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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Chris Paul gives massive praise to projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg
Chris Paul gives massive praise to projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg Cooper Flagg is the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft and has impressed many observers in recent memory, including future Hall of Famer Chris Paul. Flagg led Duke to the Final Four, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks on 38.5% shooting from 3-point range. He became the 22nd player in program history to be named a consensus first-team All-American. The 18-year-old is busy training during the predraft process and has spent some time in Los Angeles, California. Paul has joined him in the gym on a couple of occasions and can see why he is the clear choice to be the top pick on June 25. "I'm just like everybody else: I'm a fan," Paul said on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday. "I was at home in L.A., and I was watching the ping-pong balls like everybody, and when I saw the Spurs pop into the top four, we were going crazy. Guys on my team (in the) group chat, we were like, 'What is about to happen?' I'm in L.A. right now, and Cooper Flagg has been out there. I've been in the gym with him a couple of times, or whatnot. He is as real as advertised." Flagg entered last season with tremendous expectations as the consensus top recruit in the class of 2024. He was highly touted as the likely top pick in the draft and lived up to the hype after becoming the face of the sport this past season. The 6-foot-8 forward has drawn comparisons to former Duke legend and Hall of Famer Grant Hill because of his size, athleticism and ability to affect games in various ways. Former coach Mike Krzyzewski even called him the best freshman to ever play with the Blue Devils. After trading away cornerstone Luka Dončić, the Mavericks hope Flagg can step in and be their long-term solution. Should Flagg indeed hear his name called first, the ACC Freshman of the Year will become the sixth Blue Devil to be selected as the top pick.
Dominion Post
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
NOTEBOOK: State natives played a major role in No. 24 WVU's baseball success this season
MORGANTOWN — Kyle West's recollection of his conversation with WVU baseball coach went back to the old days. Well, maybe they weren't the old days, but certainly they were different from the current state of the program. 'He was telling me there was a time when you couldn't pay 4,000 people to come watch a game here,' the WVU outfielder recalled. 'Now, we're playing in front of 4,000 people every game.' There is a great sense of pride in West, a native of Hedgesville, in playing some type of role in the Mountaineers' climb into national respectability. He was second on the team with 14 home runs a season ago when WVU advanced to its first-ever super regional. West leads the 24th-ranked Mountaineers this season with a .354 batting average, as WVU (41-14) prepares to face Kentucky in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, at noon Friday. 'As a West Virginia native, being able to play in a postseason atmosphere for this state and this community, it means a lot to a lot of people,' he said. That would include many of his teammates who are also West Virginia natives, as the Mountaineers will travel to the Clemson, S.C. Regional with a roster armed with impact players from around the state. Former Parkersburg South star Grant Hussey is the school's all-time home run leader with 44. Mannington native Jace Rineart leads the Mountaineers with 50 RBIs. Ben McDougal (Bridgeport) will likely see action as a reliever, while Bryant Yoak (Big Bend) has appeared in 13 games as a relief pitcher this season. 'The pride I carry is immense,' West said. 'It's not every day you get to play for your home state. I think it's one of the most important things I've done in my career.' The Clemson Regional has other ties to the state, as well. USC Upstate freshman relief pitcher Cayden Mackey is a former Parkersburg South standout. Former Morgantown High standout Ryan Fluharty also played at USC Upstate, but entered the transfer portal and is no longer with the Spartans. WVU also has local ties on its roster who will be making a trip home to play in the regional. Center fielder Skylar King is a Columbia, S.C. native, who was once ranked the No. 19 prospect out of the state when he signed with the Mountaineers. WVU outfielder Ben Lumsden will be closer to home. His hometown of Simpsonville is located just 47 miles from Clemson's campus. Of the four teams — WVU, Clemson, Kentucky and USC Upstate —in the regional, Clemson center fielder Cam Cannarella stands out above the rest when it comes to the 2025 MLB draft. The junior is the only player on any of the rosters ranked among the top 150 prospects for the draft. He's ranked No. 34 overall by ESPN and 38th overall by Cannarella, the 2023 ACC Freshman of the Year, leads the Tigers with a .339 batting average. He also has three home runs and driven in 45 RBIs. He's also known for his defensive abilities, including over-the-shoulder catches on deeply-hit fly balls. 'He's fiery, he's composed, he's elite defensively, and he's still developing,' Clemson head coach Erik Bakich said. 'Cam makes winning plays. Period.' It takes three wins to advance out of regional play, which may set up WVU's largest pitching hurdle. Outside of starter Griffin Kirn, the Mountaineers have found little consistency elsewhere lately. Kirn, a senior lefty who pitched at the Division II level last season, is the only WVU starter to register a win over the Mountaineers' last nine games. That win came against Cincinnati in the Big 12 tournament. Other than that, you'd have to go back to WVU's 5-0 win against Texas Tech on May 4 to find the last time a WVU starting pitcher notched a victory. Jack Kartsonas was WVU's starter in the Big 12 semifinal loss against Arizona, but he's struggled as of late and allowed 10 runs over his last three starts. 'I think Kartsonas has really stabilized himself as the No. 2 starter,' WVU head coach Steve Sabins said. 'He's older. He's a veteran and competes at a really high level. I feel comfortable with Kartsonas and Kirn.' Kirn will likely get the start against the Wildcats (29-24). 'As a coach, when you make decisions, it feels like a lot of times it comes down to who are you willing to lose with?' Sabins continued. 'I'm willing to lose with both of those guys.' If the Mountaineers were to advance to a third game, it would likely be a pitcher-by-committee type of game. The good news is relief pitcher Carson Estridge is set to return for the NCAA tournament after not being eligible to pitch in the Big 12 tournament. Estridge is 3-1 with five saves this season, but has also struggled late, allowing 10 runs over his last four appearances. The news is not so good for starting pitcher Gavin Van Kempen, who has been dealing with shoulder soreness. 'He's working to get ready for the regional, I just don't know if that's a realistic possibility or not,' Sabins said. 'He appears to be further away than Estridge. I just don't feel good where GVK would be at.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mark Cuban offers NSFW reaction to Mavericks winning NBA draft lottery
Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban provided a tremendous reaction on social media to the team winning the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft on Monday. The Mavericks entered the evening slotted 11th in the draft lottery and had only a 1.8% chance of winning the top pick, the fourth-lowest odds to win since it was instituted in 1985. They have the top pick for the first time since 1981, when they selected Mark Aguirre. Advertisement Dallas now has the opportunity to draft Duke All-American Cooper Flagg, the overwhelming favorite to become the first player selected on June 25. Given his potential to be a franchise-changing prospect, Cuban and the Mavericks were ecstatic with the lottery result. After trading cornerstone Luka Dončić on Feb. 2, the Mavericks failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing 39-43. As a result, the team is drafting in the lottery for the second time in three years after adding Dereck Lively II with the 12th pick in 2023. Flagg is the front-runner to be the top pick after establishing himself as the National College Player of the Year. Should Flagg indeed hear his name called first, the ACC Freshman of the Year will become the sixth Blue Devil to be selected as the top pick. The presumptive selection of Flagg will give the Mavericks another generational talent to build around after parting ways with Dončić. With Flagg now in the fold, along with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and Lively, the Mavericks should remain a contender in the Western Conference. This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: NBA draft: Mark Cuban gives NSFW reaction to Dallas winning top pick
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mark Cuban offers NSFW reaction to Mavericks winning NBA draft lottery
Mark Cuban offers NSFW reaction to Mavericks winning NBA draft lottery Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban provided a tremendous reaction on social media to the team winning the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft on Monday. The Mavericks entered the evening slotted 11th in the draft lottery and had only a 1.8% chance of winning the top pick, the fourth-lowest odds to win since it was instituted in 1985. They have the top pick for the first time since 1981, when they selected Mark Aguirre. Dallas now has the opportunity to draft Duke All-American Cooper Flagg, the overwhelming favorite to become the first player selected on June 25. Given his potential to be a franchise-changing prospect, Cuban and the Mavericks were ecstatic with the lottery result. After trading cornerstone Luka Dončić on Feb. 2, the Mavericks failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing 39-43. As a result, the team is drafting in the lottery for the second time in three years after adding Dereck Lively II with the 12th pick in 2023. Flagg is the front-runner to be the top pick after establishing himself as the National College Player of the Year. Should Flagg indeed hear his name called first, the ACC Freshman of the Year will become the sixth Blue Devil to be selected as the top pick. The presumptive selection of Flagg will give the Mavericks another generational talent to build around after parting ways with Dončić. With Flagg now in the fold, along with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and Lively, the Mavericks should remain a contender in the Western Conference.
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Washington Mystics select Notre Dame's Sonia Citron with No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft
Meghan L. Hall USA TODAY Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron's rise to the top should be admired. Citron was selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the Washington Mystics in the 2025 WNBA draft Monday in New York. The 6-foot-1 New York native was already making waves before joining the Fighting Irish. Prior to her tenure in South Bend, Citron earned consecutive Gatorade New York Player of the Year honors in 2020 and 2021. Additionally, in 2021, she was named a McDonald's All-American and won gold with the Team USA U19 roster at the 2021 FIBA World Cup. During her first season under head coach Niele Ivey, Citron hustled her way to ACC Freshman of the Year. She was second on the team in rebounds and was Notre Dame's best free-throw shooter, connecting on 84.3 percent of her shots, good for second in the ACC. Moreover, Citron was one of two freshmen nationwide to average 11 points, six rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals per matchup. 2025 WNBA MOCK DRAFT: Projected first-round picks after 2025 women's NCAA championship As she continued her college journey, the accolades mounted. Honors like All-ACC First and Second Team and All-ACC Defensive Team were a staple of Citron's resumé. By the time the end of her senior season arrived, the 21-year-old was the only player in Notre Dame history with 1700 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists. Her prowess at the free-throw line also never left her, and she ended her career in South Bend with the fifth-best shooting percentage in program history. Additionally, her 173 made career 3-pointers was eighth in Notre Dame history. 'She is, I would say glue and consistency," Ivey shared about Citron last year. "She's the type of player that I know exactly what I'm going to get every day, no matter what. She's an ultimate team player. She's so gifted and talented in so many different positions. She does so many things well.' Sonia Citron's career stats Here's what Citron averaged in 124 career games. Her stats from the 2024-2025 season at Notre Dame are in parenthesis. Points per game: 14.3 (14.1 PPG) 14.3 (14.1 PPG) Rebounds per game: 5.8 (5.4 RPG) 5.8 (5.4 RPG) Assists per game: 2.5 (2.7 APG) 2.5 (2.7 APG) Steals per game: 1.8 (1.9 SPG, a career-high) 1.8 (1.9 SPG, a career-high) Field goal percentage: 46.8 (48.4 percent, a career-high) 46.8 (48.4 percent, a career-high) Three-point percentage: 37.0 (37.2 percent) 37.0 (37.2 percent) Free-throw percentage: 84.3 (89.0 percent)
