Advertisement - scroll for more content
Knecht never worked out for the Lakers, with his agents -- Jeff Schwartz, Mike Lindeman and Anthony Coleman of Excel Sports Management -- scheduling their client to visit only teams selecting much higher. But as draft night unfolded and players made their way onstage to shake commissioner Adam Silver's hand, Knecht -- decked out in an all-black suit with a diamond-encrusted "DK" pendant hanging on a chain around his neck -- was still waiting to hear his name. Around the time Pitt's Bub Carrington -- a player the Lakers had coveted, sources told ESPN -- went No. 14 to the Portland Trail Blazers, Knecht started to look like a real possibility. Inside the Lakers' draft room, Knecht's fall didn't make sense. In preparation for the draft, L.A. had each of its scouts rank their top 100 prospects and aggregated those lists on their board. Knecht was in everyone's top 10. What were they missing? Pelinka called Schwartz and spoke to Knecht's team with Excel. "It was like, 'You're giving me your word?'" Pelinka told ESPN. "I had to do a trust call of, 'There's no red flags, right? You're giving us your word.' And that's when it started to unfold."
Guard Carlton Carrington announced that he will enter the 2024 NBA Draft at a press conference at the Petersen Events Center Wednesday afternoon. The Baltimore, Md., native becomes the second Pitt player under Jeff Capel and the ninth Panther overall to bypass college eligibility to enter the NBA Draft.
Four-star point guard R.J. Davis was in town Friday on an official visit to Pitt, just one stop on his college tour as he decides what university he wants to attend in 2020. During his visit, Davis ran into three-time NBA champion Steph Curry, who just happened to be hanging around the Pitt facilities. Davis posted a photo of himself and the Golden State Warriors point guard to his Instagram story Friday evening.
Advertisement
Adams overcame that battle, with help from a member of the Notre Dame coaching staff, but soon ran into the same problem in his year at college in Pittsburgh, where he considered giving up on his American dream. "In those first few months at Pitt, I thought seriously about chucking it all in, quitting America and going home to New Zealand where I was more comfortable. I would say at least half of what I was feeling was in fact homesickness and nothing to do with basketball," says Adams.
Dave McMenamin: Jamel Artis, a former wing player at University of Pittsburgh, will play on the Cleveland Cavaliers' summer league roster in Las Vegas, Artis' agent, Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management, told ESPN. Artis was a two-way player with the Orlando Magic last season,
Ben Standig: Wizards announce they signed F Mike Young to a two-way contract. Undrafted from Pitt. 6'9", 235. 7th all-time scorer in Pittsburgh history.
To that end, he is expected to announce that he is hiring a staff that includes a number of candidate who are New Yorkers, have appreciated St. John's and know the ropes of the college game, and especially recruiting. Among the serious candidates — some that he already has consulted with — are Kentucky assistant and fellow alumnus from Brooklyn’s Xaverian Barry Rohrssen, who established a flowing pipeline of New Yorkers to Pitt and has head coaching experience at Manhattan; Iowa State assistant Matt Abdelmassih, a St. John's alum and former hoops manager who is a rising star among assistant coaches and is heavily involved in the recruiting of Long Island blue-chipper Cheick Diallo; Bulls assistant and Bronx product Ed Pinkney who helped Villanova to the 1985 national title and also was a strong recruiting assistant coach for the Wildcats for four seasons; and Emanuel (Book) Richardson of the Bronx, who has regularly scored top recruits including New Yorkers for Xavier and now Arizona. He could hire brother Terence Mullin in some capacity as well.
Speculation has started within the league on the possibility of a top pick not named Ben McLemore or Nerlens Noel. Some organizations believe Trey Burke is closer to the No. 2 point guard than the No. 2 selection bound for Orlando on position need, and at least one team has Pitt facing-rising center Steven Adams, who didn't even plan to leave school, as the seventh-best prospect on the board.
Advertisement
Adrian Wojnarowski: Blazers D-League team in Boise loses a good one: Barry Rohrssen's returning to Pitt coaching staff. Neil Olshey loved job he did w/ Stampede
Former Pitt guard Ashton Gibbs, who wasn’t selected in Thursday’s NBA Draft, said he received an offer to play for the Brooklyn Nets’ summer league team but is mulling other opportunities.
Six days out from Thursday's draft, the Wolves will bring six players -- all of them second-round prospects -- to Target Center on Friday. They're bringing back Baylor forward Quincy Acy and Long Beach State point guard Casper Ware from those group workouts attending by all NBA teams at Target Center three weeks ago. They're also bringing in Pitt guard Ashton Gibbs, Campbell University forward Eric Griffin, Alabama Birmingham forward Cameron Moore and Long Beach State forward T.J. Robinson.
Ashton Gibbs is returning to Pitt. After evaluating his chances of being selected in next month's NBA Draft, Gibbs said Saturday he will come back to Pitt for his senior season. Shortly after the end of the season, Gibbs, a junior guard, said he would consider making himself available for the draft. He did not hire an agent, thus retaining his eligibility under NCAA rules. Gibbs, an honorable mention Associated Press All-American, pulled out with only hours to spare — the draft's early-entry withdrawal deadline is Sunday. "The NBA can wait a year," Gibbs said in a statement. "I look forward to continuing the success that we've established here at Pitt and finish my collegiate career with all of my teammates and fellow senior Nasir Robinson. It will also be extra special to earn my degree."
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement