Does this draft class suck? Well, more than a few “experts” maintain it’s not one of the best you’ll ever see. That being said, we don’t really know what’ll happen until these young fellas get drafted and hit the floor. There are plenty of teams that could use Ben McLemore or Anthony Bennett or Alex Len. Now, after tonight, we have a better grip on which teams will get them. Read More »

Each Wednesday, we’ll be assessing how the top prospects of the 2013 NBA Draft are faring in college and overseas. Stick with us each week for assorted thoughts, including the biggest risers and fallers, the standouts, the sleepers and what we know and don’t know about the next NBA Draft class… Read More »

Each Wednesday, we’ll be assessing how the top prospects of the 2013 NBA Draft are faring in college and overseas. Stick with us each week for assorted thoughts, including the biggest risers and fallers, the standouts, the sleepers and what we know and don’t know about the next NBA Draft class… Read More »

The second round of the playoffs is underway and with only eight teams remaining, it means another eight have been eliminated from title contention. The offseason is the time for these teams to retool to prepare for deeper runs next season. The Brooklyn Nets finished the year with a 49-33 record, good enough for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. However, their first-round opponent, the Chicago Bulls, surprisingly beat them at home in a Game 7. Read More »

We make jokes all the time about Kobe Bryant‘s evolution from “human being” into “basketball cyborg” but last night, all of these 48-minute nights finally took their toll. We’d list the leg injuries he packed on over the course of the game against Golden State, but screw it. Let’s just say the dude’s entire lower body was a mess (and he ended up leaving with what is probably the worst injury of his career). Read More »

This feature was originally printed in Dime 72. Check your local newsstands now to see the piece in its entirety…

Instant gratification has quickly become the M.O. of major college basketball. Recruits are showered with attention from the sixth grade through high school. Coaches are quick to tell them they are on the fast track to the NBA. Jamaal Franklin heard it. But he’s not ready to leave college just yet. Read More »

A month ago a dunk surfaced from the junior college ranks deep in Texas that I was ready to call the best dunk of the season. It’s hard to top an in-game dunk from the free-throw line, but I knew sooner or later someone would challenge it. Jamaal Franklin‘s insane throwdown for San Diego State just threw down the gauntlet as a worthy challenger. Read More »

Each Wednesday, we’ll be assessing how the top prospects of the 2013 NBA Draft are faring in college and overseas. Stick with us each week for assorted thoughts, including the biggest risers and fallers, the standouts, the sleepers and what we know and don’t know about the next NBA Draft class… Read More »

Creating a college anthem is always fraught with missteps (taking yourself too serious/taking yourself not serious at all but no one getting the joke, etc.), yet somehow two years in a row San Diego State has avoided all all that. Yes, for the second year in a row former Aztec all-conference standout Tim Shelton‘s creation has been a derivative one — in this case, Kanye‘s “Clique.” But also, for a consecutive season, it’s the best quality of any anthem and video out there. Read More »

San Diego State’s Jamaal Franklin is one of the nation’s most underrated college dunkers, period. Once the intense spotlight faded from the 2011 season, the Aztecs went back to being more of a regional team to watch last year. There was no more Kawhi Leonard, of course, but Franklin took off with 17.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and honorable mention All-American honors. Franklin’s Drew League mixtape from this summer — the Drew ended on Sunday with its title game — should help his exploits reach a larger audience. Read More »