Spanish forward Izan Almansa headlines Trail Blazers' second predraft workout
Spanish forward Izan Almansa headlines Trail Blazers' second predraft workout
Spanish forward Izan Almansa is reportedly among the prospects who will work out with the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, according to team reporter Casey Holdahl.
Almansa averaged 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds on 51.1% shooting from the field in 33 games with the Perth Wildcats in the National Basketball League. He scored in double figures eight times, including a season-high 19 points, seven rebounds and two blocks on Nov. 9.
The 6-foot-10 standout signed with the Wildcats as part of the Next Stars program, a plan introduced by the NBL to give top prospects a path to play professionally. He played with the G League Ignite before moving to Australia, averaging 10.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
Joining Almansa were Indiana forward Mackenzie Mgbako, Notre Dame forward Tae Davis, VCU forward Jack Clark, Kentucky guard Otega Oweh and North Dakota guard Treysen Eaglestaff. It is the Trail Blazers' second known workout after hosting their first session on Tuesday.
The Trail Blazers enter the predraft process with only one pick, a first-round selection currently slotted 10th before the lottery on Monday. They are drafting in the lottery for the fourth consecutive year after taking Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan over that span.
The group the Trail Blazers hosted features mostly underclassmen who are not currently projected to be drafted. The team likely wanted to prioritize bringing in those players who are testing the process or could be targeted as undrafted free agents after the draft.
The 2025 NBA draft will occur June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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His club is one of the many great teams competing in this summer's 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and they open up their tournament campaign against Al Ahly. The Club World Cup is sure to be a massive draw for soccer fans across the country and the rest of the world, as the top clubs in the world compete in this high-level tournament. Shop: Inter Miami vs Al Ahly FIFA Club World Cup Tickets For the first time, the United States has the honor of being the host country in what is now an expanded 32-team field. Matches will run all the way until July 13th, with games taking place in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seattle, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Orlando, Cincinnati, Washington D.C., Charlotte, and Nashville. This is an excellent opportunity for fans in the United States to catch their favorite club teams and players in action. 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32 minutes ago
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Yahoo
37 minutes ago
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Club World Cup refs to wear eye-level cameras but it's what FIFA won't show that's most telling
Referee Viktor Shimusik shows a yellow card to Azerbaijan's Tural Bayramov during an international friendly soccer match at Dalga Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo) FILE - Chairman of the FIFA referees committee Pierluigi Collina reacts at a press conference of the FIFA referees at the World Cup media center in Doha, Qatar, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022.(AP Photo/Martin Meissner, file) FILE - Referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea watches the VAR during the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton, file) FILE - Referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea watches the VAR during the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton, file) Referee Viktor Shimusik shows a yellow card to Azerbaijan's Tural Bayramov during an international friendly soccer match at Dalga Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo) FILE - Chairman of the FIFA referees committee Pierluigi Collina reacts at a press conference of the FIFA referees at the World Cup media center in Doha, Qatar, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022.(AP Photo/Martin Meissner, file) FILE - Referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea watches the VAR during the Spanish Copa del Rey final soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja stadium in Seville, Spain, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Breton, file) MIAMI (AP) — Referees at the Club World Cup will wear eye-level cameras to finally allow fans to see exactly what the officials are looking at during a soccer match. Well... not quite. FIFA has announced the innovation will be implemented at its newly-expanded tournament, which kicks off in Miami on Saturday. 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FIFA says the refcam view could be used to show unique angles of goals scored and offer different perspectives of the game that normal cameras cannot see. But if restricted to that, it would appear to be a missed opportunity in a sport that is increasingly using advances in technology to improve the accuracy and transparency of decision-making. Another innovation at the Club World Cup — a month-long tournament staged in the United States and featuring 32 of the best soccer teams in the world — is to show footage being reviewed by VAR for the first time on big screens inside the stadium. In theory, the refcam would make referees more accountable for their decisions by allowing fans to see exactly what the official saw before making a call. But it is not even clear how much it would be used to help VAR. Advertisement While Collina said all footage would be available to the VAR, he questioned how useful the refcam would be in such circumstances. 'Honestly, can you believe that a camera position just besides the referee's eyes can see something that the referee's eyes cannot see? Honestly, I think it's difficult to believe,' he said. FIFA, itself, has made clear where it believes the footage would be of most use, saying the test was designed to 'explore whether the new camera angle can improve the experience for those watching on television and online by showcasing the referee's perspective.' It added that the tests would be used to make guidelines for future use. Advertisement 'Step by step' Collina said. "We need to do something new and the simpler the better." Time wasting FIFA also announced a clampdown on time wasting by goalkeepers at the Club World Cup. Previous rules specified keepers can't hold onto the ball for longer than six seconds, but Collina said that was frequently being flouted. The time limit has now been extended to eight seconds, but referees will be much stricter in enforcement. The referee will also count down from five seconds with their hand to indicate the time remaining. If a keeper holds onto the ball for longer than eight seconds, a corner kick will be awarded to the opposition, rather than an indirect free kick, which was the previous punishment. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer:
