Latest news with #KenPom
New York Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
UConn star forward Alex Karaban returning to Huskies for senior season
UConn forward Alex Karaban — the lone remaining starter from the Huskies' back-to-back national championship teams in 2023 and 2024 — is returning to school for his senior season, he announced Tuesday. 'I pride myself on accepting challenges and holding myself to the highest standard,' Karaban said in a statement. 'Last year, we didn't achieve what we set out to, and I am not running from a chance to make that right!' — Alex Karaban (@AlexKaraban) April 29, 2025 The 6-foot-8, 210 pounder was UConn's third-leading scorer last season, posting career-high averages in points (14.3), rebounds (5.3), assists (2.8), and blocks (1.5) per game. Karaban's return finalizes UConn's offseason roster makeover, likely giving Dan Hurley a top-5 preseason ranked squad. In addition to the Massachusetts native, Hurley also returns starting guard Solo Ball and center Tarris Reed Jr., who should be the Huskies' top interior option. Advertisement In the transfer portal, UConn solidified its backcourt by adding former Georgia guard Silas Demary Jr. — who will also go through the NBA Draft process, according to the league's early entrant list released Tuesday — and former Dayton guard Malachi Smith. Hurley also signed five-star shooting guard Braylon Mullins and four-star center Eric Reibe from high school. But for all the pieces at Hurley's disposal, none are as crucial as Karaban, and for multiple reasons. The first is obvious: As the lone holdover from the Huskies' consecutive title teams, Karaban will be integral in setting the culture in Storrs. Karaban was critical of his own ability to do that last season — especially after the Huskies' 0-3 performance in the Maui Invitational in November. Secondly, strictly from a basketball standpoint, Karaban's floor-stretching will be critical between UConn's reworked backcourt and frontline. Five-star freshman wing Liam McNeeley fortified the team's perimeter this season, but with McNeeley gone to the NBA Draft, more of that onus will fall on Karaban. Karaban started all 33 games he played last season, and his 35.9 minutes per game were most on the team. The question now is whether or not Karaban still has another level he can reach. On UConn's title teams, he was a key cog, but hardly the most important piece. Last season, occupying more of a featured role, Karaban's efficiency lagged as he posted the worst offensive rating of his career, per KenPom, and finished with the lowest 3-point percentage (34.7 percent) of his three college seasons. He did grow as a playmaker, nearly doubling his assist rate, but his streaky shooting cost UConn in several instances last season, including when he went 2-for-9 from deep in the team's season-ending NCAA Tournament loss to eventual champion Florida in the round of 32. Advertisement The good news is that with UConn's roster overhaul mostly complete, Karaban won't have to be near the singular force he was asked to be a season ago. Instead, he can once again serve as connective tissue on the perimeter next to the likes of Ball and Demary, giving Hurley at least three true 3-point threats. Additionally, Karaban's connection with Reed should continue to pay dividends; per CBB Analytics, Karaban was the second-leading assister to Reed last season behind graduated point guard Hassan Diarra. Karaban's return is the best possible news UConn could have asked for. After a down season by Hurley's standards, the Huskies should once again be considered legitimate national title contenders.
New York Times
27-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Duke's Khaman Maluach declares for 2025 NBA Draft: Why he's a projected lottery pick
Duke freshman Khaman Maluach — one of two every-game starters for the Blue Devils, and a key piece of the team's Final Four run — has officially declared for the NBA Draft, the school announced Sunday. The 7-foot-2 Maluach — who was born in South Sudan but grew up in Uganda before joining the NBA Academy Africa — is a projected lottery pick and one of the best bigs available in this class. In The Athletic's most recent mock draft, NBA Draft expert Sam Vecenie had Maluach being selected No. 14 by the Atlanta Hawks. Advertisement Maluach is one of three Duke freshmen expected to be selected in the lottery, joining likely No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and wing Kon Knueppel, who officially declared earlier in April. The center averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game for the ACC regular-season and tournament champions. NBA next. Duke forever. Thank you @khaman_maluach!! 💙💙👿 — Duke Men's Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 27, 2025 Despite picking up basketball at a later age, Maluach's immense size and potential made him a five-star, top-10 recruit in the 2024 class. And while he's still a work in progress — Duke coach Jon Scheyer said multiple times this season that Maluach's best basketball wouldn't come in college — the strides the big man made during his lone season with the Blue Devils were immense. His two biggest selling points to the NBA are obvious: defense, especially rim protection, and a vertical lob threat around the rim. Start with the defense, which is where Maluach easily has the most upside. Despite being 7-2, with a 7-6 wingspan and 9-8 standing reach, Maluach has nimble feet that allow him to play multiple defensive coverages. While Duke mostly kept him in drop coverage earlier in the season, allowing him to learn the speed and angles of the college (and American) game, he quickly proved he could do more. The Blue Devils then started switching 1 through 5 in mid-January, beginning with a blowout win over Pitt, which meant Maluach regularly had to defend opposing guards on the perimeter, and he more than held his own, swatting shots from behind even in the moments when he got beat off the dribble. As the season progressed, Duke started asking him to hard hedge on certain ball screens, and he showed the ability to recover without giving up many openings. Of course, all of that is to say nothing of his sheer presence in the lane, where he emerged as a deterrent to most drivers and one of the ACC's most vicious shot-blockers. He finished the season with a top-100 block rate nationally, per KenPom, and 15 games with multiple blocks. Maluach's size also made him a strong rebounder, especially on the offensive glass, where he posted a top-10 offensive rebounding rate nationally, per KenPom. His hands were one of the biggest questions NBA evaluators had about his potential this season, and while there were certainly moments where he struggled against stronger opponents — none more notable than Houston in the Final Four, the only game all season he didn't record a single rebound — he largely developed his touch and learned how to locate the ball in the air. Advertisement That, in turn, made Maluach a tremendous lob threat, especially over the second half of this season. The center was a constant target for Flagg and Duke's other guards, with Maluach catching at least one alley-oop out of a short pick-and-roll seemingly every game. Altogether, that was a large reason why he shot 80.6 percent at the rim this season, per CBB Analytics, which was well above the national average of 62.3 percent. While Maluach continues developing his post moves, that's the most immediate way he'll be able to help an NBA team offensively, although there is some thought, depending on which evaluator you ask, that Maluach may eventually be able to stretch the floor from 3. He only made four triples in 39 games, but showed an increased willingness to take those shots in the second half of the season. If Maluach can become even a somewhat reliable deep shooter — and his 76.6 percent from the free-throw line suggests that's possible — then that would unlock a whole new vein of upside for any team picking him. In many ways, though, Maluach's best pro comparison is one of the Duke centers who immediately preceded him: Dereck Lively II, a lottery pick who started for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
MSU basketball is highly-ranked in 2026 Torvik projections
MSU basketball is highly-ranked in 2026 Torvik projections Michigan State basketball is near the top of the country in the Torvik projection rankings for the 2026 season Michigan State basketball is projected as one of the top 12 teams for next season, according to one of the leading analytics rankings systems. The Torvik 2026 projected top 30 was released on Friday, with Michigan State landing near the top of the country. Michigan State came in at No. 12 nationally in the projected top 30 rankings from Torvik. Torvik Ratings are one of the most popular analytics used by college basketball enthusiasts. Similar to KenPom, Torvik rankings will typically give you a more analytical look at the top teams in the country. Of Big Ten teams, Michigan State ranked as the fourth highest team. Only Purdue (No. 2), Michigan (No. 5) and UCLA (No. 7) were ahead of the Spartans in the rankings. Behind Michigan State from the Big Ten was Ohio State (No. 19), Illinois (No. 20), USC (No. 21), Wisconsin (No. 25) and Iowa (No. 30). Check out the complete rankings from Torvik in the post below: Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joe Lunardi Predicts Score of Duke-Houston Final Four
The Duke Blue Devils and the Houston Cougars will battle it out on Saturday night for a spot in the NCAA Tournament's national title game. This marks Duke's 18th Final Four appearance, while Houston is set to make its seventh. No. 1 seed Duke enters the game, having blown through the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament by defeating No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary's 93-49, No. 9 seed Baylor 89-66, No. 4 seed Arizona 100-93 and No. 2 seed Alabama 85-65. Advertisement Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Houston has beaten No. 16 seed SIU Edwardsville 78-40, No. 8 seed Gonzaga 81-76, No. 4 seed Purdue 62-60 and No. 2 seed Tennessee 69-50. Following Sunday's completion of the Elite Eight, ESPN college basketball analyst Joe Lunardi shared his score prediction for Duke-Houston. Despite Houston being a 4.5-point underdog (ESPN BET), Lunardi is picking the Cougars to beat the Blue Devils 75-70. The scene at the 2024 Final Four in Glendale, Ariz.© Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK Lunardi admitted he would usually ride with a talented team with no experience rather than a less-talented team with lots of experience. However, Houston has both, while Duke is very young. Advertisement "Generally, I would still pick talent over experience, but it's not like the Houston guys are unaccomplished," Lunardi said. "The Cougars have won 159 games in the J'wan Roberts-Kelvin Sampson era. This is their second Final Four together. The Cougars, at 17 victories in a row, can also claim the nation's longest current winning streak. They have lost just once since November and have lost only once in regulation all season. This is a fabulous matchup in every way, but I'm taking the experienced veterans over the most talented freshmen in the tournament." Three of Duke's starters are freshmen: Cooper Flagg (18 years old), Kon Knueppel (19) and Khaman Maluach (18). Four of Houston's five starters are 21 or older: L.J. Cryer (23), Emanuel Sharp (21), J'wan Roberts (23) and Milos Uzan (22) Both teams have been among the best in college basketball all season. In fact, they hold the top two spots in the KenPom rankings, with Duke at No. 1 and Houston at No. 2. The Blue Devils (35-3) boast the nation's most efficient offense and rank fourth in defensive efficiency, while the Cougars (34-4) have the country's top-ranked defense and a top-10 offense. Anytime the best offense goes up against the best defense, it sets up a classic. Advertisement Tip-off in San Antonio is scheduled for 8:49 p.m. ET Saturday. The winner will face Auburn or Florida in the national championship on April 7. Related: Joe Lunardi Predicts Score of Auburn-Florida Final Four Related: ESPN BPI Predicts Winner of 2025 NCAA Tournament National Championship
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Xavier guard Ryan Conwell commits to Pat Kelsey's Louisville Cardinals
Former Xavier assistant coach and Cincinnati native Pat Kelsey landed a commitment from another former Musketeer. On Tuesday night, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported that Ryan Conwell has committed to Kelsey's Louisville Cardinals. Advertisement More: 'This community deserves a winner.' Richard Pitino introduced as Xavier basketball coach More: 'It just fits you.' Why Rick Pitino encouraged his son to become Xavier's next head coach On March 28, Conwell became the fifth Xavier player to enter the NCAA's transfer portal after Sean Miller left to become the head coach at Texas. Conwell, an Indianapolis native, visited the Indiana Hoosiers on Monday, according to 247Sports. Conwell averaged 16.5 points per game last season and was a third-team All-Big East selection over 34 starts. He ranked third in the Big East in three-point shooting percentage (41.2%) and scored a career-high 38 points in Xavier's loss to Marquette in the Big East Tournament. Ryan Conwell (7) averaged 16.5 points per game for Xavier last season. Louisville will be Conwell's fourth school in as many years after dealing with a head coaching change in each of his first three collegiate seasons. Advertisement Louisville finished 27-8 overall and 18-2 in the ACC in the first season under Kelsey. The Cardinals made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and lost in the first round to No. 9 Creighton. Louisville ranked No. 30 in KenPom in offensive efficiency but just No. 222 in 3-point shooting. With Conwell, the Cardinals add one of the transfer portal's top perimeter weapons. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ryan Conwell commits to Louisville basketball
