Latest news with #JamalShead
National Post
12-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Raptors Summer League takeaways: The kids are alright
It's possible the 'Toronto Raptors' just played the best game a Raptors team will turn in all season. Article content Yes, it came at Las Vegas Summer League Friday night and, sure, only two locks to be in head coach Darko Rajakovic's rotation (Jamal Shead and Ja'Kobe Walter) suited up and it needs to be noted that opponent Chicago was nowhere close to a real NBA outfit, but that was one heck of a start. Article content Article content Article content Even the news just prior to tip-off that prized rookie Collin Murray-Boyles would be held out due to a left adductor strain couldn't spoil the day for the summer Raptors. The group looked hungry, aggressive but still measured enough to keep the fouling under control and simply overwhelmed the hapless Bulls, who turned the ball over 33 times. Article content Here are some takeaways: Article content • Maybe hold off on assuming Jonathan Mogbo's minutes will be replaced by Murray-Boyles and others. The 31st pick a year ago was arguably the best player on the court. Not only did he hit all but one of his eight shot attempts (though none were of the three-point variety, something Mogbo needs to change), but he also was as good as anyone defensively. When Chicago's most talented player, Matas Buzelis, tried to make things happen, Mogbo was there to say absolutely not repeatedly. It was impressive stuff. Article content The real Raptors are stacked with long, big men who do many things well, with shooting being the exception. Mogbo is one of them, but if he keeps playing like this, Rajakovic might have to find a spot for him. Article content Article content Keep in mind that Mogbo flashed his potential late in the season with one triple-double in April, another game where he was a point shy of a triple double, another where he had eight points, rebounds and assists and one where he was three assists short. Meaningless games or not, it isn't easy to consistently fill the boxscore like that and offence isn't even what will get Mogbo on an NBA court. Article content Article content • Despite only being around for 31 years, the Raptors arguably boast the most impressive history of elite slam dunkers in league history. Vince Carter is widely regarded as the best dunker of all-time, Tracy McGrady, Terrence Ross and DeMar DeRozan were also nearly as good as it gets and Norman Powell and Kawhi Leonard had some historic jams too with the team in the playoffs. Hardcore Raptors fans remember the likes of Keon Clark, Sonny Weems, Fred Jones and Jamario Moon as well. We feel confident adding Alijah Martin to the list after one appearance. This year's 39th pick threw down an absolutely silly one-handed cradle jam in the second quarter that probably will be the best dunk of Summer League this year.
Reuters
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Midwest Region: Top seed Houston looks primed for Final Four run
March 17 - The top-seeded Houston Cougars have been knocking on the door in recent seasons and now appear primed to make a championship run. Houston has reached the Sweet 16 the past five times the NCAA Tournament has been played. That includes a Final Four appearance in 2021 and the Elite Eight in 2022. Last season's run was sabotaged when All-America point guard Jamal Shead badly sprained his right ankle and missed the final 26 1/2 minutes of a 54-51 loss to Duke in the Sweet 16. This season, the Cougars feel more battle-tested than ever after going 19-1 in the Big 12 regular season and then winning three more games to claim the conference tournament title. They won at least 30 games for the fourth straight season and are the class of this region. The second-seeded Tennessee Volunteers were one of the better teams in a Southeastern Conference that was full of top-flight teams. The Volunteers run into offensive hiccups at times, so they clearly fall in line below Houston. No. 3 seed Kentucky, No. 4 seed Purdue and No. 5 seed Clemson are also in this bracket. And you can't overlook No. 8 Gonzaga, which has made nine straight Sweet 16s. Purdue lost to UConn in last season's title game but doesn't have the same pizzazz, though they still have the same passing wizard in point guard Braden Smith. TOP SHOT The old-school coaching methods of Kelvin Sampson resonate with the Cougars, who play their traditional tough defense along with a team-first offensive approach. Four Cougars score in double digits -- led by L.J. Cryer's 15.2 average -- and Houston ranks second nationally in scoring defense at 58.5 points per game. Tennessee will go as far as point guard Zakai Zeigler (13.8 ppg, 7.3 assists) can take the club, because leading scorer Chaz Lanier (17.7) is prone to inconsistency. Kentucky beat a lot of good teams but is short-handed as point guard Lamont Butler (shoulder) is ailing and shooter Jaxson Robinson (wrist) is done for the season. Guess who doesn't want to be asked about his first opponent being a double-digit seed? That would be Purdue coach Matt Painter, who saw his Boilermakers lose to such seeds in three straight NCAA tournaments (twice in the first round) prior to last season's dash to the title game. GAMES TO WATCH No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Point There was the embarrassing loss to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023, the humiliating setback against No. 15 Saint Peter's in 2022 and the improbable defeat against No. 13 North Texas in 2021. Even back in 2016, there was the stunning double-overtime loss to No. 12 Little Rock. Rest assured High Point wasn't overly mad to get pitted against Purdue for its first-ever NCAA Tournament game. The Panthers overcame a 15-point deficit in the second half in the Big South title game while rallying to beat Winthrop. High Point has won 14 consecutive games and hasn't lost in two months, so the players have the proper confidence level to slay a Big Ten program known for taking low-caliber opponents lightly. No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia It will be a battle of Bulldogs in this affair with the Gonzaga edition falling a couple notches from its perch in recent seasons. However, the Zags were hot down the stretch with four straight wins and nine of their past 10. Gonzaga won the West Coast Conference tournament title by playing the game at Saint Mary's (sloooow) level. Georgia won four straight games late in the season -- including an upset of a Florida team that earned a No. 1 seed -- so a first-round SEC tournament loss to Oklahoma had no effect on its NCAA hopes. The presence of star freshman Asa Newell gives Georgia a strong chance at beating the Zags. No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 Utah State UCLA went 4-4 to close the season and was routed by Wisconsin in its first game of the Big Ten tournament. The Bruins torched Southern California by 27 in its regular-season finale, so there's no telling which version might show up. A strong game by Tyler Bilodeau, who leads the Bruins with 13.6 points per game, would help their chances. Utah State is in the tournament for the third straight season under a third different coach. That alone is pretty impressive. The Aggies also went 4-4 down the stretch with the last three setbacks coming by 17 points to Boise State and 27 and 11 points to red-hot Colorado State. Ian Martinez (78 3-pointers) loves to fire away. GET TO KNOW Braden Smith, Purdue The Big Ten player of the year has top-level instincts as a point guard and holds the school record of 732 assists though he is only a junior. Smith also is second on the team in scoring at 16.1 points while making a team-high 78 3-pointers. Otega Oweh, Kentucky The 6-foot-4 guard averages a team-best 16.2 points and has notched 12 20-point outings. He's always looked to in the clutch and drove the length of the court against three defenders for a buzzer-beating basket to slay Oklahoma (his former program) in the second round of the SEC tourney. Tre Johnson, Texas He is viewed as a for-sure Top 10 NBA draft pick and possibly top five thanks to a strong freshman campaign in which he is averaging 19.8 points to go with 85 treys, both team bests. The Longhorns can win their First Four matchup in Dayton against Xavier with a team effort, but they would need a big performance from Johnson to slay Illinois. Asa Newell, Georgia The 6-foot-11 post player also is viewed as a Top 10 pick in the NBA draft, and the freshman is averaging team highs of 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds. Scouts will be watching closely to see how he fares against Gonzaga big man Graham Ike. Tayton Conerway, Troy The 6-foot-3 guard does it all with averages of 14.3 points, 4.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 steals. He was superb in Troy's run through the Sun Belt tournament by averaging 20.3 points in the three games. Kyler Filewich, Wofford The 6-foot-9 center averages 11.9 points and 9.4 rebounds but has a horrid 31.8 free-throw percentage. Now his free throws are must-see because he recently converted to shooting them underhanded. Famous underhand free-throw shooter extraordinaire Rick Barry came to campus to show him the technique, and Filewich is fully onboard. SPREAD THE NEWS No. 4 Purdue (-8.5) vs. No. 13 High Point The betting line appeared to fluctuate between 7.5 and 10.5 points in the early hours after the selections were announced. With the Boilermakers' reputation for struggles against lower-seeded foes, take these points and expect the Panthers to play Purdue close even if they fall short. The Boilermakers have lost six of their last nine while High Point has been reeling off victories. Still, Purdue can't do the big el floppo again, right? No. 5 Clemson (-7.5) vs. No. 12 McNeese The possibility of the 12 vs. 5 certainly exists with the Cowboys having won 11 consecutive games and 22 of their past 23. McNeese played in last year's tournament and was badly spanked by Gonzaga but that experience can come in handy. The Tigers advanced to the Elite Eight last season and won 15 of 16 games this season until falling to Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference semifinals. Expect Clemson to take this one. No. 7 UCLA (-4.5) vs. No. 10 Utah State Two squads that had issues down the stretch signal one thing for bettors. Lunge for the points and don't look back. The Aggies have been a stellar program over the past three seasons with 80 wins and would surely like to knock off a UCLA program that once was the dominant program in the West. The Bruins have consistency issues on offense that could hurt in this matchup. Totally up-for-grabs game. OUT OF THE MIDWEST There is no real evidence that any team other than Houston will win this region. The Cougars have won 13 straight and 26 of their last 27, and they have the look of a title-game participant. Forward J'Wan Roberts (ankle) is expected back for the tournament, so Houston should be running on all cylinders.
NBC Sports
10-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Wizards vs. Raptors Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and best bets for March 10
It's Monday, March 10, and the Washington Wizards (13-49) and Toronto Raptors (21-43) are all set to square off from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Wizards are currently 6-23 on the road with a point differential of -12, while the Raptors have a 3-7 record in their last ten games at home. Washington won the meeting on Saturday, 118-117 due to Jamal Shead's buzzer-beater getting waved off. The regular season series is tied 1-1. The loss to the Wizards snapped a three-game winning streak for Toronto. Washington is 3-1 over the past four games and won four of the last six games. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts. Game details & how to watch Wizards vs. Raptors live today Date: Monday, March 10, 2025 Time: 7:30PM EST Site: Scotiabank Arena City: Toronto, ON Network/Streaming: Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game. Game odds for Wizards vs. Raptors The latest odds as of Monday: Odds: Wizards (+224), Raptors (-274) Spread: Raptors -6.5 Over/Under: 231 points That gives the Wizards an implied team point total of 114.5, and the Raptors 117.88. Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports' Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more! Expert picks & predictions for Monday's Wizards vs. Raptors game 'The Wizards are 3-4 ATS over the last seven games and I like this as a fade spot on them. Washington has not covered back-to-back games since the contest prior to and after the All-Star break. I think Toronto gets its revenge after Saturday's heartbreaker and covers with margin.' Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals. Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today's Wizards & Raptors game: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Toronto Raptors on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Wizards at +6. Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 231. Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today's calendar! Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Wizards vs. Raptors on Monday In 1 wins against the Wizards this season the Raptors' average winning margin is +24 The Under is 4-1 in the Wizards' last 5 matchups against Eastern Conference teams The Wizards have covered in 20 of their 36 matchups against Eastern Conference teams this season The Raptors have won 13 of their last 15 home games against the Wizards If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: - Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Washington Post
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Wizards beat Raptors 118-117 when Shead's basket at buzzer ruled late
TORONTO — Jordan Poole scored 34 points and the NBA-worst Washington Wizards won their second straight game, beating Toronto 118-117 on Saturday night when Raptors guard Jamal Shead's running layup at the buzzer was ruled to be late . The teams will meet again Monday night in Toronto. Bilal Coulibaly added 18 points and 10 rebounds to help Washington improve to 13-49 with its second straight victory. The Wizards beat Utah at home Wednesday night before heading off to Toronto for the start of a seven-game trip that also has a two-game set in Detroit and games at Denver, Portland and Utah.
Associated Press
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Wizards beat Raptors 118-117 when Shead's basket at buzzer ruled late
TORONTO (AP) — Jordan Poole scored 34 points and the NBA-worst Washington Wizards won their second straight game, beating Toronto 118-117 on Saturday night when Raptors guard Jamal Shead's running layup at the buzzer was ruled to be late. The teams will meet again Monday night in Toronto. Bilal Coulibaly added 18 points and 10 rebounds to help Washington improve to 13-49 with its second straight victory. The Wizards beat Utah at home Wednesday night before heading off to Toronto for the start of a seven-game trip that also has a two-game set in Detroit and games at Denver, Portland and Utah. RJ Barrett led Toronto with 23 points, and Jakob Poeltl added 21. The Raptors beat Utah at home the night before for their third straight victory. Takeaways Wizards: Poeltl was giving Washington fits, but when he was benched for the rest of the night because of a minutes limit, Washington took advantage. Raptors: Toronto was without several players, including Immanuel Quickley (rest), Gradey Dick (right knee bone bruise), Ochai Agbaji (left ankle sprain), Ja'Kobe Walter (right hip flexor), and Jonathan Mogbo (nasal fracture). Shead's teammates rushed the court after he appeared to hit the buzzer-beater for the victory. However, a video review found that the ball was still in his hand when the buzzer sounded. Up next The teams will meet again Monday night at Scotiabank Arena. ___
