AAC Basketball

Former Tulane basketball player Teshaun Hightower has been charged with felony murder, aggravated assault and more following a fatal shooting April 8, but his attorney has maintained Hightower's innocence.

"He's innocent. He didn't shoot anybody," Averick Walker said of Hightower, per Mark Schlabach of ESPN. "It's sad that this detective sought to make him out to be a monster and he's not. When it's all said and done, it will come out in the wash that the person who did fire the gun shot the gun to protect Teshaun.

"Teshaun's brother actually fired the weapon and fired in self-defense," the attorney added.

In addition to the felony murder and aggravated assault charges, Hightower has also been charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and battery.

Hightower and his brother, Jeffery, are both being held without bond at the Henry County Jail in Georgia.

The police department initially announced six people were subjects involved in the homicide of Devante Anthony Long. Five are now in custody.

An investigation resulted in a murder charge for Hightower, but Walker alleged Long had a gun in his hand and his client had a right in Georgia to stand his ground.

Tulane dismissed the guard from the team following his initial arrest.

The former Georgia transfer was the Green Wave leading scorer in 2019-20, averaging 15.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Tulane guard Teshaun Hightower has been charged with murder, aggravated assault, battery and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, according to Rob Dauster of NBC Sports. 

Per that report, Hightower is one of five people to have been arrested for the April 8 shooting of Devante Anthony Long, who died at the hospital of his gunshot wounds. Six people in total are wanted in connection to the shooting. 

The other suspects identified by authorities in the Stockbridge, Georgia, homicide are Tyreek Farmer, Tobias Gresham, Antoine Gresham, Jeffrey Hightower and Kelvonie Burney.

Per Dauster, Hightower is being held without bail and was due in court Sunday.

Hightower began his college career at Georgia, spending two seasons with the Bulldogs, before transferring to Tulane. He averaged 15.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in the 2019-20 season for the Green Wave.

He announced April 18 that he was entering the 2020 NBA draft. He had not hired an agent, according to Brandon Sudge of Macon.com.

Precious Achiuwa is moving on from college basketball and declaring for the NBA draft on Friday, according to basketball writer Jeff Goodman.

The forward played one season at Memphis in which he averaged 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist en route to being named AAC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year.

A 247Sports 5-star recruit, Achiuwa was part of a monster recruiting class for the Tigers and first-year head coach Penny Hardaway, teaming up with Lester Quinones and James Wiseman in what was supposed to be a new era for Memphis. That didn't quite happen. Wiseman left school early in the season after the NCAA began investigating his eligibility, and the Tigers ended up finishing fifth in their conference.

The native of Queens, New York, figures to become a first-round draft pick soon enough. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has Achiuwa going 14th overall, while Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has him a bit higher up at No. 12 in his Mock Draft 4.0:

"Achiuwa in the past has fashioned himself as more of a combo forward, but his measurements are well in line with that of a center. At Hoop Summit last year, he came in at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a 9-foot standing reach. That's well in line with guys like Bam Adebayo. I wouldn't advocate for him to solely play center, but I think that's the best place for him to get a marginal advantage on his skills. He's a good athlete with quick reactivity who consistently just plays at his absolute maximum effort level. He needs to improve his skill level as a passer and shooter, but the physical tools are there for him to be an impact player in the frontcourt."

In what's been routinely described as a weak draft pool, it certainly made sense that Achiuwa would try going pro this summer.

With most coaches and scouts likely relying on analyzing game film and talking to college staffs as the coronavirus pandemic alters the predraft process, Achiuwa can let his play speak for itself. That should put him in prime position to hear his name called early when the draft kicks off.

University of Connecticut President Thomas Katsouleas issued a statement clarifying he has no "inside knowledge" that fall sports will be canceled.

The statement, which Yahoo Sports shared, begins with Katsouleas explaining he was speaking to a journalism class at the school and suggested fall sports will likely be canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

However, he clarified "This was not based on any inside knowledge or discussions of the subject, and was nothing more than speculation. No decisions have been made about fall sports and when they are made, we will look to the NCAA and our conference to take the lead on those choices."

Katsouleas also said the "hope" is games will be played.

UConn's president has released a statement about his comments regarding fall college sports in 2020 pic.twitter.com/07RkZbwtfB

— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) April 22, 2020

The sports world has largely been on hold for more than a month amid COVID-19 concerns, but one of the most jarring developments in March was when the NCAA canceled all remaining winter and spring championships.

In addition to spring regular seasons, headlining events such as the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments and the College World Series were canceled.

There have been no official announcements regarding plans to cancel or postpone football, which is the marquee fall sport across much of the country. College Football Playoff director Bill Hancock told ESPN's Heather Dinich earlier this month, "We're planning on a CFP. That's what our staff is doing as we speak. Planning for it on time."

He also said it was "premature" to speculate about the fate of the season since it starts in the fall and it is only April.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported April 9 that there is "strong conviction" among people "in and around college football" that there will be a 2020 season. However, there is "uncertainty" regarding when that season would happen with "multiple scenarios being debated."

That could mean shortening the season, changing the timeline or perhaps even pushing it back until the beginning of the 2021 calendar year and playing more of a spring season.

College football's immediate future, like much of sports, is still up in the air, but Katsouleas made sure to clarify he does not have any inside information at this time.

With Thursday's news that the NCAA men's basketball tournament had been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak, it's safe to assume we've seen the last of any of the elite 2020 NBA draft prospects in live action before June's event. 

Whether we will see them at the NBA Draft Combine May 21-24 in Chicago depends on the Association's decisions in the next few months.

Mock drafts will likely be somewhat locked in between now and then, with no games or workouts to base evaluations on. So where do draft insiders see some of the most notable prospects heading?

                 

LaMelo Ball (Illawarra Hawks, PG/SG, 2001)

The youngest Ball brother—and arguably the most physically gifted—has jumped from being a draft afterthought when he went overseas to one of the most sought-after prospects in this class.

In his mock draft for March 4, Bleacher Report NBA draft writer Jonathan Wasserman projected Ball to be taken third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 18-year-old would form an intriguing backcourt with recently acquired guard D'Angelo Russell. And the possibility of a trio of Ball, Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns might be too much to pass up. 

Elsewhere, Kyle Boone of CBS Sports expects the Knicks to end up with the No. 3 overall pick and select Ball as well, and NBADraft.net has him going second to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

             

Deni Avdija (Maccabi Tel Aviv, SF/PF, 2001)

Avdija seems to be one of the more perplexing, and therefore interesting, prospects in this year's class.

The 2020 group overall is considered historically weak, especially in relation to the 2018 and 2019 classes. That's particularly true of American college players, which is part of why draft analysts see the 19-year-old as a potential high lottery pick. 

Teams interested in him—and there are plenty—will be hopeful the 6'8" guard/forward could be the next Luka Doncic. But there is also concern that he lacks superstar upside despite his age, according to Wasserman.

With the NCAA season over, it will be interesting to see if his name begins popping up more at the top of teams' boards. 

Wasserman has the Cavaliers taking him at No. 2. Boone and NBADraft.net, meanwhile, both have him going to the Chicago Bulls. 

                 

James Wiseman (Memphis, C, Freshman)

Coming into this season, Wiseman was considered a lock by many to be a top-two pick. And in his three games at Memphis, he looked the part, averaging nearly 20 points and 11 rebounds per game.

But once the Tigers sat him as part of an NCAA investigation—and then when he left the team altogether—questions started to arise.

Physically, the 18-year-old is impressive. He stands 7'1" and boasts a 7'6" wingspan, as well as the foot speed and athletic ability of most wings. 

Wiseman's actual skills need a bit of polish, though, as Wasserman noted. There are reportedly questions from NBA executives about his motor and work ethic, and his offensive game needs serious refinement. He doesn't exactly fit in the NBA's small-ball era, but it's hard to pass up a player with his tools. 

Wasserman sees the Detroit Lions, who traded away Andre Drummond at the deadline, taking Wiseman at No. 6, while Boone has the Golden State Warriors taking him with the No. 1 overall pick to pair with Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry.

NBADraft.net projects him at No. 4 overall to the Timberwolves, where he would team up with the more perimeter-oriented Towns. 

            

Follow Keegan on Twitter @ByKeeganPope. 

With the second week of conference tournaments heating up, college basketball is that much closer to its shining moment (if you'll forgive the pun).

Through Monday night, six of the 32 automatic bids were accounted for: Liberty (Atlantic Sun), Winthrop (Big South), Bradley (Missouri Valley), Utah State (Mountain West), Belmont (Ohio Valley), and East Tennessee State (Southern). 

Of those six, only Utah State is likely considered a bid-stealer, as San Diego State, the Mountain West's regular season champion, is a lock for a top-two seed line. 

Here's the full schedule March Madness, from the drama of Selection Sunday to the cutting of the nets and playing of One Shining Moment at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 

         

• Selection Sunday: March 15, 2020. The show begins at 6 p.m. ET on CBS. 

• First Four: Tuesday and Wednesday, March 17-18, 2020

• NCAA Tournament Round 1: Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, 2020

• NCAA Tournament Round 2: Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, 2020

• Sweet 16: Thursday, March 26, and Friday, March 27, 2020

• Elite 8: Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29, 2020

• Final Four: Saturday, April 4, 2020

• 2020 NCAA championship game: Monday, April 6, 2020
  

       

As for the bubble teams, here are five squads you can expect to be sweating it out on Selection Sunday:

      

Texas

Shaka Smart's squad looked nothing like an NCAA tournament team while losing seven of nine games between mid-January and mid-February. But with the head coach's job status very much in question, the Longhorns responded by reeling off five straight wins, including a pair of victories over then-Top-25 teams West Virginia and Texas Tech.

Instead of ending the regular season with momentum, Texas was thumped by a hapless Oklahoma State team and will now be playing for its tournament life when it faces Texas Tech—another team on the bubble—in the Big 12 tournament. 

            

Xavier

The Musketeers broke a 36-year streak of going at least .500 or above in conference play this season, finishing 8-10 in the Big East after starting the season 11-2.

The path to the NCAA tournament is pretty simple, though. Beat DePaul, and Xavier is likely in the conversation for one of the last four spots; beat DePaul and Villanova, and it is in; lose to DePaul, and it can enjoy the NIT. 

        

Wichita State

In a typical year, a record of 23 wins for Gregg Marshall's squad would be enough on its own to get the Shockers into the Big Dance. But Wichita State's strength of schedule (No. 78), non-conference strength of schedule (No. 169) and lack of quality wins (just one, according to ESPN) has the Shockers a little nervous about their prospects.

Two years ago, WSU was a No. 4 seed with 25 wins. If it can get there this year, which means at least two wins in the AAC tournament, it might be able to sneak into the field of 68. Better to avoid the risk and steal the automatic bid instead. 

        

Indiana 

Hoosiers coach Archie Miller had plenty to say about bracket prognosticators who have his team on the bubble, and you can bet he won't be sending them a basket of roses after this is all over.

Simply put, though, Indiana's resume doesn't blow anyone away, especially as a team playing in college basketball's best conference this year. 

It has seven quality wins, according to ESPN, but its non-conference strength of schedule ranks a paltry No. 176.

The Hoosiers did beat Florida State, the eventual ACC champion, as well as Ohio State and Michigan State, which are all top-15 teams, according to KenPom.

If Miller's squad beats Nebraska in its first Big Ten tournament game, it's hard to imagine the selection committee keeping a 20-win team with an SOS of 16 out of the field. 

         

Memphis

Penny Hardaway's inaugural season at Memphis started with national championship aspirations, but it just might end with an NIT bid instead.

Without high lottery pick James Wiseman—who left the team after playing just three games—as well as starting forward D.J. Jeffries, Memphis sputtered through AAC play to 21-10 overall and 10-8 in conference play. 

Despite all that, the Tigers do still have enough talent on the right day to win the AAC title and secure the automatic bid. Outside of that, they'll likely need to make it to the semifinals on Saturday to be considered for an at-large bid. 

      

Follow Keegan on Twitter @ByKeeganPope. 

Paige Bueckers twirls a pencil in her hand and stares at the blank form. It's a Thursday night in February, and she's sitting with teammates at a post-practice pizza-and-pasta party in the Hopkins (Minn.) High School cafeteria. The form is for the team's forthcoming end-of-year banquet, and the questions are layups. Her nickname? P. Diddy. Her childhood dream job? FBI agent. Where she wants to be in 10 years? The WNBA.

Still, she hesitates over each answer. Turning in this form means facing the end. Right now, she's the consensus No. 1 player in the 2020 girls recruiting class. There's a good argument that she's the best player in high school basketball, regardless of gender. She's put four gold medals around her neck and a state championship ring on her finger. Before games, she and her teammates go to the mall and gorge on Chick-fil-A sandwiches, and then they beat their opponents by an average of 34.9 points. Her Royals haven't lost in two years. Her father, Bob, and her seven-year-old brother, Drew, are in the bleachers every night.

Unlike the best boys' basketball players, who experience the business side of the game as high school freshmen, Bueckers has been able to enjoy a relatively normal teenage life until this season. She's never transferred high schools, and she still doesn't have to worry too much about the ulterior motives of teammates or friends. She's savoring that sweet spot of life, the spring of a senior year, that adults daydream about when they're pretending to answer emails at work.

But after she turns the form in, everything will be a blur. She'll be honored at the banquet. She'll play her last game at Hopkins. She'll walk across the stage to receive her diploma. She'll drive across the country to enroll at UConn. She'll put on her Huskies uniform for her first game. She'll become the most scrutinized freshman in the country. Basketball will still be a joy, but it will no longer be just that. It will also be a job.

She looks down at the next question: "What's the best advice you've ever received?" She looks up at her teammates, who are loudly debating their favorite Netflix shows and recording TikTok dance videos. She puts her pencil to the paper: "Never forget to have fun."

"If I sent a message to myself in the future," she'll say later, "it would definitely just be to stay true to myself, to always be the same Paige Bueckers I was when I was 18 years old."

So who is that self? As she scribbles answers to the final questions, a freshman named Taylor Woodson tries to take advantage of her distraction. Bueckers has two frosted cookies on her plate, and Woodson asks for one. Bueckers asks if Woodson already ate one, and she says no. Bueckers stands up to pass her the treat when her teammates' giggles stop her short. Woodson has one of the very same cookies on her plate. Bueckers rolls her eyes. But Woodson, emboldened, still asks Bueckers to split it with her. Bueckers pauses.

"You remember that three-on-one in our last game," she asks, "when you pulled up instead of passing?" 

"Yeah…" Woodson replies.

"If we get a fast break tomorrow," Bueckers asks, "what are you going to do?"

"Pass it to you," Woodson says.

The entire team laughs. They know by now that if you're running a fast break with Bueckers, she's going to let you have the bucket. She has no problem scoring her own points, so she tends to give the easy ones away. And she gives the cookie away, too.

"I'm letting you have my favorite cookie," she says, "just so you know that I love you."

Then she puts her backpack on and walks out of the cafeteria, leaving the form on the table unfinished.

---

The next night, Bueckers (pronounced "Beckers") boards a bus to Buffalo High School for a game. She falls asleep as her suburban city gives way to small towns and frozen cornfields during the 45-minute drive. She yawns as she enters the school's gym, and hugs a girl on JV as she sits on the bench during the opening game, which Hopkins wins handily. The Buffalo varsity team is 6-14 on the season, and everyone expects the main show to be a blowout. But that doesn't seem to affect the turnout.

Along the baseline, seven photographers and videographers have assembled in hopes of capturing Bueckers' next viral highlight. And in the stands, Buffalo's student section, "The Herd," has gathered for the first time during the girls' basketball season. More than 50 students are on their feet in the bleachers before the game tips off, hoping for a long-shot upset. Bueckers puts them back on their butts within minutes.

Five seconds into the game, the 5'11" guard scores on a mid-range pull-up. On the ensuing Buffalo possession, she intercepts a pass at midcourt and jogs in for a layup. On defense, the Royals are pressing, and Bueckers is everywhere. One minute, she's setting a trap in the corner and forcing a timeout. The next she's baiting another bad pass and blowing by defenders for another bunny. On offense, she threads double-teams like she's strolling the through the cafeteria at lunch. Her passes are so stealthy they sometimes land with a thud on her own teammates' chests. More often, though, they land in the hoop after a wide-open look.

This season, she's averaging "only" 21.4 points per game—a four-year low—in part because she rarely has to score in the second half, and in part because she's nearly doubled her number of assists (9.2 per game) from a season ago (5.4). "I think what's special about Paige is her passing,"  Hopkins coach Brian Cosgriff says. "I haven't seen too many females pass like Paige. Plus, she can shoot the basketball, and she's faster than you think, and she jumps higher than you think. And she's just got that—she's just got it. And you don't know where she got it because Mom and Dad are not very big, and they weren't great athletes or anything like that. She's just been blessed."

Her dad played point guard in high school and coached Paige until she was in elementary school. He and Paige's mom, Amy, divorced when their daughter was three. Paige stayed in Minnesota with her dad while her mom remarried and moved to Billings, Montana. Bob tried to put Paige in plenty of other sports as a kid, but it was clear by first grade that she was going basketball or bust. Not even the track coach's promise to buy her ice cream after meets could convince Paige to leave the hardwood for a full day. By fourth grade, people were talking about the possibility of her playing for UConn. By seventh grade, she was playing with high schoolers. By eighth grade, she was on varsity.

At this point in her career, her trophy case would be the envy of some small high schools. She's won four gold medals and three international tournament titles with USA Basketball. She's a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year, and she's appeared on every All-America list imagined. And she still has another season's worth of accolades to earn this spring. The only things she's collected more regularly than these honors are her opponents' ankles and egos.

Last spring, she won her first state championship despite having spent the entire day leading up to the game vomiting. That's right, she's already had her own flu game. All of it amounts to a resume that, at 18, has her thinking not just about becoming the best player in the WNBA but also about what it will take to maintain that title for years. "There's always going to be somebody chasing me, or there's always going to be somebody better than me," she says. "I'll never be able to reach perfection, so I can always strive to be perfect. I'm not at my full potential yet, and I'm just in high school, and I want to keep going—in college and the pros. I want to just keep playing basketball and keep getting better and never get complacent with where I'm at right now."

Right now, she and the Royals are heading to the locker room with a 47-15 lead at the half. The only drama in the second half comes when an opposing player actually crosses up Bueckers and puts her on the floor. The long-dormant student section rises like a wave and cheers like the home team has tied the score.

In previous seasons, she might have responded with a reckless drive and some spirited trash talk. Last year, she got so fired up at a perceived slight from an opponent that she described the Royals' next play to her in detail. "There's gonna be a screen on your left," Bueckers told her, "but I'm gonna let you come off it clean. And then I'm gonna hit a three in your face." And she did just that. But now she saves her trash talk for teasing her teammates in practice and for demoralizing opponents who dare try to get under her skin. "If someone talks trash to me," she says, "I'm going to get hyped. And they're going to get it back much worse than they gave it."

But on this night, there's no boasting, so Bueckers takes it easy on Buffalo, rifling a no-look pass on the next possession that only seemed possible with X-ray vision. "She could score on every possession if she wanted to," says sophomore Maya Nnaji, herself a coveted recruit. "She's the best scorer in the nation. But she chooses to be unselfish so that the rest of us can get better and we can win more games."

A few minutes later, the Royals finish off a 69-34 win. It's the fifth time this season they've more than doubled their challenger's final tally. (Only two teams have come within 10 points at the final buzzer.) It's the kind of performance that will result in a half-dozen more clips in her many mixtapes and countless text messages from friends and fellow players. "They're always saying, 'Oh, man, UConn needs you right now!'" she says, "but I know it won't be like that next year. All the players have told me, 'Your freshman season is going to suck.'"

Indeed, Huskies coach Geno Auriemma is notoriously tough on freshmen, and particularly on his top recruits. And with the program in the kind of mini-slump that only dynastic teams like the New England Patriots can appreciate, the pressure on Bueckers will be enormous. "That's why I'm just trying to enjoy everything that's happening now," she says. "There's so much left to do before I go."

---

Despite the drubbing, a couple dozen Buffalo fans wait for Bueckers after the game. For 18 minutes, she signs every shirt and poster and poses for every picture and selfie. One girl, 13-year-old Allie Leithner, had put the game on her calendar months ago and had reminded her parents to bring her every week since then. After meeting Paige, she started crying. She was so moved that she wasn't even planning on sharing the image on social media. "I'm going to put it on the poster board in my room," she says. "That's where I keep the pictures of all my best friends."

Already, Bueckers knows she's an icon for young women. And not just young either: As the line dwindles, two mothers wonder aloud whether it would be weird if they asked Bueckers for a photo. At the end of the impromptu autograph session, Buffalo coach Grant Stewart thanks Bueckers for staying in his school after she just walloped his team. "I've never seen something like that at a girls' high school basketball game," he says. "But I've never seen a player like Paige."

The next morning, Bueckers and her teammates are back at Hopkins to review film from the game. An assistant coach brings doughnuts as a reward for the team's defensive performance. Bueckers waits for her teammates to make their selections and then plays eenie, meenie, miney, moe to choose her cream-filled, chocolate-frosted and sprinkled breakfast. As the players eat, Cosgriff picks over any small error he can find. But mostly he implores his other players to be more like Bueckers. "Look at Paige run!" he tells the team while watching a loose-ball battle. "Look at her going to get it! What is she doing that the rest of you can't do? Nothing! It's just effort!"

His only question for her comes from a moment late in the game, when she appears to say something on the free-throw line. Was she talking trash late in a blowout win? "I was just telling Nnaji that I love her," she says. The team laughs together.

After film, Bueckers stays behind as Cosgriff checks in on emails between school administrators and organizers of the Geico High School Nationals. State rules forbid teams from participating in tournaments after the conclusion of their season, and it doesn't seem like the administrators are willing to make an exception. Cosgriff promises Bueckers that he'll keep pushing for the team to make the trip.

"I hope they let us go," Bueckers says, "because I'd love to play a little while longer."

Former Memphis big man James Wiseman spoke with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and offered his side of the story following the NCAA's 12-game suspension of him earlier this season, saying that he felt the punishment was "unfair" and that he was "in the middle of a hurricane."

Wiseman, a potential 2020 No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, left school in December to prepare for a pro career.

"I was really in the middle of a hurricane," he told Wojnarowski. "That's like the worst place you could possibly be. Just having the mental agony and the suffering, crying every night because I just wanted to get on the court so much."

Wojnarowski explained the particulars behind the suspension:

"The NCAA punished Wiseman because his family accepted $11,500 in moving expenses in 2017 from Penny Hardaway -- who was then the coach of Memphis East High School. While Hardaway didn't accept a job at the University of Memphis and recruit Wiseman to campus until 2018, the NCAA deemed Hardaway a university booster at the time of the financial support. Hardaway had donated $1 million in 2008 to the university, where he had starred in the 1990s."

On Nov. 20, Wiseman accepted a 12-game suspension and was ordered to repay the $11,500, but he left school for NBA prep a month afterward.

He added:

"I felt it was unfair because they notified and alerted me at the last minute. Coach Penny told me about it. I was really down and shocked. When I got suspended for 12 games and had to pay back the money, that was kind of surreal. I didn't really have any knowledge of [the violation] or all the ramifications behind it."

Wiseman played just three games for Memphis, averaging 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 23.0 minutes per contest.

"I'm trying to gain some weight and keep my body healthy," Wiseman said of his NBA draft prep. "I study a lot of film. Anthony Davis. Dirk Nowitzki. Karl-Anthony Towns. A lot of players who can shoot the ball at my height. I'm working on my shooting mechanics, trying to get my shot right."

Per Wojnarowski, Wiseman is prepping for the June 25 draft in Miami and working out twice per day. 

Woj also noted that the 7'1", 240-pound Wiseman has a "similar height, wingspan and left-handed shot" to Hall of Fame San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson.

That fact hasn't gone unnoticed by Wiseman, who believes he will be the top pick in the draft like Robinson was in 1987.

"I truly expect that," he said. "I trust in myself, in terms of my game and my skill level. I've just to keep working, keep grinding every day."

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Wiseman to go sixth overall to the Charlotte Hornets in his latest mock draft.

"Leaving Memphis after three games won't kill James Wiseman's draft stock," he wrote. "But it could allow a few others to leapfrog him on boards, particularly given the decline in value of centers who aren't shooters, playmakers or versatile options. However, Wiseman won't slip too far, just based on his spectacular physical profile."

Wiseman is arguably the best big-man prospect in a draft heavy on guards and wings, namely near the top. He may not go No. 1, but seeing him slip far in the lottery portion is hard to imagine.

Wiseman is signed with Excel Sports.

Houston Cougars guard DeJon Jarreau was issued a flagrant-2 technical foul and ejected in the second half of his team's 64-62 loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday.

He was ejected for biting Cincinnati's Keith Williams on the calf as they went for a loose ball (h/t Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle):

Houston guard DeJon Jarreau was ejected for biting. pic.twitter.com/olWPDulzfV

— ESPN (@espn) February 2, 2020

According to Justin Williams of The Athletic, Williams and teammate Mamoudou Diarra said Jarreau bit them during the game. Jarreau finished with five points, six assists and four rebounds.

After the game, however, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson denied Jarreau bit Williams, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello:

"There was no bite. There was an alleged bite. Somebody says somebody bit, and they go to the line. I just watched the film. I watched it three times to make sure I was right, too. If you watch it once, you might be wrong. I watched it twice. I watched it three times. I had my staff look at it. There was no bite. There should have been a jump ball. It's our ball. Our possession. And we should have had the ball on the side."

It was particularly ill-timed for Houston, seeing how the team was nursing a two-point lead with less than seven minutes remaining and was undermanned in the backcourt for the stretch run on the road. 

Houston was in control for much of the contest and took a 10-point lead into intermission. However, the Bearcats gradually climbed back into it and took their first lead of the second half with less than three minutes remaining on a Williams layup. The Cougars still had a chance to force overtime when Cedrick Alley Jr. grabbed an offensive rebound in the waning seconds, but Caleb Mills missed a jumper at the buzzer.

Jarron Cumberland led the way for the victors with 17 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two blocks.

While the biting incident overshadowed portions of the game, it was a key win for the Bearcats as they look to get off the bubble and into the NCAA men's tournament. They improved to 14-7 overall and 7-2 in the American Athletic Conference with the win over the 21st-ranked Cougars. 

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller did not include Cincinnati in his latest projected bracket, although that was before it earned an impressive win Saturday.

The UConn Huskies women's basketball team honored Gianna Bryant on Monday evening by putting out a jersey for her ahead of their exhibition game vs. Team USA: 

Mambacita is forever a Husky 💙 pic.twitter.com/3wdAbdK0Ye

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) January 27, 2020

Kobe and Gianna meant a lot to our program. Our thoughts are with the Bryant family.

Mamba Mentality will live on forever, but they are deeply missed. 💙 pic.twitter.com/4Ib96yFxgg

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) January 26, 2020

Gianna Bryant was one of nine people to die in Sunday's helicopter crash which also killed her father and NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Sarah and Payton Chester, John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan.

https://twitter.com/charlottecrrll/status/1221933497675370496

Kobe and Gianna Bryant attended several UConn games together, with Mike Anthony of the Hartford Courant writing that "Gianna loved Gabby Williams and dreamed of playing for Auriemma and the Huskies—so much so that Bryant once famously declared that his daughter was 'hellbent' on attending UConn."

"My daughter loves Gabby Williams, absolutely loves Gabby, loves [all of them]," Bryant told Anthony in 2018. "She watches their interviews, watches how they play and learns—not just in wins, but in tough losses, how they conduct themselves. It's great, as a parent, to be able to see my daughter pull inspiration from them."

Just remembered, last year when Kobe came to see the LeBron Lakers for the first time. If I recall correctly, in the loading dock at Staples @ReggieMillerTNT was trying to convince Kobe that Gigi should go to UCLA eventually. Kobe smiled and said she had her heart set on UConn.

— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) January 27, 2020

Bryant was also a vocal supporter of women's basketball, and last week said he believed several WNBA players could play in the NBA. 

No @NBA player supported the @WNBA or women’s college basketball more than Kobe. He attended games, watched on tv, coached the next generation. We pray for his family. https://t.co/ZhTCxD3sRg

— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) January 26, 2020

Someone once asked if @kobebryant if he hoped to have a son to carry on his hoops legacy....
He laughed - proud of his budding basketball star daughter & said “Gigi’s got this!”
Kobe was a vocal & visible champion of the @WNBA & women’s college basketball https://t.co/AtAJLmZYZQ

— Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) January 27, 2020

Very heavy heart on loss of Kobe and his daughter and the others in the tragic crash today. Admired his Mamba mentality, and so grateful for Kobe’s support of the WNBA and girls basketball. Thoughts and prayers are with the Bryant family and other families impacted. #8 #24 pic.twitter.com/iXkDHUNT0P

— Cathy Engelbert (@CathyEngelbert) January 26, 2020

"I think there are a couple of players who could play in the NBA right now honestly," he said, per Calum Trenaman of CNN. "There's a lot of players with a lot of skill that could do it."

He named three in particular: "Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne. There's a lot of great players out there so they could certainly keep up with them."