Thursday, June 30, 2022

News On The Horizon 6/30/2022


Patrick Baldwin Jr. is excited about landing with the Golden State Warriors. But first he wants to get fully healthy.--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Rechlicz Adds Anna DeForge to Staff--mkepanthers.com



The 2022 Nassau Championship - Bracket Reveal--The Bracketeer

2022 Matchups

The 2022 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship will include San Jose State, Missouri State, North Texas, Ball State, UNC Wilmington, Vermont, Long Beach State, and Oakland. They will spend Thanksgiving Week in the Bahamas in what is being announced as the largest College Basketball Event in 2022 featuring 20 schools in total. Baha Mar is also hosting an eight-team Women’s event (Pink Flamingo Championship) and the four-team Bahamas Championship featuring Oklahoma State, UCF, Santa Clara, and DePaul. The 2022 Tournament is set for Friday through Sunday, November 25-27.

OAKLAND vs. LONG BEACH STATE (8PM ET) - LBSU might be my sleeper pick to win this event. You heard that correctly. A team that was as hot as anybody last year in the second half of the season, surprised many by winning the Big West regular-season championship. This season they have added Marcus Tsohonis (via VCU and Washington) to a core that includes Joel Murray, Jadon Jones, and Aboubacar Traore. Great roster on paper. Oakland Head Coach Greg Kampe is no stranger to great mid-major players. He has Rocket Watts, Keaton Harvey, and Lorne Bowman all coming in this season! Jalen Moore and Trey Townsend are also back in the fold for the Golden Grizzlies. This nightcap promises to be a fantastic matchup. Let’s also not forget that Oakland won the 2021 Gulf Coast Showcase, which included a quarterfinal round win over Vermont.

BRACKET

2022 Nassau Championship Schedule and Bracket

OAKLAND TO TAKE PART IN 2022 BAHA MAR HOOPS NASSAU CHAMPIONSHIP--goldengrizzlies.com

Saturday, June 25, 2022

News On The Horizon 6/25/2022


Steve Payne joins Cleveland State Men’s Basketball Staff as Special Assistant to the HC--csuvikings.prestosports.com



Women’s Basketball Adds Myonna Hooper--detroittitans.com



NBA Draft 2022: Draft grades for all 1st round pick selections--Busting Brackets

28. Golden State Warriors – F Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee Panthers) – Draft Grade: A

The reigning NBA champs have the luxury of taking a big swing on a prospect at this point in the draft and what bigger risk than the 6’9 forward and former five-star prospect? Baldwin would be going from a bad team and environment to one of the golden standard organizations in all of sports in Golden State. Baldwin would benefit from playing with the splash brothers and gives the Warriors a stretch forward to work with. It could become the next great draft pick for the team.

NBA Draft Scouting Report: Patrick Baldwin Jr.--Mid-Major Madness
Instant grades for every 2022 NBA Draft first round pick--SB Nation

28. Golden State Warriors - Patrick Baldwin Jr., F, Milwaukee

Grade: A

This is the best possible landing spot for Baldwin. The 6’10 forward was projected to be a top-10 pick coming into the year before enduring one of the most trying freshmen seasons by a highly-touted recruit in recent memory. Baldwin hurt his ankle early in his senior year of high school, and it lingered into his freshman year, limiting him to only 11 games. Baldwin had an offer from Duke but chose to play for his father at Milwaukee instead. The poor team context hurt him all season when he was on the court. If you throw out the freshman year, there’s a lot to like about Baldwin. He has major size with a 9’2 standing reach, and had a reputation as a knockdown shooter at the high school level. Baldwin is no sure thing because of his injury issues and his lack of athleticism, but his size, shooting, and blue chip pedigree is appealing at this point in the draft. Read my feature on Baldwin’s rise and fall as a top draft prospect here.

NBA Draft results 2022: Pick-by-pick tracker for every selection--SB Nation

28. Golden State Warriors - Patrick Baldwin Jr., F, Milwaukee

A well below-average athlete, though, Baldwin will need to rely on his length to be effective defensively. However, even if he’s a defensive liability, his scoring potential is good enough to still be an effective role player. With that said, it puts even more pressure on him proving that his ugly shooting numbers at Milwaukee were an aberration.

It’s unlikely to expect Golden State head coach Steve Kerr to integrate Baldwin into the rotation anytime soon. However, that should give him even more time to refine his game with the Warriors developmental coaches, possibly seeing extensive playing time in G-League, and avoid the high-pressure circumstances that generally comes with a first-round pick. — Marc Delucchi, Golden State of Mind

2022 NBA Draft Recap: 7 former mid-major players drafted in 1st round--Mid-Major Madness

Round One:

28. Golden State Warriors - Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee)

The 2022 NBA Champions selected Milwaukee product and former top-five prospect Patrick Baldwin Jr. who missed most of the 2021-22 season with a reaggravated ankle injury. While his health has been the main question, the Warriors see a long-term project in Baldwin with tons of potential and if given the time to heal and develop properly will pay dividends a few years down the line.

The champion Golden State Warriors take a chance on UW-Milwaukee's Patrick Baldwin Jr. with No. 28 pick in the NBA draft--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Patrick Baldwin Jr. Selected By Golden State in NBA Draft--mkepanthers.com



Norse MBB sign final player of 2022 class, add 6-3 Georgia all-state guard Alahn Sumler to backcourt mix--HoriZone Roundtable



CAIN SIGNS CONTRACT WITH MIAMI HEAT, EARNS SHOT AT NBA SUMMER LEAGUE--goldengrizzlies.com



Archdeacon: Not your Average Joe Joe Thomasson, his fiance LaDresha and their 7 month old son Jesiah at UD Arena on Wednesday. Tom Archdeacon photo--Dayton Daily News



Once AAU teammates, 4 former WV HS stars back together at YSU--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle

Sunday, June 19, 2022

News On The Horizon 6/19/2022


Geraci heads upstate and down south--HoriZone Roundtable



NBA mock draft 2022: Newest projection for each pick’s best and most likely selection--SB Nation

20. San Antonio Spurs

Why Patrick Baldwin Jr. is the best pick on the board: Baldwin was considered a top-five overall recruit entering college because of his size (6’10) and knockdown shooting ability. He chose to play for his father at Milwaukee instead of taking an offer from Duke, and had a disastrous freshman year thanks to a lingering ankle injury and poor team context around him. Baldwin still has the size and shooting projection to be a natural fit in the league if he can stay healthy. He’s certainly a risky pick given his lack of durability and underwhelming production in a mid-major conference, but a team like San Antonio with four top-38 picks is in a perfect spot to roll the dice on him.

22. Memphis Grizzlies

Why Patrick Baldwin Jr. is the most likely pick on the board: The Grizzlies traded up to select a tall wing with outside shooting ability last year with Ziaire Williams. Baldwin is even taller with a better shooting projection. Baldwin’s rough freshman year makes him a better bet for a team with multiple first round picks, which Memphis has. It isn’t often you can get someone who was supposed to be a top-10 pick at the start of the year this late in the draft.

2022 NBA Draft mailbag: Christian Braun, Patrick Baldwin and more--Heat Check CBB

Patrick Baldwin’s draft stock

Not by any stretch. I do think there’s a good chance he goes in the first round because someone will gamble on his talent. Remember, he was a top-10 prospect coming into the season and dealt with injury most of the year — but he had a few extremely productive games when healthy, averaging 17.4 points and 8.2 rebounds through Milwaukee’s first five games.

There are three teams with multiple first round picks — the Grizzlies, Spurs and Thunder — that have a history of both drafting players with a high basketball IQ (like Baldwin) and swinging on upside, placing trust in their player development. I would not be surprised if one of those teams selected him in the 20s, but there’s no guarantee.

2022 NBA Draft: Five sleepers who could be this year’s biggest steals--Heat Check CBB

Patrick Baldwin Jr., SF/PF, Milwaukee

6-foot-9, 220 lbs.12.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 34.4 FG%, 26.6 3P%
Draft Projection: Late 1st Round/Early-Mid 2nd Round

Baldwin’s stock has dropped significantly since the start of the season when he was a projected top-10 pick. Poor play against lesser competition with Milwaukee has played into his slide along with poor athletic testing — his 26.5-inch vertical is one of the worst in combine history.

Those factors, coupled with his injury history, may cause him to fall out of the first round entirely. However, he’s going to become a real value at his current draft position.

Baldwin’s skill set still intrigues many NBA teams. He has a reputation as a knockdown shooter at 6-foot-9, and he regained that reputation during individual workouts after a poor shooting season with the Panthers. He also has a tremendously high basketball IQ with good passing skill and the ability the handle the ball — though no one is going to confuse him for a point guard.

Not much will change about Baldwin’s athletic profile in the NBA and he likely won’t be anything more than an average rebounder. Those are true negatives to his game. But chatter about his lack of production is truly overblown.

In the first three games of the season — when Baldwin was the most healthy — he averaged 17.7 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. He then suffered an ankle injury in Milwaukee’s next outing and missed three more games before turning it around against Robert Morris, posting a career-high 26 points and seven rebounds. Baldwin did struggle shooting in their next matchup against Colorado before being re-injured against Rhode Island. He played in four games and wasn’t the same.

So, in the five games when Baldwin was healthy, he averaged 18.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. I think we’re still looking at Baldwin as a lottery pick if those were his numbers for the entire season.

It’s fair to say that the Sussex native won’t be a franchise cornerstone. At the same time, his high level of offensive skill and 3-point shooting ability should allow him to carve out a solid role in the NBA.

Not everyone can be a superstar and it’s clear Baldwin won’t be that. But not everyone can be a reliable secondary scorer, either, and Baldwin still has the tools to develop into that type of player, providing immense value at his projected draft range.



Youngstown State men’s basketball to visit Notre Dame--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Sixth-year senior Garrett Covington discusses rehabbing Achilles, decision to return to YSU--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle

‘I can definitely count on him’--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

News On The Horizon 6/8/2022


Dylan Arnett signs with Men’s Basketball for 2022-23 campaign--csuvikings.prestosports.com



Men's Basketball Adds Jack Rose to 2022-23 Roster--greenbayphoenix.com



JAGUARS ROUND OUT SIGNING CLASS WITH LOCAL SWINGMAN--iupuijags.com

JOHNNY MONTELLO JOINS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACHING STAFF--iupuijags.com
KORTNEY DUNBAR NAMED WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ASSISTANT COACH--iupuijags.com



Milwaukee G Patrick Baldwin Jr.’s Path to the NBA Draft--Watch Stadium



@NKUNorseMBB adds 6-3 guard Alahn Sumler--nkunorse.com



SHANNON HIRED AS DIRECTOR OF MEN'S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS--goldengrizzlies.com
ROCKET WATTS JOINS MEN'S BASKETBALL ROSTER--goldengrizzlies.com



Robert Morris Basketball: Enoch Cheeks set to be breakout star in 2022-23--Busting Brackets
Robert Morris to begin home-and-home series with Marshall--Colonial Sports Network



The top transfer portal commits and their fits: Malachi Smith bolsters Gonzaga backcourt--The Athletic

33. Tanner Holden | 6-6 wing | junior | Transferred from Wright State to Ohio State

The Scout: Holden was among the most productive scorers to enter the portal, having averaged 20 points per game in the Horizon League this year on his way to his second-straight Horizon League first-team All-League honors. He carried Wright State to the NCAA Tournament, where he put up an awesome 37-point performance against Bryant that led Wright State to a First Four win. Holden is a foul magnet, a guy who constantly attacks, plays well off of two feet, absorbs contact, and either finishes or gets to the line. He also moves well off the ball and finds points off of cuts, scoring more points off of cuts — per Synergy — than any wing in the country, largely playing off of Grant Basile post-ups and motion offense back-cuts. Holden is a reluctant shooter who won’t have the ball as much at a high-major stop. But he should be a high-major starter next year due to his age, experience, basketball IQ, and well-rounded game.

The Fit: Under Chris Holtmann, the Buckeyes have tended to really feature their best players with a lot of usage. Will Holden be that, or more of just a starter? It probably depends on who else the staff can bring in. Holden moves really well off the ball and knows how to create shots that way, which is something Ohio State hasn’t really had over the last few years given how ball dominant players like E.J. Liddell, Malaki Branham, and Duane Washington were. But in order to take best advantage of that in the Big Ten, given the size and length that most teams have on the interior, Holden is going to have to work to consistently extend his range beyond the 3-point line. Being a driver and cutter toward the rim is a bit tougher when going against 7-foot giants in the Big Ten. Holden hit 41 percent of his catch-and-shoot jumpers last year, per Synergy, so hopefully for Ohio State he can up his volume on those to round out his offensive game.

Monday, June 6, 2022

News On The Horizon 6/6/2022


JAGUARS INK GRADUATE TRANSFER FOR 2022-2023 SEASON--iupuijags.com



2022 NBA Mock Draft: Post-withdrawal deadline projections--Heat Check CBB

30) Oklahoma City Thunder (via Suns)

Patrick Baldwin Jr., SF/PF, Milwaukee – 6-foot-9, 220 lbs.
12.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 34.4 FG%, 26.6 3P%

Baldwin, a top-10 recruit in the 2021 recruiting class, had a disappointing freshman season at Milwaukee largely due to an ankle injury. When he was healthy at the very start of the season, though, he played at the level of a top-10 prospect. With so many picks this year and in the future, Oklahoma City can gamble on the long-term upside because of Baldwin’s versatility, shooting ability and high basketball IQ.



Gulf Coast Showcase part of 2022 Northern Kentucky Norse basketball schedule, per report--Cincinnati Enquirer



ALEXIS JOHNSON SET TO JOIN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROSTER--goldengrizzlies.com



Former Davidson Forward Chris Ford Commits to Robert Morris to round out 2022 Recruiting Class--Colonial Sports Network
Robert Morris to Take on Dayton in Non-Conference Action--Colonial Sports Network