Latest news with #Harrell
Fox News
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
The Basketball Tournament 2025: Yogi Ferrell, DJ Burns Jr. Among Players to Watch
The Basketball Tournament is back! Twenty-six games from the highly-anticipated hoops tournament will be broadcast live on FOX, FS1 and FS2, with the action kicking off on Friday. There will be 64 teams competing for the $1 million prize, with the championship game set for August 3. TBT, an annual basketball tournament between teams mainly composed of former college stars, is brimming with elite talent once again this year. The field, which is split into eight regions, includes alumni teams representing powerhouse programs like Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Ohio State, Syracuse, UConn and many more. That said, here are 10 headliner names to watch out for this year: Harrell, a former Louisville standout and eight-year NBA veteran, is set to return to The Ville once again this summer. Harrell made his debut for The Ville in 2024, averaging 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game en route to helping the team win the Louisville Regional and advance to the quarterfinals. Harrell spent three years at Louisville from 2012-15, appearing in 112 games. As a sophomore, he produced 12 double-doubles, including 11 in his final 22 games, and led the American Athletic Conference in field goal percentage (.609). Harrell was selected in the second round (No. 32) of the 2015 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, with whom he spent two seasons with. He then joined the LA Clippers, where he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2020. After leaving the Clippers in 2021, Harrell bounced around to a few different NBA teams before making the move overseas. Kentucky's former 7-foot center spent seven seasons in the NBA after being drafted sixth overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2015. He also spent time with the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets. Over his seven seasons, he averaged 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 54.4% shooting. When LA Familia joined TBT in 2024, so did Cauley-Stein, who helped lead his team to the semifinals. That year, he swatted 14 blocks, which earned him Defensive Player of the Year in the tournament. Goodwin, who was Cauley-Stein's teammate at Kentucky, will be teaming up with his former college teammate in TBT this year. Goodwin declared for the NBA Draft in 2013 after averaging 14.1 points in his freshman year. He was selected in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder, though he was immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he spent three seasons before short stints with the New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets. Trimble is one of the top Maryland men's hoops players over the past decade. He's one of just four players in program history to have 1,600 points, 400 assists and 150 steals. After earning first-team All-Big Ten in his sophomore and junior seasons, he declared for the draft in 2017. He went undrafted but played briefly with the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is Trimble's first TBT appearance. Can he help lead Shell Shock to the million-dollar prize? After leading Ohio to a conference title and winning Mid-American Conference Tournament MVP honors in 2021, Preston declared for the draft and was selected in the second round by the Orlando Magic, though he was immediately traded to the LA Clippers. Preston played 14 games with the Clippers in the 2022-2023 season before signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz the following season, spending most of his time in the G-League. Burns, who became a household name during the 2024 NCAA Tournament, is back playing basketball in the United States with Challenge ALS. The former North Carolina State star helped the Wolfpack reach the Final Four during the 2023-24 season — their first appearance since 1983. Despite Burns' March dominance, he didn't land an NBA contract after his stint in the Summer League with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he took his skills overseas. This is Burns' first year playing in TBT, where he'll suit up alongside his former teammate D.J. Horne and will be coached by NC State's Brandon Chambers. [MORE: March Madness Hero DJ Burns to Play in The Basketball Tournament] Boeheim, the son of legendary Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, was one of the top players in the ACC by the end of his college career in 2022. He emerged as an elite 3-point shooter during the 2020-21 campaign, making an ACC-leading 38.3% of his 3-pointers that year. That helped Boeheim put up a team-high 17.8 points per game, as he was the catalyst for Syracuse's two upset wins in the NCAA Tournament that year en route to the Sweet 16. A year later, he led the ACC in scoring by putting up 19.2 PPG, which earned him first-team All-ACC honors. This will mark Boeheim's first appearance in TBT. He'll also get to play alongside his brother, Jimmy Boeheim. For the second straight year, Ferrell will headline Assembly Ball's roster. The former Indiana guard was a star during his four years (2012-16) in Bloomington, starting every single game in his college career as the Hoosiers made a brief resurgence in the mid-2010s. He averaged at least 16.0 points per game in each of his final three seasons and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors twice. He helped Indiana win two regular-season Big Ten titles and reach the Sweet 16 twice. In his professional career, Ferrell, an undrafted rookie, bounced around the NBA for five seasons. He made the NBA's All-Rookie second team in 2017, recording 11.3 points and 4.3 assists per game with the Dallas Mavericks. Last year, Ferrell's 20.3 points per game was the second-best mark of any player (min. three games) in TBT, helping Assembly Ball reach the third round before losing to Eberlein Drive. Wade, who is making his TBT debut this year with DuBois Dream, garnered a lot of attention as a high-school recruit, receiving offers to play at DePaul and Nebraska, among others. He ultimately opted to go pro, though. To this point, Wade's only professional experience stateside has been with the Salt Lake City Stars of the G League. At just 23 years old, TBT could help serve as a breakthrough for Wade, the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade. The 2014 national champion is playing for UConn once again, this time seeking to lead Stars of Storrs to similar glory. Boatright started all but one game in his final three seasons at UConn. He averaged 12.1 points and 3.4 assists per game during the 2013-14 title-winning season, with his defense being viewed as a key reason for the Huskies' surprise NCAA Tournament run. Boatright followed that up by scoring a team-high 17.4 PPG as a senior in 2014-15.
Fox Sports
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
The Basketball Tournament 2025: Yogi Ferrell, DJ Burns Jr. Among Players to Watch
The Basketball Tournament is back! Twenty-six games from the highly-anticipated hoops tournament will be broadcast live on FOX, FS1 and FS2, with the action kicking off on Friday. There will be 64 teams competing for the $1 million prize, with the championship game set for August 3. TBT, an annual basketball tournament between teams mainly composed of former college stars, is brimming with elite talent once again this year. The field, which is split into eight regions, includes alumni teams representing powerhouse programs like Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Ohio State, Syracuse, UConn and many more. That said, here are 10 headliner names to watch out for this year: Montrezl Harrell, The Ville (Louisville alumni) Harrell, a former Louisville standout and eight-year NBA veteran, is set to return to The Ville once again this summer. Harrell made his debut for The Ville in 2024, averaging 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game en route to helping the team win the Louisville Regional and advance to the quarterfinals. Harrell spent three years at Louisville from 2012-15, appearing in 112 games. As a sophomore, he produced 12 double-doubles, including 11 in his final 22 games, and led the American Athletic Conference in field goal percentage (.609). Harrell was selected in the second round (No. 32) of the 2015 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, with whom he spent two seasons with. He then joined the LA Clippers, where he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2020. After leaving the Clippers in 2021, Harrell bounced around to a few different NBA teams before making the move overseas. Willie Cauley-Stein, La Familia (Kentucky alumni) Kentucky's former 7-foot center spent seven seasons in the NBA after being drafted sixth overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2015. He also spent time with the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets. Over his seven seasons, he averaged 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 54.4% shooting. When LA Familia joined TBT in 2024, so did Cauley-Stein, who helped lead his team to the semifinals. That year, he swatted 14 blocks, which earned him Defensive Player of the Year in the tournament. Archie Goodwin, La Familia (Kentucky alumni) Goodwin, who was Cauley-Stein's teammate at Kentucky, will be teaming up with his former college teammate in TBT this year. Goodwin declared for the NBA Draft in 2013 after averaging 14.1 points in his freshman year. He was selected in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder, though he was immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he spent three seasons before short stints with the New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets. Melo Trimble, Shell Shock (Maryland alumni) Trimble is one of the top Maryland men's hoops players over the past decade. He's one of just four players in program history to have 1,600 points, 400 assists and 150 steals. After earning first-team All-Big Ten in his sophomore and junior seasons, he declared for the draft in 2017. He went undrafted but played briefly with the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is Trimble's first TBT appearance. Can he help lead Shell Shock to the million-dollar prize? Jason Preston, Court Street Kings (Ohio alumni) After leading Ohio to a conference title and winning Mid-American Conference Tournament MVP honors in 2021, Preston declared for the draft and was selected in the second round by the Orlando Magic, though he was immediately traded to the LA Clippers. Preston played 14 games with the Clippers in the 2022-2023 season before signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz the following season, spending most of his time in the G-League. DJ Burns Jr., Challenge ALS Burns, who became a household name during the 2024 NCAA Tournament, is back playing basketball in the United States with Challenge ALS. The former North Carolina State star helped the Wolfpack reach the Final Four during the 2023-24 season — their first appearance since 1983. Despite Burns' March dominance, he didn't land an NBA contract after his stint in the Summer League with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he took his skills overseas. This is Burns' first year playing in TBT, where he'll suit up alongside his former teammate D.J. Horne and will be coached by NC State's Brandon Chambers. [MORE: March Madness Hero DJ Burns to Play in The Basketball Tournament] Buddy Boeheim, Boeheim's Army (Syracuse alumni) Boeheim, the son of legendary Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, was one of the top players in the ACC by the end of his college career in 2022. He emerged as an elite 3-point shooter during the 2020-21 campaign, making an ACC-leading 38.3% of his 3-pointers that year. That helped Boeheim put up a team-high 17.8 points per game, as he was the catalyst for Syracuse's two upset wins in the NCAA Tournament that year en route to the Sweet 16. A year later, he led the ACC in scoring by putting up 19.2 PPG, which earned him first-team All-ACC honors. This will mark Boeheim's first appearance in TBT. He'll also get to play alongside his brother, Jimmy Boeheim. Yogi Ferrell, Assembly Ball (Indiana alumni) For the second straight year, Ferrell will headline Assembly Ball's roster. The former Indiana guard was a star during his four years (2012-16) in Bloomington, starting every single game in his college career as the Hoosiers made a brief resurgence in the mid-2010s. He averaged at least 16.0 points per game in each of his final three seasons and earned first-team All- Big Ten honors twice. He helped Indiana win two regular-season Big Ten titles and reach the Sweet 16 twice. In his professional career, Ferrell, an undrafted rookie, bounced around the NBA for five seasons. He made the NBA's All-Rookie second team in 2017, recording 11.3 points and 4.3 assists per game with the Dallas Mavericks . Last year, Ferrell's 20.3 points per game was the second-best mark of any player (min. three games) in TBT, helping Assembly Ball reach the third round before losing to Eberlein Drive. Zaire Wade, DuBois Dream Wade, who is making his TBT debut this year with DuBois Dream, garnered a lot of attention as a high-school recruit, receiving offers to play at DePaul and Nebraska, among others. He ultimately opted to go pro, though. To this point, Wade's only professional experience stateside has been with the Salt Lake City Stars of the G League. At just 23 years old, TBT could help serve as a breakthrough for Wade, the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade. Ryan Boatright, Stars of Storrs (UConn alumni) The 2014 national champion is playing for UConn once again, this time seeking to lead Stars of Storrs to similar glory. Boatright started all but one game in his final three seasons at UConn. He averaged 12.1 points and 3.4 assists per game during the 2013-14 title-winning season, with his defense being viewed as a key reason for the Huskies' surprise NCAA Tournament run. Boatright followed that up by scoring a team-high 17.4 PPG as a senior in 2014-15. recommended Item 1 of 1 Get more from the College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Historic Arrest in Australia After Racial Abuse of NBL Star Montrezl Harrell Marks Major Step Toward Combating Online Hate in Sports
Montrezl Harrell (Image via Getty) In a landmark moment for Australian sport and social accountability, a Victorian man has been arrested and charged following a racially abusive social media attack directed at Montrezl Harrell , a prominent player for the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League (NBL). The incident has sparked widespread discussion about online abuse, athlete safety, and the power of law enforcement to hold digital offenders accountable. The Incident: Social Media Turns Sour The controversy began in November 2024, shortly after a heated on-court incident involving Harrell at John Cain Arena. Following the game, Montrezl Harrell received a barrage of racist abuse from a burner Instagram account. The messages included the use of the 'N' word and the phrase "get out of my country," among other offensive remarks. The abuse was promptly reported to Basketball Australia's Integrity Unit, setting the wheels of justice in motion. The Investigation and Arrest After a thorough investigation, Victoria Police, in collaboration with Basketball Australia's Integrity Unit, identified and arrested a 37-year-old man from Huntingdale, Victoria. The man was charged with "using a carriage service to menace, harass and/or offend," a serious offense under Australian law that can carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The accused has been bailed and is scheduled to appear at Moorabbin Magistrates' Court on August 15, 2025. This arrest marks the first successful prosecution in Australian basketball for racially abusing an athlete via social media—a significant milestone in the fight against online hate. Reactions: Zero Tolerance and Cultural Change The NBL and Basketball Australia have both strongly condemned the abuse and praised the swift action taken by authorities. Lauren Blecher, NBL's chief corporate and governance officer, stated: "The NBL stands united with Basketball Australia in taking a firm stance against any form of online abuse or vilification. The action by Victoria Police sends a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated. We are incredibly proud of the collaborative efforts that led to this outcome. " A spokesperson for Basketball Australia's Integrity Unit emphasized the importance of athlete safety and the need for cultural change: "Every athlete deserves to compete in a safe environment, free from abuse. There are laws in place to govern appropriate behaviour towards athletes, and it's important the public understands that. Taking a stand sends a clear message of zero tolerance and helps drive the cultural change needed to create a safe sport and respectful environment for everyone. " The Broader Issue: Social Media Abuse in Sports This case is not an isolated incident. Social media abuse targeting athletes—especially those from minority backgrounds—has been a recurring issue in Australia and worldwide. Just last year, Tasmania JackJumpers coach Scott Roth revealed that his team's players and their families had been "attacked brutally through social media to the point where it's ugly," highlighting the urgent need for better protections and accountability. Why This Matters: Setting a Precedent This arrest sends a powerful message: anonymity online does not equate to immunity from the law. For too long, trolls and abusers have hidden behind fake accounts, believing themselves untouchable. This case demonstrates that with the right collaboration between sports organizations and law enforcement, perpetrators can and will be brought to justice. Entertaining Take: The Courtroom, Not the Court While Montrezl Harrell is known for his fierce presence on the basketball court, it's the courtroom where the real drama will unfold next. The accused, who once thought he could hide behind a burner account, now faces the full weight of the law—a reminder that the digital world is very much part of the real one. Also read: LeBron James' Final Act? Los Angeles Lakers Set the Stage for a Legendary Hollywood Farewell in 2026 The arrest of the Australian man for racially abusing Montrezl Harrell is a watershed moment for Australian sport and digital accountability. It is a testament to the courage of athletes who speak out, the diligence of integrity units, and the evolving power of law enforcement in the digital age. As the case heads to court, it stands as a warning to would-be trolls: the game has changed, and the referees are watching—on and off the court. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
NZ Herald
11-07-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Battle to stop social media abuse of athletes steps up with police charging man for targeting star via Instagram
In an Australian basketball first, a man has been charged with racially abusing former NBA star Montrezl Harrell using an Instagram burner account. Basketball Australia collaborated with Victoria Police to secure the first-ever arrest after an investigation was launched in November 2024 following Harrell's involvement in an altercation with fans
Sky News AU
11-07-2025
- Sky News AU
Man charged by police for racially abusing NBL star Montrezl Harrell
In an Australian basketball first, a man has been charged with racially abusing former NBA star Montrezl Harrell using an Instagram burner account. Basketball Australia collaborated with Victoria Police to secure the first-ever arrest after an investigation was launched in November 2024 following Harrell's involvement in an altercation with fans at John Cain Arena as an Adelaide 36ers player. The BA Integrity Unit was notified of a direct message targeting Harrell, identified the alleged culprit and reported the matter to Victoria Police. On Wednesday, police arrested and charged a 37-year-old man from Huntingdale in Melbourne who was allegedly responsible for the racist message sent. It had allegedly been sent direct to Harrell's social media account. The man has been charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass and/or offend. Lauded as a 'landmark moment', BA said being able to find and charge people who send abusive messages was key to be able to 'safeguard and protect athletes in all areas of public access'. 'Every athlete deserves to compete in a safe environment, free from abuse. There are laws in place to govern appropriate behaviour towards athletes, and it's important the public understands that,' a spokesperson for BA's Integrity Unit said. 'The individuals targeted by hateful messages are human, and Basketball Australia commends the courage it takes to call out this behaviour. Taking a stand sends a clear message of zero tolerance and helps drive the cultural change needed to create a safe sport and respectful environment for everyone.' The alleged offender has been bailed to appear at Moorabbin Magistrates' Court on August 15. Originally published as Man charged with racially abusing NBL star Montrezl Harrell via social media
