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Boston Globe
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Four takeaways from Boston College coach Bill O'Brien's appearance at ACC Football Kickoff
Here are four takeaways from O'Brien's news conference: Versatile defense could be the key Dealing with player losses following graduation and the NFL Draft is par for the course for college coaches, so O'Brien isn't fazed by the departure of top defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku, who the Cowboys selected in the second round. Advertisement O'Brien expects his versatile defense will have no trouble filling the hole left by Ezeiruaku, who was the 2024 ACC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 16.5 sacks. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'I feel very confident in our ability to play good defense this year,' O'Brien said. 'We have a lot of versatile players. We have guys that can play safety and corner. We have linebackers that can play in the box. They can walk out on receivers. We have nickels that can play safety, that can play corner. We have defensive linemen that can play inside, that can play off the edge. And over the course of 30 practices in training camp, that'll all come together, and we'll be ready to go when the season kicks off.' Advertisement Touchdown in Charlotte — Boston College Football (@BCFootball) BC's NIL money is awarded to players who 'earn it,' including by attending class O'Brien called revenue sharing and name, image, and likeness legislation in college football 'the wild, wild west,' especially when compared with the NFL's model. 'There's all different things that go into the NFL, but it's very uniform. There's rules,' he said. 'That's something that I believe has to happen eventually in college football — that there has to be enforcement.' Despite facing the added challenge of recruiting players to a private, Jesuit university with high academic standards, O'Brien is satisfied with the way he, chief of staff Berj Najarian, and the administration have handled their NIL model. 'We do a good job of making sure the players understand it's an 'earn it' philosophy,' O'Brien said. 'Every [football player] coming into BC as a freshman, they're going to make a certain amount of money. From that point forward, they're going to earn everything they get.' By performing well, players can earn additional money. But those performance incentives are not limited to the field. 'Going to class, being on time for meetings,' O'Brien said. 'You don't necessarily have to be an All-American right away. Just got to be a good guy, a good locker room guy, good teammate, somebody that's a contributing member of the team. And if you do that, you'll earn more and more as you go through your career at BC.' The difference between a winning and losing record is minor details The Eagles haven't finished above .500 in conference play since 2009, when they went 5-3 in the ACC and 9-5 overall. O'Brien has tried to convey to his players that the difference between finishing 4-4 in the conference — as BC did last season — and winning 10 or 11 games overall comes down to a handful of mistakes. Advertisement Three of the Eagles' six losses last season were by less than a touchdown, and five were by 10 points or fewer. 'There's a small margin of error for all the teams, and we have to figure out how to be on the right side of that margin, whether it's turnovers or missed opportunities on defense, maybe a lack of communication here and there,' O'Brien said. 'My point is it comes down to seven or eight, maybe nine plays in a game that make a big difference.' O'Brien likes to leverage local connections in recruiting It's no secret that BC faces stiff competition in recruiting from schools that can offer more NIL money, larger stadiums, or more trophies in their cases, so to lock down his top prospects, O'Brien presents BC as the whole package: a great education in a major city, where players can earn money and play in a Power Five conference. While O'Brien recruits all over the country, he also likes to sell local players on the idea that their families can attend every game, and he tries to use BC's identity to his advantage. 'We recruit at every Catholic school in the country,' he said. O'Brien also said he doesn't put much stock into prospect rankings and stars. 'I want to see what they do on the field when they get there,' he said. 'We have a process of how we evaluate prospects, and I think we're on the right path.' Emma Healy can be reached at
USA Today
20-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How former Wisconsin PG Chucky Hepburn performed in final NBA Summer League games
Former Wisconsin point guard Chucky Hepburn wrapped up his 2025 NBA Summer League season with a pair of notable performances -- each for different reasons. In the Toronto Raptors' 81-69 win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, the undrafted rookie went scoreless with five assists and two steals in 16 minutes of action off the bench. That zero-point outing came on 0-of-3 shooting from the field and 0-of-1 from 3-point range. That performance followed a string of relatively low point totals from the longtime Badger. In the Raptors' first three Summer League games, Hepburn scored two, six and three points, respectively. While the assist and steal numbers are strong enough to headline his stat sheet, the lack of scoring production is a bit of a surprise after he averaged 16.4 points per game in a breakthrough senior season at Louisville. Related: How Wisconsin star wing John Tonje and center Steven Crowl fared in their final Summer League games With that trend in mind, Hepburn entered the Raptors' Summer League semifinal matchup against the Sacramento Kings needing to make a statement. He was on his way to doing exactly that through his first nine minutes of action, with eight quick points off 1-of-4 shooting and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. A string of fouls sent him to the bench for a significant portion of the fourth quarter, before he picked up his sixth and final foul in the game's closing seconds. Toronto fell 98-88, ending its Summer League session. Hepburn signed a two-way deal with the Raptors following June's NBA draft. Given that status, the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year should get plenty of opportunities during the Raptors' training camp and preseason schedule. A start in the G League will likely follow, barring an unforeseen breakout. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cowboys, second-round pick finally agree to terms on eve of training camp
Dallas inks its second-round pick and finalizes all 2025 draft deals before heading to Oxnard. The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms on a four-year deal worth $10.1 million with rookie defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku. Dallas' first-year defender will reportedly see the first three years of his deal guaranteed, and 38% of his fourth-year salary guaranteed, the long wait, was sparked due to a league wide standoff with second round picks and their agents trying to secure fully guaranteed deals, after Texans' WR Jayden Higgins, pick No. 34, became the first second rounder in NFL history to sign a fully guaranteed rookie contract and was followed by Browns' LB Carson Schwessinger at pick No. 33 to the same deal, which has caused several second round picks to sign late in the offseason and now following the signing of Ezeiruaku, 19 players overall from round two have still not signed their rookie deals. Dallas selected Ezeiruaku at pick No. 44 in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Boston College. The signing of Ezeiruaku secures Dallas' entire 2025 draft class just days ahead of the start of training camp in California. During his time with Boston College, Ezeiruaku recorded 215 tackles, 30 sacks, 47 tackles for loss, and eight forced fumbles. In his senior season, the 6-foot-2, 237-pound defender cemented his name on the NFL's radar, finishing with 80 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. As a result, the Williamstown, New Jersey native was named the 2024 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, as well as a Consensus All-American, First-team All-ACC, and was the 22nd winner of the Ted Hendricks award, which is given annually to the nation's best defensive end. Ezeiruaku will play alongside a defensive end group that features All-Pro Micah Parsons, a returning veteran in Dante Fowler Jr., and Sam Williams, who Dallas lost last year during training camp to a torn ACL. Dallas will report for its 2025 training camp period on Monday, July 21, with the first official practice set for Wednesday, July 23. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
USA Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How former Wisconsin point guard Chucky Hepburn has fared in NBA Summer League action
Wisconsin basketball fans have a lot to monitor this summer, with several former program leaders beginning their professional careers at the NBA Summer League. The first duo to watch is John Tonje and Steven Crowl. Both players are on the Utah Jazz' summer roster, Tonje via the second round of the NBA draft and Crowl via an Exhibit 10 contract. Here is our recent look at how both players are performing. Another former Badger currently making headlines on an NBA court is Chucky Hepburn, who joined the Toronto Raptors via a two-way contract after June's draft. Unlike Crowl, who has seen limited minutes, and Tonje, who didn't suit up until Utah's loss to San Antonio on Monday, Hepburn has been at the center of the action since the summer period began. Here is a quick recap of how he has performed in each of the Raptors' three contests, all wins, thus far: Game 1 (116-72 win over Chicago): 14 minutes off the bench, two points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal, 1-of-5 shooting, 0-of-4 from 3-point range Game 2 (89-86 win over Orlando): 15 minutes off the bench, six points, four assists, two steals, 2-of-4 shooting, 2-of-4 from 3-point range Game 3 (101-97 win over Denver): 13 minutes off the bench, three points, one rebound, four assists, one steal, 1-of-6 shooting, 1-of-5 from 3-point range While the offensive numbers are limited, Hepburn has made headlines with his on-ball defense and floor-general ability. He still faces an uphill path to make the Raptors' season-opening active roster. However, his contract should guarantee his spot on the franchise's G League affiliate. While not the top of the sport, the G League would provide Hepburn a great setting to improve at the professional level and develop the necessary skills to eventually join the Raptors' big-league club. Hepburn is looking to find an NBA role after a terrific senior season leading the Louisville Cardinals. The former Badger averaged 34.8 minutes, 16.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game while shooting 43% from the field, 33% from 3-point range and 84.4% from the free-throw line. Those tallies helped earn him a First Team All-ACC selection and the 2024-25 ACC Defensive Player of the Year award. Defense, passing and long-range shooting will be Hepburn's ticket to the NBA level. We'll see if he can register a signature performance before the 2025 Summer League concludes. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
USA Today
27-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Wisconsin basketball star signs two-way contract with NBA team
Louisville's Chucky Hepburn – the ACC Defensive Player of the Year – has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Toronto Raptors, sources tell ESPN. Former Wisconsin basketball star Chucky Hepburn agreed to a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. News of Hepburn's contract arrived shortly after the second round of the 2025 NBA draft on Thursday evening, an event that welcomed another 29 newcomers to the professional stage. Hepburn's two-way deal with Toronto will enable him to split time between the Raptors and their G League affiliate, Raptors 905. The development isn't uncommon for undrafted college standouts. Arizona's Caleb Love signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, St. John's RJ Luis Jr. agreed to a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz and Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard inked one with the Miami Heat, to name a few. Prior to the draft, the Omaha, Nebraska, native participated in the G League Elite Camp before working out for the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets, per the RookieWire's Cody Taylor. His introduction to Toronto's brass, while brief, appears to have paid off. Following his stint in Madison, Hepburn transferred to the Louisville Cardinals and delivered his most prolific individual season of his collegiate career. In 30 games, the feisty guard averaged 16.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.4 steals per contest while shooting 43% from the field, 33% from 3 and 84.4% from the free-throw line. The output even earned him a spot on the First Team All-ACC and the 2024-25 ACC Defensive Player of the Year award. While at UW, Hepburn morphed into a fan favorite with clutch performances and timely buckets. From 2021-2024, he averaged 9.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 32.1 minutes across 103 games. The Raptors roster includes several ball-handlers, including Immanuel Quickly, R.J. Barrett, Jamal Shead and A.J. Lawson. If Hepburn shows out with Raptors 905, he could certainly fill the team's need for an on-ball defender at the point guard position. His journey in the G League will begin in November. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
