Latest news with #All-SEC
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
LSU linebackers named to prestigious defensive award watchlist
LSU linebackers named to prestigious defensive award watchlist LSU football linebackers Harold Perkins Jr. and Whit Weeks were named to the Lott Trophy watch list. The trophy is awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player for impact on and off the field. The last Tiger to take home the award was Glenn Dorsey in 2004. With Weeks and Perkins, LSU is aiming to have one of the best linebacker duos in the SEC. Perkins and Weeks are both coming off significant injuries in 2024. Perkins went down in Week Four with a knee injury, while Weeks was carted off the field in the second quarter of the Kinder's Texas Bowl after sustaining multiple lower-body injuries. Weeks led the team with 125 tackles, including 10 for loss and 3.5 sacks. He added six quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and an interception. Despite sitting out all spring, he will be at full strength for summer workouts. Perkins burst onto the scene as one of the SEC's top pass rushers in 2022, but Perkins moved to inside linebacker in 2023. It was an adjustment for the former five-star recruit, but he made 75 tackles, including 13 for loss, in a second-team All-SEC season as a sophomore. The New Orleans native will aim to increase his NFL Draft stock with a standout senior season. Perkins' exact role in 2025 remains to be seen. There's been talk of Perkins' playing the STAR position in Blake Baker's defense, but that slot is usually manned by a defensive back. Look for LSU to take advantage of Perkins' versatility this fall. Where Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins ranked as recruits Weeks and Perkins were both among the top linebackers in the country in their respective recruiting classes. Perkins, a member of the 2022 class, was the No. 9 overall prospect and No. 1-ranked linebacker. Weeks signed in 2023 and ranked No. 149 overall in the On3 Industry Rankings. Weeks was the No. 15-ranked linebacker in his class.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Nets to work out Tennessee's Chaz Lanier ahead of 2025 NBA Draft
Nets to work out Tennessee's Chaz Lanier ahead of 2025 NBA Draft The Brooklyn Nets still have a couple of months before they have to figure out what they are going to with their picks in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft in June. As of this writing, Brooklyn has five draft picks, meaning that they will have plenty of players to sift through and one way to do that is to bring prospective players in for workouts ahead of the Draft. The Nets will be bringing in Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier for a predraft workout on Thursday, according to ClutchPoints' Erik Slater on Wednesday. Lanier is regarded as one of the best shooters in the class as he shot 39.5% from three-point land this past season for Tennessee and had that kind of accuracy from deep on 8.2 attempts per game. Lanier, listed at 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds, seems to be regarded as a player that will definitely be taken in the second of the Draft if Jonathan Wasserman's latest mock draft for Bleacher Report is any indication. Wasserman predicted that Lanier would be taken by the Detroit Pistons with the 37th overall pick, implying that Lanier should be safely-regarded as a player to not last deep into the second round. "Chaz Lanier finished second at the NBA combine in aggregate shooting, unsurprising based on his 229 made threes over the past two seasons. NBA teams that could use more offensive firepower will look past age and lack of versatility for such advanced shotmaking," Wasserman wrote. Lanier, who Wasserman compares to Seth Curry and Alex Burks, would be a player for the Nets to target after they finished last season shooting just 34.4% from deep, good for 25th in the league. Lanier had quite the senior season for the Volunteers as he was named a Wooden All-American as well as being named All-SEC. Lanier came away from the 2024-25 season after averaging 18.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the field and the aforementioned 39.5% behind the three-point arc. Brooklyn has the 36th overall pick to use in the second round if Lanier impresses in his workout.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV reveals goals for predraft workouts
Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV attended his first team workout ahead of the 2025 NBA draft, and the four-year senior is eager to showcase himself against his peers. Taylor was an All-SEC first-team selection this past season, averaging 15.7 points, 4.3 assists, three rebounds and 1.3 steals on 31.8% shooting from 3-point range in 30 games. He scored in double figures in all but one game, including a season-high 29 points on March 13. The 6-foot standout wants to model his game after the likes of point guards Chris Paul and Trae Young. He is looking to channel those players during his upcoming workouts. "I'm just making sure I'm being a vocal leader," Taylor said Tuesday in Portland. "Being the smallest guy on the court, you've got to have this tenacity about yourself to make sure that all the dudes are on the same page and are listening. Just being the best leader I can, making sure people are in the right spots and have the right attitudes." Taylor left College Station as the all-time program leader in several categories, including career scoring (2,058), free throws (536) and free-throw percentage (85.1). He is the only Aggie to surpass 2,000 points, topping Bernard King with 1,990 (1999-2003). Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle The 21-year-old competed in the G League Elite Camp earlier this month, averaging 6.5 points, 7.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds in two scrimmage games. He is considered a possible second-round pick because of his scoring and ability as a lead guard. Taylor is hopeful to impress in upcoming workouts, with four weeks to go until the draft. He is treating each visit with the intention of making the most on and off the court. "Coming from Texas A&M and Coach Buzz (Williams), we treat everything as business," Taylor said. "This is a job interview, no matter if I'm not in a suit and tie, but I'm in a basketball jersey. I'm interviewing for it to hopefully be a job."
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Todd Golden reacts to Alex Condon returning to Florida for junior year
Todd Golden reacts to Alex Condon returning to Florida for junior year Florida sophomore Alex Condon announced Tuesday on social media that he is withdrawing from the 2025 NBA draft and returning to school next season. Condon was named to the All-SEC second team by USA TODAY, averaging 10.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocks on 49.3% shooting from the field. He ranked third in the conference in total rebounds (279) and seventh in blocked shots (49). The 7-footer was among the notable prospects who were still weighing their decisions ahead of the early entrant withdrawal deadline on Wednesday. Gators coach Todd Golden is excited to have his starting center back for another year. 'Really thrilled to get him back,' Golden said Tuesday at the SEC spring meetings in Florida, via Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel. 'He's had a great process. He got great feedback from some teams. We were worried there for a little bit that he would stay in.' Condon competed in the draft combine earlier this month, shooting 25-of-51 from the field in two 3-point shooting drills in Chicago, Illinois. He also registered a 2.76-second time in the shuttle run, the fourth-fastest among all participants this year. The Australian was considered a borderline first-round pick, likely factoring into his decision to forgo turning pro. He previously stated at the combine that he'd likely remain in consideration if he received a high first-round grade, adding that he'd be comfortable returning to Gainesville. Condon joins Rueben Chinyelu and Thomas Haugh in returning to the program. Golden and the Gators are also adding AJ Brown (Ohio), Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Providence) via the transfer portal, the eighth-ranked class, according to 247Sports.
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemente, Heyman headline 5 Florida Gators named to All-SEC baseball teams
Clemente, Heyman headline 5 Florida Gators named to All-SEC baseball teams The Southeastern Conference named five Florida Gators to its 2025 All-SEC baseball teams on Monday. Catcher Luke Heyman made the First Team, and closer Jake Clemente made the Second Team, Aidan King and Brendan Lawson made the 2025 Freshman All-SEC Baseball Team and Bobby Boser was an All-Defensive Team member for his work at third, sharing the award with Auburn's Eric Guevara. Heyman slashed .301/.397/.578 over the regular season with 13 home runs and 44 runs batted in. Those numbers improved to .317/.403/.673 in conference play, where 10 of his homers and 28 of his RBI came. He ranked inside the conference top-10 in both categories, finishing sixth in homers. He also served as Florida's primary catcher after splitting time behind the plate in parts of last year with Brody Donay, who is still on the team. Heyman made just one error all year and led the SEC in chances and putouts. He caught 11 runners stealing, good for third in the conference. A broken forearm suffered in the Alabama series ended Heyman's season right before the SEC Tournament, and he's a likely draft departure given the success seen this year. Clemente entered his redshirt sophomore year at Florida with a ton of hype behind him after an All-Star summer in the Cape Cod League. Injuries slowed the process, but Clemente ultimately failed to thrive as a starter in the SEC. The stamina needed might not be there, but he found a role as a multi-inning closer to thrive in. Working through the order just one time allows Clemente to ramp up his fastball and attack with the slider more often. He ended the regular season with a 2-1 record and 3.51 ERA, although that number has dropped from 6.08 since he moved into the closer role. His WHIP is 1.12, 34.1% strikeout rate and 11.5% walk rate all make him a prime candidate for the draft this year. D1Baseball ranked him the eighth-best relief arm in college ball, regardless of draft eligibility. He might be a top-5 relief arm in the class. King and Lawson have both established themselves as the future of the Gators' baseball program. The former is in talks for the title of best arm in the 2027 draft class, and Lawson is hitting third in Florida's lineup as a freshman. Both are going to develop over the next two years, too, meaning they're from their peaks despite being considered elite already. Boser getting the defensive team nod is a nice consolation prize, but he likely would have made a third team if it existed. He led the team in home runs for a good chunk of the season and is just one behind Donay for the team lead at 17. He's flashed all five tools, slashing .330/.433/.598, locking down third base and leading the team in steals with 18. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
