ESPN Sources: The Atlanta Hawks are trading forward Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for a deal that includes a protected 2022 first-round pick via Charlotte. Knicks also acquire Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round pick via Brooklyn in trade.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 13, 2022

According to further reporting from Woj, the trade to the Knicks fulfills Reddish’s desire to play for a team that can give him an increased role and an extension this coming offseason. It seems as though Reddish saw the writing on the wall after Atlanta signed John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and De’Andre Hunter to multi-year extensions after the Hawks shocked the NBA during their run to the Conference Finals.

The 10th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has one more guaranteed season left on his four-year rookie contract. If he doesn’t sign an extension, he can become a restricted free agent during the 2023 offseason. The 22-year-old forward is averaging 11.9 points and 2.5 rebounds on 40.9 percent shooting from the field and 37.9 percent shooting from downtown this season.

The trade reunited Reddish with former Duke teammate RJ Barrett, who scored 32 points in the Knicks’ Wednesday night win over the Mavericks. The Knicks (21-21) return to action on Saturday against the Hawks (17-23).

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Hill suffered the injury when slipped and did a split during Sunday’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. Hill underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed a torn right hamstring. The Hawks subsequently announced Wednesday that the veteran forward would need season-ending surgery.

An @emoryhealthcare injury update:

Solomon Hill, who left Sunday’s game with a right hamstring injury, underwent an MRI on Monday. The MRI revealed a right hamstring tendon tear.

He will undergo surgery and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season. pic.twitter.com/9kXcZ0lDfy

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 8, 2021

The Hawks, who are currently 13 -12, are shorthanded on the wing with key rotational such as Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdonavic out with various injuries; Hill has been able to provide quality minutes in their absence.

Hawks head coach Nate McMillian opened up about losing Hill.

“It’s tough,” coach Nate McMillan said. “Any time you lose a player for the season, it’s tough because he was not only a player that has filled roles for us, starting back last season, he’s that emotional leader for us. He’s been a big-time voice for us in the locker room, both on and off the floor. It’s a real big loss for us.

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The Hawks have had an extremely productive offseason, adding Danilo Gallinari, Kris Dunn, Rajon Rondo and several others. Hill is 29 years old and known for being a quality three-point shooter.

While he likely won’t be a starter for the Hawks, he is yet another veteran who brings playoff experience and knows what it takes to win.

In the 2019-20 season, he produced 5.5 points per game while shooting .396 from deep.

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All three of the players involved in the deal have expiring contracts and neither party is significantly impacting their cap space. The Hawks, by effectively consolidating undesirable contracts, have freed up a roster spot.

The Grizzlies, in contrast, suddenly have two slightly more palatable deals that they’d presumably be more likely to flip to other teams.

Parsons’ three-year stint with the Grizzlies hasn’t gone as well as either party hoped for when he signed a lucrative four-year deal back in the summer of 2016. In 25 games for the squad last season, he averaged 7.5 points per game in just under 20 minutes of action.

In a subsequent tweet about the trade, Wojnarowski adds that Parsons and the Grizz had been discussing a buyout but weren’t able to come to terms on a suitable number.

Hill is another player who has seen his role decrease since the day he initially signed his contract. The 28-year-old averaged close to 30 minutes per game in 2016-17 but has seen his minutes peter off and fluctuate since.

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In the deal the Hawks will absorb the $13.3 million owed to Solomon Hill and also take New Orleans’ No. 57 pick and a future second-round pick.

The Pelicans, in addition to the three picks above, will also nab a heavily protected first-rounder from the Cavs in 2020, Wojnarowski adds.

With Atlanta now sitting in the No. 4 spot of the draft, pundits looking to project the order have to figure out what to do about Darius Garland. Given that the Hawks are already set at point guard, it’s suddenly more likely that Garland slips to No. 5.

Instead of Garland, the Hawks may target another common No. 4 prospect on big boards like Jarrett Culver or zero in on another player that will fit their system. Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets that the Hawks have been targeting De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, while Wojnarowski separately adds that Atlanta is pursuing Hunter.

With Garland now available at No. 5, the Cavaliers will have to think long and hard about how the point guard would fit into new head coach John Belein’s system alongside 2018 lottery pick point guard Collin Sexton.

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D’Angelo Russell took the floor in Brooklyn rocking the BHM edition of the Nike PG 2.5, De’Aaron Fox gave his Kobes a rest in favor of a pair of vintage Nike Zoom KD IV “BHM” and Omari Spellman was one of several players wearing the Nike Hyperdunk X Low “BHM.” Kelly Oubre Jr. paid homage to jazz legend Louis Armstrong with a custom pair of the Nike Kobe A.D. Exodus while Josh Jackson honored African-American inventor Garrett Morgan, whose contributions included the gas mask and the traffic light, which Jackson portrayed on his custom Under Armour HOVR Havoc Low.

Other notable kicks on the evening included P.J. Tucker’s “ASG” Nike Zoom Kobe 3 and “Ohio State” PE Nike LeBron 15s, Taurean Prince’s PSNY x Air Jordan XII Retro, and sick NikeiD jawns in Stanley Johnson’s Kyrie 5s and Solomon Hill’s PG 2s.

Check out the rest of Monday’s best NBA footwork in our gallery below.

Photos via Getty Images

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Hill, 26, is expected to miss the next six-to-eight months.

Solomon Hill underwent successful surgery for a proximal hamstring
tear in his left leg. Rehab 6-8 months. More Info https://t.co/1hlDluVBsY pic.twitter.com/l4RiBKYDGw

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) August 27, 2017

Hill started 71 games for the Pels last season, and averaged 7.0 points and 3.8 rebounds.

From the press release:

New Orleans Pelicans forward Solomon Hill has been diagnosed with a proximal hamstring tear in his left leg, it was determined following examination by Dr. Michael Gerhardt and consultation with Pelicans Director of Medical Services/Head Team Physician Dr. Misty Suri. The injury occurred while Hill was participating in a basketball workout in Los Angeles, CA.

 

Hill underwent successful surgery by Dr. Gerhardt in Santa Monica, CA and is expected to make a full recovery. An injury of this nature takes approximately 6-8 months to heal. A timetable for his return will be determined at a later date.

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In the second quarter of last night’s game between the Pelicans and the Celtics, Solomon Hill took off from deep and put Marcus Smart on your next screensaver. But the play was quickly waved off,  as Hill was called for the charge.

Looked a lot like Smart flopped his way out of this one…

You be the judge.

Related
Pelicans Sign Solomon Hill To 4-Year, $52 Million Deal
WATCH: DeAndre Jordan Throws Down Alley-Oop Over Marcus Smart

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The franchise made their first free-agent signing of the offseason by inking Solomon Hill to a four-year, $52 million fully guaranteed pact.

Free agent forward Solomon Hill has agreed to a four-year, $52M deal with New Orleans, league source tells @TheVertical.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2016

New Orleans was reportedly very high on the 25-year-old wing. Marc Stein of ESPN reports that the Pelicans “want to slot him in as their new two-way small forward.”

Hill, in his third NBA season last year, saw only 14.7 minutes per game in the regular season, but saw his playing time go up to 28.3 minutes per game in the Playoffs against Toronto.

Keep up with the latest signings during the July free-agency period by following our 2016 NBA Free Agent Tracker.

The post Pelicans Sign Solomon Hill To 4-Year, $52 Million Deal appeared first on SLAM.

Photos via Getty Images

Previously:
Week of November 7 – November 13
Week of October 31 – November 6

The post NBA Photos Of The Week appeared first on SLAM.

Hill’s heroics’ ruined Lance Stephenson’s first game back in Indiana since he bolted to the Charlotte Hornets.

The post Solomon Hill Beats the Hornets at the Buzzer (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

This was a back-and-forth, high-intensity game featuring two teams that have a good chance to make it very deep into the playoffs when May rolls around. However, the final handful of possessions showed that at this moment, only one of these two teams already has their chemistry and late-game execution close to figured out. After Cory Joseph (10 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds) closed out the third quarter strong, San Antonio held a slim 72-69 lead. LeBron James (15 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 turnovers) had been doing his best to get his teammates involved, including Anderson Varejao (23 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks), who showed a nice touch around the rim on the night. The fourth quarter remained a tight one, as neither team led by more than three points from 9:48 left until the final buzzer sounded. The final 2:35 is where the Spurs took this one. After a Boris Diaw (19 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) missed 3-point shot with 2:36 remaining, the Cavs had an 86-85 lead and a chance to extend their lead to three or four points. However, they couldn’t capitalize on not one, not two but three opportunities as James snatched two offensive rebounds on the possession. Tim Duncan (19 points, 10 rebounds) would make them pay by easily placing in a turnaround bank shot to put his team back in front. Manu Ginobili (7 points, 5 assists) would later flip one in after two nice touches from Tony Parker (8 points, 3 assists) and Duncan to put the Spurs up 91-88. This was one of those plays where all three of San Antonio’s stars knew exactly where their teammates would be. Due to a Ginobili missed free throw, though, the Cavs had one more chance. LeBron went behind his back and consequently lost the handle of the ball, turning it over and giving the game to the Spurs. James’ and Kevin Love’s (10 points, 11 rebounds) shooting woes continued Wednesday night, as these two combined to shoot 10-29 (34.5 percent) from the field. Their team’s rhythm just isn’t there right now, but we all have to assume they will figure it out as the season moves along.

Pacers 88 (5-7), Hornets 86 (4-8)

Lance Stephenson (10 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) went back to where his career started for the first time since he took his talents to Charlotte, but Wednesday turned out to be all about one of the players who is trying to fill the void Born Ready left behind. Even though Rodney Stuckey (11 points) clearly was going to take the last shot for the win, Solomon Hill (6 points, 5 rebounds) wasn’t content with ball watching. As Stuckey stepped back for a potential game-winner, Hill snuck baseline, grabbed an air-ball in midair and tossed it in as the buzzer sounded to give his Pacers the victory. Before the late-game heroics, the Hornets squandered a 15-point, second-quarter lead because of their disappearing offense and strong play from Roy Hibbert (18 points, 11 rebounds). As strong as the defense has been and will be, Charlotte allows too many minutes to go by without scoring any points. Al Jefferson (28 points, 8 rebounds) is certainly Steve Clifford’s offensive anchor, but at sometimes Kemba Walker (12 points, 7 assists) and Stephenson over dribble or fail to make the simple pass. And with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (foot) and Gary Neal (concussion) sidelined against the Pacers, Gerald Henderson (0 points, 23 minutes) filled part of this void and put up an offensive dud. This is already the fourth time this season Henderson has been held scoreless…that can’t happen if Charlotte wants to make another playoff run. Clifford will make this team play defense, but they need to find some sort of an offensive rhythm. Once Stephenson inevitably settles in to his new role, the offensive should somewhat come around.

Clippers 114 (6-4), Magic 90 (5-8)

Los Angeles won all four quarters in this one, slowly but surely pulling away to an easy 24-point victory. The Clippers, who were starting this brutal road trip of seven road games in 11 days, didn’t even need their starters to play in the fourth quarter. Chris Paul (16 points, 9 assists, 8-13 from the field) was efficient with his shooting and passing, Blake Griffin (20 points) muscled his way to another 20-point performance and Jamal Crawford (22 points, 8-12 from the field) had one of those nights when he couldn’t miss from anywhere on the court. When Crawford finds his touch, he becomes the small forward this team desperately needs in their lineup. With Evan Fournier (heel) out, the Magic missed his scoring and ball distribution while only shooting 39.5 percent from the field. Tobias Harris (25 points, 2-2 on 3-pointers) had a solid showing and Nikola Vucevic (19 points, 14 rebounds) notched his usual double-double but barely had an impact in the second half. Even though they played with their usual rapid pace, the Clippers played smart basketball, only turning the ball over seven times.

Celtics 101 (4-6), 76ers 90 (0-11)

The Sixers played two good quarter of basketball going into the halftime with a tie and seemed like they might have a chance to pick up that elusive first win of the season. The Celtics, though, weren’t about to lose their fourth straight as Rajon Rondo (9 points, 13 assists), Jared Sullinger (22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists) and Brandon Bass (23 points, 6 rebounds, 9-13 from the field) all played key roles in leading Boston to the double-digit victory. Bass, specifically, lived on the baseline and accepted pass after pass from Rondo. Tony Wroten (21 points, 7 assists) led the Sixers in scoring again as now starting point guard Michael Carter-Williams (11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnovers) only has one more assist than turnover in his first four games of the season (19 assists, 18 turnovers). Boston has struggled defensively this season, but the Sixers helped with that issue, as they scored a season-low 90 points on the Celtics.

Mavericks 105 (9-3), Wizards 102 (7-3)

The Mavs came into this game winners of their last four while the Wizards had won their last three. Both these teams had their cores return from last season while adding key small forwards. Dallas was able to pick up the road victory, though, due to a certain German power forward who did what he’s been doing since he entered the league. After a closely contested game with neither team leading by more than 10 points, Dirk Nowitzki (13 points, 3-4 on 3-pointers) twisted his left ankle after accidentally stepping on the back of Kris Humphries’ (9 points, 6 rebounds) shoe. But if you haven’t heard before, Dirk’s ankles are practically rubber at this point in his career. After getting his ankles taped in the locker room, he returned and drilled a critical 3-point dagger that extended the Mavericks lead from a two points to 102-97. The Wizards would cut it back down to three points after Bradley Beal (21 points, 3-6 on 3-pointers)–who looked good in his first game back–made a driving layup. Monta Ellis (34 points, 12-14 on free throws), though, calmly made a pair of free throws to put this one out of reach for good. Ellis was ridiculous through the first 12 minutes, scoring 18 of his 34 points. With Jameer Nelson (5 points, 2-12 from the field) having an off night, Rick Carlisle handed the reins to J.J. Barea (14 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 23 minutes), who played very well down the stretch. (This is a guy who was waived earlier in the season…now he’s playing crunch-time minutes on a 9-3 team.) Big men Tyson Chandler (5 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Brandan Wright (14 points, 6 rebounds, 6-7 from the field) remain a lethal one-two punch down low, acting as pogo sticks on both ends of the court. Through 12 games so far, 12 Mavs have net ratings of +6.9 or higher when on the floor, showing their insane depth. As long as the defense can become more consistent, there is no reason to think the Mavs can’t compete in the West.

Bucks 122 (7-5), Nets 118 (4-7) 3OT

This game was nothing short of a roller coaster. With the Bucks winning their last two to go over .500 and the Nets losers of their last four, Jason Kidd returned to Brooklyn with the brighter future and the better record. These two teams went back and forth early on as neither team led by more than four points midway through the second quarter. Behind some quick baskets from Jarrett Jack (14 points), who had nine of his 14 points in the second quarter, the Nets extended their lead to double-digits. The Bucks rallied in the third thanks to a two-minute scoring drought by Brooklyn that allowed Milwaukee to go on a 9-0 run. By the time the fourth quarter started, this one was back to being a back-and-forth contest as Brook Lopez (26 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks) looked good for the Nets throughout Wednesday night. Regulation play finished with a tie thanks to a clutch layup from O.J. Mayo (21 points, 7 rebounds) with 30.4 seconds remaining. As disappointing of a career Mayo has had since the Grizzlies took him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, he seems to be finding a groove and role under Kidd. The first overtime ended with Mayo coming through for his team again, swishing two game-tying free throws with 21.2 seconds remaining. These closing seconds, though, weren’t about Mayo. During the Nets’ final possession of the first overtime, Joe Johnson (18 points, 8 assists) jumped in the air without knowing what he was doing with the ball (which is something a basketball player should never do), allowing Brandon Knight (18 points, 8 assists) to easily steal the ball and head to the other basket with the clock winding down. Knight went up for the right-handed layup he has successfully made thousands of time in his life…and botched the layup. Everyone was shocked, including Kidd, who had to hold back his frustration. As frustrated as the Bucks had to have been with Knight, they trusted him in the second overtime and he came through with a huge 3-point basket with 19.6 seconds left to send this one to a third overtime. And in these final five minutes of free basketball, the Bucks won this game with their defense, holding the Nets to only two field goals. Don’t look now, but Kidd has these young Bucks out to a 7-5 record. Giannis Antetokounmpo (18 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists) and Jabari Parker (career-high 23 points, 7 rebounds) are quickly turning into a long, dangerous one-two punch on the wing while there is plenty of depth off the bench. In a conference where at least one team can sneak into the playoffs below .500, don’t discount the possibility of the Bucks finding their way in.

Suns 88 (7-5), Pistons 86 (3-9)

Even though they usually use their up-tempo, fast-paced offense to blitz past the competition, the Suns showed their ability to grind out games defensively. (Granted, it was against the lowly and lost Pistons.) The Suns held Detroit to only 37.9 percent shooting from the field, as well as just 7-25 (28 percent) on 3-pointers. In the ugly victory, Eric Bledsoe (18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) and Goran Dragic (12 points, 4 assists) led the way for the Suns while P.J. Tucker (16 points, 7 rebounds, 6-8 from the field) looked very good in 30 minutes of play. After Dragic nailed a fadeaway jumper with 1:52, Phoenix held a 85-77 lead and looked to be in control. However, Kentavious-Caldwell Pope (15 points, 3 steals) and Brandon Jennings (19 points, 7 assists) made back-to-back-to-back bombs to quickly make this only a one-point deficit. After Bledsoe made a tough layup to put the Suns up by three, they won this game on the other end as Markieff Morris (10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals) came up with a huge swat on on a Jennings layup attempt to close this one out. Don’t expect the Suns to have consecutive slugfests as they take on the Sixers Friday night.

Raptors 96 (9-2), Grizzlies 92 (10-2)

What a great early matchup between the West’s best team and East’s best team in terms of records. This one didn’t disappoint in any way, even though the Grizzlies were without five of their players due to a stomach virus. Courtney Lee, Tony Allen, Kosta Koufos, Jon Leuer and Beno Udrih were all unavailable and spent time at a Toronto hospital Wednesday due to dehydration among other illnesses. The Grizzlies, though, grinding away as they always due, thanks to big-time play from big men Marc Gasol (22 points, 12 rebounds) and Zach Randolph (18 points, 18 rebounds). Mike Conley (19 points, 10 rebounds) also picked up a double-double along with his frontcourt as the Grizzlies controlled the boards 50-35. The Raptors matched this high-level of play with strong play from their guards as Kyle Lowry (18 points, 7 assists), DeMar DeRozan (21 points, 5 rebounds) and Terrence Ross (16 points, 3-6 on 3-pointers) all played their respectives roles. These three scored the final 11 Raptors points, including a clutch fadeaway jumper from Lowry with 8.9 seconds left in the game. Ross had poured in 14 of his 16 points in the final quarter before Lowry took care of business. Lou Williams (13 points, 17 minutes) has quietly been a consistent scoring punch of the bench for Toronto, reaching double-figures in seven of the past eight games. He fills out a very underrated and potent backcourt.

Timberwolves 115 (3-7), Knicks 99 (3-10)

Minnesota came into this game losers of their last five and without starters Ricky Rubio (ankle) and Nikola Pekovic (wrist). However, when you’re going up against the Knicks, anything is possible offensively. Shabazz Muhammad (17 points, 8 rebounds) got the nod for his first career start and he shined in this new role. He was active and flying all over the court, acting as the slasher for the offense. Mo Williams (14 points, 13 assists) easily had his best game of the season as Kevin Martin (37 points, 7-11 on 3-pointers) was on the receiving end of many of Williams’ assists. Martin might have one of the oddest shooting releases in the League, but he certainly makes it work consistently. Even though Martin is a veteran and hasn’t changed the way he plays up to this point in his career, if he rounded out his game just a little bit more, he would become much more highly valued and respected across the NBA. Carmelo Anthony (20 points, 4-5 on 3-pointers) and Amare Stoudemire (19 points) shot very well Wednesday night, but their teammates only managed to shoot 20-50 (40 percent) from the field. Defensively, their was little resistance as they allowed the Timberwolves to post a season-high 64 points in the first half.

Nuggets 107 (4-7), Thunder 100 (3-10)

Four seasons ago, this was an intriguing first-round matchup in the Western Conference playoffs. Now, these two below-.500 teams are still trying to figure out what direction they are headed in this year. Wednesday night, Brian Shaw survived another day in Denver thanks to Ty Lawson (15 points, 15 assists) and Wilson Chandler (21 points, 9 rebounds) having strong performances. Speedy-quick Lawson has shown he can be an elite point guard and Wilson has simply battled with so many injuries the past few years. When these two are clicking offensively, it’s difficult to beat Denver at the Pepsi Center. For the Thunder, Serge Ibaka (22 points, 13 rebounds) posted a double-double while Sebastian Telfair (18 points, 7-7 from the field, 4-4 on 3-pointers) didn’t miss a shot from the field. Reggie Jackson (16 points, 9 assists) might have stuffed the stat sheet, but he did take 20 shots just to get to 16 points. The Nuggets almost let this one get away as OKC cut a 94-81 early fourth-quarter deficit to only 101-98 with 3:19 to go. Chandler and Arron Afflalo (13 points) would make consecutive treys to put the Thunder away for good.

Lakers 98 (3-9), Rockets 92 (9-3)

Swaggy P has arrived to save the day. This might be mostly sarcastic, but the Lakers have suddenly gone 2-0 since Nick Young (16 points, 2 steals) returned from his injury. After L.A. lacked little energy through its first 10 games, Young has provided a spark and simply fun element back into this team. Kobe Bryant (29 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds) led the way for the Lakers, having one of his best all-around games of the season. He led the way in a 12-1 run to close out the game by converting a three-point play during the run. The Rockets, who were playing without Dwight Howard (knee), had their chances down the stretch but just couldn’t capitalize. James Harden (24 points, 7 assists, 7-11 from the field) had one of his most efficient games of the season but committed his sixth turnover with 45.9 seconds remaining, which led to a Wesley Johnson (9 points, 2 steals) layup that gave the Lakers the lead. Greek rookie Kostas Papanikolaou (career-high 19 points, 6 rebounds) had a career night in the loss. More than half of the Rockets’ field goal attempts came in the form of 3-pointers (38/74). After averaging 103.3 points in their first eight games, the Rockets have plummeted to only 85.5 in their past four. They have now dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season.

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Thanksgiving has passed, but this weekend there are still preseason tournaments that have to be finished (Dicks Preseason NIT, Legends Classic, Old Spice Classic, and the Chicago Challenge) along with a few other intriguing match-ups around the world of college basketball. Not all of the games that we chose to write about involve ranked teams because there is a lot of talent off the radar that deserves some attention. There is more than enough college basketball headed your way this weekend; this should help to serve as a guide for what, exactly, you should tune into and pay attention to in the upcoming days.

Friday, November 26th

Villanova (5-0) vs. Tennessee (4-0), Dicks Preseason NIT Tip-Off, 5:00 PM:

You would be hard pressed to find a three-guard tandem as lethal as Corey Fisher, Maalik Wayns, and Corey Stokes in all of college basketball. Scoring 61 of their 82 points in a win verse UCLA earlier in the week, they absolutely ran through Bruins defense in every which way. These three guards have proven that they are out to seek revenge after last year’s second round flop to St. Mary’s, and they will not back down to any challenge. However, Tennessee guards Melvin Goins, Trae Golden, and Scotty Hopson can make some noise on the offensive end as well. Hopson proved to be the key factor in the Vol’s 77-73 win over VCU earlier in the week, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 boards. Villanova might have a hard time finding someone who can match Hopson’s athleticism, but they counter back with an offensive system that averages a shade over 80 points per game this season. The battle of frontcourts will also be pretty heated, with Mouphtaou Yarou and Antonio Pena suiting up for ‘Nova and Tobias Harris and Brian Williams dressing for the Vols. A major key to this game may rely on how well each team rebounds. Villanova seems to be the favorite at this point. However, if the Wildcats let Tennessee stick around for too long, Harris and Williams may be too much to handle in the post at the end of the game.

Notre Dame (5-0) vs. California (3-0), Old Spice Classic, 5:00 PM:

The Irish showed their offensive power as they narrowly pulled out an 89-83 2OT victory over Georgia in the first round of the Old Spice Classic. Tim Abromaitis scored a game high 25 points, hybrid wing/big Tyrone Nash poured in 18, Ben Hansbrough had 13, and Carleton Scott had 11 as four Irish players scored in double digits (freshmen Eric Atkins was a point away from being the fifth). California might have a tough time slowing down Notre Dame’s shooters, but they did not seem to have much trouble stopping #20 Temple in their first round matchup. Harper Kemp continues to patrol the paint for the Golden Bears, and Jorge Gutierrez made clutch plays all night. Mark Montgomery does a good job of keeping his players to play inside his system and not start doing things that are out of their element. They only scored 57 in their win against Temple, but they went on a 16-1 run late in the second half that proved their focus has been on stopping opposing team’s offensive weapons. The Golden Bears will need an even better effort against a dangerous Irish offense, but they have taken steps in the right direction to prove that they can make some noise in the depleted Pac-10.

Syracuse (4-0) vs. Michigan (3-0), Legends Classic, 7:30 PM:

Syracuse, a team that was ranked in the Top 10 to start the season and was praised as Final Four-worthy, has realized that they will have to earn their admiration from here on out. After handling their first two opponents easily, Syracuse escaped scares by Detroit and William & Mary in back to back affairs, causing Head Coach Jim Boeheim to question his team’s placement in the rankings. Syracuse has an equally balanced attack—the backcourt of Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine combines to form a threatening duo while the frontcourt of Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph can be tantalizing at times. A few issues that Syracuse faces are whether or not they can play consistently on the defensive end and whether or not they can gain increased production from their role players. On the other side of the court, the Michigan Wolverines will look to claw the Orangemen apart with different types of zone and man defenses—Head Coach John Beilein loves confusing his opponents. Michigan is a very young team but they have gotten off to a nice start, albeit against lesser competition. 6-4 sophomore guard Darius Morris, 6-5 freshmen guard Tim Hardaway Jr, and 6-8 freshmen post Jordan Morgan have led the way thus far for Beilein, and they are complimented by sharpshooters Stu Douglass and Zac Novak to lead the Wolverine attack. In order for Michigan to have success against Cuse tonight they will have to crash the boards with reckless abandon and hit their outside shots against the 2-3 zone that they will face.

Wright State (4-1) vs. Richmond (3-1), Chicago Invitational Challenge, 6:00 PM:

Wright State and Richmond are both competitive teams that expect to become contenders in their respective conferences this year. Wright State is a well-coached team that moves the ball from side to side with the pass consistently and forces the defense to become uncomfortable as a result. 6-3 senior Vaughn Duggins is their go-to player, but besides him Wright State does lack a scoring punch on the offensive end and they struggle to guard more athletic teams (see: Indiana), which is why I believe they will have a problem tonight against Richmond. Richmond is led by 6-1 do-it-all point guard Kevin Anderson, who captured the Atlantic 10 player of the year as a sophomore, tested the NBA waters last year, and returned for his senior season. Besides Anderson, the Spiders have a big, strong player up front in 6-10 senior center Justin Harper and 6-9 senior Dan Geriot, while 6-1 freshmen guard Cedrick Lindsay has provided some necessary scoring. Wright State will really have to slow the ball down and rebound well to stay in this one, but I think Richmond will have a little too much firepower and athleticism for the Raiders.

Georgia Tech (3-1) vs. UTEP (3-1), Legends Classic, 6:00 PM:

Georgia Tech junior g/f Iman Shumpert has been searching and searching for a true identity ever since he showed up in Atlanta just over two years ago. Being a McDonald’s All American put a lot of pressure and expectations on this Illinois native, but this should be the year that Shumpert throws his breakout party. He combines a unique blend of elite level athleticism, good floor vision, and a lengthy frame all with his ability to get to the rim. His backcourt partners Glen Rice Jr. and Mfon Udofia will both need to continue to play at a high level when the Yellow Jackets take the floor against UTEP. Fresh off a win against New Mexico State, UTEP has had this potential matchup circled on their calendar for a while. Led by guards Randy Culpepper and Christian Polk, the Miners have enough talent in their backcourt to stick around with Georgia Tech. They will need to contain sophomore forward Brian Oliver if they want to really make a push against the Yellow Jackets, a task that is easier said than done. Oliver has averaged a solid 12 points and over 5 rebounds per game so far and seems to be somewhat of a matchup problem every time he steps on the floor. Look for this game to be a tremendous backcourt battle all night long.

Saturday November 27th

Dayton (5-0) at Cincinnati (4-0), 7:00 PM:

Although Dayton lost a few players from last year’s unbelievably athletic squad (every starter had a 40” vertical or above), this year’s team hopes to keep the defensive intensity alive and build off last year’s NIT championship win. This in state bragging rights game has the potential to be a fireworks show for one simple reason: Chris “Top Flight” Wright. Wright seems to be bringing the rim down every time he goes up for a dunk and is easily one of the best athletes in the country. His football-type frame allows him to guard multiple positions on the court, making himself a matchup nightmare for anyone who has the unlucky privilege to be guarded by him. Junior forward Yancy Gates will probably be that privileged individual. Look for him to lead Mick Cronin’s squad in their post-Lance Stevenson era. They will need huge efforts from Cashmere Wright and Chicago native Dion Dixon if they want to take down the Flyers. Sean Kilpatrick may be the x-factor for the Bearcats. If he pours in double digit numbers off the bench like he has done in most games this season, the Bearcats will have a chance to hold onto their share of the Ohio bragging rights.

Davidson (2-2) at Rhode Island (4-2), 2:00 PM:

In a battle that involves two coaches that have been around the block before, Davidson and Rhode Island could both desperately use this out of conference victory. Davidson is led by Head Coach Bob McKillop’s son, senior guard 6-1 Brendan Mckillop (who played alongside Stephen Curry), who averages 13.5 points per game but is also a reliable distributor. Sophomore center 6-10 Jake Cohen is relied upon to anchor the middle for Davidson, while 6-7 freshman swingman De’Mon Brooks has proved to be an immediate contributor for the Wildcats, averaging 11.8 points (on 60% shooting) and 5.5 boards. The Rhode Island Rams are also led by a senior, but theirs is a dominant 6-7 swing forward named Delroy James, who has started the year off hot by averaging 21.3 points on 50% shooting to go along with 6.2 boards per contest. Nikola Malesevic is the Rams 6-7 Serbian swing player who is more than capable of knocking down the long range shot but is still getting used to rebounding the ball every night, as his average of 2.8 boards per game shows. The x-factor for Davidson this season so far has been the play of 6-1 sophomore Akeem Richmond, who comes off the bench with a sniper in his back pocket that he is willing to use, yet needs more control with. The key to this game will probably come down to three point percentage (Davidson is 27% on the year while URI is 37%) and free throw percentage (Davidson is 65% while URI is a little better at 73%). The home court advantage will also obviously help URI.

Arizona (4-0) at Kansas (4-0), Las Vegas Invitational, 10:30 PM:

These two historic college basketball teams are 4-0, but one of them has to gain a notch in the L column after this game and I don’t think it’s going to be the Jayhawks, who are playing fantastic basketball out of the gate. Arizona has improved from last season, and will continue to do so under second year Head Coach Sean Miller. Their young nucleus of impact players includes dominant 6-8 small forward Derrick Williams, 6-3 guard Kyle Fogg (who leads the team with 5.5 apg), their much improved center Kyril Natyazhko, 6-6 sophomore forward Solomon Hill, 6-1 scoring lead guard Lamont Jones, and their 6-7 senior leader Jamelle Horne. Unfortunately for this growing team, they will face a mature Kansas team that has been playing awesome basketball so far this year behind junior forward Marcus Morris, who has looked much more mature with the basketball in his hands at all times for the Jayhawks. And even though Marcus has averaged 5.3 boards per game, his twin brother Markieff has more than atoned for this with an 11 rpg average so far. Adding to this versatile collage of big men is sophomore Thomas Robinson, who has looked like a new player in his second year under Head Coach Bill Self. Their backcourt isn’t too shabby either, with Tyshawn Taylor, Elijah Johnson, Mario Little, Tyrell Reed, and Brady Morningstar all doing their fair share to win ball games. Kansas might be tested early by a hungry Arizona team, but in the end I think that their superior talent and experience will overwhelm the Wildcats in Las Vegas.

Sunday November 28th

Florida (4-1) at Florida State (5-0), 7:30 PM:

If you want to see a matchup of athletes on the interior, you had better find a way to watch this game on Sunday evening that features the top two schools in the state of Florida. Florida State is led by 6-9 junior forward Chris Singleton, who returned to college to prove that he can turn his potential into production—so far it has worked, as he has averages of 17.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2 assists, and an astounding 3.4 steals, and 3 blocks per game. After playing with the team USA practice squad this summer, Singleton seems to be putting it all together in his third (and probably last) season with the Seminoles. 6-11 junior Xavier Gibson might be raw, but he provides FSU with a big body inside to bang against Florida’s giants. Senior guard Derwin Kitchen should matchup with Kenny Boynton and could cause problems for the sophomore with his size, athleticism, and length on the perimeter. Florida will have to use their full court pressure wisely in this one, as well as swinging the ball and being patient on offense. Erving Walker will have to be precise with his decision making in this one, and the Florida bigs will have to be extremely stingy on the interior. The x-factor in this one is Chandler Parsons. If he finds a way to stay involved rather than fade into the shadows, I think Florida walks away with a win. If not, the potential “upset” could occur.

Creighton (3-1) at Northwestern (3-0), 8:30 PM:

Forget about the “Is this finally the year” talk for Northwestern. Forget about the fact that stud Kevin Coble elected to forego his senior year with the Wildcats. Forget about the fact that Northwestern is 328th in the country in rebounds per game (29.3). Forget about all of that, and think about this: John Shurna is the best player that no one seems to talk a lot about, and Drew Crawford can make his case for being one of the most underappreciated players in the country. Shurna flat out produces for the Wildcats and should make a strong push for Big-10 First Team. This Wildcat team is flat out dangerous with weapons at almost every position. Michael “Juice” Thompson takes the title of floor general and provides the necessary toughness and leadership that every team desires. Creighton head coach Greg McDermott hopes his squad bounces back after a heartbreaking loss 91-88 to Iowa State, the team he coached for the past four seasons. Junior guard Antoine Young and McDermott’s son, Doug McDermott, have to crank up the intensity on Sunday or they will get run over by a hungry Northwestern team. Look for those two players to take on a bulk of the challenge for the Bluejays, along with seniors Kenny Lawson Jr, Darryl Ashford, and Kaleb Korver. Make no mistake about it; Northwestern is a team on a mission. As good as Young and co. can be this year, Northwestern should be too much for the Bluejays to handle.

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