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Irish Examiner
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
CJ Fulton's Summer League ends with a basket and a wait
IRELAND'S CJ Fulton delivered his strongest performance of Summer League on Saturday night, which included his first NBA basket, as the Houston Rockets came from behind to beat his Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite being one of five teams that went undefeated in group play, the Timberwolves didn't make it into the semi-finals due to a weaker point differential than the top four teams. This turned out to be a positive for Fulton, as the Timberwolves opted to rest some of their key Summer League players, allowing for a closer look at their bench. Fulton played 17 minutes, scoring two points alongside two assists and two steals. Heading into Summer League, there were two key questions CJ needed to answer: was he capable of creating offence at the top level, and could he defend elite-level guards? On the defensive end, Fulton was excellent. He had no issues staying in front of his man, and no one was able to physically overpower him. He navigated ball screens effectively and even picked up two steals as a help defender. Offensively, he had bright moments, particularly in transition, where he pushed the ball well. His only basket came on his first play, finishing a fast break with a lovely left-handed finish over two defenders. CJ also recorded two assists and created several other quality looks for his teammates. However, the nature of Summer League, with so many players getting minutes and trying to showcase their individual skills, meant the Timberwolves' offence was disjointed, resulting in 22 turnovers. CJ was responsible for three of them, including two uncharacteristic mistakes he'll be disappointed with. Even without Rob Dillingham playing, Minnesota's depth at the guard spot stood out. The standout performers on the night were Tristen Newton and Amari Bailey. Newton has already played eight NBA games and is a two-time NCAA champion. In 2024, he won the Bob Cousy Award for the nation's top point guard and was named Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four, as UConn claimed their second consecutive title. Amari Bailey, a former Mr Basketball in California, has also featured in 10 NBA games. This is the calibre of competition Fulton has to contend with. Both guards were aggressive and constantly demanded the ball. CJ's natural instinct is to make the right play for the team, and whether disjointed Summer League games like this truly showcased his strengths enough remains to be seen. The hope for Fulton now is an invite to training camp, likely on a non-guaranteed contract. The organisation has spoken highly of him over the past two weeks, so we'll see whether that results in an invitation to compete with top-level talent for a place on the Timberwolves' full roster. He has shown he is certainly capable of playing at G League level at a minimum, and a longer stay than expected in the USA could be on the cards.
Indianapolis Star
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
How seniors are setting the tone for Purdue basketball with championship expectations
WEST LAFAYETTE — When 7-foot-4 Daniel Jacobsen, returning after a lost freshman season due to a fractured tibia, dove head-first for a loose ball at Purdue basketball's first summer practice, it wasn't a cause for concern. It was an expectation. "Right now you're playing for a spot, you're playing for minutes to help this team win," senior guard Fletcher Loyer said. "If you're not diving on the ball, you're not going to play. So either you do it or sit over there and listen." Welcome to Boiler ball. Two seasons ago, the bar was raised with a national championship game loss. Last season, that bar wasn't met after a heartbreaking last-second loss to eventual NCAA runner-up Houston in the Sweet 16. In the offseason, the Boilermakers lost key pieces from the past two seasons and added more in hopes of clearing the final hurdle in April 2026. Coach Matt Painter and staff went all in on the offseason. Camden Heide transferred to Texas and Myles Colvin to Wake Forest. Brian Waddell departed, going to Bellarmine and Will Berg left for Wichita State. Insider: Transfer sharpshooter has title goals with Purdue, and to represent his borough Purdue addressed its biggest shortcomings of a year ago, rebounding and rim protection, in the addition of Oscar Cluff from South Dakota State and the return of Jacobsen from injury. Already with Antione West Jr. signed, Purdue also snagged Israeli point guard Omer Mayer as an added luxury and gets Jack Benter's production after he redshirted last year. If that isn't enough firepower, Liam Murphy, who shot 43.3% from 3 at North Florida last season, also transferred to Purdue. The Boilermakers are viewed as a top-5 team by most who post an early top 25 projections. Perhaps Purdue's greatest strength is its seniority. Last year's Big Ten Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Award winner Braden Smith joins Loyer and first-team All-Big Ten selection Trey Kaufman-Renn on a star-studded senior class that now includes Cluff and Murphy. "We're obviously very excited to see what they can bring and go from there," Smith said. The roster appears to have no weak spots, but winning requires more than talent. Purdue returns six players who started at least one game for it last season. "That's what it feels like on paper," Kaufman-Renn said. "Obviously you've got to get everybody together and see what it looks like practically as a team. That's the biggest process is getting guys here, not as far as just playing, but just gelling with all the new guys. "I think if that happens, like, I don't see why we're not the best team in the country."
Indianapolis Star
10-06-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
'Not everybody is marketable.' Purdue coach Matt Painter welcomes 'balance' House settlement brings
WEST LAFAYETTE — The financial allotment for college athletes went from one extreme (legally nonexistent) to another when the NCAA instituted name, image, and likeness (NIL), allowing student-athletes to capitalize on their marketability. The rich, essentially, got richer. On Friday, a nearly half decade battle through the court system concluded with the House vs. NCAA settlement which will allow schools to pay their athletes directly. Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski stated previously Purdue would be a full participant up to the cap limit, estimated at $20.5 million. After Purdue basketball had its first summer practice on Monday, coach Matt Painter, who currently serves as third vice president on the National Association of Basketball Coaches board of directors, was asked if college basketball got better based on the ruling. "Some competitive balance is all we really want," Painter said. "It wasn't name, image and likeness before. This gives you more of a grasp of having a core amount of money to pay these guys, which is a lot less than the money that's going on right now. And then, anything on top of it is real name, image and likeness." The idea behind name, image, and likeness was for college athletes to capitalize on their notoriety via avenues such as autograph signings, hosting sports camps, or appearing in advertisements, for example. Painter mentioned specifically from his own program since NIL went into effect the names of two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey, selected ninth overall in last year's NBA draft, and Braden Smith, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Award winner for the nation's top point guard, as marketable athletes who fit the supposed NIL idea. Insider: Newcomers out, or limited, for first Purdue basketball practice: 3 things we learned "When everybody gets money, not everybody in Major League Baseball gets money in name, image and likeness and they're in the big show," Painter said. "If you watch a baseball game and there's 52 guys on two rosters, tell me how many guys are on those commercials. Two? Three? Four? Five? Not very many. That's the market. Not everybody is marketable that plays college basketball and gets paid. ... "There's a lot of things that haven't been fair across the board, so hopefully this equals things out a little bit."
Fox Sports
01-05-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
College basketball rankings: UConn, St. John's surge in way-too-early Top 25
The quality of play in college basketball has grown tremendously in recent years. One reason for that is NIL (name, image and likeness) dollars and the impact it has had in keeping some potential pros around for another season. Those players can make more money in college and gain more for their profile than a potential trip to the G League to continue development. The flip side is the chaotic climate within the sport, an open market that has increased to dollar figures that seemed unfathomable even two-to-three years ago. But, that's the reality of where things stand: Roster continuity with talent is like buried treasure in this sport, while having the great white whale, a top-shelf donor who can lead the bankrolling efforts for a roster, is the invaluable asset you need to compete with the best sharks during portal season. As one coach told me, "It's challenging, but this is still an amazing sport. I hate when coaches complain because we chose this life." And look at it this way: While changes are needed, the free agency aspect has created buzz around college hoops in late April and into May that we had not seen before. Over 2,500 players entering the portal, though? Well, that could use shifting, and I offer some possible solutions below: As for what has happened in the offseason, it's fascinating when looking at the top of my rankings, because the top-two teams embody the two ways to stay ahead in this day and age: keeping a bevy of talent or outdoing everybody else in the portal. Purdue has done an outstanding job with roster continuity, bringing back the preseason national player of the year front-runner in Braden Smith, who was this past year's Bob Cousy Award winner and the Big Ten Player of the Year. Smith had 15 assists against Houston in the Sweet 16, which was the latest testament to his leadership, playmaking ability and poise against any defense. This past season, he became the second player in NCAA history to record at least 550 points, 300 assists and 150 rebounds in a season, joining Murray State's Ja Morant as the only other player that can say that. But the fact Smith has Fletcher Loyer (13.8 PPG) as a backcourt mate is scary for everybody else, not to mention a veteran stud in Trey Kaufman-Renn, a high-impact transfer in Oscar Cluff, and an intriguing big man in Daniel Jacobsen, who is set to return from a season-ending leg injury that cut his freshman campaign short. There's a lot to like about Matt Painter's team, provided the Boilermakers get enough complementary shooting. If the Boilers are the continuity champs, the transfer portal championship should be handed out on Utopia Parkway in Queens. Rick Pitino and St. John's, the reigning Big East regular-season and tournament champions, have the No. 1-ranked portal class in the nation, according to 247 Sports. The Johnnies reeled in an All-Big East First Team forward in Bryce Hopkins to make a big early splash. They acquired a rising sophomore who looks the part of a future NBA first-round pick in North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson, and they added another sophomore guard with elite upside in former five-star recruit Joson Sanon. Perimeter shooting was the priority for this St. John's team, and Pitino and his staff addressed those areas, but they weren't done there, also adding senior guard Oziyah Sellers from Stanford, who averaged 14 points per game in the ACC this past year. Then there's a stalwart defender and supreme athlete in Dillon Mitchell, and the Big Sky Most Valuable Player, Dylan Darling. And oh, by the way, in the world of "sometimes the best gets are the ones you already have," All-American candidate Zuby Ejiofor returns for his senior season, looking to lead the Johnnies on a deeper NCAA Tournament run. The biggest portal winners after St. John's were Kentucky, Louisville and Iowa. Do not sleep on Ben McCollum in Year 1 at the helm in Iowa City after he brought in one of the most dynamic scorers in the country in Bennett Stirtz, along with a sharpshooter in Brendan Hausen and Horizon League Player of the Year Alvaro Folgueiras. They're the first team out of my top 25. In terms of portal losers, Memphis losing PJ Haggerty was a big blow to the Tigers, while Arizona saw six players enter the portal and Alabama saw Mouhamed Dioubate and Jarin Stevenson leave. With that, here is a look at my updated way-too-early rankings: 1. Purdue Can I lend you one more Braden Smith statistic? He broke the Big Ten record for assists in conference play this past season, dishing out 175 of them, which smashed the previous record set by Michigan State's Cassius Winston (157). And yes, he could break his own record in the upcoming year. St. John's rise to the top is happening because of Pitino and the school's lead donor, Mike Repole, whose horse "Grande" will be in this weekend's Kentucky Derby. The founder of Vitamin Water has been invaluable to St. John's, but his money begins and ends with his faith in the Hall of Famer. Pitino has made the Johnnies matter again nationally and Madison Square Garden has once again turned into one of the toughest home-court environments. Emanuel Sharp and JoJo Tugler are back from a Final Four team and, while we await the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline of May 28 for star Milos Uzan, Houston has the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class, according to 247 Sports, headlined by Link Academy product Chris Cenac Jr. With Creighton transfer Pop Isaacs coming in to help their offense, the Cougars will have a go-to bucket-getting guard, who, when healthy, is very hard to stop. Alex Karaban is coming back for another shot at a third national championship. Solo Ball is back for his junior season and poised for a big campaign. Tarris Reed returns and now has a year in Storrs under his belt, while Dan Hurley and his staff made a transfer splash with former Georgia guard Silas Demary. Another transfer in Malachi Smith from Dayton should help with ball-handling duties, while the Huskies welcome in a great freshman class. If you don't know the name Braylon Mullins, you soon will, and I'm intrigued to see what 7-footer Eric Reibe brings to the table. Having All-American JT Toppin back in the fold in Lubbock instantly means the Red Raiders can reach the Final Four, especially when considering what's around him. While we are uncertain about what's next for Darrion Williams, who's testing the draft waters and is in the portal, sophomore Christian Anderson is poised for a big year and LeJuan Watts (Washington State) and Donovan Atwell (UNCG) headline a top-25 portal class. Dusty May is building something special in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines reeled in one of the biggest fish in the portal with UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg, who is testing the NBA Draft waters and could be a first-round pick. If he returns to school, he will make Michigan one of the nation's best teams. Last year, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 18-11-4 per game. Getting Morez Johnson from Illinois helps the frontline, while Elliot Cadeau still has his best basketball ahead of him after things didn't go as planned at North Carolina. With Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gayle back, Michigan has good continuity as well. Pat Kelsey laid the foundation for the Cardinals. Now, the pieces are aligning for him to take this program on an NCAA Tournament run. Kelsey ushers in the nation's No. 3 transfer portal class with all-conference players Ryan Conwell (Xavier), Isaac McKneely (Virginia) and Adrian Wooley (Kennesaw State) on the way, while five-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. enters with high expectations. To get J'Vonne Hadley and a healthy Kasean Pryor back is huge for continuity and the frontcourt. Louisville is the front-runner in the ACC. Not to be outdone, Mark Pope, and what sources tell FOX Sports is a bankroll of over $20 million, has led to a star-studded Wildcats roster. Kentucky has the nation's fourth-ranked transfer class, according to 247 Sports. If Otega Oweh returns for his senior season, he'll be right in the mix for SEC Player of the Year. When you combine that with a guy who averaged 17 PPG in Jaland Lowe, a national champion in Denzel Aberdeen out of Florida, a big man with a ton of upside in Jayden Quaintance and intriguing talents Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama) and Kam Williams (Tulane), there's a lot to like about this team. And don't forget about top-20 freshman Jasper Johnson, who is a blur in transition and a guy who is wired to score. Now, the pressure is on Pope in Year 2 to make it all come together after a Sweet 16 season. The Blue Devils will go from the Cooper Flagg Show to the Cameron-and-Cayden Boozer Show in the upcoming year. Cameron is among the best prospects in the sport, a 6-9 forward who is polished and strong with an inside-out game, a willingness to defend and the versatility to flourish. Jon Scheyer knows continuity is big in this sport. That's why guys like Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans coming back helps. Washington State transfer Cedric Coward (17.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.7 APG) was an excellent addition to bolster the perimeter with proven talent. Look out for John Calipari and the Razorbacks. Coming off a magical ride to the Sweet 16, the Hogs are slated to get D.J. Wagner, Trevon Brazile, Billy Richmond and Karter Knox back, while a pair of five-star freshmen guards in Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas will bolster the offense. The two are prototypical Calipari one-and-done guys who can come in and change the game with their skills. Acuff is a dynamic ball-handler who has a variety of ways to make plays for his teammates and drive the lane, while Thomas is the toughest shotmaker in the national freshman class. Throw in Malique Ewin from Florida State and Nick Pringle from South Carolina and Calipari addressed his interior needs with experience via the portal. John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Reuters
14-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Purdue All-American G Braden Smith returning for senior season
April 14 - Consensus first-team All-American point guard Braden Smith announced Monday that he is returning to Purdue for the 2025-26 campaign. The finalist for the Wooden and Naismith Player of the Year awards made his announcement on Instagram. "Running it back one last time," Smith said. "Purdue has given me everything: Memories, challenges, growth, and a family. There's still more to prove, more to accomplish, and more moments to create with my brothers. "Much love to my guys and Boiler Nation! Let's make this next year unforgettable!" Smith was Big Ten Player of the Year as a junior this past season and won the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard. He averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals and made 83 3-pointers in 36 games to help Purdue (24-12) reach the Sweet 16 before losing to Houston. He had 15 assists in the loss to the Cougars. Smith is Purdue's all-time leader with 758 career assists. --Field Level Media
