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USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Broncos' All-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz impressed by QB Bo Nix's improvement
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix received glowing reviews from his teammates throughout his rookie season, and after an offseason to recharge, Nix should be poised to take another step forward in 2025. 'I've said it over and over again, [I've] been impressed [by Nix] every single week," Broncos All-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz said after the 2024 season wrapped up. "He continued to show improvement, and I think that's the only thing you can really ask for from a young player. Players at any position are trying to improve. I'm excited for him. "That rookie year is kind of tough. You have your college season, you have the pre-draft stuff, you have Combine training and then you go through an NFL season. I'm excited for him to get some time off. That's what he needs right now is to get some time off to reset a little bit because the next season will be here quickly.' Nix played through a back injury last season, and he opted out of the Pro Bowl to undergo ankle surgery after the season. Despite those ailments, Nix had an incredibly impressive rookie season, and he's now fully healthy going into Year 2. It seems fair to expect Nix to continue trending up in 2025. Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dylan Harper: How Rutgers, Don Bosco star fits with Spurs as their No. 2 NBA Draft pick
NEW YORK – Long before the San Antonio Spurs called his name with the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Dylan Harper envisioned throwing lobs to their 7-foot-3 budding superstar of a center, 21-year-old Victor Wembanyama. 'That's a dream of everyone's, to play with someone like that,' Harper, a 6-foot-6 point guard, said prior to the draft. 'He covers the paint from arm to arm. No one can really stop him. From a standpoint of being a point guard and seeing him, all the lobs you can throw, it's just amazing.' Advertisement The dream is soon to become reality. So how good of a fit is San Antonio for Harper, a Bergen County native and former Don Bosco Prep and Rutgers University standout? Daniel Marks, a former manager of prospect information with the Milwaukee Bucks who helped assemble that franchise's 2021 NBA title roster, viewed the pick as a no-brainer for San Antonio. 'I'm really high on his career and the fit there,' said Alex Schiffer, who covers the NBA for Front Office Sports. 'Clearly know what they're doing in San Antonio; they're huge on player development. You put him around Victor Wembanyama. And (guards) De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, and they have a good, young nucleus to grow around. He can be a top three player for them.' Fox is an established point guard, and Castle is coming off a smashing debut season that earned him NBA Rookie of the Year honors. So at a glance, the backcourt does seem crowded with Harper aboard. Advertisement 'They've got two great guards, but positionless basketball is a thing in this league,' Harper said before the draft. 'The way to be the best is play with the best players – being one of those guys who fits in even if you have to sacrifice.' Cooper Flagg (51) and Dylan Harper (29), shown here at the 2025 NBA draft Combine at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, are expected to be the top two picks in the 2025 NBA draft. 'He's incredibly talented,' he said. 'I think they'll worry about the fit a little bit later.' It helps Harper to join a franchise with a steady foundation. Gregg Popovich, who guided the Spurs to five NBA titles, is now the team's president. Harper's versatility and high IQ on the offensive end would seem to be right up Popovich's alley. Dec 14, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) celebrates with the Garden State Hardwood Classic trophy after defeating the Seton Hall Pirates at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images 'Having those lead guards that can anchor a team offensively is so valuable,' Marks said. 'The ability to play both positions, the scoring instincts – he's just a natural.' Advertisement In his one season at Rutgers, Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 48.4 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line. He missed three games and was limited in three others due to a midseason bout of the flu and an ankle sprain. He was voted third-team All-Big Ten by the league's media. Rutgers finished 15-17 and did not contend for the NCAA Tournament – a shocking development given the hype surrounding Harper and teammate Ace Bailey. But Harper's feel for pace, his open-court instincts, his aptitude for the pick-and-roll and craftiness as a scorer and ball-handler were obviously high-level for an 18-year-old (he turned 19 in March). And having a father who excelled in the league – Ron Harper won five NBA titles with the Bulls and Lakers – doesn't hurt. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Brent Barry are some salient examples. 'History tells us if you have some bloodlines,' Schiffer said, 'that definitely helps you out.' Advertisement Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@ This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: How Dylan Harper fits with San Antonio Spurs following 2025 NBA Draft
Ottawa Citizen
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Drafted or not, several Spitfires continue to chase the NHL dream
With the NHL Draft past, it's time to turn the page. Article content That's what several members of the Windsor Spitfires are doing as four players have accepted free-agent invitations to attend prospect camps with NHL teams. Article content Article content 'Going into the draft, I didn't have that high of expectations,' Spitfires' defenceman Jonathan Brown said. 'I knew if I got picked, it would be in the sixth or seventh round. So, I wasn't too disappointed.' Article content Article content The 18-year-old Brown, who played prep hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota last season, was rated as the 177th prospect among North American skaters, but went unselected. Article content Article content However, Brown quickly accepted an invitation to attend prospects camp with the New York Islanders and was on the ice on Monday. Article content 'I'm really happy I got invited to Islanders' camp,' the six-foot-two, 201-pound Brown said. 'Just an amazing experience to learn from such a great organization. Article content 'I'm trying to learn a lot and soak in all the knowledge that comes with being around great players and coaches.' Jack Nesbitt was one of the big surprises at this year's NHL Draft. The Philadelphia Flyers traded a pair of first-round picks – at No. 22 and No. 31 – to the Pittsburgh Penguins to move up and snag Nesbitt at No. 12 overall. Article content 'It means a lot to me for them to trade two first-round picks to get me early,' the 18-year-old Nesbitt said. 'I was very shocked, but very honoured to have this opportunity and I'm going to do nothing, but good things with it.' Article content Article content Rated as a second-or third-round NHL prospect at the start of the season, the six-foot-five, 186-pound Nesbitt kept climbing the chart. He was considered the No. 15 prospect in North America, but had a hunch he might hear his name called when the Flyers made the trade. Article content 'I met with them at the (NHL Draft) Combine and talked to them a little bit throughout the year as well,' Nesbitt said. 'To be honest, I had a little feeling that it was going to happen, but didn't think that feeling was going to be real and I am very happy it did.' Article content The Flyers will open prospects camp on Wednesday. Former Los Angeles Kings first-round pick Liam Greentree, Washington Capitals prospect Ilya Protas and Chicago Blackhawks prospect A.J. Spellacy, who were all drafted a year ago, will also be taking part in prospects camp, but a trio of other Windsor players have joined Brown in accepting free-agent invites.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mavericks rumors: The 1 word describing Cooper Flagg's private workout
The post Mavericks rumors: The 1 word describing Cooper Flagg's private workout appeared first on ClutchPoints. As the 2025 NBA Draft nears, the Dallas Mavericks' attraction to Cooper Flagg only continues to grow. If the team's direction with the No. 1 overall pick was not already set in stone, Flagg's pre-draft workout sealed the deal. Advertisement Roughly one week ahead of the draft, the Mavericks flew Flagg out to Dallas for an official visit. There, he met general manager Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd, along with several other team executives. After having dinner with the team on Tuesday night, Flagg performed a series of drills before a 'large gathering of organizational representatives,' where he continued to 'impress,' according to Mark Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. 'Flagg had dinner Tuesday night at Dallas' famed Bob's Steak & Chop House with several Mavericks officials,' Stein wrote. 'I'm told Flagg, not surprisingly, then insisted Wednesday on spending roughly an hour on the floor showing off his skills to a much larger gathering of organizational representatives and — also not surprisingly — made a very favorable first impression. Impressive is the word we keep hearing.' Advertisement The Mavericks were the only team Flagg met with ahead of the draft. However, Flagg participated in the pre-draft Combine, where he met with several other teams. But with Dallas showing no interest in going in any other direction, his destination is no mystery. Flagg is an overwhelming 1,000-1 favorite to go No. 1 overall on Fanduel Sportsbook. That comes as no surprise, with no other player supplanting him as the betting favorite to go first overall for even a second since the odds were released. Mavericks expected to take Cooper Flagg in 2025 NBA Draft David Banks-USA TODAY Sports Once the Mavericks take Flagg, he will become the team's first top-three pick since selecting its current head coach, Kidd, at No. 2 overall in 1994. Flagg will also be Dallas' first player taken at No. 1 since Mark Aguirre in 1981. Advertisement Despite the franchise's middling success, the Mavericks have only had two top-10 picks in the last decade. Their 2018 draft — when Dallas took Trae Young at No. 5 and immediately traded him for Luka Doncic — is the most notable. They previously took Dennis Smith Jr. at No. 9 in 2017. Once Flagg joins the team, he will immediately be relied on to lead Kidd's offense. In addition to losing Doncic during the 2024-2025 season, the Mavericks will be without Kyrie Irving in 2025-2026. Irving tore his ACL against the Sacramento Kings on March 3 and will likely be out for the entire upcoming season. Related: Cooper Flagg's 'biggest thing' about Mavericks' likely No. 1 pick Related: Mavericks rumors: Jason Kidd's role in Cooper Flagg visit shuts down Knicks speculation
Ottawa Citizen
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Sherwood Park's Cootes likely going in mid-first round of upcoming NHL Draft
Article content Sherwood Park's Braeden Cootes will be sitting in the seats at the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles Friday night as the first round of the NHL draft unfolds, in a nice suit but really wanting to put on a jersey. Article content The 18-year-old dog-on-a-bone Seattle Thunderbirds right-shot centre, who was the Western Hockey League's youngest captain when he got the C on his No. 86 junior sweater last year, is going somewhere in the middle of the first 32 picks. He doesn't know where exactly, but 27 teams interviewed him at the NHL Combine in Buffalo earlier this month, in a hectic week where Cootes missed his high-school graduation but forsook the party for other things. Article content Article content Again, he's not sure what team will call his name at the NHL's decentralized draft with team personnel, except for a designated rep, back in their home cities. But, that's fine with him, the uncertainty of it all, sitting in the seats with mom Julie, a nurse, and dad Rob, an insurance broker, and his family and billet from Seattle.. Article content Article content 'Kind of cool to be sitting there and at any time your name can get called.' Article content It won't be his hometown Oilers. Article content 'No, I didn't have a meeting with them,' said Cootes. Article content 'It was a little bit disappointing (hometown team) but I kind of knew ahead of time.' Article content The interviews at the Combine can get repetitive, lots of the same questions, and trying to keep track of what teams you've talked to can sometimes be tricky. But, there are benefits. Article content Article content 'I got to talk to (Detroit GM) Steve Yzerman, that was pretty cool. Rick Nash with Columbus, Jason Spezza with Pittsburgh. Guys you've watched as players growing up,' said Cootes, who was in top 10 in Combine results in bench-press, pull-ups and fitness index. Article content Article content But the Oilers took a pass, just because. They don't have a first-round pick or a second, but love Cootes' game. They will be envious spectators when a team picks Cootes, the captain of Canada's gold medal winning U18 world championship team this past spring at the international tournament in suburban Dallas. Article content Cootes, who had 12 points in seven games at the tournament was a teammate of Oil Kings' defencememan Blake Fiddler, who is also going in the first round, maybe a little later than Cootes. Article content That's the ultimate complement, of course. It's something easily translatable to the NHL. His WHL numbers right now don't scream elite (63 points this past season), compared to other centres in the draft, but Seattle was far from deep in support offensive help. Maybe he's an NHL third-line centre, not a top 6, but he will play because NHL teams love what he has and what he is.
