Fire guts Harare Sports Club
A section at the Harare Sports Club went up in flames today. The Harare Sports Club is currently hosting the ICC World Cup cricket qualifiers. pic.twitter.com/3bDPlz74KC
— #FokusZW (@Fokus_zw) June 20, 2023
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Fire at Harare Sports Club: ICC inspects and clears the ground for further use at World Cup Qualifiers
Published in
Cricket
Wednesday, 21 June 2023 06:23
On Tuesday night, a fire broke out at Harare Sports Club, which is currently hosting several ODI World Cup Qualifier matches, but swift response from the authorities ensured there was no damage done to the ground despite the close proximity of the blaze. An inspection by the ICC's security team and Zimbabwe Cricket as well has cleared the venue for continued use in the tournament.
Around six hours after Zimbabwe completed a six-wicket win over Netherlands, there were flames seen at the southern end of the ground. ESPNcricinfo understands that the material which caught fire consisted mainly of the thatched roofing at Castle Corner, the area usually occupied by the Zimbabwe Cricket Supporters Union. It is not known what caused the initial spark but on an open field with highly combustible material, the blaze grew quickly. One video showed flames reaching about as high as the trees outside the ground and coming very close to the stands.
The Harare Sports Club's location - opposite an official government building called Zimbabwe House - ensured that authorities were alerted quickly. They put out the fire before it could do damage to the stands.
On Wednesday morning, inspections were done at the ground to ensure that it was safe for spectators and then it was given the green light. The venue has seen packed crowds since the end of Covid-19 restrictions, with interest in the national men's team at an all-time high. Zimbabwe's tournament opener against Nepal last Sunday was sold out, with some being turned away at the gate. Their match against Netherlands on Tuesday was well-attended despite it being a weekday. It is expected that Saturday's clash against West Indies - the most anticipated of the group - will be a packed house.
In total, three more group matches, four Super Six games and the final, on July 9, are still to be played at Harare Sports Club. The two teams that contest the final will also qualify for this year's ODI World Cup.
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Harry Chathli in line to become new permanent chair at Yorkshire
Published in
Cricket
Wednesday, 21 June 2023 08:06
Yorkshire's long search for a successor to their former chair, Lord Kamlesh Patel, could be at an end, following the nomination of Harry Chathli as a non-executive director of the club, with a view to him succeeding the current interim chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
Chathli, whose daughter, Kira, plays for South East Stars and was part of the Oval Invincibles team that won the 2022 Hundred, is described in a Yorkshire press release as a "highly regarded business leader, and an experienced international capital markets expert, with a 25-year track record of advising global companies, organisations and government agencies".
His nomination is subject to ratification from club members at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), on a date to be confirmed.
"I am delighted and truly privileged to have the Board's support as their nominee to become the Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club," Chathli said. "This is one of the most iconic clubs in the cricketing world and, as with all English cricket fans, Headingley has always held a special place in my heart.
"I have seen the positive steps taken over the past year by YCCC and I believe Yorkshire has turned the corner - I've heard this from the business people I have spoken to over the past few months and from well-known international cricketers. It's because of this that I jumped at the chance to get fully involved with this prestigious club.
"The Club has been through a difficult period," he added. "I would like to bring the focus back to cricket and excellence on the pitch, as the club continues to learn from the many issues it has faced. I believe cricket excellence is built on two things: inclusivity and financial stability. YCCC needs to represent the Yorkshire of today and tap into all the extraordinary talent at its disposal and we need to have the proper funding to do this.
"We have a lot of work to do, but I have been impressed by the determination and resilience the club has shown and am ready to work with the Board and management to do everything I can to get the club back to where it should be."
Stephen Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, added: "Harry was the outstanding candidate in a very strong field and his passion for the game and vision for an inclusive future stood out to the whole board.
"His corporate and commercial experience will be vitally important as we look to secure the future health of the club, at the same time as reaffirming our commitment to deliver positive changes in line with the values and standards we have established as a board. We are determined to deliver long-term success and to build on the work we have done collectively to address the many challenges we have faced together to make Yorkshire County Cricket Club a thriving and welcoming place for all. We look forward to Harry having the opportunity to meet with Members ahead of the EGM and can't wait to welcome him to the Yorkshire family."
Baroness Grey-Thompson described Chathli as "the ideal person to continue to drive the club's recovery," and will continue in her role as a Non-Executive Director following the transition to the new chair.
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PITTSBURGH -- Former Steelers outside linebacker and Super Bowl champion Clark Haggans died at the age of 46, a team spokesperson confirmed Wednesday morning.
No cause of death was disclosed.
A fifth-round pick by the Steelers out of Colorado State in the 2000 NFL draft, Haggans spent eight seasons in Pittsburgh and started alongside college teammate Joey Porter on the team that defeated the Seattle Seahawks to win Super Bowl XL in 2006. Haggans had five tackles and sacked quarterback Matt Hasselbeck on the opening drive of the game, putting an exclamation point on a season where he recorded a career-best nine sacks and four forced fumbles.
Haggans was a full-time starter during his final four seasons in Pittsburgh and finished his Steelers career with one interception, 12 forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 332 tackles and 32.5 sacks.
After Pittsburgh, Haggans spent four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and retired after one final season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. Haggans holds the Colorado State record with 33 career sacks and he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2015.
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Penny gets 3-game ban for recruiting violations
Published in
Breaking News
Wednesday, 21 June 2023 10:45
An NCAA infractions panel has imposed a three-game suspension on Memphis coach Penny Hardaway for recruiting violations tied to two in-home visits with a prospect nearly two years ago.
The panel issued its ruling Wednesday, which follows a negotiated resolution in December that allowed the school to resolve the case and begin probation while one individual challenged the allegations. That turned out to be Hardaway, who was charged under the rules governing head-coach responsibility for conduct within their programs.
An assistant coach first visited the prospect in September 2021 at his home, followed by Hardaway roughly two weeks later. But NCAA rules prohibited in-home visits for juniors until April of that year, with those visits supposed to instead take place at the prospect's current school.
Hardaway, a former Memphis and NBA star, had told the NCAA he was unaware of the rule.
"Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse," the panel said. "The head coach's inattentiveness to compliance -- particularly at a time when his program was under scrutiny related to a different infractions case -- resulted in careless violations."
In a statement, Memphis said school officials "strongly believe Coach Hardaway never intentionally committed a violation."
"We will learn from this incident and be even more diligent in our education and monitoring," the school said. "Now that the entirety of this case is finalized, we will move forward in support of Coach Hardaway and our men's basketball program, as we do all our programs."
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United States coach Vlatko Andonovski named his 23-player squad on Wednesday for the 2023 Women's World Cup, with Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe both picked to the team for the fourth time in their careers and 14 players making their World Cup debuts.
Veteran Julie Ertz also made the cut after returning from an injury in April after a long spell away from the game, while Alyssa Thompson, her Angel City FC teammate and NWSL No. 1 pick in 2023, was also included for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, which kicks off on July 20.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
Rapinoe is the oldest player on the roster at 37. She will turn 38 on July 5.
Thompson is the youngest player on the roster at 18. She is the fourth teenager and second youngest player ever to be named to a U.S. World Cup roster behind only current USWNT assistant coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak.
The two-time defending champion Americans will be without captain and veteran defender Becky Sauerbrunn, who was left out of the squad because of a foot injury she suffered in April.
Sauerbrunn, who won two World Cups with the USWNT, confirmed in a statement that she will not recover in time from her injury and will miss the tournament. She is one of several injured American players to miss the tournament, including striker Mallory Swanson, who went down with a knee injury in April.
Midfield stalwarts Sam Mewis and Catarina Macario are also sidelined.
"The task of selecting a World Cup team is never easy, but I'm proud of the players for their work ethic and focus during the process and of our coaching staff for doing the work to put together the best team possible," Andonovski said. "It's the players that make the biggest impact on our environment; they push each other to be better, and I know as a group they are extremely motivated to make our country proud at the World Cup.
- 2023 Women's World Cup: Rosters, players for all 32 teams
"Every player has a different journey to get to this point, so our roster has some amazing stories, and we have a really good mix of veterans and younger players."
The U.S. will face the Netherlands, Vietnam and Portugal in Group E play, with all of its matches taking place in New Zealand. The 2023 edition of the Women's World Cup will be the first to include 32 teams, up from 24 in the previous two, both of which were won by the U.S.
Full U.S. Women's National Team roster by position (club; caps/goals):
GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury* (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy* (North Carolina Courage; 14), Alyssa Naeher*** (Chicago Red Stars; 90)
DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook* (OL Reign; 24/1), Crystal Dunn** (Portland Thorns FC; 131/24), Emily Fox* (North Carolina Courage; 28/1), Naomi Girma* (San Diego Wave FC; 15/0), Sofia Huerta* (OL Reign; 29/0), Kelley O'Hara**** (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 157/3), Emily Sonnett** (OL Reign; 74/1)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Savannah DeMelo* (Racing Louisville FC; 0/0), Julie Ertz*** (Angel City FC; 118/20), Lindsey Horan** (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 128/27), Rose Lavelle** (OL Reign; 88/24), Kristie Mewis* (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 51/7), Ashley Sanchez* (Washington Spirit; 24/3), Andi Sullivan* (Washington Spirit; 44/3)
FORWARDS (6): Alex Morgan**** (San Diego Wave FC; 206/121), Megan Rapinoe**** (OL Reign; 199/63), Trinity Rodman* (Washington Spirit; 17/2), Sophia Smith* (Portland Thorns FC; 29/12), Alyssa Thompson* (Angel City FC; 3/0), Lynn Williams* (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 52/15)
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USWNT's 2023 World Cup roster reaction: Pressure on Morgan, who replaces Sauerbrunn, more
Published in
Breaking News
Wednesday, 21 June 2023 10:59
The roster that will lead the U.S. women's national team through the Women's World Cup this July has been decided, and it certainly is not without gambles and surprises.
- Ertz, Morgan, Rapinoe lead 2023 World Cup roster
- All 2023 Women's World Cup rosters
In announcing his World Cup roster on Wednesday, coach Vlatko Andonovski balanced conservative, expected picks -- Alex Morgan as striker and Lindsey Horan in the midfield were obvious -- with riskier choices, including a slew of young players making their first World Cup squad. When Andonovski had the choice of sticking with players he was very familiar with or rolling the dice on someone new, he wasn't afraid to take a chance.
Now Andonovski has ended up with a roster that has the usual mix of veteran experience and young talent but leans more on younger or untested players than the previous two World Cups, which the USWNT won.
Three players -- Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Kelley O'Hara -- have made their fourth World Cup team, and 14 players will be competing in their first World Cup, compared with 11 debutants in 2019 and eight in 2015. And unlike those previous two tournaments, most of the debutants are expected to be the USWNT's starters, with the likes of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Lynn Williams figuring to lead the USWNT's attack with Morgan up top, and the core of the USWNT's defense being two new centerbacks, Naomi Girma and Alana Cook.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
So, with all of that in mind, let's take a closer look at the big surprises of the roster, and the conundrums that Andonovski's squad selection leaves behind to be answered only in the USWNT's tournament opener on July 21.
Pressure's on Alex Morgan without a backup striker
In the simplest terms, Morgan's role for the USWNT is part goal-scorer and part distraction.
With Morgan as the target striker up top, the USWNT is often trying to feed her the ball so she can score, something she's been doing a lot lately for her club, the San Diego Wave. She has five goals in her past 10 club games this season, after a league-leading 16 goals in 19 games last year.
But Morgan is also a magnet for defenders, and she's sometimes relegated to the unglamorous role of pulling apart defenses off the ball so her teammates can score. On the ball, Morgan's holdup play and her ability to provide service to the wingers around her is an underrated part of her game that she has developed over years as the USWNT's lone center-forward in its current system.
And on this roster, the USWNT is really going to be counting on Morgan to be both the goal-scorer and the non-goal-scorer up top because there is no direct replacement. The only other dedicated striker who has had significant minutes for the USWNT up top over the past couple of years is Ashley Hatch, and she didn't make the cut.
Hatch came off the bench for Morgan or started in 15 of the USWNT's past 25 games, including five of the USWNT's seven games in 2023. Ultimately though, as good as Hatch has been in NWSL, her contributions for the USWNT were far less compelling.
So who is Morgan's backup? Who is going to come on for her late in games when the USWNT needs to push for a goal with fresh legs? Players such as Lynn Williams and Sophia Smith can play as center-forwards, and they have experience playing up top for their clubs. But they've primarily played on the wing for the USWNT, meaning Andonovski is going with a lesser-tested option than if he had simply brought Hatch.
Another wrinkle is that Smith is probably going to be a starter throughout the tournament, and Williams has a strong case as well. If those two aren't Morgan's backups, then Andonovski is looking at a player who really is -- for club and country -- primarily a winger or a midfielder. Could Andonovski be considering midfielder Ashley Sanchez or winger Trinity Rodman as backups for Morgan? We'll see.
Perhaps Andonovski looked at what former coach Jill Ellis did in her 2019 World Cup-winning run and decided he could make better use of the extra roster spot Ellis used on a backup for Morgan. In 2019, Morgan's backup was Jessica McDonald, a striker who played only 45 minutes the entire tournament. Carli Lloyd, a midfielder, started playing as a free-roaming, withdrawn striker instead, negating the need for another dedicated striker.
But in a scenario where Morgan gets injured, this decision could have major implications for how the USWNT plays.
The least surprising 'surprise' inclusions: Julie Ertz, 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson
If you've tended to follow the USWNT only in actual competitions -- like, say, last year's double-qualifiers for the World Cup and Olympics, or the recent SheBelieves Cup invitational -- you might've assumed Ertz was still out of the national team picture -- having stopped playing soccer after the 2021 Olympics -- and you might not even be familiar with Thompson.
But the USWNT's last two friendlies before Andonovski picked his roster -- a pair of relatively comfortable wins over Ireland -- changed what the USWNT squad looked like. First, after a 610-day absence from soccer, Ertz made a surprise return and picked up where she had left off, running pocket to pocket in the midfield and flying into tackles. Then, Thompson got her first start (third cap overall) and, despite being just 18 years old, she looked as if she belonged at the senior USWNT level.
1:10
Jill Ellis compares current USWNT to her World Cup winners
President of San Diego Wave FC Jill Ellis talks about the differences between the current USWNT team and her teams in the past.
For Ertz to make this roster, Andonovski had to change his standards and go against his word: he had insisted repeatedly that players would earn call-ups based on their club form, but Ertz had been without a club since late 2021 when Andonovski called her into the USWNT's final camp before selecting his World Cup roster. The mere fact she was called in at all felt like an admission that Andonovski needed her too much to stick to his word. It felt like, by calling her in at all, he planned to select her for his World Cup team.
In truth, the USWNT had missed Ertz ever since she stepped away from the game -- her marauding, bruising brand of midfield enforcement was not something any other player possessed. Andonovski has tried shoehorning other midfielders there, such as Lindsey Horan, but it limited what made them great. He tried a double pivot, essentially asking two players to do the work Ertz used to do alone, but it left the USWNT unbalanced going forward.
Andonovski seemed to settle on Andi Sullivan, but her deep-lying, distributing style as a defensive midfielder lacked the bite the USWNT sorely missed. With Ertz's return, Andonovski got his solution, and she could be a starter in New Zealand for the USWNT's opening game.
For Thompson, a starting role seems less likely, but her form in the NWSL right now is indisputable. She's been scoring audacious goals, which only punctuate her pacey explosiveness and her ability to weave her way through defenders with the ball stuck to her foot.
At 18, Thompson is the youngest player on the roster and the second-youngest in USWNT World Cup history, and she plays with a fearlessness that is hard to beat. That is probably also what makes her so compelling for Andonovski: with her talent, she should be part of the USWNT for years, and allowing her to experience her first World Cup is an investment in her development.
If Ertz's lack of club form forced Andonovski to go against his word when he selected her, Thompson's selection allows Andonovski to proclaim he did what he promised: Thompson's club form demanded a World Cup spot.
The real surprise inclusions
World Cup rosters tend to lend themselves to surprises. With everything on the line, high stakes and each roster spot undergoing the utmost scrutiny, coaches tend to go with their guts.
Ellis, who won back-to-back World Cups during her tenure, revealed some big surprises in 2019, bringing in defender Ali Krieger and midfielder Morgan Brian (now Gautrat) despite neither having been involved in the USWNT leading up to the tournament. In Krieger's case, she didn't even get a camp invite for two years until Ellis abruptly brought her in for the final camp before the World Cup.
Yet Ellis was going back to players she knew well, veteran players she had seen play in World Cups. In the end, she didn't trust the new players she had brought in and wanted to stick with what she knew. As she put it during her roster announcement in 2019: "Some of the players you don't ever know until that moment that they're in the pressure-cooker of a World Cup quarterfinal or semifinal."
That's what makes Andonovski's roster surprises so different and perhaps riskier. He called up Savannah DeMelo, a player with zero appearances on the international level, and Aubrey Kingsbury, who earned one cap in 2019.
DeMelo, a midfielder, was first called into a camp in September 2022 as a replacement player when Rodman got injured for two games against Nigeria. She was then called into camp in October 2022 for games against England and Spain. But she didn't get a single minute across any of those matches.
Kingsbury, a goalkeeper, was called up several times through 2022, but she never played a minute and hasn't had a call-up in 2023. Her inclusion means that Adrianna Franch, the backup goalkeeper Andonovski called in for every USWNT camp this year and was far more familiar with, stays home.
Andonovski is making these two decisions, it seems, based on their play in the NWSL, which is the league where almost all of the USWNT's roster competes. DeMelo and Kingsbury have been sensational in their respective positions for their clubs in 2023. DeMelo was named NWSL Player of the Month for May, about the time Andonovski was surely narrowing down his roster.
It's also worth noting that calling in an uncapped player isn't without precedent. Defensive midfielder and U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Shannon Boxx made the 2003 World Cup team based on club play. Debbie Keller made the 1995 World Cup squad too, but, well, things were different in 1995 -- there were no clubs, so it had to be based on college play, and her college coach at UNC was also the outgoing USWNT coach.
Let's be clear: Andonovski is rolling the dice here. It's unlikely Kingsbury, presumably the third goalkeeper behind starter Alyssa Naeher and backup Casey Murphy, would ever get on the field. But DeMelo is taking a roster spot that could've gone to a midfielder such as Taylor Kornieck, someone who played in 10 of the USWNT's past 17 games. Or that spot could've gone to a backup for Morgan, or another defender...
A defense lacking veteran experience without Becky Sauerbrunn ... and Tierna Davidson
Centerback and USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn was on the USWNT roster until sometime last week, when Andonovski accepted that she would not be able to recover from a lingering injury in time. Losing her so close to the start of the tournament is a serious blow to the USWNT.
On and off the field, Sauerbrunn is a leader and role model. At 38, she would've been the oldest player on the USWNT roster, offering an experienced, calming presence, having been through three previous World Cups. She's also been a confidant of Andonovski, who has openly talked about seeking her advice.
With 216 appearances, she would've been the most capped player on the roster and anchored the back line. But now, a relatively young duo -- Naomi Girma (15 caps) and Alana Cook (24 caps), each of them competing in her first major tournament -- will probably be the starting centerback pairing.
Despite the lack of World Cup experience without Sauerbrunn, Andonovski has opted not to bring in Tierna Davidson, the most experienced natural replacement he had available. With 48 caps, including the 2019 World Cup and the 2021 Olympics, under her belt, Davidson would've been arguably the most like-for-like swap for Sauerbrunn.
Instead, it appears the lone backup for Girma and Cook will be Emily Sonnett. She certainly has experience -- with 74 caps, including the 2019 World Cup and the 2021 Olympics -- but much of it has been at fullback, given her role as a utility defender. Of 630 possible game minutes in 2023 for the USWNT, just 45 of them came at centerback for Sonnett. Her club, OL Reign, has even tried her out at defensive midfielder this season.
Sonnett's "jack of all trades, master of none" profile along the back line could be concerning. Her ceiling as centerback isn't as high as Davidson's is at her best. And if Sonnett doesn't work out or injuries happen, Andonovski might need to ask Ertz to reprise her former role from the 2015 World Cup or ask a fullback to step into the central defense.
There are probably two reasons Andonovski went with Sonnett over Davidson. The first is that Davidson hasn't been playing that well in the NWSL. Part of it is just that her team, the Chicago Red Stars, has been struggling, but her individual performances haven't been her best.
The second reason is that Sonnett's versatility gives Andonovski more options. World Cups aren't always about the best 11 players but rather the best 20, and having players who allow for extra contingency plans can make all the difference. Andonovski needs to squeeze as much depth as possible out of 23 roster spots (with three required to be goalkeepers), and having a player like Sonnett, who can play anywhere along the back line in a pinch, might have made it hard for him to discount her as a call-up.
2:28
Why did Alex Morgan miss San Diego's game vs. Louisville?
Jeff Kassouf joins the Futbol Americas guys to help explain why Alex Morgan was absent from San Diego's last game.
Injuries and roster absences change the USWNT's World Cup -- and the team's chances
You might notice that a lot of the talking points from this roster involve contingency plans and worries about lack of backups. That's partly because a World Cup requires such an examination, but it's also a testament to how the USWNT has been devastated by injuries.
In addition to Sauerbrunn's late exit, consider the injuries to Swanson and Catarina Macario. The two of them were without a doubt the USWNT's best attacking players over the past couple of years, and you can't easily replace the two best players on a roster.
Macario was so good that Andonovski was building the team around her, even pushing Morgan out for a while. Swanson was so good that she accounted for 20% of the USWNT's goals over the past two years -- she entered the game in which she suffered her World Cup-disqualifying injury on a six-game scoring streak.
Then consider that Samantha Mewis, the USWNT's key midfield linchpin at the 2019 World Cup, has also been out with an injury. On top of that, look at Rose Lavelle, who did make this roster but hasn't played since an injury with the USWNT in April. Only then does it become clear why we are talking so much about contingencies and surprise inclusions.
The Americans are far from the only team slammed by injuries -- England and France are two favorites that especially look hampered -- but it's hard to look at this roster and not wonder: Are the players who aren't there going to decide the USWNT's chances?
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Defending champs Blue Collar U top '23 TBT field
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Basketball
Wednesday, 21 June 2023 10:03
Defending champions Blue Collar U and alumni teams from Kansas and Louisville headline the 2023 field for The Basketball Tournament.
The 64-team TBT bracket, which was released Wednesday, features 34 college alumni teams and three former tournament champions.
This year's TBT will feature eight regionals in seven cities, with Wichita's Koch Arena hosting two regionals -- one hosted by Wichita State and one hosted by Kansas. Koch Arena holds the TBT attendance record. The other cities set to host regionals are Lubbock, Texas; Cincinnati; Syracuse, New York; Wheeling, West Virginia; Dayton, Ohio; and Louisville, Kentucky.
The teams will compete for the $1 million, winner-take-all championship prize. The semifinals and championship game will be held at Daskalakis Athletic Center, better known as the DAC, Drexel's home arena, in Philadelphia.
Blue Collar U, a team of Buffalo alumni, is back to defend its title. They have been in two TBTs, reaching the semifinals two years ago and winning it all last summer. Nick Perkins, CJ Massinburg and Wes Clark -- the three stars from last year's title game -- once again lead the way.
The 2-seed in their region is another former champion, with Boeheim's Army playing at home. It's a refreshed roster, with the likes of Tyus Battle, Chris McCullough and Jimmy Boeheim on the squad. Boeheim's Army won the TBT title in 2021 but suffered an early upset last summer.
The third former tournament champion is Carmen's Crew, a team of Ohio State alumni that won the title in 2019. They are the 4-seed in the Dayton region and will be coached by Jared Sullinger.
One of the pre-tournament favorites is Mass Street, a team of Kansas alumni that hasn't been in TBT since 2019. Coaches Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris have a loaded team from which to choose, with former Jayhawks Thomas Robinson, Tyshawn Taylor, Marcus Garrett and Dedric Lawson among the standouts.
The Ville is making its TBT debut with multiple players from Louisville's 2013 national championship team. Russ Smith and Peyton Siva will make up one of the more dynamic backcourts in the field.
Other alumni teams to watch include Aftershocks (Wichita State), Air Raiders (Texas Tech), Zip Em Up (Xavier), Best Virginia (West Virginia) and Red Scare (Dayton). Four of those teams earned 1-seeds in their respective regions, while Zip Em Up is a 2-seed. Blue Collar U, Mass Street, Program for Autism (last year's runner-up) and Gutter Cats are the other top-seeded teams.
The TBT began in 2014, when Notre Dame Fighting Alumni won the first championship. Overseas Elite won the next four titles before their streak ended in 2019 at the hands of Carmen's Crew. Marquette-centric Golden Eagles Alumni won in 2020, Boeheim's Army took the title in 2021, and Blue Collar U won it all last summer.
All 63 games will air on the ESPN family of networks, with action starting July 19. The championship game will take place Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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Nuggets' Brown to decline option, hit free agency
Published in
Basketball
Wednesday, 21 June 2023 10:03
Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown, one of the catalysts of the reigning NBA champions, is declining his $6.8 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent, his agent, Ty Sullivan of CAA Sports, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Brown, who said "nobody wanted me" when he hit free agency last summer before agreeing to a deal with the Nuggets, should expect a far more robust market this offseason after playing a key role in Denver's run to the first NBA championship in franchise history.
The 6-foot-4 Brown has a unique blend of skills that proved invaluable in the playoffs as he guarded multiple positions, helped power the Nuggets' transition game and created shots at the rim both as a ball handler and cutter.
Brown averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals while playing the sixth-most minutes on the Nuggets in 20 games this postseason.
Because the Nuggets have not established early Bird rights on Brown, the most they can offer him in free agency is $7.8 million for next season, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
Brown, 26, has averaged 8.5 points per game in five seasons with the Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons.
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NEW YORK -- The hype surrounding basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama surpasses that for anyone who has entered the NBA since LeBron James did so a generation ago.
But if there was any concern about the expectations for the 7-foot-5 Frenchman's career getting to him, he quickly dismissed the notion at his pre-draft news conference Wednesday morning.
"No," Wembanyama said matter-of-factly in response to a question about whether he's concerned the hype has gone too far ahead of his expected selection first overall by the San Antonio Spurs when the NBA draft begins Thursday night at Barclays Center.
"I don't let this, all this stuff, get into my head because I got such high expectations for myself that I'm immune to all this stuff. So I really don't care."
The basketball world, however, cares an awful lot about Wembanyama, who brings arguably a unique set of skills to the league for any draft prospect ever, with his 7-5 frame that will make him the tallest player in the sport combined with his fluid offensive game and shooting ability from beyond the 3-point arc.
It's a combination that made this year's draft lottery one of the most anticipated in recent memory, with the Spurs getting their third-ever top selection -- and, with it, a chance to take a third generational big man talent, after Hall of Famers David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
Wembanyama admitted he felt "lucky" to be going to San Antonio, a franchise that's very popular in France thanks to the Spurs tenures of French players Tony Parker and Boris Diaw.
"For me, San Antonio is synonymous with winning," Wembanyama said. "When, on lottery night, when the Spurs got the No. 1 pick, I was just thinking, I was feeling lucky that they had pick as a franchise that has that culture and that experience in winning and making, creating good players. So I really can't wait."
Transitioning between English and French with ease, Wembanyama was confident and relaxed in his 20-minute media session Wednesday, split nearly evenly between questions in the two languages. He said he wants to be the best at every part of being a basketball player -- including interacting with the media, something he said he enjoys.
He also has full belief in his abilities, and the determined path he has taken to fulfilling his dream of being the top pick in the NBA draft. One of the queries in English on Wednesday came from a Sports Illustrated for Kids reporter who asked Wembanyama what advice he would give his younger self.
And althoughWembanyama said he did regret not getting a chance to spend more time enjoying the sights and sounds in New York, saying he might "sneak out at night" to see the city after only getting out of the hotel to go to Yankee Stadium to throw out the first pitch -- which he really enjoyed -- he made it clear he has no regrets about how he has arrived at this moment in his life.
"I don't remember seeing a future Victor coming and telling me anything," he responded with a smile. "So if I had the chance to talk to my younger self, I wouldn't say anything because I wouldn't want to disturb how it went.
"If I have to do it again, I would do it exactly the same. So I wouldn't say anything to my younger self."
Wembanyama, who said he'd have trouble sleeping Wednesday night ahead of the draft, said he's going to play in summer league games next month. And he also made it clear that when he does step onto an NBA court, the singular set of skills he has displayed up until now won't be going away.
"You saw me play at 13, and I've played the same," Wembanyama said." I've been playing like that. And honestly I'm just trying to be myself. You said I'm a hybrid. It's just I'm myself.
"No one is going to stop me from dribbling the ball, bringing the ball up and shooting 3s. Nobody is going to stop me from doing that. Even though sometimes coaches in my career would try to stop me from doing that because they had to win right now. So it was really an everyday fight to stay true to myself, and, yeah, this is something that I'm never going to lose, for sure."
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The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network has agreed to pay the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles around $100 million each following a protracted dispute over the value of the Nationals' television rights from 2012 to 2016, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither team had made an announcement. The Washington Post first reported the settlement, which removes one hurdle in the Lerner family's efforts to potentially sell the Nationals franchise.
When MLB purchased the Montreal Expos and moved them to Washington in 2005, the Orioles said another team nearby would harm them financially. MLB and the two teams negotiated an agreement under which MASN would televise both teams' games, with the teams receiving equal rights fees.
The Orioles, who control MASN and have a significantly larger ownership stake in the two-team regional sports network, stand to benefit from lower rights fees. MASN paid the Nationals for 2012 to '16 what the Orioles proposed: $197.5 million. In 2019, an arbitration committee of baseball executives appointed by the commissioner said the value for the Nationals should be set at $297 million. MASN has now agreed to pay the difference of about $100 million.
Baltimore has argued this process was tainted, but the New York Court of Appeals sided with the Nationals in a 6-0 decision in April.
The Lerner family bought the Nationals in 2006 and began exploring a possible sale in April 2022. This ongoing dispute has complicated attempts to sell the team.
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