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USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What happened the last time the Nets won the NBA Draft Lottery?
What happened the last time the Nets won the NBA Draft Lottery? The Brooklyn Nets are just a few days away from the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery that could determine whether they can draft the best player in the Draft. While every team in the Lottery is hoping to earn the first overall pick and select Duke forward Cooper Flagg, it's interesting to remember the last time Brooklyn won the Lottery. Following the conclusion of the 1999-00 season, the Nets, then in New Jersey, finished with a disappointing 31-51 record despite going into the season with a 40.5 over/under win total. The Nets went into the 2000 NBA Draft Lottery seventh in the standings, but managed to win the Lottery with just a 4.40% chance of getting the first overall pick. With the No. 1 pick, the Nets selected forward Kenyon Martin Sr. out of Cincinnati after a senior season for the Bearcats in which he averaged 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 56.8% from the field and 68.4% from the free-throw line. Not only did Martin lead Conference USA in field-goal percentage, but he also led the conference in blocks per game en route to winning the Associated Press Player of the Year. After being drafted by the Nets, a move that was described as the franchise picking "maturity over potential," Martin went on to spend his first four seasons with the organization. From 2000 to 2004, Martin averaged 15.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per contest while shooting 46.7% from the floor and 66.3% from the charity stripe. During his time with the Nets, Martin earned the second-most votes for the 2000-01 Rookie of the Year award, received some votes for Defensive Player of the Year from 2002 to 2004, and earned the lone All-Star selection of his career in the 2003-04 campaign. Martin's time in New Jersey coincided with some of the best years for the Nets franchise as they made the playoffs in three of those seasons, including NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. Monday will be an important day for the Nets organization given that the team committed to a full-scale rebuild last summer by trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks in exchange for a bevy of first-round picks. The odds (9.0% chance of getting the first overall pick) are stacked against Brooklyn to win the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, but if they do, Flagg could have a similar impact on the franchise that Martin had over two decades ago.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL Reacts to Major Travis Hunter News on Thursday
It's been a remarkable six months for Travis Hunter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. After wrapping up an incredible collegiate career with the Colorado Buffaloes, Hunter walked away with college football's highest individual honor — the Heisman Trophy. In addition to the Heisman, Hunter also earned the Walter Camp Award and was named the Associated Press Player of the Year. His dynamic play on both sides of the ball made him one of the most electrifying players in the country. Advertisement The Buffaloes finished the 2024 season with a 9-4 record, though their year ended on a disappointing note with a loss to Brigham Young University in the Alamo Bowl. Hunter recently celebrated another significant milestone — graduating from the University of Colorado. The NFL acknowledged his achievement with a congratulatory message on social media: ".@TravisHunterJr is getting his college degree today" This academic accomplishment adds to the list of accolades for the 21-year-old star. Hunter is set to report to Jacksonville on Friday to begin rookie minicamp with the Jaguars. Former Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Lee-Imagn Images The Suwanee, Georgia, native played his high school football at Collins Hill High School before committing to Jackson State University to play for Deion Sanders. When Sanders took the head coaching job at Colorado, Hunter transferred with him. Advertisement During his two seasons in Boulder, Hunter was a two-way sensation. Offensively, he hauled in 153 receptions — including 96 during his junior year — and scored 20 receiving touchdowns. He also added one rushing touchdown to his résumé. Defensively, he played in 22 games, tallying 66 total tackles. Last season, he led the team with 11 pass deflections and recorded four interceptions, showcasing his elite skills as a cornerback. While the full NFL schedule has yet to be released, the Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to open their 2025 campaign on Sunday, September 7. The team is coming off of 4-13 season and has made major changes, including the dismissal of head coach Doug Pederson. Liam Coen, formerly the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will begin his first season as Jacksonville's head coach. Hunter is expected to play a major role in turning the franchise around. Advertisement Related: Simone Biles' Behavior Toward Jonathan Owens at Met Gala is Turning Heads Related: Fans Notice Paige Bueckers Being Treated Differently Than Caitlin Clark During WNBA Debut
CBS News
08-04-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Paige Bueckers' storybook ending of college career inspiring young Minnesotans
Two Minnesota basketball stars went head to head in the women's NCAA championship game on Sunday. Tessa Johnson from St. Michael-Albertville saw plenty of playing time for South Carolina, but it was Hopkins native Paige Bueckers who came out on top helping the UConn Huskies earn their first title since 2016. It was a storybook ending for Bueckers, who faced a lot of hurdles to get to this moment. "All you had to do was see her in seventh grade, and you knew she was going to be special," said Brian Cosgriff, the former head girls basketball coach at Hopkins High School, who coached Bueckers for six years. When Bueckers was in eighth grade, she shared her aspirations with him. "We were playing Elk River. They were the number two team in the state," said Cosgriff. "We were down by about 10 points, and we put her in, and she hit eight [three-point shots] in a row, and we won the game. I'll never forget in her exit meeting at the end of the year, I asked if she could pick one college she'd want to go and play and she said UConn." Cosgriff proudly watched on as Bueckers checked out of her final college game as a UConn Husky and a national champion. "When she hugged Geno [Auriemma] at the end, I'm not going to lie, I had tears in my eyes. I had chills," said Cosgriff. While Bueckers' basketball legacy still has a long way to go, as a likely top draft pick for the WNBA, Cosgriff feels honored to have been part of her story. "If you have great players, you can be a great coach, and she afforded me part of that ride, and it's something I'll be forever grateful to her for," said Cosgriff. Her college career and beyond continue to inspire the Minnesota hoopers that come behind her. "It just lets me know that anything is possible. You can get to big stages even when you're from Minnesota," said Elia Johnson, a senior basketball player at DeLaSalle High School. At UConn, Bueckers became the first freshman to win Associated Press Player of the Year. That same year, she won the John R. Wooden Award and Naismith trophy. "Even when it got hard, she still voiced that. She never came out and said, 'Oh this was easy.' She told her struggle out, and I think that's really inspiring that she kept going," said Taylor Starks, a senior basketball player at DeLaSalle High School and Hamline University commit. Bueckers tore her ACL in the middle of her sophmore year, missing her entire junior year in recovery. But she came back stronger than ever, winning Big East Player of the Year the last two years in a row, and now a national championship.
Forbes
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Houston And Coach Kelvin Sampson Are One Win From First National Title
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 05: Head coach Kelvin Sampson of the Houston Cougars celebrates a win in ... More the Final Four Game of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Alamodome on April 05, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) On a Friday night in March 2015, the University of Houston's season ended with a 59-51 loss to Tulsa in the American Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament quarterfinals in Hartford, Conn. During the postgame news conference, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson received one question. Someone then asked guard Devonta Pollard a question. That was it. No one was paying much attention to the Cougars. They finished 13-19 (4-14 in the AAC) and 214th in analyst Ken Pomeroy's net rating, making them among the bottom 60% of Division 1 teams. On Monday night, Houston is vying to become the nation's best team when it faces Florida in the NCAA men's basketball tournament championship in San Antonio. The Cougars, a decade after being irrelevant even in their own city, are now one victory away from winning their first national title in a stadium 200 miles from their campus. They are in this position thanks to an improbable comeback in Saturday night's Final Four when they went on a 9-0 run over the final 33 seconds to pull off a 70-67 victory over Duke. More than that, they are here because of Sampson, who could become the oldest coach to win a national title. Sampson will turn 70 in October. Houston was once a premier program. From 1965 through 1973, the Cougars made the NCAA tournament eight times in nine seasons, including a Final Four appearance when they had center Elvin Hayes, the Associated Press Player of the Year. And from 1982 through 1984, they advanced to the Final Four in three consecutive seasons, including losing in the championship game in 1983 and 1984. Those teams, famously nicknamed Phi Slama Jama by Houston Post columnist Tommy Bonk, featured two future Hall of Famers in guard Clyde Drexler and center Hakeem Olajuwon. By the time Sampson arrived in April 2014, those days were long gone. During the previous 30 seasons after Drexler and Olajuwon departed, Houston made the NCAA tournament four times (1987, 1990, 1992 and 2010), losing in the first round on each occasion. They were ranked in the AP top 25 for just two weeks: one week in January 1993 and one week in December 2005, checking in at No. 25 both times. Still, Sampson was in no position to be too picky. In February, he resigned under pressure for making impermissible phone calls to recruits as Indiana University's coach. The NCAA deemed it a major violation and stuck Sampson with a five year show-cause penalty, making it nearly impossible for any college to hire him. The NCAA a few years later overturned the outdated rule about contacting recruits, but Sampson was still stuck. He ended up in the NBA, including spending three seasons as the Houston Rockets top assistant before staying in the city and taking over the college program. After hiring Sampson, Houston athletics director Mack Rhoades told the Houston Chronicle he spoke with NCAA officials and Sampson's colleagues and noted the 'reviews were extremely encouraging.' Later that year, Sampson recalled to Sports Illustrated that his father encouraged him to get back into college coaching even though Sampson preferred getting an NBA head coaching job. Sampson's father, Ned, died less than a day later. 'I think my Dad also felt like I would go back to college,' Sampson told SI. 'He had unbelievable common sense. He was gifted to know what to say and when to say it. That's a gift.' Sampson wasn't an immediate success at Houston. The Cougars missed the NCAA tournament in his first three seasons. But in the past eight seasons, they have made seven NCAA appearances, the only exception being in 2020 when there was no tournament due to COVID-19. They dominated in the AAC, finishing second in the regular season in 2018 and 2021 and winning it in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023. When Houston entered the Big 12 last season, it faced much more difficult conference opponents, but the Cougars haven't missed a beat. They won the Big 12 regular season title last season (15-3) and repeated this season with a 19-1 league mark. Entering Monday night's national title game, Houston (35-4) has won 18 consecutive games and 31 of its past 32 games. Three of the Cougars' four losses have come in overtime, while the other was a 74-69 defeat to Auburn in the second game of the season. They seemed destined for another loss on Saturday before turning things around. With 1:14 remaining, Duke had possession after freshman Kon Knueppel made a free throw to give the Blue Devils a 67-61 lead. Duke never scored again, while Houston had nine points in the final 33 seconds to secure the unlikely victory and give Sampson his third Final Four appearance following trips in 2002 with Indiana and 2021 with Houston. Both previous times, Sampson's teams lost in the national semifinals. But this time, the Cougars won, thanks to a defense that held Duke to one field goal on nine attempts in the final 10:31 and an offense that came through in the end. Houston, which ranks 360th out of 364 Division 1 programs in analyst Ken Pomeroy's adjusted tempo metric, dictated the game with a methodical pace and held Duke to its second-lowest point total of the season. During a news conference in San Antonio Sunday, Sampson said he received 'so many' text messages following the Duke victory, but he didn't have a chance to reply. He also mentioned he ran into old friends such as former Kentucky coach Tubby Smith (73 years old), San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich (76), Michigan State coach Tom Izzo (70) and Tennessee coach Rick Barnes (70). 'They all kind of had similar messages to me,' Sampson said. 'Win one for the old guys, something like that.' If Houston wins its first national title Monday, Sampson will be the oldest coach to win a men's basketball title, surpassing Connecticut's Jim Calhoun, who was 68 years and 329 days old when the Huskies defeated Butler in the 2011 final. Sampson didn't seem to care too much about that, though. He's getting ready for Florida (35-4), Houston's next opponent and a team on an 11-game winning streak that includes victories over eight teams in the AP top 25. 'My mother always used to tell me that I had to learn to smell the roses,' Sampson said Sunday. 'My mother passed away in 2014. I never did learn.'
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Historic Cooper Flagg Announcement Made Before Final Four
On April 5 the Duke Blue Devils will face off against the Houston Cougars in a battle of No. 1 seeds hoping to make the national title game. Duke has dominated its competition in the 2025 NCAA Tournament thus far, winning three of its four games by at least 20 points. The closest contest came in the Sweet 16 against Arizona as the Blue Devils escaped with a 100-93 victory where star Cooper Flagg dropped 30 points. Advertisement The freshman phenom has been one of the best players in the NCAA Tournament, continuing his form from the regular season. As he prepares for the toughest test of the season against Houston, Flagg received an incredible honor. He was named the Associated Press Player of the Year on April 4. "I hold myself to a high standard, high expectations," Flagg told the AP. "Just because I know how much work I've put in and how many hours I've spent grinding and putting that work in. ... It's those expectations of just trusting what you do and just doing it to the highest level." Flagg became just the fourth freshman to win the award in its 64-year history, joining Duke's Zion Williamson, Kentucky's Anthony Davis and Texas' Kevin Durant. Advertisement All four went on to become either No. 1 or No. 2 picks in their respective draft classes. Flagg leads Duke in scoring (18.9 points per game), rebounding (7.5), assists (4.2) and steals (1.4) while ranking second in blocks (1.3) ahead of a Final Four showdown against Houston on Saturday night. Related: Paulina Gretzky Turns Heads With Vacation Photos Before the Masters
