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Newsweek
6 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Warriors Showing Interest in Intriguing Duke Prospect
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Golden State Warriors enter the NBA offseason with some needs to address in order to get back into championship contention. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler form the new main three names leading the roster. However, all three of those player aren't getting any younger. In order to win the NBA Finals again, the Warriors may need to make an aggressive move or two. Kon Knueppel #7, Tyrese Proctor #5, Sion James #14, and Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils high five against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half in the East Regional Elite Eight... Kon Knueppel #7, Tyrese Proctor #5, Sion James #14, and Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils high five against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half in the East Regional Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Prudential Center on March 29, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. More PhotoBringing in more young talent for the future will also be important. With that in mind, the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft will be an opportunity for Golden State to add another young piece to the roster. Read more: Warriors' Stephen Curry Showing Interest in New Career After NBA As of right now, the Warriors hold the No. 41 overall pick in the draft. It's just a second round pick, but there are some intriguing players the team could look to target. Of course, the team does not hold its own first-round pick, which would have been No. 20 overall. That pick was shipped off to the Miami Heat in the Butler trade. Who could Golden State target with the No. 41 overall pick? There are a few intriguing options. One of them happens to come from Duke. According to Sam Gordon of the San Francisco Chronicle, the team is showing interest in Blue Devils guard Sion James. He also shared that both Ryan Nembhard of Gonzaga and CJ Huntley of Appalachian State were brought in for workouts at the same time as James. James is a very intriguing prospect. He was not known as one of the main pieces for Duke, but his defense was extremely important for the Blue Devils. During the 2024-25 college basketball season that ended in the Final Four, James played in 39 games and made 32 starts. He averaged 8.6 points per game to go along with 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists, while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor and 41.3 percent from three-point range. Read more: Lakers Could Reunite Luka Doncic With Former Teammate What kind of player could James become at the next level? One intriguing NBA comparison has been made for him. Kevin O'Connor, a senior NBA analyst for Yahoo Sports, has compared James to longtime guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. If he can develop into being that kind of player, he has a very successful career ahead of him. It will be interesting to see what the Warriors choose to do with the No. 41 pick. James would be a very intriguing addition and would provide quality back-court depth, defense, and three-point shooting that was showcased last year. For more Golden State Warriors and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Duke, Jon Scheyer Suffer Another Major Setback Due to NBA Draft
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils were one of the four best teams in the nation during the 2024-25 college basketball season. However, there have been major changes to the roster this offseason due to the 2025 NBA Draft. Last season, Duke had a lot of NBA talent. That talent led them to such a successful season, but is also leading to players leaving to play professionally. Of course, Cooper Flagg has entered the draft and is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick. He was the main headline name for the Blue Devils last season. Kon Knueppel, another massive part of the success the team had, has also entered the draft. Head coach Jon Scheyer of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half in the East Regional Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Prudential Center... Head coach Jon Scheyer of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half in the East Regional Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Prudential Center on March 29, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. More PhotoThose two players are not the only losses that Duke suffered. Read more: Tom Izzo, Michigan State Receive Head-Turning 2025-26 Prediction Along with Flagg and Knueppel, the Blue Devils are also losing Khaman Maluach, Tyrese Proctor, and Sion James are also expected to be drafted. Another players has officially decided to leave the Duke program to stay in the draft. Cedric Coward was a big-time get for Scheyer in the NCAA transfer portal. He was expected to be a big part of helping replace Flagg and Knueppel. Unfortunately, Coward has decided to remain in the draft and will not play with the Blue Devils after all. "This is the best opportunity for me to achieve part of my dream, which is making the NBA," Coward said. "Everything is pointing in the right direction right now to follow that." Last season in six games with Washington State, Coward averaged 17.7 points, seven rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game. There is no doubt that he would have been a major impact player for Duke in the 2025-26 season. Read more: Duke, Jon Scheyer Boasted Head-Turning Player GPA Coward also spoke out and provided more inside information about how he feels about his chance in the upcoming draft. "I see myself as a draft pick," Coward said. "I'm looking for a team that wants to take a chance on me. I've gotten really positive feedback. A lot of teams have been coy, not showing exactly how they feel. It doesn't matter if it's a guarantee or not, there's still work ahead of me. There are only 59 picks. If I am fortunate to be one of those 59, it's all a blessing. If I am 1 or 59, it doesn't really matter. There's always work to be done. It doesn't matter what spot. It's more about what team will give me the opportunity to show what I can do on the court." While this is a very unfortunate loss for the Blue Devils and Scheyer, Coward seems likely to be drafted and to make his dream of playing in the NBA become a reality. For more college basketball news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Dallas Mavericks Land No. 1 Pick in The 2025 NBA Draft, Win Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In a surprising turn of events, the Dallas Mavericks have won the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. They only had a 1.8 percent chance to win the No.1 pick, and they rose to the top four after the Portland Trail Blazers fell outside of the top 10. Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half in the East Regional Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Prudential... Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half in the East Regional Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Prudential Center on March 29, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. More Photo byAll signs point to the Mavericks drafting the potential No.1 overall pick in Duke forward Cooper Flagg. This story will be updated....
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What time are the Final Four games today? Final Four TV schedule
What time are the Final Four games today? Final Four TV schedule The 2025 NCAA tournament concludes in San Antonio, and for the first time since 2008, it will feature four No. 1 seeds after a tournament that didn't feature many upsets. An SEC team is guaranteed to be playing in Monday's championship. Rivals Florida and Auburn square off in the first game, while Houston and Duke will play for the other spot in the second Saturday semifinal. Advertisement All the games are on CBS, with Auburn and Florida as slight favorites. Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half in the East Regional Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Prudential Center on March 29, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. Where is the Final Four 2025? The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. How to watch Duke vs. Houston Alamodome, San Antonio 6:49 p.m. MT/7:49 p.m. local (MT), Saturday, April 5 TV: CBS Odds: Duke -5 1/2; over/under 136 1/2 How to watch Auburn vs. Florida Alamodome, San Antonio 4:09 p.m. MT/5:09 p.m. local (CT), Saturday, April 5 TV: CBS Odds: Florida -2 1/2; over/under 159 1/2 Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@ @Bretbloomquist on X. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Final Four schedule men's basketball: TV schedule, location, odds
Forbes
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Duke's Cooper Flagg Is Having The Best Freshman Season In NCAA History
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 29: Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles the ball against the ... More Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half in the East Regional Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Prudential Center on March 29, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by) Cooper Flagg entered the season as the most hyped basketball prospect in years. Before even enrolling at Duke, Flagg was considered a near-lock as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Several NBA All-Stars gushed about Flagg last summer when he more than held his own in scrimmages against the U.S. Olympic team. Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, wasn't intimated at all on a floor with multiple future Hall of Famers. Still, for all the attention Flagg received, he has exceeded expectations, leading Duke to the Final Four, where the Blue Devils on Saturday will face Houston at the Alamodome in San Antonio. How impressive is Flagg? He is having the best freshman season in NCAA men's basketball history when considering individual and team success. Of course, that comes with a caveat. Before 1972, save for certain exceptions during war time, freshmen were ineligible to play on their varsity teams. That means three-time, first team Associated Press All-Americans such as UCLA centers Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton, Cincinnati guard Oscar Robertson, Ohio State forward Jerry Lucas, LSU guard Pete Maravich and North Carolina State forward David Thompson didn't compete as freshmen. Plus, until the 1990s, most players remained in college for multiple seasons, making it harder for freshmen to stand out. Still, these days players are staying in college longer in part because they can make hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in Name, Image and Likeness deals and the NBA doesn't draft many traditional forwards or centers who post up but are not outside shooters. Flagg, who just turned 18 in December, is one of the youngest players in college basketball, although it is hard to see that with the way he is playing. Flagg is leading Duke with 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. As CBS Sports noted in January, former LSU guard Ben Simmons in the 2015-16 season is the only freshman to lead a team in all five of those categories since the NCAA began tracking those statistics in the 1985-86 season. But LSU didn't even make the NCAAs that year, while Duke is the national title favorite and has two other likely NBA lottery picks in freshmen Kon Knueppel and Khalan Maluach. Flagg last month was named a unanimous first team AP All-American and the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. He also won the NCAA tournament's East Regional Most Outstanding Player award this past weekend in Newark N.J., averaging 23 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5 assists in victories over Arizona and Alabama. Flagg is first in analyst Ken Pomeroy's Player of the Year standings. His 2.710 rating is the second-highest since KenPom began publishing the data in the 2010-11 season, only trailing Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky, who had a 2.794 rating as a senior in the 2014-15 season. Former Duke center Jahlil Okafor has the second-best KenPom rating for a freshman with a 1.969 in the 2014-15 season, well behind Flagg. Flagg already has been named the national Player of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and he is likely to win one or more of the AP, John Wooden and Naismith national player of the year awards when they are announced this month. Former Texas forward Kevin Durant, who averaged 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.9 steals per game in the 2006-07 season; former Kentucky center Anthony Davis, who averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and 1.4 steals in 2011-12; and former Duke forward Zion Williamson, who averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in 2018-19, are the only freshmen to be named player of the year. They each swept all four of those national honors. Davis ended up leading Kentucky to the 2012 NCAA tournament championship, while Texas lost in the second round in 2007 and Duke lost in the East Regional final in 2019. Since the AP began choosing All-American teams in the 1947-48 season, there have been 12 other freshmen besides Durant, Davis and Williams who have made first team AP All-American and been selected among the top three picks in that year's NBA draft: Ohio State's Greg Oden (2007), Kansas State's Michael Beasley (2008), Kentucky's John Wall (2010), Duke's Jabari Parker (2014), Okafor (2015), Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell (2015), UCLA's Lonzo Ball (2017), Duke's Marvin Bagley (2018), Arizona's DeAndre Ayton (2018), Duke's R.J. Barrett (2019), Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham (2021) and Alabama's Brandon Miller (2023). Oden, Wall, Davis, Williamson and Cunningham were the overall top selections in their drafts. Flagg will join that elite group in June, when he is a shoo-in to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. Still, he has at least one more college game remaining and is aiming to cap off the best freshman season in history. On Saturday, the Blue Devils (35-3) face a difficult test in Houston (34-4). The teams were No. 1 and No. 2 in the AP poll entering the tournament and have the two longest winning streaks in Division 1, with Houston winning its past 17 games and Duke winning its past 15 games. Duke has the nation's best offense, according to KenPom, while Houston has the best defense. Duke and Houston are first and second, respectively, in KenPom's adjusted efficiency margin rating this season and No. 2 and No. 6 all-time since KenPom began tracking that metric in the 1996-97 season. Florida and Auburn, the other two semifinalists, are third and fourth this season, per KenPom, and top 10 all-time in that metric. If Duke wins its sixth national title, Flagg will likely lead the way and could earn another accolade. Only five freshmen have been named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player: Utah forward Arnie Ferrin (in 1944 during World War II), Louisville center Pervis Ellison (1986), Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony (2003), Davis (2012) and Duke point guard Tyus Jones (2015). As he sat in Duke's locker room last Saturday night following the East Regional final, Flagg reflected upon the Blue Devils making the Final Four, another highlight in a memorable freshman season. 'I think it's huge, surreal,' Flagg said. 'I don't think I've processed it yet. I'm kind of just still trying to be in the moment, enjoy it with these guys and just cherish these moments that we have left together.'
