Men's College Basketball

Leaders from the SEC and Pac-12 will meet with United States senators to discuss name, image and likeness policies. 

Per ESPN's Heather Dinich and Adam Rittenberg, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Pac-12 counterpart George Kliavkoff are scheduled to be in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to meet with Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell (Washington) and Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee). 

"I have been invited to meetings with several senators tomorrow to discuss the issues we're seeing with name, image and likeness, and with the existential threat of our student-athletes being deemed to be employees," Kliavkoff told Dinich and Rittenberg.

Thursday's meeting comes amid recent calls from leaders throughout the NCAA, including president Mark Emmert, for federal legislation related to NIL policies. 

Speaking to reporters at the men's Final Four in March, Emmert said the different NIL laws in different states makes it difficult to adopt a single policy across the NCAA. 

"We need to work with Congress to create one federal landscape," he said. "We've had a variety of legal actions in the courts with all of that. That supersedes the board's ability ... We have got to have Congress find a single legal model by which NIL and other relationships with student-athletes can be regulated. That's going to be a big task."

Adam Papas of NEXT Sports Agency, who represents Miami basketball star Isaiah Wong's NIL deals, told ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeff Borzello in late April his client would enter the transfer portal if his compensation wasn't increased. 

Wong later told Givony and Borzello he won't enter the transfer portal after meeting with LifeWallet CEO John Ruiz, who has funded several NIL deals to Miami athletes, to discuss their differences. 

Ruiz tweeted his agreement with Wong will remain the same but added he will work to help him get new NIL deals from other sources. 

Jordan Addison, the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner as the best wide receiver in the nation, entered the transfer portal on Tuesday after spending the past two seasons at Pittsburgh.

Johnny McGonigal and Craig Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Pitt believes USC tampered with Addison by contacting him before he was officially in the portal. He is reportedly "being offered a multi-million-dollar deal" to play for USC. 

In addition to their meeting with Cantwell and Blackburn, Sankey and Kliavkoff hope to meet with other senators.     

NBA teams reportedly think longtime Villanova head coach Jay Wright is "sincere" in his desire to spend some time away from basketball after announcing his retirement last month.

ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz reported Wednesday that front offices are still going to keep close tabs on Wright under the belief his "competitiveness could entice him in the future to dip his toe in NBA waters."

The 60-year-old Pennsylvania native hasn't shut the door on eventually making a jump to the NBA.

Last week, Wright explained on ESPN's Keyshawn, JWill & Max that he was looking forward to the respite from coaching but wasn't sure what the future held.

"Right now I definitely need a break," he said. "Right now I'm looking forward to this [special assistant] position at Villanova. But honestly, down the road, I'd be lying—I don't know what I'm going to feel like."

He added an NBA job isn't in his imminent future but noted it's something he's "always thought about" and pointed out how he enjoyed coaching top-level players as an assistant coach with the 2021 men's U.S. Olympic team.

Wright has never coached professional basketball. He spent 11 years as a college assistant before taking the head coaching job at Hofstra in 1994. After seven seasons with the Pride, he took over at Villanova in 2001 and enjoyed over two decades of success.

He compiled a 642-282 record (.695 winning percentage) at the college level and captured two national championships with the Wildcats in 2016 and 2018.

The 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee would immediately become one of the most coveted coaches available if he expressed interest in returning, either in the NBA or back in college.

It doesn't sound like that's going to happen for the 2022-23 campaign, but interested teams will likely circle back next offseason to see whether he's ready for a comeback.

A successful NBA stint would further Wright's legacy as one of the generation's best coaches.

After spending the last four years with the Florida Gators, forward Keyontae Johnson has entered the transfer portal, according to Stadium's Jeff Goodman.

Johnson hasn't played in over a year after he collapsed on the court during a game.

T.J. Legacy-Cole of Fresh Take Florida reported in late March that police said Johnson sexually assaulted a young woman at a pool party in February.

Police said an investigation determined that Johnson had unprotected sex with a 19-year-old woman after she was intoxicated, though he told them that he had asked for her consent. Legacy-Cole reported that Johnson, who hasn't been arrested, faces a charge of sexual battery, which is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Johnson was the SEC Preseason Player of the Year for 2020-21. He was stretched off the floor in a game against Florida State on Dec. 12, 2020, after collapsing during a timeout. He was released from the hospital 10 days later.

Johnson was later named a player-coach for the Gators. Though he never played or practiced with the team again, he was honored as part of Florida's senior day this year. For his career, Johnson has averages of 11.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

Michigan center Hunter Dickinson called out Texas Tech coach Mark Adams for allegedly holding back the transfer of Terrence Shannon Jr. in since-deleted tweets:

Shannon spent three years at Texas Tech before announcing his intention to transfer this offseason. Despite taking a visit to Michigan, the guard instead announced Friday he will transfer to Illinois:

Dickinson alleges that Adams prevented Shannon from taking summer classes that would have allowed him to graduate before transferring, as Zach Shaw of 247Sports further explained. 

Shannon still managed a transfer to a Big Ten school instead of returning to Texas Tech.

The rising senior with averages of 11.0 points and 3.6 rebounds during his collegiate career is expected to be an impact player. The 6'6" guard shot 38.4 percent from three-point range last season and contributed to a defense that ranked No. 1 in the nation in efficiency, per KenPom.

He started all three NCAA tournament games to help the Red Raiders reach the Sweet 16.

David Cobb of CBS Sports listed Shannon as the No. 3 transfer available this offseason.

It represents a major boost for an Illinois squad looking to improve upon back-to-back second-round exits.

Michigan could have also benefitted from the addition of Shannon after losing guards Eli Brooks and DeVante' Jones. 

Dickinson still gives the Wolverines a shot at contention in the Big Ten after his surprise return amid NBA draft buzz. 

"If you would’ve said at the beginning of the year, asked me if I would’ve come back for another year, I would’ve told you, no way," Dickinson said on the Defend The Block podcast (h/t Clayton Sayfie of On3). "But I think with NIL, that door definitely opened it up for me to come back, and I’m really happy and excited for another year under Coach Howard."

The center was hoping for more help alongside him, but Michigan did at least add Princeton guard Jaelin Llewellyn, as he announced Friday on Twitter.   

Isaiah Wong's future at the University of Miami is uncertain due to compensation from his name, image and likeness deal. 

Speaking to ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Jonathan Givony, Wong's NIL agent, Adam Papas, said Wong will enter the transfer portal if his NIL compensation isn't increased. 

"If Isaiah and his family don't feel that the NIL number meets their expectations they will be entering the transfer portal tomorrow, while maintaining his eligibility in the NBA draft and going through the draft process," Papas said.

Papas pointed to the deals incoming Miami players are getting as the basis of his argument. 

"Isaiah would like to stay at Miami," Papas explained. "He had a great season leading his team to the Elite Eight. He has seen what incoming Miami Hurricane basketball players are getting in NIL and would like his NIL to reflect that he was a team leader of an Elite Eight team."

Givony and Borzello noted that Florida state law prohibits schools from being involved in NIL deals, with Papas telling them he's not talking directly to Miami's coaching staff. 

Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, billionaire John Ruiz "has become perhaps the most significant person in Miami Hurricanes athletics" because of his willingness to sign more than 100 active athletes for the school to marketing deals promoting two companies, Cigarette Racing and LifeWallet. 

Ruiz tweeted after Nijel Pack announced he was transferring from Kansas State to Miami that he signed the 20-year-old guard to an NIL deal worth $800,000 over two years and included a car. 

David Cobb of CBS Sports ranked Pack as the No. 2 player in the transfer portal after he was named to the All-Big 12 first team and made 43.6 percent of his three-point attempts at Kansas State last season. 

In response to Wong's desire for a new NIL deal, Ruiz told Givony that the third-year sophomore "is under contract" and he doesn't intend to renegotiate. 

It hasn't been announced what Wong's NIL deal with Ruiz is worth. The deadline for players to enter the transfer portal and remain eligible to play next season is May 1. 

Wong finished second on the Hurricanes in scoring average with 15.3 points per game in 2021-22. He was named to the All-ACC third team in each of the past two seasons. 

He has declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his eligibility. He wasn't listed in Jonathan Wasserman's top-50 big board for Bleacher Report in February.

Miami went 26-11 last season, the third-most wins in a single season in school history. It was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to Kansas.      

AJ Griffin's time at Duke is over after one season, as the forward declared for the 2022 NBA draft Sunday.

Griffin addressed his decision in a statement, via the Blue Devils' official website:

"I know a lot of kids grow up dreaming they could wear that Duke uniform and play in Cameron Indoor Stadium. I was one of those kids growing up, and I am so grateful I had that opportunity. As I declare for the 2022 NBA draft, I am filled with gratitude. It was an honor to play for Duke and represent The Brotherhood. It was a dream come true. My experiences have helped prepare me for this moment and I am proud to know I will be a Blue Devil for life."

Griffin plans on hiring an agent.

This is just the latest departure for the Duke program this offseason. Paolo Banchero, Mark Williams, Wendell Moore Jr. and Trevor Keels all previously declared for the draft.

Griffin arrived at Duke as a 5-star prospect and the No. 18 overall player, No. 5 small forward and No. 1 player from the state of New York in the 2021 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

He immediately faced plenty of pressure given his recruiting profile and the powerhouse program he chose to attend. After all, he brought an impressive combination of length, versatility and athleticism at 6'6" with the ability to defend multiple positions, attack the lane off the bounce and hit from three-point range.

The freshman wasted little time showing off some of that skill set with 18 points against Lafayette in November, but his spot in the rotation was in question after he played a combined eight minutes and didn't score in marquee back-to-back nonconference matchups with Gonzaga and Ohio State.

Fortunately for Griffin and Duke, that quickly changed.

He poured in 19 points in the next game against South Carolina State and was one of the Blue Devils' most important playmakers by the start of ACC play. He dropped 22 points in a win over Wake Forest and another 22 points in a victory over Louisville before dazzling in the always pressure-packed rivalry showdown with North Carolina.

He went on a 10-0 run by himself in the second half that included multiple three-pointers as Duke put the February game away. He finished with 27 points in a display of his sky-high potential.

Shortly after the UNC win, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman listed Griffin as the fifth-best player on his big board of 2022 NBA draft prospects.

Griffin finished his one and only college season averaging 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from three-point range. He also helped lead the Blue Devils to the Final Four after he grew more accustomed to his role as a go-to option.

He will now look to build toward becoming a go-to option at the next level after declaring for the draft.

Potential No. 1 overall pick Chet Holmgren has declared for the 2022 NBA draft.

"After a season where we accomplished a lot of great things as both a team and an individual, I feel like I'm in a position to be able to chase my lifelong dream to play in the NBA," Holmgren told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Gonzaga star entered college as the No. 1 player in the 2021 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and he did not disappoint upon arrival.

Holmgren averaged 14.1 points per game as a freshman, shooting an incredible 60.7 percent from the field and 39.0 percent from three-point range. He showcased an impressive skill set that featured the ability to hit an outside shot, finish in the post or create his own look from anywhere on the court.

The NBA wants big men who can shoot threes, but few players this size have as versatile a repertoire as Holmgren. 

On the defensive end, the 7'0" center was arguably more impressive with averages of 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Holmgren had 19 points, 17 rebounds, seven blocks and two steals in an all-around dominant game.

His athleticism and natural timing make him an elite rim-protector who can impact nearly every possession.

NBA scouts may have some concern about his strength, especially after much of his success came against lesser competition in the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga struggled against more athletic teams in the postseason and eventually lost in the Sweet 16 to Arkansas. 

This class is also loaded at the top with high-upside talents Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith challenging to be the first overall pick. 

Holmgren is still primed for success as he prepares himself for the next stage of his career.

Former Portland State star and NBA player Freeman Williams has died at the age of 65.

The Utah Jazz, who Williams played for during the 1982-83 season, announced his death on Twitter on Wednesday:

Williams is best-known for his four-year college stint at Portland State from 1974-75 to 1977-78. His 3,249 career points in college ranks second in NCAA history, behind only Pete Maravich (3,667).

The California native averaged more than 30 points per game in each of his final three college seasons. He had four games with at least 59 points, including an 81-point outing against Rocky Mountain in February 1978.

Williams was named to the All-American team as a senior in 1977-78, alongside Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Mychal Thompson. He led the NCAA in scoring average as a junior (38.8) and senior (35.9).

After leaving school, Williams was the eighth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. He was traded to the San Diego Clippers shortly after the draft.

Williams spent three-plus seasons with the Clippers before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in January 1982. He played in just 50 more NBA games after the deal, including nine in 1985-86 with the Washington Bullets.

In between stints with the Jazz and Bullets, Williams had a stint with the Tampa Bay Thrillers in the CBA. He averaged 14.7 points per game in 323 appearances with four different NBA teams.

Williams was inducted into Portland State's athletics Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 1997. The school also retired his No. 20 jersey.    

Duke star Paolo Banchero is declaring for the 2022 NBA draft, he announced via social media Wednesday.

The news was widely expected because the 6'10" forward was the No. 2 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2021 recruiting class. He'd inevitably make the jump to the pros at the earliest opportunity.

Banchero also affirmed his status as a possible top-five pick through his performance with the Blue Devils. In 39 games, he averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He also shot 47.8 percent from the field.

In his most recent mock draft, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected the 19-year-old to be the No. 2 pick:

Banchero has Duke in the Final Four after averaging 18.5 points through four NCAA tournament games. He's taken over key stretches with confident shot-making and self-creation while also getting teammates involved throughout games. It's worth questioning his iso-heavy game, ball-stopping tendencies, defensive motor and why he's fourth on the Blue Devils in box plus-minus.

Banchero's shooting leaves a little to be desired. He averaged 3.3 three-point attempts per game and connected on 33.8 percent of those chances. But there's enough evidence to think he can help space the floor and keep opposing defenses honest from deep as he improves on the court.

While it would be a nice luxury, he doesn't need to be a dead-eye sharpshooter in order to be an effective scorer.

The dynamic forward can create his own shot off the dribble or operate out of the post. He's also a great fit in the pick-and-roll as either the roll man or the ball-handler.

Banchero is athletic for his size and can quickly run the floor in transition, boasting the ability to finish himself or find an open teammate if the defender looks to cut off his route to the rim.

Scrutinizing Banchero's game last November, Wasserman wrote he "spends a lot of time in the mid-range attempting contested looks" and "lacks some explosiveness in traffic, where he's forced to frequently operate when playing the 4."

Auburn's Jabari Smith and Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren will be stiff competition for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft. In the event he isn't the first player off the board, Banchero won't have to wait too long to hear his name called.

Barring an unforeseen setback, he won't regret his decision to leave Duke now.

Emoni Bates' time on the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team has ended after one season.

"I'd like to thank Coach Penny, my teammates, and the entire coaching staff at the University of Memphis for giving me the opportunity to be a Tiger," he said in a statement, per Joe Tipton of On3Sports. "Thank you Tiger Nation for embracing me and all of you who supported our team throughout this season. With that being said, I have decided to enter the transfer portal."

Bates failed to live up to the sky-high expectations that surrounded him as a 5-star prospect, as rated by 247Sports' composite rankings. He was a key part of Memphis' No. 1 class in 2021, but the Tigers also struggled to establish much consistency and finished as a No. 9 seed in the NCAA tournament.

As Tipton noted, Bates had quite the journey before even arriving at Memphis.

Michigan State was the only program that seriously recruited him in the early going because most teams expected him to go a professional route before eventually playing in the NBA. Yet he reclassified to the 2021 class and decommitted from the Spartans before choosing Memphis over the G League.

Bates appeared in just 18 games for the Tigers and missed all of February and some time in March because of a back injury. He averaged 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per night while shooting 38.6 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from three-point range.

While he flashed his potential with 15 or more points in each of his first three games, he never reached that mark again all season.

Bates also finished with just three points in three minutes in a Big Dance win over Boise State and had five points in 12 minutes in the team's loss to Gonzaga in the second round.

Tipton explained the 18-year-old Bates cannot just go into the NBA at this point because players must turn 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft to be eligible. That means transferring to another school or playing in the G League could be an option.