For those of us who follow the recruiting process, rankings aren’t always an accurate data point when measuring the likelihood of immediate success at the collegiate level. Sometimes, the biggest factor is player retention. Which freshman will be given an opportunity? Sometimes the biggest factor is “fit”. How does this new crop of talented freshman adapt to playing for a new coach in a new system? Read More »

At one point early in the first half of Saturday night’s Jordan Brand Classic, the crowd at Barclays Center suddenly and incongruously erupted into a thunderous ovation during a dead ball. Only one person’s arrival could have elicited such a reaction.

Nope, not him. It was Drake. Read More »

The 2013 Jordan Brand Classic announced its field today, a 22-star collection that’s the center of the showcase April 13 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. How many of these players will be back in the New York metro area for the 2014 NBA Draft just over a year later? By the looks of the field, a number of them could be. Read More »

Adidas Nations, as we showed you earlier this week, started its sixth-annual tournament of the best U-19 talent the world has to offer with performances that drew high praise from the crowd of hoops experts assembled in Southern California. Their ranks counted players from new NBA draft picks who became counselors for the week, to the coaching staffs of Bill Bayno, Reggie Theus, Don MacLean and Eddie Johnson for a few. Dwight Howard, in SoCal for rehabilitation after back surgery, even stopped by to talk with campers (not wearing Magic colors). Days three and four, when pool play turned into a playoff, didn’t disappoint either. Read More »

The sixth year of the prestigious high school hoops showcase, the Adidas Nations tournament, made its way to Southern California again starting on Aug. 2, with tonight’s title game marking the finish on CBS Sports. Nations is arguably one of only a handful of events around the world that can say it showcases the world’s best high school talent in one spot with nine teams of the top U-19 taleant. We take you inside the days spent at the Garden Grove, California, tournament and its highlights. Read More »