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Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Playing alongside Shelvin Mack gives 2 former Butler players glimpse of pro futures before TBT
INDIANAPOLIS — What's the best way for former Butler basketball players to prepare for a chance to win $1 million? Play against the 2025-26 Butler Bulldogs. That was the scene Thursday as Butler stars past and present competed in a full-court scrimmage at Hinkle Fieldhouse in preparation for Saturday's opening round of The Basketball Tournament (TBT). TBT is a 64-team tournament split across eight regions. The winning team wins $1 million. The former Butler players will play for All Good Dawgs, led by former NBA players Shelvin Mack and Sean McDermott. All Good Dawgs are seeded third in the Hinkle-hosted Indianapolis regional and will face off against sixth seed Shield 219, a team of Valparaiso players at 2 p.m. TBT: Butler basketball alumni team All Good Dawgs will play at Hinkle Fieldhouse Happy Valley Hoopers (former Penn State players), Boeheim's Army (Syracuse alumni), reigning champion Carmen's Crew (Ohio State alumni) and Elite Nation are the No. 1 seeds in the tournament. "It's a great feeling," Mack said of being back at Hinkle. "I came here a lot as a commentator, but it's a little different getting out there on the court and competing with the guys, having that chemistry and playing The Butler Way, playing a Butler brand of basketball. "It's family. ... A lot of guys play overseas and don't get to come back to games throughout the year, so it's good to come back and have that chemistry and touch base with your family members." Mack and McDermott will be joined by former Bulldogs Andre Screen, Avery Woodson, Bo Hodges, Jalen Thomas, Myles Tate, Ty Groce and Tyler Wideman. Extra players James Justice Jr. (Martin Methodist, Tennessee-Southern) and Martyce Kimbrough (Findlay) are also on the team. Mack served as the general manager in charge of putting the team together. Of the players on the team, only Tate and Screen have not played professionally. Screen has been working out in Indy during the offseason. At 7 foot 1, playing in TBT is a great chance to show off his skill. "I'm still learning (my teammates), but you can tell they're all experienced pros," Screen said. "That's something new for me. Just getting used to that play style and how I can make an impact on the game. It's been a good experience so far." Insider: Butler basketball freshman was 'putting on a show' before he got to campus, shows glimpse of what's next Tate is also hoping to show what he can do on TBT's stage. The 6-0 guard transferred to Appalachian State in 2023 after three seasons at Butler. Tate earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors last season, averaging 16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. "I came back last night, came in the gym and I just remember all of the memories of playing here,' Tate said. 'It's a good feeling with everybody welcoming me back. "I'm just trying to show that I'm a dog and I've always been that. It started in this building right here. Butler gave me a chance, and I'm just trying to put on for Indianapolis, put on for Spartanburg, South Carolina and my family." Playing against the Bulldogs was a challenge for All Good Dawgs. Thad Matta's crew looks to be in mid-season form and that's an encouraging sight for the former Bulldogs.
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
60 days until the Texans' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No. 60?
The Houston Texans are less than 100 days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Los Angeles against the Rams at SoFi Stadium and we're counting down the days until a victory ensues on the west coast. Texans Wire will each day tell you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and pick the player who ensured the number best during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let's take a look at who has won No. 60 since the inaugural season in 2002. Texans players to wear No. 60 No. 60 currently belongs to new center Jake Andrews, who was claimed off waivers this offseason from New England. A former All-Sun Belt star at Troy University, one of the key reasons for adding Andrews was his previous work under offensive line coach Cole Popovich. He's been working with the starters since OTAs began last month and will have a clear advantage over Jarrett Patterson and Juice Scruggs because of his previous work with Popovich. This doesn't mean Andrews will win the starting center job, but he's looked the part through several early drills and might have the best footwork of all the newcomers added this offseason. Time will tell if the offensive line features Andrews working with the starters or serving as one of the better backups against the Los Angeles Rams. Since Andrews is new, he can't be the best player to wear No. 60 for the Texans. Let's look back at who has worn the No. 60 in recent memory to sort out the G.O.A.T. for an offensive lineman. Best Player: Ben Jones While Jones is better known for his time with the Tennessee Titans, he was a part of two playoff rosters and an anchor in the transition from Gary Kubiak to Bill O'Brien. He started 10 games as a rookie and then all 16 games in both 2014 and 2015. The offense live remained one of the stronger parts in 2014 after earning the No. 1 pick, helping Houston finish with a 9-7 record. The following year, Houston returned to the postseason as the AFC South champs. Jones that season only allowed three pressures and two sacks. In the offseason, he left for Nashville. Still, for his four seasons in Houston, he won more games than most linemen, so that has to count for something.
USA Today
17-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Marshall forward Obinna Anochili-Killen: 'I want to bring my length and my versatility'
Marshall forward Obinna Anochili-Killen: 'I want to bring my length and my versatility' Obinna Anochili-Killen capped off a five-year career at Marshall with a sensational graduate season, and the forward wants to keep that momentum going into the 2025 NBA draft. Anochili-Killen was the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year this past season, averaging 14.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 blocks on 54.8% shooting from the field in 32 games. He ranked third in the country in blocked shots (102) and fifth in block percentage (12.7). The 6-foot-8 Nigerian scored in double figures in all but seven games, registering six 20-point outings. He recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocks on Jan. 23 in a win over Georgia State, becoming the 14th player in history to reach that stat line in a game. Anochili-Killen nearly reached a triple-double with blocks on a couple of other occasions, including an 18-point, nine-block, six-rebound performance on Feb. 15. He was the only player in the country to have at least nine blocks in multiple games. The 23-year-old left the program as the all-time leader in blocked shots with 286, surpassing the previous record of 196 by Jannson Williams (2016-21). He finished second in games played (149), eighth in rebounds (792) and 13th in points (1,682). Following the season, Anochili-Killen was invited to compete in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in April, an annual scouting event for the top seniors in the country. He averaged 7.5 points, four blocks and two rebounds in two games. Fittingly, he led all players in blocked shots. The All-Sun Belt second-team honoree measured in with a monstrous 7-foot, 4-inch wingspan in Portsmouth, representing one of the largest differentials among all participants. He also recorded a 2.972-second time in the lane agility test. Anochili-Killen is considered a potential second-round pick this year, thanks to his defensive versatility and ability to score from all over the court. Teams have been intrigued by his length, along with his relentless effort and knack for making hustle plays. He is expected to work out with at least 10 teams before the draft on June 25-26, including the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, among others. He is looking to become the first Marshall player drafted since Hassan Whiteside in 2010. Rookie Wire recently caught up with Anochili-Killen to discuss growing up in Nigeria, his collegiate career at Marshall, preparing for the 2025 NBA draft and more. Note: This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. How has the predraft process gone for you so far? OAK: It has been awesome. I just try to enjoy everything because not a lot of people do this, and I know a lot of people want to be in my position. I want to enjoy it. Probably the hardest part is the travel because some of my workouts have been back-to-back. You just have to take care of your body, hydrate and be focused. When did you know basketball could be a realistic option for you? OAK: When I stepped on the basketball court at a young age, I just fell in love with the game. After that, seeing people consistently leaving for the United States, because there were a couple of guys who were already down at the gym doing good for themselves. That just made me realize that I could change my life for myself and ultimately my family. When I was in Nigeria, I was just hungry. I wanted to come to the United States and work. When I finally came to the United States and I started to see my potential, I picked it up a notch. With the dream of trying to help my family, I took off from there. When you arrived in the United States at 14, it was your first time on an airplane. How surprised would you have been at that point to know that you'd be on the verge of making it to the NBA? OAK: It would have definitely been surprising. The reason why it would have been surprising because I basically went to a place where not a lot of people know where it is. If I went to Chapel Hill or West Virginia, it would have been like, 'Why did you even stay down there?' In my mind, I was envisioning myself in a big city. I didn't envision myself starting my career in a small town. What I would have told my younger self is to be patient. It isn't about the place that you're at; it is about you. It doesn't matter where you're at or the facilities you have, just take whatever you have and make something out of it. What was the most rewarding aspect of your time at Marshall? OAK: My patience and loyalty to the school. That goes a long way. If I were one of those kids who wanted to chase NIL or a bigger school, I don't think I would have had the career that I had. Being patient with my coaches, teammates and the program as a whole paid dividends. With NIL, I had a lot of people throwing money at me and all that, but that wasn't one of my goals. I have an accounting degree, so I know how money works. If you attend another school and they offer you $20,000, you won't have the same relationship with the school. The only thing fans know about you is that you are just about the money. You're going to play one year, and nobody is going to know you. With Marshall, I had a connection with the fans. It doesn't matter if you're at Duke or Kentucky or whatever, the NBA is going to find you if you're good enough. Most of the guys I've been working out with went to Kentucky, Duke or Villanova, and I'm there with them. I just feel like it doesn't matter about the school. What mattered to me was actually working on my game, working on myself and showing people what I could do, and I knew I could do it at Marshall. Could you tell that the fans appreciated that you stayed when you could have left for another program? OAK: 100%! I'm getting calls from fans like, 'Do you need anything?' It isn't only the basketball aspect, but the off-the-court aspect. The fans appreciated me just being there, not leaving for the money and all that. It wasn't even at the end of my career, but from the beginning. I've seen where we had a bad season. In my five years, we've had ups and downs. Two years ago, we had a bad season, and we sold out five times. Tell me a losing team that you've seen do that. It doesn't happen that way. If you come to Marshall University, you're basically family. They don't care if you're losing or winning; they just want to come down and support you. Those things play a huge factor because you know you have people who will support you regardless of where you go or what you do. You became the Marshall all-time shot blocker this past season. What is your mindset on defense? OAK: To make sure every team knows that if you go to the basket, they're looking for me. My mindset is I want them to know that if they're going to the rim or they're around, they're looking for me or I'm on the scouting report: 'You can't just go inside. You have to find him.' I wanted to make sure that, offensively, people are looking for me even if I'm on the ball or off the ball. They're looking to see where I am to try to find a way to take me out of the picture defensively, which isn't going to be possible because I'm all over the place. You nearly had a triple-double with blocks. Did you know you were that close? OAK: Well, no, because my goal in that game was to win because I think that was our second road win, so that was a pretty huge win in the conference. But you know when you're on a roll; I was just on a roll in that game. One thing about blocking shots is that (teams) want to show you that they can score on you, so I took the challenge. I really didn't know I had nine; I probably thought I had maybe six or seven. But that wasn't on my mind. I was just trying to get a win for my team, and if that means getting nine blocks, 10 rebounds or whatever it takes, I'm going to do it. How beneficial is it to have such a long wingspan? OAK: It is huge because I'm a 6-8 guy with a 7-foot wingspan. If you look at other 7-footers, their wingspan is probably going to be 7-1 or 7-2, so I basically look at myself as a 7-footer. That has helped me a lot with getting steals and deflections, and being big defensively. I can cover a lot of ground using my wingspan and my quickness. It is easy for me to create space to block or alter shots. With bigs, it is easy for me to use my quickness. Putting weight on can help me stand my ground against the bigs. That is definitely one of my tools: being versatile. What are you trying to show teams in your workouts? OAK: I'm trying to show these teams that I can switch multiple positions from 1-5. I can be energetic defensively. I try to show them the stuff I can do, which is being energetic and all of that. Most teams already have their 20-point scorers, but most of the teams want to fill in those role players who can help them more. They need guys who can do what (Alex) Caruso is doing right now with OKC, or you can also look at the Pacers. The two teams playing in the NBA Finals have guys who defend and knock down shots. What I want to bring is my length on defense and my versatility. What do you want teams to know about you? OAK: First of all, I'm a hard worker. I try to improve every day. I'm not a guy who stays stagnant; I try to find every little thing to improve on. You can kind of see it from my freshman year to my senior year in college. I just try to work and improve. I'm easy to get along with. I'm coachable. I like people to be honest with me. I want people to tell me what I need to improve on. I'm definitely loyal. I'm the kind of guy who, when stuff gets bad, I don't just leave. I try to figure stuff out because I feel like that is huge in the league: You've got to be patient. I try to work through the process. That is the kind of guy you get from me.
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
North Carolina Football Preview 2025: Tar Heels Season Prediction, Win Total Projection, Top Players
X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN2025 North Carolina PreviewNorth Carolina Offense BreakdownNorth Carolina Defense Breakdown North Carolina Tar Heels Key to the Season Hold up against the the biggest thing for defensive coordinator Steve Belichick to figure out. Stop the run, and everything else should work. Last year's team allowed four yards or more per carry seven times, and lost all four games. It was 6-0 when allowing fewer. North Carolina Tar Heels Key Player Davion Gause, RB Jeanty was the best running back in college football last season, but Omarion Hampton wasn't far off. He did everything for the offense, including working as a top receiver. It's asking way too much for Gause to be Hampton, but he's a talented back who might be one of the ACC's breakout stars if everything works right. North Carolina Tar Heels Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss Top Transfer In: Daniel King, OG Sr.A massive 6-5, 340-pound All-Sun Belt star, he's a great pass blocker for his size who can play anywhere up front but center. A tackle for Troy, he'll likely work as a guard, but as good as he is, he can't replace …Top Transfer Out: Howard Sampson, OT he wasn't the best offensive tackle in the portal, he wasn't far off. The 6-8, 325-pound star pro prospect would've been a great fit for the Tar Heels, but he's now part of the Texas Tech haul of great prospects. North Carolina Tar Heels Key Game TCU, Sept. 1Colorado kicked off the Deion Sanders era in 2023 with a blast of a 45-42 win over TCU. North Carolina is kicking off a high-profile head coach era this year with what should be a blast of a game against TCU. One problem - this TCU team is better than the one that gagged away the loss to Coach Prime.- 2025 North Carolina Schedule Breakdown North Carolina Tar Heels Top 10 Players 1. Thaddeus Dixon, CB Sr.2. Gio Lopez, QB Soph.3. Khmori House, LB Soph.4. Daniel King, OG Sr.5. Kaleb Cost, S Jr.6. Pryce Yates, EDGE Sr.7. William Boone, OT Sr.8. Mikai Gbayor, LB Sr.9. Davion Gause, RB Soph.9. Smith Vilbert, EDGE Sr. North Carolina Tar Heels 2024 Fun Stats - North Carolina Scoring: 1st Quarter 66, 2nd Quarter 116- 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 10-of-19 (53%), North Carolina 13-of-27 (48%)- Rushing Yards Per Attempt: North Carolina 4.8, Opponents 3.9 North Carolina Tar Heels 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen North Carolina has a sneaky-tough schedule, but let's put it this no excuse. The Tar Heels get Clemson at home, they don't play Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, or SMU, and missing Boston College, Pitt, and Virginia Tech isn't the toughest road game, NC State? Syracuse? There's a week off before traveling to Cal, starting a lovely run of four games in five weeks against teams that finished with losing seasons. There are holes and missing parts to the Tar Heels, and it won't all come together quickly, but there's not a game on the slate they can't could drop the date to TCU right away, Clemson is the star of the ACC, and there are landmines, but …There's no excuse with this slate not to push for the first ten-win season since The North Carolina Win Total At … 7.5Likely Wins: at Charlotte, Richmond50/50 Games: at Cal, Duke, at NC State, Stanford, at Syracuse, TCU, at UCF, Virginia, at Wake ForestLikely Losses: Clemson 2025 North Carolina PreviewNorth Carolina Offense BreakdownNorth Carolina Defense Breakdown © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mizzou's New RB Transfer Expected to Make Immediate Impact
Mizzou's New RB Transfer Expected to Make Immediate Impact originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Mizzou's newest addition to the backfield is already turning heads ahead of the 2025 season. Ahmad Hardy, a running back transfer from the University of Louisiana-Monroe, committed to the Tigers last December. He enters Columbia as the highest-graded returning SEC running back for 2025, according to Pro Football Focus. The Mississippi native was one of the most sought-after backs in the transfer portal, receiving interest from SEC programs like Ole Miss and Kentucky. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 6 running back in this year's transfer portal class. Advertisement Ultimately, Hardy said the decision to choose Missouri felt natural. 'I feel like Mizzou was home,' Hardy said. 'They were saying the right stuff, and the coaches and staff, they did their job. And the players, they welcomed me in.' The 5-foot-10, 210-pound back fills a critical need for the Tigers after the departures of Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll, who combined for 1,413 rushing yards in 2024. Their production helped Mizzou to a 10-3 finish and a Music City Bowl win over Iowa. Running back Ahmad Hardy (22) runs the ball against the Auburn Tigers.© Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK Hardy, a sophomore, had a standout freshman season at ULM, rushing for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns on 237 carries, an average of 5.7 yards per carry. Advertisement He earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-Sun Belt honors, topping 100 rushing yards in eight of his 12 games and scoring in all but two. He also caught eight passes for 72 yards, showing his versatility out of the backfield. Perhaps most impressively, Hardy forced 94 missed tackles, the second-most in the nation behind All-American and Heisman contender Ashton Jeanty. Known for his tough, physical running style, Hardy is a natural fit for Missouri's wide-zone offensive scheme—one he already thrived in at ULM. 'We run outside zone like I did at my old school,' Hardy said. 'So I feel like I'm perfecting my craft." Advertisement Hardy is already emerging as one of Mizzou's most intriguing breakout candidates for the fall, and a name fans will want to keep an eye on. Related: Four-Star Sunshine State WR Announces Commitment to Mizzou Related: Missouri Tigers Crack Top 25 of ESPN's Power Index Rankings This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
