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Coming out of high school in Kansas, the 6-foot-7, three-star recruit Spencer Jones was hoping basketball would help him land at a reputable college, not the NBA. It worked out perfectly when he committed to Stanford in 2019. “I was not planning on making it big,” Jones tells Front Office Sports. “The goal was just to use basketball to get into a place like [Stanford]. Everything else kind of felt like a bonus.” It was only after his sophomore season in 2020–21 that the NBA became a realistic option. But he was expected to be a second-round pick at best, so he believed a Stanford degree should take priority. “Spencer has always liked basketball, but he never was one of those guys that said, ‘My dream was playing in the NBA,’” Dwayne Jones, Spencer’s father, tells FOS.
Cameron Boozer showed the limelight of the Garden wasn’t too bright for him, leading Duke to a 78-66 win over Kansas in the Champions Classic. And while he didn’t face injured Darryn Peterson — one of his two main rivals to be drafted first overall — Boozer showed more than enough Tuesday to impress the entire NBA. There were 67 reps from 23 of the league’s 30 teams watching Boozer. the son of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. They saw the freshman forward shake off a slow start to finish with 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, a plus-10 in the most comfortable he’s been in college. “Yeah, for sure. Obviously I’ve had to get used to playing college basketball because last year I was in high school. This is a completely different game. It’s faster. It’s obviously more physical,” said Boozer, just 18. “Obviously it was a big matchup. But I like to rise to the occasion, so I felt like I was very comfortable.”
More than 60 NBA personnel from all 30 NBA teams have already been credentialed for the Champions Classic on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, a source close to the event told ZAGSBLOG. No. 9 Kentucky faces No. 17 Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by No. 4 Duke against No. 25 Kansas at 9 (ESPN).
Shams Charania: Kansas' 7-footer Hunter Dickinson has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, sources tell ESPN.
Who’s the most Jordan-like guy in the league right now? Kenny Smith: Zero. Not Anthony Edwards? KS: Ant is a very good, talented player. But, O.K.: are you into music? Yes. KS: Is there anyone who has touched the fibre of music the way Michael Jackson has? Prince? KS: No, I’m talking about today. It’s not even close. Michael Jordan touched the fibre of basketball that no one will ever touch today. Larry Bird touched the fibre of basketball that no one’s touching today. Maybe LeBron. LeBron is touching the Larry Bird–Magic Johnson fibre. He’s not touching the Jordan fibre.
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Dushawn London: NEWS: Congolese big man Paul Mbiya will declare for the NBA draft his agent tells @247sports. Mbiya will also consider the college route and is in the process of setting visits to NC State, Kansas and Kansas State.
FYI, Stokes, the top player in the class of 2026, plays for Notre Dame HS in SoCal. P's hoops star son, Mercy, also played at ND. Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Kansas, and others have also offered scholarships. "Look at Stephen Curry (Davidson), look at Damian Lillard (Weber State), you wanna go somewhere you can play, and people are gonna see you, the NBA is gonna find you, and New Orleans is a great place, it's a great city." "We got a great alumni, we got a coach, and so you know what, sky's the limit for us."
But Braun, the 6-foot-7 swingman drafted 21st out of Kansas in 2022, might have the best take. "He cares more than anybody, literally more than anybody," the 6-foot-7 wing out of Kansas said of Jokic. "He's in here working more than anybody. He's in the training room more than anybody. He wants to win badly, and that's who he is."
During the Oklahoma City Council meeting on Tuesday, councilmembers will consider approving a $61,649,000 contract with Kansas-based Manica Architecture as the design architect and TVS, an architecture and interior design firm in Atlanta, as the architect of record for the new $900 million arena to house the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder.
After his high school career between nearby Hinsdale Central, Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas led to five-star prospect status and a 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game selection, Buzelis chose the now-defunct G League Ignite over a multitude of college offers. It’s an experience he’ll always be thankful for. “It was a great situation. I wish it didn't end because if you look at the numbers, there's been [six] lottery picks. It's just unfortunate that it happened, but they did an amazing job from the start when I got there to the end,” Buzelis said. “They showed me the NBA schedule you've got to follow, they showed me how to play against NBA players, they showed me how to compete, and [I had] NBA coaching and training. But they really instilled a lot of stuff in me about the NBA, so I feel like I have a slight advantage walking into my rookie year.”
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Law Murray: LA Clippers coaching news Amir Johnson will join LAC player development staff. Solid vet for the big men. Darnell Jackson, veteran of 138 NBA games and a 2008 NCAA champion at Kansas, will be on San Diego Clippers staff
As for Duke, they open the non-conference Nov. 4 against Maine (Flagg’s home state) at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and will also face Kentucky, Arizona and preseason No. 1 Kansas in November. While Duke is a projected Top-10 team, Rutgers is at No. 25 per ESPN with high hopes of a March Madness run. “We’re going to be better (than the Fab Five)!” Harper told NJ Advance Media at the time of his commitment. “Y’all should be excited. We’re going to be a force to be reckoned with. In my eyes, ain’t no team in the country better than us. Our goal is definitely the national championship. Definitely.”
Ian Begley: NYK draft pick Kevin McCullar stayed back in NY to continue his rehab on injury suffered while at Kansas, per league sources. He will not be in Vegas for Summer League.