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Bryan Kalbrosky: Brice Williams will begin his pro career on the Detroit Pistons, per source. The former Nebraska star was First-Team All-Big Ten, averaging 20.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 38.5% from 3 in college. Full tracker: bit.ly/3GbFpHe pic.x.com/H2wdtwvEY7
Danny Wolf announced Wednesday in a social media post that he’s declaring for the NBA Draft after helping lead the Wolverines to the Big Ten tournament title and to the Sweet 16 during his one season in Ann Arbor.
Derik Queen to enter NBA draft
Days after leading Maryland to the Sweet 16, Derik Queen decided to take his talents to the NBA. "I'm proud to say I'm entering the 2025 NBA draft," he said on "SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt" on Friday. Queen, a 6-foot-10 center who is projected as the No. 10 pick in ESPN's latest mock draft, earned Associated Press All-America honors and first-team all-Big Ten honors this season. He also averaged 18.6 points in three NCAA tournament games.
Northwestern swingman Nick Martinelli, the leading scorer in the Big Ten this season, is testing the waters ahead of the draft, but will keep his college eligibility, per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link). The 6’7" forward averaged 20.5 PPG in 2024/25 for the Wildcats. He would stay with Northwestern were he to return to the NCAA. Martinelli was not among the top 100 prospects on Givony’s latest 2025 pre-draft big board.
Tim Hardaway to Draymond Green: *"I'm gonna tell you a story. So, I'm with the Miami Heat. I'm a scout for the Miami Heat. I come and see, you know, I was always at the Big 10 games, especially, you know, Tim and all that. I'm writing you up. I'm like, 'This is Miami Heat culture right here.' I say, 'Draymond Green is Miami Heat culture. We need to draft him. We need to draft him. Dude, he gonna come in, he knows how to play, he gonna play his role, he gonna play defense, he gonna give everybody confidence. This dude can play the game of basketball.' Yeah. And Pat was like, 'I don't want him.' I said, 'Why?' He never gave me a reason. So, every time you came to Miami, Golden State, and y'all beat us, Pat looked at me, and he said, 'You better not say that.' And I was like, 'I told you.'”*
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While NBC hasn’t announced who will be calling the games, Mike Tirico will be NBC’s lead announcer; he was a very good NBA announcer on ESPN. Noah Eagle, son of Ian, also will be involved. Noah Eagle has risen at NBC; he will call men’s Olympic basketball games with Dwyane Wade and announces the network’s prime time Big 10 football package with Todd Blackledge. Noah Eagle also announced two NFL games for NBC last season. Meanwhile, Wade could make his case for a job on NBC’s lead NBA team if he aces his Olympic assignment in the days ahead. Wade worked as a TNT NBA studio analyst for a couple of years before leaving by choice to work on other business ventures.
Jon Chepkevich: Michigan State’s Tyson Walker has agreed to join the Phoenix Suns for NBA Summer League, I’m told. 18.4 PTS, 2.9 REB, 2.8 AST, 1.9 STL en route to 2nd Team All-B1G honors. Dynamic 6’0 ½" initiator w/ a shifty handle and deadly pull-up game — tactician punishing drop coverages.
Iowa junior Payton Sandfort has declared for the NBA draft but isn't giving up his college eligibility — yet. The third-team All-Big Ten selection said Tuesday that he'll go through the draft process this spring before deciding officially whether he'll keep his name in the draft.
Indiana sophomore center Kel'el Ware is entering the 2024 NBA draft. The move, announced via Ware's social media Tuesday, was widely expected as the Oregon transfer had a standout season for the Hoosiers, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors (media).
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Mike Woodson will return as Indiana's head coach for the 2024-25 season, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday, ending speculation regarding his future in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are nearing the end of their worst season under Woodson, sitting at 17-13 overall and 9-10 in Big Ten play with one game left in the regular season after Wednesday night's 70-58 win over Minnesota.
In 1984, after coaching Michael Jordan on the gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic team, Portland general manager Stu Inman called Knight for advice on the upcoming NBA draft. Knight counseled Inman to take Jordan, calling Jordan the best basketball player he had ever seen. Inman told Knight the Blazers already had Clyde Drexler and needed a center. Knight responded, "Then play Jordan at center." Knight was the first Division I men's basketball coach to win 900 games. He was the most prolific winner in Big Ten history, won three NCAA titles at Indiana, went to five Final Fours and led the United States to the 1984 Olympic gold medal. He innovated the motion offense and influenced countless coaches with his teaching of the game. One cannot think of Indiana basketball without thinking of Bob Knight.
Zach Edey enters NBA draft, will maintain NCAA eligibility
Zach Edey is keeping his options open. Purdue’s 7-foot-4 center entered his name in the NBA draft on Tuesday. Edey, the recipient of just about every postseason award after leading Purdue to a Big Ten regular season and tournament championship, will maintain his eligibility, leaving the possibility that he can withdraw his name from the draft and return to Purdue.
Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that the team has signed guard/forward Bryce McGowens to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. A native of Pendleton, South Carolina, McGowens averaged 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per game as a freshman at Nebraska in 2021-22, starting all 31 games in which he appeared. The 6-7 guard/forward earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors and was named Big Ten Newcomer of the Year by the media. McGowens led the Cornhuskers in scoring and ranked ninth in the Big Ten, while also ranking third in the conference in free-throw percentage (83.1%).
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