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USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Five things to know about Adou Thiero
The Los Angeles Lakers acquired a potential gem in the 2025 NBA Draft by making a couple of moves on Thursday. They first traded their No. 55 pick and cash to the Chicago Bulls for the No. 45 pick, and they later sent that No. 45 selection for the draft rights to Adou Thiero, who was the No. 36 pick. Thiero is an intriguing prospect who could have plenty of upside. He stands 6-feet-8 and weighs 220 pounds, and he showed a good amount of improvement over his three years of college basketball. He spent his first two years at the University of Kentucky and then transferred to the University of Arkansas for this past season, and he was coached by John Calipari during all three campaigns. There's obviously no guarantee he will pan out, but he seems to be someone who has the tools to become a very useful NBA rotation player. Here are five notable facts about Thiero. He's very athletic Thiero is said to be one of the most athletic players in this year's draft class. At the draft combine, his wingspan was measured at seven feet and his standing reach came in at 8-feet-8.5. While his vertical leap was measured at 41 inches during the 2022 Pro Day, there's a video of him training with Jason Jerome, the director of performance training for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, to reach a 46-inch vertical. He can not only throw down big dunks, both in transition and in a halfcourt setting, but he's also explosive, and those tools help him out on both ends of the floor. He's also a lob threat, which means he could be a good fit alongside Luka Doncic. The Lakers badly need athleticism and speed at the guard and wing positions, and Thiero could help in that regard. Both of his parents were basketball players A look at Thiero's parents reveals where he got at least some of his ability on the hardwood. Both his father and mother played competitive basketball, and in fact, his father also played for Calipari at the University of Memphis back in the mid-2000s. His mother played college basketball at Oklahoma City University and was even taken by the WNBA's Washington Mystics in the third round of the 2006 draft, even though she never played in a regular season or postseason game with them. Both of Thiero's parents are originally from the African nation of Mali. After he was born in Salt Lake City, he spent some time in Mali, starting when he was two months old, before returning to the States at the age of three. He went to Quaker Valley High School in Leetsdale, Pa., which is just minutes outside of Pittsburgh. He gets to the free throw line Thiero attacks the basket relentlessly, but not all players who do so also get to the free throw line frequently. He averaged 15.1 points and 6.5 free throw attempts a game this past season, and his free throw attempt rate of 69.2% is rather high. He does have some work to do at making foul shots — he shot only 68.6% from the charity stripe during the 2024-25 season, although he was at 80% the previous season. During the regular season, the Lakers were fourth in free throw attempts per game. He should feel at home with them in that regard. He has defensive potential One thing L.A. needs is perimeter defenders, and Thiero, at the very least, has the potential to become a good one. His speed, quickness and overall athleticism give him the potential to effectively guard players at multiple positions. He averaged 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks this past season for the Razorbacks. Scouts are concerned about his lack of defensive discipline and about his focus on that end of the floor. But the potential for him to be a serious disruptor in that category is definitely there. He's an underrated rebounder One weakness the Lakers have that doesn't get talked about enough is defensive rebounding, and it got exposed in the first round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Even before Anthony Davis was sent away in the trade that brought them Luka Doncic, they had trouble limiting opponents to one shot. Some of that trouble had to do with their inability to secure rebounds outside of the paint, which falls on their guards and wings. Thiero is a pretty good rebounder on both ends of the floor for a small forward, and he registered 5.8 boards a game during the 2024-25 season.
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Social media reacts to Clemson QB commit Tait Reynolds ranking Top 5 at Elite 11
Clemson defensive end Will Heldt named a transfer who 'could swing' the Tigers' CFP hopes Tait Reynolds made the most of his opportunity on the national stage this week, turning in a strong showing at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles. The four-star Clemson quarterback commit competed against 20 of the nation's top signal-callers in a variety of skill drills and a 7-on-7 competition. By week's end, Reynolds was listed among the top performers at the prestigious event and earned high praise from Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Gorney, who ranked him No. 5 overall among all competitors. 'Reynolds was skilled, reliable and consistent,' Gorney wrote. 'The Clemson commit has a little elongated motion (probably from his baseball background) but he's a big, steady presence in the pocket who was exceptional on deep throws and the seam routes during the Pro Day.' Reynolds held his own in the 7-on-7 portion as well, completing 14 of 19 passes for two touchdowns. Event organizers also named him one of the top overall performers for the week. A rising senior at Queen Creek High School in Arizona, Reynolds is one of two quarterbacks committed to Clemson's 2026 class. Last season, he threw for 2,238 yards and 22 touchdowns with just five interceptions, while rushing for 1,437 yards and 19 more scores—averaging over 10 yards per carry. Reynolds is ranked inside the Top 250 nationally by both Rivals and On3 and considered one of the top 20 quarterbacks in his class. With his size, athleticism, and growing confidence, he continues to raise his national stock heading into his senior year. Here's how social media reacted to the showing. THE 2025 ELITE 11 🎯🏆listed alphabetically. 4⭐️ Clemson commit Tait Reynolds Lot of buzz around #Clemson QB commit Tait Reynolds after he was named one of the top 11 quarterbacks at the @Elite11 FinalsPart of a loaded recruiting class for @ClemsonFB 4⭐️ Clemson commit Tait Reynolds Tait Reynolds has had himself a strong couple of days at the @Elite11 FinalsThe No. 263 prospect in the ESPN 300 is the top QB in Arizona and is committed to play for Clemson @TaitReynoldsQC Good delivery from 4-star Clemson commit Tait Reynolds for the touchdown @TaitReynoldsQCGood week continues for the future Tiger Clemson 4-star QB commit Tait Reynolds hits his WR for the TD🐅Live Updates: I go into Elite 11 blind on purpose, so I don't know the star ratings for these a prospect here, Tait Reynolds. I think he's going to Most high school prospects look like kids, because they are. He looks like he could play Ohio State tomorrow. Elite 11 QB and Queen Creek multi-sport star Tait Reynolds discusses the example his older brothers and dad set for him to has a few siblings behind him as well looking to continue that trend for the family and the Bulldogs.@TaitReynoldsQC @QC_football
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Elite 11: Ranking the top 11 QBs from the week
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – Over three days at the Elite 11, no quarterback absolutely, clearly, 100-percent established himself as the best one at the event. But through a battery of stations on Tuesday night, the all-important Pro Day on Wednesday night and a 7on7 session on Thursday, here is our ranking of the top 11 for the week. MORE ELITE 11: Bentley is best of pro day performances | Ten takeaways from opening night | Tough decision ahead for Bentley RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | ACC programs in the spotlight | Big Ten programs in the spotlight | SEC programs in the spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Key WR storylines | Key TE storylines | Key OL storylines | Key DL storylines | Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State 1. DIA BELL The four-star quarterback from Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage was the best of the best on the first night, not so great during the Pro Day and then came back with a vengeance and had a good 7on7 session. Advertisement Does that make him the top QB? We think so, as when he was good, he was really good. The Texas commit can spin it, the ball comes out beautifully and he can throw accurately to every level. Nothing looked forced when Bell is in the pocket. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS FANS AT 2. HELAMAN CASUGA Casuga has dealt with an injury that sidelined him for a portion of his junior season (after beating IMG Academy, of course) so what his performance was going to be like was uncertain. The Texas A&M commit delivered in a big way during the Pro Day, where his timing with receivers was impeccable, and he spun it with pace as well as anyone at the event. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT 3. KEISEAN HENDERSON The Houston commit is a top-10 prospect and a five-star quarterback but one cannot help but feel he's only tapping his potential and he could have the most upside in the class. His athleticism is off the charts and so is his arm talent as it's burned in my memory the nicest throw of the Pro Day when he ducked pressure, moved right and zipped it on a rope 40 yards downfield to a receiver. Henderson has special qualities that Houston needs badly. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH HOUSTON FANS AT 4. BOWE BENTLEY Bentley really flashed during the Pro Day portion of the Elite 11 as he graded out the highest on our point system and we loved that the Celina, Texas, standout fired each ball and didn't try to place it with zero pace on it just to score points. Advertisement Down to Oklahoma and LSU, Bentley was great throwing from the pocket, escaping pressure and keeping zip on his passes, and hitting receivers in stride. He wasn't exceptional the other two days so he's fourth overall on our list. 5. TAIT REYNOLDS Reynolds was skilled, reliable and consistent. The Clemson commit has a little elongated motion (probably from his baseball background) but he's a big, steady presence in the pocket who was exceptional on deep throws and the seam routes during the Pro Day. He was solid the other two days, if not spectacular. He will head to play for the Tigers and have weapons around him. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT 6. BRYSON BEAVER Beaver was one of the biggest surprises of the Elite 11. The Murrieta (Calif.) Vista Murrieta three-star definitely outplayed his ranking and came in with a ton of confidence. He was another one who zipped the ball and played to win instead of trying to game the system for points. Other than Henderson's dime down the right side of the field, Beaver had the best throw of the night on the same route. He's at Oregon this weekend and the Ducks look strong but his recruitment has been wild in recent weeks. 7. TRAVIS BURGESS There is a tendency to look at the North Carolina commit at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds and think he's going to be too lanky, too gangly and have a really long motion but that wasn't the case at all with the Loganville (Ga.) Grayson standout. Advertisement Burgess was more than solid throughout the entire event and after missing on a deep throw early during the Pro Day was basically perfect on all his deep shots after that. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH UNC FANS AT 8. TERRY WALKER Beaver and Walker were the biggest surprises for us at the Elite 11. The Duke commit is so smooth, the ball pops off his hand and other than just a couple poor throws during the Pro Day, he was really impressive. Walker was exceptional on night one as his tight spirals just looked different than a lot of other quarterbacks and then he backed it up again at the pro day. Most impressive is that he's best at being creative so this structure didn't necessarily suit all his gifts. Advertisement The Blue Devils got a steal. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH DUKE FANS AT 9. FAIZON BRANDON Did Brandon sign, seal and deliver the No. 1 quarterback spot in the 2026 class with his three-day performance at the Elite 11? No. But the Tennessee commit was also very good in numerous spots with the biggest spotlight on him over the event. There's no questioning his arm talent and playmaking ability. But he didn't separate himself like an undoubted No. 1 quarterback has done at this event before. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT 10. JETT THOMALLA Thomalla had a lot on his mind even flying to the Elite 11 and waking up that first morning because that's when he flipped from Iowa State to Alabama. He was a tick slow that first night but really stepped it up during the pro day and beyond as he was exceptionally good throwing receivers open and putting it where only they could catch it. Advertisement One of the toughest throws is to go across the field and throw to the pylon in the front of the end zone and Thomalla aced that one. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ALABAMA FANS AT 11. OSCAR RIOS The more we see Rios – in camp settings, 7on7 settings and now at the Elite 11 – we like his game and how it translates to the next level. The Downey, Calif., four-star QB is down to Arizona and UCLA and Rios plays with a quiet confidence and competitiveness that should carry over well to the college game. Even though he's on the leaner side, Rios is dynamic, the ball pops and he has no problem throttling back and getting it deep.
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oklahoma attempting to get Bowe Bentley on campus for ChampU BBQ per report
Oklahoma attempting to get Bowe Bentley on campus for ChampU BBQ per report The Oklahoma Sooners' 2026 quarterback recruiting took a turn late Thursday night when Jaden O'Neal decommitted from the Sooners. That leaves the Sooners to focus entirely on four-star quarterback Bowe Bentley. In the wake of O'Neal's decommitment, the Sooners are looking to get Bentley back on campus this weekend, according to ESPN's Eli Lederman (formerly of Tulsa World). Bently just completed a strong showing in the Elite 11 finals in California this week. Bentley was the top performer on night two of the Elite 11 finals after completing 18 of 20 passes and looking good in the Pro Day element of the drills. Analysts marveled at his accuracy and ability to throw on the move. It's that athleticism that's made him one of the more highly sought after quarterbacks over the last six months. The four-star quarterback out of Celina, Texas has seen a meteoric rise in the rankings this offseason. In 247Sports rankings back in November, he was considered the No. 296 player in the class. In March, he shot up to No. 75 overall in the class. Now Bentley is down to two schools, the Sooners and the LSU Tigers. According to Lederman, a decision could be coming sooner rather than later. If Oklahoma is able to get Bentley back on campus this weekend for the ChampU BBQ, just two weeks after his official visit at the beginning of June, it would be a significant development in his recruitment. Bowe Bentley Recruiting Profile Vitals Projected Position Quarterback Height 6-foot-1 Weight 200 pounds Hometown Celina, Texas Ratings Site Stars Overall Position State Rivals 4 102 10 15 ESPN 4 261 6 32 247Sports 4 78 7 12 247Sports Composite 4 94 10 14 On3 4 41 5 4 On3 Industry 4 76 7 11 Offers Per 247Sports Oklahoma LSU Arizona Boston College Cal Cincinnati Colorado Duke East Carolina Florida State Georgia Georgia Tech Indiana Kansas State Missouri Ohio State Oklahoma State Texas Tech Tulane UCF USF UTEP UTSA Virginia Tech Wisconsin Appalachian State Arkansas State Colorado State North Texas Sam Houston Social Media Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
USA Today
19-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas commit Dia Bell, Arch Manning's heir apparent, shines at Elite 11, eyes MVP honors
Texas commit Dia Bell, Arch Manning's heir apparent, shines at Elite 11, eyes MVP honors Bell is eyeing elite honors given to Caleb Williams, C.J. Stroud, and Matthew Stafford. What makes Dia Bell a 5-star prospect? @DiaBell3QB1 Accuracy like this 😳 — Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) June 19, 2025 The 2025 Elite 11 Finals conclude Thursday with a 7-on-7 showcase, capping a week of competition for 20 of the nation's top high school quarterbacks. Wednesday's events at Mira Costa High School featured the Panini Accuracy Challenge and the Pro Day drill. Texas Longhorns commit Dia Bell, a five-star prospect from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, impressed in both. Bell showed off his arm strength in the accuracy challenge, hitting targets at all distances with only minor misses due to aim. In the Pro Day drill, which simulates game throws to moving receivers, Bell completed 15 of 20 passes, with most incompletions coming on overthrows. Bell, ranked as On3's No. 10 performer on Day 2. The son of former NBA star Raja Bell was named the MVP of Day 1 and remains in contention for Elite 11 MVP honors as the competition wraps up. The award has previously gone to future NFL quarterbacks such as Caleb Williams, C.J. Stroud, and Matthew Stafford. Bell is the 12th Texas commit to participate in the Elite 11 Finals since its inception in 1999. Off the field, Bell has emerged as a vocal recruiter for Texas, hinting this week that another major commitment could be on the way for the Longhorns' 2026 class. Bell, ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 cycle by On3, passed for 2,597 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior before a playoff injury ended his season. Despite continued interest from top programs like Georgia and Alabama, Bell has remained firm in his Texas commitment. Texas 5-star QB commit Dia Bell finds the end zone again👀 Live Updates: — On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 19, 2025 Follow us on X/Twitter at @LonghornsWire.
