Latest news with #FinalFour
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Chaney Johnson inks deal with Cleveland Cavaliers, becomes fourth Tiger to join the NBA
Johnson becomes the fourth member of the Final Four squad to land an NBA deal. Another member of Auburn's Final Four squad has signed an NBA contract. Chaney Johnson, who was known for being a stellar support for Johni Broome during his time at Auburn, has landed a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Johnson signed an "Exhibit 10" deal with the Cavaliers, meaning that Johnson will make the minimum salary on a one-year contract and will have the chance to earn a roster spot during training camp and the NBA Summer League. Johnson started in just five of the 73 games he played in two years at Auburn, but his impact goes greater than his bench role. Johnson averaged 7.0 points during his time in Auburn, shooting 54% with 4.2 boards per contest. He took a giant step forward last season by scoring 9.1 points and securing 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 56% from the field. His energy and production ensured that Auburn never skipped a beat once star forward Johni Broome exited the floor. Johnson joins Johni Broome, Miles Kelly, and Dylan Cardwell by signing NBA deals this week. Broome was drafted in the second round of the NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, while Kelly and Cardwell signed two-way contracts with the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings, respectively. The only downside to Johnson signing with Cleveland, however, is that he misses out on being teammates with former Tiger Isaac Okoro. Okoro was traded Saturday to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Lonzo Ball. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'Which is just unbelievable!' – Cooper Flagg's staggering transformation earns high praise from his personal trainer after major physical milestone
Cooper Flagg. Image via: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Cooper Flagg has been earning widespread praise, and his name has been in the discussion among basketball fans. Now, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft has been in the headlines for a different reason as he has made an incredible physical transformation ahead of his pro debut. While many viewed him as a sure thing in the draft, Flagg and those closest to him never took the moment for granted. Behind the scenes, he's been putting in serious work, and the results are already turning heads, most notably from his longtime personal trainer, Matt MacKenzie. Cooper Flagg is secretly making a stunning physical transformation as Matt MacKenzie showers praise on the new Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg. Image via: Getty Images After a deep run with Duke that ended in the Final Four, Flagg jumped into a two-phase training program in Los Angeles led by MacKenzie. The focus early on was about recovery and rebuilding, and then it shifted to fine-tuning his jump shot or refining his footwork. It. 'We kind of broke the pre-draft process up into two phases… the first couple weeks were focused on just recovery because he had just come off a very long season playing for Duke, and then from there, it was building his body back up. So, Cooper ended up shaving nearly 10% body fat in the time that we were together, which is just unbelievable!' MacKenzie shared. The transformation has been both mental and physical. While most players in Flagg's position would ease up knowing they're the projected top pick, his inner circle says that's never been his mindset. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 15 Prettiest Icons In The History The Noodle Box Undo 'He's just wired differently,' Andy Bedard, Flagg's former club coach, told Bangor Daily News in April. 'In his mind when he's working out, he's not thinking that he's already assumed the number one pick. I think that there's a lot of his game that can continue to improve, and I think he's just focused on doing that.' When Flagg officially declared for the draft, he described his lone college season as 'probably the best year of my life.' MacKenzie called the decision one that Flagg 'didn't take lightly' but had 'been looking forward to for a long time.' Now in Dallas, Flagg's humility has followed him. At his introductory press conference, he told reporters, 'I'm coming in just trying to learn and trying to get better every single day… I'm just trying to come in and be the best that I can be and just win at the highest level.' Of course, Flagg has been hailed as a generational talent, but he knows the NBA will bring a set of new challenges. Bedard pointed out that Flagg will need to adjust to the pace, physicality, and the pressure of being the league's top rookie: 'He's gonna have to move his feet on defense quicker… and understand and quickly adapt to a 24-second shot clock… All the reads in the NBA game, it's just different.' Also Read: Cooper Flagg shares courtside moment with Kyrie Irving for the first time at Dallas Wings vs Indiana Fever game just days after NBA Draft Still, Bedard hopes the rising star from Maine takes a moment to appreciate how far he's come. 'I'm hoping he has a few moments and he knows how many people he's impacted… and that he maybe takes a second and just enjoys this and reflects back on how special this is.' Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
USA Today
15 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Nebraska has highest Directors' Cup finish since 2010
Nebraska athletics capped a strong 2024-2025 year by placing 21st in the Division I Learfield Directors' Cup standings. The Huskers finished the year with 830.50 total points, their best finish since 2010 and just the fourth time in the last 20 years they eclipsed the 800-point mark. Nebraska was one of seven Big Ten teams to finish in the final top 25, joining USC (second), UCLA (fifth), Ohio State (eighth), Michigan (13th), Penn State (16th), and Oregon (18th). For the cup, 19 sports are counted in the final DI standings, with women's soccer, volleyball, and basketball required, along with men's basketball and baseball. The next 14 highest sports for each institution are then scored. For Nebraska, the school posted top-five finishes in four sports, earning a runner-up in wrestling, a Final Four finish in volleyball, a third-place finish in bowling and a fourth-place finish in men's gymnastics. Softball's Super Regional appearance also counted towards a ninth-place finish, giving the Huskers a fifth top-10 finish on the year. Nebraska capped off the spring season by scoring points in softball, baseball (Regionals), men's tennis (NCAA First Round), and both men's (35th) and women's (26th) track and field. Contact/Follow us@CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Auburn's perfect reaction after 76ers draft Johni Broome
The post Auburn's perfect reaction after 76ers draft Johni Broome appeared first on ClutchPoints. On Wednesday, Auburn basketball standout Johni Broome was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers. The second-round pick received special recognition from his alma mater on their X page. Advertisement 'Big time! Johni is heading to the City of Brotherly Love!' Auburn posted. Broome finished his career at Auburn (2022-2025) with numerous accomplishments. Among his honors included being named the SEC Player of the Year, a Sporting News Player of the Year, and earning All-American honors. Broome was also a Karl Malone Award Finalist and was named to the SEC All-Tournament team. This past year, Auburn made it to the Final Four before losing to the eventual champion, the Florida Gators, 79-73. Broome finished the season averaging 18.6 points and 10.8 rebounds. Before attending Auburn, he studied at Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky, from 2020 to 2022. Advertisement He tore his ACL during a practice, which delayed the start of his first season. Eventually, Broome became a nine-time Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week, as well as the OVC Tournament MVP. In the conference title game, he scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in an 86-71 win over Belmont. In his first year, Broome averaged 13.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. What Johni Broome brings from Auburn to the 76ers Additionally, Broome will join VJ Edgecombe on the 76ers. He will also play with veterans Joel Embiid, Kyle Lowry, Paul George, and Andre Drummond. In terms of skills, Broome brings with him the notion of being a complete player. He can score and rebound, has an intense basketball IQ, and is an effective playmaker. Advertisement There are even attempts to draw a comparison between Broome and contemporary players. At the NBA Combine, Broome evoked comparisons to Nikola Jokić despite registering a low vertical jump of 24.5 inches. Jokic had the lowest vertical jump at 17 inches. Among the areas needing improvement include versatility, shooting consistency, and defensive quickness. Related: Kansas basketball's Hunter Dickinson lands with West team after NBA draft Related: Arkansas Razorbacks HC John Calipari's heartfelt reaction to Adou Thiero's NBA journey
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who is Vaughn Karvala? Xavier hosting 4-star, Class of 2026 forward on Wednesday
Xavier men's basketball is looking for its first commit from the Class of 2026 and one of its top targets will be on campus Wednesday, June 25. According to Sam Kayser, Vaughn Karvala will take an official visit to Xavier on Wednesday. Advertisement Karvala began his prep career at Oregon High School in Oregon, Wisconsin before announcing his decision to transfer to Bella Vista College Preparatory in Arizona earlier this month. Tabbed by 247Sports as a four-star recruit, Karvala heads to Scottsdale as a top 10 player in Arizona and a top 20 small forward in the nation in the Class of 2026. He is the No. 62 overall player in the ESPN100 Rankings. Karvala was offered by Xavier in May and recently competed in the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The 6-foot-6 prospect also holds offers from Arizona State, Iowa, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Marquette and Wisconsin. Xavier men's basketball offered Columbus Academy's Jason Singleton (5) earlier this summer. In early-June, Xavier also offered a pair of 2026 in-state recruits in Columbus Academy's Jason Singleton and Margaretta High School standout Julian Washington. Advertisement Washington is currently unranked by 247Sports and holds additional offers from Miami, Akron, Ohio University, Kent State, Indiana State and others. He was a first-team All-Ohio selection last season in Division V. Singleton, whose father helped lead Ohio State to the Final Four in 1999, is tabbed as the No. 5 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026. The 6-foot-4 combo guard was named third-team All-Ohio in Division V. He helped lead Columbus Academy to a 28-1 season that included the program's first trip to the state finals since 1981. Columbus Academy finished as the state runner-up. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is Vaughn Karvala? Xavier hosting 4-star, Class of 2026 forward
