Big 12 foe Darian DeVries is familiar with becomes another Indiana basketball opponent
The Wildcats will visit Bloomington at a date to be announced in a one-off arrangement similar to the Hoosiers' visit from South Carolina last season. A return game is not expected as part of the arrangement.
Kansas State joins Marquette (Chicago), Louisville (Indianapolis) and Kentucky (in Lexington) among high-major opponents expected to highlight IU's schedule in Darian DeVries' first season as coach.
The Wildcats finished under .500 last season, Jerome Tang's third as coach in Manhattan. They started 6-2 before losing nine of 10. After a six-game win streak, they slumped to a 3-6 finish to a season that concluded in the Big 12 tournament. That season included beating DeVries' West Virginia team, 73-60, in Manhattan.
At this point, Indiana is not expected to add more heft to its nonconference schedule, with the remainder of its non-league games likely to be buy games at home.
The Hoosiers are also likely to explore a high-profile exhibition similar to last year's visit to Tennessee. There is nothing firm yet on potential opponents, though it stands to reason IU might prefer to play that game at (or at least closer to) home, after traveling to Knoxville last season.
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Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics (2021-) Draft picks: .333 OBP • .000 SLG • .333 OPS BB: Baylor Scheierman (30th, 2024) K: Juhann Begarin (45th, 2021) • Jordan Walsh (38th, 2022) Nico Harrison, Dallas Mavericks (2021-) Draft picks: .667 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.667 OPS 2B: Dereck Lively II (12th, 2023) 1B: Jaden Hardy (37th, 2022) K: Olivier-Maxence Prosper (24th, 2023) Joe Cronin, Portland Trail Blazers (2021-) Draft picks (OBP: 1.000 • SLG: 1.000 • OPS: 2.000) 1B: Shaedon Sharpe (7th, 2022) • Scoot Henderson (3rd, 2023) • Donovan Clingan (7th, 2024) BB: Kris Murray (23rd, 2023) • Rayan Rupert (43rd, 2023) Mike Dunleavy, Golden State Warriors (2023-) Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS 1B: Brandin Podziemski (19th, 2023) BB: Trayce Jackson-Davis (57th, 2023) • Quinten Post (52nd, 2024) Michael Winger, Washington Wizards (2023-) Draft picks: 1.000 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 2.000 OPS 1B: Bilal Coulibaly (7th, 2023) • Alex Sarr (2nd, 2024) • Bub Carrington (14th, 2024) BB: Tristan Vukčević (42nd, 2023) • Kyshawn George (24th, 2024) Have a feel for what you're looking at now? Every draft pick is categorized as a hit, a walk or a strikeout. How much power each exec hit for depends on how impactful the player became. But as a general rule ... HR: A face of the franchise 3B: A star-level talent 2B: A rotation regular 1B: A moderate success BB: A marginal move K: A relative bust For this exercise we removed picks 46-60, unless, of course, one of them reach base, in which case the executive gets credit for a walk or a hit. Otherwise, those picks have become too much of a crapshoot. We didn't want to penalize an executive for an almost impossible ask, but we did need to create a cutoff somewhere, so we included the first half of the second round, even if a bunch of those are whiffs, too. Even late first-round picks are more difficult than those in the lottery. It's just the nature of the game. San Antonio Spurs general manager Brian Wright lucked into the Victor Wembanyama pick, just as Juan Soto checked his swing into a home run, and then lucked into the No. 2 pick again in June. It is too early to tell whether Dylan Harper will carry the same power, so we removed this year's picks from the System. A quick reminder: Newcomers Jeff Peterson (Charlotte Hornets), Trajan Langdon (Detroit Pistons), Ben Tenzer (Denver Nuggets), Onsi Saleh (Atlanta Hawks), Scott Perry (Sacramento Kings), Brian Gregory (Phoenix Suns) and Bobby Webster (Toronto Raptors) do not have sample sizes big enough to evaluate. Let's get to the rankings. Ladies and gentlemen, The Danny Ainge System: Draft History. 18. Jon Horst, Milwaukee Bucks (2017-) Draft picks: .286 OBP • .167 SLG • .453 OPS 1B: Donte DiVincenzo (17th, 2018) BB: Tyler Smith (33rd, 2024) K: D.J. Wilson (17th, 2017) • Jordan Nwora (45th, 2020) • MarJon Beauchamp (24th, 2022) • Andre Jackson Jr. (36th, 2023) • AJ Johnson (23rd, 2024) That's just a tough draft history. No way around it. Especially considering the Bucks parted ways with Donte DiVincenzo, Horst's only successful draft pick, in exchange for an aging Serge Ibaka, before the Villanova product even reached his second contract. Milwaukee could sure use a player like that right now — or anyone from the last eight years out of the draft who could assist Giannis Antetokounmpo. 17. Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers (2019-) Draft picks: .833 OBP • .000 SLG • .833 OPS BB: Talen Horton-Tucker (46th, 2019) • Max Christie (35th, 2022) • Maxwell Lewis (40th, 2023) • Dalton Knecht (17th, 2024) • Bronny James (55th, 2024) K: Jalen Hood-Schifino (17th, 2023) Maybe it's a good thing if the Lakers trade away all of their draft picks. Here's rooting for Bronny James. 16. Kevin Pritchard, Indiana Pacers (2017-) Draft picks: .476 OBP • .471 SLG • .947 OPS 2B: Nicolas Batum (25th, 2008) • Andrew Nembhard (31st, 2022) 1B: Rudy Fernandez (24th, 2007) • Dante Cunningham (33rd, 2009) • Bennedict Mathurin (6th, 2022) • Ben Sheppard (26th, 2023) BB: Josh McRoberts (37th, 2007) • Patty Mills (55th, 2009) • Aaron Holiday (23rd, 2018) • Johnny Furphy (35th, 2024) K: Greg Oden (1st, 2007) • Petteri Koponen (30th, 2007) • Victor Claver (22nd, 2009) • Jeff Ayres (31st, 2009) • Luke Babbitt (16th, 2010) • Elliot Williams (22nd, 2010) • Armon Johnson (34th, 2010) • T.J. Leaf (18th, 2017) • Goga Bitadze (18th, 2019) • Chris Duarte (13th, 2021) • Isaiah Jackson (22nd, 2021) (Pritchard served as general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers from 2007-2010.) Man, that Greg Oden pick looms large. A bunch of general managers would have made the same selection, but some — including Ainge — claim they would have drafted Kevin Durant ahead of Oden. At any rate, Pritchard has finally connected on some recent draft picks. No doubt Andrew Nembhard could turn his double into a triple, especially in the absence of an injured Tyrese Haliburton. Same goes for Benn Mathurin and Ben Sheppard, both of whom could turn singles into doubles. Mathurin might even be there already, given his occasionally outstanding impact in the playoffs. Johnny Furphy might be able to leg out a single, too. Good things are happening for the Pacers, despite the Haliburton news. 15. Lawrence Frank, Los Angeles Clippers (2017-) Draft picks: .333 OBP • .625 SLG • .958 OPS HR: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11th, 2018) 1B: Terance Mann (18th, 2019) BB: Moussa Diabaté (43rd, 2022) K: Jerome Robinson (13th, 2018) • Mfiondu Kabengele (27th, 2019) • Daniel Oturu (33rd, 2020) • Keon Johnson (21st, 2021) • Jason Preston (33rd, 2021) • Kobe Brown (30th, 2023) Give credit to Lawrence Frank for identifying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the 2018 draft, though he traded the Canadian before he became a superstar in Oklahoma City. We still granted Frank a homer. Other than that, though — and SGA might have been more of a double for L.A. than a home run — Frank's draft history is a rough scene. Then again, he has only twice drafted in the lottery and once took a future MVP. Maybe the draft is more of a coin flip than we even thought. 14. Joe Dumars, Detroit (2000-2014) • New Orleans Pelicans (2025-) Draft picks: .500 OBP • .565 SLG • 1.065 OPS 2B: Tayshaun Prince (23rd, 2002) • Andre Drummond (9th, 2012) 1B: Mehmet Okur (38th, 2001) • Carlos Delfino (25th, 2003) • Amir Johnson (56th, 2005) • Rodney Stuckey (15th, 2007) • Arron Afflalo (27th, 2007) • Jonas Jerebko (39th, 2009) • Greg Monroe (7th, 2010) • Khris Middleton (39th, 2012) • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (8th, 2013) BB: Brian Cardinal (44th, 2000) K: Mateen Cleaves (14th, 2000) • Rodney White (9th, 2001) • Darko Miličić (2nd, 2003) • Jason Maxiell (26th, 2005) • Walter Sharpe (32nd, 2008) • Austin Daye (15th, 2009) • DaJuan Summers (35th, 2009) • Terrico White (36th, 2010) • Brandon Knight (8th, 2011) • Kyle Singler (33rd, 2011) • Kim English (44th, 2012) • Tony Mitchell (37th, 2013) (Dumars served as general manager of the Detroit Pistons from 2000-2014.) Dumars drafted Tayshaun Prince to a championship core and selected Andre Drummond, a two-time All-Star who never meaningfully impacted winning in Detroit. Outside of that, he failed to hit for any power for long stretches of his career, including the 2003 selection of Darko Miličić, a historic strikeout at No. 2 overall. What Detroit might have been with Carmelo Anthony instead is an all-time barroom debate. This does not include Dumars' 2025 selections of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. Queen, in particular, became the subject of much surprise around the league — not because he was taken in the lottery but because New Orleans gave up its unprotected 2026 first-round pick to get him. It may have been the single-most confounding trade of the offseason, but it goes unrecorded in our ledger, as the picks this summer are too fresh to evaluate. The Pelicans have invested this entire season into Queen. No pressure. 13. Artūras Karnišovas, Chicago Bulls (2020-) Draft picks: .500 OBP • .600 SLG • 1.100 OPS 2B: Matas Buzelis (11th, 2024) 1B: Ayo Dosunmu (38th, 2021) K: Patrick Williams (4th, 2020) • Marko Simonovic (44th, 2020) • Dalen Terry (18th, 2022) BB: Julian Philips (35th, 2023) That Patrick Williams pick is not going to help his cause. Matas Buzelis might, and Noa Essengue, this year's lottery pick, is coming, too. This score could get a lot better or a lot worse for Karnišovas soon. 12. Pat Riley, Miami Heat (1995-) Draft picks: .438 OBP • .774 SLG • 1.212 OPS HR: Dwyane Wade (5th, 2003) • Bam Adebayo (14th, 2017) 3B: Caron Butler (10th, 2002) • Tyler Herro (13th, 2019) 2B: Josh Richardson (40th, 2015) 1B: Eddie House (37th, 2000) • Rasual Butler (53rd, 2002) • Dorell Wright (19th, 2004) • Mario Chalmers (34th, 2008) • Nikola Jovic (27th, 2022) • Jaime Jaquez Jr. (18th, 2023) • Kel'el Ware (15th, 2024) • Pelle Larson (44th, 2024) BB: Precious Achiuwa (20th, 2020) K: Martin Müürsepp (25th, 1996) • Charles Smith (26th, 1997) • Mark Smith (31st, 1997) • Tim James (25th, 1999) • Jerome Beasley (33rd, 2003) • Albert Miralles (39th, 2004) • Wayne Simien (29th, 2005) • Daequan Cook (21st, 2007) • Michael Beasley (2nd, 2008) • Patrick Beverley (42nd, 2009) • Dexter Pittman (32nd, 2010) • Jarvis Varnado (41st, 2010), Da'Sean Butler (42nd, 2010) • Norris Cole (28th, 2011) • Justin Hamilton (45th, 2012) • Shabazz Napier (24th, 2014) • Justise Winslow (10th, 2015) • KZ Okpala (32nd, 2019) Riley drafted Dwyane Wade, a franchise icon, which warrants a long career. He extended it with his work on the trade market and in free agency. He also drafted Bam Adebayo, the backbone of two more trips to the NBA Finals. He has hit a couple triples, a double and a bunch of singles. He has a rich draft history. But you would expect a little more success from someone who is 30 years into this gig. There were a lot of whiffs late in the first round and early in the second round. There were some big swings and misses, too, when it came to Michael Beasley and Justise Winslow. If only Riley had taken Ainge up on his offer of a handful of first-round draft picks for Winslow, the two archrivals might be flipped in these rankings. 11. Leon Rose, New York Knicks (2020-) Draft picks: .667 OBP • .667 SLG • 1.333 OPS 2B: Immanuel Quickley (25th, 2020) 1B: Quentin Grimes (25th, 2021) • Miles McBride (36th, 2021) BB: Pacôme Dadiet (25th, 2024) • Tyler Kolek (34th, 2024) • Ariel Hukporti (58th, 2024) K: Obi Toppin (8th, 2020) • Rokas Jokubaitis (34th, 2021) • Trevor Keels (42nd, 2022) If only Rose had held onto Obi Toppin, he might have ended up with another single. As it is, he had to watch as Toppin contributed as a member of the Pacers to his team's defeat in the conference finals. Note, too, that Toppin was the only player taken higher than 25th by Rose, and Rose gave up too early on his best opportunity at success in the draft. It is good to know, though, that it is possible to be successful without much success in the draft, as the Knicks are in decent shape despite their difficult draft history. 10. Jeff Weltman, Orlando Magic (2017-) Draft picks: .500 OBP • .929 SLG • 1.429 OPS HR: Paolo Banchero (1st, 2022) 3B: Franz Wagner (8th, 2021) 2B: Jalen Suggs (5th, 2021) 1B: Jonathan Isaac (6th, 2017) • Cole Anthony (15th, 2020) • Anthony Black (6th, 2023) • Tristan da Silva (18th, 2024) K: Mo Bamba (6th, 2018) • Wes Iwundu (33rd, 2018) • Melvin Frazier (35th, 2018) • Justin Jackson (43rd, 2018) • Chuma Okeke (16th, 2019) • Caleb Houstan (32nd, 2022) • Jett Howard (11th, 2023) The Magic have perennially picked one selection too late in the draft, often just missing elite prospects. But in back-to-back years Weltman dug himself out of a slump, taking Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero in successive drafts, forming the foundation of what should be a 50-win team this year. 9. Koby Altman, Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-) Draft picks: .444 OBP • 1.000 SLG • 1.444 OPS HR: Evan Mobley (3rd, 2021) 3B: Darius Garland (5th, 2019) 1B: Collin Sexton (8th, 2018) BB: Jaylon Tyson (20th, 2024) K: Dylan Windler (26th, 2019) • Kevin Porter Jr. (30th, 2019) • Isaac Okoro (5th, 2020) • Ochai Agbaji (14th, 2022) • Khalifa Diop (39th, 2022) Altman did not miss on his top-five picks, and the Cavaliers are benefiting from that power, as Evan Mobley and Darius Garland formed a partnership that was worthy of investing into Donovan Mitchell (and vice versa). Together they formed a 64-win team that unfortunately lost in the second round of the playoffs, but the East is shallow, and the Cavs are expected to be the cream of the crop again next season. There is hope in Cleveland again, as the Cavaliers will go as far as Mobley and Garland take them. 8. Sean Marks, Brooklyn Nets (2016-) Draft picks: .636 OBP • .875 SLG • 1.511 OPS 3B: Jarrett Allen (22nd, 2017) 2B: Nic Claxton (31st, 2019) 1B: Caris LeVert (20th, 2016) • Cam Thomas (27th, 2021) BB: Isaiah Whitehead (42nd, 2016) • Rodion Kurucs (40th, 2018) • Kessler Edwards (44th, 2021) K: Džanan Musa (29th, 2018) • Day'Ron Sharpe (29th, 2021) • Noah Clowney (21st, 2023) • Dariq Whitehead (22nd, 2023) Marks has done a decent job in the draft despite never having a pick higher than No. 20. That changed this year, when the Nets picked eighth (Egor Demin) before also selecting 19th (Nolan Traore), 22nd (Drake Powell), 26th (Ben Saraf) and 27th (Danny Wolf). That is a lot of at-bats for one summer. 7. Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-) Draft picks: .514 OBP • 1.065 SLG • 1.579 OPS HR: Kevin Durant (2nd, 2007) • Russell Westbrook (4th, 2008) • James Harden (3rd, 2009) • Jalen Williams (12th, 2022) 3B: Serge Ibaka (24th, 2008) • Chet Holmgren (2nd, 2022) 2B: Reggie Jackson (24th, 2011) • Steven Adams (12th, 2013) • Cason Wallace (10th, 2023) 1B: Andre Roberson (26th, 2013) • Cameron Payne (14th, 2015) • Josh Giddey (6th, 2021) • Aaron Wiggins (55th, 2021) • Jaylin Williams (34th, 2022) BB: Hamidou Diallo (45th, 2018) • Ousmane Dieng (11th, 2022) • Nikola Topic (12th, 2024) • Ajay Mitchell (38th, 2024) K: D.J. White (29th, 2008) • Kyle Weaver (38th, 2008) • B.J. Mullens (24th, 2009) • Cole Aldrich (11th, 2010) • Tibor Pleiß (31st, 2010) • Perry Jones (28th, 2012) • Álex Abrines (32nd, 2013) • Grant Jerrett (40th, 2013) • Mitch McGary (21st, 2014) • Josh Huestis (29th, 2014) • Terrance Ferguson (21st, 2017) • Darius Bazley (23rd, 2019) • Aleksej Pokusevski (17th, 2020) • Vit Krejci (37th, 2020) • Tre Mann (18th, 2021) • Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (32nd, 2021) • Dillon Jones (26th, 2024) It is a thing of beauty looking at this stat sheet. Four home runs, including Jalen Williams, who, as the second-best player on a championship team, deserves that status. That run of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden will never be matched. But it just goes to show you: When you are in this business a long enough time, there are bound to be a lot of swings and misses, especially when you are so often selecting late in the first round. 6. Daryl Morey, Philadelphia 76ers (2020-) Draft picks: .682 OBP • .952 SLG • 1.634 OPS 3B: Tyrese Maxey (21st, 2020) 2B: Chandler Parsons (38th, 2011) • Clint Capela (25th, 2014) • Montrezl Harrell (32nd, 2015) • Jared McCain (16th, 2024) 1B: Aaron Brooks (26th, 2007) • Chase Budinger (44th, 2009) • Patrick Patterson (14th, 2010) • Marcus Morris (14th, 2011) • Donatas Motiejunas (20th, 2011) • Terrence Jones (18th, 2012) • Jeremy Lamb (12th, 2012) • Isaiah Hartenstein (43rd, 2017) • Paul Reed (58th, 2020) BB: Adem Bona (41st, 2024) K: Jermaine Taylor (32nd, 2009) • Sergio Llull (34th, 2009) • Royce White (16th, 2012) • Isaiah Canaan (34th, 2013) • Sam Dekker (18th, 2015) • Chinanu Onuaku (37th, 2016) • Jaden Springer (28th, 2021) (Morey served as general manager of the Houston Rockets from 2007-2020.) Morey does not get enough credit for his success in the draft, where, among others, he identified Tyrese Maxey, arguably the team's best player now (unfortunately). There's just not a lot of whiffs over a career as long as his. Even on the misses you can see the talent he was chasing. Smart guy, that Daryl Morey. 5. Tim Connelly, Minnesota Timberwolves (2022-) Draft picks: .652 OBP • 1.056 SLG • 1.708 OPS HR: Nikola Jokić (41st, 2014) • Jamal Murray (7th, 2016) 2B: Gary Harris (19th, 2014) • Jusuf Nurkić (16th, 2014) • Michael Porter Jr. (14th, 2018) 1B: Malik Beasley (19th, 2016) • Monte Morris (51st, 2017) • Jarred Vanderbilt (41st, 2018) • Rob Dillingham (8th, 2024) • Terrence Shannon Jr. (27th, 2024) BB: Juan Hernangómez (15th, 2016) • Vlatko Čančar (49th, 2017) • Bol Bol (44th, 2019) • Zeke Nnaji (22nd, 2020) • Jaylen Clark (53rd, 2023) K: Erick Green (46th, 2013) • Emmanuel Mudiay (7th, 2015) • Tyler Lydon (24th, 2017) • R.J. Hampton (24th, 2020) • Bones Hyland (26th, 2021) • Wendell Moore Jr. (26th, 2022) • Josh Minott (45th, 2022) • Leonard Miller (33rd, 2023) (Connelly served as general manager of the Denver Nuggets from 2013-2022.) That Jokić pick was so much of a grand slam, I think it's still going. Connelly identified a ton of talent in the draft for the Nuggets, including Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., or most of the core of Denver's 2023 championship team. Minnesota is hoping he can do the same for the Timberwolves, who could use some affordable talent on their books. Both Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon showed promise last season, and rookie Joan Beringer joins them this summer. The sooner any of them develops, the more we can accept the Wolves as legitimate title contenders. 4. Danny Ainge, Utah Jazz (2021-) Draft picks: .674 OBP • .1.147 SLG • 1.821 OPS HR: Rajon Rondo (21st, 2006) • Jaylen Brown (3rd, 2016) • Jayson Tatum (3rd, 2017) 3B: Al Jefferson (15th, 2004) • Marcus Smart (6th, 2014) 2B: Kendrick Perkins (27th, 2003) • Tony Allen (25th, 2004) • Avery Bradley (19th, 2010) • Terry Rozier (16th, 2015) • Robert Williams III (27th, 2018) • Walker Kessler (22nd, 2022) 1B: Delonte West (24th, 2004) • Ryan Gomes (50th, 2005) • Leon Powe (49th, 2006) • Glen Davis (35th, 2007) • Jared Sullinger (21st, 2012) • Kelly Olynyk (13th, 2013) • Semi Ojeleye (37th, 2017) • Grant Williams (22nd, 2019) • Payton Pritchard (26th, 2020) BB: Gerald Green (18th, 2005) • Guerschon Yabusele (16th, 2016) • Aaron Nesmith (14th, 2020) • Taylor Hendricks (9th, 2023) • Keyonte George (16th, 2023) • Brice Sensabaugh (28th, 2023) • Cody Williams (10th, 2024) • Isaiah Collier (29th, 2024) • Kyle Filipowski (32nd, 2024) K: Marcus Banks (13th, 2003) • Justin Reed (40th, 2004) • Gabe Pruitt (32nd, 2007) • J.R. Giddens (30th, 2008) • JaJuan Johnson (27th, 2011) • Fab Melo (22nd, 2012) • James Young (17th, 2014) • R.J. Hunter (28th, 2015) • Jordan Mickey (33rd, 2015) • Marcus Thornton (45th, 2015) • Ante Zizic (23rd, 2016) • Demetrius Jackson (45th, 2016) • Romeo Langford (14th, 2019) • Carsen Edwards (33rd, 2019) (Ainge served as general manager of the Boston Celtics from 2003-2021.) Another thing of beauty. Man, look at all that action. No wonder we called this The Danny Ainge System. He drafted players to two different championship teams in Boston and consistently raked for 20 seasons. There are a lot of recent draft picks hanging in the balance here as walks — from 2023 (Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh) to 2024 (Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski) — and that does not include this year's selections, Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. Two years from now, Ainge could have a very different score here — or an even better one, as he attempts to build a legacy in Utah. 3. Zach Kleiman, Memphis Grizzlies (2019-) Draft picks: .692 OBP • 1.154 SLG • 1.846 OPS HR: Ja Morant (2nd, 2019) 3B: Desmond Bane (30th, 2020) 2B: Santi Aldama (30th, 2021) 1B: Brandon Clarke (21st, 2019) • Xavier Tillman (35th, 2020) • Vince Williams Jr. (47th, 2022) • GG Jackson (45th, 2023) • Zach Edey (9th, 2024) • Jaylen Wells (39th, 2024) K: Ziaire Williams (10th, 2021) • Jake LaRavia (19th, 2022) • David Roddy (23rd, 2022) • Kennedy Chandler (38th, 2022) Ja Morant has come with ups and downs, but when he is healthy and engaged, he is the face of a 50-win team and an absolute superstar. He is a home run, even if anyone would have taken him with the No. 2 overall pick in 2019. You can only make the picks that are in front of you, and Morant was a good one. Kleiman has proven to be one of the league's best talent evaluators. Which is why it should have given Grizzlies fans great confidence when he proactively traded up for Cedric Coward at this year's No. 11 pick. If The Danny Ainge System has taught us anything, it's that there's a high likelihood Coward will be good. 2. Brian Wright, San Antonio Spurs (2019-) Draft picks: .636 OBP • .1.250 SLG • 1.886 OPS HR: Victor Wembanyama (1st, 2023) 3B: Stephon Castle (4th, 2024) 2B: Devin Vassell (11th, 2020) 1B: Jeremy Sochan (9th, 2022) BB: Tre Jones (41st, 2020) • Sidy Cissoko (44th, 2023) • Juan Núñez (36th, 2024) K: Joshua Primo (12th, 2021) • Joe Wieskamp (41st, 2021) • Malaki Branham (20th, 2022) • Blake Wesley (25th, 2022) It helps, of course, to luck into a generational superstar, and Victor Wembanyama is that. A No. 1 pick can make a general manager's career, as it can a coach. Just ask Gregg Popovich, who drafted Tim Duncan to the Spurs and reaped the rewards for a couple of decades. Wright's legacy will be written by Wembanyama. Popovich had to identify Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the draft, too, in order to build a dynasty. The Spurs will hope Wright found similar complementary stars from a rebuild, whether Stephon Castle builds on his Rookie of the Year campaign or one of this year's lottery picks, Dylan Harper or Carter Bryant, develops into a star. Wright has set San Antonio up for success. Bet on the Spurs in the coming years. 1. Rafael Stone, Houston Rockets (2020-) Draft picks: .700 OBP • 1.222 SLG • 1.922 OPS 3B: Alperen Şengün (16th, 2021) • Amen Thompson (4th, 2023) 2B: Jalen Green (2nd, 2021) 1B: KJ Martin (52nd, 2020) • Jabari Smith Jr. (3rd, 2022) • Tari Eason (17th, 2022) BB: Reed Sheppard (3rd, 2024) K: Usman Garuba (23rd, 2021) • Josh Christopher (24th, 2021) • Cam Whitmore (20th, 2023) There is a reason the Rockets were ready for Kevin Durant. Stone has drafted so well the Rockets have developed from what was a 17-win team when he took over to a 52-win No. 2 seed this past season — all on the backs of a handful of high-end draft picks, including All-Star center Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson, who at age 22 may be as likely to develop into a home run as anyone in the league right now. The Rockets were so good last season they decided they were one piece away from more serious title contention. They believed Jalen Green, their No. 2 overall pick in 2021, was not that one piece, so they flipped him for Durant, who could be the guy. It was a bet against Green's potential as a home run. Stone's draft record has benefited from four consecutive selections in the top five of the first round, though one of those picks, Reed Sheppard, remains a mystery. If Sheppard hits, there is a real chance that when we update this list a year or two from now, Stone's score could be even higher. As it is, he is the best around, and the Rockets are among the league's championship favorites as a direct result.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
College football Top 25: The Arch Manning era begins in earnest at No. 3 Texas
College football officially begins this month. Now that it's August, there are less than two weeks until Kansas State and Iowa State meet in Dublin to begin the 2025 regular season. And since the season is quickly approaching, we're rolling out our preseason Top 25. Next up in our rankings is the No. 3 team, and the rest will be revealed in the coming days. (All odds are from BetMGM.) Previously: Nos. 11 through 25, No. 10 Miami, No. 9 Alabama, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 7 LSU, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 5 Georgia, No. 4 Oregon No. 3 Texas 2024 record: 13-3 National championship odds: +475 Odds to make College Football Playoff: -310 2024 in 100 words The Longhorns started the season 6-0 in a stretch that included a convincing 31-12 win over Michigan and an even more convincing 34-3 win over Oklahoma. However, those teams weren't close to being playoff contenders. Texas got its first dose of Georgia on Oct. 19 when the Bulldogs just bullied the Longhorns' offense in a 30-15 loss. Texas then won five more games to make it to the SEC title game and face … you guessed it, Georgia. The Bulldogs again got the better of the Longhorns in a 22-19 win without Carson Beck for the second half. Even so, Texas won two playoff games to advance to the national semifinals, where it lost 28-14 to eventual champion Ohio State. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The quarterback Arch Manning What is there left to say about Arch Manning before the season begins? The buildup to his first season as Texas' full-time starter is unlike anything we've seen in recent college football history. Manning is the Heisman favorite at +600 despite throwing fewer than 100 career passes in college football. Many of those passes came early in the 2024 season after Quinn Ewers suffered an oblique injury. Manning sent the hype machine into overdrive immediately after he replaced Ewers against UTSA when he was 9-of-12 passing for 223 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing three times for 53 yards and a score. He started the next two games for the Longhorns as Ewers recovered and one was better than the other. Against Louisiana-Monroe, Manning's first college start was pretty pedestrian. He was 15-of-29 passing for 258 yards and 2 TDs and 2 interceptions in the 51-3 win. He was much better the next week against Mississippi State. Manning was 26-of-31 for 325 yards and two scores against the Bulldogs while also rushing six times for 33 yards and a TD. There was a moment in the first loss to Georgia where it looked like Texas coach Steve Sarkisian could be making the switch from Ewers to Manning late in the second half. Georgia's relentless pressure had put Ewers and the Texas offense into a funk and Sarkisian inserted Manning into the game. A spark didn't happen. Manning was 3-of-6 for 19 yards and fumbled with 25 seconds to go to set up a Georgia field goal and a 23-0 halftime lead for the Bulldogs. With Ewers off to the NFL, the time is now for Manning. And it sure looks like this will be the first of two seasons as Texas' starting quarterback given what his grandfather Archie said to Texas Monthly. Arch, meanwhile, said at SEC media day that he's learning to become more of a vocal leader now that he's the starter. 'I think as much as it wasn't always easy, those two years I kind of feel like I got a lot of respect from the team,' Arch said of his two seasons as a backup. 'Now being more of a vocal leader, they know it's coming from a place of love. When I get on someone, they know I'm not just being a turd.' Non-QB to watch WR Ryan Wingo The Longhorns lose their top three receivers from 2024 in Matthew Golden, Gunnar Helm and Isaiah Bond. All three each had more than 500 yards receiving and combined for over half of Texas' receiving TDs. Enter Wingo, who played a significant role as a freshman. Wingo had 29 grabs for 472 yards and two scores and was also used as a changeup on wide receiver runs. He had five carries for 100 yards thanks to a big 55-yard dash in the Week 2 win over Michigan. The former four-star recruit will team with DeAndre Moore Jr. on the outside while five-star freshman Kaliq Lockett could also push for playing time. Best position group Linebackers Anthony Hill leads the position group after he was everywhere in 2024. Hill had 113 tackles, eight sacks and an interception as the leader of Texas' defense. He should again be the team's leader in tackles and an All-American candidate. Liona Lefau is also back after he had 63 tackles last season and Jelani McDonald should step into a bigger role after he had 33 stops as a true freshman. Behind Hill and Lefau, Texas also has a ton of depth at the position. This was an easy choice on what could be a stacked defense. Biggest game Oct. 11 vs. Oklahoma No, we're not forgetting about the Week 1 showdown at Ohio State or the Week 12 game at Georgia on Nov. 15. Both of those games are massive and worthy of inclusion as the biggest game of the year. But it's conceivable that Texas could lose both of those road games and still be in the thick of the SEC title race and the playoff race. Losing to both Georgia and Oklahoma will complicate Texas' road back to the SEC championship game. The Oklahoma game also comes in the middle of a four-game stretch that doesn't include a home game. Texas plays at Florida on Oct. 4 before the annual game in Dallas and then plays at Kentucky and at Mississippi State over the following two weeks before a home game against Vanderbilt. Oklahoma should be much improved in 2025 and give Texas a much better game. Winning is imperative for bragging rights and Texas' hopes of a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. Why Texas is No. 3 For all the attention that will be paid to Manning and the Texas offense this season, the biggest reason for Texas' ranking is its defense. Just ask Sarkisian. 'This is probably the deepest and most talented defense that we've had, and we've made incremental growth on the defensive side of the ball now through four years,' Sarkisian said at SEC media days. 'And we're going to need to do that again. I think championships are won on the defensive side of the ball, and we've got a defensive football team that we're very excited about.' That defense could be what gives Texas the edge in Week 1 against the Buckeyes, even if the Longhorns are slight underdogs. Whoever starts at QB for Ohio State will also be very inexperienced, and the Buckeyes have far more turnover on the defensive side of the ball than the Longhorns. Texas gave up just over 15 points per game in 2024 and that number should be similar in 2025. Opposing offenses averaged 283 yards per game — only Ohio State and Indiana allowed fewer yards a contest. This is a well-rounded football team that should be going for a top-four seed in the College Football Playoff.
