of the two games so far.

For the Dubs to pull off the first-round upset, Green will have to continue making hustle plays to extend possessions and lock up Rockets star center Alperen Sengun.

The post Draymond Green Named Hustle Player of the Year appeared first on SLAM.

But for this season, that phrase became the standard for forward Evan Mobley, who took home the franchise’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year Award in a tightly contested race.

In the closest award-race so far, Mobley garnered 35 out of 100 first-place votes. However, he also earned 30 second-place and 20 third-place votes. Mobley finished with 285 points, 88 ahead of Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, who had a breakout season.

Daniels finished with 25 first-place votes, 17 second-place and 21 third-place votes while Draymond Green finished with 15 first-place votes, 20 second-place and 19 third-place votes.

Mobley, already a well-respected defender across the league, had a breakout 2024-25 season. The USC product made his first All-Star team and averaged 18.5 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game and 1.6 blocks per game.

According to the NBA, opponents shot only 44.5% from the field when Mobley was the primary defender, in addition to his 10.4 contested shots per game, the third-highest of qualified players.

Mobley’s frame and athleticism have allowed him to guard nearly every position on the court and captain the Eastern Conference’s top dogs alongside Jarrett Allen.

However, Mobley’s impact defensively goes far beyond the stat sheet. With a new coaching staff led by head coach Kenny Atkinson, Cleveland ranked eight in defensive rating and opposing field goal percentage. According to the NBA, with Mobley on the court, Cleveland’s defensive rating skyrocketed to the second-highest in the League.

Currently, the Cavaliers are out to prove that they belong as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and are matched up against the Miami Heat in the first round.

Although Cleveland runs a help defensive scheme, Mobley has guarded Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jovic throughout the series, where he has held both scorers to under 50% shooting from the field so far.

With the Cavs poised for a deep postseason run, expect Mobley to man the paint and lock up the top option in each playoff game to come.

The post Evan Mobley Wins Defensive Player of the Year Award appeared first on SLAM.

The award embodies a player who delivered when the lights shined the brightest and came through late in close games. Brunson joins De’Aaron Fox and Stephen Curry as the three winners of the award since its inception during the 2022-23 season.

Brunson won the award in a landslide victory, garnering 70 out of 100 first-place votes. He finished with 426 total points, 114 points ahead of Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic, who finished with 312 points.

Jokic, Anthony Edwards, Curry and LeBron James were the only other players to receive first-place votes.

Despite the new additions of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, Brunson has remained the Knicks’ closer.

The star guard made his second-consecutive All-Star team and averaged 26 points per game this season. He improved his efficiency from last year, getting buckets at a 48.8% clip from the field while draining 38.3% of his shots from beyond the arc.

That high efficiency continued even when the lights were bright. According to the NBA, Brunson averaged a League-high 5.6 points per game in clutch situations—possessions within the final five minutes of a game when the score is within five points. He also drained 52 clutch field goals and shot over 51.5% from the field within the final minutes of games.

As the Knicks battle against a gritty Detroit Pistons squad in the opening round of the playoffs, Brunson’s clutch gene has delivered in both Games 1 and 3. In Game 1, Brunson helped cap off a 21-0 run by hitting a go-ahead hook shot and making two layups to help the Knicks pull away for a 123-112 victory. In Game 3, Brunson shot 4-6 in the fourth quarter, including sinking four free throws that iced the game in the final seconds of a 118-116 game.

Since the Pistons keep games close, look for the Knicks to rely on their closer and Clutch Player of the Year winner to close out games and advance to the second round of the playoffs.

The post Jalen Brunson Named Clutch Player of the Year appeared first on SLAM.

Pritchard won the award in a landslide victory, receiving 82 out of 100 first-place votes. Pritchard finished with 454 total points, 175 points ahead of Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley, who finished second with 279 points.

Beasley, Ty Jerome, De’Andre Hunter and Naz Reid were the only other players to receive first-place votes.

The Oregon product’s fifth season with the Celtics has been the best of his career. Pritchard appeared in 80 games, mainly coming off the bench to provide instant offense.

Despite coming off the bench, Pritchard still logs 28.4 minutes per game and has seen his shot volume and efficiency increase. He has been shooting close to 11 shots per game, knocking down those attempts at a 47.2% clip, the highest field goal percentage of his career, and has also been lights out from deep, shooting 40.7% from beyond the arc. With his increased shot volume and role within Joe Mazzulla’s offense, Pritchard averaged 14.3 points per game, the highest of his career and a near-five-point increase from last season.

Earlier this season, in an interview with SLAM, Pritchard talked about his mindset and mentality in terms of his game. He said his mindset was: “Don’t think, just shoot.” For Pritchard, that means for any shot, from half-court buzzer beaters to pull-up triples. It doesn’t matter the difficulty, the man gets his buckets no matter the circumstances.

Especially on March 5 in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. In a dogfight with the Cavaliers for the top seed in the East, a short-handed Celtics team squared off against the Portland Trail Blazers. Without Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis, Pritchard played nearly 43 minutes off the bench and dropped a career-high 43 points on a 14-20 shooting night. That also included draining 10 triples and posting a double-double, crashing the glass hard for 10 boards.

Nights like these aren’t uncommon for Pritchard, and with the Celtics determined to go back-to-back, expect the Sixth Man of the Year to continue turning in scoring outbursts off the bench when it matters most.

The post Payton Pritchard Wins Sixth Man of the Year Award appeared first on SLAM.

WNBA training camp officially starts on Sunday (April 27) and teams around the League have started announcing their final rosters for camp. With that, keep in mind that official roster spots in the W are limited—there are only 156 roster spots amongst the 13 WNBA teams—which means not everyone will make the cut (although, with the upcoming expansion teams in Toronto and Portland, this number will change!) Here’s a few more things to have on your radar as we gear up for the start of the season:

• “Training camp contracts” are one-year, non-guaranteed contracts that give teams the chance to evaluate potential players.
• Teams can have up to 12 players on an official roster, but most only have 11
• Regular season starts May 16

Here’s every training camp roster, which we’ll update as they drop:

ATL DREAM:

CT SUN:

DALLAS WINGS:

Until then, the Wings just dropped an official playlist by Zaza, and her music choices are fireeee. Will definitely be blasting this on Sunday:

GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES

INDIANA FEVER: stay tuned!

Until then, it looks like CC and Lexie are having fun wit it before camp, too:

LAS VEGAS ACES: stay tuned!

LOS ANGELES SPARKS

MINNESOTA LYNX:

The Lynx have also just announced that they’ve signed Diamond Johnson to a training camp contract.

NEW YORK LIBERTY:

APRIL 25 // UPDATE: Leaonna Odom signed a Training Camp Contract.

Full training camp roster hasn’t dropped yet, but until then, here’s a fun clip of Tash giving her official deli order:

PHOENIX MERCURY:

Per the team, the Mercury have signed three players to training camp contracts:

SEATTLE STORM:

WASHINGTON MYSTICS:

Until then, the rookies—Sonia, Georgia and Kiki—were at the Nationals game to throw the first pitch!

The post Full List of Every WNBA Training Camp Roster appeared first on SLAM.

After every win—68 in the regular season to be exact—the Thunder would surround the postgame interview and bark repeatedly into the mic, a tradition started by Jalen Williams last season.

Since then, it’s become Oklahoma City’s identity, reflecting a gritty team that finds a way on both ends of the court to get the job done.

And on Thursday night, they lived up to that mentality.

Down by as many as 29 on the road, the Thunder pulled off the second-largest comeback in postseason history to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 114-108 and take a commanding 3-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points, while Williams and Holmgren dropped 26 and 24 points respectively. Alex Caruso and Isaiah Joe both contributed 10 points off the bench.

Scotty Pippen Jr. led the Grizzlies with 28 points, while Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22 points. Ja Morant scored 15 points before exiting with a hip injury towards the end of the first half. He did not return for the remainder of the game.

Two days removed after being routed by 19 points, Memphis came out the gates hot on their own home court.

Two Zach Edey free throws within the first minute of the opening quarter gave Memphis an early lead they wouldn’t relinquish until the final frame.

They continued to build off that momentum, quickly gaining a double-digit lead in the first quarter after putting on a sharpshooting clinic from beyond the arc. Pippen, Jackson, Santi Aldama and John Konchar combined to drain eight triples in the first quarter to give Memphis a 40-29 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Memphis continued to pile it on. Midway through the period, the Grizzlies rattled off a 16-0 run to gain a 65-37 advantage.

However, immediately after the run, Morant suffered a game-ending injury after a hard foul.

After Pippen intercepted a Williams pass, the Grizzlies opened up a two-on-one fast-break opportunity. Pippen sensed Luguentz Dort behind him and quickly dished a behind-the-back pass to a trailing Morant.

Dort lost his footing as Morant skied for a dunk, sending him to the deck hard. He fought through the pain to shoot two free throws before exiting into the tunnel. Morant was reportedly seen on crutches during the fourth quarter of the game, as reported by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, and his status for Game 4 is unknown.

After Morant’s injury, Memphis closed out the quarter holding a 26-point lead after Luke Kennard splashed a triple at the buzzer.

In the third period, Oklahoma City found their footing. Led by Holmgren, the Thunder outscored the Grizzlies 36-18 in the period.

Holmgren scored 16 points in the third quarter from all three levels, splashing four threes and getting buckets in the paint.

The Thunder’s defense stepped up, holding the Grizzlies to only five-made field goals in the period. With the run, the Thunder entered the final frame facing an eight-point deficit.

For the fourth quarter, OKC opened up on an 12-4 run to tie the game at 99, the first tie since the score was 4-4 three minutes into the first quarter. As both teams traded buckets, the Thunder finally captured their first lead of the game with just over a minute to play on a Williams free throw.

After Desmond Bane missed a go-ahead triple, Holmgren sank two free throws to give the Thunder a three-point lead.

On the ensuing possession, Caruso stole the ball from Pippen, leading to two free throws for Dort. With the chance to ice the game, Dort missed both attempts from the line, keeping the Thunder’s lead within one possession.

With the chance to tie the game, the Grizzlies found Konchar wide open in the left corner for a triple, but saw his attempt come up short.

In a heads-up play, Caruso streaked down the court away from defenders and calmly laid in a fast-break layup to ice the game for the Thunder with less than 20 seconds on the clock.

Memphis’ inefficient second-half offense doomed them, as they combined for only 31 points in the final two quarters of play. In addition, they failed to score any points over the final five minutes of the game, with missed looks and turnovers.

OKC’s comeback was the second-largest in postseason history, only behind the LA Clippers’ 31-point comeback against the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 Playoffs.

The Thunder will now to look to complete the opening sweep on Saturday afternoon.

The post Thunder Complete Historic Comeback to Take 3-0 Lead Against Memphis Grizzlies appeared first on SLAM.

In high school, Arroyo pushed his family, which had connections through part ownership of the BSN team that used to exist in their hometown of Fajardo, to let him go play in America. Arroyo played one season at Brookwood HS in Thomasville, GA, where he averaged nearly 30 ppg and earned what had eluded him during his time in PR—US college scholarship offers. 

After the one year in Georgia, Arroyo began his semi-professional basketball career at the age of 17, playing with the aforementioned Fajardo team. After graduating from high school back in PR, he spent four years playing almost year-round—during the school year he was a star point guard at DI Florida International in Miami, and during the summer he was playing against grown men in the BSN. In 1998, Arroyo joined the Cangrejeros de Santurce, a team that dominated the storied BSN (recognize: the league has been around since 1929 and produced other NBA players such as Butch Lee, José Ortiz and JJ Barea) during his tenure. With Arroyo as their electrifying lead guard, the Cangrejeros won four straight BSN titles from 1998-2001 and added another championship in 2003. This is when SLAM and I first crossed paths with CA. I happened to attend Game 7 of the 2000 BSN Finals. I’d never heard of Arroyo when I walked into the Roberto Clemente Coliseum that night; by halftime, I knew I’d never forget him. SLAM took my word on how nice he was and let me write an “In Your Face” story on the then-FIU senior. He and I stayed in touch, reconnecting for a full feature in SLAM 84 when he was the starting PG on the Jazz and right through his decade-long career in the League and beyond.

CA’s best season in the L came in ’03–04 with the Jazz, when he started all 71 games he appeared in and averaged a career-high 12.6 points and 5.0 assists per game. He followed up that regular season with an Olympic performance for the ages. In the opening game for both the US and Puerto Rico in the 2004 Athens Games, the global superpower and its small island commonwealth faced off and PR did the impossible, blowing out big brother, 92-73. Arroyo led the way with 24 points, 7 assists, 4 steals and one epic jersey pop. While he never again matched those ’04 heights in the NBA, he played key roles on a number of NBA teams, including the ’05 championship runner-up Pistons and the first LeBron/Bosh/Wade Heat team in ’10-11. He also played for big-time Euro teams such as Maccabi Tel Aviv and Galatasaray and returned to Santurce in 2015.

While dabbling in music (his 2020 track “Baila Reggaeton” with Zion & Lennox is one of several certified hits he’s sung on) and acting (Sgt. Major Perez in The Greatest Beer Run Ever) Arroyo kept his eyes on the basketball leadership prize by becoming general manager of the Puerto Rico Men’s National Team in 2021. “I think I’ve proven myself the last few years with the national team, making so many roster moves and succeeding,” says Arroyo today. “What we did last year with the Olympics, to be able to go back for the first time in 20 years, with me as the GM, and the last first time I was a player.”

The peripatetic Arroyo, who has accomplished so much at the age of 45, is now onto his latest challenge, which is why he’s back in SLAM’s pages. Last November, Arroyo and his partner, majority owner Eric Duars, took over the most storied franchise in the BSN: the 16-time champion Vaqueros de Bayamón (Bayamón Cowboys). “We’d been in conversations about buying the team for about a year,” recalls Arroyo over Zoom after a recent Vaqueros practice. “The previous owner was Yadier Molina—the catcher from the Cardinals! He approached me about finding the right person to take over the team and he wanted someone who was loyal to the sport and the franchise and was business savvy at the same time. So he wanted me to help him find that right person. I had a great relationship with Eric Duars, a good friend of mine for many years, entrepreneur, business savvy, loves the game. But he’s mainly in the music business, he represents a bunch of artists in the industry. We felt like he was the right guy. And the first thing Eric told me was, I’m not doing this without you. At the time I was traveling a lot with the national team, recruiting new guys, had so many qualifiers, the Olympics coming up, and I was extremely busy. I met with the President of the Federation and told him, Look, I might have this opportunity, and he was like, Go ahead and do it. As soon as I got his blessing, I managed to find the time. And it’s been great, man. It’s also been a lot of work. Changing everything. But we’re here now and the season has started and it’s like [exhales] now we can breathe.”

Arroyo quickly extended the contract of long-time Vaquero mainstay Javier Mojica and hired his former teammate on the national team Christian Dalmau to be head coach. But Arroyo was just getting started. Knowing that league rules allowed him to bring in three “refuerzos,” (reinforcements, ie, players with no claims to Puerto Rican residency) he tapped his breadth of connections and aimed high. Behold the Vaqueros’ big three: Danilo Gallinari, JaVale McGee and Chris Duarte. 

Gallinari is, of course, the smooth shooting, 14-year NBA vet out of Italy who was a Knick lottery pick in ’08, a high-teen ppg scorer for much of the 2010s and who was playing playoff minutes for the Bucks as recently as the 2024 playoffs. Yes, the Italian National Team stalwart is now balling in Bayamón. “After we played here in the Olympic qualifying tournament last summer, Carlos and I stayed in touch,” Gallo explains. “We were talking about life in general. He found out I was moving to Miami and I ended up living right near him, almost like neighbors. We hung out a couple times there, and then I was waiting for an NBA call…which didn’t come. He went through a similar phase in his career. So we were just exchanging thoughts about my situation. He brought up this opportunity to me to be part of the Vaqueros…that’s when slowly things started to get real. And now we’re here.”

Through seven games of the 44-game regular season, “here” is 17.7 ppg for the 6-1, first-place Vaqueros, who have their eyes on a title and their rabid fan base buzzing.

“The fans here are very passionate, very intense,” says the 37-year-old McGee, who has played 909 regular-season games in his NBA career (including 46 just last season with the Kings) and won three championships. “I was just staying in shape, waiting for that NBA call. Carlos hit me up and presented me with this opportunity to come to Bayamón and play in front of this great crowd and great people. I just decided to take the deal and come out and have a blast. It feels good to be out there, back on the court, playing some competitive basketball, playing free.”

McGee is getting “free” to the tune of 18.3 points (on 56 percent shooting) and 9.6 rebounds per game, showcasing an offensively effective side of his game the role-centric NBA didn’t encourage the rim-running and protecting McGee to execute.

The last of the three big imports Arroyo signed, Duarte, is perhaps the most unique. Gallinari and McGee may be particularly well accomplished, but they fit the mold of many ex-NBAers who have laced up their kicks in the BSN in that they are at the tail end of their careers. In many ways, Duarte’s should just be starting. A native of the Dominican Republic who transferred to the University of Oregon halfway through his college career and was a 2021 lottery pick by the Pacers, the 6-5 guard was second-team All-Rookie in 2022 and was getting minutes with the Bulls this season. League rosters are a confusing puzzle only a team’s GM will ever fully understand, and when the Bulls let him go in February, Duarte didn’t love the offers he was getting. And he loved the new man in charge of a team he knows well thanks to having a wife from Bayamón. “Every Latino should know who Carlos Arroyo is. He was a great player. So for sure I knew who he was,” explains Duarte, who scored 32 points in a recent dub. “When I got to the League, we exchanged words, sometimes we met up a little bit and talked. That’s how our relationship started. Then when I got waived, he hit me up and offered me a job here. At the moment I was thinking about something else, but our relationship was intact and I told him, If anything changes, I’ll get back to you. And that’s exactly what happened. I’m a four-year vet, I’ve done a lot in the NBA, I feel like I deserve a little bit more than [the two-way offers] I was getting. So I’m glad I’m here to stay active, work on my game, play, see what happens in the summer.”

Gushes Arroyo, “I’m extremely honored to be here and be the one making the decisions as far as the roster, building everything from scratch. New coaching staff, new trainers, new everything. We’ve done a great job that we can feel proud of. Now it’s time for the guys to do it on the court. As you know, names don’t win championships. But they’re building something. The thing I love about JaVale, Gallinari and Duarte…they don’t come over here acting like they don’t need to prove themselves. No I’m an NBA champion or I’m a huge international star. They’re engaging with their teammates, practicing hard, being great leaders. That gives me a sense of peace.”

Arroyo’s journey from star player to influential manager is a testament to his passion for basketball and dedication to Puerto Rico. Whether leading on the court or behind the scenes, Arroyo remains an inspiring figure who embodies excellence and resilience. As he works tirelessly to restore the Vaqueros championship legacy and further elevate Puerto Rico’s national program, his impact on the game will endure on la isla for generations.

But Carlos being Carlos, he’d take another shot at the NBA, too. “I would love too, man,” he says. “I know the NBA, their eyes are not on FIBA, especially national teams, because it’s just different. You don’t deal with budgets, salary caps and all that stuff. But this, this is a real test for me, being an owner, just structuring everything, what a president should do, what a GM should do. I’m doing all that stuff as well. I’m still learning, but I think I’m very savvy when it comes to putting pieces together and making sure they will work. I’m praying everything works out and we can come up with a championship our first year here. Yeah, of course. I would love to [work a big position in an NBA front office].”

Given all Arroyo’s done in life so far, who would doubt him?

The post Carlos Arroyo Has Assembled a Superteam on the Vaqueros de Bayamón led by Danilo Gallinari, JaVale McGee and Chris Duarte appeared first on SLAM.

Whether it’s through playing or coaching, PLYMKRS has a space for all who are looking to push the game forward. 

When Sam Blackmon, Kenny St. George and Jasmine Hill came together in 2023 to found PLYMKRS, it started as a conversation between friends and former collegiate hoopers who missed the game and wanted to bring free, co-ed runs to their community.

After a successful first year, the group wanted to do more than just provide consistent runs—they wanted to have a bigger impact on the community. That’s when they realized that serving the youth through the game of basketball can have the lasting impact.

“We were all once young hoopers trying to figure out the way. Whatever this mission is, we should gear it towards the youth” says St. George. 

Blackmon also emphasized the role basketball played in his life, describing it as an escape which aided in both his mental and physical health.  

“Building something out and giving back to our community the things that we didn’t have at the time.. Just because you might not hit that pinnacle, which is very very hard to hit, that doesn’t mean that you have to stop playing the game or that the game cant provide you with all these other things,” states Sam. 

Hosting youth-focused clinics throughout Brooklyn, the crew noted that the network they’ve been able to build through basketball has helped bring their ideas to life. “A lot of these people played college, pro, or overseas so we actually have them come be a part of our youth clinics where they get to be trainers, help volunteer. These kids are able to have this mentorship integrated,” says Hill. 

PLYMKRS is working to give every player the opportunities, attention, and resources they need, too. That includes holistic style clinics with skill work, stretching, mobility and breath work all encorporated. The goal is to promote a healthier lifestyle.

They also hosted their annual sneaker drive, where over 75 pairs of shoes donated and 55 kids were able to walk away with brand new kicks after the clinic. 

With their sights set on empowering the next generation, paying it forward has been one of their biggest motives. 

“All you gotta do is show up for one day, for four hours and show kids that you care about what they got going on, it leaves a lasting impression,” says Kenny St George. “That’s truly what this is all about.”

The post PLYMKRS is Making Waves in the New York Basketball Community By Empowering the Youth appeared first on SLAM.

After going No. 1 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Bueckers is now down south in Dallas with her new team. In official photos, here’s a first-look at Paige wearing her No. 5. Wings jersey.

Paige once told CT Insider’s Maggie Vanoni that she picked five because that’s what she wore when she played with USA Basketball. The kicks she’s wearing are the “X-Ray” Kobe 5s to match the fly of her Wings uniform.

Ahead of training camp, which officially starts April 27, the Wings welcomed her and fellow WNBA draft picks—Aziaha James, Madison Scott, JJ Quinerly and Aaronette Vonley—in an introductory press conference. Sitting alongside new General Manager Curt Miller and new head coach Chris Koclanes, Paige talked about the Wings being a “winning organization,” and that they’ll “continue to build off each other, continue to build off the momentum of women’s sports and the wave that’s been created.”

The post FIRST LOOK: Paige Bueckers Rocks No. 5 Dallas Wings Jersey appeared first on SLAM.

Indiana does not Fear the Deer. Giannis put the team on his back with 36 points—but it wasn’t enough. Indiana dropped 28 dimes and could not miss, routing the Bucks. Ever since last year, the Pacers have been Milwaukee’s kryptonite.

Russell Westbrook got the last laugh against his former teammate in James Harden. He splashed a go-ahead corner three in fourth quarter crunch time and clamped up an inbound pass for The Beard in OT. For the postseason alone, Denver struck gold signing Brodie in the offseason.

The Knicks survived a Game 1 scare against Cade and ’em. With Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris cashing in threes, New York was down in the fourth quarter—until they pulled off a 21-0 run to blow the roof off MSG and secure the Game 1 dub. New Yorkers will be partying in the streets tonight.

The Ant-Man and Jaden McDaniels got KD last year. Now, they may get LeBron and Luka. The crypto.com arena looked like a three-point shooting contest, as Minnesota hit 21 triples—all while talking trash the entire time. The Ant-Man truly is the next poster child of our league.

The Thunder proved why they are the top dogs in the League. Oklahoma City steamrolled Memphis by 51 without a signature postseason performance from Shai. They’re the deepest team in the League and most dangerous team in the League. The biggest takeaway: J-Dub is a BAD man.

Paolo Banchero is made for the bright lights—dropping 36 on the defending champs. However, Boston plays best with a target on their back, shooting the lights out of the TD Garden. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard cashed 11 threes en route to a Celtic victory.

Cleveland proved they belonged in the top seed of the East. Ty Jerome came off the bench and silenced Heat Culture, dropping 28 points. Miami—always dangerous as an underdog—could only muster a two-point lead. In The Land, Kenny Atkinson has the Cavs hooping.

Don’t let the seventh seed fool you: Playoff Jimmy and Chef Curry are a dangerous duo. The Dubs flew out to H-Town and silenced the postseason takeoff for the Rockets. Curry and Butler combined for 56 points.

Now that Game 1’s are done with, who you got in each series?

The post THE WARM UP: Nuggets Strike Gold in OT, Dubs Silence H-Town in Game 1 Action appeared first on SLAM.

According to James Harden, his Adidas signature series might be the best expression of that approach in the industry.

“Right when you see it, it’s like, ‘Oh wow, what’s that?’ And then you know: ‘That’s the Harden. That’s a Volume,‘” Harden proudly says. “We got our own style and our own swag.”

Ever since Harden first landed his landmark 13-year signature deal with Adidas in 2015, the idea was to create chapters and volumes of signature sneakers that’d bridge the on-court with the off-court as the series evolved. They’re now on the ninth edition — officially dubbed the Harden Vol. 9 — with the series shifting over the years. 

The debut Vol. 1 was fresh out the gate, with its slanted leather or suede toe cap and distinctive look. The models thereafter were admittedly up and down at times. When designer Jalal Enayah took over the reigns back in 2019, both he and Harden looked to refresh the line as they worked together on the 7 and beyond. They wanted to map out a new way for the designer-plus-athlete model to work. 

“He said, ‘I can answer all the same questions over and over again, but that’s not going to let you know who I am,’” recalled Enayah. “He was all about, ‘If you want to know who I really am, come spend time with me and my friends.’”

“Come hang out with me, see who I am, and what I like,” Harden remembers telling the designer. 

The product since the Vol. 7 has infused an elevated style that fits James’ world, beyond the court. The design team tries to pick up on the aura of the cars he drives, the things he buys and the places he visits.

For example, Harden wears a duo of matching diamond chains almost at all times, both featuring an iced pendant reading “UNO.”

The nod to his current jersey number has become a nickname amongst his close friends, but the acronym also stands for his confident mantra:

Under No One

“The shoes really stand for our personality as a brand — which is to be confident,” adds Enayah. “We want to be confident in who we are and uniquely us. James is the catalyst for that. We didn’t want to make product that looked scared or safe.”

A Board of Directors member and equity partner in Saks, Harden’s orbit is endlessly high end. Whether that’s being laced in Louis, toting Bottega bags or putting it on in all Prada, there’s an access and taste level that Harden has become accustomed to, that’s now also making its way into his Adidas product. 

“We work with James like he’s a creative, rather just a muse,” described the designer. Everything from the silhouette to the mostly two-tone color palette has to fit Harden’s vibe around the clock.

When Harden was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers ahead of last season, the process became that much easier. The LA native welcomed the nearby DTLA-based Adidas team into all facets of his life, wherever and whenever that may be. 

“I’ve talked to him about shoes in the club,” jokes Enayah. “I’ve pulled up on him on one of his vacations. Post game in the tunnels, we’ve had some really great meetings too.”

With less scheduled meeting structure and slotted agenda times comes more honest reaction and input, they all agreed. Harden also likes hearing his friends’ feedback and reactions on the fly. 

Enayah even remembers getting a text to show up to a LA lounge at 1 AM once. He grabbed some samples and was on his way.  

“I pulled up with a bag of shoes and begged them to let me in with them,” he now laughs.

For as long as signature shoes have been the industry format for how a basketball star could showcase their footwear and brand partnerships, players have said they wanted their sneaker to “look good on and off the court.” 

As we all know, that’s been a tricky premise at times, with some sneakers simply standing as equipment to hoop in, and others falling short of both goals. 

Harden has looked to change that. 

“The thing is, this is a basketball shoe, but it’s a fashion shoe as well,” he described. “We’re taking it global and it’s meant for that. We’re doing an unbelievable job of having a balance.”

One of the first elements of building a shoe that can work both on and off court is dialing in the performance. Since the Vol. 7, there’s been a formula rooted in the pillars of comfort, traction, support and bold blocking that has come to define the latter looks of the line. 

“There’s a lot of players that the Harden shoe wouldn’t make sense for,” Enayah says, speaking to the big picture approach. “When you see it on his feet, you instantly understand that this is an expression of him and him pushing the boundaries.”

The 7 had the swooping black around the heel and the pops of color through the quilted upper. The clean toe brought a sophistication that made it wearable. The 8 was even more daring, with a clean toe and knit collar returning, yet a dramatic oval shape along the side that was unmistakable from a mile away. 

With the Vol. 9, the shoe incorporates that same sleekness and knit collar, with more branding added in, in a subtle way. As the team dissected the 7 and 8, they felt they could make it both lighter and bring in more breathability. 

The newest shoe features a combination of Lightstrike and Boost foam for a cushioning platform that sits a little lower. The stripes along the side became a two-fold solve to not only add branding, but also improve the performance. 

“We looked at supercars and how they ventilate their tires and breaks. That was the main focus,” begins Enayah. “We looked at some old Adidas ClimaCool stuff and drew some inspiration from that. The Three Stripes became more of a gestural manner. That was different for the Harden line, but still mixes it up.”

Visually, it worked. The shoe retained the sleekness and ability to boldly bring color and metallics to the model, while also giving the silhouette a new stance and a lower profile. 

“If you have James, that opens up your possibilities and what you can get away with having a basketball shoe look like,” added the designer. 

On the court, it also worked. To close the regular season, Harden was named Player of the Week for the Western Conference. It was the first time he was named POTY since February of 2021 — two teams ago with the Brooklyn Nets. 

This year was also the first time he made the All-Star Game since the 2021-22 season. He wore sixteen colors of the Harden Vol. 9 since January, constantly bringing visibility to his newest shoe as the Clippers made their push to the postseason. He will appear in the NBA playoffs this weekend for a 16th consecutive time — every season of his career. 

“Jalal gets a lot of credit for it, and then obviously, me playing better, that adds to it,” said Harden. “The combination of both of those things go into why we’re now doing what we’re doing.”

For the month of March, the Harden Vol. 9 became a top ten most-worn sneaker across the entire NBA, according to KixStats.com.

“We wanted to make it a better hoop shoe that all players would play in. You’ll see James, Zu and Bogdan all wearing it — three very different players,” added Enayah. “We wanted to make it a positionless shoe. That’s become a cliche term, but it really is what the NBA is now.”

Amongst the more than two dozen players to lace them up in the NBA, along with several colleges to receive their own school-specific colorways, rising players like Lu Dort and Jalen Williams have also each debuted their own player exclusive editions of the model.

“That’s the whole point — to extend,” Harden says, matter of factly. “Whether it’s JDub or Lu, we got a couple other guys under the radar that we want to get into the Vol. 9 too.”

Most signature shoes follow a bit of a similar formula when it comes to debuting each colorway. Throughout this season, Harden has opted to unveil most of his Hardens in the most grand way possible, as perhaps only he could.

With the help of Road Show International in Atlanta, he wrapped a handful of luxury sportscars in similar “V9” looks, and pulled up to his games with the syncing sneakers on. The fire ride-along footage fully brought his fans further into his world.

“He gave us all the ammo we needed,” said Enayah. “The pressure was on us to deliver something that matched his aura.”

First was the anthracite smoke Ferrari with red accents that matched the “Cyber Metallic” launch colorway. More recently, he arrived in a black and red Dodge Hellcat for the Clippers home finale in LA. When he pulled up to a road game in Atlanta in a clean green Maserati on a Friday night, Harden shut things down in real time. 

The photo of a leather-laden Harden posing in front of the Four Seasons generated tens of millions of impressions. My tweet alone got more than 4,000 RTs and nearly 2 million views. Of course, there were the haters that he’s used to, but even they couldn’t still deny the vibe.

The sportscar stunt was pure vintage Harden. The comments were endless:

“Might be top 3 flex I seen my whole life”

“this is Hard Af!”

“Bring back this level of flexing”

“We’re thinking outside the box,” Harden beamed. “It’s killer.”

As the designer sees it, the supercar-inspired-sneaker coming to life with linking wrapped cars only made sense, and made for a “full circle moment” that the larger team at Adidas all helped to create. 

“We make the silhouette, but the marketing team really carries the shoe and tells the story,” said Enayah. “That’s James and that’s what he wants to do. He likes to do things that are provoking and get people excited in a different way.”

“It makes sense,” says Harden. “This is who I am. It’s authentic. It’s natural. We’re not forcing anything.”

When we caught up last month in LA at the Adidas flagship store in West Hollywood, Harden was at it again, arriving in a matte white Rolls Royce with lime green accents that matched the “Pearlized” Vol. 9s on his feet. The grill and wheels even had custom details reading “UNO” and “V9.”

The showroom he walked into was a full Harden takeover, with dozens of future and exclusive editions of the Vol. 9 on display. The details included everything down to the drinks on hand, as classic and strawberry margarita options included “The UNO” and “The Step Back,” while three varietals from his J-Harden Wines label were also being poured for guests. 

As the night carried on, his latest sneaker was on grand display along three rows of the back room. Each row read a key word, describing both Harden and his newest creation with Adidas: 

Unconventional 

Unmistakable

Unapologetic

Each of those descriptors not only encapsulates Harden’s approach over the years, but have also come to define the design of his series. 

“Him giving us that access to his life really sparked the confidence to take bigger risks with the shoes, described Enayah. “We brought something to him that made us uncomfortable, and when he responded positively, that gave us the confidence to keep pushing.”

Since the Vol. 7, one of the biggest differences that the team at Adidas has noticed is not only Harden’s input along the way, but his excitement to post and highlight his latest sneakers. It’s something basketball fans have picked up on too.

Harden is one of the top ten most-followed NBA players on Instagram with more than 12 million followers. His feed has become an ongoing showcase of the new Vol. 9, flooded with on-court shots, video content and brand posts constantly highlighting the shoe. 

“It only works if the athlete connects with the shoe and it feels like an extension of them,” admits Enayah. “If it is, you can see how they believe in the shoe, post it and are proud to wear it.”

In a landscape that now features more signature shoes than ever before — an NBA record 28 players wore their own signature shoe this season — Harden knows he needs to go above and beyond, on and off the court, in order for his shoe to break through.

“If you think about how many series are at 1, 2, 3 or at 12, 15 or 17,” he begins. “What can we do that they haven’t done? You gotta find ways to separate yourself.”

As he moved through the Melrose Avenue showroom of Adidas’ private party, Harden veered towards the middle of the space, where a lineage of his line was laid out on display. 

Each of his nine models appeared in order, with adjacent imagery taking him down memory lane of the moments that he connects to each shoe. 

“There’s a lot of 40s and 50s and 60 point games in a lot of those shoes. We created that. That’s tight,” he reflected. “It’s just a different feeling. I can’t even ask guys [how that feels]. There’s only a handful of guys right now that can understand what that feels like. It’s a blessing, it’s a testament to the work that I put in and to the team that I have around me.”

Already, the team is working on both the Adidas Harden Vol. 10 and Vol. 11 models for future seasons. This fall, Harden will become just the 12th player in NBA history to release ten consecutive signature shoes with the same brand while playing. 

“We’ve got our groove now,” he says proudly. “I got my swag that we’re able to match, and we know that people are actually going to like, as well.”

With a myriad of moves in the business world off the court, Harden has amassed one of the largest portfolios of brand deals, investments and partnerships of any athlete. Now 35, he’s leaning on that experience as he maps out his long-term prospects even after his Hall of Fame career. 

“I’m very intelligent. I’m very smart. I know the wave and I am the wave,” Harden continued. “Helping the brand, for as long as I can [is the goal.] It’s a partnership together.”

Now a decade removed from signing the initial 13-year deal back in 2015, Harden is already thinking about the next stage of adding to what he’s created with Adidas to date.

“My whole thing is, a lifetime deal with Adidas,” Harden said. “Let’s build a legacy and continue to do this thing, even when I’m not playing basketball.”

The post How Adidas Matched James Harden’s One Of A Kind Style  appeared first on SLAM.

Some squads are back in the postseason for the first time in a minute, while others are making their return with a ton of momentum. The matchups are set, the storylines are still being written and the vibes? Immaculate.

The first round is just getting started. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of tonight and Sunday:

Eastern Conference:

Cleveland Cavaliers: Kenny Atkinson has his Cavaliers hoopin’ in his first season in The Land. The Cavs snagged the top-seed in the East after posting a 64-18 record, the second-best in franchise history. Atkinson’s Cavaliers boast a fast-paced, pass-heavy offense that allows for Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell to shoot more, while allowing Evan Mobley to give interior defenders nightmares in the post. The Cavs are out to prove this historic season is legit. Better believe it.

“Until we have this parade in Cleveland, [and I’m] on the floats and [have] a ring on my finger. We haven’t done anything.” – DG

READ CAVS COVER STORY

Boston Celtics: The defending champs are looking to run it back. The Celtics cruised to a 61-21 record and will now have Kristaps Porzingis for their entire playoff run, too. Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics play with a high-pace across the roster and take a high volume of shots behind the arc. Boston is looking to make their way back into the Finals and bring a parade back to the city, Duck boats and all.

New York Knicks: The Knicks are back in the postseason, but with a few new faces in the lineup. Tom Thibodeau’s squad plays a fast-paced shooting offense, but has struggled to emulate their trademark defense from the past few seasons. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges have boosted New York’s starting five, ready to fire from deep at any point. In front of the most passionate fans in the league, the Knicks will look to advance past the second round, where they were eliminated the past two seasons by the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.

 I love our grit—that New York grit. 

READ KAT COVER STORY

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers return most of last year’s squad that made the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Running a fast-paced, pass-heavy offense led by Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana gets buckets any way they choose to. Indiana outscores opponents at a rapid rate to get the job done. Expect a high-scoring series against the Milwaukee Bucks, with Indiana fighting to get over the hump and break through for their first Finals appearance since 2000.

Milwaukee Bucks: Behind midseason moves, including a parting with franchise legend Khris Middleton, the Bucks are back in the playoffs. With an offensive revolving around the freight train named Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have thrived while playing mostly iso-ball. The Bucks are looking to get Damian Lillard back for the playoffs, providing a playmaking and sharpshooting threat. Milwaukee will look to avenge their first-round exit from last season playing against a familiar foe in the Indiana Pacers.

Detroit Pistons: Detroit is back in the postseason. The Pistons turned a 30-win turnaround into a playoff berth led by cover star Cade Cunningham. They play scrappy defense behind Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart, while grinding points through Cunningham and sharpshooter Malik Beasley. They will try to advance past the first round for the first time since ’08.

 “That was one of the main things that I wanted to do coming to Detroit: start us getting back to winning.”  – Cade

READ CADE COVER STORY

Orlando Magic: Orlando cruised their way through the Play-In Tournament to snag the seventh seed to square off against the defending champions. Marred by injuries throughout the year, Orlando plays a fast-paced offense that loves to shoot the long ball with Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner, while flying high in the paint with Paolo Banchero. Orlando will look to avenge last season’s first-round exit and advance for the first time since 2010.

Miami Heat: Heat Culture is the real deal. With constant lineup changes and midseason moves, Erik Spoelstra has the Heat back into the postseason. With scrappy defense and hustle, Miami grinds their way to victories through the long ball and winning on the glass with Bam Adebayo and Haywood Highsmith. Tyler Herro had the best season of his career as the team’s first option, and will look to shoot Miami into an upset over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder proved last season was no fluke, posting a league-best 68-14 record. The Thunder have sharpshooters across the board, lockdown defenders and SGA: one of the flyest frontrunners in the MVP discussion. OKC looks like the most complete two-way team in the mix. With postseason experience under their belt, OKC is looking to prove that the postseason lights are not too bright, and potentially take home the franchise’s first title since 1979.

I think [now] I just understand the bigger picture in winning at this level, for sure. I’ve gotten a little wiser in that aspect. – Shai

READ

Houston Rockets: The Rockets surprised everyone this season, winning 52 games and clinching the No. 2 seed. Led by an electric bench and energetic core of Jalen Green and Amen Thompson and versatile big man Alperen Sengun, the Rockets boast one of the deepest rotations in the League. Houston is looking to prove that they are the real deal in the team’s first postseason appearance since 2020.

I just gotta put my little sauce on it and my finesse on it and, sh-t, they do the rest. – FVV

READ ROCKETS COVER STORY

Los Angeles Lakers: Two words: Luka and LeBron. The Lakers have thrived off the two-man game of LeBron and Luka, with bench and crowd vibes at an all-time high. JJ Redick’s offense allows for Luka to cook defenders in man-to-man coverage, while drawing up motion that frees up shooters. The Lakers made it clear they’re in “win-now” mode, and will look to raise Doncic’s first Larry O’Brien trophy.

SHOP LAKERS COLLECTION

Denver Nuggets: Despite being the No. 4 seed in the West, there’s always a chance with a three-time MVP on the roster. Nikola Jokic put together another historic season after averaging a triple-double. He leads Denver’s fast-paced offensive attack. Boasting a strong bench, the Nuggets will look to make it back to the Finals and win their second Championship in two seasons.

LA Clippers: The opposite of the Pacers, the Clippers enter the playoffs as a matchup nightmare. A team with lockdown defenders scattered across the starting five and bench, LA wears opponents down to grind out victories. With electric energy from the bench and “The Wall” of fans, the Clippers will look to make noise in the postseason and make a run with a fully-healthy Kawhi Leonard and roster.

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Timberwolves are back, and have found their stride at the right time. The team plays with two-way excellence, and boasts one of the most dynamic scorers in the league in Anthony Edwards. The Ant-Man has sparked the team’s energy, displaying the highest-level of confidence in the league, which has reflected across the lineup. Minnesota added sharpshooters to their starting five, and will look to advance to their first Finals in franchise history after falling in the Western Conference Finals last season.

Golden State Warriors: Golden State may be a seven seed, but never count out Playoff Jimmy and Steph Curry. The Warriors have continued their three-point barrage against opponents, with Curry playing at a near-MVP level. Butler’s addition has brought the team’s energy up, and the Warriors appear to have found their stride at the right time. They will try and make a postseason run, first by upsetting the upstart Houston Rockets.

Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies mowed down the Mavericks in the Play-In Tournament last night to clinch the final seed in the West. Memphis has been at the center of media frenzy, which has shifted attention away from their balanced squad. Ja Morant leads a team that can score at any level—beyond the arc and in the paint—while also boasting elite interior defenders. The Grizzlies donned throwback uniforms that electrified the crowd last night, and with vibes at a high point, Memphis will look to pull off a shock upset over the top dogs in the League.

The post NBA Playoff Preview: What to Know Ahead of the First Round appeared first on SLAM.

We talk about vengeance, vengeance on the men who have tried to dishonor Luka Doncic.

Under the bright lights, through the shadows of doubt, the Don is gearing up to get his get back.

The post SLAM Presents Luka Doncic: Revenge of the Don appeared first on SLAM.

After Trae Young missed a triple trying to draw a foul, Cole Anthony pushed the ball down the court and found the sophomore guard in the corner, who laced his three to give the Magic a 104-85 lead.

During the ensuing possession, Young got to his spot on the left wing and blew past Black. He glided into the paint for a scoop layup before Black recovered and blocked Young’s shot off the backboard to save two points.

Paolo Banchero sped down the court in transition and despite being outnumbered on the fast break, found Anthony wide-open for a dagger three.

Instant offense created from great defense—a trend throughout the game.

In a game where the Magic displayed two-way brilliance, Orlando clinched the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference after routing the Hawks 120-95 in the first game of the Play-In Tournament.

Anthony led the Magic with 26 points off the bench, while Wendell Carter added 19. Franz Wagner posted a double-double, dropping 13 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, and Banchero finished with 17 points and nine boards.

Young led the Hawks with a game-high 28 points, while George Niang contributed 15 points off the bench. Dyson Daniels finished with seven points and 12 rebounds and Mouhamed Gueye added 12 points on a perfect 5-5 from the field.

The Magic dominated on their home court, closing out the first quarter with a 15-point advantage.

The Hawks grabbed an early 8-4 lead after Gueye put back a Daniels miss three minutes into the opening frame. The four-point advantage would be Atlanta’s largest lead of the game.

After both teams traded buckets, Orlando broke through with an Black layup off of a Banchero miss to give the Magic a 17-15 lead they would never look back on.

Black’s make kicked off a 17-2 run over the final five minutes of the first quarter, giving the Magic a 32-17 lead after one.

Orlando continued to run away in the second quarter. Despite Atlanta scoring 30 points in the frame, the Magic scored 29 and retained a double-digit lead entering halftime. Throughout the period, the Hawks were unable to cut the deficit to single digits.

In the third quarter, Atlanta came out the gates hot. A Caris LeVert layup with three minutes to play in the quarter capped off a 13-3 run that saw Atlanta pull within three points.

However, three points was the closest the Hawks got to erasing the deficit.

Anthony made a jumper and a tough layup between three Hawk defenders and Jonathan Isaac threw down a putback slam off a Wagner miss to give the Magic a six-point cushion heading into the final period.

Orlando quickly pulled ahead by double-digits off two Anthony triples and ran away with the game, outscoring Atlanta 41-22 in the final frame to secure the seventh seed.

The Hawks struggled offensively, shooting 38.1% from the field and only made four triples at a 19% clip.

Orlando shot nearly 50% from the field, making 48.4% of their shots and 11 triples at a 28.2% clip. The Magic also recorded nine blocks and six steals.

Orlando will now play the defending champion Boston Celtics in the first round.

Atlanta will face off against the winner of the 9th-10th place matchup between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls.

The post Orlando Magic clinch No. 7 seed following 120-95 rout in the Play-In Tournament appeared first on SLAM.

In a world where talking sneakers embark on adventures, SNEAKS follows a pair of high-end sneaker siblings, Ty and Maxine, voiced by Anthony Mackie and Chloe Bailey. When Maxine is stolen before Edson’s (Swae Lee) high school game by the nefarious Collector (Laurence Fishburne), Ty journeys throughout New York City to find her.

Deadstock kicks collectors, hoopers wanting the latest heat and even replica endorsers are all represented. You’ve got original music by Mustard, Ella Mai, Roddy Ricch and more. You’ve got Chris Paul. Keith David plays a pair of Chuck Taylors, Martin Lawrence voices a scuffed-up sneaker named JB and Olympic skateboard phenoms Rayssa Leal and Sky Brown conduct the Borough Board Express as a pair of Nikes.

With a flick that follows sneakers running around the streets of Harlem and playing pick up at the park, writer-director Rob Edwards and the producers behind SNEAKS—including SLAM’s sister studio, RTG Features—brought in Bobbito Garcia, the legendary outdoor hoops historian (and baller), DJ, radio Hall of Famer, filmmaker and sneaker culture icon, to put that authentic stamp on it all.

For decades, Bobbito has contributed and chronicled NYC’s cultural rhythm and heartbeat, even rocking out with us in these pages since our inception in ’94. And with his memoir, Bobbito’s Book of B-Ball Bong Bong!, arriving in July as a historical documentation of NYC’s outdoor hoops scene from the 1960s to now, the multifaceted aficionado sat down with SLAM to discuss how his years of experience in various lanes aligned to serve as the film’s Sneaker Culture Ambassador.

SLAM: Over the years, you’ve had a hand in nearly every cultural avenue that stems from the game. How did you get involved with SNEAKS?

Bobbito Garcia: SNEAKS became, like, this culmination of almost everything that I’ve contributed to the culture in one project. Because they reached out to me basically based on, You’re an icon, sneakers, you’ve done designs for Nike, adidas, Pumas, Pro-Keds. You wrote the book [Where’d You Get Those? New York City’s Sneaker Culture: 1960–1987]. You hosted the first TV series in media history, It’s the Shoes, with ESPN. They knew what I had done. They wanted that authentic name attached to the project. I don’t think they knew how much they were getting when they brought me on board, though.

SLAM: When did you start consulting on the project?

BG: This whole process has been five years in the making. They first hit me up in 2020. I did most of my script consulting in 2021, 2022. I did the voice-overs in 2023. You know, animated features, it’s a big project. But ultimately, I don’t need to be on a basketball court uptown to be able to evoke the electricity that seeps out of the asphalt. Case in point, when I did NBA Street Vol. 2, I was in Vancouver, bro. I was in a studio in Vancouver, 3,000 miles away from Manhattan. But I brought that flavor within the chain link. When I was reading the script and working with Rob, anytime they stepped on the court, it was like, Oh yeah, that’s my life. That city shit is still inside me. It’s a part of all my organs; it’s a part of my brain, a part of my heart, a part of my liver, a part of my blood. I just tried to kind of let my ideas flow, and I’m grateful to their team for [lending the] ear.

SLAM: What kind of notes did you provide on the script?

BG: They kind of did really well with the sneaker stuff. Truth be told, I didn’t have to change too much in that world. But what I did do was, the film is based in New York, up in Harlem, and in certain scenes, [I was like,] This word is not really used. This slang would be better. And then I started tinkering, particularly with the basketball scenes, too. And here I am, this f**king indie filmmaker who’s done docs. I’ve got no representation. I’ve got no agent. I’m not a CAA. I’m not Hollywood. Rob Edwards has done Disney movies, sold millions at the box office. I’m in a Zoom with, like, five producers and yo, they are listening to everything I say! It was trippy. Here’s this Puerto Rican from 97th Street telling these big box office people, like, Nah you should do it like this. And they’re giving me no pushback. They’re like, OK, yeah, OK, cool, cool, cool. And I see the next script revision. And bro, everything I told them to do, they did. So that was empowering. It was like this culmination of, all right, cool, I’m not just a sneaker dude. I’m a ballplayer, first and foremost. And I’m a DJ. And I’m a filmmaker. And I’m a storyteller. And I’m an author. So I’m looking at the script, and I’m not looking at it like, Well, you know, this sneaker didn’t come out until ’77. It’s like, no, I’m looking at it from a storytelling aspect.

SLAM: You also voice yourself in the film. How was your character created?

BG: They were so happy with me during those sessions that they were like, Yo, we want you to be a character in the film, to voice-over one of the characters. I was like, Cool. I don’t think they knew what they were getting themselves into, because I don’t think any of them have played NBA Street Vol. 2 or Vol. 3. But even before that, I did 12 years on the radio in New York, and in 2023 I got inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Not only that, I did like 40 commercials for Nike. So, I’ve got, like,  30 years of voice-over experience that they’re unaware of. They’re just thinking like, Yo, this dude is sneakers. He’s authentic. He’s credible. He’s going to add energy to the cast. So we start recording. It wasn’t an audition. It was like a test. And I remember [producer] Robyn [Klein] hitting me up: I knew you were going to be good. I didn’t know you were going to be that good. I kind of tore that shit up. And then she came back and she was like, We want to make the character you. We want the character to be Bobbito. You’re going to play yourself. And then it was like, the guardrails were off.

SLAM: How did your past voice-over experiences compare to voicing your character in SNEAKS?

BG: When I did NBA Street Vol. 2, it’s not a knock on EA or a knock on the NBA, the League, but there were guardrails. The League represents a lot to a lot of people, and they have checks and balances. So even though I went nuts in the studio and was going off script, the NBA came back and was like, Well, we can’t say this, we can’t say this. But with SNEAKS, because I was already consulting the script, I could handcraft what I was going to say. And because I’m portraying myself, you’re getting full unabashed me straight from the court. That’s me on the court. That’s me at the Goat, aka Rock Steady Park on 99th and Amsterdam. That’s the character that you’re getting with crazy flavor.

SLAM: There’s so much inspiration to pull from with the movie based in NYC. Where does that authenticity shine?

BG: I told [Rob], You’re going to have a smash film. But there’s going to be a small community of people who enjoy this film on another layer that’s going to go over the heads of the mainstream public. And that is what’s going to make this project have longevity. And they clearly understood that. It’s something that I really didn’t have to explain to them. And it wasn’t something that they were apologetic about either. They knew. They were like, Yo, if we’re going to do this, we’ve got to do it right. Let’s get Bob. Let’s get Chris Paul. Let’s get Mustard. Let’s get people who are loved [across] different generations, different subsets and everything.

SLAM: Your memoir chronicling your journey on outdoor courts across the globe comes out this July. How much of an impact have these two recent projects had on you?

BG: In my memoir, I’m talking about [how] I was a scrub, going to the Goat, looking up to Mario Elie, the legend Earl Manigault, and how I’m inspired by these people and trying to work on my game. I’m still that 14-year-old who’s mystified by all of this. I worked so hard for decades and decades, committing myself to become a better ballplayer and helping out others and providing platforms for unknown up-and-coming MCs, players, poets, writers, you name it. I’ve done so much to give back. And then for this to happen. Time will tell, but this could very well be the biggest shit I’ve ever been a part of. And for it to happen at this stage of my career, yo man, that’s crazy. That’s crazy.

SNEAKS hits theaters April 18th. Get your tickets here.

Photos via Briarcliff Entertainment.

The post Behind the Scenes of SNEAKS With the Film’s Sneaker Culture Ambassador Bobbito Garcia appeared first on SLAM.

With the Gator logo draped on a championship banner between the team, head coach Todd Golden, his players and the crowd began doing their signature Gator Chomp celebration as they hoisted the trophy.

From that point on, a message was sent to the entire nation.

Florida basketball is back.

Down by as many as 12 points in the second half, Florida rallied to defeat the Houston Cougars 65-63, winning the program’s third NCAA Championship and first since 2007.

Will Richard led the Gators with 18 points and eight rebounds. Alex Condon followed suit with 12 points and Walter Clayton Jr. capped off his legendary tournament run with 11 points and seven assists.

L.J. Cryer led Houston with 19 points and four triples. No other Cougar finished with double-digit scoring numbers. Mylik Wilson added nine points off the bench and J’Wan Roberts finished his collegiate career with eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

Both teams battled in the opening frame, causing three lead changes and five ties.

The Cougars threatened to pull away late in the first half after Wilson made a triple to give Houston a 29-21 lead with five minutes to play in the opening half.

However, Florida responded by closing out the final minutes on a 7-2 run led by a Condon steal and layup and two triples from Richard.

Florida’s run cut their deficit to three, leaving Houston up 31-28 lead into the half. Clayton struggled in the first half, closing out the opening frame with zero points after missing four attempts from beyond the arc.

In the second half, Houston’s came out of the half hot. Cryer hit a triple on the opening possession of the half, starting off an 11-2 Houston run that gave the Cougars a 42-30 lead. Houston’s defense suffocated Florida over this run, forcing three Gator turnovers that resulted in eight Cougar points.

However, Florida began to chip away. Clayton stole the ball from Milos Uzan and drew a foul, scoring his first points of the game from the free throw line. The Gators played tough defense, drawing fouls and contesting jumpers, even when Roberts snagged offensive rebounds to extend possessions.

On the offensive end, Florida scored eight consecutive points from a Denzel Aberdeen layup, Alijah Martin triple and a Thomas Haugh and-one. After their 8-0 run, the Gators cut the double-digit deficit to three points.

Houston maintained their slim lead over the next five minutes. The Gators continued to score, but could not break through to capture the lead. Finally, they forced a tie with just over three minutes to play.

Clayton, who had an off-shooting night while being guarded by Emanuel Sharp, showed up when his team needed him the most. With crunch-time approaching, Clayton curled around a screen and pulled up from the right wing, burying a triple to tie the game at 60 apiece.

Cryer quickly responded with a follow-up tip after a missed layup, but Richard drew a foul and calmly sank two free throws to keep Florida equal. After Joseph Tugler split a pair of free throws, Florida’s defense stepped up.

Up one, Cryer drove in hard to the paint, but had his shot rejected from Haugh. Condon pushed the ball down the court, where Alijah Martin eventually drew a foul on Tugler on a fast-break layup attempt.

Martin sank both of his free throws to give the Gators a 64-63 lead.

On Houston’s ensuing possession, Sharp held the ball at the top of the wing. He used a Roberts screen to drive hard right, but was stripped by Richard as he approached the paint. The ball ricocheted off Sharp’s hands, forcing another Houston turnover.

After the Cougars intentionally fouled Aberdeen, he split his free throws, leaving Houston a chance to tie with a two, or a chance to win with a triple.

On their final possession, Houston began to bleed the clock. As seconds clicked off the clock, Sharp darted out to the top of the key and received the pass from Cryer. He pulled up from deep, but Clayton contested hard, forcing Sharp to spike the ball at the ground. Sharp, unable to touch the ball due to a travel, tried to box out players for a teammate to receive the ball. Condon hustled and dove for the ball, securing possession and effectively bleeding out the final seconds on the clock.

Houston was unable to put a shot on the rim for their final three possessions of the game.

As Kelvin Sampson blankly looked onward, the Gator bench cleared to begin the celebration, with Clayton jumping into the arms of Micah Handlogten. Clayton would be named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and rightfully so.

Both teams were inefficient on the offensive end—a product of their elite defenses. Florida shot 39.6% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc, slight increases from Houston’s 34.8% from the field and 24% from beyond the arc.

Florida’s ability to get to the free throw line proved to be one of the difference-makers in the game, as the 19 Cougar fouls turned into 17 Gator points off free throws.

With the win, Florida earned their third NCAA Championship in program history, with Golden becoming the youngest coach to win a title since Jim Valvano in 1983.

In a full circle moment, the team Valvano beat to win that iconic 1983 title—the Houston Cougars.

But for now, Florida will enjoy their one shining moment and look to try to go back-to-back next year, just like they did in 2006 and 2007.

The post Florida Rallies to Win Third National Title appeared first on SLAM.

“It was hard losing so many games. Always seeing myself as a winner growing up, always having won, basically in all sports, to have a streak like last year and to have a year that was as tough as it was, I definitely learned a lot about myself and my mental fortitude,” Cade says. “Also, just staying in the grind, not leaving it. Trusting the work, trusting the path that I always believed I was on. I think that was the biggest thing that helped me get through it.”  

Cunningham didn’t just get through it—he’s evolved in the midst of it. He’s averaging the most points (25.6) by a Piston since the 2000-01 season. He’s averaging a career-high 9.3 dimes a night, which ranks third in the L, on top of pulling down 6.0 boards a game. He’s on pace to become the seventh player in League history to average at least 25/9/6, and his eight triple-doubles this season are the third-most by a Piston since Grant Hill’s 13 in ’96-97 and 10 in ’95-96. Oh yeah, and he’s got the Pistons sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference standings with their sights set on moving up. 

You’re looking at the Motor City’s first All-Star since 2019. The former No. 1 overall pick who built out the foundation that has Detroit back to sitting above .500 for the foreseeable future. At 38-31 as we go to press, the on-court architect of the Pistons’ resurgence has done more than get them back into the mix; they’re turning into the team that the rest of the League doesn’t want to see. And it began with first-year head coach J.B. Bickerstaff asking his star orchestrator what he wanted out of this season. 

A clean slate. 

“I wanted to take the step forward towards playoff basketball, not knowing if that was going to mean we were going to make the playoffs or if we were just going to see growth and be a more competitive team,” Cunningham says. “Team-wise, more than anything, just winning. Competing in games, being in all games that we play. We’ve been there. We’re doing that now. We’ve definitely lived up to everything that we were talking about [doing] for sure.” 

This season’s turnaround wasn’t a leap of faith. In reality, the Arlington, TX, native has been brimming with confidence since spending all of this past offseason training at 100 percent. He knew the phrase “taking things day by day” intimately, from missing training camp as a rookie with an ankle injury to sitting out for a majority of his second season after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left leg. He knew the process back to the League’s competitive ranks would be a mirror to his journey thus far—a test of will. But four straight Ls to start the season didn’t shake what the previous four months in the gym had envisioned. If anything, it just made Cade and the Pistons lock in even more. 

If you were to ask No. 2 when he started to feel the vibes of the season shift, he’d point to the Pistons’ first West Coast trip that ignited more than a few win streaks. From Phoenix to L.A. and Sacramento, Cade and the Pistons rattled off several wins in late December. By early January, they had strung together a five-game win streak and won eight of their last nine. Little Caesars Arena has been lit ever since. 

“That West Coast trip, like I said, was a huge trip for us. I think that really helped get our momentum going in the right direction,” Cunningham says. “Beating some really good teams in a row, I think that was a huge confidence booster for us. I think that was one of the big differences where we all saw change. Like, Aight, we’re in the mix now. We’re playing in big games. We’re playing for wins every night. We hadn’t been doing that before.” 

The before times featured shouldering the blame and expectations of an entire organization. Losses used to be tough, demoralizing. They aren’t as much anymore. Instead of blowouts, today’s losses are determined by single digits. The present sees a retooled confidence and deeper connections with teammates and coaches. Cade’s no longer doing it alone. As the head honcho of a squad with equal amounts of youngins and veteran wings, they all look to him as much as he does to them. 

The past two draft classes have brought both Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II to the squad. And first-year president Trajan Langdon has infused a hunger throughout the front office that resulted in the acquisitions of Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr and Malik Beasley this offseason. In the background, Cade and third-year center Jalen Duren have constructed the NBA’s latest lob duo threat. And Jaden Ivey’s making his way back from injury for next season. 

All those dimes, dots and assists are just as much a result of Cade snaking around screens and biding his time as they are Beas or Tobias knocking down a corner drift three or Duren trailing
down the lane, anticipating the mid-air connection. Whether he’s looking off defenders with his eyes or hesitating ever so slightly to open up a gap, Cade’s got a counter at all times.

With a newly constructed, bolstered roster that places him squarely as the face of the franchise, Cade is excelling. Everyone is. 

“That made my life so much easier—having guys, one, as professional as they are. The way that they approach every night, coming to play, coming to compete,” he says. “And then having all those guys that we just named come in and bring their own confidence and their own swag to the table has really helped us put a product together with a lot of the right ingredients.” 

His new vets have been committed to pouring their experience back into the roster. They’ve shared with Cade the ins and outs of different coverages. How he can attack them. Beat them. Outsmart them. “Things that you don’t necessarily see on the stat sheet, but make the game a lot easier whenever you understand them,” Cunningham explains. “All three of those guys have a different understanding of those things. They’ve taught me a lot since they’ve been here, along with the fact that they put the ball in the rim, which we all need. I’ve been lucky to have them here. We all have been. It’s been fun playing with them, for sure.” 

As he sits inside the practice facility in mid-March for his second SLAM cover shoot, Cade says there’s a collective chip across the roster, from those who have lived through the franchise’s struggles to those inheriting the responsibility of the change as it unfolds. And like he’s always done dating back to his days at Bowie HS and then Montverde, Cade is analyzing moment by moment what type of leader he needs to be. In games. In the locker room. In practice. During film sessions. Learning what pushes his guys and what makes them fall back. What are those triggers? Is it sounding off vocally or quietly being the first in the gym? On top of methodically breaking down defenses and pulling defenders out to the three-point line with an improved range this season, Cade is constantly searching for ways to empower everyone.  

“And then in that, making sure that the knowledge that I do have, I’m sharing it as much as I can. When I feel like I know something, I put it out there,” Cunningham says. “And then being able to be led as well. I was always told great leaders have to be great followers. And to be able to lead, you have to know how to follow as well. So I think making sure that I’m being as great of a follower as I can for Coach J.B. I think that helps the rest of the team set the tone as far as ways to receive his coaching. And then I try to do the same as far as, like I said, just being forward with what I think I see and what I think I know.” 

The chemistry has been on full display this season. Pull up the team’s socials for an inside look, from Duren and Beas crashing Cade’s postgame interview with All-Star praise to the team’s pre-game handshakes in the tunnel, which reflect the antics and camaraderie of a close-knit group. There’s a scrappiness on defense that hasn’t been felt for decades and the offense hums to the beat of everyone getting touches. Cade’s confidence in himself—and the group—has only grown as he continues to lean on others. 

“Seeing the turnaround from where we’ve come from to where we are now, having the fresh start that we had this year with all the new people coming in, everything like that [brought confidence]. The work that I had put in up to that point had given me all the confidence already, as far as what I can bring to the table individually,” Cunningham says. “But then being able to lean on guys like Tobias, Malik, Tim, Coach. All those guys that have that experience, that brings a lot of confidence as well.” 

The 2024-25 season is just the beginning of Detroit’s new identity. There are more goals to reach. More accomplishments to share. More wins to be had. And yeah, Cade admits that this season has been a great start. Competitive hoops is back in the 313. And as he maps out the next phase of the Pistons’ persistent rise, he can’t help but take in the change in the air. There’s a different level of satisfaction that has come with truly putting in the work. And he’s finding it each time he glances into the home crowd at Little Caesars Arena. 

“I’ve enjoyed watching the fans enjoy watching us play more than anything,” Cunningham says. “I can remember last season so many times, we’d mess up, you look in the crowd and everybody’s shaking their head. It was just sick. Now we have a big play or something, I look around and there’s so much laughter. You can really see people having a good time. And that was one of the main things that I wanted to do coming to Detroit: start us getting back to winning.” 

Portraits by Matthew Coughlin.

The post Cade Cunningham Has His FOOT ON THE GAS: SLAM 255 Cover Story appeared first on SLAM.

The shock move, confirmed by ESPN’s Shams Charania, comes after the Nuggets squandered a 13-point lead in front of their home fans in a 125-120 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Denver lost the game despite Nikola Jokic posting another triple-double, ending with a statline of 41 points, 15 boards and 13 assists.

“While the timing of this decision is unfortunate, as Coach Malone helped build the foundation of our now championship-level program, it is a necessary step to allow us to compete at the highest level right now,” Josh Kroenke, Vice Chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, the holding company that owns the Nuggets, said in a press release.

Denver currently sits in a four-way tie for fourth place in the Western Conference, holding tiebreakers over the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies. The team is 47-32, but has seen poor form recently, going 3-7 in their last 10 games and are currently riding a four-game losing streak. However, one game separates these teams from a first-round bye or a berth to the Play-In Tournament.

Similarly to Taylor Jenkins, who was relieved of his duties by the Memphis Grizzlies, Malone’s Nuggets have taken a step back defensively. The team still finds offensive production from Jokic, but has plummeted to the 25th ranked scoring defense in the league after ranking sixth last season. The team has allowed 117.1 opposing points per game after only allowing 109.6 last season.

In Malone’s 10 seasons in the Mile High City, he posted a 471-327 record and headlined the most successful decade in franchise history, winning Denver’s first NBA Finals in the 2022-23 season. He led the Nuggets to six consecutive playoff appearances and has a career postseason record of 44-36.

For now, assistant coach David Adelman will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

The post BREAKING: Denver Nuggets Part Ways With Head Coach Michael Malone, GM Calvin Booth appeared first on SLAM.

Whether it be drills of fighting for offensive rebounds or players diving for loose balls, Kelvin Sampson’s squad has mastered the fundamentals and little details.

So when the Cougars were down nine with just over two minutes to play, they seemed unfazed and continued chipping away at the seemingly insurmountable 64-55 Duke lead.

It started with Emanuel Sharp gathering a full head of steam and blowing past SLAM cover star Cooper Flagg for an easy layup, cutting the deficit to seven. Then after a Joseph Tugler steal, Sharp drew a foul in the paint from Maliq Brown before calmly sinking both shots from the line.

After Flagg and Sharp responded with two free throws each, Tugler reached in at the ball on the ensuing inbound, resulting in a technical free throw for Duke. Kon Knueppel stepped up to the line and calmly sank the technical free throw with over a minute to play. Knueppel’s free throw would be the last points Duke would score for the remainder of the game.

As Duke ran clock, Knueppel drove in the paint for a layup, but was met by Tugler, who launched the ball off the backboard.

Houston hurried down the floor and found Sharp, who pulled up from deep to cut the lead to three.

The Cougars then switched to a full-court man-to-man press on the inbound. Sion James tried to find Flagg, but his errant pass was tipped and stolen by Mylik Wilson. Wilson retreated to the three-point line but missed long, leading to a Tugler putback dunk that sent the Cougar bench into a frenzy. Tugler’s dunk cut the deficit to a single point.

When Houston intentionally fouled Tyrese Proctor for a one-and-one, Proctor’s first free-throw hit back iron, leading to a controversial over-the-back call on Flagg, who fought with J’Wan Roberts for the rebound.

With Houston in the bonus, Roberts calmly sank both of his free throws to give the Cougars a 68-67 lead.

Roberts then got it done on the defensive end, putting a tough contest on Flagg’s go-ahead turnaround jumper with seconds remaining on the clock.

After two free throws made the contest a three-point game, Duke’s last gasp effort sailed over the basketball to seal their fate.

With Houston’s last effort comeback, the Cougars made their first National Championship game since 1984.

L.J. Cryer led the Cougars with 26 points, while Sharp finished with 16 points. Roberts posted a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 12 boards.

Flagg led the Blue Devils with 27 points and seven rebounds, while Knueppel finished with 16 points. No other Duke player finished the game in double-digit scoring.

Duke controlled the majority of the game, capturing the lead at the 14-minute mark in the first half after Flagg made a triple to give Duke an 8-6 lead. The Blue Devils built on that lead throughout the half and entered halftime with a six-point advantage.

Duke continued to pile on points but was unable to pull away from the Cougars. After a Proctor free throw gave Duke a 14-point lead with eight minutes to play, Cryer responded with a triple, free throw and a jumper to cut the lead to single digits.

Houston added two more layups from Roberts and Tugler to bring the deficit to four points. However, Proctor responded with two free throws and Flagg drilled a triple from the right wing to give Duke a 64-55 lead with three minutes to play.

Houston then embarked on their 15-3 run to close out the game and complete the comeback victory.

Duke’s inexperience in close games and dealing with the Cougars’ full-court pressure proved costly, as missed opportunities and turnovers led to the Blue Devils scoring only three points in the final three minutes of the game.

Houston shot efficiently from beyond the arc, draining 10 triples at a 45.5% clip, while Duke only made seven. However, the Blue Devils were more efficient from the field, shooting 39.6% compared to Houston’s 37.7%.

With the win, Houston will play the Florida Gators for a chance to win the program’s first National Championship in history, having previously lost back-to-back title games in 1983 and 1984.

The post Houston Completes Last-Second Comeback to Clinch Championship Game Berth appeared first on SLAM.

“He’s on a Kemba Walker type run. I mean, that’s it,” Greenberg said on Get Up!

Walker immortalized his collegiate career with an elite postseason run in 2011. After UConn finished ninth in the Big East, the Huskies rattled off five wins in five days to win the Big East Tournament, including when Walker hit his iconic ankle-breaking buzzer beater against Pittsburgh in the quarterfinal game.

In the NCAA Tournament, Walker continued his scoring tear, opening the tournament with a 18-point, 12-assist double-double in a rout against Bucknell. He then followed it up with back-to-back 30-point performances against Cincinnati and San Diego State before dropping 20 against Arizona to advance to the Final Four.

Then against a Kentucky team boasting six NBA players, Walker scored 18 points before grinding past Butler in the National Championship game.

But after Saturday afternoon, Walter Clayton Jr.’s run may be in a league of his own.

Having previously carried Florida to victories against UConn and Texas Tech, Clayton saved his best for the Final Four.

Clayton dropped 34 points to defeat the Auburn Tigers 79-73, bringing the Gators to their first National Championship game since 2007.

Alijah Martin finished with 17 points while Thomas Haugh added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

Chad Baker-Mazara led the Tigers with 18 points and four steals. Johni Broome added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Denver Jones finished with 10 points.

After a tightly-contested first-half that saw nine lead changes, the Tigers pulled away in the final minutes of the opening frame.

After Clayton made a layup with under four minutes to play in the half, Auburn closed out the half on a 13-9 run to take an eight-point advantage into the half.

SLAM cover star Tahaad Pettiford—who recently declared for the NBA Draft—made three free throws, while Broome added two post shots to pad the Auburn lead. A Miles Kelly triple gave Auburn a nine-point lead, its biggest advantage of the half.

Into the second half, Florida came out the gates hot. The Gators took the lead after going on a 13-3 run behind an and-one from Will Richard and two triples from Clayton and Martin.

After both teams traded blows and underwent seven lead changes,. Clayton took over in the final four minutes.

Up one, Clayton took a handoff from Haugh and buried a triple from the left wing to give Florida a four-point lead. He then split two defenders for an easy layup before spinning past Jones en route to a tough and-one.

With time running out, Clayton threw an inbound pass to Haugh, who threw up a hook shot after being fouled from behind by Broome. The ball caromed around on the rim before falling for a dagger and-one.

After Haugh missed the free throw, Baker-Mazara responded with a triple to cut the deficit to five with 32 seconds remaining. Florida converted on enough free throws to keep a two-possession lead and eventually closed the game out.

Fittingly, Clayton sunk the final two free throws to ice the game.

Timely shooting from beyond the arc was the difference-maker for the Gators, who shot 38.1% from beyond the arc and an efficient 47.2% from the floor. Auburn made seven triples, but at a lower 28% clip.

Clayton is almost a shoo-in for the Most Outstanding Player award. Clayton is averaging 24.6 points per game and is shooting 48.7% from beyond the arc for the tournament. He has put up back-to-back 30-point games and has scored in double-figures in all five rounds.

All he needs now is a ring to place his NCAA Tournament run in the same realm as Kemba Walker’s 2011 masterclass.

Clayton and Florida will now have the chance to do so after advancing to their first National Championship game since 2007 against the Houston Cougars.

The post Walter Clayton Jr.’s 34 points propels Florida into the title game appeared first on SLAM.

Sometimes the thought, Do I have it in me to keep doing this? would cross his mind, especially at the end of the season. The weight of his position, as a coach and basketball mastermind in charge of orchestrating a championship-winning roster, and all it takes to make that happen, would dawn on him.

“I don’t know that I think of it in terms of who’s coming after me or what am I leaving behind, but I think some of the things that we’re going to leave behind are probably undoable in the future,” Auriemma said over the phone back then. “I don’t think anybody can sit here and say, OK, pick out a coach that you think is going to win 11 national championships that’s coaching today. You’d be hard-pressed. Pick a team that won 111 in a row. Pick one that won 90 in a row, three times…Name a program that’s going to go to 14 straight Final Fours. Things that we’ve done legacy-wise are going to be undoable now.”

His words foreshadow the brilliance we’ve seen from the Huskies, which was on full display in this year’s NCAA tournament. After persevering through injuries and losses, UConn has powered their way past opponents—Arkansas State, SD State, Oklahoma, USC, UCLA and, finally, South Carolina—to make to the podium for the first time since 2016. Along the way, they made history: the 34-point dub in the semi-finals against UCLA is now the largest win over a No. 1 seed in women’s Final Four, ever. Then, on the same day Auriemma was celebrating 40 years at the helm, the Huskies defeated the reigning champs, South Carolina to win their 12th National Title, making UConn the winningest program in all of college basketball history.

“The legacy that’s going to be left here by those people that have worked here and played here, some things—we’re going to be in the record books for eternity,” he added.

As much credit Auriemma gets, he’ll be the first to not make it about him, and in the rematch of the 2022 National Championship game, the Huskies executed their game plan perfectly. The Gamecocks were no match for UConn’s “Big Three” of Paige Bueckers, Final Four MVP Azzi Fudd and freshman phenom Sarah Strong; a poised Bueckers had 17 points, while Fudd and Strong both dominanted with 24-points each, plus Strong’s 15 rebounds.

The rest of the roster, which includes KK Arnold and Kaitlyn Chen, hustled and dazzled on plays, from volleyball-esque passes to finishes at the rim and tough-nosed boxouts, that made the difference when it counted most. The Huskies won, 82-59 by controlling tempo of the entire game.

As Huskies fans will tell it, it was really the Power of Friendship that fueled their epic run.

And in their final game together with Bueckers in a UConn uniform, Auriemma had just one message for her as they embraced each other on the court for the last time. It’s a message he’s likely said to her and many of the players he’s coached over the years before. “I love you,” Auriemma told PB as they both emotionally embraced each other on a confetti-covered court.

Legacy solidified.

The post UConn’s Reign Continues as the Huskies Win their 12th National Title appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM dove deep into the archives to bring back some college basketball classics for their latest ensemble, the Legacy Collection. This collection features four retro pairs of Georgetown, Kentucky, Kansas, and Villanova Legacy shorts. Each pair is expertly crafted with materials and designs similar to those from when they first debuted in the 90s and early 2000s, while also maintaining the comfort and premium finishes that SLAM is known for.

“The Legacy Collection is our take on some of the greatest college basketball shorts of all time,” says VP of Creative Josh Barnett. “With the Legacy Collection, we wanted to challenge ourselves to produce a product that looks and feels like it’s from the era it represents, in the premium SLAM way. Stitched piping, embroidered logos, no pockets. Straight old school. We hope you love them as much as we loved bringing them back to life.”

The collection, which will be available on April 4, captures all the nostalgia and history made throughout each team’s NCAA tournament appearance, including the iconic shorts worn by the “Comeback Cats” during Kentucky’s Final Four run in San Antonio in 1998. Kentucky clinched the win against a hard-fought team, led by Tubby Smith and alongside iconic players Allen Edwards, Cameron Mills, and Jeff Sheppard.

The SLAM Legacy Collection also captures the magic of the Georgetown Hoyas, led by the legendary Allen Iverson. Now known as the voice of SLAM, Iverson is the ultimate crossover between basketball and culture. His time as a Hoya was marked by leading his team to the 1996 NCAA Tournament, where they made it to the Elite Eight. His breakout games helped establish him as one of the most talked-about college players in the nation.

The final pairs in the collection pay homage to the Villanova Wildcats, who won the Big East tournament under coach Steve Lappas. The Wildcats shined bright the previous season in hopes of keeping the flame burning during the next.

Finally, the Kansas Jayhawks began to show their strength during the 2002-03 season as March approached, with one of the best backcourts of the time—Drew Gooden and Nick Collison. Led by then-coach Roy Williams in his last season at Kansas, the Jayhawks made a deep run in the tournament, eventually reaching the National Championship game.

The Legacy Collection drops this Friday on SLAMgoods at 11 am EST. Cop yours now

The post SLAM Brings back legendary Retro College Basketball Shorts in the “Legacy Collection” appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM got the chance to attend and photograph the very first session, which was held at Wadleigh Secondary School in Harlem and featured a round-robin scrimmage and the unveiling of DYCD- branded league jerseys.

What’s the purpose of this new league? According to literature provided by the DYCD, which has been around since 1996 and helps a broad cross section of New York City youth with its diverse programming, this initiative creates “the opportunity to participate in structured league play, promoting teamwork, sportsmanship and community engagement…With a continued commitment to equity and inclusivity, DYCD is placing a strong emphasis on expanding structured opportunities for girl-inclusive sports programming. Each sport within the league will feature specific initiatives to engage young female athletes, including the creation of all-girl leagues or co-ed participation with inclusive rules to ensure fair and equitable play.”

Since 2022, the DYCD has been led by Commissioner Keith Howard, a longtime employee of the city who grew up in the Bronx and knows his hoops. To say he’s excited for this latest initiative is an understatement. “Reflecting on growing up in the Bronx, and in a family who loved and played sports, I was lucky to be able to get involved with a community basketball league and play in tournaments all around the five boroughs before playing in college,” the John Jay College product told us over email. “During this time, New York City was ranked high on the list of male and female ballers who went off to make names for themselves in the NBA and WNBA. The phrase ‘I Got Next’ came from the pickup basketball games happening in community courts all around the city. The influence of New York City ball culture mixed with the critical life skills that basketball taught me, such as discipline, teamwork, leadership, health and fitness, had a positive influence on my life.”

Howard and his team now strive to impart those same life skills to a new generation of women, starting with basketball but also, according to Howard, other women’s sports such as “track & field, soccer, volleyball, fencing and more.”

One of the attendees at the February event was Lynne Louis, a 13-year-old from Haiti who now lives in Brooklyn. An excellent student at PS 181, Lynne has also shown a lot of promise on the basketball court as the team captain of the PYE Beacon Lady Thunder (Beacons are community programs throughout the city run by DYCD.) Lynne shared with us her enthusiasm about joining a new league that will expose her to a lot more basketball. “I enjoyed it a lot. It was my first time playing in a basketball league, so I was very excited to experience it,” Lynne said. “I’m used to seeing mostly boys play. It feels great to see other girls like myself coming together to play a very popular and famous sport.”

Hats off to the leaders of the DYCD, hands-on coaches and directors such as Alexandria Haughton and Paul Shorter, and everyone who will be part of this program. Given the positive impact basketball has proven to have on young people, we expect lives to be changed as the DYCD Basketball League grows.

As they say, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

The post New DYCD Basketball League is Bringing the Game and Impactful Programming to Youth Girls in NYC appeared first on SLAM.

In the Dubs’ 134-125 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, Curry posted a statline that had only been replicated once in the league’s history.

The two-time MVP splashed 12 triples, finishing with 52 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and five steals. Curry shot 60% from beyond the arc and was a perfect 8-8 from the free-throw line.

The only ever player to post 50 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and five steals in a game was another Warrior—franchise legend Rick Barry in 1974.

Maybe it’s a Golden State thing.

Jimmy Butler added 27 points while Draymond Green finished with a 13-point, 12-assist and 10-rebound triple-double.

Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 36 points, while SLAM Cover star Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 22 points. Rookie center Zach Edey posted a double-double, dropping 10 points and grabbing 16 boards.

Curry started off the game scorching hot, hitting five triples in the first quarter alone. He rested for most of the second quarter, but added two more to close out the half, with his second in the quarter coming from way downtown.

Golden State took a 74-66 lead into the third quarter, and the three-point barrage continued. The Warriors made 22 total triples on the night, but none were more surprising then when Kevon Looney faded to the corner with the shot clock winding down and nailed a three, sending the Warriors bench into a frenzy.

After Looney’s triple, the Grizzlies responded with a three from Santi Aldama and two Edey dunks end the third quarter deadlocked at 103.

In the fourth quarter, both teams battled, posting 10 lead changes in the final frame.

With Memphis clinging to a one-point lead with under three minutes to play, Green swung a pass to the corner, where Curry hit his 12th triple of the night. Golden State then closed out the final minutes of play on a 13-5 run to seal the deal.

Curry’s 12 three-pointers were tied for his second-highest mark in his career, one short of tying his performance in 2016 when he shot a ridiculously efficient 13-17 from beyond the arc in a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

With the win, the Dubs jumped three teams in the Western Conference standings and now sit in fifth place, one spot clear of the Play-In Tournament.

Memphis, having fired coach Taylor Jenkins, have free-fallen into eighth place. The Grizzlies are 2-8 in their last 10 games.

The post Stephen Curry Cooks Up Signature Performance Against Memphis Grizzlies appeared first on SLAM.

After buzzing in at the front door and ascending the carpeted staircase, you’ll find one of the most intimate hardwood settings in New York City. Warm wooden hues and distinct hits of evergreen along the wall padding illuminate the space that, in late March, was engulfed by the sounds of New Balance TWO WXY v5s striking the court. Klutch Athletics by New Balance had completely taken over the space, stamped by the appearance of their star-studded athlete roster.

The trio of five stars stood out immediately at the youth clinic, and not just because they were decked out in either lime or yellow woven Klutch Athletics gear and towering over the kids they were swinging the rock to during drills. Aaliyah Crump, Isiah Harwell and Caleb Wilson represent more than a collection of elite high school-level talent; they’re the embodiment of the ethos that the sportswear brand has envisioned for the future. 

“At the highest level, we want to inspire and enable those that have an athlete mindset to be their best selves. Klutch is more than a brand, it’s about coming together for positive change,” says Pat Cassidy, President at Klutch Athletics by New Balance. “We want everyone in the communities we touch to feel empowered to achieve whatever goals they set out for themselves. There are a number of ways we can do that, from product to community engagement to providing tools to succeed, and we have no shortage of ideas of what’s to come from us—stay tuned.”

Community was at the center of that Friday afternoon with the soon-to-be incoming freshmen at the forefront. Aaliyah (heading to Texas), Isiah (playing at Houston) and Caleb (going to North Carolina) descended on the gym with the mindset of giving back. With the youngins at one basket and the older kids shooting at the other, the three athletes split their time between the two halves, coaching the kids up during drills before sharing their insights and advice during a panel discussion. And with as much as these three have already accomplished—most recently being named McDonald’s All-Americans—there were mad amounts of wisdom to take in. 

Aaliyah made history in December 2023 when she became the first female athlete and high school player to join Klutch Athletics by New Balance. The No. 5 player in the class of 2025, (according to ESPN) was quickly joined by Caleb (No. 7) and Isiah (No. 13), who announced their signings later that summer. And for the past year, all three have been cooking at their high schools while setting the foundation for the brand’s mission to uplift and empower athletes across gender and sport. And when they’re not dropping buckets on the opposing team, they’re getting their own games right in the brand’s elevated performance pieces, a number of which were on display throughout the gym that Friday.

A sea of black and white Klutch Athletics t-shirts and gray tricot shorts filled the confines of the court while Aaliyah, Caleb and Isiah sported a preview of the Spring ’25 collection. With an assortment of pieces arriving at retail on April 10, we sat down with Klutch Athletics’ athlete roster to learn more about their journey with the brand, how they’re giving back and the future of their partnerships.

SLAM: It’s been a minute since each of you signed with the brand. How would you sum up your experience as a Klutch athlete thus far? 

Aaliyah Crump: Basketball is really important to me, but they’ve allowed me to kind of venture off into different parts of it. And I think they just really care about me as a person and care about all the things that I have going for me. So, I just think it’s been really cool to be a part of Klutch. And obviously this is one of the first NIL things that I did. I think they’ve just been supportive through it all, supportive through community give back and whatever things that I’m trying to do to help my community and give back to people that care for me.

Isiah Harwell: It’s amazing. I get to talk to everybody. They’re all just friendly, a friendly vibe. It’s been great. They’ve helped me, on and off the court. They give me motivation and advice, because I got hurt before, to get through stuff, surgery. They talked me through it and helped me get stuff done.

Caleb Wilson: My experience has been great with Klutch. We’ve been partners for a long time. They’ve asked to help me in different ways, and they’ve also helped my team. That was something that was really good for me, being able to give some Klutch Athletics by New Balance gear to my basketball team in my high school, and they were really appreciative of it. Also, when I went down to Boston for Hoop Hall, I was also able to give some gear to my team then. They’ve definitely been supportive, and I appreciate them very much for this new partnership that we have. 

SLAM: You’re all rocking pieces from the new Klutch Athletics by New Balance collection. From fit to materials and overall feel, what has been your favorite aspect of training in the brand’s performance essentials?

AC: I think it’s really versatile, the colors that they choose. I think they’re colors that us athletes and just kids these days love to wear. I love that I can wear them on the court, wear them off the court. Like I said, it’s a versatile product that I can really wear wherever and whenever. So I’m loving it.

IH: I ain’t going to lie, I like it a lot. All the shoes feel good, clothes fit good, they feel good, too. Everything’s breathable, it’s actually nice to hoop in it.

CW: I’m a guy that has always liked color, so coming up with more diverse colors, especially from New Balance, is really cool. But it’s really comfortable, lightweight, you can do a lot of stuff in it. You can wear it as a style. You can wear it to work out in. It’s really versatile. Also, it looks good. It’s layered really good with the colors. That’s all that matters.

SLAM: Aaliyah, you had the opportunity to surprise your Montverde squad with some Klutch Athletics by New Balance gear mid-season. What did that moment tell you about the brand’s commitment to spotlighting the next generation? 

AC: They really care about the family feel. And I just think that’s really important. Like, us athletes, we want to give back to people that care for us the most and support us the most. And I think it means a lot that they’re willing to support me in that and give me the tools and gear and stuff to help out those people.

SLAM: Isiah, when you look toward the future of this partnership, what are some ways that you’re hoping to give back and put your hometown of Pocatello, ID, on the map?

IH: Mostly building up myself so I can be in a position to help other people. Being able to give back is a really good blessing. It makes you feel good inside when you get to help other people. You wish you had somebody helping you as you did growing up.

SLAM: Caleb, last summer you got to tour the New Balance headquarters after you signed. What was one thing that you were surprised to learn about the brand?

CW: Just how much they have going on. Coming to New Balance, we’re up and coming on the basketball side. But just going to that track and seeing how big they are in the track and field market…soccer, with the football cleats, tennis, all huge sports. And just showing that they’re all intertwined between all these sports and have a relationship with all the top athletes throughout these sports.

Photos via Klutch Athletics.

The post Klutch Athletics by New Balance Highlights Their Athlete Roster During Youth Clinic at Masaryk Community Gym appeared first on SLAM.

In the Nuggets’ 140-139 double-overtime loss to the Timberwolves, the Joker made history by posting the third 60-point triple-double in league history. He joins elite company alongside Luka Doncic and James Harden, the first two players to achieve the illustrious feat.

Jokic finished with a statline of 61 points, 10 assists and 10 boards. He shot 62% from the field on an efficient 18-29 night, drained six triples and was money at the free throw, cashing in on 19 of his 24 attempts.

To top it off, Jokic dropped this statline while being guarded by Rudy Gobert, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Another masterclass and vintage Jokic performance—that wasn’t enough to get the dub.

Denver, without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. put up a fight against a fully-healthy Timberwolves team. Aaron Gordon dropped 30 points, while Christian Braun posted a double-double, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Russell Westbrook added 12 points, six rebounds and dished out seven assists off the bench.

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 34 points, while Julius Randle and Nickeil Alexander-Walker each finished with 26 points. Gobert and Edwards both logged double-doubles, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds and 34 points and 10 rebounds respectively.

Both teams battled for the first three quarters, with neither team establishing a double-digit lead at any point in the game. In the fourth quarter, a Jokic and-one gave Denver an 11-point lead with just over six minutes remaining.

However, the TWolves battled back. Edwards made a three and dished out two assists for a Gobert dunk and Randle triple to cut the lead to five. He then scored eight consecutive Minnesota points to gain a three-point lead. But after Edwards turned the ball over on an offensive foul, the Joker went back to work.

Down two, Jokic drew a foul and calmly sank two pressure free throws to send the game to overtime.

In the first extra period, Jokic played hero-ball again. Down two with 12 seconds to play, the Joker was matched up with Edwards. He bullied his way down low and calmly drained a floater to tie the game at 125 apiece.

In the second overtime period, the madness began. Jokic split a pair of free throws to give the Nuggets a 139-138 lead with 17 seconds left. Denver’s defense double-teamed Edwards, who threw the ball way, initiating a 2-on-1 fast-break. Braun dimed Westbrook, who missed the fast-break layup, sending Minnesota sprinting the other way.

In scramble mode, Edwards split a sea of Nuggets defenders and found Alexander-Walker wide-open on the wing. Westbrook closed out hard and fouled on the shot just as the buzzer sounded.

As chaos ensued, the referees reviewed the call and upheld the foul call, giving Alexander-Walker a chance to win the game with three free throws. He drilled the first two before intentionally missing the third to seal the game.

Edwards summed up what all NBA fans were thinking. “That might’ve been the best game of my life that I’ve ever been a part of,” he said after the win.

Jokic is now averaging 29.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.2 assists on the season. He is within the top three in averages per game for all three statistical categories. With six games left in the regular season, Jokic seems poised for finishing the regular season out averaging a triple-double and would become the third player ever to do so, joining an exclusive club with Westbrook and Oscar Robertson.

With the MVP race essentially becoming a two-man contest between Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic’s performance has certainly made a statement for bringing the Serbian big man his fourth MVP trophy in his illustrious 10-year career.

The post Nikola Jokic Makes History in Double-OT Loss to Timberwolves appeared first on SLAM.

The Gonzaga product dominated in March Madness, giving opponents nightmares with excellent footwork and post moves en route to becoming Gonzaga’s all-time leading-scorer in the NCAA Tournament.

With his signature mustache and celebration, Timme finished his collegiate career as a three-time All-American and averaged 17.2 points per game.

After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, Timme dominated the G-League, averaging nearly 24 points per game for the Long Island Nets. Most recently, the Gonzaga product posted a 50-point masterclass against the Motor City Cruise on March 22 on a ridiculously efficient 21-26 shooting night. Timme even showed off his range, draining three of his five attempts from beyond the arc.

For scouts and the Brooklyn Nets, Timme’s dominance was not unnoticed. Facing injuries, the Nets signed the forward to a multi-year contract on March 28.

He picked up right where he left off.

In his NBA debut, Timme posted a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 10 boards in Brooklyn’s 132-100 loss on Friday night.

Then, in his second career game, the Nets went to their rookie in crunch time. Down one with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Timme caught the ball at the top of the key. He handed the ball off to a curling Tyrese Martin and cut towards the basket.

Martin drove hard and threw a perfect pass to the cutting Timme, who laid the ball in just before Wizards center JT Thor pinged the attempt off the backboard.

However, Thor was a second late. The referees signaled defensive goaltending, counting the basket and giving Timme his first career game-winning shot.

Timme’s game-winner gave the Nets a 115-112 win, giving Brooklyn their 24th win of the season. He finished with 19 points and six rebounds off the bench on an efficient 9-14 from the field.

In his third game against the Dallas Mavericks, Timme battled against the Mavericks’ defensive frontcourt of Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford. Despite the tough interior defense, Timme drained a three and scored six points in the final frame to help lift the Nets to a 113-109 comeback victory.

In his first three games in the league, Timme has epitomized instant offense off the bench, with his 30 combined points across his first two NBA games tying a Nets record with Derrick Coleman, the team’s No. 1 overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft.

With his signature celebration, post moves and ability to shoot the long ball, Timme has found himself a home in Brooklyn, and will likely play alongside Nic Claxton under the Barclays lights in the foreseeable future.

The post Drew Timme’s March Heroics Continue for the Nets appeared first on SLAM.

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South Carolina Vs Maryland 

Maryland gave South Carolina a run for their money in their Sweet 16 matchup last Friday. 

South Carolina came out on top 71-67. While Maryland had a consistent offensive showing, it was the Gamecocks who were struggling to find the same level of consistency early on. Finding their groove more in the second half, SC outscored the Terps 12-7 in the final three minutes of the game to secure the win. MiLaysia Fulwiley led with 23 points and Chloe Kitts posted yet another double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. 

South Carolina will go on to play Duke in the Elite 8. This will be the second matchup between these two teams this season, the first having gone in South Carolina’s favor 81-70 back in December of 2024. The matchup will be one of the hottest games of the tournament as the game will inch the winner one step closer to the National Championship. 

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North Carolina Vs Duke

ACC rivals Duke and North Carolina went head-to-head to clinch the next Elite 8 spot. Both teams looked to go two out of three and advance to the next round after both taking a game from each other in the regular season. The Tar Heels started off with the offensive edge, leading 13-9 in the first quarter before Duke responded with an offensive outburst, scoring 19 and holding the Tar Heels to just seven. Coming out of the third, North Carolina had a bit more gas, but it wasn’t enough to outlast the Blue Devils who took the game 47-38. The Duke bench was the biggest surprise to come out of this game, scoring 26 points of the 47 they put up. 

Duke advances to play the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Elite 8 on Sunday. 

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Texas vs Tennessee

The Texas Longhorns faced off against the Tennessee Vols in an SEC rematch that saw Texas runaway in the fourth quarter, punching their ticket to the Elite 8. After Texas squeezed out a win 80-76 back in January, the game was one of the biggest postseason matchups for both squads. Tied up through three quarters, Texas dominated in the fourth, outscoring the Vols 17-9 on the way to the finish line. Though it was a game up until the halfway mark of the fourth quarter with a couple ties early on, the Longhorns did not take their foot off the gas, winning 67-59. Texas was led by Madison Booker who had 17 points, and was accompanied by Jordan Lee and Taylor Jones who chipped in 13 and 12 each. 

The Longhorns look to extend their season against TCU Monday in the Elite 8 matchup, with Texas having taken their last two matchups in both January and February of last year. But with TCU’s new squad this game could go either way, and is shaping to be one of the best games all March. 

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Notre Dame vs TCU

Hailey Van Lith has been the talk of the tournament when it comes to TCU and the squads matchup against Notre Dame was so different. TCU took the game 71-62 but the game was back and forth up until the fourth, where TCU doubled Notre Dame’s 10 to take the win. HVL put up 26 in the victory against Notre Dame, 12 of which came in the fourth where she out scored the Fighting Irish 12-10 alone. Sedona Prince also had a big game, putting up 21 points, but the defensive stats of six boards and six blocks is what gave TCU the edge. Madison Conner also chipped in 13, which had TCU’s big three going for 60 combined. TCU advanced to the program’s first Elite 8. 

The Horned Frogs will play Texas this season for the first time in the 8, hoping to keep dancing. The teams have a bit of tension building, considering Texas was TCU’s conference rival in the Big-12 and Sedona Prince spent a year at Texas back during the 18-19 season. The game is gonna be interesting to say the least so get the popcorn ready. 

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UConn vs Oklahoma 

Paige. Bueckers. 

The talk of the town had been Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies. After feeling like they’re finally at their best after some years of injuries, the Huskies have been dominating the tournament. Paige Bueckers had a career night against the Oklahoma Sooners, to turn the game from a tight back and forth, to an 82-59 blowout single handedly. Going 6-8 from deep, a 19-point fourth quarter, and shooting just under 60% from the field, Paige was unstoppable. 

The Huskies have all the tools needed to win the National Championship, but they have to get through USC in the Elite 8 to get there. The two will face off in a rematch of last year’s Final Four, without JuJu Watkins, who’s sidelined with an ACL tear.

The post Top Seeds and Star Players Show Out in Women’s Sweet 16 appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s how every top-seed secured their spot in San Antonio for a chance to play in the National Championship.

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No. 1 Florida defeated No. 3 Texas Tech

Just a week ago, Walter Clayton Jr. shot Florida into the Sweet 16 after helping the Gators defeat the two-time defending National Champion UConn Huskies.

Clayton drilled a three-pointer over Alex Karaban with under three minutes to play in the second half to give Florida a 62-61 lead. The Iona transfer then faked a drive and shot a fadeaway triple over Hassan Diarra to bury a dagger that extended Florida’ lead to six. The Gators won 77-75.

On Saturday, Clayton found March Magic again.

With the Gators down 10 with just over five minutes remaining in the second half, Clayton drilled a three from the corner after a shooter’s bounce cut the lead to seven. He then drove hard right past Christian Anderson to muscle in a layup and dished out back-to-back assists to Thomas Haugh for two threes.

On the ensuing possession, Clayton wrapped around a screen and matched up with Darrion Williams. He put the moves on the forward, snatching back and creating space en route to burying a game-tying triple from the left wing.

He saved his best for last. Clayton caught a pass inside the paint and immediately dribbled out to the three-point line. Texas Tech was slow to pick up on the most dangerous shooter on the floor. As two defenders rotated over, it was too late. Clayton pulled up and cashed in a shot over two defenders that gave Florida a 78-77 lead they never looked back on.

Clayton finished the game with 30 points to help lead the Gators to an 84-79 victory over Texas Tech to secure their first Final Four bid since 2014. Haugh added 20 points off the bench with four threes and Alijah Martin scored 10 points.

Williams led the Red Raiders with 23 points while JT Toppin posted a double-double, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Chance McMillian, who hadn’t played in a game since the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal, posted 14 points in his return to action.

Both teams battled early, with Florida taking a 40-37 advantage into the half after a back-and-forth frame that saw four lead changes.

In the second half, Texas Tech hung close with the Gators before building their 10-point lead with just over five minutes to play. Behind Clayton and Haugh, the Gators rattled off a 17-6 run to take the lead on Clayton’s triple. Once Texas Tech began intentionally fouling, Clayton, Martin and Will Richard calmly sank their free throws to keep the game out of reach.

The Red Raiders went cold over this period, failing to convert on two one-and-one opportunities and missing three shots from beyond the arc.

Fouls burned Texas Tech, as 18 personal fouls turned into 27 free throw attempts for the Gators, in which they converted 25. The Red Raiders struggled from the line, shooting 53.8% on 13 attempts.

They will now play a familiar foe—SEC rival Auburn in the Final Four with a trip to the National Championship game on the line.

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No. 1 Duke defeated No. 2 Alabama

Duke defeated Alabama 85-65 to advance to their 18th Final Four in program history.

Kon Knueppel led the Blue Devils with 21 points while Tyrese Proctor continued his dominant tournament, finishing with 17 points on an efficient 7-10 shooting night. SLAM cover star Cooper Flagg scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds while his frontcourt partner Khaman Maluach finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Freshman star Labaron Philon led the Crimson Tide with 16 points. Chris Youngblood and Grant Nelson both finished with 10 points. Despite boasting the top scoring offense in the country, Alabama only had three players crack double-digit scoring numbers. Mark Sears, the Tide’s leading scorer, could not replicate his 34-point clinic against BYU, as he finished with six points on an inefficient 2-12 shooting night.

Duke dominated the entire game, never giving up the lead. They held the nation’s top offense to 65 points, 25 points less than Alabama’s average of 90.7 points per game. The Crimson Tide struggled to find efficiency, as the team shot 35.4% from the field and only made eight triples, a stark contrast from the 25 they sank in the Sweet 16.

Duke took a 46-37 lead into halftime and rattled off a 20-7 run in the final eight minutes of the game to punch their ticket to San Antonio.

The Blue Devils will now play the Houston Cougars on Saturday in what will shape out to be a defensive slugfest between two of the top-ranked scoring defenses in the nation.

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No. 1 Houston defeated No. 2 Tennessee

Houston routed Tennessee 69-50 to advance to their second Final Four under head coach Kelvin Sampson.

L.J. Cryer led the Cougars with 17 points and seven boards while Emanuel Sharp added 16 points and four triples. Projected first-round draft pick Joseph Tugler finished with six points and nine rebounds.

Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey both led the Vols with 17 points each. Lanier struggled with efficiency, shooting 4-18 from the field and 2-12 from beyond the arc. Coming off the bench, Gainey shot 6-12 from the field and made 40% of his attempts from beyond the arc. No other Tennessee player scored more than five points in the game.

Houston dominated the first half, holding the Tennessee offense to 15 points. The Cougars quickly built a double-digit lead only nine minutes into the first half after a balanced attack led by Cryer, Milos Uzan and Sharp.

The Vols didn’t break 10 points on offense until there were just over three minutes left in the opening frame. Houston rode their defensive momentum into taking a 34-15 lead into the half.

The Vols regained their offensive identity in the second half, as they scored 35 points from triples and drawing fouls to get to the free-throw line. But after cutting the Cougars’ lead to 10 points with just over five minutes to play, Houston rained threes to pull away late.

Sharp, Mylik Wilson and Cryer each buried five triples on consecutive possessions to build an 18-point lead and close out the game.

Houston’s defense held the Vols to 28.8% shooting from the floor and 17.2% from beyond the arc, a stark contrast to their 50.9% shooting night against Kentucky in the Sweet 16.

The Cougars will now look to lock down Duke in the Final Four for a chance at advancing to the program’s first National Championship appearance since 1984.

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No. 1 Auburn defeated No. 2 Michigan State

An injury wasn’t going to stop the SEC Player of the Year from showing out in the biggest game of his career.

After attempting to block a reverse layup by Frankie Fidler, Broome landed awkwardly, clutching his left knee and right elbow.

Shaking his head, Broome was greeted on his walk to the locker room by a standing ovation from the Auburn faithful. Minutes later, Broome got an even bigger ovation.

Broome came out of the locker room and immediately checked into the game. He set a screen for Miles Kelly and immediately buried a three to give Auburn a 12-point lead with under five to play, sending a roar from the Auburn crowd throughout the arena.

Broome’s double-double helped lift Auburn to a 70-64 victory over Michigan State, sending the Tigers to their second Final Four in program history.

Broome led the Tigers with 25 points and 14 rebounds, while fellow SLAM cover co-star Tahaad Pettiford added 10 points off the bench.

Jaxon Kohler led Michigan State with a double-double, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jaden Akins added 15 points and Jase Richardson scored 11 points on an inefficient 4-13 shooting night.

Auburn threatened to pull away early, opening the game on a 23-8 run. The Spartans responded with triples from Kohler and Fidler, cutting the deficit to single digits before the Tigers took a nine-point lead into the half.

Michigan State battled in the second half, cutting the lead to five three minutes into the final frame. However, that would be the closest they would get. A Chad Baker-Mazara triple and Dylan Cardwell layup pushed the deficit back to double-digits, and the Spartans failed to catch up for the remainder of the game.

Despite outscoring Auburn 40-37 in the second half, the first-half woes proved too large to overcome for Michigan State.

The Spartans shot an inefficient 34.4% from the field and 30.4% from beyond the arc. Auburn shot 42.6% from the floor and 28% from beyond the arc. Despite winning by six, the Tigers struggled from the free-throw line, converting 11 shots in 20 attempts.

The Tigers will now face Florida in the Final Four for a chance to advance to the program’s first-ever National Championship game.

The post Top Seeds Dominate in the Elite 8 to reach the Final Four appeared first on SLAM.

After averaging an impressive 23.4 points and 7.5 boards this season, the 6-3 center has announced that she’s returning to Iowa State for her junior season. The SLAMU cover star made it official with her own Instagram post, which poked fun at any speculation that she’d be taking her talents elsewhere.

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Crooks is one of the most dominant bigs in college basketball and has been capturing the world’s attention with her style of play in the paint, which she’s perfected since arriving in Ames.

 “I chose Iowa State because it made me feel cared for as a person, not just for what I do on a basketball court,” Crooks told us for the digital cover of SLAMU (which is now her profile pic on IG, we see you AC!).

During the recruiting process, head coach Bill Fennelly and his coaching staff made Crooks feel comfortable and welcome from the very beginning, a sentiment that hasn’t changed since she’s suited up in the red and gold. “He’s going to be tough on you,” Crooks said of Fennelly. “But at the end of the day, you know that he loves you and that he supports you.”

With Crooks at the center, and teammates like forward Addy Brown—who will also be returning—the Cyclones will look to make a major comeback after losing in the first-round of this year’s NCAA tournament. Crooks, meanwhile, has emphasized that she’s ready to improve her leadership and be more consistent on the floor. Here’s what Cyclones’ fans can expect:

“I think a part of my game that I like to elevate is not necessarily going to show up on the stat board,” she says. “I’d like to be a better communicator. I’d like to be a better leader and just more consistent overall, whether that be in the paint, at the mid-range, setting screens, whatever it is, even on the defensive end,” Crooks said.

Cyclone fans, your fav is back. Celebrate Audi’s return with our Iowa State Collection

The post Audi Crooks is Returning to Iowa State: ‘Let’s Run it Back’ appeared first on SLAM.

Those are the words South Carolina PG Ta-hina Paopao said to Chloe Kitts, according to The Athletics’ Cameron Teague Robinson, shortly after the team left the huddle in the fourth. All game long, the Gamecocks had held their own against the Blue Devils, and on the last offensive possession, head coach Dawn Staley had a vision: give her 6-2 forward the rock.

Simple as that.

As they all walked back on to the floor, Kitts asked her PG to take the reins, and that’s when Paopao reminded Kitts who she is. The 6-2 forward is the latest post player prodigy that’s emerged into a star under Dawn Staley, and after getting fouled, she had the chance to extend the Gamecocks lead and take them to the Final Four…

This is just a glimpse of went down on Sunday night against the Gamecocks and the Blue Devils in a must-see TV Elite Eight matchup. As we gear up for the rest of the tourney, here’s a look back at how South Carolina sealed the deal and are powering their way to the Final Four.

The No.1 Gamecocks have been tested time and time again throughout the Big Dance, most recently against Maryland, but have yet to falter. Their matchup against the Blue Devils was their biggest challenge yet, though you wouldn’t have known from the first quarter. 

SC meant business in the first: SC forward Sania Feagin, who had six points and one block, battled it out in the post against Duke forward Toby Fournier (7 points and a block).

The Gamecock’s offense had a solid showing, putting up 16 but their defense is what really gave them the boost, holding Duke to just 10.

SC’s offense kept at it up until about the halfway mark of the second quarter, when Duke started to chip away at the 11 point lead, going on an 8-1 run to close out the second. 

What looked like the start of a runaway for the Gamecocks turned into a game very quickly as the Devils cut SC’s lead to just four points going into the second half. 

It was Reigan Richardson’s three that gave them Duke their first lead of the game. The Blue Devils turned up their intensity, too, with a big-time block from Fournier.

Though Duke was in control for the majority of the third, South Carolina was never far behind. Finishing the last couple minutes going bucket for bucket, it was Ashlon Jackson’s step back three that gave them a 42-38 lead going into the fourth. 

The back and forth between Fouriner and Feagin continued as Fouriner got free off a pick and roll and finished through contact to tie it back up at 46 to which Feagan responded with a fadeaway jumper to put SC back on top. South Carolina had outscored Duke, 12-4, at that point in the fourth. 

The last two minutes both teams traded some tough buckets and though South Carolina maintained a lead, Duke was never down by more than four points. With a minute to go, Duke’s Oluchi Okananwa drove baseline for a much needed two making it a two point game. 

South Carolina came down with 55.3 seconds on the clock looking to run the clock and make a play, but was unable to secure a bucket. The shot went up and everyone on the floor boxed out. The next possession could make or break either season. 

The ball got knocked out of bounds with 30 seconds left and Duke head coach Kara Lawson decided to challenge in hopes of overturning the call and giving her team the extra possession. After review, the ball remained South Carolina’s. 

Looking for options to take the ball out underneath, Ashlon Jackson drew an offensive foul on Bree Hall, giving the possession up to Duke before the ball was even in bounds. 

The Blue Devils ran through a couple different sets before the SC defense was too much to handle, leaving Ashlon Jackson to force a triple that was no good. A foul was called against Duke on the box out with just 6.4 on the clock, South Carolina ball. 

SC’s Head coach Dawn Staley called a timeout to advance the ball to their sideline while Duke thought Hall was going to be shooting. With all the Blue Devils lined up for free throws, Sc was able to inbound easily, with Duke scrambling to foul. 

It was SC’s Chloe Kitts that was sent to the line with the opportunity to get the game out of striking distance. She buried both FTs, securing a four point lead and punching South Carolina’s ticket to the Final Four. 

“It feels amazing because I feel like I worked so hard, and my process is different,” she said per The Athletic. “I’m just so thankful to be in that position at the end of the game to go to the Final Four,” Kitts said.

You couldn’t have asked for a better ending for the Gamecocks. Kitts led her squad with 14 points and four rebounds, earning Birmingham Regional MVP.

South Carolina is headed to their fifth straight Final Four and will face the winner of TCU and Texas.

The post Full Recap: Chloe Kitts is CLUTCH as South Carolina Powers Past Duke in the Elite Eight appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s everything you need to know before tickets to San Antonio get punched later today.

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No. 2 Michigan State defeated No. 6 Ole Miss

With five minutes to go in a one-point game, Coen Carr raised the State Farm Arena roof.

After Ole Miss grabbed a defensive rebound and tried to hustle down the court, Jeremy Fears Jr. stole Sean Pedulla’s outlet pass, likely saving a transition bucket on the other end of the court.

Fears leapt in the air, intercepted the pass, and quickly threw it to Carr. Carr took two dribbles and a step inside the free-throw line before taking flight, cocking back a vicious left-handed tomahawk slam that sent the arena into a frenzy.

The Spartans rode the momentum from Carr’s dunk to close out a tightly contested 73-70 game over the Rebels, punching their ticket to the Elite 8.

Freshman phenom Jase Richardson led the Spartans with 20 points on an efficient 6-8 shooting night. In Carr’s first start of the season, he finished with 15 points. Jaden Akins, the team’s leading scorer, finished with 13 points.

Pedulla led the Rebels with 24 points. Matthew Murrell added 13 points and Malik Dia finished with 11 points.

The Rebels, despite being two-possession underdogs, hung close with the Spartans for the majority of the game. They built a 10-point lead with four minutes remaining in the first half, but squandered the opportunity to ride the momentum into the half after the Spartans rattled off a 12-4 run to enter halftime down two.

In the second half, both teams battled, forcing eight ties throughout the final frame. After Carr’s electric dunk, the Spartans took the lead after Akins drained tough running jumper.

Michigan State later sealed the game after converting six consecutive free throws after the Rebels started intentionally fouling, maintaining a slim two-possession lead.

With the win, Tom Izzo added an 11th Elite 8 trip to his legendary resume, and will look to reach his ninth Final Four when the Spartans face the top-seeded Auburn Tigers.

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No. 2 Tennessee defeated No. 3 Kentucky

Tennessee routed Kentucky 78-65 to reach their second-consecutive Elite 8.

SLAM cover star Zakai Zeigler led the Vols with a double-double, finishing with 18 points and 10 assists. Fellow cover star Chaz Lanier followed suit with 17 points and Jordan Gainey added 16 points off the bench.

Lamont Butler led the Wildcats with 18 points on an efficient 7-10 shooting night. Amari Williams added 14 points and Otega Oweh finished with 13 points.

The Vols dominated early, outscoring Kentucky 43-28 in the first half and holding the lead for nearly the entire game. Felix Okpara’s layup at the 17:22 mark in the first half gave Tennessee a 4-3 lead that they never looked back on. Kentucky was only out in front for 32 seconds in the game.

Tennessee posted an efficient scoring night, shooting 50.9% from the floor, but struggling from deep. They only cashed in five of their 19 attempts from beyond the arc. However, physical play in the paint drew fouls, creating 20 free throw attempts—which they converted 15 of.

Kentucky shot 49% from the field and 40% from deep but were unable to dig themselves out of the first-half hole.

The Vols will now face the top-seeded Houston Cougars to try and reach their first Final Four in program history.

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No. 1 Auburn defeated No. 5 Michigan

With Michigan holding a nine-point lead in the second half, Auburn went to their spark plug off the bench for instant offense.

SLAM cover star Tahaad Pettiford delivered.

Pettiford immediately cashed a deep triple to cut the deficit to six. He then drove hard into the paint and threw a bullet pass to Denver Jones as he was falling out of bounds. Jones buried the corner three to cut the lead to three.

After Johni Broome made a tough post shot off glass, Auburn had a chance to take the lead. Broome went up for a layup and missed, fighting for the offensive board amidst a sea of players.

The ball found its way into Pettiford’s hands, where he blew past Rubin Jones and swished a go-ahead stepback jumper.

The freshman continued his second-half tear, blowing past Vladislav Goldin for an easy layup and hitting an and-one fadeaway to cap off a 28-6 Auburn run.

Pettiford’s 20 points off the bench helped spark a comeback 78-65 Auburn victory over Michigan, earning the Tigers their third-ever trip to the Elite 8.

Broome posted a double-double, leading the Tigers with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Jones added 20 points and four triples. The Tigers dominated despite Miles Kelly and Chad Baker-Mazara combining for only 11 points.

Danny Wolf led Michigan with 20 points, while Goldin finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Nimari Burnett scored 10 points and grabbed seven boards. Tre Donaldson struggled against his former team, finishing with five points and four turnovers.

Both teams were inefficient from the field, shooting under 40% and under 30% from beyond the arc.

Both teams kept the game close in the first half, with Auburn gaining a one-point advantage at the half after Broome tipped-in his own miss.

After Michigan opened the second half on a 19-9 run, Auburn quickly responded with their own scoring run to pull away late.

Auburn will now face Michigan State with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

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No. 1 Houston defeated No. 4 Purdue

With three seconds remaining in a tied game, Kelvin Sampson drew up the perfect play.

For the entire game, Purdue had left a free defender to help guard the open man on inbound plays, leaving the inbounder open.

So when Braden Smith left Milos Uzan to help defend L.J. Cryer, Uzan quickly inbounded the ball to Joseph Tugler just inside the free-throw line.

Tugler threw a pass right back to a cutting Uzan, where he finished a layup at the rim to give Houston a 62-60 in the final second.

Ballgame.

Uzan’s game-winner helped lead the Cougars to a 62-60 victory, reaching their third Elite 8 under Sampson.

Uzan led the Cougars with 22 points and drained a season-high six triples. Emanuel Sharp followed suit with 17 points. Cryer, Houston’s leading scorer, finished with five points on an inefficient 2-13 shooting night.

Fletcher Loyer led Purdue with 16 points. Trey Kaufman-Renn added 14 points and Smith dished out 15 assists.

Both teams battled in the first half, with Purdue entering halftime with a two-point advantage after Smith made two free throws with zeroes on the clock.

Houston quickly opened the final frame with an 11-1 run, opening up an eight-point lead early. However, Purdue battled, keeping the lead within single digits for the remainder of the half.

Down three with under a minute remaining, Smith missed a triple with the shot. Kaufman-Renn secured the offensive board to extend the possession, which later turned into a game-tying triple from Camden Heide in the corner.

On the ensuing possession, Uzan missed a turnaround jumper. However, with a sea of players fighting for the rebound, the ball fell out of bounds off of Purdue, later setting up the game-winning play.

Houston will now play Tennessee for a chance to advance to their second Final Four under Sampson.

The post Men’s Sweet 16 Closes Out With Four-Game Friday Slate appeared first on SLAM.

With no timeouts, the Crimson Tide raced down the court as precious seconds ticked off the overtime clock.

Diana Collins dribbled into two Maryland defenders before Sarah Ashlee Barker rotated to the top of the key. With one second left, Collins tossed the rock to Barker, who launched a deep-trey for the tie.

Saylor Poffenbarger quickly raised her hands to contest the shot but closed out too hard, crashing into Barker.

With the center spotlight on her and a nervous energy surrounding the XFINITY Center, Barker calmly walked up to the free throw line.

She followed her routine and sank the first free throw. Then the second. As the home court cheered, Barker swished the third to tie the game at 96 apiece, triumphantly waving her fists as her teammates celebrated sending the game to double overtime.

Unfortunately, Alabama ran out of steam, falling in the second overtime period to Maryland 111-108.

Despite the loss, Barker’s performance was one for the ages, as the graduate student shattered a program and SEC record for points in an NCAA Tournament game, finishing with 45 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Barker’s final collegiate game was a testament to her status within the program as a legend. She graduates from Tuscaloosa as the program’s all-time player efficiency rating leader and box/plus minus, establishing herself as the ultimate two-way guard.

After transferring from Georgia, Barker wraps up her Alabama career averaging 13.9 points, nearly six boards and two steals across three seasons in Tuscaloosa. That doesn’t include a deadly shot from beyond the arc, knocking down triples at a near 35% clip.

With the clutch gene, Barker has always been in the spotlight.

Alongside leading the No. 21 team in the nation, Barker also energized audiences with pre-game vlogs that highlighted the travel, practice and preparation before every tournament game.

But now, Barker may be vlogging for games at the professional level.

Before the NCAA Tournament, Barker had been present on WNBA mock drafts as a potential late first-round pick. However, a 45-point explosion on the biggest stage on an efficient 17-25 from the field is a stat line that will catch the scouts’ attention.

With the WNBA Draft only two weeks away, Barker may have played herself into a higher draft position.

With the hypotheticals aside, Barker summed up what all basketball enthusiasts thought about regarding Alabama’s game.

“If you’re a fan of women’s basketball, I think that every single person could say that was one of the best games they’ve ever watched,” she said.

The post HER MOMENT: Sarah Ashlee Barker Delivers the Most Clutch Performance Ever Against Maryland appeared first on SLAM.

The 2025 NCAA Tournament has been electric so far, and as we gear up for the final stages of March Madness, we’ll be tuning in to every men’s and women’s matchup and giving you the rundown while you simultaneously check your bracket.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

From recaps to player spotlights, here’s all things women’s college hoops.

LSU

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Led by Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams, the LSU women’s basketball are focused and fired up.

READ STORY

ISU

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As one of the most dominant centers in college basketball, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks is commanding the world’s attention.

READ STORY

SC

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MiLaysia Fulwiley, Chloe Kitts and Joyce Edwards tell us exactly how they plan on running it back in the tournament this season.

READ STORY

UCONN

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Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd’s bond led them to UConn and now they’ll look to bring a title back to Storrs during their final run together.

READ STORY

ND

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Notre Dame’s superstar guards Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles are finally playing a season together. The Irish are electrifying this season.

READ STORY

USC

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Prayers for Juju. As her squad rallies during the tournament and supports her amidst a devastating injury, here’s a look back at her cover.

READ STORY

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

The stage is set. Here’s all things men’s college hoops.

UA

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Led by Caleb Love, Jaden Bradley, Trey Townsend, Motiejus Krivas, Carter Bryant and KJ Lewis, the ‘Cats are locked in.

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ISU

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The Cyclones have arrived and are on the radar thanks to Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert, the best backcourt in the country.

READ STORY

AU

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The road to March has been running through The Plains all season. Auburn is ready to answer the call…

READ STORY

SJU

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Rick Pitino and St. John’s talk getting the program back to prominence and creating a new culture in Queens.

READ STORY

DUKE

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Throwback to when Cooper Flagg announced on our cover that he was headed to the Blue Devils. All season long, Coop has been living up the hype this year…

READ STORY

The post SURVIVE AND ADVANCE: Everything you need to know during the 2025 NCAA Tournament appeared first on SLAM.

The move comes after a lopsided 125-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night. The loss was the fourth double-digit defeat the Grizzlies suffered in their past five games of action.

“This was a difficult decision, given the consistent and tangible development of our players and overall success under Taylor’s leadership. I wish Taylor the very best moving forward,” Grizzlies president and general manager Zach Kleiman said in a press release.

The Grizzlies currently sit tied for fourth place in the Western Conference with the Lakers with a 44-29 record and are in contention for a higher seeding in the playoffs. This season has been a bounce-back from last year’s injury-riddled squad that posted a 27-55 record.

Despite the strong record, the Grizzlies have regressed from their previous playoff teams. The team’s scoring defense has plummeted to 24th in the league, a major dip in defensive production from last year’s 11th-ranked scoring-defense. Even with former DPOY Jaren Jackson Jr. and rookie paint presence Zach Edey in the starting lineup, the team still allows close to 117 points per game.

In his six seasons in Memphis, Jenkins posted a 250-214 record with three playoff appearances from 2020-2023. Jenkins has a career 9-14 record in the postseason, including a shock first-round exit in 2023 to the seventh-seeded Lakers. He has one career playoff series win—a first-round victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2022 Playoffs.

An interim head coach has not been named yet by the organization ahead of the team’s next game tomorrow night against the Lakers.

The post BREAKING: Grizzlies Part Ways With Head Coach Taylor Jenkins appeared first on SLAM.

On Saturday, he fell two steals short of a quadruple-double, posting 15 points, 17 assists, 10 rebounds and eight steals in a 146-115 drubbing of the Lakers. Two days later, he followed it up with a 26 point performance against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

But yesterday may top all of that.

After Austin Reaves may a tough layup to give the Lakers a one-point lead with seconds remaining, Giddey raced down the court. He pulled up from just around the half-court line, held his follow-through and watched his prayer hit nothing but net.

Ballgame.

On top of his game-winner, Giddey posted another triple-double, finishing with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in the comeback victory.

Coby White led the Bulls with 26 points and Kevin Huerter added 21 points.

The King’s double-digit scoring streak continued, as LeBron finished with 17 points and 12 assists, while Luka Doncic posted 25 points and 10 boards. Reaves led the Lakers with a 30-point night.

The Lakers held a 10-point lead with six minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but squandered the opportunity to close it out. Triples by Patrick Williams, Huerter and Nikola Vucevic helped Chicago stay within striking distance until the very end.

With 10 seconds left, Williams made a triple to cut the lead to two. The Bulls tightened up their defense on the inbound, and Giddey stole LeBron’s inbound pass, finding White for a go-ahead three.

After Reaves’ go-ahead layup, Giddey sealed the comeback victory, hitting the shot over the King’s outstretched arm.

The Bulls have found incredible form, posting an 8-2 record in their last 10 games and currently sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Lakers have fallen down to fourth place and are tied with the Grizzlies in the Western Conference.

The post Josh Giddey Hits Half-Court Heave to Lift Bulls to 119-117 Victory appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s everything you need to know to be caught up on the madness before the final eight teams are all set.

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No. 2 Alabama defeats No. 6 BYU

Nate Oats’ Crimson Tide had boasted the top-ranked scoring offense all season long, averaging around 91.4 points per game.

In the first two rounds, they weren’t able to surpass that mark.

They survived a first-round scare against No. 15 seed Robert Morris, failing to pull away despite shooting 58.3% from the field. They then grinded out a tough win against No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s, the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation. Alabama scored 90 points and 80 points in those games.

But against BYU in the Sweet 16, Nate Oats’ fast-paced, high-scoring shooting offense finally came to life.

Alabama trounced BYU 113-88, setting an NCAA Tournament single-game record with 25 three-pointers and punching their second straight ticket to the Elite 8.

Mark Sears led the Crimson Tide with 34 points and eight assists. The senior guard was unconscious from the floor, draining 10 triples on an efficient 11-18 shooting night. Aden Holloway added 23 points and six threes off the bench while Chris Youngblood drained five shots from beyond the arc to finish with 19 points.

Richie Saunders led the Cougars with 25 points, six boards and four steals. Egor Demin followed suit with 15 points, but struggled from beyond the arc, only cashing in one of his eight attempts.

BYU could not keep up with Alabama’s high-powered offense. The Crimson Tide shot 53% from the field, 49% from beyond the arc and made 18 free throws.

BYU kept the first half deficit within single digits for the first 15 minutes before Alabama pulled away. The Crimson Tide outscored the Cougars 51-40 in the first half and 62-48 in the final frame to close out the game.

Alabama will now face off against Cooper Flagg and Duke for a trip to San Antonio.

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No. 1 Florida defeated No. 4 Maryland

Florida defeated Maryland 87-71 to advance punch their ticket to the Elite 8.

Will Richard led the Gators with 15 points. Alijah Martin and Walter Clayton added 14 and 13 points, and Thomas Haugh and Denzel Aberdeen both logged double-digit scoring numbers off the bench.

Fresh off his buzzer-beater, Maryland freshman phenom Derik Queen finished with 27 points and five boards. Queen also shot a perfect 10-10 from the free-throw line. Ja’Kobi Gillespie finished with 17 points and Julian Reese and Rodney Rice each finished with 12 points.

Both teams kept things close in the first half, as Florida entered halftime clinging onto a two-point lead. But in the second half, the Gators started to run away with the game. Five minutes into the final frame, Florida went on a 15-6 run to grab an 11-point lead and never looked back.

Despite Queen’s scoring efforts, including showing off his range for a triple, the Terrapins could not recover. Back-to-back dagger triples from Richard and Aberdeen extended the Gator lead before a barrage of fast-break layups from Haugh and Alex Condon sealed it.

The Gators now play Texas Tech in the Elite 8 with a Final Four berth on the line.

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No. 1 Duke defeated No. 4 Arizona

Cooper Flagg had his March Moment.

The consensus number-one overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft silenced any critics who argued against that label.

Flagg put the team on his back, dropping 30 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing six rebounds in Duke’s 100-93 victory over Arizona.

Flagg showed it all on the floor. He showcased his elite playmaking ability when he found Khaman Maluach for two alley oops and his ability to shoot on and off the dribble. But Flagg’s range was on full display, especially when he pulled up from 30-feet out to drain a triple at the first-half buzzer.

Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel finished with 20 points while Sion James added 16 points. Maluach finished with 13.

Caleb Love gave another signature March performance, finishing with a team-leading 35 points on an 11-21 shooting night. Jaden Bradley scored 15 points and Henri Veesaar contributed 13 off the bench.

The Blue Devils were proficient on offense, shooting 60% from the field and 57.9% from beyond the arc while making 11 triples. They also converted 23 of their attempts from the free-throw line.

Arizona kept things close, entering halftime facing a six-point deficit. However, the Blue Devils opened up a double-digit lead early into the second half and never looked back.

Duke will now play Alabama in the Elite 8.

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No. 3 Texas Tech defeats No. 10 Arkansas

With seconds left in a tied game, Darrion Williams got the matchup he wanted.

When Arkansas’ Karter Knox switched onto the junior forward, he went to work. Williams backed down the freshman before hitting a drop-step to create separation. His shot banked off the glass and slowly caromed on the rim before falling in.

The Red Raiders then clamped up D.J. Wagner’s game-tying attempt to advance to the Elite 8, securing an 85-83 overtime victory.

Williams finished with 20 points, while Christian Anderson led Texas Tech with 22 points. JT Toppin, the team’s leading scorer, added 20 points and nine rebounds.

Johnell Davis led the Razorbacks with 30 points, including going a perfect 11-11 from the free-throw line. Knox added 20 points and Wagner finished with 13 points.

Arkansas came out the gates hot. They immediately built and 11-point lead 10 minutes into the half and held Texas Tech’s 28th-ranked scoring offense to under double-digits during that time frame.

The Red Raiders gained some momentum back after Williams nailed a triple at the end of the first-half to cut their halftime deficit to seven. However, the single-digit deficit was short-lived.

Arkansas built a 16-point lead with 12 minutes to play after Davis made a three. The Red Raiders quickly bounced back, posting a 20-10 run over eight minutes to cut the lead to six points with just over two minutes to play.

After Anderson made back-to-back triples to cut the lead to three, Tech had a chance to tie. Anderson passed up the shot and found Williams, who drained a three from the right wing to send the game to overtime.

Both teams battled in overtime, posting three lead changes and five ties before Williams hit the game winner.

Tech’s 16-point comeback victory marked the second largest comeback ever in the Sweet 16, and the program’s first Elite 8 appearance since the 2018-19 season, when they lost in the National Championship.

The Red Raiders play Florida with a trip to San Antonio on the line.

The post Everything You Missed From the First Half of the Men’s Sweet 16 appeared first on SLAM.

The Sparks have announced that they will be retiring Candace Parker’s jersey on June 29 at Crypto.com Arena as the team faces the Chicago Sky. Parker will join the elite company of Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler, No. 9 and No. 11 respectively, as the third-ever Spark to have her jersey honored.

Parker won a title with the Sparks in 2016 and was named Finals MVP of the series against the Lynx. She holds the franchise’s career assist record with 1,331.

“To see my jersey hanging in the rafters amongst other legends is truly an honor.  This moment is not just about me — it’s about my family, my teammates, and the incredible support from the LA Sparks organization and fans,” says Parker in an official press release. “I’m grateful to my parents, who believed in me every step of the way, to my brothers who still are my heroes and to my wife and kids, who inspire me every day. The Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) raised Lailaa and this was her playground growing up. Holding the record for assists reminds me that basketball is never just about individual success — it’s about elevating others and being a part of something bigger than yourself. This jersey represents all the moments, all the connections, and all the love that got me here.”

Congrats legend.

The post LA Sparks Will Retire Candace Parker’s No. 3 Jersey appeared first on SLAM.

In a matchup against the Pacers that went to the wire in the fourth, the Lakers were down by just one point, 118-119, with less than 10 seconds remaining when LeBron James delivered an elite putback – off of a missed floater by teammate Luka Doncic – right as the buzzer went off.

Despite going scoreless and then having just three points going into the fourth, James rallied and dropped 11 points in three minutes on four straight possessions. He finished with a double-double of 13 points and 13 boards to extend his double-figure scoring streak now to 1,283 consecutive games, an NBA record. Elite.

He did it all with none other than Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Lexie Hull in attendance, too.

As James continues to prove he’s still got it – and is inspiring Tik Tokers to drop banger after banger in his honor – he told the media after the game:

He also revealed that at first he wasn’t entirely sure if he got it off in time.

The Lakers are ranked fourth in the WCF right now behind the Nuggets.

Meanwhile, the Pacers, who saw Bennedict Mathurin lead with 23 points, plus a handful of double-digit scorers including Tyrese Haliburton, will look to bounce back after the loss. They play the Wizards at Capitol One Arena tonight.

The post LeBron James Extends Scoring Streak, Followed by Elite Putback Buzzer Beater Against Pacers appeared first on SLAM.

The USC superstar tore her ACL against Mississippi State and will miss the remainder of the season, the team confirmed. The injury occurred in the first quarter of the Trojans’ NCAA tournament matchup to secure a spot to the Sweet 16.

Watkins, who was already playing through tweaks to both her left wrist and ankle from their win over UNC Greensboro, was driving to the basket in transition when her knee appeared to buckle. She immediately fell to the ground and held her right knee, grimacing in pain.

The crowd at the Galen Center went silent.

As her teammates powered through, winning 96-59 en-route to the Sweet 16, it was later revealed that Juju was wheeled out of the arena and rushed to a nearby medical facility to receive an MRI. USC has also confirmed that Watkins will undergo surgery. 

Since the devastating news became official, the entire basketball community has offered their support to one of the games’ brightest young stars. Watkins is a generational talent, SLAM cover star and an inspiration to young girls everywhere.

Wishing you a speedy recovery, No. 12. USC will play Kansas State on Saturday in the Sweet 16. 

The post ‘Sending Juju Love’: Juju Watkins Suffers Season Ending ACL Injury appeared first on SLAM.

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 10 Oregon

Starting at noon, No. 2 Duke beat No. 10 Oregon, 59-53 game to start off the second round. 

Oregon started strong taking the jump and opening the game with a three. The Ducks took control and never trailed, maintaining control throughout the first half. 

Deja Kelly led the Ducks with nine of her 20 coming in the first half to help hold the Ducks’ offense steady. 

Defense was big for the Ducks, holding the Blue Devils to 1-6 shooting and forcing three turnovers in the first half. 

Not to mention Ashlon Jackson was scoreless in the first half, and the Blue Devils were without their leading scorer Toby Fournier who was out with an illness. 

Going into the half the Ducks were up five, the score being 28-23 but Duke came out swinging, led by Jackson who scored all 20 of her points in the second half. Jackson posted 11 straight out of the half to give the Blue Devils their first lead of the game, which they never lost. 

The Ducks were held to 12 points in comparison to Duke’s 22 in the third quarter, having gone zero for four coming out of the half.

Closing the fourth quarter Jackson, Reigan Richardson and Delaney Thomas finished in double digits with 20, 13 and 12 points respectively. 

The Blue Devils continue dancing after their win and were the first team to solidify a Sweet 16 spot on the women’s side. They will play rivals North Carolina on the 28th on ESPN.

No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Michigan

Just an hour later, Notre Dame dominated Michigan to make their fourth-straight Sweet 16 appearance to a sold out Purcell Pavilion.

The No. 3 Irish built a 20-point lead in the first quarter, outscoring the Wolverines 32-12 and maintained control for the rest of the game. 

Three players chipped in eight points in the first quarter, being Hannah Hidalgo, Liatu King and Sonia Citron to create the separation that Michigan couldn’t come back from. 

The offense of the Irish was too much for Michigan to handle, with the three players named above finishing in double digits. SLAM cover star Hidalgo put up her second 20 point game in the tournament, notching 21 points with three assists while teammate Liatu King had a historic game. King finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds being just the sixth Notre Dame player to have 15 or more boards in an NCAA Tournament game. 

Perfect from the floor, she also became the second player in program history to go 7-7 or better while dancing. 

Michigan’s Olivia Olson had herself a game as well, putting up 20 points on the other side of the ball but was not enough to keep it within striking distance. 

Notre Dame will play TCU, who they lost to during the regular season on March 29th. Get the popcorn ready because this will be a rematch for the ages. 

No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 5 Kansas State

Kansas State survived by the (no exaggeration) skin on their teeth in arguably the most entertaining game on the women’s side of things so far. K-State held off Kentucky in an overtime win by just one point to advance to the Sweet 16. 

The four-five game had everyone watching on their toes, with the game being a back and forth battle from start to finish. 

There were 21 lead changes over the course of the game with seven in the fourth quarter and four in overtime. Neither team was able to pull away with a margin bigger than the opening seven points that Kentucky had before K-State got on the board. 

Kentucky outscored K-State 20-15 in the first, with K-State’s Serena Sundell scoring 11 of the 15, anchoring the offense. 

Both teams traded buckets back and forth throughout the third and fourth quarters, scoring 26 a piece in the second half, tied at 69 forcing an overtime. 

In OT, Kentucky found themselves up three at 77-74  with under two minutes to play. 

K- State’s Temira Poindexter, who started off cold, sank the first of her two overtime triples, her seventh in the game overall to tie the game at 77’s with just 1:30 to go. 

KU’s Georgia Amoore, who had played lights out, hit a jumper just after to put them back on top by two at 79-77. 

K-State brought the ball down and was shocked to see Poindexter open in the corner for, you guessed it, another three. Her eighth and final triple put the Wildcats up one at 80-79. 

In the final minute K-State had one opportunity to score, to which Kentucky’s Clara Strack had her first and only block of the night, securing the ball with about 25 seconds left, giving KU an opportunity to score.   

KU had three second chance opportunities after securing three offensive rebounds on two misses from Amoore who finished with 18 points. 

After securing a jump ball with just four seconds left, KU had a sideline out of bounds play which set up Amoore for a point blank layup, which she missed. 

K-State’s defense held KU to zero for four in the last minute of the game, leading to the four seed upset. 

For the first time since 2002, Kansas State University will advance to the Sweet 16. 

No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 9 Indiana

Indiana gave No. 1 South Carolina a run for their money in their rematch of last year’s Sweet 16. South Carolina ended up winning 64-53 but didn’t start to run away until the second half. 

Indiana was executing well on both the offensive and defensive ends, with good ball movement, key players knocking down shots and forcing 12 South Carolina turnovers by the end of the game. 

The first half for the Gamecocks was rough to say the least after going 10-29 from the floor. In the first quarter, they were held to just nine points and were down by as many as eight after a 14-2 Hoosier run in the second before their offense picked up a bit, leaving them trailing by just one at the half. 

The Gamecocks came out in the third quarter looking more like themselves, with relentless defense that sparked their offensive run, outscoring Indiana 26-14 in the quarter. 

Senior Chloe Kitts arrived at the party after sitting early with foul trouble, posting a 10 point, 11 board double-double, all 10 coming in the second half. 

Sania Feagin and Bree Hall finished in double digits as well with 10 and 11 each while Te-Hina Paopao had a showing on both the offensive and defensive end, with nine points and four of the seven Gamecock blocks. 

Coach Dawn Staley emphasized the grit her team showed in the win. “It wasn’t pretty, at this time it doesn’t have to be. You just gotta score more points than the other team and work the kinks out as we advance into the tournament,” she said.

The Gamecocks will advance to their 11th straight Sweet 16 to face Maryland on March 28th. 

No. 5 Ole Miss defeated No. 4 Baylor

Another four vs five seed battle took place where No. 25 Ole Miss took on No. 14 Baylor in another gripping upset with the Rebels on top 69-63. Having lost to South Dakota in the first round in Waco, Texas just three years ago it was the second visit for the Rebels that led them to securing a Sweet 16 position in this year’s tournament. 

From the jump Ole Miss had the slightest edge on Baylor, having been in the lead for over 25 minutes of the game. But very rarely did we see any instances where it was more than a two or three possession game. 

There were only four lead changes all game but 12 ties showing how often the two were going bucket for bucket, especially late in the fourth. 

The pendulum of momentum was going from side to side all the way up to the last minute of the game where the Rebels finally started to pull away. 

Tied at 61’s with 1:04 left to play,  Madison Scott’s midrange silencer to give them a two point lead at 63-61 with 40 seconds left. 

Looking to come up with a steal, the Bears start to press but come up with fouls, sending KK Deans to the line for two, widening the margin from two, to four with the lead feeling somewhat solidified. 

With the pendulum slowly leaning in favor of the Rebels going up 65-61, Jada Walker took a fighting drive. Hoisting up two of her 15 points to cut the lead back to two at 65-63, with 20 seconds left on the clock, it’s a one possession game. 

The Bears stay up pressing, once again looking for a steal but begin to foul to stop the clock, sending Deans to the line three times, who sinks them all going six for six to close out the game. 

“It was fitting.. My final year after losing here in the first round.. I wanted to come and lead my team to victory, I wanted to come and it be a different story this time,” Scott said during the postgame press conference. 

The Rebels secured their second sweet 16 appearance in just three seasons under coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. They’ll meet No. 1 UCLA on the 28th in Spokane.

The post Sweet 16 Tickets Punched in Jam-Packed Women’s Round of 32 appeared first on SLAM.

Just like that, all the pieces came crashing down. 

Latson was ruled out with an injury and missed both the ACC and NCAA tournaments. FSU eventually lost to Georgia in the first round. 

“That really just changed my perspective on a lot of things, like, the game can be gone in an instant,” Latson, who is currently leading the country in scoring as a junior, says on the phone in March. In just a few days, the Seminoles will play George Mason in the first round of the NCAA tournament. “Basketball isn’t the end all be all for me, I have to have a backup plan. I have to be somebody outside of basketball.”

During the time she was out, she missed the competitiveness of being on the court the most. The rush of a big game and the chance to experience it on the biggest stage like the NCAA tournament. “That’s something that I’ll never take for granted again,” she says. 

Latson’s first game back to the court happened to be at USA tryouts over the summer, which proved to be even more of a mental challenge. Thoughts of, Will I be the same? and How’s my body going to react to this? raced through her mind. 

What she needed was an escape. It was last year that Latson, who bounced back for her sophomore season and matched her scoring average, found herself picking up LEGOs as a hobby again. Growing up in Miami, she always loved to play with them, but her parents weren’t able to afford the sets, so eventually she stopped. 

Now that she’s able to cop her own, it’s a different story. Lately, Latson has been creating entire LEGO masterpieces; she’s currently building a Marvel box, which features the iconic logo and characters popping out from the sides, as well as a radio that’s 906 pieces. She tries to find time when she can and works on them either before or after practice, with a majority of her building getting done on her off days. 

“I have to be dialed in when I’m building these LEGOs,” she says. “And it just takes me to another place. The creativity part of it is just beautiful to see that you can do something from scratch.”

She’s channeling her artistic side—which also includes journaling and wanting to learn to play the piano—in her game, too. On the court this season, Latson moves with grace and precision. Her shot is a work of art in itself. Perfect release. Perfect arc. A perfect swish through the basket every time she launches from three. 

This offseason, Latson worked with her trainer in Atlanta on refining every little detail of her approach when it came to shooting. She watched film on the greats, too, from Stephen Curry to Kyrie Irving, and studied how they placed their feet and shot the rock consistently the same way every single time. 

All that work is evident across the stat sheet this season; Latson is currently averaging a career-high 24.9 ppg, as well as 4.7 apg. Her name is being mentioned in the National Player of the Year conversation, too, which has always been a goal of hers. 

“Coach Brooke [Wyckoff], we had a conversation before the season started about my goals for myself and things like that. Obviously, I wanted to be nominated for National Player of the Year this year, [and I] knew that I needed to improve on my passing. That was something that was really important to me.” 

As the team’s captain, leader and the orchestrator of the offense, what helps her stay grounded throughout the ups and downs of the season is the advice Wyckoff has given. “She always tells me to just stack days and take things day by day,” Latson says. 

That’s another thing she’s building toward, too. As Latson continues to become a household name at Florida State ahead of her senior year, she has her sights set on turning her game into a real-life masterpiece, too. When asked what exactly that looks like, she breaks it down for us like it’s a new LEGO set she’s just discovered. We can only imagine what the final outcome will be. 

“[I want] to just continue to build off what I did this season [and] to be consistent. I always pride myself on that,” Latson says. “And [also] improving in areas like turnovers, that’s something that I want to limit as much as possible. I want to average more assists. I want to get more rebounds, and just to continue to grow my leadership.” 

Action photos via Getty Images and LEGO photos courtesy of KLUTCH SPORTS.

The post BUILT FOR THIS: Ta’Niya Latson’s Ascension into Stardom at Florida State and as the NCAA’s Leading Scorer appeared first on SLAM.

Down one with just under four seconds left, the Terrapins went to their freshman phenom center and projected NBA Draft pick. Queen caught the inbounds pass near the top of the key, turned the jets on and drove left on Colorado State guard Ethan Morton.

Morton stood his ground, pushing Queen out of the paint. Queen took two steps and faded away, hovering as he let go a shot from the left block just over Morton’s outstretched arm.

His shot banked off the top of the backboard and fell through.

Game.

The Maryland bench and his teammates mobbed him as Colorado State players put their hands over their heads, stunned at what had just transpired.

Queen’s buzzer-beater had prevented Colorado State’s upset bid, elevating the Terrapins to a 72-71 victory and punching their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

The “Crab Five” showed out, each posting double-digit scoring efforts. Queen led the team with 17 points. Julian Reese posted a double-double, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Rodney Rice scored 16 points, and Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Selton Miguel contributed 11 points each.

Maryland’s bench only had two points the entire game.

“That was my first game-winner. When Coach drew up the play, my teammates trusted me, he trusted me. I was a little nervous, but I knew I was due for one,” Queen said.

Nique Clifford led the Rams with 21 points. Jalen Lake followed suit with 13 points and Kyan Evans, fresh off a six-triple performance against Memphis, finished with 10 points.

The Rams picked up right where they left off, quickly building a 12-point lead halfway through the first half. After Lake hit a three-pointer to give the Rams a 12-8 lead, they rattled off a 12-4 run to take a 24-12 lead. However, the Terps continued to battle.

Maryland scored 10 consecutive points off two triples by Rice and Miguel and jumpers by Queen and Reese to cut the lead back to single-digits.

Both teams continued to trade buckets till the very end of the half, with Clifford splitting a pair of defenders for a tough lefty layup before the buzzer sounded. Clifford’s layup gave the Rams a seven-point lead heading into halftime.

Maryland quickly built momentum, erasing the halftime deficit after Rice hit an and-one jumper to give the Terps a 49-47 lead.

Both teams continued to battle throughout, logging nine lead changes throughout the second half, with three coming in the last thirty seconds of the game.

With 23 seconds left in a tied game, Miguel fired a three-pointer that was off. Reese skied for a clutch offensive rebound and was fouled by Rashaan Mbemba. He calmly sank two pressure free throws to give Maryland a two-point lead.

On the ensuing possession, Clifford began posting up Miguel before rifling a bullet pass to the wing to Lake. Lake fired a deep three and buried it, sending the Rams bench into a frenzy.

But on the final possession, Queen called game.

The win finally marked a buzzer-beater going the right away from Maryland, who were plagued by devastating losses all season.

On Jan. 16, Nick Martinelli hit a fadeway dagger from the right block to give the Northwestern Wildcats a buzzer-beating 76-74 overtime victory. On Feb. 6, they choked a 17-point lead to the Ohio State Buckeyes after Bruce Thornton banked in a contested three with the shot clock winding down. Later that month, they lost on a half-court heave from Michigan State’s Tre Holloman.

Then, most recently, they let Michigan’s Tre Donaldson go coast-to-coast for a tough layup at the buzzer in the Big Ten semifinal game.

Finally, one shot did go their way when it mattered most.

“Give Colorado State a lot of credit, they’re an excellent basketball team,” head coach Kevin Willard said. “I feel bad that they had to go that way, but I really felt like maybe we were due eventually for one of those to go for us.

That buzzer-beater now sends Maryland to the Sweet 16 to face off against the top-seeded Florida Gators on Thursday.

The post Maryland Survives Upset-Bid From Colorado State on Derik Queen Buzzer-Beater appeared first on SLAM.

They lost in a heartbreaker to conference opponent NC State, who went on a Cinderella run to the Final Four. Proctor struggled in the 76-64 defeat, shooting 0-9 from the field and finished with a zero in the box score.

But in this year’s tournament, Proctor put it all behind him.

He posted a 19-point, five assist night against Mount St. Mary’s in the opening round, but saved his best for the next round.

Against a talented team of draft prospects and veteran players, including Cooper Flagg’s former high school point guard Rob Wright and former Duke guard Jeremy Roach, the Australian junior was unconscious on Sunday afternoon.

Proctor scored a team-high 25 points on 9-10 shooting from the field and drained seven triples to lead the top-seeded Blue Devils to an 89-66 rout over the Baylor Bears, earning a trip to the Sweet 16.

Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg—who graced the cover of SLAM—finished with a near triple-double, posting 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Experts and fans alike can finally agree that it’s safe to say the ankle injury isn’t bothering him anymore.

Kon Knueppel rounded out Duke’s double-digit scorers, dropping 12 points on an efficient 4-5 from the field.

Projected lottery pick VJ Edgecombe led the Bears with 16 points, while Norchad Omier’s consecutive double-double streak of 10 games finally came to a close. The Miami transfer finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Langston Love and Wright each finished with 11 points and Roach contributed seven points off the bench against his former team.

The game was tightly contested for the majority of the first half. Neither team could pull away from one another, keeping any lead to within single digits. However, the wheels fell off for Baylor towards the end of the opening frame.

With Duke clinging to a 35-30 lead with three minutes left in the first half, the Blue Devils went on a 12-0 run to enter halftime up 17.

Flagg scored a layup, dunk and drained a three, Sion James and Patrick Ngongba made free throws and Caleb Foster hit a jumper to crush any momentum Baylor had.

“When we stick to our defense, stick to our habits, we’re a really hard team to score on. Once we started getting loose balls and rebounds, we could push in transition and play our offense,” Proctor said.

Baylor could never recover from the momentum shift. Duke outscored the Bears 42-36 in the second half, and maintained a double-digit lead for the entire 20 minutes of play.

The Blue Devils dominated on the offensive end, shooting 64.4% from the field and 54.5% from deep. They also converted 19 free throws at an 82.6% clip. On the defensive end, they held the Bears to 36.8% shooting from the field and 32% from deep. They played physical on-ball defense, contesting without fouling, only allowing 10 free throw attempts for Baylor. Only two Baylor players—Omier and Edgecombe—shot above 50% from the field for the game.

“To win by this margin, I think speaks to the level of killer instinct that our guys have, the competitiveness and the connectivity,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said. “Sweet 16 sounds great, we know it’s a quick turnaround, but we’re going to enjoy this one tonight and then get back to it.”

Duke will now face off against a familiar foe donning a different jersey. The Blue Devils will take on Caleb Love and the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.

The post Duke trounces Baylor 89-66 to advance to the Sweet 16 appeared first on SLAM.

The two legendary coaches both were compared to each other all throughout their career paths, ranging from rebuilding programs into championship contenders in the Northeast, to playing under the bright lights of Rupp Arena with the Kentucky Wildcats.

They’ve met each other nearly 30 times in their illustrious careers, with Calipari holding a 17-12 advantage, including a Final Four victory in 2012 over Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals.

But given the circumstances, this one has to be up there.

Nobody gave the Razorbacks a chance against the red-hot Red Storm. The team had lost leading scorer Adou Thiero with a knee injury and started out their regular season poorly, opening SEC play with an 0-5 record. They suffered devastating close losses to their ranked counterparts, and even gave last-place South Carolina their second SEC win of the year in a 19-point romp.

St. John’s, on the other hand, entered this game with the complete opposite trajectory. Pitino’s squad rattled off 30 wins in the regular season, tied for the most ever in a regular season. They had scoring threats all across their lineup, with RJ Luis Jr. being named Big East Player of the Year.

Billed in as 7.5 point underdogs, Calipari’s Razorbacks pulled off the shock of the tournament, knocking off the St. John’s 75-66, ending the Red Storm’s dream season.

Freshman Billy Richmond led the Razorbacks with a career-high 16 points and nine rebounds while coming off the bench. Freshman Karter Knox finished with 15 points and four blocks, and Johnell Davis added 13 points.

Zuby Ejiofor led the Red Storm with a double-double, posting 23 points and 12 rebounds. Deivon Smith added 13 points off the bench.

Luis, the team’s leading scorer, was held to only nine points on a poor 3-17 shooting night, leading to him being benched for the last minutes of the game.

St. John’s shooting woes were on full display. With the main criticism being a lack of an efficient three-point shooter entering the tournament, the Johnnies silenced all critics by draining 14 triples at a 37.8% clip en route to a 30-point blowout of the Omaha Mavericks in the first round.

Saturday afternoon could not have been more different.

The Red Storm shot a dismal 9.1% from beyond the arc, only hitting two of their 22 attempts from beyond the arc. They didn’t fare better from the floor, making 28% of their shots from the field.

The Razorbacks defense held Kadary Richmond and Luis to a combined 14 points on 5-24 shooting. Their relentless burst and drives to the paint racked up Richmond’s foul count, with the graduate student eventually fouling out after only 16 minutes of game time.

“They were the better team. They outplayed us and they deserve to move on, and we don’t,” Pitino said.

Arkansas didn’t fare much better. The Razorbacks shot 10.5% from beyond the arc, nailing only two triples. However, they found better efficiency in the field, primarily the paint, shooting 42.9%.

The Razorbacks got off an efficient start, building a lead early and attacking St. John’s in the paint to draw fouls or finish layups at the rim.

St. John’s struggled to score with efficiency despite extending possessions with 28 offensive rebounds. The paint presence of Knox and Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo forced difficult putback looks and created numerous possessions of Red Storm players firing multiple layups at the rim that never fell.

“There are some games we played this year where the other team said ‘that was a physical team,'” Calipari said. “I told them it reminded me of that. I know St. John’s is physical, but we’re physical too.”

Arkansas took a three-point lead into the half after freshman Boogie Fland made a layup with seconds remaining in the opening frame. In his return from a thumb injury, Fland finished with six points and four rebounds.

The Razorbacks took that momentum in the second half, building a double-digit lead after rattling off a 14-6 run capped off by an Aidoo and-one.

St. John’s played catchup for the remainder of the half, eventually cutting the lead to four with just over four minutes to play.

After Billy Richmond sank a mid-range jumper to bring Arkansas’ lead back to four off a flare, Fland stole the ball, leading to a D.J. Wagner layup to extend the lead to six.

St. John’s entered panic mode, firing contested threes that caromed off the rim. Despite grabbing two offensive rebounds in a single possession, the Red Storm failed to gain ground on the lead, as Aaron Scott missed two free throws that would have cut the lead to four.

Scott, Smith and Luis, St. John’s three-leading sharpshooters, combined to go 1-11 from beyond the arc. Scott struggled mightly from the field, shooting 1-10 and mustering seven points off one triple and free throws.

As the team continued to rain missed threes, Knox and Davis made their free throws once St. John’s began intentionally fouling to close out the game.

When Billy Richmond was fouled with four seconds left, both teams could feel the result. The Arkansas bench and players ran to their side of the court, leaping as they raised their hands.

Pitino had already made his way to half court to shake hands with his nemesis before the final buzzer sounded.

With the win, Calipari advanced to his 16th Sweet 16 and became the second coach in Division I history to take four different schools to the Sweet 16. Calipari took a UMass team with Marcus Camby to the Final Four, a Derrick Rose-led Memphis squad to the National Championship and countless Kentucky teams to deep runs in the tournament.

He can now add the Razorbacks’ team-effort in his debut season.

“We had a long up-and-down season, so we just all came together, put our egos to the side and just became one heartbeat like (Coach Calipari) said and just play a fearless 40 (minutes),” Billy Richmond said.

Arkansas will now play Texas Tech and JT Toppin in the Sweet 16.

The post Arkansas Shocks St. John’s to Advance to the Sweet 16 appeared first on SLAM.

“Too small.” 

Just another day in Cleveland. It’s a Saturday afternoon inside the Cavaliers’ practice facility, and Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are addressing the elephant in the room we’re now sitting in. Moments before, members of the team had been on the practice courts, running through individual skill workouts and shooting sessions as reggae music blasted through the speakers. The only thing that can be heard now is the Cavs’ backcourt keeping it real about the public’s perception of the NBA and what’s been the difference-maker for them this season. Then the question gets brought up.

What is the craziest or most absurd thing that people have said about you?

“The ‘not being able to play together’ I think was definitely the toughest one, because they don’t give it a chance, you know?” Don says. “Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are another duo in this League, it took them eight years to win a championship. It takes time. Not saying we’re them, not saying they are us…Jamal Murray and Jokic. AD and Bron. It takes time.” 

None of those guys won titles overnight, and they all had to deal with their own fair share of criticism and sky-high expectations to make it there. Since LeBron James led Cleveland to their first-ever title in 2016, the franchise has been on the rebuild. And over the years, there haven’t been many who believed the Cavs could be as good as they are right now. Not when Garland arrived as a first-round pick in 2019, or when they acquired Jarrett Allen from the Nets via a four-team trade in 2021, or when they drafted Evan Mobley that summer with the third overall pick. When Mitchell arrived prior to the start of the 2022-23 season via a trade from the Jazz, there were doubts about whether he and Garland, two ball-dominant guards, could even be successful together. Despite all of this, the Cavs finished with a 51-31 record, the franchise’s highest win total since the 2016-17 season. 

This year, that same core four has managed to lead the Cavs to an even better record, which is 55-10 as we go to press. It takes time to build the type of rhythm they’re playing with. “I think people fail to realize that,” says Mitchell, who is averaging 24.2 ppg. “They think that you’re supposed to just click and vibe, but obviously, we haven’t got a chip yet. We got some work to do, but we’re headed in the right direction, and that’s all you can ask for—just continue to take the proper step forward.” 

And with their same core, the Cavs are now two-stepping their way to the playoffs under new head coach Kenny Atkinson. When Atkinson arrived to replace J.B. Bickerstaff, he reimagined the Cavs’ motion offense with an emphasis on free-flowing movement, quick reads, cutting and creativity. DG and Spida set the tempo in the backcourt. Garland is a shifty point guard who moves, in his own words, “like a dancer,” with fancy footwork, spin moves and speed, while Mitchell is explosive and groovy with the way he weaves down the lane for a bucket. 

“I just like to dance with the ball,” says DG. “I’m a dancer…I just use my shiftiness, my quickness, and then I like to give [Mitchell] the ball, because he’s just so explosive.”

Then there’s the rest of the Cavs’ ensemble, which includes seven-footers Allen and Mobley who cause havoc in the paint. Allen is constantly moving and leaves defenders dizzy and distracted as he sets screens and rolls to the basket, while Mobley is an All-Star who crashes the boards with a fury and, as we’ve seen this year, Euro steps his way to the rim like a guard. With Isaac Okoro, Max Strus and newly-acquired De’Andre Hunter (a trade that happened just the day before our cover shoot) to balance out the scoring, the Cavs have so much range as the No. 1 offense in the NBA. 

For the first time in a long time, what’s being said about them isn’t, well, bad. But don’t think they forgot. 

“We got a lot of hate last year,” Garland says, to which Mitchell adds: “From the same people that’s [saying] really nice things about us. Appreciate it.” It goes without saying that public perception controls the narrative in the NBA. In today’s world, this is all happening online, where people only pay attention to what’s being curated on their feeds, from game highlights to hot takes from media personalities and podcast hosts. The casuals are so lost in the scroll, they only pay attention to who is still standing in June, rather than actually watching a team rise to the occasion throughout an 82-game season. 

“We really look at the NBA game as, like, it’s 2K for real,” Mitchell says. “He’s never played with a ball-dominant guard, and I haven’t either, so that takes time for us to continue doing what [we do]. [Fifty-one] games the first year. That’s success, and people don’t look at us as that, but that’s success in itself. OK, we failed in the playoffs. Cool, next year, boom. Everybody gets hurt, different things, but we finally win a playoff series, first time. That’s another step. Now we’re at the top of the League, but at the end of the day, this really don’t mean nothing until we do something in the playoffs.” 

Seeing is believing, and when the Cavs played the reigning champs on Feb. 28, everyone watched to see what they were about. Despite Boston’s 25-3 lead to start the game, the Cavs went on a 41-22 run and dominated the fourth quarter. They never got flustered, and Mitchell especially turned things up. With two minutes left, he literally soared to the basket past Sam Hauser and above Al Horford to draw a foul. By the time he landed back on the ground, his teammates on the sideline were already making their way toward him to dap him up in excitement. Mitchell finished the game with 41 points in the Cavs’ 123-116 win over the Celtics. According to StatMuse, he tied LeBron James for the most games (12) in Cavaliers history with at least 40 points and 5 threes. 

“When he turns up, starts flexing and starts clapping dumb hard, starts talking to the crowd, I love that Don,” says Garland. “That’s the Spida we all need, for sure.” 

The story of the Cavs’ backcourt duo actually started long before they teamed up in The Land. Mitchell hosted Garland as a recruit at Louisville back in the day (DG ended up going one-and-done at Vanderbilt). Years later, they worked out together during the summer prior to the 2022-23 season; Mitchell happened to be in Miami with his trainer, Ronnie Taylor, who asked if the Cavs’ PG could join them. The meet-up was pure coincidence, as neither of them knew what was going on behind the scenes in the Jazz and Cavs’ front offices. “[Donovan] was just so locked in the entire workout, like, if he missed a shot, he wanted to just do the whole set over again,” Garland says. “If he missed two in a row, he was doing a sprint back and forth and coming right back to the set. So, it was like, just his work ethic, his mindset, he wants to be great, the best version of himself and one of the best players to play this game.” 

Mitchell was impressed by Garland, too. “I’ve never had to go shot for shot with somebody like that in a workout, like really try to beat the person that you’re working out with. That was my first real moment where I was like, He’s like that.” 

Over the years, Garland has emerged as a poised point guard who’s been able to battle through adversity, the loss of his grandmother and injury, including a fractured jaw that forced him to miss 19 games last season and go through a grueling recovery process that included a liquid diet, causing him to lose 12 pounds. DG has since then bounced back and is currently averaging 21 ppg this year. 

“I was away from the guys last year for almost two months, and that’s when I was really at my lowest,” he says of the injury. “I couldn’t talk to them, they’d FaceTime me after a big win, and I’m just sitting there, like, Yay, can’t talk. That was tough for me, but right now, just being around the guys, it’s some real brotherhood over here. It’s like a grown man AAU team. We’re always around each other. We’re always laughing, making jokes, going out to eat with each other. We had sweet potato pie on the plane yesterday. It’s a real family.”

They hype each other up like one, too. When I bring up Garland’s epic buzzer- beater from the Pistons logo on Feb. 5, Mitchell interrupts DG before he can say a word.

“I was trying to [be] PG all interview. Man, that was a f–k you to everybody. That’s what that was. That pose, all that was on—I’m sorry. I know, I know I shouldn’t swear. I’m trying my best, but like, that’s exactly what that was. I felt that, too. That’s why I went nuts [after]. Somebody was talking smack—I won’t curse again—the whole game and I just felt like, [he had] a lot of pent up, [like], This is what I really do, and y’all really playing with me. And I should have ended the game about 10 minutes prior, but we ain’t gonna talk about that. But like, you know what? Since we’re here, I’m gonna go ahead and do this. Forget the play that we drew up, Coach. I got it. So that’s what that was. He ain’t gonna say it like that, but I’m gonna say it.”

“I’ll talk a little bit of shit,” DG, who was named an All-Star this year, says of the game-winner. “It was against our former coach, too, which made it like 1000 times better…That was something that was totally different.” 

“That was basically, like, everybody that was talking noise, just sit here and watch us,” Don chimes in.

The playoffs are just around the corner, too, which means everything they’re doing now is in preparation for their ultimate goal of winning a championship. It was Mitchell who once told me in Utah that “winning takes care of everything in this League,” but it’s clear now that it’s a sentiment he shares with his backcourt mate. 

“Until we have this parade in Cleveland, [and I’m] on the floats and [have] a ring on my finger,” Garland says, “we haven’t done anything.” 

Portraits by Matthew Coughlin.

The post Believe in the Land: Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell on Cavaliers’ Dominance, Doubters and Championship Mindset appeared first on SLAM.

The two have built a big brother, little brother type of bond ever since Simon invited Shai to his nightly dinners with Tristan out in the Philippines. “We immediately connected over laughter,” Simon says. Fast forward nearly 10 years, and Simon and Shai still share that same brotherhood, only now in a more official capacity, as ISLA MANAGEMENT represents the All-Star.

“When Shai got drafted to the NBA, we had already started ISLA on the music side. As both of our careers progressed, we organically found an amazing way for our businesses to intersect,” Simon says. “And the rest is history.”

Alongside his partner EK, Simon founded ISLA MANAGEMENT in 2018. It is one of the few companies that operates in the music and basketball industries simultaneously. ISLA doesn’t recruit its clients. The relationships, both working and personal, materialize naturally, from discovering R&B artist Giveon to representing Boi-1da, OZ, Jahaan Sweet and more. Shai brings yet another multidimensional layer to the company’s roster of hitmakers. And Simon knows this is just the beginning.

“What excites me most is knowing this is the tip of the iceberg for Shai. He is honestly just getting started,” Simon says. “I don’t see a boundary or limit to where Shai can take it. Maybe I’m being biased, but I believe he can be one of the greatest ever, on and off the court.”

Photo credit Jim Poorten.

The post After Managing Music Heavyweights, Founder of ISLA MANAGEMENT Simon Gebrelul is Making Waves in Sports appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s everything you need to know to be caught up on the madness so far heading into the round of 32.

________________________________________________________________________________________

No. 9 Baylor defeated No. Mississippi State

Baylor defeated Mississippi State in a 75-72 game that came down to the wire.

Freshman facilitator Rob Wright led the Bears with 19 points, while Langston Love added 15. Miami transfer Norchad Omier posted a double-double, dropping 12 points and grabbing 10 boards.

However, off all the Bears, the nation was introduced to VJ Edgecombe, a projected lottery pick in the NBA Draft. On the NBA’s mock draft, experts project Edgecombe to be drafted third overall.

On the biggest stage of his career, Edgecombe showed the flashes of his potential, dropping 14 points and grabbing five boards. The freshman guard showcased his explosiveness, slicing into the paint to draw fouls—good for six free throws—and his sharpshooting ability with a team-leading two triples.

Josh Hubbard led Mississippi State with a game-high 26 points. Claudell Harris Jr. added 13 points and Riley Kugel contributed 11 points off the bench.

The game was evenly matched, coming down to the wire. After Edgecombe calmly sank two free throws to give Baylor a three-point lead, Harris had the chance to tie the game with seconds remaining, but came up short.

The Bulldogs outshot the Bears, making 50% of their shots from the field, but were doomed by turnovers. Baylor played handsy defense, logging 10 steals in the game. Mississippi State’s 14 turnovers turned into 15 points for Baylor, the difference in the game.

Baylor will now play Duke in the round of 32, a revenge game for Bears point guard Jeremy Roach and a reunion of between high school teammates Wright and phenom Cooper Flagg.

________________________________________________________________________________________

No. 2 Alabama defeated No. 15 Robert Morris

Grant Nelson was the X-Factor in Alabama’s win over the No. 1 seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

He made fought for a tough and-one layup that gave Alabama the lead with 39 seconds to play. He then sank two free throws to ice the game for the Crimson Tide.

This year, Nelson came to the rescue again.

Nursing a leg injury, Nelson came off the bench and immediately provided a spark. He threw down a ferocious alley-oop to put Alabama out in front with under 10 minutes left in the second half, and played stellar defense. In Nelson’s seven minutes of game time, the NDSU transfer finished with five points, three rebounds and a steal.

That spark propelled Alabama to avoiding a first-round upset against Robert Morris, defeating the Colonials 90-81.

Mark Sears finished with a double-double to lead the Crimson Tide, dropping 22 points and dishing out 10 assists. Clifford Omoruyi scored a season-high 17 points and Mouhamed Dioubate an 18 point, 10 rebound double-double off the bench.

Alabama’s star freshman guard Labaron Philon finished with his lowest scoring output of the season, sinking only one free throw while dishing out eight assists.

Amarion Dickerson led the Colonials with 25 points and Alvaro Folgueiras posted a 15 point, 10 rebound double-double.

Alabama’s top-ranked scoring offense lived up to the hype, shooting 58.6% from the field. However, the Crimson Tide struggled from beyond the arc, shooting only 28.6% from beyond the arc.

Robert Morris kept up with Alabama’s high offensive pace, taking a four-point deficit into halftime, and eventually gaining the lead with seven minutes to play.

However, Nelson’s contributions kicked off a 24-16 run, which allowed Alabama to close out the game.

Alabama will play Saint Mary’s in the round of 32.

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No. 3 Iowa State defeated No. 14 Lipscomb

Iowa State routed Lipscomb 82-55.

Despite losing star guard Keshon Gilbert for the tournament, the Cyclone offense dominated.

Milan Momcilovic led Iowa State with 20 points while Curtis Jones, the team’s leading-scorer, finished with 17 points off the bench. Joshua Jefferson nearly posted a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Jacob Ognacevic, the ASUN Player of the Year, finished with a team-leading 18 points. Gyasi Powell followed suit with 11 points. Ognacevic and Powell were the only two double-digit scorers for the Bison.

Iowa State ran away with the game from the start. After Lipscomb took a 16-15 lead halfway into the first half, Iowa State recaptured the lead and never looked back.

The Cyclones outscored the Bison 40-24 in the first half, and later 42-31 in the second half.

The Cyclones will now play Ole Miss in the round of 32.

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No. 12 Colorado State upsets No. 5 Memphis

Despite the lower seeding, the Colorado State Rams were favored over the Memphis Tigers in their first round matchup.

Riding the momentum from their Mountain West Tournament run, the Rams played up to that expectation.

Colorado State put on a three-point shooting clinic to pull off the upset against Memphis, 78-70.

Kyan Evans led the Rams with 23 points. He was deadly from beyond the arc, cashing six triples. Nique Clifford, the team’s leading scorer, finished with a near-triple double, logging 14 points, eight boards and six assists.

Dain Dainja led the Tigers with a double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 boards. Wooden Award candidate PJ Haggerty and Colby Rogers each followed suit with 18 points.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with numerous lead changes in the first half. Memphis entered halftime with a five-point lead, but quickly saw the Rams tie the game up five minutes into the second half, going on a 17-12 run.

After Clifford drilled a jumper to give the Rams a 50-48 lead, Colorado State never looked back.

Memphis was doomed by their inefficient shooting from beyond the arc. The Tigers shot 26.1% from deep and only converted on 70% of their free-throw attempts. The Tigers also struggled with foul trouble, logging 20 personal fouls that turned into 19 Ram free-throws.

Colorado State continued their three-point barrage, nailing 11 triples total. This was the third consecutive game in which the Rams have made 10 or more three-pointers.

The Rams will now play Maryland in the round of 32.

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No. 1 Duke defeated No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s

The overall storyline for the Duke Blue Devils heading into the first round was the health of freshman phenom Cooper Flagg.

Flagg’s performance all but erased that narrative.

The potential top overall pick in the NBA Draft immediately took off, converting an and-one and scoring in the paint. To cap it off, Flagg caught an alley-oop from Patrick Ngongba and threw down a thunderous slam to send the crowd into a frenzy.

No problem with the ankle there.

Flagg finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks to help lead the Blue Devils to a 93-49 rout over Mount St. Mary’s.

Tyrese Proctor led the Blue Devils with 19 points and freshman center Khaman Maluach went a perfect 5-5 from the field, finishing with 11 points.

Arlandus Keyes led the Mountaineers with 15 points off the bench. Keyes was the only Mountaineer to post double-digit scoring numbers.

Duke ran away with this game from the beginning, building a 26-point halftime lead before closing out the game in the second half. The Blue Devils shot 50% from the field and splashed 14 triples in the game.

Duke will now play Baylor and fellow projected lottery pick VJ Edgecombe in the round of 32.

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No. 7 Saint Mary’s defeated No. 10 Vanderbilt

Randy Bennett wasn’t going to led his Gaels be a first-round exit again.

After falling in a shock upset to Grand Canyon last year, the Gaels appeared to be on upset watch again. Playing a tough Vanderbilt team appearing in their first NCAA Tournament since 2017, the Commodores started out hot, jumping out to a 12-point lead.

However, the Gaels dug deep, relying on their elite defense to get the job done.

In a gritty comeback win, Saint Mary’s erased a 12-point deficit to secure a comeback 59-56 victory over Vanderbilt.

Jordan Ross led the Gaels with 15 points, while Augustas Marciulionis added 14 points and eight rebounds. Mitchell Saxen and Luke Barrett both recorded double-doubles, with Saxen posting 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Barrett posting 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Jason Edwards led the Commodores with 18 points. He was the only Vanderbilt player to finish the game in double-digit scoring.

Vanderbilt jumped out to an early lead, and carried a seven-point 29-22 lead into the half. They immediately opened the second frame with a 10-5 run, building up a 12-point lead.

However, the Gaels heated up. They responded with a 16-4 run off of a pair of Ross triples and Saxen layups. At the seven minute mark in the second half, Marciulionis hit a three to give the Gaels a lead they wouldn’t look back on.

With 30 seconds left, Saxen had a chance to the ice the game with two free throws, but split the pair, giving Vanderbilt a chance to tie the game with a three.

With the clock running down, Devin McGlockton pulled up from the corner, but saw his game-tying attempt clank off the rim.

Despite an inefficient shooting night, the Gaels knocked down seven triples, which helped them erase the deficit and pull off the comeback victory.

Saint Mary’s will now play Alabama in the round of 32.

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No. 6 Ole Miss defeated No. 11 North Carolina

With momentum favoring North Carolina with a minute to play, the Rebels turned to their go-to man.

Sean Pedulla, who had recently hit a dagger three to send Arkansas packing in the SEC Tournament, took a handoff from Jaemyn Brakefield. He faked dribbling to the corner and spotted up a three.

He cashed it, just like he had done a week prior. As Pedulla emphatically threw down the three logo to the Ole Miss bench, his dagger three elevated the Rebels’ lead to five with under a minute to play.

With the team closing out the game, the Rebels secured their first tournament win since 2015 by defeating North Carolina 71-64.

Pedulla’s 20 points led the Rebels, while Dre Davis added 15 points and eight rebounds. Brakefield also contributed 12 points off the bench.

RJ Davis scored 15 points to lead the Tar Heels in his final collegiate game. Ven-Allen Lubin added 14 points, but later fouled out in the game.

The Tar Heels were dominated for most of the game, failing to ever capture the lead. Ole Miss opened the game up hot, posting a double-digit lead and carrying an 18-point lead into the half.

However, the Tar Heels battled back. Down 13 points with eight minutes to play, the Tar Heels went on a 14-3 run to cut the lead to two points, capped off by a Davis and-one that sent Kevin Harlan and the crowd into a frenzy.

Pedulla’s three silenced the crowd, and helped the Rebels close out the game.

The Rebels were the more efficient team, shooting 44.4% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. North Carolina struggled to find efficiency, as they only made five triples in 24 attempts.

Ole Miss will now play Iowa State in the round of 32.

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No. 4 Maryland defeated No. 13 Grand Canyon

Maryland routed Grand Canyon 81-49 to advance the “Crab Five” to the round of 32.

Julian Reese led the Terps with 18 points, while freshman phenom Derik Queen posted a dominant 12 point, 15 rebound double-double. Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16 points and Selton Miguel scored 13.

Tyon Grant-Foster led the Lopes with 23 points. He was the only Grand Canyon player to score more than six points in the game.

Maryland dominated for the entire game. The Terps shot 50.8% from the field and rained down seven triples at a 43.8% clip on the Grand Canyon defense.

The defense held Grand Canyon to 28.6% shooting from the field and 21.7% from beyond the arc.

Grand Canyon grabbed an early five-point lead in the first half. However, a Gillespie jumper eight minutes into the opening frame gave Maryland a lead they would never look back on.

The Terps took a 14-point lead into the half and then outscored the Lopes 39-21 in the final frame to close out the game.

Maryland will take on Colorado State in the round of 32.

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No. 1 Florida defeated No. 16 Norfolk State

Florida routed Norfolk State 95-69 to earn their first tournament win since the 2021.

Walter Clayton Jr. led the Gators with 23 points on an efficient 6-11 shooting night and Alijah Martin added 17 points. Alex Condon dropped 12 points and added two steals and two blocks, and Thomas Haugh contributed 13 points off the bench.

Christian Ings led the Spartans with 16 points and Jaylani Darden added 15 points and six boards. Chris Fields Jr. contributed 14 points off the bench on an efficient 7-12 night.

Florida dominated the entire game. Their defense held the Spartans to 14.3% shooting from beyond the arc and forced 12 turnovers.

On offense, the Gators shot 48.3% from the field and knocked down 10 triples. They drove hard into the paint, drawing 24 Spartan fouls. Those fouls turned into 33 free-throw attempts, of which the Gators converted 27.

Norfolk State trailed the entire game.

The Gators will now play the two-time defending National Champion UConn Huskies in the round of 32.

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No. 3 Kentucky defeated No. 14 Troy

Kentucky routed Troy 76-57 to kick off the Mark Pope era in the NCAA Tournament

Otega Oweh nearly put up a triple-double, scoring a team-high 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Elite sharpshooter Koby Brea, Andrew Carr and Brandon Garrison each contributed 13 points.

Myles Rigsby scored 17 points to lead the Trojans and Tayton Conerway added 12 points. Rigsby and Conerway were the only two Trojans to finish with double-digit scoring numbers. Sophomore forward Thomas Dowd, the team’s third-leading scorer, was held scoreless. However, Dowd did contribute on the glass, grabbing 11 rebounds.

Kentucky dominated throughout, taking an eight-point lead into the half before outscoring the Trojans 41-30 in the final frame to close out the game.

The Wildcats’ offense clicked, shooting 47.5% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc. Kentucky knocked down 10 threes, with Brea knocking down a team-high three triples.

Kentucky’s defense held Troy to 8-32 shooting from beyond the arc and 34.9% from the field.

The Wildcats will now play Illinois in the round of 32.

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No. 10 New Mexico defeated No. 7 Marquette

New Mexico defeated Marquette 75-66.

The Lobos’ two-headed monster of Donovan Dent and Nelly Junior Joseph excelled on the big stage, combining for 40 points. Tru Washington added 12 points and CJ Noland contributed 11 points off the bench.

David Joplin led the Golden Eagles with 28 points, while Kam Jones added 15 points in what was likely his final collegiate game.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with New Mexico holding a slim three-point lead at the half. However, the Lobos pulled away in the second half. After being deadlocked at 53, the Lobos rattled off a 17-8 run, building a nine-point advantage with a little over a minute to play.

Marquette was unable to catch up and surrendered another devastating loss.

Poor shooting doomed the Golden Eagles, who converted on 40.7% of their shots from the field and 36.7% of their threes. However, despite winning the turnover margin 13-12, Marquette failed to capitalize on the opportunities. New Mexico scored 21 points off of the Marquette turnovers, which became the difference-maker in the game.

The Lobos will now play Michigan State in the round of 32.

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No. 4 Arizona defeated No. 13 Akron

Arizona routed Akron 93-65.

Jaden Bradley scored 19 points to lead the Wildcats while Oakland transfer Trey Townsend added 16 points and eight rebounds. Caleb Love scored 10 points, while Carter Bryant and KJ Lewis contributed a combined 22 points off the bench.

Tavari Johnson and Nate Johnson both scored 13 points to lead the Zips. Shammah Scott contributed 11 points off the bench.

Arizona dominated the entire game, as the Zips failed to take the lead at any point in the game.

The Wildcats put on a clinic, draining 12 three-pointers at a 48% clip and shooting 56.5% from the field. They held the Zips in check, holding them to 33.3% shooting from the field and only allowing seven three-pointers.

Arizona took a 10-point lead into the half and later outscored Akron 52-34 in the final frame to close out the game.

Arizona will now play their former Pac-12 rival Oregon in the round of 32.

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No. 8 UConn defeated No. 9 Oklahoma

Projected lottery pick Jeremiah Fears went out with a bang. In likely his last collegiate game, the freshman guard showcased his whole bag.

He started early with an explosive drive to the basket that immediately drew free throws and followed it up with another tough lefty layup.

He then continued his scoring tear, draining a triple and hitting a highlight reel 360 layup that left Jaylin Stewart in the dust.

Fears finished the game with a game-high 20 points, adding five boards, four assists and two steals as well. A true one man show.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Dan Hurley’s veteran UConn squad took down the Sooners 67-59 in a back-and-forth affair.

Solo Ball led the Huskies with 14 points and Alex Karaban added 13 points. Tarris Reed Jr. lived up to his Big East Sixth Man of the Year Award by contributing 12 points off the bench.

Jalon Moore finished with 13 points and seven rebounds for Oklahoma. No other Sooner posted double-digit scoring numbers.

The Sooners fell behind early and struggled to gain any momentum. UConn outscored the Sooners 32-26 in the first half, and matched every bucket the Sooners made.

In the second half, Oklahoma battled back, taking the lead off of a Mohamed Wague tip-shot. However, it lasted 17 seconds. UConn quickly took the lead back on a Ball pull-up jumper and never looked back.

Oklahoma brought the lead down to four points with two minutes to play, but the Huskies defense only allowed a single Sooner point in that final frame.

The Sooners struggled with efficient shooting from beyond the arc, knocking down only 17.6% of their threes. UConn didn’t fare much better, shooting 24% from deep, but were far more efficient from the rest of the field.

UConn will now play Florida in the round of 32.

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No. 6 Illinois defeated No. 11 Xavier

Illinois defeated Xavier 86-73.

Will Riley led the Fighting Illini with 22 points on an efficient 8-12 night. He also knocked down three triples. Tomislav Ivisic recorded a double-double, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman phenom Kasparas Jakucionis finished with a 16 point, 10 assist double-double.

Dailyn Swain led the Musketeers with 27 points, while Dayvion McKnight and Ryan Conwell both added 12 points. Zach Freemantle, Xavier’s leading scorer, struggled. Freemantle was held to five points on 2-9 shooting.

The game was tight for the majority of the first half, with Illinois taking a five-point lead into halftime.

However, after building up a double-digit lead in the second half, Xavier began to regain momentum, slicing the deficit to eight points.

The Musketeers looked to continue their momentum after Jakucionis missed a three. However, Kylan Boswell soared for the offensive board who quickly swung a pass out to Riley, who promptly drilled a dagger three.

Illinois later closed out the game to advance to the round of 32 to face Kentucky.

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No. 2 Michigan State defeated No. 15 Bryant

Michigan State survived an early scare against upset-minded Bryant, defeating the Bulldogs 87-62.

Coen Carr led the Spartans with 18 points. However, his nine rebound performance put on a show. Carr grabbed four offensive rebounds and threw down thunderous dunks, showcasing his incredible vertical. Carr continuously attacked the paint, finishing tough layups and drawing fouls on an efficient 7-10 night.

Alongside Carr, Tre Holloman contributed 14 points off the bench, and Jase Richardson finished with 15.

Rafael Pinzon led the Bulldogs with 21 points and Earl Timberlake added 14 points. Barry Evans, the team’s third-leading scorer, only managed seven points on a tough 3-7 shooting night.

The Bulldogs kept the game close early, entering halftime in a five-point hole. However, the Spartans quickly built a double-digit lead behind a pair of Richardson triples and never looked back. They used an 18-9 run to build a 19-point lead, and closed out the game comfortably.

The Spartans, who had struggled with three-point shooting in the regular season, proved the doubters wrong. They drained 10 triples at a 38.5% clip and shot 44.3% from the field. Their defense tightened up, only allowing Bryant to sink five three-pointers, well below their average of around eight per game.

With the win, Michigan State now plays New Mexico in the round of 32.

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No. 5 Oregon defeated No. 12 Liberty

In the last game of the first round, Oregon routed Liberty 81-52.

Jackson Shelstad led the Ducks with 17 points, while Keeshawn Barthelemy added 10 more. Center Nate Bittle finished with a double-double, logging 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Zach Cleveland led Liberty with 10 points. He was the only Flame to post double-digit scoring numbers in the game.

Oregon dominated in every category, shooting 54.4% from the field and 47.6% from beyond the arc. Their defense held a fast-paced Liberty offense to 32.8% shooting from the field and 21.6% from beyond the arc. Oregon also forced 12 turnovers, which turned into 17 Oregon points.

Oregon led the entire game, opening up the first half on an 18-2 run. Liberty was unable to cut the lead down to single-digits at any point afterwards.

The Ducks carried a 44-20 halftime lead, and later outscored the Flames 37-32 in the second half to secure the win.

Oregon will now play former Pac-12 rival Arizona in the round of 32.

The post Everything You Missed From Friday’s March Madness Slate appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s everything you need to know to be caught up on the madness so far heading into Friday’s slate of games.

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No. 9 Creighton defeated No. 8 Louisville 89-75

As a light drizzle passed over Lexington, a downpour of threes pelted Rupp Arena.

Everything the Creighton Bluejays put up in their opening round clash with the Louisville Cardinals seemed to fall through.

After the game was deadlocked at 15, the Bluejays began firing from deep. With snipers at nearly every offensive position, Creighton immediately built a double-digit lead solely on three-pointers from Steven Ashworth, Jamiya Neal and Jackson McAndrew.

When halftime rolled around, the Cardinals found themselves in a 15-point hole. Creighton had drained nine first-half triples.

The energy carried over into the second half. On Creighton’s first possession, Kalkbrenner faked a screen for Neal. Neal pitched it back to the reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

Kalkbrenner stepped into a three and drilled it, summing up how the game went for the Bluejays—they simply couldn’t miss.

Neal led Creighton with a double-double, recording 29 points on 11-16 shooting and grabbing 12 rebounds. Neal finished four assists shy of a triple-double. Ashworth added 22 points, and Kalkbrenner, one of the premier shot-blockers in college hoops, tallied four blocks and 14 points.

Chucky Hepburn led the Cardinals with 22 points, while Terrence Edwards Jr. added 21. Creighton’s defense held Reyne Smith, one of the premier sharpshooters in the nation, to five points on one-made three.

Despite the disappointing end, Louisville looks to have a bright future under head coach Pat Kelsey, who orchestrated a 19-win turnaround in his first season with the program.

Creighton will move on to face off against No. 1 Auburn, the top overall seed in the tournament.

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No. 4 Purdue defeated No. 13 High Point

On Selection Sunday, High Point was a popular pick to pull off a shock upset against last year’s runners-up. For most of the game, that seemed like a possibility.

Both teams battled for the first 18 minutes of the half, until the Boilermakers shifted the momentum.

Up 31-25, Camden Heide missed a three-pointer. The ball caromed off the rim, and Myles Colvin crashed the glass hard, throwing down a ferocious jam that sent the bench into a frenzy.

Colvin then stole the ball from High Point’s Terry Anderson and sprinted towards the basket. His layup barely missed.

But Heide, with shades of his electric slam in last year’s National Championship, threw down a two-handed putback jam.

Back-to-back slams.

Purdue rode the energy to a 10-point halftime lead.

Purdue took that momentum into the second half. They tightened up on offense, matching High Point’s high-powered offense by outscoring the Panthers 38-36 in the second half to secure the dub.

Trey Kaufman-Renn finished with a team-leading 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith finished with 20 points, and Heide recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.

D’Maurian Williams led the Panthers with 12 points and Trae Benham added 11 points. Williams and Benham were the only two High Point players to score double-digit points.

The Boilermakers dominated the glass, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds and 45 total, outrebounding High Point by 21.

The Panthers outshot the Boilermakers from deep 10-5, but recorded 20 personal fouls. Those fouls turned into 22 free throws for Purdue, of which they converted 14, the difference in the game.

Purdue will now play the upset-minded McNeese State Cowboys and their manager Amir Khan in the round of 32.

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No. 3 Wisconsin defeated No. 14 Montana

The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Montana Grizzlies 85-66.

John Blackwell led the Badgers will 19 points. Steven Crowl added 18 and John Tonje, the team’s leading scorer, finished with 15 points.

The Badgers had five players crack double-digit scoring, with Nolan Winter adding 10 points and six boards, while Xavier Amos dropped 11 off the bench.

Te’Jon Sawyer and Kai Johnson finished with 15 points each to lead the Grizzlies.

The Badgers were efficient on the offensive end, shooting 55.4% from the field and 80% from the free throw line on 20 attempts.

While Montana kept the game close, cutting the lead to four in the second half, the Badgers pulled away, outscoring the Grizzlies 45-34 in the final frame.

Wisconsin will now play BYU in the round of 32.

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No. 1 Houston defeated No. 16 SIU Edwardsville

Houston defeated SIU Edwardsville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in a 78-40 rout.

Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan led Houston with 16 points, while L.J. Cryer added 15 points on four three-pointers.

The Cougars had four double-digit scorers, with Ja’Vier Francis and Terrance Arceneaux adding 13 and 10 points respectively off the bench.

Brian Taylor II and Ray’Sean Taylor led SIU Edwardsville with 10 points each.

Houston dominated, grabbing an early lead three minutes into the game and never looking back. The Cougars led by 40 points in the second half at one point, their largest of the game.

Houston’s defense held the Cougars to 30.6% shooting from the field, and 2-24 from beyond the arc. The Cougars’ offensive output of 40 points was their fewest points scored in a game all season.

Taylor II and Taylor were the only SIU Edwardsville players to crack double-digit scoring.

Houston will look to lock up Gonzaga’s second-ranked scoring offense on Saturday in the round of 32.

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No. 1 Auburn defeated No. 16 Alabama State

The Auburn Tigers defeated the Alabama State Hornets 83-63.

Miles Kelly led the Tigers with 23 points, his second-highest scoring night of the season. National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome finished with a double-double, dropping 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Freshman phenom Tahaad Pettiford added 16 points and five assists and boards.

Amarr Knox, who scored the game-winning layup in the Hornets’ First Four game, led the team with 18 points. TJ Madlock followed suit with 11 points. Knox and Madlock were the only two Hornets players who finished with double-digit points.

The Tigers struggled to pull away early, with the Hornets erasing a double-digit deficit into a one-possession game with a little over a minute to play in the first half.

However, Auburn outscored the Hornets 42-32 in the second half to close out the game.

Auburn’s defense stepped up, holding the Hornets to 37.1% shooting from the field and 24% from deep.

They will try to carry that defensive over to a red-hot Creighton team who shot the Louisville Cardinals out of Rupp Arena,

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No. 12 McNeese upset No. 5 Clemson

Amir Khan’s aura could be felt throughout the Amica Mutual Pavilion walls.

The McNeese State basketball manager was everywhere, from signs in the crowd to socks on the cheerleaders.

When Khan led the walkout, equipped with his customized speaker draped around his neck and surrounded by his teammates singing, the makings of an upset were set.

The Cowboys took the energy to the court, jumping out to a massive lead early, and holding on to secure a 69-67 upset victory over the Clemson Tigers.

Brandon Murray led the Cowboys with 21 points off the bench, and Quadir Copeland added 16 more. Christian Shumate recorded a double-double, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Jaeden Zackery led the Tigers with 24 points, and Chase Hunter finished with 21 in the final game of his collegiate career. Ian Schieffelin and Viktor Lakhin, Clemson’s second and fourth leading scorers, finished with a combined seven points.

The Cowboys clamped up early, holding the Tigers to 13 points in the first half alone, while scoring 31. The Tigers only made five field goals in the first half.

In the second half, McNeese appeared to have control of the game. The Cowboys maintained a double-digit for most of the half, logging a 17-point advantage with just over four minutes to play.

However, the veteran Tigers weren’t going to go down without a fight. The Tigers drained five triples in the final two minutes of the game, miraculously cutting the previous 24-point McNeese lead into a one possession game with under a minute to go.

However, Garcia made one of his two free throws to ice the game with a four point lead.

Despite the dominant beginning, the Cowboys shot inefficiently from deep and from the free-throw line. They went 4-19 from beyond the arc and 11-22 from the free-throw line.

Clemson didn’t fare better, shooting 36.8% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc on 30 attempted triples. However, they were efficient from the free-throw line, knocking down 16 of their 19 attempted shots.

Despite the dramatic comeback, the hole they dug themselves in the first half doomed them.

With the win, Wade earned his first NCAA Tournament win since the 2020-21 season, when he coached the LSU Tigers. The victory marked the first tournament win in McNeese’s program history.

The Cowboys move on to play last year’s runners-up, the Purdue Boilermakers in the round of 32.

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No. 6 BYU defeated No. 11 VCU

For the third straight time, the BYU Cougars earned a No. 6 seed in the Big Dance. For the past two years, they fell to a No. 11 seed.

In the 2020-21 season, a scrappy UCLA team led by Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez rolled past them. Then last year, the A-10 Champion Duquesne Dukes pulled off a shocking upset.

However, the third time was the charm.

With program legend Jimmer Fredette in attendance, BYU silenced any critics who labeled them on “upset alert” by defeating the VCU Rams 80-71.

Richie Saunders led the Cougars with 16 points and Egor Demin added 15 points. Fousseyni Traore added 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Zeb Jackson led the Rams with 23 points off the bench. Jack Clark, Max Shulga and Joe Bamisile each added 12 points of their own.

The Rams outshot the Cougars in the game, draining 15 triples to BYU’s seven. However, VCU doomed themselves by getting into foul trouble. The Rams committed 23 personal fouls, which turned into 19 points for the Cougars at the charity stripe, the difference in the game.

BYU took an 11 point lead into the half. The Rams were unable to recover, having only led for the first two minutes of the game.

The victory marked first-year head coach Kevin Young’s first ever tournament win in his career.

The Cougars will now take on Wisconsin in the round of 32.

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No. 8 Gonzaga defeated No. 9 Georgia

On Selection Sunday, experts and analytics believed Gonzaga was better than their seeding showed. On Thursday, they played like it.

The Zags rolled through Georgia’s defense, routing the Bulldogs 89-68.

Khalif Battle led Gonzaga with 24 points on 9-13 shooting, while Nolan Hickman and Braden Huff each added 18 points. Gonzaga’s leading scorer Graham Ike finished with 13 points.

Georgia freshman Asa Newell led the Bulldogs with 20 points. Silas Demary Jr. also added 15 points and a team-leading four assists. In what could be Newell’s final collegiate game, the potential NBA lottery pick went out with a bang.

Newell showed finesse and his bag against veteran Gonzaga defenders Ike and Huff, shooting 60% from the field and 8-10 from the free-throw line. Newell added eight boards to his statline. The NBA’s mock draft has him currently going 12th overall, but his stock can still rise.

The Zags dominated early, jumping out to a double-digit lead off of a 13-0 run. Georgia entered halftime in a 21-point hole and never recovered.

Gonzaga’s second-ranked scoring offense showed out. The team shot 60% from beyond the arc and 55% from the field. The team made 12 triples, with four of those coming from Battle, who earned approval from the boss.

With the victory, Zags coach Mark Few earned his 44th tournament win and 16th-consecutive opening round victory.

Gonzaga will now square off against No. 1 Houston, in what is shaping up to be a battle of two premier college basketball programs and coaches.

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No. 2 Tennessee defeated No. 15 Wofford

The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Wofford Terriers 77-62.

Chaz Lanier led the Volunteers with 29 points and Zakai Zeigler recorded a double-double, dropping 12 points and dishing out 12 dimes.

Lanier’s scoring ability was on full display, draining six three-pointers and making tough fadeaway jumpers off the dribble. Lanier’s 29 points were the most the North Florida transfer scored since Tennessee’s Feb. 22 win against Texas A&M.

Jackson Sivills led the Terriers with 15 points and Corey Tripp added 14 points. The Terriers finished the game with four double-digit scorers.

Wofford outshot the Vols from deep, draining 11 triples to Tennessee’s 10. However, turnovers and 20 fouls held them back. Tennessee earned 22 free throw attempts from those fouls, which turned in 15 points.

The Vols now move on to play UCLA in the round of 32.

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No. 10 Arkansas defeated No. 7 Kansas

In the battle of premier coaches, John Calipari emerged on top.

In what was billed as a battle between Bill Self and Calipari, Calipari’s Razorbacks defeated Self’s Kansas Jayhawks 79-72.

Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo led the Razorbacks with 22 points. Trevon Brazile posted a double-double, dropping 11 points and recording 12 rebounds. FAU transfer Johnell Davis added 18 points and Kentucky transfer D.J. Wagner finished with 14 points.

Zeke Mayo led the Jayhawks with 18 points, while AJ Storr contributed 15 points off the bench. Star center Hunter Dickinson finished out his collegiate career with 11 points and nine rebounds, and KJ Adams Jr., who injured his achilles in the game, dropped 13.

Kansas outshot the Razorbacks from beyond the arc and the three-point line, draining eight triples and 14 free throws. Arkansas struggled with three-point efficiency, only making 25% of their attempts from beyond the arc.

Despite the higher efficiency, Kansas turned the ball over 16 times, which proved to be the difference-maker in the game.

Calipari will now face off against a former rival, Rick Pitino and the St. John’s Red Storm.

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No. 4 Texas A&M defeated No. 13 Yale

On Selection Sunday, this game was deja vu.

Last year, the Yale Bulldogs won the Ivy League title and squared off with the Auburn Tigers, a solid SEC squad. Behind John Poulakidas and Danny Wolf, the team battled and upset the Tigers 78-76.

This year, Yale, led by Poulakidas was billed to play Texas A&M. Same seeding. Same conference opponent.

The only difference—the result.

Texas A&M took care of business, defeating Yale 80-71.

Pharrel Payne led the Aggies with an efficient double-double, dropping 25 points on 10-12 shooting and grabbing 10 boards. Payne’s 25 points were a career high for the junior forward. Star guard Wade Taylor IV finished with 16 points, and Jace Carter added 10 more.

Poulakidas, the kryptonite of Auburn in last year’s tournament, finished with 23 points. Nick Townsend added 15 more, and Isaac Celiscar contributed 12 off the bench.

A Yale victory was the most picked No. 13 upset in the country, but a tough Aggie defense prevented that from happening. The Aggies held Yale to only 38.1% shooting from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs also struggled from the free-throw line, shooting 64.3% from the charity stripe in 14 attempts.

Bez Mbeng, Yale’s third-leading scorer, was held to only two points on the night. Mbeng finished with nine assists and eight boards, but could not find the bottom of the net.

Texas A&M will now move on to play the Michigan Wolverines in the round of 32.

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No. 11 Drake upset No. 6 Missouri

Experts and fans new Bennett Stirtz was a bucket.

The Division II star joined Drake, along with his head coach, Ben McCollum from Northwest Missouri State.

He had always been a bucket, but could never seem to find the national spotlight.

Maybe a few people noticed when he dropped 22 points in an overtime win against power-conference opponent Kansas State, when he went coast-to-coast before draining a deep go-ahead three of a snatch-back.

Maybe it was when he dropped 30 points on Southern Illinois on only 11 field goals.

However, in his tournament debut, Stirtz put everyone notice.

With momentum favoring Missouri, Stirtz caught the ball with time winding down on the shot clock. He dribbled to the top of the key and pulled up a running-three pointer off of one leg.

He drained it, giving Drake an 11 point lead with just under nine minutes to play, sending the INTRUST Bank Arena crowd into a frenzy.

Stirtz’s 21 points on 8-11 shooting helped propel the Drake Bulldogs to an upset victory over the Missouri Tigers, their first NCAA Tournament win since the 2020-21 season.

Alongside Stirtz, Tavion Banks added 15 points and nine boards. Stirtz and Banks were the only two Bulldogs to finish in double-digit scoring.

Caleb Grill led the Tigers with 14 points and Tamar Bates added 10 points. Mark Mitchell, Missouri’s leading scorer, was held in-check with eight points and eight rebounds.

Drake’s slow pace of play proved to be the difference-maker in the game, as the Bulldogs found efficiency all over the court. Drake shot 54.3% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, nailing five triples. They shared the ball, with seven different players recording assists and were able to outrebound the Tigers 31-26.

However, despite a 10-point victory, the Bulldogs left opportunities at the free-throw line slip away. Drake shot 12-24 from the free-throw line. Despite the inefficiencies, they still grinded out a victory.

Missouri struggled from the field, only making 15 field goals for the entire game. They shot 33.3% from the field and 4-16 from deep. Grill, the Tigers’ primary sharpshooter only shot 1-7 from beyond the arc and struggled to get going offensively.

Most of Missouri’s points came from the free-throw line, which they converted 23 of 26 total opportunities.

After being down for nearly the entire game, Missouri erased a double-digit lead in the second half, cutting it down to a three-point game. That was the closest the Tigers would get.

Drake, despite missing many of their free-throws while in the bonus, played lockdown defense to only allow six points in the final four minutes of the second half, outscoring the Tigers 13-6 in that frame.

The Bulldogs will now face off against another high-powered offense in Texas Tech in the round of 32.

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No. 7 UCLA defeated No. 10 Utah State

UCLA defeated Utah State 72-47.

Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr. led the Bruins with 14 points each. Adey Mara contributed 10 points off the bench and added five blocks.

Mason Falslev led the Aggies with a double-double, dropping 17 points and grabbing 10 boards. Deyton Albury added 12 points. No other Aggie player scored more than four points.

It was a Mick Cronin special: a dominant defensive performance.

The Bruins held the Aggies to 30% shooting from the field and 12.9% from deep. They forced 11 turnovers and never relinquished the lead after taking a 10-8 lead five minutes into the first half.

UCLA’s experience proved to be the difference-maker. The veteran squad took efficient shots, shooting 48.1% from the field and 41.7% from deep, draining 10 triples. They also went perfect from the free-throw line.

UCLA will look to build off of this performance when they take on another elite defensive team in Tennessee in the round of 32.

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No. 2 St. John’s defeated No. 15 Omaha

Rick Pitino and St. John’s are back in March.

On the heels of a dream season that has seen the Johnnies capture a Big East regular season and conference title, the team made the Big Dance for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Their seeding as a No. 2 seed—hasn’t been seen since the 1999-00 season, where they were upset by an upstart Gonzaga team led by Richie Frahm.

However, with New York City on their back, the Johnnies took care of business, dominating Omaha 83-53.

Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. led the Johnnies with 22 points, while Simeon Wilcher added 13. Kadary Richmond and Zuby Ejiofor, other members of the team’s Big Three, added 10 points each.

JJ White led the Mavericks with 15 points, while Marquel Sutton added 11. Sutton and White were the only two Omaha players to finish in double-digit scoring.

However, the story of the game was not St. John’s defense, but rather their shooting.

The Red Storm silenced all critics who were worrisome about their inefficient three-point shooting, knocking down 14 triples at a 37.8% clip.

Luis and Wilcher knocked down five and three triples respectively, while sharpshooters Aaron Scott and Deivon Smith drilled two each.

Combined with a lockdown defense that held the Mavericks to 25.7% shooting from the field and 5-36 from beyond the arc, the Johnnies appear to be peaking at the perfect time in March.

Pitino will now clash with a familiar foe, John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks in the round of 32.

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No. 5 Michigan defeated No. 12 UC San Diego

Down two with two minutes to play against a scrappy mid-major with an upset in mind, Tre Donaldson found himself in a similar spot.

Last year, the junior guard was playing for the Auburn Tigers, who landed the No. 4 seed in last year’s tournament. The Tigers squared off against a Yale team led by John Poulakidas and Danny Wolf—Donaldson’s current teammate with Michigan.

At the free throw line down two with seconds left, Donaldson missed his first attempt. He intentionally missed the second, and after a blocked layup and missed triple, the rest was history. A 78-76 Yale upset.

But in his first tournament game with Michigan, he wasn’t going to let history repeat itself.

In crunch time, Donaldson caught a pass and took one dribble to the wing, pulling up from deep. He held the follow-through, stepping back—almost as if he knew it was going in.

His shot was money, putting the Wolverines up 66-65, a lead they would not relinquish.

After a multiple tough defensive possessions, Vladislav Goldin made two clutch free throws, giving Michigan a three-point lead.

After Tyler McGhie’s game-tying shot caromed off the rim, the Wolverines escaped with a 68-65 victory.

Goldin led the Wolverines with 14 points, while Donaldson added 12, including his go-ahead trey. Roddy Gayle Jr. added 11 points off the bench. Wolf, Michigan’s point-forward, finished with nine points and 11 rebounds.

McGhie led the Tritons with 25 points, while Nordin Kapic and Hayden Gray added 15 and 10 points respectively. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, the team’s leading scorer, fouled out after playing only 25 minutes. He finished with seven points, his lowest scoring output since Nov. 21.

Despite losing their leading scorer, the Tritons fought throughout the game. Michigan threatened to run away early, opening the game on a 10-0 run. Facing a 14-point halftime deficit, the Tritons battled, cutting the lead to three only four minutes into the second half.

A McGhie jumper gave the Tritons their first lead of the game with just over two minutes to play. However, on the ensuing possession, Donaldson’s clutch three snagged the advantage back for the Wolverines.

The Wolverines will now face No. 4 Texas A&M Saturday.

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No. 3 Texas Tech defeated No. 14 UNC Wilmington

In a tightly contested affair, the Texas Tech Red Raiders defeated the UNC Wilmington Seahawks 82-72.

Kerwin Walton led the Red Raiders with a career-high 27 points, making eight triples. All of Walton’s 19 shot attempts came from beyond the arc. The team’s leading scorer JT Toppin posted a double-double, dropping 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Elijah Hawkins also posted a double-double, dropping 14 points and dishing out 10 assists.

Nolan Hodge led the Seahawks with 18 points off the bench. Donovan Newby, the team’s senior leading scorer, was held in check, finishing with eight points.

The Seahawks gave the Red Raiders a fight when nobody expected them to. Entering the game as 15.5 point underdogs, the Seahawks matched Texas Tech’s high-powered offense, closing out the first half only down four points following a Hodge triple.

Both teams traded buckets in the second half, with the Red Raiders outscoring the Seahawks 44-38 in the final frame.

While UNC Wilmington shot more efficiently than Texas Tech, the Red Raiders’ barrage of three-pointers proved to be the difference-maker in the game. Texas Tech shot 28.3% from beyond the arc, but nailed 13 triples throughout the game, compared to UNC Wilmington’s seven.

Texas Tech will now move on to play Drake in the round of 32.

The post Everything You Missed From Thursday’s March Madness Slate appeared first on SLAM.

Some players rocket to the NBA, fully formed as megastars. Some become valued role players. And some never make it. In his seventh season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. has leveled up. 

Drafted fourth overall by the Grizzlies in 2018, Jackson Jr. has patiently and confidently expanded his game. As the team added Ja Morant and Desmond Bane around Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies have become a perennial top-tier team in the Western Conference. 

In the meantime, Jackson Jr. has become a constant. In 2022-23, he was unlocked as a dominant help defender who won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award. This season, he’s unleashed a flurry of mid-range and driving moves to complement an already solid perimeter shot. While averaging a career-high 22.7 ppg and making his second All-Star Game, Jackson Jr. appears en route to another DPOY nod, or at least to be named to an All-NBA team. (Should either of those options come through, Jackson Jr. would qualify for a supermax contract extension worth about $345 million over the next five seasons.)

Here in Memphis, we’ve watched the kid everyone calls Trip grow up. He started off alongside Marc Gasol and Mike Conley as the Grit and Grind era transitioned. He’s planted community roots through youth camps and women in sports initiatives. (His mother, Terri, is the Executive Director of the Womens National Basketball Player’s Association; his father, Jaren Sr., played 13 seasons in the NBA, winning a championship with the Spurs in 1999.) Jaren has also displayed his love of fashion and music, and just being creative in general.

While he’s grown into his frame, at seven-feet tall, Trip has become a literal cornerstone for Memphis. As the Grizzlies look to leap into that final tier of contending teams, they’ll need the only player in the NBA with at least 5 steals and 5 blocks in crunch time to continue his consistency. 

Everyone moves on different schedules. It just turns out Jaren Jackson Jr.’s time is now. 

SLAM: When you were drafted by the Grizzlies in 2018 out of Michigan State, what kind of impact did you think you could have in the League? 

JAREN JACKSON JR.: I kind of came into it with a fresh mind, for sure. I knew what I could do defensively, in terms of blocking shots, and stretching the floor with shooting. But I knew that I had a long way to go in terms of shot creation, off the dribble, isolation scoring, something
I do a lot of now.

SLAM: Has defense always been your calling card? 

JJJ: Yeah, I think so in AAU, and I was always playing with really good players in high school, too, so I needed to find a way to be effective, and I was just blocking shots. And guards were not as good back then, so you could really time it up pretty easily. It was just fun making people feel bad. 

SLAM: You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who, like, talks a lot of trash, though. 

JJJ: Not too much. I mean, it just depends on what we’re doing. There’s a lot of subtext in there. I feel like there are some unwritten things, you know. I feel like if you celebrate, it should be organic. I’m not about to celebrate a block until I know we have the ball. Because if you get a block and they lay it in, it ain’t going to work. 

SLAM: In ’22-23, you won Defensive Player of the Year. From your rookie season to that year, how did you evolve defensively?

JJJ: I stopped prioritizing shot blocking as much and just made it about changing shots, making it harder on the offense and making it harder on the top players. And at the time, Dillon Brooks was on our team, and he was taking a lot of attention away just by guarding probably the best wing scorer every night. And then if you’re worrying about him, and I come out of nowhere, I’m getting a lot of blocks. And keeping the ball in bounds, too. That’s something my dad told me: Don’t just block it and try to hit it as hard as you can, because then it’s just their ball. Try to keep it in bounds and start a break.

SLAM: You’re the only guy from your rookie season who is still here in Memphis. What do you think when you look at the way this whole thing’s evolved in the last seven years?

JJJ: I don’t think there was a long low period or developmental period. I mean, outside of my rookie year, we have been making the playoffs—outside of last year when we were all injured. When Ja came here, it just kind of unlocked a lot of things for everybody. Then you just start seeing people’s games evolve. You start seeing Des, you start seeing BC [Brandon Clarke,] then we get Zach [Edey.] So, I mean, it was a lot, man.

SLAM: This season, you’re really putting it on the floor, spinning, converting hook shots, working in the mid-range, all these different things. How did all that kind of get unleashed? 

JJJ: Well, in all my summer workouts, I have live bodies. I never work out with cones or props. I like to have people in front of me. I like to make it challenging. It helps me work on my one-on-one game. A floater, a hook, is really a middie to me, or a layup—I’m very confident in that shot. It’s really just about working on ways to get to your spots. That’s what the greats do. That’s what a lot of my favorite players do that I look at and watch on film. I take a lot of things away from them, add it to my game. Also, it just feels like the court feels a little more open now, you know? When you get the ball, it’s like, just go. There’s space, for sure. I can feel that. Especially with the way we’re coached, that has a lot to do with it, too—the way we’re positioned right now, it gives everybody the ability to make plays and playmake. So now I’m working on my playmaking. That’s the next step. When we really get into it—like passing, those no-look passes—I need to have that. I need to have all that.

SLAM: You just mentioned, and we’ve seen it the last couple weeks, teams are starting to double you and bring guys from the weak side.

JJJ: It’s playmaking and being able to read defenses just at an A-plus level. I think I can read defenses pretty well right now. But I have to be even better for what they’re throwing at me. That’s the next step, along with a bunch of things that I’m just not even going to say. 

SLAM: It looks like you’re going to win another Defensive Player of the Year award, and it looks like you’re going to make All-NBA this season. Has that been a goal?

JJJ: Of course. It comes with the territory when you’re winning games. If your team’s successful, things will come for you. I just wanted to put myself in a position where our team’s in the playoff hunt. Everything else is just falling into place. If you really hunt for awards—I don’t feel like the great players do that. I don’t feel like any of the people who get those types of awards do that. I definitely didn’t the first time I won. I’m out there playing free. Right now, when we’re taping this, we have a month left. I haven’t felt freer up to now.

SLAM: Do you feel like you deserve to be All-NBA? 

JJJ: Of course. I think I played to that level. And I think my team has. I think that’s what it is: All-NBA is an award that goes to the best players on the best teams doing the best stuff. It’s similar to an All-Star bid, but it includes the whole year. I think just being able to be available is a huge thing. That’s what I’m doing.

SLAM: I’m going to push back a little bit because I feel like All-Star goes to the best players on the best teams. All-NBA goes to the best players, period.

JJJ: That’s dope. Hey, look, I think it works either way.

SLAM: Do you ever think about why your fit in Memphis has been so good? 

JJJ: Probably because we just keep it real here. There’s no facade. I don’t even know what you call it—you would only know if you’re here. I’m authentic. I think in the community over the years, we’ve made a huge impact on a lot of people—women in sports, youth hoops. And when I did the speech at the Freedom Awards at the National Civil Rights Museum, it just tied everything together. I couldn’t get a word off without them cheering. My family was there, too. And it just made me feel very warm, very at home.

SLAM: You’ve become a LeagueFits star. When did you get into fashion? 

JJJ: I’ve always been creative, and I always liked clothes. In terms of wearing clothes at this level and telling stories with what I wear, doing that came about when I think I met Toni [Posh.] Toni’s my creative director, and she’s teaching me what it means to really storytell through clothes. We’ve been all around the world because of it. I eventually want to be a creative director myself. The end goal is to always keep pushing the limits of everything. But right now, being the present, yeah, we’re putting that on. We’re putting it on right now. 

SLAM: Making music has also been a big passion of yours over the years, and vlogging has become important. How are those things connected?

JJJ: Yeah, the goal is for everything to be tied together. Nothing should be moving without the other. If you look at a vlog, the music’s on the vlog, the clothes are on the vlog. If you look at the music, the clothes, you know, everything is just kind of balanced off each other. And, yeah, you look up and we’re a season of a vlog series in, we’re six albums in, we’re however many outfits in, like three years going to Fashion Week. But that doesn’t even matter. The point is that we tied it all together every single time.

SLAM: You’ve also been a spokesman for everyone from 2K to Fanatics to Nike. Did you ever see yourself having these sorts of corporate relationships and being a person companies would come to for these things? 

JJJ: I think I did. I mean, I’m a corporate kid. I grew up in this environment, having to speak for myself at events. A lot of people who work in the NBA, I’ve known them for a long time. When I was a younger kid, I used to see them. Now they have the big-time jobs, and I’m seeing them walk around. But everything is relationships. You have to be able to hold your own and have your own voice and be confident. I was just kind of thrown into that as a kid, and now I can swim. 

Portraits by Johnnie Izquierdo.

The post IN THAT MODE: Jaren Jackson Jr is Having a MONSTER Season in Memphis appeared first on SLAM.

In a new animated film from writer-director Rob Edwards, SNEAKS tells the story of an exclusive collector kicks, Ty (Anthony Mackie), and Maxine (Chloe Bailey) that are stolen by ‘the Collector’ (Laurence Fishburne). As they attempt to escape, Ty finds himself separated from his sister in the middle of New York City—and it’s then that he meets a street-smart and scuffed up sneaker named JB (Martin Lawrence) for one epic, and hilarious adventure.

With original music by the iconic, GRAMMY Award-winning producer Mustard, the film is perfect for the whole fam and will be in theaters April 18. Check out the trailer below.

The post Watch the Trailer for “SNEAKS”: New Epic Animated Adventure Starring Anthony Mackie and Chloe Bailey appeared first on SLAM.

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South Region:

No. 1 Auburn vs. Winner between No. 16 St. Francis (PA) vs. No. 16 Alabama State

No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Bryant

No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Lipscomb

No. 4 Texas A&M vs. No. 13 Yale

No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego

No. 6 Ole Miss vs. Winner between No. 11 San Diego State vs. No. 11 North Carolina

No. 7 Marquette vs. No. 10 New Mexico

No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton

Top Seed

The Auburn Tigers are the top overall seed in the tournament. Coming off a historic season led by Wooden Award candidate Johni Broome and star freshman Tahaad Pettiford—who recently met with SLAM—the Tigers posted a 28-5 record, tied for the third-best in program history. Broome is averaging a double-double at 18.9 ppg and 10.6 rpg, while Pettiford averages 11 ppg off the bench. The team also consists of lockdown defender Denver Jones and scoring threats Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly, all of whom are scoring in double-digit figures. Their offensive depth makes them poised for a deep run in March.

Key Matchups

The Michigan-UC San Diego matchup will be a chess match. Michigan is led by a star group of transfers in Danny Wolf, Vlad Goldin and Tre Donaldson and are fresh off winning the Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines run a unique offense, with Wolf acting as a point forward who can pass and get buckets when needed. The Wolverines’ size will make it difficult on the Tritons, who are one of the hottest teams in the country. The team went 30-4 and is an elite sharpshooting team led by seniors Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, Tyler McGhie and Hayden Gray. The Tritons boast the sixth-ranked defense in the nation and a top-50 offense. Expect a gritty, physical matchup between two teams who have seen program revivals.

The Marquette-New Mexico matchup will feature a battle between two of the best guards in the nation. Marquette is led by senior Kam Jones, who has established himself as one of the best scorers in the nation, averaging 19.3 ppg and landing on the Wooden Award Watchlist. However, he will be tasked with guarding Donovan Dent, the star guard of their opponent, the No. 10 seed New Mexico Lobos. Dent is a certified bucket-getter, averaging 20.6 ppg and knocking down 3’s at a 41.5% clip en route to a Mountain West Player of the Year award. Expect a battle between two of the most talented guards in the country.

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West Region:

No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Norfolk State

No. 2 St. John’s vs. No. 15 Omaha

No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington

No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon

No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 12 Colorado State

No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 Drake

No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Arkansas

No. 8 UConn vs. No. 9 Oklahoma

Top Seed

The Florida Gators are the No. 1 seed in the region. Led by an elite backcourt of Alijah Martin, Will Richard and Walter Clayton Jr., the Gators won their first SEC conference tournament since 2014. The Gators posted a 30-4 record in the SEC and are one of the favorites to win the National Championship. With their backcourt, all averaging over 13 ppg and a threat down-low in Alex Condon, who is averaging 11.2 ppg and nearly eight boards, Florida’s explosive offense and lights-out shooting are built for March.

Key Matchups

Kansas-Arkansas will feature a clash between legendary coaches Bill Self and John Calipari. Kansas, the No. 1 ranked team in the preseason has had a tumultuous season, finishing with a 21-12 record. Star center Hunter Dickinson is the team’s leading scorer, averaging a double-double with 17 ppg and 10 boards. Transfer Zeke Mayo has also contributed on the offensive end, averaging 14.5 ppg. In his first season, Calipari led the Razorbacks to a 20-13 record. The Razorbacks are led by junior forward Adou Thiero and freshman guard Boogie Fland, who is expected to return from injury for the game. Thiero and Fland average 15.6 and 15.1 ppg respectively. Although both teams haven’t seen the rapid success they were expected to, expect both brilliant basketball minds to put forth an exciting game.

The battle between the two-time defending champion UConn Huskies and Oklahoma Sooners will feature two of the best freshmen in the country. Oklahoma is led by freshman guard Jeremiah Fears, who is averaging 17 ppg. Fears has established himself as a mid-range assassin equipped with a strong driving ability. His offensive production has found himself as a potential lottery pick in NBA mock drafts. UConn’s star freshman is forward Liam McNeeley, who is averaging 14.5 ppg. McNeeley is a three-level scorer who can score in the paint and from beyond the arc, knocking down 33.3% of his 3’s. McNeeley is another projected lottery pick in NBA mock drafts. Expect the two draft prospects to put on an offensive show in this one.

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East Region:

No. 1 Duke vs. Winner of No. 16 American vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s

No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Robert Morris

No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Montana

No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 Akron

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Liberty

No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 VCU

No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt

No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Baylor

Top Seed

The No. 1 seed in this region is the Duke Blue Devils, who finished with a 31-3 record and an ACC regular season and conference title. The team is led by star freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel. Flagg has become one of the key players on the Wooden Award Watchlist, averaging nearly 19 ppg, 7.5 rebounds and four assists a game. Knueppel has been an elite sharpshooter for the squad, averaging 14.4 ppg on 39.2% shooting from beyond the arc. Duke also has scoring threats from all positions, including Tyrese Proctor, Sion James, Isaiah Evans and lockdown defender Khaman Maluach. However, the story for this team is the status of Flagg, who suffered an ankle injury in the ACC Tournament. Coach Jon Scheyer said he expects to have Flagg return for the first round, but nothing has been made official yet.

Key Matchup

The matchup between Saint Mary’s and Vanderbilt is an intriguing one. Both teams present opposite strong suits, with Saint Mary’s excelling on the defensive end and Vanderbilt containing an explosive offense. The Gaels are a veteran team led by seniors Augustas Marciulionis and Mitchell Saxen, who are averaging double-digit points. The Gaels play at a slow pace and hold teams to 60.7 ppg, the fifth best in the nation. They square off against a Vanderbilt squad led by All-SEC guard Jason Edwards, who is averaging 17 ppg. The Commodores are dancing for the first time since the 2016-17 season. They have a balanced offense with Edwards, sharpshooter Tyler Nickel and double-double machine Devin McGlockton. Expect a close battle between these two squads.

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Midwest Region

No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 SIUE

No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Wofford

No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Troy

No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Point

No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 McNeese

No. 6 Illinois vs. Winner between No. 11 Texas vs. No. 11 Xavier

No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 Utah State

No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia

Top Seed

The Houston Cougars are the top seed in this region, earning a No. 1 seed for the third consecutive year. The Cougars posted a 30-4 record en route to a Big 12 regular season and tournament title. They retain the majority of last year’s roster, being led by guards L.J. Cryer and Emanuel Sharp, who average 15.2 and 12.6 ppg respectively. The Cougs also added Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan, who has filled Jamal Shead’s void, averaging 11.5 ppg and facilitating the offense. However, Houston’s strong suit is interior defense led by J’Wan Roberts, Joseph Tugler and Ja’Vier Francis. Tugler averages 2.1 blocks a game and has found his way up draft boards on mock drafts. The Cougars have the second-best defense in the nation, allowing 58.5 ppg and are poised for another deep run in March.

Key Matchups

The Midwest region boasts an intriguing matchup between Gonzaga and Georgia. The Zags are in their 26th consecutive Big Dance and boast the nation’s second-best offense. They are led by Wooden Award Watchlist guard Ryan Nembhard, the nation’s assist leader and forward Graham Ike, who averages 17.1 ppg. Georgia is in the tournament for the first time since the 2014-15 season. The team’s star is freshman forward Asa Newell, who is averaging 15.3 ppg and nearly seven boards a game. Newell was named to the All-SEC Freshman team and is a projected lottery pick. Expect a battle between the two forwards down low.

The matchup between Clemson and McNeese State is also a barnburner. The Clemson Tigers possess a dangerous veteran lineup led by guard Chase Hunter and forward Ian Schieffelin. The Tigers were the only team to take down Duke in conference play and posted a 27-6 record. However, their mid-major opponent is no pushover. Will Wade has McNeese back in the Big Dance after posting a 27-6 record. They are led by guards Javohn Garcia and Sincere Parker, who average 12 ppg. However, their biggest weapon is their manager, Amir Khan, who orchestrates the toughest walkout with the team before every tip-off. Expect a close battle between two balanced teams.

The post Everything You Need to Know From the Men’s Selection Sunday appeared first on SLAM.

Here is everything you need to know before the First Round tips off on Thursday.

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Region 1 Spokane:

No. 1 UCLA vs. Winner between No. 16 UC San Diego and No. 16 Southern

No. 2 NC State vs. No. 15 Vermont

No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 San Diego State

No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon

No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Ball State

No. 6 Florida State vs. No. 11 George Mason

No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Harvard

No. 8 Richmond vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech

Top Seed:

The UCLA Bruins are the top seed overall seed in the tournament. They enter the tournament coming off a historic 30-2 season, where they set a program record for wins in a single season. The Bruins are led by star center Lauren Betts, the Big Ten DPOY and a First-Team All-Big Ten selection. Betts is averaging 19.6 ppg and 2.9 blocks per game and helps provide interior defense to UCLA’s top-50 ranked defense. In the backcourt, junior guard Kiki Rice leads the charge, averaging 12.8 ppg and 1.6 steals per game. Rice joined Betts on the All-Big Ten First Team this season. The Bruins run a deep nine-player rotation that includes Gabriela Jaquez, Londynn Jones and Angela Dugalic. With offensive depth and stellar defense, the Bruins are poised to make a deep run in March.

Key Matchup

The matchup between Richmond and Georgia Tech is poised to be a close one. The Spiders received an at-large bid into the tournament after falling to St. Joe’s on a buzzer-beater in the A-10 semifinals. The Spiders enter the tournament with a 27-6 record and are led by juniors Maggie Doogan and Rachel Ullstrom. Doogan enjoyed another dominant season, averaging 16.3 ppg en route to being named A-10 Player of the Year. Ullstrom leads the Spiders’ backcourt as a scoring guard, averaging 15.5 ppg. The Spiders have an efficient shooting offense, hitting 38.3% of their shots from behind the arc as a team while making the second most in the A-10 this season. They square off against a deep Georgia Tech team led by Kara Dunn, Tonie Morgan and Dani Carnegie. The three average double-digit points, with Carnegie providing instant offense off the bench, dropping 13.1 ppg alongside her ACC Sixth Player of the Year award this season. Tech has the 28th-ranked offense in the nation, so expect a high-scoring affair for this one.

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Region 2 Birmingham

No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh

No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 14 Oregon State

No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Norfolk State

No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Green Bay

No. 6 West Virginia vs. Winner between No. 11 Columbia and No. 11 Washington

No. 7 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Oregon

No. 8 Utah vs. No. 9 Indiana

Top Seed

The South Carolina Gamecocks are the top seed in this region. Led by legendary coach Dawn Staley and a deep rotation of scorers, the Gamecocks finished with a 30-3 record and an SEC Championship. The team boasts an elite trio of Chloe Kitts, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Joyce Edwards, who all recently met with SLAM. Edwards has filled the void left by Kamilla Cardoso in her first season in Columbia, averaging 13.2 ppg while dominating in the paint and interior game. Fulwiley has provided instant offense off the bench averaging 12 ppg and 1.6 steals. Kitts has become a double-double machine, averaging 10.1 games and nearly eight boards, while also recently dropping a triple-double in a rout vs. Ole Miss. Complementing the trio are veterans Te-Hina Paopao, Raven Johnson, Bree Hall and Tessa Johnson. Staley’s deep and experienced squad has been here before and is looking to repeat their success and go back-to-back.

Key Matchup

Many experts are choosing the Green Bay Phoenix to upset Alabama in the first round of the tournament. The Phoenix are one of the hottest teams in the country, entering the tournament on a 22-game winning streak. They are led by All-Horizon guards Natalie McNeal and Maddy Schreiber. McNeal is averaging 14.9 ppg and 7.3 rebounds per game, while Schreiber is scoring 12.7 points a night. The team can score and lock opponents down, boasting the nation’s 17th-best scoring defense in the country. They will look to hold one of the nation’s best offenses in check. Alabama enters the tournament with the 20th-ranked scoring offense, averaging 78.4 points a night. They boast a lineup full of elite sharpshooters Sarah Ashlee Barker, Zaay Green, Aaliyah Nye and Karly Weathers, all of whom knock down over 35% of their 3’s. Bama’s scoring efficiency and pace could be problematic for the Phoenix, so expect a tight matchup between the two teams.

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Region 3 Birmingham

No. 1 Texas vs. Winner between No. 16 High Point and No. 16 William & Mary

No. 2 TCU vs. No. 15 Farleigh Dickinson

No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin

No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 13 Montana State

No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 12 South Florida

No. 6 Michigan vs. Winner between No. 11 Iowa State and No. 11 Princeton

No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 10 Nebraska

No. 8 Illinois vs. No. 9 Creighton

Top Seed

The Texas Longhorns are the top seed in this region, finishing the season with a 31-3 record and a regular season title. The Longhorns are led by All-American and SEC Player of the Year Madison Booker. Booker’s sophomore year was equally as impressive as her first, averaging 16.2 ppg, 6.6 boards and nearly three assists and 1.6 steals a night. Booker has established herself as a three-level scorer, knocking down shots in the paint and shooting 43.9% off occasional three-pointers—teams cannot leave her open anywhere on the court. Alongside Booker are veteran players Taylor Jones, Rori Harmon and Kyla Oldacre, who have provided threats at all spots in the starting lineup, with the three averaging over nine ppg. Texas enters the tournament as one of the most balanced teams in the country, boasting the 16th-best offense and 22nd-best scoring defense, and is looking to use its experience to make a deep run.

Key Matchup

Michigan’s first four opponents could be problematic in their first-round matchup. The Wolverines are penciled in to play Iowa State or Princeton, two strong squads. The Cyclones boast elite center Audi Crooks—who recently graced the digital cover of SLAMU—who is having an even better season than last year. Crooks is averaging 23.2 ppg, the eighth-highest in the nation and grabbing 7.6 rebounds a game. She is partnered with frontcourt mate Addy Brown, who has also seen an uptick in scoring. Brown is averaging 15.2 ppg, 7.6 rebounds a game and 5.2 assists. Crooks and Brown’s elite scoring ability down low could be problematic for a Michigan team that is weak defensively, allowing 65.7 points a night. However, the Cyclones would need to get past the Tigers first. Princeton enters their first four matchup with an elite defense, allowing only 56.8 points a night. They boast a scoring trio of Skye Belker, Ashley Chea, and Fadima Tall. All three average double-digit points a night and knock down over a third of their triples. Expect an exciting first-four matchup with the winner giving Michigan a run for their money.

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Region 4 Spokane

No. 1 USC vs. No. 16 UNC Greensboro

No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Arkansas State

No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 FGCU

No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Liberty

No. 5 Kansas State vs. No. 12 Fairfield

No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 11 Murray State

No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 South Dakota State

No. 8 California vs. No. 9 Mississippi State

Top Seed

The USC Trojans are the top seed in this region. Led by Player of the Year candidate JuJu Watkins, the Trojans finished 28-3 and secured their second consecutive No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Watkins is following up her breakout freshman campaign with another dominant season, averaging 24.6 ppg and nearly seven rebounds and two steals a night. Watkins gets buckets in any way. She can shoot from beyond the arc, knocking down 33% of her 3’s. She can hit off-dribble mid-range jumpers and knife her way into the paint with ease. A one-on-one matchup is not enough to stop her. Alongside Watkins is Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen, who is having an elite debut season in Los Angeles. Iriafen is averaging 18.2 ppg and 8.3 rebounds a night, and was named to the All-Big Ten First Team alongside Watkins. The two headline USC’s nine-ranked scoring offense, and are poised to make a deep run in March.

Key Matchup

Many experts are picking Fairfield to pull off an upset in their first-round matchup. The Stags are one of the hottest teams in the country, winning 22 of their last 23 games en route to a 28-4 record. The team is led by Meghan Andersen and Kaety L’Amoreaux, who are averaging 15.1 and 12.5 ppg respectively. Both players are efficient scorers, knocking down over 30% of their shots from beyond the arc. However, Fairfield’s strong suit is their elite defense, allowing only 54 points a night, the 10th-best margin in the country. They will look to put the clamps on a Kansas State team whose leading scorer’s status is unknown. Star center Ayoka Lee hasn’t played since February and may be good to go for the NCAA Tournament. If Lee plays, she will add elite interior scoring and defense. In her 19 games this season, Lee averaged 15.5 ppg and 6.1 rebounds. Lee’s offensive output would help spread the ball between her, facilitator Serena Sundell and Temira Poindexter. The Wildcats rank out as the 15th-best offense in the nation, so expect a battle between two teams that specialize on one side of the ball.

The post Everything You Need to Know From the Women’s Selection Sunday appeared first on SLAM.

I had an infection on my foot that started spreading through my blood due to not paying attention to my diabetes. I ended up having to get my leg amputated. First, they cut off a couple of toes. Then they cut off my foot. Then they said, We gotta go almost knee high for another surgery. Three surgeries. And then there were also the blood transfusions. Not one, not two, not three, four different times.

All those surgeries and blood transfusions, it made me question whether it was worth going through it sometimes. It made me think, Man, just kill me and let me go about my business. It made me think that maybe it’s time for me to shut it down.

But then seeing what my boys are doing out there, they’re like, Dad you’re the toughest dude I know. That made me keep going. Even though I’m a bad man—I don’t need much—it was good to have that backing from my boys. One of the things that makes me go is when they are all together. When they are all together, I feel strong.

When I was in the hospital and “Tweaker” was starting to become a global hit, I had a couple of FaceTime conversations with Gelo, but I was kind of slurring because I was all drugged up with all the medication they were putting in me. It was hard for me to really dial in on what I was trying to say. Even though I was kind of slurring with my speech, Gelo understood what I was trying to say. I remember just telling him, Keep doing your thing. And make sure you take care of your brothers. Just make sure all of y’all are together. Cause the more you guys are together, the better I feel. That’s all I kept thinking about when I was in the hospital—my boys being together. 

What I want people to understand is that anytime you’re dealing with an illness or something serious like that, one thing you better have is family to get you through that stuff.

I’m the Big Baller. I’m hard to kill. But I must admit that my boys kept me rolling. Cause a couple of times, I was like, I can’t do no more blood transfusions. I can’t do no more operations. I’m just ready to shut it down. It’s enough for me. But I’m here for a bigger purpose.

Watching my boys play and watching Gelo perform and do his thing—he’s been singing and rapping all his life, so it’s good to see the success that he’s having now—that made me feel better. So, then I was like, Let me go ahead and just do these other surgeries and blood transfusions.

From my experience the last couple months, I want to get in people’s heads the importance of taking care of your health—especially Black people, because sometimes we’re not trying to go to the hospital, we will try to sleep it off or say, Yeah, we’ll get to it later. And sometimes it’s a little more serious than what you think.

I look at my situation like this: I’ve talked to some of my people that’s my age that’s been calling me that have cancer. And they say, We thought we got it all, but we didn’t, and so the organs are getting tore up in the inside. Now these folks are dying. And these are my friends that are around my age, in the 50s and dying of cancer. Just for me to have my foot cut off, I got another one. I’m good to have my foot cut off as opposed to being dead. But if I don’t go at the end of last year during Christmas to get that infection looked at, [an infection] that’s been around for maybe a month or two on the bottom of my foot, this would be a different type of story. 

The doctors said, Big Baller, you were very close to having to shut it down. But they were quick enough to give me the blood transfusions and keep that poison from going throughout my body. So, now I’m telling folks, if you got diabetes, don’t just be like, Oh, that’s just diabetes. I still eat my sugar, but I pay attention to it and do it in moderation. Get your checkups, do what you’re supposed to do. If you don’t have insurance, go to urgent care. Because I’m going to tell you this, a little amputation and a little of this, it could all have been prevented.

I realized through this process that if you stop trying to waste time feeling sorry for yourself and figure out what the next step is, then you’d be able to better deal with any life challenge. I look at it like this, OK, my foot is gone, but my brain is still here. So, I might not be able to move as fast as I did and do other things like that, but what’s the next step? Do I keep talking about the brand? Still keep talking about shoes? Still go out to meet people?

It makes me feel way better in looking at the outcome to go forward because I still want to be on this journey. And I look at it like this, too: I got a lot of limbs to come off. I’m hard to kill. I got some bigger stuff that the Big Baller still gotta do. And that guy upstairs put me here for a reason. And I’m gonna get it done.

As long as I can smile and see my boys, I’m good. But this whole experience made me realize, [you’re] lucky that you have family to get you through some stuff. But don’t feel sorry for me. You could be missing something, too. You better be careful. But that’s how you gotta respond to that. I still got folks around me that work hard and understand my drive to build a brand, to make shoes and to make other folks have the confidence in what they’re doing. 

Please understand that being successful is in your own mind. It’s not how much money you make. You could be successful if you can stay on your own two feet and got your own money coming in. Or if you come from a different situation that’s a little more dire and you come out of that? That’s success for you. Success doesn’t have to be, Does he have a Rolex? 

I noticed one of the photos SLAM took during this cover shoot. And most of the young guys, they’re not going to get this. Gelo had diamonds on his neck, diamonds on his wrist. Pull up with a diamond chain. This is usually how people show that they got it. Especially young people. They point to the jewelry. But I point to the Triple Bs on my chest. This brand, it’s worth more than your diamonds on your neck. To me, a brand is one of the biggest things you can own. So, I don’t wear any watches and chains. I don’t need to. For me, it’s all about Triple B’s, the brand.

To all the loyal fans, those who have stuck with us through thick and thin, I love all y’all. Keep doing your thing, because it ain’t gonna stop me—it ain’t gonna make me go or stop. But only be true to yourself. If you don’t like us, get to the side. If you do like us, roll with us. It’s all good. But I’m gonna keep smiling and grinning while I’m going, until the day Big Baller shuts it down. But I tell you what, when I do shut it down, you’re gonna remember who I was. I ain’t gonna change nobody, but I’m gonna change this culture. Ownership is everything.

I was telling Gelo over the phone the other day, I always said you was going to be a monster with whatever you did—whether it be basketball, rapping, singing! It’s all the same—it’s entertainment. And my boys can entertain. I also remember the boys feeling so good for Gelo in January. Anything that’s happening that’s good for Gelo, it’s good for them.

The fact that they are all together as a unit, it made me feel great. Everybody’s always saying now, Oh, LaVar went three for three. No—I’ve been three for three since the moment they came out the womb. So, I’m not going to wait until now to say, Finally! I was two for three, but now I’m three for three. I’ve always been three for three! I got three of the coldest monsters in the world. That’s what I’ve told everybody for years. But they used to call me crazy. But my boys are really like that, as the kids say. No matter what they’re doing, they’re going to be successful at it. As long as I’m seeing my boys smiling and doing what they do, then nothing else matters. 

Everybody wants to comment on us now. So, you got people now being, like, LaVar is father of the year—greatest father of all time. There are a lot of people that could be father of the year, but you want to put me on the pedestal because I got the platform now. What other sons are doing all of this right now? I mean, before you had me on another pedestal—Oh, LaVar is crazy like Ja Morant’s dad and all these other folks’ dads, they said. 

Now they changed the narrative—Oh shoot, Gelo is successful. Oh, well, LaVar’s good now. Yeah, because everybody’s worried about that money. That money changes a lot of folks. People that I haven’t heard from in a long time now want to reach out to me. 

With Gelo, whether you like him or don’t like him, it’s fine with us. It doesn’t stop us from doing what we’re doing. See, a lot of people be, like, Oh, Gelo just got his so-called newfound fame. No, he was famous when he came out the womb. Whether it be basketball or singing or rapping, he’s always been good. So, I’m not going to feel a different way about it now and be like, Oh, I’m so happy for Gelo. I’ve been happy for Gelo since he been my son. This is nothing new for me, it was a matter of time. 

The marketability of Gelo is on a whole different level. And I know the people that’s backing him, they see that. That boy got a look, got a sound. He got something you can count on that [can] go further in the business, as far as endorsements and all things that come with this entertainment.

To me, fatherhood, at the end of the day, as a parent, you just want to make sure that when you leave this earth, your kids are well taken care of. Whether you give them some money, or you give them a trade where they can take care of themselves. There’s a lot of people trying to be fathers, but at least from what I do on this platform, is to show people, Hey, stick around for your kids, regardless of what goes on with that woman. Stick around for your kids and do the best you can for something that you brought into this world. If your kid ain’t gonna be 6-5 or 6-8, you better put them in an education. If they’re going to be big, stay with them. If they’re going to be in sports, get them the right way. Fatherhood to me is something that’s mine, and I’m going to care about it ’til I die. And seeing all my boys’ success is what keeps me going. 

I just hate that they put all the numbers of what the boys are making in the paper. Everybody now is like, Gelo made it! What’s $13 million compared to what Lonzo made? $80-something million. And what’s $80-something million compared to what Melo is making? $200-something million. Then they wanna add it all up and be like, They made it—they don’t have to do nothing else in life!

So, we’re just going to sit around with a bunch of money and don’t do nothing impactful and help people with it? At the end of the day, you have to help somebody do something. Whether it be one person, two people, 10 people, a thousand people—you have to help somebody do something. That’s the bottom line. Because after you done bought everything—what’s really left?

The post LaVar Ball Talks Near-Death Health Scare in First Interview Since Amputation appeared first on SLAM.

With a little over three seconds left in the game and needing to go the entire length of the court for a bucket, Alabama State coach Tony Madlock drew up the perfect play.

With shades of Christian Laettner and Grant Hill in ’92, Hornets guard Micah Simpson threw a hail-mary pass into a sea of players. The ball deflected, tipped in the air and caromed off multiple players—right into the hands of Amarr Knox.

Knox then put up a layup to put the Hornets ahead by two with one second left, sending the bench into a frenzy as they stormed the court to celebrate.

The perfect deflections led to the Hornets winning their first-ever game in the NCAA Tournament, defeating St. Francis 70-68 in a back-and-forth affair.

Knox’s game-winner capped off his team-leading 16-point night. He shot 8-15 and added two steals.

Guards CJ Hines and TJ Madlock also finished with double-digit points, scoring 11 and 10 points respectively. Madlock grabbed seven boards and dished out two assists.

Red Flash freshman Juan Cranford led the game with 18 points and eight boards. He was a sniper from deep, nailing 5-7 shots from beyond the arc.
Valentino Pinedo and the team’s regular season leading scorer, Riley Parker finished with 17 and 12 points respectively.

The Red Flash had a more efficient scoring night, shooting 50% from the field and 45.5% from deep. They also had 10 more free throw attempts than the Hornets, going 10-14 from the charity stripe.

However, sloppy turnovers and errant passes doomed the team, who combined for 15 turnovers in the game. The turnovers limited scoring possessions and created 26 points for the Hornets.

St. Francis led the entire second half until a Hines three gave the Hornets a 62-60 lead with less than five minutes to play.

The Hornets will now travel to Lexington, Kentucky, to take on the tournament’s top overall seed—the Auburn Tigers.

The post Alabama State wins first-ever NCAA Tournament game on miracle layup by Amarr Knox appeared first on SLAM.

Over the past few years, many brands have tried their hand at collaborations with the HBCU community, but oftentimes, these partnerships fall flat, feeling forced and opportunistic at a time where HBCUs have begun to garner more recognition. While AND1 isn’t Black-owned, they’ve maintained their stake as an integral player in hoop culture and Black culture since first taking the world by storm in 1993. That’s what separates AND1 from the pack and has led to this “passion partnership” with Wilberforce, as AND1 brand director Dexter Gordon likes to call it.

“Wilberforce is an NAIA school, but we wanted them to feel like a DI,” says Gordon, referring to the abundance of apparel and product they supplied the teams with, in addition to a high-major-
esque preseason media day. And this is only the beginning of AND1’s commitment to their expanding HBCU footprint. 

“We’re looking at other schools [to partner with],” Gordon says. “If opportunities from bigger schools come, then cool. But our mindset is that we want to start with the smaller HBCUs and shine a light on them.”

The post Wilberforce University and AND1 Partnership is History in the Making appeared first on SLAM.

The 6-7, 235-pound forward knows about top-10 national rankings—Peat has been a fixture in that spot in the 2025 class for years now. At press time, he was arguably the top remaining undecided senior in the country, with Baylor, Houston and Texas vying with in-state rivals Arizona and Arizona State on his list of finalists. “I’m still figuring it out, so I don’t have a timeline,” he said. “I’m just taking it day by day.”

It’s a healthy approach, and it speaks to the confidence with which Peat operates on and off the court. Growing up surrounded by high-level athletes probably has something to do with it. The son of former NFL lineman Todd Peat, he came up the youngest of seven and watched his older brothers star in football—among them Andrus, a 10-year NFL vet who spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, and Keona, currently at Arizona State—while his sisters Leilani and Maya both hooped in college. All of that had an effect.

“Obviously my parents supported me in whatever I did,” Koa says, “but as a competitor, watching my brothers and sisters since I was little inspired me.”

Football’s in his blood, of course—he played with Keona and their cousins, and his size made him a promising tight end prospect—but hoops became his focus in middle school, and the timing of the pandemic coincided with his decision to fully dial in. “Over Covid, I started training really hard, getting a lot better, and I could see those strides,” he says. 

“I just fell in love with the work—that’s all it takes, hard work. That’s when I knew I could go far with this.” A growth spurt got him to 6-6 by the end of ninth grade, further solidifying his path on the court.

He pairs size and athleticism with a skill set that is looking increasingly complete. Asked about his strengths, Peat says, “I’d say I’m a winner first.” And then? “I’m versatile—I feel like I can play 1 through 5, I can guard 1 through 5. I’m a leader—I’m gonna make sure my team’s locked in. I’m unselfish, and I’m a team player.” His college choice will come down to the right fit of coaching staff and style of play, a program that can appreciate all he brings and hone those strengths. 

“I’m definitely looking for coaches who are going to play me in a position where I can do everything on the court, let me play free, develop me as a player that has no flaws,” he says.

If that sounds overconfident, Peat’s résumé backs it up. In addition to those three state titles and the last two Arizona Gatorade POY awards, Peat also owns three USA Basketball gold medals, winning multiple U17 FIBA World Cups and the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in 2023. For his efforts in that tournament—he averaged a team-high 17.2 points and 8.3 boards en route to gold—Peat was named the 2023 USA Basketball Male Player of the Year.

“You dream of stuff like that,” he says now. “The numbers I had, winning the tournament, being a leader on that team, I didn’t feel like I didn’t deserve it. To have your name by all those greats that won the award just shows that if you work hard and keep focusing on your craft and work, you can do anything.” 

Portrait by Thomas Ingersoll

The post Koa Peat is Writing His Own Legacy as a Top-Ranked Star at Perry HS appeared first on SLAM.

“My mom just signed me up in kindergarten,” she tells us after practice in January. “She was like, You’re tall. Let’s try this. So, she signed me up for rec basketball in kindergarten and I met some of my best friends through basketball.” 

It’s a good thing Jazzy stuck with it, because she’s transcending high school hoops right now as the No. 3 ranked player in the nation. The three-time Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year averaged 26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 2.6 assists per game through 25 games last season at Clackamas, and she knows that what truly separates her from the competition is her versatility on both ends of the floor. That’s exactly the word she uses when describing her game. “I play really well off my teammates without the ball in my hands, so that’s something that I feel kind of separates me a little bit from other top players,” she says. “Also just playing both sides of the ball. Defense is a huge thing for me, and I feel like I get a lot of my offense off of defensive rebounds and pushing it in transition.”

The USC commit will look to refine her game once she gets out to Cali and suits up for head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. What stood out to her most during the recruitment process was how close-knit and “family-oriented” the Trojans, currently ranked fourth in the AP poll, are. She has her sights set on elevating her game in college and winning “a few national championships” at USC, but she knows that in order to get there, she has to put in the work first. And her main focus will be on consistency.

“I know I have a lot of work to do to get there,” she says. “Personally, I feel like I kind of do a little bit of everything, but I can always be more consistent and get better at all the little things that I already do. So, just consistency offensively. And then defensively, just making sure I’m locked in every possession, whether I’m on the ball or off the ball. [I just need to keep] fine tuning things and getting them to be more consistent.”  

Portraits by NASHCO Photography

The post Jazzy Davidson, the No. 3-Ranked Player in the Class of 2025, is Ready to Ascend Her Game at USC appeared first on SLAM.

The 5-11 freshman took a different route than most peers in her position would. Ranked as the 37th best prospect in the nation in the class of 2024 by BlueStar Basketball, she committed to the underrated Temple University. Now she’s a key player in reviving the winning culture on North Broad Street. Greatness doesn’t happen overnight, though, and Savannah is taking her journey one step at a time.

“I’m not really thinking too far ahead because we still have little steps [to climb] along the way,” Savannah says.

All the noise surrounding the Owls’ eight-year March Madness drought or any other external distractions don’t bother her. Achieving smaller goals is more important, and she’s focused on building from within to make that happen.

“I think it starts with the little tournaments we have leading up to it,” Savannah says. Since we spoke in December, Temple has been crowned the inaugural Big 5 Classic Champions, a tournament centered around Pennsylvania area schools. It seems Savannah’s future-looking words came to fruition.

“I’m not worried about other teams. I’m kind of just focused on everything that we have going on,” she says. “It’s not about everybody else, it’s about us and what we need to do to get ahead. I have great teammates, so it’s really fun to hang out with all of them.”

As one of three true freshmen getting minutes on a nightly basis, Savannah isn’t comparing her game to anyone else. When opportunity calls, she answers, whether it’s dropping 12 points off the bench against Georgetown or snagging a team-high 3 steals at Florida Atlantic. Throughout her first season, pressure has become a privilege, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to help her team succeed. Until then, it’s a turtle race, and Savannah is moving at her own perfect pace. 

Portrait via Savannah Curry

The post Savannah Curry Details Her Freshman Year and Contributing to the Winning Culture at Temple appeared first on SLAM.

“I feel like people kind of forget that it’s normal to lose, you can’t win them all,” MiLaysia Fulwiley said to us in February. “I mean I wish we could, but it’s been a year. It’s coming. It’s been years, like, we just keep winning so easily. These losses ain’t gonna do nothing but prepare us more for when it matters the most.” 

Prior to winning the SEC Championship, we sat down with MiLaysia Fulwiley, Chloe Kitts and Joyce Edwards to talk about this season, their preparation, the meaning of legacy and so much more. Because really, who better to speak on where this team is at right now? And if the Gamecocks can win another national championship and go back-to-back, they’ll be the ones to say I told you so…

WSLAM: From the first time y’all got to play on the court together, what kind of growth have you seen from then to now? 

Joyce Edwards: It’s just surreal, kind of full circle. You play these girls in high school—you think you’ll never really see them again. They’re gonna go their ways [and] you’re gonna go your way. But the fact that we’re all on the same team, and we’re literally three McDonald’s All-Americans—we’re so tough. Like Lay said, I just feel bad for our opponents because it’s crazy to think about.

MiLaysia Fulwiley: Definitely. Everything she said.

WSLAM: When did you realize this team was ready for this season? When did it all click? 

Chloe Kitts: I feel like we knew right away. Some workouts this year were really good. Everyone was hooping. We were like, Dang, we’re gelling really good. Because last year, we didn’t really see that, but it ended up working out good for us. But this year, from the beginning, from the get-go, everyone was ready, everyone was excited. You can see everyone’s main focus is winning. You can just see it.

MF: I agree, because last year, some workouts was pretty bad. We had a lot of hard days, and I
feel like this year, it was completely opposite. We came in knowing what we wanted to do and what we wanted to execute. I feel like we did that every practice, and that helped us grow into who we are now. We’re still trying to find us as a team, as a whole. So I also feel like our freshmen played a big role in that. They came in ready to hoop. Joyce Edwards, Maddy McDaniel, they came in ready to dominate, ready to fill in. And Joyce did a great job with just being confident in herself and remembering who she is as a player. Because coming into college, that can be the hardest part about it, and having a freshman that plays like a senior is really good for us. That really gels us together, helps us be confident and believe who we are.

JE: For me, I wasn’t really here last summer. I came late from [Team] USA, but this is by far the best team I ever played on, so I can’t say if I knew we [were] ready for that, because I didn’t know what we were getting ready for exactly; I never experienced it before. I just knew that everybody on the floor had a huge impact on what we did in practice, and we were all talented. So I knew that anybody who’s going to face this is gonna have a hard time beating us—that was really my mindset.

WSLAM: What does South Carolina mean to each of you?

MF: To me, it means a lot. I came from South Carolina, born and raised in South Carolina.
Growing up here, it means a lot to me, but not only me, with my family and my friends, putting
a jersey on for any college level, it means a lot. So just saying that I can be able to represent my hometown, my home state, it means a lot to me, and I love it. I appreciate [Coach] Dawn [Staley]
and the University of South Carolina for giving me the opportunity to play here.

CK: For me, growing up, South Carolina is your dream school. I’m from Seattle, and everybody’s like, That’s a dream school, South Carolina. I mean, South Carolina, and UConn, but it was just different, and it just means a lot. Coming here and playing in front of 18,000 fans, and you go into the grocery store and people ask for pictures, you’re walking down the street and people are like, Can I get your autograph? I mean, that’s really cool. A lot of people don’t get to experience that in college, so I appreciate that a lot. And of course, winning. I mean, South Carolina, we’re winners over here, and we get held to a higher standard. 

JE: South Carolina is really just home. You know, I feel like my basketball career really took off in South Carolina, just from high school to college, being able to do what I wanted to without any limitations. And having the support of people from South Carolina being there—my family being there for me—to grow up in South Carolina and play basketball here. Like they said, playing for Dawn Staley, who’s the embodiment of head coaches in women’s basketball. South Carolina is this school [that] every female basketball player wants to come to because we’re just winners, our culture. Being in South Carolina, it’s like being a part of a big family, not even just in university, but outside as well.

WSLAM: What do you all think is the “it” factor that makes this place what it is?

JE: Us people, literally us three, the whole team. It’s the people that make South Carolina, South Carolina. We want the best for each other. We literally love each other, we support each other and everything. I feel like that’s the it factor, because you can have statues anywhere, you can have championships anywhere, but it’s really all about the people. 

CK: I also feel like a lot of us come from different backgrounds. Everybody’s kind of different. We all are one big family, and we all want to learn about each other, their culture and everything like that.

WSLAM: What’s one word to describe this team at the beginning of the season, one word to describe the team right now and one where you hope to be at the end of the season?

JE: I want to say anxious, but not in a bad way, like, we were just itching to play, wanting to show the world what we could do. We just wanted to play, like, just anxious. We just wanted to play. 

MF: Determined. Everybody is so determined.

JE: That’s perfect. We had our setbacks in the season, but the way that we come out of them
is crazy.

CK: It’s just the early season. I think at the end of the season, hopefully we can say winners.

MF: Champs. 

CK: It’s exactly what we want.

MF: I also feel like people kind of forget that it’s normal to lose, you can’t win them all. I mean, I wish we could, but it’s been a year. It’s coming. It’s been years, like, we just keep winning so easily. I feel like these losses ain’t gonna do nothing but prepare us more for when it matters the most. 

JE: The way that we come out of losses, it’s really insane. We go on, we just destroy everybody else in our path. 

CK: I mean, we’d rather lose now than later on. People try and play their best game against us, people scout [us] forever just to play against us because they want to beat us so bad. I mean, it’s
OK to lose. We’re not going to lose when it matters, and that’s all that matters.

WSLAM: This team carries a lot with them: the pressure of everyone watching, people rooting for you, people rooting against you. How do you keep your composure through the season?

CK: You have to realize that you go through highs and lows. Everyone goes through highs and lows. You might have a good stretch of games, you might have a horrible stretch of games. You just have to find a healthy balance and know that everything’s gonna be OK. That’s for me, especially because you can’t get too high with the highs [and] too low with the lows. Just try your hardest to stay consistent. 

MF: I agree. When you’re playing basketball, it’s a mental thing, and if your mental is not there, then your game, your play, isn’t going to be there. I feel like it’s very important for all of us to keep our mental together. Just always remember that the main goal is winning a national championship, and you win some, you lose some, but we just all need to be locked in on that one goal. And I feel like that’s what keeps us together and keeps us able to get through the pressure.

JE: I feel like we’re composed because we have to be. I mean, you get uncomposed after the season, after you win the end goal. But the end goal is still the end goal, and you haven’t reached that yet. So there’s no need to be happy or sad because you haven’t reached that yet. You have to be composed, because every team in the SEC is there trying to kill you every single time. You don’t have time to get high with the highs or get low [with the] lows, because at the end of the day, nobody’s gonna care about your emotions or how you’re feeling. You have to stay composed to get to the end goal. And if you’re not, then you’re not gonna succeed.

WSLAM: Can you talk about legacy and what it means to you individually, for each other and for the future of this program?

MF: I feel like we’re doing a great job of creating legacy. Last year was a historical year. I don’t think no team in South Carolina history has ever went undefeated and won a national championship. Things like that would be how we create our legacy. Every single person who’s on that team last year has now created a legacy just because of that. So doing things like that, just being great people, not only on the court but off the court, too, helps create legacy. It’s not all about what you do on the court or what we do as a team. 

CK: What you do in the community…

MF: We did a whole lot of community things, giving back, donations and stuff, and I felt like that helped play a big role in the legacy that we created not only last year, but this whole past decade.

JE: We understand legacy is important because it inspires the next generation of little girls who want to play basketball. So we uphold ourselves to a certain standard on and off the court that we have to be consistent with. And that’s what we do. So every day we go out there, we work hard on the court. We donate, like they said. We do charities and stuff, because we want to uphold that legacy, to inspire the next generation.

WSLAM: Playing for a national championship, the path to back-to-back, what does it mean to you? How do you prepare for the big stage, and how do you make sure the whole team knows what’s about to happen?

CK: We have to all be on the same page, like we kind of just talked about before. We’re gonna go through highs and lows, and that means wins and losses. But we’re gonna win when it matters and try and get through this hump, and we’re gonna come out as strong as we can.

MF: Yeah, and I feel us as a team, we do a great job with understanding—everything she just said—and actually understanding, not just hearing it. And the freshmen, they seem to catch on very quickly, and they understand that assignment, from what I see. They know that we really want it and how much it will mean to us if we have it. It’s all up to us now. 

JE: We prepared for the national championship game in the beginning of the season. So the preparation isn’t necessarily any different than it was for the first week of the season. It’s all about being consistent, all about having that same mindset and that same goal, and all about all of us being determined.

WSLAM: In 10 years, when you look back at your cover, at everything you all have been able to accomplish at South Carolina, what do you hope to see?

CK: I hope I reached my goals, everything I wanted to do since I was younger, since I was at SLAM in high school. And hopefully I can look back then in New York, when I played [at] Rucker Park in the SLAM Summer Classic, and hopefully I can see in 10 years how far it came.

MF: Hopefully I can be proud of my younger self and basically tell my younger self that I did everything that I work hard for.

JE: Yeah, hopefully, it seems I’m still playing—I’ll be 29— I probably wouldn’t look back that early, but let’s say I retired, something happened. I don’t know if I look back, I want to know that I’ve reached my potential. Looking back at all the things I did when I was younger, I want to look at myself and not be disappointed in what I did when I was older. That makes sense, because I was younger, I was ambitious, I worked hard. I got the goals that I wanted. I got the goals that I wanted to get to. So to me, I just hope that I don’t disappoint myself.

Get ready for March with exclusive South Carolina women’s hoops merch.

Portraits by Diwang Valdez.

The post MiLaysia Fulwiley, Chloe Kitts, Joyce Edwards and the South Carolina Gamecocks are DEFYING THE DOUBTERS | SLAMU 8 Digital Cover   appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s a look back at our SLAMU digital covers we’ve dropped so far this season to keep you in the loop ahead of the tournament:

With Selection Sunday around the corner, it’s the time of the year when the phrases “Quad 1” and “Quality Losses” are thrown around more than ever. As the field of 64 becomes clearer, countless experts scan team resumes, trying to deduce which programs deserve at-large bids into the Big Dance.

Most teams have impressive resumes but look equally similar to others in the field. 

But one team stands above the rest. The Auburn Tigers boast a ridiculous 15-3 record in Quad 1 games, the highest by a wide margin in Division I. To be the best, you have to beat the best. Day in and day out, the Tigers beat down quality opponents soundly in the toughest conference in college basketball, with the record to back it up.

War Eagle has taken flight—soaring high above the rest of the field. The media agrees. In the latest AP Poll, the Tigers were crowned the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, garnering all first-place votes.

The team posts TikTok dances after every win—with the season they’ve had—a lot. They go live on social media to stream their Fortnite games. The Tigers aren’t just the best team in the country, they’re also all best friends.

This season has been the year of the Tigers, a team led by a charismatic coach, a National Player of the Year contender and a deep rotation of elite role players who always seem to get the job done.

The star of the show is forward Johni Broome, a 6-10 double-double machine, who is in the running for the National Player of the Year award alongside Cooper Flagg.

A transfer from Morehead State, Broome has dominated the SEC since joining during the 2022-23 season. As a senior, Broome has been virtually unstoppable. The forward averages a team-leading 18 ppg, 10.7 rebounds per game and 2.4 blocks per game. Broome has been elite on both sides of the ball, providing lockdown interior defense in the paint and a matchup nightmare under the basket.

Watching Broome go to work is entertainment at its finest for basketball fans. He possesses good handles for a taller forward and a quick first step that turns into easy finishes in the paint. He can back defenders down in the post, giving interior defenders Hakeem-like footwork for points in the post, and even knock down threes.

But for Broome, some of his best moments come off the court. Broome is one of the many Tigers active on social media, posting content on his TikTok page, ranging from dances in the locker room to streaming video games with his teammates.

“We’re normal. Every day we come in, having fun. We’re just being us,” Broome said. “Everybody else sees us as a fun team to be, but we’re just acting how we normally act.”

The good vibes spread throughout the team, especially with star guard Tahaad Pettiford.

Pettiford has provided instant offense off the bench as a freshman, averaging 11.3 ppg, nearly three assists and a steal per game.

Don’t let the numbers fool you. The guard fills whatever role he needs to benefit the team. He can score at will, as seen by his 21-point performance in a 16-point shellacking of Kentucky at Rupp Arena. He also put on a shooting clinic against Texas A&M, knocking down six threes to cap off a 19-point night.

When he’s not getting buckets, he’s distributing the ball efficiently, recording six assists in a 30-point blowout against Ole Miss while coming off the bench.

Pettiford credits his veteran teammates for helping him find success as a first-year player.

“Growing up, to be honest, I always played with older people. So coming in, I kind of expected it to be the same to how it’s always been, just being around guys that are more experienced, played the game, played in the tough games,” Pettiford said. “Just having their energy behind me, knowing they had my back in the low times, I feel like that just gives me confidence.”

But for the team who consistently dominates on the road, as seen by their tradition of playing “Take Over Your Trap” by Bankroll Fresh, it’s always been a team effort.

Players like Chad Baker-Mazara, a senior guard/forward who scores at will, averaging 13.1 points per game. Guards Miles Kelly and Denver Jones provide elite depth in the backcourt. Seniors Chaney Johnson and Dylan Cardwell provide an extra layer of interior defense and scoring to complement the stars.

The Tigers have a bonafide star and elite supporting cast, with five players averaging double-digit scoring numbers. 

“I just feel like we have players that don’t get enough recognition,” Pettiford said. “If they didn’t come here, we might not be No. 1 because of what they do for us.”

With so many great moments throughout the season, it’s hard to pick a signature moment for the Tigers.

It could be lifting the trophy at the Maui Invitational after dismantling the No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones, No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels and currently-ranked Memphis Tigers en route to the championship.

It could be grinding out a tough victory against the Big 12 regular season champion Houston Cougars in their second game. Or even beating Tennessee at their own game: a defensive 53-51 slugfest victory. 

Or even winning the basketball variant of the Iron Bowl—a 94-85 victory against No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, for added insult to injury.

All these moments add to a magical season that sees Auburn as the top dog in the country. They’re projected as the top overall seed in March Madness and essentially a lock for a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. 

With the SEC regular season title under their belt, there’s no doubt Bruce Pearl is looking to add another title to cap off the greatest season in Tigers basketball history.

“This team’s been ready to play, I think because they got something to prove,” Pearl said. “This team’s got a chip on its shoulder. I don’t look at us as where we’re ranked right now in the country. I look at us as who we are, [a] collection of who we are.”

When you walk into St. John’s on-campus home, Carnesecca Arena, the hanging banners tell the story of a proud, storied program. 

Fifteen regular season titles. Three conference tournament championships. Two Final Four runs. A top-10 winningest program in Division I history.

That doesn’t include the certified ballers who once called Queens home.

Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, All-Stars Metta World Peace and Mark Jackson. The list goes on.

However, the past 24 years would be considered a “down year” for their standards.

Until now. College basketball is officially back in the Big Apple.

Under legendary head coach Rick Pitino and a tight-knit group of stud transfers and role players, the Johnnies did what many experts thought was unthinkable at the beginning of the year: winning the Big East title.

Pitino summed the team’s ideology the best in Vice’s Pitino: Red Storm Rising—a documentary about the Red Storm’s season. 

“There’s no individuals. All it is, is team,” Pitino said in a locker room speech.

That’s all St. John’s basketball is: a bunch of talented and selfless individuals who play with one goal in mind: doing whatever it takes to get the W.

Their talented trio of RJ Luis Jr, Zuby Ejiofor and Kadary Richmond headline the Red Storm roster.

Luis is the team’s leading scorer. A junior guard and midrange assassin, Luis can get buckets from all three levels while averaging 17.8 ppg this season. Luis also plays physical defense like the rest of his teammates, averaging 1.5 steals per game.

“I try to come out every night with the same energy, the same intensity and taking pride on defense,” Luis said.

The team’s big man down low is Ejiofor, a junior forward. Ejiofor has been a force down low, averaging 14 ppg and a team-leading eight boards per game.

“I play for my teammates. This is who I do it for—my teammates, my family, this whole community—that’s why I go hard every single day,” Ejiofor said.

The team’s motor is graduate guard Kadary Richmond, a New York native. Richmond was named a Preseason All-Big East First Team talent and has proved it his first year in Queens.

Richmond averages 12.8 ppg, nearly six boards, five assists and two steals a game.

Tack on sharpshooter Deivon Smith and scrappy guards Simeon Wilcher and Aaron Scott, and you’ve got a deep rotation that brings the energy on every possession.

The team has established a tough-minded defensive identity, playing scrappy and allowing no easy buckets. It’s been backed up by their team’s 9.3 steals per game and 5.6 blocks per game. 

But despite their talented depth, they’ve still been doubted all year.

In the Big East preseason poll, experts picked St. John’s to finish fifth in the conference. When they began rolling off conference wins, people still doubted if they could keep the momentum up. Experts still expected teams like Marquette, UConn and Creighton to rattle off wins and overtake them.

But the Red Storm kept winning, rattling off an 11-game conference winning streak. 

And it all boiled over in their Feb. 7 matchup with the two-time defending National Champion UConn Huskies on the road.

The same UConn program that at that point had recently gone on a 28-game home winning streak before having it snapped a week before Creighton. This year’s team wasn’t the same dominant team as last year, but still a talented group.

The Johnnies entered the game as 4.5-point underdogs and quickly found themselves down 14 in the first half. They clawed back, ending the first half on a 27-11 run.

As both teams traded blows, St. John’s found themselves up two with 12 seconds left in the game. With only three seconds on the shot clock, a quick hitter was the only option.

Luis sprinted behind an Ejiofor screen and slingshotted his way back to the ball, leaving UConn’s star forward Liam McNeeley in the dust.

Luis caught the inbounds pass, faded away and drained the shot. Cold-blooded dagger. St. John’s up two scores. A prototypical defensive possession forced McNeeley into a tough layup, where the Johnnies eventually iced the game from the free-throw line. 68-62 final.

If you didn’t believe in Pitino and the Red Storm then, you sure did after that win in a hostile environment.

Since that UConn win, the Johnnies have won five of their last six games, with three of those wins ending in double-digit shellackings.

Now, with a Big East regular season title under their belt, the Johnnies are a lock to go dancing in March in only Pitino’s second season at the helm.

Pitino credits the culture he’s helped build in Queens for the team’s success.

“Coaches don’t win games; players win games. We had confidence going in that we could recruit the players necessary to win and, also, history repeats itself,” Pitino said. “If you have the right culture, be it Kentucky, be it Louisville, be it Providence, you’re gonna turn it around. It’s not false confidence, it’s confidence you’ll bring in the right players to fill the culture you want to present.”

Heading into the regular season finale, the Johnnies rank as the No. 6 team in the AP Poll. However, with losses for Auburn and Tennessee—teams ahead of them in the poll—a win against Marquette on Saturday could potentially catapult the Red Storm into the top five for the first time since 1990.

The team currently projects as a No. 3 seed in the Big Dance. But anything is possible in March. With a win in the Big East Tournament and the cards falling in the right place, you could be looking at the first No. 1 seeded St. John’s tournament team since the famed ’84-’85 squad.

But aside from hypotheticals, all they care about is playing their game and racking up wins. “We got a nice, talented group. Very athletic. We just got some dogs, we just trying to win,” Luis said. “I feel like we’re waking up the city of New York, and we’re gonna keep on doing it.”

Last season, Tennessee enjoyed their most successful campaign of the Rick Barnes era. The Vols clawed their way to the Elite 8, grinding past powerful opponents like Creighton before falling at the hands of Purdue.

The team was led by first-round draft pick Dalton Knecht and his three-level scoring, double-double machine Jonas Aidoo, scrappy guard Zakei Zeigler, long-time veterans Josiah Jordan-James, Santiago Vescovi and Jahmai Mashack and rotational sparks Jordan Gainey and Tobe Awaka.

The team played like a well-oiled machine, securing a No. 2 seed in March Madness and an SEC regular season title.

However, a year later, the Vols look different. Knecht joined the Los Angeles Lakers. Jordan-James and Vescovi graduated. Aidoo transferred to conference rivals Arkansas. Awaka flew west to join the Arizona Wildcats.

Despite the departures, Tennessee is still as dominant as ever. In fact, they’re having an even better season.

For every home game, the orange and white stripes flash at the Thompson-Boling Arena to watch the No. 4 team in the country—a team that rebuilt itself through the transfer portal to dominate on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

This year’s Vols team is led by Zeigler, Gainey and North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier.

Zeigler is the program veteran. The Long Island native has spent all four seasons in Knoxville, where he established himself as a two-way leader.

Last season’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year leads the squad in assists per game with 7.4 and plays lockdown defense, averaging two steals a game.

When he needs to, Zeigler also gets buckets—to the tune of 13.5 per game.

Alongside Zeigler is Gainey, Tennessee’s spark off the bench. Despite being the third-leading scorer on the team, Gainey has retained his sixth-man role, appearing in every game this season but only starting one. The USC Upstate transfer is averaging 11 ppg with efficiency.

But the primary offensive threat has been Lanier. Tennessee struck gold again by landing another pure scorer from a mid-major.

Lanier averages 17.7 ppg in his first season in Knoxville against SEC competition. The team’s leading scorer is deadly from deep, knocking down 40.6% of his shots from beyond the arc while consistently locking up opponents, averaging close to a steal per game.

Lanier can get buckets in any fashion. He put on a shooting clinic in the team’s 77-69 victory against Texas A&M when he drilled eight threes in a 30-point performance.

Against Vanderbilt, Lanier put up 21 points while only making two threes. Whenever his team needs points, the Tennessee native can get a bucket at any level.

“I knew the opportunity was going to be special. And then on my official visit, when I came to Tennessee, all the guys were surrounding me in the locker room. We had a good little celebration. I just knew it was home,” Lanier said. “I knew that I’d be joining something that was bigger than me.” 

Combined with the depth of Felix Okpara, Mashack, Cade Phillips, and Darlinstone Dubar, the Vols have offensive threats at all positions in their lineup.

But, in recent years, Barnes’ teams have thrived on their defensive force.

Barnes’ Vols teams play tough regardless of the stakes. Practices are a battle between players. The team follows an “iron sharpens iron” mentality, improving through physicality to mold a tough-minded identity.

Zeigler said the constant, scrappy battles in practice have prepared them to face any opponent.

“I’m telling you, people don’t understand, we go at each other like we don’t know each other. Like, we be talking trash, we be talking crazy to each other,” Zeigler said. “But you know, just being that competitor, we understand that when we go against each other like that, when we go out on the court and play against somebody we don’t know, it’s gonna be like, ‘Oh this ain’t nothin.'”

That identity has run rampant.

The team ranks out as the seventh-best scoring defense in the country, only allowing 61.8 points per game. While seventh is impressive, it cannot be overlooked that this Vols team allows 61.8 points per game playing in arguably the toughest conference—the SEC—a conference projected to have more than half their members in the Big Dance.

Despite the high-powered offenses on their schedule, the Vols have only allowed 80 points once—an 85-81 victory against No. 15 Missouri.

“The standard for this team is definitely toughness,” Lanier said. “Knowing they’re in the foxhole with you and that you’ll do anything for your brother.”

They stood tough when it mattered most. In the team’s signature victory over No. 6 Alabama, the team held the nation’s top-scoring offense to 76 points, a figure well below the Crimson Tide’s average of 91.1 points per game.

But Barnes’ defense showed up in the critical moments of the game. Deadlocked at 76 with 10 seconds to play, Alabama had two chances to take the lead.

Freshman guard Labaron Philon drove into the paint, but Mashack stepped in to help, ripping at the ball to force a tie-up. Alabama retained possession, but a stingy Tennessee defense locked up all recipients of an inbound pass. The Vols forced a five-second violation, getting the ball back with 3.8 seconds on the clock, needing to go the distance for a game-winner.

Zeigler inbounded to Mashack, who sprinted up the court. He launched a 36-footer as the buzzer expired, crouching as he released the shot, almost as if to will the shot in.

It hit nothing but net. The arena went into a frenzy. Mashack was mobbed by his teammates, who immediately ran to the baseline to celebrate with fans.

The win showcased their defense on a national stage, while also giving the Vols their eighth victory against a ranked opponent.

Heading into their regular season finale, Tennessee remains in contention for a prized No. 1 seed in March Madness. They currently sit as the No. 4 team in the AP Poll and will look to solidify their tournament seeding with strong performances in the upcoming SEC Tournament.

While being a top team is nice, the Vols want their legacy to be remembered differently—as champions.

“Yeah, we want an SEC championship. We want an SEC tournament championship. But we’re going for the big trophy. We made history already with starting off the best in over 100 years, but we’re looking at something bigger than that,” Zeigler said.

For four years, T.J. Otzelberger has developed an established program in Ames, Iowa.

When Otzelberger joined the Cyclones in the 2021-22 season, he took over a program that had fallen into ruin. After successful campaigns in the 2010s that saw NBA players Georges Niang, Monte Morris and Tyrese Haliburton get buckets in Ames, the program had fallen into ruin—ending the 2020-21 season with a 2-22 record.

Otzelberger turned the program around, going dancing in all four seasons of his tenure. The team broke out last year, posting a 29-8 record and hoisting the Big 12 Conference Tournament trophy.

However, the run ended abruptly in the Sweet Sixteen with a double-digit loss to Illinois, a team led by elite scorer Terrance Shannon Jr.

This season, the Cyclones are still a powerhouse—but look even better than last year. Iowa State put itself on the map, achieving the highest AP Poll ranking in school history, reaching the No. 2 spot.

Led by program veterans and new transfers, the Cyclones’ dominant offense has improved, with the depth vaulting them into the conversation for National Title contenders.

The Cyclones are led by a battle-tested starting five of Keshon Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey, Milan Momcilovic and transfers Joshua Jefferson and Dishon Jackson. 

The depth includes ironmen Nate Heise and Brandton Chatfield and the team’s leading scorer Curtis Jones.

While the team boasts an offensive threat at all positions, with five players averaging double-digit points per game, the bulk of the offensive load is held by Jones and Gilbert.

Jones is the team’s leading scorer. A transfer from the University of Buffalo, the senior guard averages 16.7 ppg and boasts the ability to take over a game off the bench at any point.

Jones opened the season on a tear, scoring double-digit points in eight consecutive games following the team’s opener, including a 23-point performance against their in-state rivals in Iowa City.

The senior can score on all three levels, boasting an elite sharpshooting ability, knocking down 36.8% of his shots beyond the arc.

The efficient scoring has landed Jones on the Midseason Wooden Watchlist. But if you asked the senior, he probably wouldn’t pay too much attention to the accolades.

“Whatever comes with winning, we’ll take it. We’re not really in it for the recognition, but that’s what comes with it,” Jones said.

Alongside Jones in the backcourt is Gilbert, the other Cyclone on the Wooden Award Watch List.

Gilbert is the second leading scorer on the team. A transfer from UNLV, Gilbert immediately burst onto the scene in his first season in Ames, averaging 13.7 ppg and being named to the All-Big 12 team. 

From that year, he’s only gotten better. The senior now averages 13.8 ppg and 4.3 assists while playing scrappy defense to the tune of 1.8 steals per game.

Gilbert credits the tough-minded mentality and work ethic for his immediate success in Ames.

“I ain’t gonna lie, Iowa State isn’t for everybody—if you don’t really love basketball, you ain’t gonna like it. You ain’t gonna fit here, because basketball is all it is,” Gilbert said. “We work hard as hell, so we know everything’s gonna fall into place.”

While the individual accolades are fulfilling, Jones and Gilbert echo the same sentiment: winning above all.

And they have. The team has 22 wins on the season playing in a tough conference likely to send eight teams to the NCAA Tournament.

The Big 12 is competitive, with games usually tight-knit between conference opponents. In those situations, when the team needs a bucket—Jones and Gilbert are usually the numbers called upon.

Especially in the team’s 85-84 overtime victory against Texas Tech, Gilbert delivered a bucket in clutch time.

Down three in a hostile road environment, the Cyclones needed a bucket to keep the game within reach. After Texas Tech made a free throw to go up three, Gilbert caught in the inbound pass.

He sprinted down the court, putting the moves on his defender. Two quick crossovers drove Gilbert into the paint. Gilbert jabbed and pump-faked before quickly sinking a contested layup to bring the Cyclones within one. 

After Texas Tech split their free throws, Lipsey found Jefferson in the paint to send the game to overtime.

The Cyclones then went on to win in overtime after Jefferson sank two free throws with four seconds left in the extra frame.

The Cyclones’ ability to win close games puts them in great position for the Big Dance, where games seem to come down to the wire so often. They currently sit at No. 10 in the AP Poll and fifth in the Big 12. Experts  project them as a No. 3 seed in March Madness. 

While a No. 3 seed may seem disrespectful, the Cyclones don’t seem to care. Everyone who doubts them and the talents of their roster only feed into their motivation.

“That’s been a chip on our shoulder since before we got here. I don’t feel like me or [Jones] ever got the recognition we deserve,” Gilbert said. “But that’s just more motivation. That just puts more fuel in the tank, and adds more fuel to the fire. So, it is what it is.” — Luke Kaiser, SLAM Intern

Audi Crooks is showing out in her sophomore campaign at Iowa State and is the talk of the town. Named AP Player of the Week in week 17 after leading the team to two big wins over UCF and K State where averaged over 32 ppg with 9 boards shooting at least 75 percent from the field, Crooks is cooking. 

At 6-3, her physicality makes it that much easier to box out and get easy buckets in the paint, in addition to strong footwork and a reinforced midrange makes defenders desperate when looking for an answer. It’s not often you find teams who run their offense through their post but with Crooks dominance, coach Fennely and the Cyclones have their game plan set; feed 55. 

After an outstanding freshman season earning All-Big 12 honors, Crooks posted a dominant 40 point debut in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the teams first postseason since the 2020-2021 season. Looking to make it back to the tournament her emphasis is on what doesn’t show up on paper, “I’d like to be a better communicator.. A better leader and more consistent overall,” said Crooks. 

With days left of the regular season, we’ll see just how far Crooks and the Cyclones go. 

LSU is looking to win two of the last three NCAA titles and with a trio that averages just under 60 alone, they’re gonna be a force in the tournament. Yes you read right, 60. Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow, and Mikaylah Williams are the trio LSU is hoping to take them back to gold this year and standing at 7th in the nation, that’s not a crazy thought. 

Knowing what they’re capable of, the Big 3 aim for a style of ball that works for each individual’s style, while in the parameters of the team’s culture. Staying within the top 10 since November individual growth is credited as the catalyst for their success, with all three taking more responsibility for the Tiger’s goals, and everything it’ll take to get there. 

“Anything less than the Final Four, I’m not gonna be happy about because I know what this team is capable of,” said Johnson in their SLAMU interview. Only two seasons removed from her 2023 season where she was awarded Freshman of the Year honors that came with the LSU championship, the standards are higher than ever with a hunger to match for Johnson. 

With another former Freshman of the Year in Mikaylah Williams, and the addition of Aneesah Morrow who earned herself First Team SEC honors last year, this could be the year for the Tigers. Repping their cities, and with Baton Rouge behind them, there’s no telling how far they’ll go. — Izabella Williams, SLAM Intern

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It’s in everything he’s done so far in his career: from being the Celtics’ No. 26 pick in the 2020 draft to, in just five seasons in Boston, inking his name in the record books by hitting multiple buzzer beaters in the Finals, winning a championship and now leading the Sixth Man of the Year race. Whenever the guard has the ball in his hands, he’s like a magician in his bag of tricks. The court vision and dazzling dimes. His ability to create plays off the dribble. The efficiency at which he shoots the ball, unafraid to let it fly whenever, over whomever, from wherever. Doesn’t matter if it’s 50 feet. 

Pritchard’s impact on the Celtics is evident in his ability to perform and deliver, especially when they need it most. But to do all of that while coming off the bench? That takes sheer confidence. 

“I definitely wanted to be considered in the conversation for one of the best players off the bench,” he tells us after shootaround one day. “I mean, obviously, with our team [and] the way we’re built, we are very talented. And our starting five, obviously it’s a lot of big names. So I felt like for myself to make a jump and be considered one of the best bench players in the League, that would only help our team. And I thought I was very capable of that.”

As of mid-January, Pritchard is leading the NBA in total points off the bench (895), which puts him above last year’s Sixth Man of the Year, Minnesota’s Naz Reid. Look up and down the stat sheet and you’ll see career-high numbers in almost every category: minutes played (28.2), field-goal attempts (10.6), an ability to shoot at a more efficient clip than in years’ past. He’s averaging 14.4 ppg—double what he averaged as a rookie (7.7)—on a career-high 47.9 percent shooting from the field and 42.4 percent from behind the arc. 

During the offseason, Pritchard dialed in on refining those very aspects of his game. What we’re all witnessing now is everything coming into motion. “Just being able to shoot off the move and shoot off the dribble from three more, that’s definitely added levels to my game,” he describes. “I thought my mid-range and finishing was always really good and just continued to be good, but [I try to] just continue to be a complete ballplayer. Defensively, being more active.” 

At just 6-1, Pritchard is crashing the boards and averaging 3.8 trb and 1.4 offensive boards.

“It really just comes down to confidence, honestly,” Pritchard says, when asked what’s been the difference maker for him this season. “I’ve just been confident every time I step on the floor. That’s what I’m capable of doing, and I’m capable of helping [us] win at the highest of levels.” 

You know it’s real when you are who you think you are, and no one can deny Pritchard’s innate ability to be a spark for the Cs whenever he’s out there. In a win against the Pistons, Pritchard’s impact was everywhere en-route to a 27-point, 10-assist performance, from 27-foot pullup threes to assists to Queta to easy layups and big rebounds. “I thought he made big-time plays whether it was the offensive rebound, whether it was the play at the end of the game or just pushing the pace. You know, he kinda just has the ability to impact the game in different ways,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla after the game. 

Just last night against Portland, he dropped a career-high 43 points and knocked down a best 10 threes. Alongside teammate Derrick White’s 41-point performance, they’re the first Celtics duo ever to score 40 or more points in the same game.

The type of energy that he brings is what White called the “Payton Effect” on The Young Man and the Three podcast.

“I think it has something to do with the energy that it gives people,” Pritchard tells us, when asked about White’s comments. “The excitement, just the momentum swings and just me coming off the bench to come in with a spark and this new life of energy and the pace of play. The crowd gets behind it, too.”

In other words: he is just on a different wavelength. It’s when he’s playing freely and creatively that Pritchard does things that leave the crowd in total awe. Take for instance what happened in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic. With the Cs already up 112-89 in the fourth, Pritchard didn’t hold back when matched up against Wendell Carter Jr, who played solid defense but was no match for P’s artistic dribbling combos and elite footwork. Plus the step-back jumper he drained immediately after. 

“It’s definitely an art form,” he says about his approach to shooting. “I feel like there’s such a rhythm piece to it. It’s just allowing your body to be all in one motion when you shoot. That definitely helps.” 

His mindset is simple: Don’t think, just shoot. Whatever happens on the floor—including some of the craziest half-court buzzer beaters we’ve ever seen, which, might we add, he doesn’t practice but has obviously perfected—is all the result of just how much time and dedication he’s put into every aspect of his craft. What we’re witnessing now is someone just straight up hoopin’. “I’ve practiced and I’ve worked so many hours at it that I feel like when I shoot, the worst is when I start to think about my form, start to think about certain things, rather than just letting all the work I put in just come naturally,” he adds. “I try to harp on, Just let it fly. Don’t think. Be in the flow of shooting.”

Keep in mind, he’s doing all of this while on a championship squad that’s currently leading the NBA in threes. Not only is Payton shooting the lights out, but the Celtics are leading a three-point resurgence across the League, one that’s drawn a bit of criticism. But, in his opinion, if this is just one of the many things that makes them so lethal, why switch up now? “We have eight dudes on our team that could go off and hit five threes in the game very easily,” P explains. “We have eight dudes that are high-level shooters that make us very difficult, so you have to worry about every one of us. Now, a lot of teams don’t have that, and I think that’s what makes us different from most teams. You just have to worry about all of us when we’re on the court.” 

As a reigning champion, Pritchard knows there’s something bigger they’re all playing for, too: going back-to-back in the Finals and raising Banner 19. But when he looks back at how he’s gotten here and solidified himself as a key piece in their rotation, it all comes down to his ability to find balance. In the good and the bad. In the clutch performances and big-time plays. This is what he would tell a young Payton just coming into the League:

“[Don’t] ride the waves of the lows and the highs. Try to be balanced through it all,” he says. “I’ve learned that now, and I’m still learning that at times, but I’ve definitely gotten a lot better at it. But I feel like the thing that’s hardest for young players, especially in the League, is just the ups and downs. There could be a lot of nights where things just don’t go your way, or a lot of things are out of your control, but not letting it mentally affect you. But then obviously you’re gonna have a lot of good nights, but not riding that high too high either. Just maintaining that balance.”

To have his name be part of the Sixth Man conversation is an “honor,” he says. While it might come as a surprise to many, what it means to him is that all of those hours are paying off. Now it’s about keeping that same energy and more, every night.

“It means I’ve elevated to another level, which is from the work and stuff like that,” he says. “But we’re almost halfway through the year, so I got another halfway to go and show what I’m capable of. I’m just worried about game by game now [and] showing [that] every day.” 

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After an 18-point comeback win over No. 5 Iowa State and dropping both No. 12 UNC and Memphis by double digits, Auburn walked away trophy in hand and with a lei around head coach Bruce Pearl’s neck. That’s when National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome said, “Everybody was like, Yeah, we’re legit.”

SHOP THE AUBURN COLLECTION

Not just legit but purely dominant. So dominant that they’ve been the No. 1 team in the country for over two months straight. They’ve played the strongest strength of schedule in the country while serving up nonstop Ws in a conference that’s projected to send 13 teams to the Big Dance. After amassing the nation’s most Quad 1 wins (16), the Tigers sit at 27-3 with a season’s worth of tests and challenges etched into their résumé. 

They’ve got students pitching tents outside of Neville Arena five minutes after an away game. And the night before the Auburn faithful are let in, you can catch the guys handing out pizzas and sandwiches to their fellow students while Johni and Miles Kelly sneak in a few games of poker. 

Bruce Pearl hasn’t just returned Auburn to prominence, he’s built a spectacle in the SEC. The sheer amount of toilet paper cast across Toomer’s Square is more than enough evidence. And just moments after our early February shoot with the team’s star forward and eccentric freshman point guard, Jay Bilas walks into the practice gym looking to film one of his iconic 94-foot-long interviews with Johni. Twenty minutes later, the two are walking through the sea of tents in Pearlville. All eyes are rightfully centered on The Plains this season. 

Broome falls into more Top 10 rankings than MF Doom’s Madvillainy. No. 4 presides over the SEC with an iron fist and has 17 double-doubles on the season. No one has found an answer for his 18.1 points, 10.7 boards and 2.4 blocks a night. The freshman phenom standing to his side is putting on for a long lineage of New Jersey-bred ballers, unafraid of the moment, the challenge and the deep ball on broken-down plays. Alongside the brilliance of Chad Baker-Mazara, Miles Kelly, Denver Jones, Chaney Johnson, Dylan Cardwell and a cast of other contributors, each night is a confirmation that we’re looking at one of the best teams to ever step across campus. 

“We know the situation we’re in. We just try not to dwell on it, focus on it. We just take it day by day,” Tahaad says. 

For the past two seasons, two-time All-SEC selection Johni Broome has been doing just that. After transferring from Morehead State for his sophomore season, the 6-10 Florida native has been steamrolling the limitations placed upon him ever since he was in high school, now ranking top 10 in the nation in blocks, rebounds and double-doubles. 

“I always had that chip on my shoulder, that edge. Growing up, I just had the utmost confidence, because where I’m from you’ve got to have confidence or you’re gonna get eaten alive,” Johni said. “I just grew up and I took it wherever it went with me. I went to college, my mindset was to kill whatever was in front of me. And that just carries on today, because the person I’m playing probably had more exposure, had more offers than me. So each and every night I go in looking to dominate.”

He led the team in scoring in his first season. He became the program’s 18th All-American in his second. The 2024 SEC Tournament MVP catapulted the last few years of momentum into one of the best individual campaigns this collegiate season. Twenty-six and 16 boards at LSU. Against Ohio State: 21 and 20. And twenty-three and 19 against North Carolina. On top of collecting double-doubles like vinyls, he’s swatted away four or more shots in four games.

With one of the best players in the nation back for his senior season, Coach Pearl says it was all about empowering his returning players with a “less is more” approach. Instead of going out and collecting as many five-star recruits and transfers as possible, Coach Pearl asked for more from his guys.

Johni’s managing more minutes (nearly 29 a night) and starting alongside Dylan for the first time in their careers. And freshman Tahaad Pettiford’s dropping haymakers off the bench on a nightly basis. Instead of backfilling the departure of graduate senior Jaylin Williams, Chaney Johnson and Chad Baker-Mazara are finding—and delivering—even more opportunities to shine. The staff was selective when it came to the portal, too, offering the opportunity to win championships instead of promising playing time. SMU transfer Ja’Heim “Turtle” Hudson was more than game. So was Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly. “And the pieces fit really nicely together,” Coach Pearl said. 

The No. 1 team in the country for eight weeks straight knows that everyone is gunning for them. They’ll willingly walk into your trap and then take it over, shouts to the BankRoll Fresh song that’s blasted after every dub on the road. All the while, the goals remain the same; SEC Championship followed by confetti in March. 

“You can’t get complacent. You can’t get comfortable because each and every night they’re coming. We have a target on our backs,” Johni said. “Obviously everybody wants to beat the best. We know that, we’re aware of that, so we’re going to bring it every night. So you better bring it, too.”

That sense of confidence stems from each player’s belief in the guy next to them. As Johni and Tahaad acknowledge their ranking, they’re adamant that the contributions from the entire team are the reason Auburn’s enjoying the success they’ve had.

“I just feel like we have players that don’t get enough recognition,” Tahaad says. “We have players that without them, we wouldn’t be in the position that we are now. If they didn’t come here, we might not be No. 1 because of what they do for us. I just feel like their time is going to come, and when it comes, I feel like they’re going to be ready.” 

Guys like Denver Jones, one of the best defenders in all of college basketball whose name is beyond deserving of being in the Naismith All-Defensive team convo for locking up the opposing team’s best bucket-getter. Guys like Miles Kelly, the Tigers’ go-to sharpshooter who will pull out the team-wide “Call God” celly after draining a step-back three. Guys like Chad Baker-Mazara, the Dominican Republic native who’s posting 13.1 points and 1.2 steals a night and on the Julius Erving Mid-Season Award watch list. Guys like Chaney Johnson who’s scored in double digits for five straight games for the first time in the Auburn blue and orange. Guys like Ja’Heim Hudson, Chris Moore and true freshman Jahki Howard coming off the bench, injecting the right amount of energy whenever they check-in.

The roster is loaded with experience between the portal and returning players who experienced last year’s SEC Tournament Championship. But the squad isn’t built solely off seniority. As one of two true freshmen on the roster getting tick, Pettiford has quickly become one of the most impactful point guards in the nation.

The Jersey native torched Georgia in mid-January for his career-high, 24. He dropped a 21-piece in just his second game of the season, against No. 4 Houston no less. He’s fearless in every regard. Pull up the clips from his 20-point performance at Duke if you’re curious. Or his bombardment of last-second threes that routinely find the bottom of the net. 

“Growing up, to be honest, I always played with older people. So coming in, I kind of expected it to be the same to how it’s always been, just being around guys that are more experienced, played the game, played in the tough games. Just having their energy behind me, knowing they had my back in the low times, I feel like that just gives me confidence,” Tahaad said. “And without them, I feel like my season wouldn’t be going the same as it is now.”

Windmills and no-look drop-offs to the post are complimented by 11.3 points, 2.9 assists and nearly a steal a night. He’ll skip up court into a pull-up three during the biggest game in SEC history, silencing the crowd with a smile. The 6-1 freshman lives for the road. The entirety of the team does. 

“We care about being No. 1 in the nation, but, like, we don’t really feel like that,” Johni said. “We’re normal. Every day we come in, having fun. We’re just being us. Everybody else sees us as a fun team to be, but we’re just acting how we normally act. I think we’re just embracing the moment with each other, and instead of feeling pressure to be No. 1, I think we’re just embracing the journey of being No. 1.”

If there’s anything more certain than Auburn’s locks on the No. 1 ranking, it’s their commitment to joy while doing it. And they often find it on the road, sitting at 7-0 in SEC play after defeating No. 2 Alabama inside Coleman Coliseum on February 15. 

Surrounded by hostilities and the Crimson Tide faithful, the inner state rivalry was turned to a 10 as the first-ever No. 1 vs No. 2 matchup to take place in the SEC. Through the 40-minute battle, the thousands in attendance did everything they could to disrupt Auburn’s chemistry. Instead, the Tigers tightened the screws on the brotherhood that they’d constructed, coming together for a 9-point win. As the final buzzer sounded, they reminded everyone why you don’t poke the bear, waving goodbye to the opposing fans and doing the Crimson Crane in unison right on the cursive A logo. Even a brown leather belt made an appearance in the locker room. 

“Knowing that when we get the chance to come to your spot, dominate and do what we do, I just feel like that just gives us more confidence, more energy that we need,” Tahaad said.

In practice, in the film room, on the court, off the court, that’s just who they are. At the end of the bench, after a blocked shot, following a top 10 win, “We’re like that all the time,” Johni says. They know they’re cold and they know everyone’s watching them enjoy the hell out of the journey, from Tik Toks to the end of the bench. They know they’re the favorites, and they know the Maui Invitational isn’t the only trophy they want resting in The Plains this season.

“I know this, we can be excited to play, and with the schedule that we still have, we’re gonna lose some games. I get that, but this team’s been ready to play, I think because they got something to prove,” Coach Pearl says. “This team’s got a chip on its shoulder. I don’t look at us as where we’re ranked right now in the country. I look at us as who we are, [a] collection of who we are.”

Portraits by Diwang Valdez

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