Latest news with #BasketballPlayeroftheYear
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC freshman an early first-round pick in USA TODAY Sports' NBA Mock Draft
Will Caleb Wilson be a one-and-done at UNC? Thanks to Hubert Davis reinforcing his roster through the transfer portal and another solid recruiting class, UNC should return to its contending ways in the 2025-2026 college basketball season. North Carolina added necessary height via the portal, highlighted by 7-foot center Henri Veesaar and 6'11" Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson. The Tar Heels also nabbed a starting point guard in Kyan Evans, who comes over from Colorado State, plus a pair of shooting guards in Jonathan Powell and Jaydon Young. UNC's most anticipated roster addition, though, is 5-star freshman power forward Caleb Wilson. A versatile 6'9" standout who can finish thunderous dunks, score from virtually anywhere on the court, defend anyone and rebound with ease, Wilson should start for Hubert from Day One. Yet to play in a college game, Wilson is still garnering plenty of preseason NBA Draft hype. In USA TODAY Sports' way-too-early 2026 NBA Mock Draft, Wilson will be selected sixth overall. Leading the above Mock Draft is former North Carolina target AJ Dybantsa, who ultimately chose to play at BYU. Darryn Peterson (Kansas), Cam Boozer (Duke), former Tar Heel target Nate Ament (Tennessee) and Karim Lopez, a highly-touted Mexican prospect who plays for the New Zealand Breakers. Wilson is a 5-tool player the Tar Heels and their massive fanbase crave, as he averaged 21.7 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, 3.5 blocks and 1.9 steals per game during his senior high school campaign. Wilson led Holy Innocents Episcopal School to a state championship last fall, earned a McDonalds All-American invite and was named Georgia's 2024-2025 Gatorade Boys' Basketball Player of the Year. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
GMA Network
27-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Clint Escamis is CPC Basketball Player of the Year; Carl Berdal, Zam Nolasco take top volleyball honors for NCAA
Mapua University's Clint Escamis was named by the Collegiate Press Corps as its Basketball Player of the Year which will be given on Monday in its annual Awards Night. Escamis, the Season 99 Most Valuable Player, led the Cardinals to its first title since 1991 in NCAA Season 100. By the end of the elimination round, Escamis had averages of 15.44 points, 3.61 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.89 steals per game and was among the league's leaders in scoring, total assists, and steals in the past season. In the finals where the Cardinals swept De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Escamis posted averages of 24.5 points, 4.0 assists and 4.0 steals to be named as Finals MVP. Carl Berdal of Arellano University and Benilde's Zam Nolasco, meanwhile, were named as the Collegiate Press Corps NCAA Men's and Women's Volleyball Players of the Year, respectively. Berdal was named the Finals MVP of the Season 100 men's volleyball tournament as he led the Chiefs to its first title in men's volleyball. The Arellano veteran was among the league's top scorers at 11th place with a total of 255 points, a leader in spiking with 44.19% success rate, and second overall in receiving with an efficiency rate of 56.84%. Nolasco, on the other hand, was crucial in the Lady Blazers' campaign to reach their fourth straight title. The third year middle blocker was 12th overall in scoring with 211 points, and number one in blocking with 0.73 average by set, which earned her a spot in the league's Best Middle Blockers this season. In Game 1 of the finals, Nolasco paced Benilde with 21 points, eight from blocks, as the Lady Blazers eventually won the title. UAAP back-to-back MVP Kacey Dela Rosa of Ateneo de Manila University, meanwhile, was named as the Collegiate Press Corps Women's Basketball Player of the Year, while Bella Belen and Leo Aringo of National University were the top players in UAAP volleyball. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's Former College Team Gets Major Transfer News on Monday
It has been a full season since Caitlin Clark suited up for the Iowa Hawkeyes, but her legacy in Iowa City remains as strong as ever. In their first season without Clark leading the offense, the Hawkeyes still managed to win 23 games, including 10 during Big Ten play. Her influence continues to resonate, especially in recruiting, as young players who watched her rise are now dreaming of making their mark at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Advertisement On Monday, Iowa head coach Jan Jensen shared a major roster update for the upcoming 2025-26 season. "Hawk Fans, we added another great player to our team & you're gonna love watching her play! Plz help me officially welcome @Emyrodriguez21 !" Jensen followed that up with a warm message: "We're so excited to have Emely & her family join us! Thx for being a Hawkeye, Emely! We can't wait until you're here! Let's Goooo!" The newest addition, UCF transfer Emely Rodriguez, is a 6-foot guard from Miami. In high school, she led Central Pointe Academy to an Sunshine Independent Athletic Association state championship. Rodriguez earned the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Girls Basketball Player of the Year honors after averaging an eye-popping 26.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. Advertisement Originally from the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez moved to Miami with her mother to pursue greater basketball opportunities. Rodriguez spent her freshman season at UCF, appearing in 25 games for the Knights. She averaged 26.4 minutes and 11.9 points per game. On Nov. 29, she recorded her first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. In her final appearance with UCF, she played 29 minutes and scored 17 points in a Big 12 Tournament second-round loss to Kansas State. She ended her season on a strong note, scoring in double digits in each of her final four games, including a 21-point performance against Iowa State on Feb. 25. Her impressive debut season earned her a spot on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. Advertisement Related: ESPN's Monica McNutt Makes Strong Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Statement Related: Becky Hammon Makes Career Move/Decision Before New WNBA Season
Miami Herald
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Calvary Christian's Shon Abaev is the Broward 3A-1A Boys' Basketball Player of the Year
Calvary Christian senior forward Shon Abaev had long been considered one of the best high school basketball players in the nation. But a state championship had been missing from his resume. That changed this past season when Abaev stood at the forefront of a return to prominence for the Eagles' program. 'That was huge. It felt good to end my high school career as a state champion,' Abaev said. Abaev capped an outstanding high school career with that title and led the Eagles to an impressive 22-1 record and a No. 5 national ranking by MaxPreps. As such, Abaev is the Miami Herald's Broward County Boys' Basketball Player of the Year for Classes 3A-1A. Led by Abaev, Calvary Christian won its fourth state title overall and first since 2022 after prevailing in a nail-biter, 66-64 in the Class 3A final against The Villages. Abaev then went on to earn McDonald's All-American honors and participated in the recent McDonald's All-American Game, an event which has featured some of the game's greats for decades. Abaev played for the East squad during the contest on April 1 in Brooklyn, which also included Cameron and Cayden Boozer from Columbus and several other top prospects. 'McDonald's was a big-time opportunity for me,' Abaev said. 'A lot of big names have been in that one. I felt blessed to be able to be another one.' Abaev, a 6-7 small forward, is next headed to play for the University of Cincinnati in the fall. He is rated a five-star prospect by multiple evaluators and regarded as one of the best and most polished scorers in this year's class. His work ethic, however, is what his teammates and coaches at Calvary Christian rave about. 'It's a different game in college. The speed and physicality gets tougher and I've got to prepare for that,' Abaev said. 'We played a lot of games with the shot clock at Calvary so that prepares you too. The schedule we played helped too because it's a lot of the guys I'll be playing against. 'I just have to keep focused and not get distracted. Just go over there and win, and help (Cincinnati) make it to March Madness next year.'
Chicago Tribune
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Warren's Jaxson Davis, the 2024-25 News-Sun Boys Basketball Player of the Year, does ‘what star players do'
The bar has been set unusually high for Jaxson Davis since before his first game in a Warren uniform. But over the course of two highly productive seasons, the 6-foot-1 sophomore guard has shown an uncanny ability to block out all of the outside noise. 'I'm just out there playing basketball at the end of the day, so I really don't get rattled,' Davis said. 'I think that comes from playing up when I was younger. I matured quicker than kids my age, and I'm able to control my emotions.' That even-keeled approach belies a fiery competitiveness that has fueled a level of success Warren's program hadn't experienced in nearly 15 years. Davis, the 2024-25 News-Sun Boys Basketball Player of the Year, led the Blue Devils all the way to the Class 4A state championship game earlier this month, surpassing a spectacular freshman season that ended in a supersectional. Davis, whose other accolades include Gatorade player of the year in Illinois and 4A all-state first-team honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, averaged 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.8 steals as Warren (27-11) overcame a choppy regular season to win when it mattered most. The Blue Devils reeled off seven straight victories in February and March before losing to Benet 55-54 in the state final in Champaign on March 15. 'That was probably the most games I've ever lost in a season, but I would say I'm satisfied, especially with what we were able to do in the playoffs,' Davis said. 'We had to fight through a lot and ended up with people in different roles. But my teammates trusted me 100%, and to be able to go on that run is something I won't ever forget.' Among the challenges for Davis and the Blue Devils during the regular season were the absences of his talented teammates in the backcourt, senior Javerion Banks and junior Braylon Walker, who both missed time. That may have made the Blue Devils stronger in the end, but opponents sharpened their focus on Davis even more. 'I didn't get that type of pressure thrown at me last year,' he said. 'It was definitely amped up this year. I was seeing multiple guys coming at me and guys coming off the bench just to guard me. It's definitely a compliment, but it makes it tough out there too.' With Banks and Walker both sidelined, Davis averaged 22.5 points in four games as Warren defended its title at the prestigious Proviso West Holiday Tournament, where he was named the MVP for the second time. He also scored a career-high 38 points against Joliet West on Jan. 11, the same night he reached 1,000 career points. 'I know I'll need to take tough shots,' Davis said. 'That's what star players do. That comes from being in the gym and practicing taking tough shots and then understanding when to take them during games.' But Davis, who has offers from DePaul, Illinois and Northwestern, among others, is far from a one-man show. His scoring average was about the same during his freshman season, but his assists per game increased from 3.6 to 6.1. 'He learned how to pick his spots more this year and when to hang back a little,' Warren coach Zack Ryan said. 'But when it's time to turn it on, he has that sense. He was the one with an assist that was the dagger or the basket that was the dagger. He's always the guy making the play that has an impact on the final outcome.' To make many of those plays, Davis uses his body to shield defenders. He has studied players like New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who led Stevenson to the 2015 4A state title. 'I watch guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson — guards who are a similar size as me — and see how they get shots off by using their bodies,' Davis said. Davis can also affect a game defensively. He illustrated that on the biggest stage when he made seven steals during Warren's 66-49 win over Rich Township in the state semifinals. Davis' AAU teammate Davion Thompson, a Bolingbrook sophomore guard who also was an all-state first-team pick, didn't see anything in that game that he hasn't seen before. 'When you're playing against him, you can't play around with the ball,' Thompson said. 'You have to get straight to the point. He's a pest, and you always have to be watching out for him. 'If he's on the court, his team has a good chance of winning.' That's the ultimate compliment for Davis, who has guided the Blue Devils to 58 wins in his two seasons. 'When there are as many eyes on you as there are on him, every habit has to be good,' Ryan said. 'He's been the foundation of the program since he got here.'
