Latest news with #NCAABasketball
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"He is the ultimate underdog" - Lil Wayne saw it early when he praised Stephen Curry back in 2008
Back in late 2008, long before Stephen Curry was a household name in the basketball world, rapper Lil Wayne noticed something special. In an ESPN column, the hip-hop star — who's a huge basketball fan — gave high praise to the then-Davidson College point guard, capturing the essence of Curry's rise well before the hype exploded. Winning Lil Wayne's respect At the time, rapper Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., better known as Lil Wayne, was writing a column for ESPN about American sports. He made two things clear: he was a serious college basketball fan, and during the 2008-09 NCAA season, one player caught his full attention — Stephen Curry. Advertisement At the time, Curry was a junior at Davidson, quietly changing what an undersized point guard could do on the court. Lil Wayne even paused his writing to give a rare, heartfelt shoutout, stating, "Steph Curry, you are amazing." What stood out most was a gritty performance against the West Virginia Mountaineers. "West Virginia was posting him up every chance they got, but he (Curry) still fought his way through it," recalled the founder of Young Money Entertainment Furthermore, Lil Wayne mentioned a game where the 6'2" player was doubled every minute on the floor — as if he were the then top NFL receiver Terrell Owens — yet even without their key player prominent on the stat sheet, Davidson still won by 30. Advertisement "It just shows you what kind of man Steph is because even though he didn't score a point his expression never changed. He never got frustrated. That just shows you who he is," wrote Wayne. Curry's rise Wayne's excitement likely came from a simple fact: like many others back then, Curry just hadn't been on his radar. Coming out of Charlotte Christian High School, Dell Curry's son was mostly overlooked. Why? His slim build made ACC programs think he'd get pushed around, so they passed on him. But instead of letting doubt hold him back, Steph took on the challenge and proved everyone wrong — something Wayne clearly admired. Advertisement "Now he is the ultimate underdog running circles around everybody, and I love him so much for that," he wrote. Along with the praise, the hip-hop legend also offered some honest advice. "I think he needs to stay another year to work on his body, but he's going to be fine in the NBA because he actually has a shot, and that's really all you need," explained Carter Jr. Looking back, Curry — now widely regarded as the best shooter the game has ever seen — didn't take that advice. Just a few months later, he declared for the NBA Draft and was selected seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors. Advertisement On the big stage, the Ohio native turned out to be much more than just "fine." Despite some tough early years, "Chef Curry" became one of the most iconic and successful players in league history. His four NBA titles, two MVPs, multiple All-Star nods, and two scoring titles speak for themselves — but even more telling is how he managed to dominate the game without the physical tools that others usually rely on. Related: "He look like the dad of the YMCA player" - Lil Wayne admits he doesn't like Nikola Jokic
CBS News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Brockton's AJ Dybantsa and BYU will play UConn at TD Garden in Hall of Fame Series
AJ Dybantsa on his decision to go to BYU, life as projected No. 1 pick in NBA Draft AJ Dybantsa on his decision to go to BYU, life as projected No. 1 pick in NBA Draft AJ Dybantsa on his decision to go to BYU, life as projected No. 1 pick in NBA Draft AJ Dybantsa, a Brockton native and this year's No. 1 recruit in college basketball, will get to play in front of a Boston crowd during the 2025 NCAA season. Dybantsa and the BYU Cougars will square off against the UConn Huskies at TD Garden this November. BYU and UConn will take over the home of the Boston Celtics on Nov. 15 for a showcase showdown, the two schools announced Thursday. The game is part of the Hall of Fame Series, and will feature two teams expected to be among the best squads in college ball in 2025. AJ Dybantsa returning to Boston Dybantsa was born in Brockton but played just one season of high school ball locally. He played his freshman year at St. Sebastian's in Needham before he transferred to Prolific Prep in California -- one of the country's top basketball academies. Dybantsa finished off his high school career at Utah Prep Academy. It was with Utah Prep that Dybantsa returned to Boston last November, when he scored 18 points and had six rebounds in a 79-71 win over Highland School of Virginia at Emmanuel College. Dybantsa was the top high school recruit last year, and announced he'd be playing his college ball at BYU on ESPN's First Take in December. There will be plenty of hype around Dybantsa throughout what will probably be his lone season at BYU. The 6-foot-9 forward is seen as the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, though a lot can change throughout a college basketball season. Alex Karaban playing in front of home crowd too While Dybantsa will get the bulk of the attention come November, the game will also be a homecoming for UConn forward Alex Karaban. The Southborough native played at Algonquin Regional in Northborough and New Hampton School in New Hampshire before wrapping up his high school career at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He was a four-star recruit when he committed to UConn, and played a critical role on the Huskies teams that won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2023 and 2024. This November's matchup at TD Garden will be just the second time BYU and UConn have played each other. The two schools first matched up in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, which the 5-seeded UConn won, 58-53.
Reuters
6 days ago
- General
- Reuters
F Alex Condon opts out of NBA draft, returns to Florida
May 27 - Forward Alex Condon, who played a key role in Florida's run to the national championship, will return for his junior season after telling ESPN on Tuesday that he is withdrawing from the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-11 native of Australia averaged 10.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 37 games (35 starts) for the Gators in 2024-25. "It's a really good situation waiting for me there," Condon told ESPN. "A great coach with Todd Golden. Teammates I won a national championship with. I have great chemistry with those boys. We have a good transfer class coming in. I expect guys to make a leap. My big man coach Carlin Hartman is returning, so I will keep developing my game with him." The deadline for players to withdraw from the June 25-26 draft and maintain their college eligibility is Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Condon is ranked No. 38 in ESPN's latest draft projections. The third-team All-Southeastern Conference selection shot 49.3 percent from the field and 32.8 percent (19 of 58) from 3-point distance this season. He contributed 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals in Florida's 65-63 victory against Houston in the NCAA Tournament final on April 7. "It's a hard thing to do, winning back-to-back," Condon said. "We're not taking it lightly. We need to get together as a team. ... Part of the reason we were so good last season was we got used to playing with each other for two years. We need to continue that. When guys have your back, that's what makes a great team." --Field Level Media
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Trump hosts NCAA basketball champion Florida Gators at the White House
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump honored the 2025 NCAA basketball champion Florida Gators at the White House on Wednesday, proclaiming that 'lesser teams would have crumbled' during its nail-biting title game victory. 'It was looking bad,' Trump said, noting that Houston led by as many as 12 points in a game Florida rallied to win 65-63 in San Antonio in April. 'Did you think you were going to win?' Florida (36-4) delivered four come-from-behind victories in six March Madness wins. The Gators led the finale for a total of 64 seconds, including the last 46 ticks of a contest that was in limbo until the final sequence. Trump recounted Alijah Martin making two free throws to put the Gators ahead to stay with 46.5 seconds left, and asked Martin if he was nervous. 'Lesser teams would have crumbled,' the president said. Florida secured the program's third title in basketball, and Trump noted that it is the only school to have a trio of NCAA titles in that sport and in football. When the Gators basketball team won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007, they visited President George W. Bush at the White House. Wednesday's East Room ceremony featured top Trump administration leaders from Florida, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mentioning Rubio, Trump said there's 'no bigger Florida fan.' Also on hand were Florida Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, as well as assorted House members from the state and former Florida football standout Tim Tebow. Trump described Tebow 'as a college player, maybe the best ever' and said he was a big fan despite Tebow having spent part of his professional career with the NFL's New York Jets. The team gave Trump an autographed basketball and No. 47 jersey with his name on the back. The president also hailed the Gators' 39-year-old coach, Todd Golden, as 'great' and 'young' while joking, 'Boy, would I like to be his agent.' Last year, President Joe Biden held a joint ceremony honoring the 2024 NCAA men's and women's basketball winners, honoring South Carolina and Connecticut. Since taking office in January, Trump has hosted a series of championship teams, including the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles. His April ceremony in the Rose Garden with the NCAA football champion Ohio State Buckeyes is best remembered for Vice President JD Vance — an Ohio State graduate and Buckeye fan — fumbling the team's championship trophy.
Reuters
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Florida lands former Arkansas PG Boogie Fland
May 20 - Former Arkansas point guard Boogie Fland committed to reigning national champion Florida on Tuesday. Fland and his representatives, who include Florida alumnus Mike Miller, confirmed the transfer with ESPN. Fland attended this month's draft combine before withdrawing from 2025 NBA Draft consideration last week. He averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 21 games (18 starts) as a freshman for coach John Calipari's Razorbacks in 2024-25. Fland missed more than two months of the season with an injury to his right hand. He faced the Gators once, tallying 15 points, four assists and three rebounds in a 71-63 loss on Jan. 11 in Fayetteville, Ark. A five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American, the 6-foot-2 Fland originally committed to Kentucky when Calipari still was the head coach. He fills a vacancy with coach Todd Golden's Gators, with point guard Walter Clayton Jr. out of eligibility along with fellow backcourt starters Will Richard and Alijah Martin. --Field Level Media
