CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — University of Miami athletic director Blake James says it’s good to have a basketball corruption trial in the past and with no indication of wrongdoing by coach Jim Larranaga’s Hurricanes’ program.
A federal jury in New York last week found three men guilty of fraud charges for channeling secret payment to the families of top-tier recruits to influence their choices of schools, apparel companies and agents. The verdicts placed the blame on the men for exposing the universities to NCAA sanctions, essentially portraying the schools as victims.
“It’s good to have it behind us,” James said Thursday at basketball media day. “As I’ve said all along, I have 100 percent confidence in Jim and our coaches doing things the right way.”
The Hurricanes have no true freshmen on their roster, in part because potential recruits were aware of the FBI investigation, which raised questions a year ago about Larranaga’s relationship with apparel company Adidas.
Larranaga has said he did nothing wrong, and all signs point to the Miami program being in the clear in the case. James noted more trials are scheduled next year.
“We’re going to continue to monitor everything,” James said. “I believe we’re in a good spot, but I believed we were going to be in a good spot all along. I believe in what Jim and our staff are doing, and I’m confident they’re doing things the right way. Until someone shows me something else, I’m going to believe we’re operating within the guidelines established by the NCAA and that we’re led by a man with great integrity.”
Larranaga declined to comment beyond what James said.
“He’s my boss, so I agree with him,” said Larranaga, with a grin.
The top guard in the class of 2019 halved his list of potential landings spots, with North Carolina, Miami, Georgetown, Wake Forest, Oregon and Notre Dame making the cut.
“I’d like to thank all the coaches that have recruited me,” Anthony announced via social media, “but after talking to my family we have decided these will be my top 6 schools.”
I’d like to thank all the coaches that have recruited me but after talking to my family we have decided these will be my top 6 schools👀 where do y’all think I should go? #FINAL6pic.twitter.com/amf4eWwRuW
The headline here is that Anthony eliminated two of the heaviest hitters on the recruiting trail – Kentucky and Duke – from consideration. The Wildcats and Blue Devils will undoubtedly have two of the best recruiting classes in the country come next spring, but it won’t include the son of former NBA player Greg Anthony.
Also not making this round of cuts was Louisville, Pitt, Villanova and Kansas.
None of Anthony’s final six are exactly strangers to success, but it might be notable that, outside of North Carolina, that the five are exactly the bluest bloods. Oregon has Nike (and a recent Final Four), sure, and Georgetown has history and a Hall of Famer at the helm, but Miami, Wake Forest and Notre Dame aren’t reeling in top-five players everyday. Anthony was always going to be a major, game-changing addition to a team, but if he could be an even bigger impact as a rare top recruit at some of those programs.
Anthony is expected to make his decision this spring.
Miami received an important commitment on Wednesday as the Hurricanes landed four-star guard Isaiah Wong. A consensus top-100 player in the Class of 2019, the 6-foot-2 Wong is considered the No. 71 overall prospect in the Rivals national rankings.
More importantly than Wong’s ranking, he’s the first high school prospect to commit to Miami since they were linked in the FBI’s investigation last season. While other programs like Arizona and Louisville have recently started to land quality high school prospects, even in the midst of uncertainty, Miami didn’t land a high school prospect from the Class of 2018.
Wong, Miami’s first commitment since the Class of 2017 from the high school level, gets the Hurricanes back in the mix for top national talent as he should come in and be an immediate contributor. As a taller guard who can defend, handle, pass and score, Wong could be a nice fit alongside a smaller guard in Chris Lykes.
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Five-star guard Cole Anthony announces 12 finalists
For a kid that’s the son of an NBA player (who also is prominently on TV as an analyst) and a top-five recruit, Cole Anthony has kept his recruitment remarkably quiet. Our own Rob Dauster wrote 2,500 words on him earlier this summer, and still had to “read the tea leaves” as to who, exactly, was recruiting the talented guard.
Anthony finally provided some clarity on the situation ahead of his senior year.
Twelve schools made the cut for Anthony, who will now consider Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Louisville, Oregon, Villanova, Wake Forest, Pitt, Georgetown, Notre Dame and Miami as his college destination.
Anthony essentially had his pick of any school in the country, so this list is a trim, but considering the size of it, Anthony is still keeping his options open. Those options basically being all the top programs in the country. And Pitt.
(Sorry, that was mean to the Panthers. Clearly the hiring of Jeff Capel, who spearheaded Duke’s recruiting of recent seasons, is putting them in contention for top-level players.)
Anthony has said previously he’s looking to make a spring decision on where he’ll attend school.
While much of the talk leading into any NBA draft tends to focus on which players will be selected at the top of the board, those second round selections can prove to be valuable as well.
Last year Golden State managed to buy a second-round pick from Chicago, and Jordan Bell would prove to be a solid addition for the NBA champions.
And the season prior the winner of the NBA Rookie of the Year award was Malcolm Brogdon, who after a very good career at Virginia was available for the Milwaukee Bucks to select with the 36th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Who are some players projected to go in the second round Thursday night that could develop into steals?
Below are seven worth keeping in mind.
BRUCE BROWN JR., Miami
Interestingly enough, there are those who believed that Brown could have been a first-round pick had he entered the draft after his freshman season. A preseason second team All-ACC selection, Brown appeared in just 19 games as a left foot injury suffered in January sidelined him for the remainder of the season. While on the court Brown was a key cog in the Hurricane attack, averaging 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Brown’s shooting percentages — 41.5 percent from the field, 26.7 percent from three — weren’t great, but he’s a versatile guard who can be used either on or off the ball. Brown’s also a solid defender, which is something that he’ll need to carry over to the next level if he’s to become a fixture in the NBA.
JEVON CARTER, West Virginia
Speaking of defense, that end of the floor has been a talking point when it comes to Carter throughout his career at West Virginia. Carter racked up steals as his collegiate career progressed, averaging 3.0 per game this past season, and while “Press Virginia” did help with that it wasn’t solely the system that made this possible. Giving maximum effort defensively while also getting the second unit into its offense are keys for backup point guards in the NBA, and it should also help Carter’s case that his three-point shooting improved over the course of his WVU career.
HAMIDOU DIALLO, Kentucky
This spring was the second time in which Diallo went through the pre-draft process, with the first coming on the heels of his being redshirted after joining the Kentucky program in January 2017. Diallo certainly had his struggles offensively during conference play, but John Calipari did not give up on the freshman. Diallo’s a highly athletic guard who, with some time, can develop into a major steal if he lands in the right situation. Diallo does have some work to do when it comes to the consistency of his perimeter shot, but he’s the kind of prospect who can thrive if selected by a team that can afford to be patient with his development.
DEVON HALL, Virginia
Hall is an experienced player who sets up to be a value pick in the mid- to latter portion of the second round. The versatile shooting guard averaged 11.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game as a senior, and he also shot 43.2 percent from three on nearly four attempts per game. Hall shot no better than 37.2 percent from three in any of his three seasons prior, and that number was produced during a junior season in which he attempted 2.5 three-pointers per game. Add in his ability on the defensive end of the floor, and Hall sets up to be a valuable addition to a playoff-caliber team in need of additional perimeter depth.
Allonzo Trier (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
ALLONZO TRIER, Arizona
Despite averaging 18.1 points per game and shooting the ball well at all three levels, the general consensus seems to be that Trier will either go late in the second round or not be selected at all. His defensive numbers (defensive rating of 108.4) may have a lot to do with this, but it’s important to note that Trier wasn’t the only Wildcat to have issues on that end of the floor last season. Given the way in which Trier can shoot the ball, as he made 50.0 percent of his shots from the field and 38.0 percent from three while also shooting better than 86 percent from the foul line, he could prove to be a good pickup for a team that may be looking to add a player who can compete for a roster spot as opposed to going the “draft and stash” route. And if he isn’t selected, Trier shouldn’t have to wait too long before those summer league offers start to roll in.
KEVIN HERVEY, UT-Arlington
The biggest issue for Hervey has been past injuries, as he has suffered torn ACL’s in both of his knees. Hervey injured his right knee prior to his senior year of high school, and he would tear his left ACL during his sophomore season at UTA. It should be noted when it comes to Hervey’s medical situation that in his final two seasons at UTA, he missed a total of just two games so that may not be a major concern. Measured at 6-feet, 7.75-inches tall (with shoes) at last month’s combine, Hervey’s wingspan of 7-feet, 3.5-inches in length was among the longest posted by the power forwards measured. If he can continue to improve as a perimeter shooter, Hervey is a combo forward who should hear his name called Thursday night.
JUSTIN JACKSON, Maryland
Ahead of the 2017-18 season Jackson projected to be a first-round pick. That all changed due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder, which Jackson suffered in August and attempted to play through before ultimately shutting it down in December. As a result Jackson sets up to be a steal for some team due to his ability to play both inside and out. Jackson’s shooting percentages dipped considerably last season, but that was due in large part to the shoulder injury. Jackson was used as a mismatch four during his time at Maryland, but he projects as a three at the NBA level due to his height (6 feet, 6.75 inches tall at the combine). Jackson’s ability to play both inside and out, combined with his slipping down draft boards due to the labrum injury, makes him a player whose value exceeds where he lands in the order.
Losing Graham is a major, major blow for this program, but they had as much talent sitting out this season as any program in college basketball. Cal transfer Moore should be able to step in and handle the point guard duties – if that role isn’t taken over by Dotson – while Dedric Lawson and K.J. Lawson will give Bill Self actual power forwards, something he has been yearning for the last two years. This team is talented, they are old, they are well coached and they have a functional point guard on their roster. There is a lot to like about the Jayhawks heading into the year.
As always, there is quite a bit of turnover on the Kentucky roster. Six key pieces from last year are gone, while the Wildcats bring in yet another loaded recruiting class. I think the combination of incoming backcourt talent and the remaining front court veterans is going to be a fun combination for Kentucky fans to watch, especially when Stanford grad transfer Travis is factored into the mix. The big question for Kentucky is going to be how they can put a team on the floor that can both shoot and play the kind of elite-level defense we all are expecting. Cal has plenty of weapons, and it will be fascinating to see how he decides to deploy them.
3. GONZAGA BULLDOGS
Who’s gone: Silas Melson, Johnathan Williams III
Who do they add: Geno Crandall, Brandon Clarke, Joel Ayayi, Filip Petrušev, Greg Foster Jr.
I’m not fully convinced that I love Perkins as a point guard, but with Norvell and Kispert a year older and Hachimura and Tillie on the front line, the Zags have a chance to be really, really good once again. Throw in the transfer additions of Clarke and Crandall as well as a couple more talented foreigners — Ayayi and Petrušev — and this is just about what you would expect for Gonzaga.
4. DUKE BLUE DEVILS
Who’s gone: Grayson Allen, Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter Jr., Trevon Duval, Gary Trent Jr.
Who do they add: Tre Jones, Cam Reddish, R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson, Joey Baker
Projected starting lineup: Tre Jones, Cam Reddish, R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson, Javin DeLaurier
The Blue Devils are a team that has a lot left to figure out. Bagley, Trent, Duval and Carter are all following Allen out the door to make way for another loaded recruiting class. I’m still torn on how this Duke team — which will likely end up starting four freshmen — will play. That has not always been the path to success, but the talent here is impossible to ignore. There’s a non-zero chance that Barrett, Williamson and Reddish could end up going 1-2-3 in the 2019 NBA Draft. The big question with this group is going to be how well the pieces gel together and whether or not there is enough shooting (and willing defenders) to allow this group to play the way teams like Villanova, Golden State and Boston play. I explain that line of thinking more here.
Who do they add: Jahvon Quinerly, Cole Swider, Brandon Slater, Joe Cremo
Projected starting lineup: Jahvon Quinerly, Phil Booth, Jermaine Samuels, Eric Paschall, Cole Swider
Villanova did not fair well at the NBA early entry deadline, losing four of the top 33 picks in the draft. I’m still willing to ride with the Wildcats, as I think they are more experienced than they will get credit for — Paschall and Booth are fifth-year seniors after all — and because Jay Wright’s teams always have people ready to step in and contribute immediately. Expect a breakout year from Jermaine Samuels, and don’t be surprised when Paschall is an All-American and a first round pick come the end of the season.
6. NEVADA WOLF PACK
Who’s gone: Kendell Stephens, Hallice Cooke, Josh Hall
Who do they add: Tre’Shawn Thurman, Corey Henson, Jazz Johnson, Nisre Zouzoua, Kwame Hymes, Vince Lee, Trey Porter, Jordan Brown
Projected starting lineup: Caleb Martin, Cody Martin, Jordan Caroline, Trey Porter, Jordan Brown
Getting the Martin twins back is massive. Drew’s recovery from a torn achilles is also something that could be a problem, but this was a wildly talented team that came a point away from the Elite Eight despite losing their starting point guard and having their best player (Caleb Martin) deal with a foot injury the last two months of the season, and they basically bring everyone back. This is the best Mountain West team since Kawhi and Jimmer were running roughshod over the league.
7. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Who’s gone: James Daniel III
Who do they add: No one
Projected starting lineup: Lamonte’ Turner, Jordan Bone, Jordan Bowden, Admiral Schofield, Grant Williams
Tennessee won the SEC last season and returns literally everyone from that team outside of Daniel, who came off the bench. Williams was the SEC Player of the Year last year, and Rick Barnes has plenty of perimeter talent and switchable players at his disposal. There are also some young, talented pieces on this roster — Bone, Bowden, Yves Pons, Kyle Alexander — that still have room to develop. I don’t think it’s crazy to think Tennessee could end up making a run at a No. 1 seed.
(Eric Espada/Getty Images)
8. VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Who’s gone: Devon Hall, Isaiah Wilkins, Nigel Johnson
Who do they add: Kody Stattmann, Kihei Clark, Francisco Caffaro
Projected starting lineup: Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, Deandre Hunter, Mamadi Diakite, Jack Salt
I’ll never doubt Virginia again (unless they are a No. 1 seed … kidding!), even when they are losing their best guard and their best defender. Hunter is ready to step up and be the star for this team, and I think Mamadi Diakite will have a chance to be an elite defensive presence. If there is a real concern here, it’s depth, but I trust Tony Bennett will be able to figure something out. Always trust in Tony.
9. NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
Who’s gone: Joel Berry III, Theo Pinson, Jalek Felton
Who do they add: Coby White, Nassir Little, Rechon Black
Projected starting lineup: Coby White, Kenny Williams, Nassir Little, Cam Johnson, Luke Maye
Where you rank UNC in the preseason is going to depend entirely on two things: How good you think their freshmen — White and Little — are going to be, and what kind of development you expect out of Brandon Huffman, Sterling Manley and Garrison Brooks. Will there be a returning player in college basketball this season that is better than Maye?
Auburn will lose Heron, who might have been their best player last season, but return everyone else from a team that won the SEC. Their guards are just so talented, and that was without Purifoy and Doughty. The health of McLemore, who suffered a dreadful ankle injury in February, will be critical, as well as the development of Chuma Okeke. But we saw what Pearl could do with these pieces last season, and that was with the FBI investigation hanging over their head.
11. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS
Who’s gone: No one
Who do they add: Shaun Williams
Projected starting lineup: Kamau Stokes, Barry Brown, Carter Diarra, Xavier Sneed, Dean Wade
This will probably be the highest that you see the Wildcats ranked heading into the season, but I really like this group. They have a crop of tough-minded, playmaking guards that can really get out and defend, and their best player might actually be a guy that the public at-large hasn’t really seen play in Wade. Bruce Weber is going to silence the haters!
Dean Wade (David Becker/Getty Images)
12. VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES
Who’s gone: Devin Wilson, Justin Bibbs
Who do they add: Jon Kabongo, Landers Nolley II, Jarren McAllister
Projected starting lineup: Justin Robinson, Ahmed Hill, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Chris Clarke, Kerry Blackshear
The Hokies bring back seven of their top eight players, but the key for this team is going to be the development of their rising sophomore class: Alexander-Walker, Wabissa Bede, P.J. Horne. We know how good Clarke, Robinson and Blackshear are, but if those three take a step forward we could be looking at a top ten team.
13. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
Who’s gone: Miles Bridges, Jaren Jackson, Ben Carter, Gavin Schilling, Tum Tum Nairn
Who do they add: Foster Loyer, Aaron Henry, Gabe Brown, Marcus Bingham Jr., Thomas Kithier
Projected starting lineup: Cassius Winston, Matt McQuaid, Josh Langford, Nick Ward, Xavier Tillman
I can’t help but look at this roster and see all the same issues that they had this past season, only without their two most talented players. Turnovers. Lack of star power. Some defensive issues. Winston has a chance to be a first-team all-Big Ten player, but Langford and Ward are going to have to live up to their potential. It feels like this group has nice pieces, but that those pieces doesn’t necessarily fit together. That said, who is better? What team is without warts?
14. FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
Who’s gone: Braian Angola, C.J. Walker, Brandon Allen
I really like this group in theory. They have a whole bunch of athletic, switchable wings that can score. Mann, Walker and Kabengele returning was key, as is finding a way to get point guard depth now that C.J. Walker left the program. Getting Cofer back for a fifth-year is enormous.
15. TCU HORNED FROGS
Who’s gone: Kenrich Williams, Vlad Brodziansky, Ahmed Hamdy
Who do they add: Kendric Davis, Kaden Archie, Angus McWilliam, Yuat Alok, Russel Barlow Jr.
Projected starting lineup: Alex Robinson, Jaylen Fisher, Desmond Bane, Kouat Noi, Kevin Samuel
Losing Williams and Brodziansky is going to be a blow, but there are still plenty of pieces. Bane and Noi should be in line for breakout seasons, and Jamie Dixon going small-ball with a two-point guard look should be fun to watch. Will Fisher ever be healthy?
(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
16. UCLA BRUINS
Who’s gone: Aaron Holiday, Thomas Welsh, G.G. Goloman, LiAngelo Ball
Who do they add: Tyger Campbell, Shareef O’Neal, Moses Brown, Kenny Nwuba, David Singleton III, Jules Bernard, Cody Riley, Jalen Hill
Projected starting lineup: Jaylen Hands, Prince Ali, Kris Wilkes, Cody Riley, Moses Brown
This is a make or break year for Steve Alford. With every underclassmen except Aaron Holiday back, meaning that back-to-back top five-ish recruiting classes are on campus. It’s time for the Bruins to put up or shut up, and I think they’ll be right there as a favorite to win the Pac-12 … if they decide they want to play defense.
West Virginia has survived losing program guys in past seasons, but Carter and Miles were responsible for turning West Virginia into Press Virginia. Calling them program guys is a disservice. So we’ll see how this plays out. At this point, we have to trust that Bob Huggins will figure out a way to make it work.
18. OREGON DUCKS
Who’s gone: Elijah Brown, MiKyle McIntosh, Troy Brown
Who do they add: Bol Bol, Louis King, Miles Norris, Will Richardson
Projected starting lineup: Payton Pritchard, Louis King, Paul White, Kenny Wooten, Bol Bol
For my money, Oregon’s season hung on whether or not Brown returned to school, and he’s gone. Bol and King are both potential one-and-done players, and Wooten is an elite defensive prospect, but I’m in a wait and see mode with them. Personally, I’m not on the Bol Bol bandwagon, but I understand why he is, in theory, a high-level prospect. They’re here because of the talent and Dana Altman, and we bought into that.
19. SYRACUSE ORANGE
Who’s gone: Matthew Moyer
Who do they add: Buddy Boeheim, Jalen Carey, Eli Hughes, Robert Braswell
Projected starting lineup: Tyus Battle, Franklin Howard, Oshae Brissett, Marek Dolezaj, Paschal Chukwu
The Orange had no depth and very little perimeter shooting last season, but it looks like that was addressed in the offseason. With Battle and Brissett back in the fold, this Syracuse team has a chance to match watchable offense with one of college basketball’s very best defenses.
20. LSU Tigers
Who’s gone: Duop Reath, Randy Onwuasor, Aaron Epps, Jeremy Combs, Mayan Kiir, Galen Alexander
Who do they add: Naz Reid, Emmitt Williams, Javonte Smart, Darius Days, Kavell Bigby-Williams
LSU is really young. They are also really talented. Waters is so entertaining, and the incoming trio of Smart, Reid and Williams is very good. Effort will be a key, as will their ability to play together, but they have a chance to be really good.
Tyus Battle (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
21. MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
Who’s gone: No one
Who do they add: Reggie Perry, Robert Woodard, Jethro Tshisumpa Mbiya, D.J. Stewart
Projected starting lineup: Lamar Peters, Nick Weatherspoon, Quinndary Weatherspoon, Aric Holman, Abdul Ado
I am not totally sold on Ben Howland getting this thing going at Mississippi State, but this will be his most talented team. The Weatherspoon brothers are both going to be good players, Peters still intrigues some NBA teams and Holman should fill a role. Reggie Perry should be a nice addition and an impact player as well.
22. CLEMSON TIGERS
Who’s gone: Gabe DeVoe, Donte Grantham, Mark Donnal
Who do they add: John Newman III, Hunter Tyson, Trey Jamison, Javan White
Projected starting lineup: Shelton Mitchell, Marcquise Reed, David Skara, Aamir Simms, Elijah Thomas
With Mitchell and Reed back in the fold, plus Elijah Thomas in the paint, this has the makings of another team that will push for a top five seed.
Who do they add: Ignas Brazdeikis, David DeJulius, Brandon Johns, Adrian Nunez, Colin Castleton
Projected starting lineup: Zavier Simpson, Charles Matthews, Jordan Poole, Isaiah Livers, Jon Teske
Losing Wagner and Abdur-Rahkman, the program’s two best offensive weapons, are major blows for a team that struggled to score a season ago. Matthews’ decision to return is key and they will really be able to guard again, but one of their three big wings is going to need to take a major step forward for them offensively.
24. N.C. STATE WOLFPACK
Who’s gone: Omer Yurtseven, Al Freeman, Abdul-Malik Abu, Lennard Freeman, Sam Hunt
Who do they add: C.J. Bryce, Devon Daniels, Blake Harris, Saddiq Bey, Jericole Hellems, Derek Funderburk, Ian Steere, Immanuel Bates
Kevin Keatts is going to miss Yurtseven, because he doesn’t have any size on his roster anymore. He does, however, have half-a-million guards on his roster, and all of them can play. That’s enough for me to bet on Keatts getting it done.
25. MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES
Who’s gone: Andrew Rowsey, Haanif Cheatam, Harry Froling
Who do they add: Ed Morrow, Joseph Chartouny, Joey Hauser, Brendan Bailey
Projected starting lineup: Markus Howard, Joseph Chartouny, Sacar Anim, Sam Hauser, Matt Heldt
Marquette will be the second-best team in the Big East if they figure out how to defense. Howard is an all-american, while the Hauser brothers will provide plenty of offensive firepower. Chartouny’s addition is key, as is Morrow’s. Both are tough, veteran defensive presences.
