Primarily a collection of news links about all 11 Horizon League teams on a daily basis, culled from online newspapers, school athletic websites, the conference website, and school newspapers, plus some other content from time to time.
Our returning core, led by three-time NBA champions Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, two-time champion and nine-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, two-time champions Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole and NBA champion and fan-favorite Chris “Birdman” Andersen have once again shown their commitment to winning by doing what is necessary for the benefit of the team.
Travis Bader, Billy Baron, Karvel Anderson... we lost some potent threats from beyond the three point arc this offseason. With some legendary shooters gone who will step up in there place this season?
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Anton Wilson, Detroit: Wilson still has two years to refine his game but he became a real threat in the Horizon League last year shooting over 40% from three. Consistency is the key for the junior this year. Last year he had 10 double-digit scoring games but only three of those were in conference play.
The first will be called the MGM Grand Main Event. It features eight teams, will be played on Nov. 24th and 26th, the Monday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week; essentially, it runs concurrently with the Maui Invitational. The Main Event will be a pair of four team tournaments, with the Heavyweight bracket including Auburn, Oklahoma State, Oregon State and Tulsa and the Middleweight bracket featuring Louisiana, Milwaukee, Oral Roberts and a final team that will soon be announced.
The Main Event will feature Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Auburn and Tulsa in a "heavyweight" bracket, and a "middleweight" bracket will pit Louisiana, Milwaukee, Oral Roberts and one more TBD club. Specific pairings for the mini tournament will be announced on Aug. 5, and similar to how the Maui Invitational has games among teams in its bigger field played prior to the ones on the island, these teams will do the same.
Beyond the starters and veterans off the bench, which includes former Pacers standout Danny Granger, the Heat will feature a hopeful core of developing players. Point guard Norris Cole, who can’t seem to shake trade rumors, is looking to take the leap from solid backup to starter. Behind Cole is 2014 first-round draft pick Shabazz Napier, who starred for four years at the University of Connecticut. Napier signed his rookie contract with the Heat on Friday evening.
Norris Cole: At one point, it appeared Cole was poised to grab the starting spot. His third year in the league was full of inconsistency. He has struggled on the perimeter and hasn't become the playmaker the Heat envisioned. Still, Cole will always fit into the Miami system because of strong defensive skills.
There was a lot more movement to the Kings’ offense in summer league. Isolation plays did not dominate halfcourt sets, and the ball moved well for long stretches.
A lot of that had to do with not having a wing player like Rudy Gay or a post presence like DeMarcus Cousins, as the Kings will have in the regular season.
Motion will be key in keeping players like Ray McCallum and McLemore involved in the regular season. Derrick Williams and McCallum also will benefit if the ball and bodies move rather than having players stare at Cousins and Gay when they have the ball.
Comment From KINGS FAN
Hi JJ. What was the main take-away out of Kings in summer league? What do we know about the team we didn't know before?
12:08
Jason Jones:
That Ben is better, but still has a ways to go to live up to the hype of what the Kings thought of him when he was drafted. They said he was their No. 1 player overall in 2013 and if that's the case, he needs to be a 15-18 ppg scorer next season. Stauskas will be a contributor, McCallum will be fine, too. Not sure on Derrick Williams yet. He had one good game before leaving summer league. Team still wants a lot from him, and he knows that.
Corey Petros, Oakland: Last year Corey Petros was on our watchlist and he didn't disappoint. All of his numbers went up, including assists, and he finished the year averaging 13.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. It'll be interesting to see how he plays in year two of the Horizon League now that he'll be the focal point of the Grizzlies offense with Travis Bader and others gone.
5. Keifer Sykes, Green Bay: The Phoenix were the mid-major snub from last season's NCAA tournament after posting a solid résumé that included a win against Virginia. It was a shame because Sykes has the potential to become a breakout star. At 5-11, Sykes makes up for his size with speed and high-flying athleticism. The reigning Horizon League Player of the Year, who averaged 20.3 points and 4.9 assists, will have to make up for the loss of 7-footer Alec Brown.
Chalmers shot 33.3 percent from the field in the Finals and 14.3 percent from three-point range for an average of 4.4 points per game. If he returns to the Heat, he’s expected to compete with Norris Cole for the starting point-guard position.
Heat draft pick Shabazz Napier, a four-year college player, had a dreadful debut in the Orlando summer league where he shot 27.5 percent from the field and 16 percent from three-point range. His game has improved in the Las Vegas summer league, but it’s clear the Heat will need more from its point-guard position, especially now that James is gone. Chalmers provides the Heat with a veteran point guard familiar with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and his systems. Meanwhile, Norris Cole is a reliable backup ready to take the next step in his career. With James gone, Chalmers will get his chance to become a next-level point guard, and Cole will have the opportunity to take that next step in his career for which he has been waiting.
Among Bosh's returning teammates are Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, who are expected to have their new Heat contracts finalized shortly; Mario Chalmers, who reached agreement on a two-year deal Sunday; and Norris Cole, the lone Heat player under guaranteed contract at the start of free agency. Several other members of the 2013-14 roster also could return.
Beyond those already locked into the Heat's personnel orbit -- a group that also includes returning point guard Norris Cole and intriguing summer-league prospects James Ennis and Justin Hamilton -- a source familiar with the Heat's strategy confirmed that the team will also be positioned with a $2.7 million "space" salary-cap exception for an additional player from the still abundant free-agent pool.
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With Chalmers back under contract, it gives the Heat flexibility with the contract of Cole, who is due $2 million this coming season.
Napier would much rather concentrate on how his situation has changed since being drafted. Before James left, he was originally expected to serve as the backup to guard Norris Cole. All signs pointed toward Mario Chalmers, the starter the past three seasons, leaving via free agency.
Otherwise capped out, the Heat are now expected to add players who fall through the free-agent cracks, as well as youthful prospects, with summer-league players James Ennis and Justin Hamilton included in that group.
The Heat also remain eligible to conduct trades, which could put Norris Cole's $2 million salary into play.
Kings coach Michael Malone didn’t begin summer league expecting to win the title, but you wouldn’t know that by the look on his face following a listless second half in Friday’s 85-69 loss to San Antonio. Even though it’s summer league, the defeat bothered Malone. The Kings were outplayed despite starting five players who could be on their opening-night roster, including three – Ben McLemore, Ray McCallum and Derrick Williams – who started last season.
After that loss, the Kings rebounded to win back-to-back games in the league’s opening round. The summer league tournament starts today.
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McCallum hasn’t shot well (33.3 percent), but he had 12 assists in the Kings’ 89-75 win over NBA D-League Select on Monday.
Keifer Sykes, Green Bay: We might as well put Keifer Sykes on every list we make this preseason because he can do it all. While Sykes isn't huge, he can elevate and he should be a staple once again this year on Horizon League video boards.
Suns second-round draft pick Alec Brownshowed off his calling card — shooting — in the Suns' 93-82 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.
As we make our way through the summer it's always fun to rank the top mid-major players in the country as we look ahead to the 2014-15 season. Last year we told you about Elfrid Payton, Kendrick Perry, and Jason Brickman early on and this year we give you a look at the nation's top returning mid-major point guards.
Keifer Sykes, Green Bay: You're going to hear a lot about this Horizon League point guard throughout the year. Sykes was voted as a Mid-Major Madness 2nd Team All-American in April and is looking to build to a possible NBA career this season. Sykes is always on the court for coach Brian Wardle and last year he posted 20.3 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game.
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Kahlil Felder, Oakland: Like Cameron Payne from Murray State, Kahlil Felder made quite the impression in his first year in the college ranks. The Golden Grizzlies guard averaged nearly 10 points and 4 rebounds, along with 6.4 assists during Oakland's inaugural Horizon League season. It'll be fun to see his maturation over the next three years.
The Heat’s Big 3 — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh — already agreed on frameworks for their contracts with the team, which has given Riley financial parameters to improve the team through free agency, according to multiple sources. Only backup point guard Norris Cole is currently under contract, and Riley has an NBA-record $55 million of salary cap space to build his roster.
James opted out of his contract with the Heat before the June 30 deadline, but it is widely believed he is favoring a return to Miami, where he has advanced to the NBA Finals in four consecutive years and won titles in 2012 and 2013. Bosh, Wade and Haslem also opted out of their contracts, leaving backup guard Norris Cole as the only player currently under contract for the Heat.
With McRoberts and Granger, the Heat now hold the rights to five players for the upcoming season: McRoberts and Granger; returning point guard Norris Cole, who has a guaranteed contract; center Justin Hamilton, who has a contract that becomes partially guaranteed on Aug. 1; and forward James Ennis, with the Heat holding his 2013 draft rights.
The NBA Summer League will kick off here shortly and a slew of former mid-major stars have found their ways onto various rosters across the league.
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Brooklyn Nets (Orlando):
Kyle Casey, Harvard
Michael Jenkins, Winthrop Nick Minnerath, Detroit
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Golden State Warriors (Vegas):
Travis Bader, Oakland
Orlando Johnson, UC Santa Barbara
Walt Lemon, Bradley
Robert Loe, Saint Louis
Davon Usher, Delaware
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Miami Heat (Orlando):
Ivan Aska, Murray State
Jerrelle Benimon, Towson
James Ennis, Long Beach State
Langston Hall, Mercer Eli Holman, Detroit
Miami Heat (Vegas):
James Ennis, Long Beach State
Langston Hall, Mercer Eli Holman, Detroit
Frank Gaines, IPFW
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's
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Orlando Magic (Orlando):
Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga
Cameron Jones, Northern Arizona
Elfrid Payton, Louisiana Kendrick Perry, Youngstown State
Augustine Rubit, South Alabama
Philadelphia 76ers (Orlando):
Travis Bader, Oakland
Ed Daniel, Murray State
Jamelle Hagins, Delaware
Ronald Roberts, St. Joseph's
Capser Ware, Long Beach State
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Phoenix Suns (Vegas):
Taylor Braun, North Dakota State Alec Brown, Green Bay
David Stockton, Gonzaga
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Sacramento Kings (Vegas):
Sim Bhullar, New Mexico State
Ra'Shad James, Iona
Dwayne Jones, St. Joseph's Ray McCallum, Detroit
Jake Odum, Indiana State
Nick Wiggins, Wichita State
The Heat’s Big 3 — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh — already agreed on frameworks for their contracts with the team, which has given Riley financial parameters to improve the team through free agency, according to multiple sources. Only backup point guard Norris Cole is currently under contract, and Riley has an NBA-record $55 million of salary cap space to build his roster.
Additions: SF T.J. Warren (No. 14 pick, North Carolina State), PG Tyler Ennis (No. 18 pick, Syracuse), SG Bogdan Bogdanovic (No. 27 pick, Serbia), C Alec Brown (No. 50 pick, Green Bay).
Analysis: This was the serviceable draft Suns fans should have been expecting if not exactly hoping for. Warren is a very good scorer, one of the draft's best, who should fit in well whether or not the Suns bring back P.J. Tucker. Ennis is the backup point guard they so desperately needed last year. Bogdanovic could contribute right away or stay hidden in Europe for a year or two but seems destined to be a very solid rotation wing. And Brown is a shot-blocker who could gain toughness in the NBA Development League. None of the picks were mistakes. None were reaches. All fit needs.
