Stamp of Approval - Isaac Haney

We are back with another The Basketball Movement Stamp of Approval, this time for Isaac Haney.

For only being a senior at Kickapoo High, Isaac Haney has been tearing up basketball courts for a long time already. His fierce determination to win, willingness to work on his game, and on-and-off court tenacity have earned him The Basketball Movement Stamp of Approval from Rob Yanders.

The former Missouri Class 1 Player of the Year at Dora, Haney is now at class 5 Kickapoo and proving that he belongs. Anyone that has seen him in action, with Yanders Law or otherwise, is not surprised. Now, Haney has officially signed on to become a Missouri State Bear.

“It feels really great,” Haney tells The Basketball Movement about becoming a Bear. “A lot of my life has gone into the game of basketball. I’ve had a lot of people in my life behind me - helping and supporting. I don’t think that it’s the end, it’s definitely far from the end for me, but it did feel like 15 years of my life coming to a point where I could look back and be thankful.”

Asked about what made him gravitate towards MSU hoops, Isaac says that being close allowed him to watch them and get a feel for their style of play. “The location is great for me with my parents living in Springfield now and the rest of my family in West Plains,” Haney says. “Also something I was looking into studying was business - Missouri State has an amazing business department.”

“I’ve been talking with Coach Rob (Yanders) about what the college basketball atmosphere is like and I can see how some of my workouts with him have changed,” Haney says. “He has done an excellent job of preparing me for the transition of that little kid stage of high school basketball to what I have to do to be effective at the next level.”

When asked what will make him a valuable player for MSU, Isaac said that he believed confidence translates to any level of the game of basketball. “Anytime that you have a kid that can step on the floor and bring a calm and confidence to the team that you can win anytime you’re on the floor, I feel like I can translate that anywhere I am.”

“Also, I’ve won at any level I’ve been at,” Haney continues. “Just competing and bringing a competitive edge as soon as I step in the doors is something that I’ll bring to the team.”

That competitive edge is what Isaac considers to be his biggest takeaway from his time at The Basketball Movement. “I found my competitive edge here,” Haney says. “I can attribute a couple of my workouts when I was younger, working out with Anton (Brookshire), we had some competitive workouts - something that tuned my mindset, conversations with Rob that have tuned my mindset, figuring out what it takes to be mentally tough to the point of having a mental edge over other players.”

“I think The Basketball Movement has prepared my mentality just as much as it has prepared my physical basketball game.”

To Coach Rob Yanders and The Basketball Movement trainers, Haney had one simple thing to say: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” He says that Coach Rob likely does not even realize how much of his confidence stems from the work and belief he put into him.

“All the other guys here that may go unnoticed, even guys that have moved on,” Haney continued. “The coaches here bring the energy every single day. Anytime you came in here and maybe didn’t feel like going hard, they made sure that you did. I can honestly say that even if I wanted to cheat myself, the coaches here made sure that I didn’t.”

From the other side, we at The Basketball Movement can confidently say that Isaac Haney would not have cheated himself with or without us watching. He is a tireless worker and someone you certainly want on your side from the opening tip. That is why he has earned our Stamp of Approval.

Good luck to Isaac as he finishes his senior season and eyes new beginnings playing D1 hoops for Missouri State University. We are fortunate to have our name attached to you on your journey.

Stamped.

Approved.

Stamp of Approval - Anton Brookshire

Robert Yanders gives The Basketball Movement Stamp of Approval to Mizzou signee, Anton Brookshire.

The Basketball Movement Stamp of Approval signifies that a player has been tested and proven at our facility and is ready for the next level, whatever that may be for them. For Kickapoo High senior and Yanders Law alumni Anton Brookshire, that means D1 hoops at the University of Missouri.

Brookshire earned his Stamp of Approval with his relentless work ethic over many years, as well as his proven commitment to striving for greatness. The Basketball Movement Writer, Wil Harrington caught up with Brookshire in the midst of a busy senior season.

When asked about officially signing with Mizzou, Brookshire said that it meant a lot for multiple reasons. “Inking with Mizzou meant a lot because I always wanted to go to college first off,” Brookshire says. “Signing with a school that’s in the SEC but also close to home is a big deal to me. Just being able to be close and have family go to games, maintaining my support system; it’s a blessing.”

“The coaching staff there, the facility, everything about it, I fell in love with”

Asked how confident he was about being ready for D1 hoops, Anton’s response was not surprising. “I’m very confident actually,” Brookshire says. “I still have stuff I can work on, but I am super ready to go and have prepared a lot.”

Brookshire will not be headed to Columbia alone as fellow Yanders Law and Kickapoo teammate, Trevon Brazile has signed with the Tigers as well. “It means a lot,” Brookshire says. “Trevon’s a great guy and he works hard. Knowing that he’ll be going to the next level with me is good news.”

Having been around The Basketball Movement since fifth grade, Anton had plenty to say about how the facility and trainers have contributed to his dream of playing college hoops and beyond. “The Basketball Movement has helped me a lot as far as my skill development, gaining publicity, and being around great guys and in a great atmosphere,” Brookshire says.

“The coaching staff is great,” Brookshire continues. “I give them a lot of credit and I appreciate them. Those guys help me and always tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. As far as my Uncle Rob (Yanders), I appreciate him for developing me into the man I am today. Also for just pushing me to be the best I can be.”

The Basketball Movement Stamp of Approval means that Anton is certified not only as a relentlessly hard worker on the court but also as someone who displays our values off the court. His dedication to his craft will undoubtedly serve him well at Mizzou. As he continues his trajectory, it will likely serve him well in the pros as well.

Stamped.

Approved.

College commitments continue despite recruitment difficulty

Many of The Basketball Movement’s standout high school athletes are selecting offers from schools or being heavily recruited.

The Basketball Movement and our affiliate, Yanders Law have been seeing plenty of success in terms of player recruitment, despite difficulties presented by the ongoing pandemic. One of our biggest goals is to elevate players to the next level of play, whatever that may mean to them; getting to play varsity hoops, playing in college, or going pro.

Many high school gym rats of The Basketball Movement have been receiving attention from division 1 teams recently. In addition, quite of few of those young players have been seizing those opportunities and committing to furthering their education and playing ball for the team of their choice.

Whether it is Isaac Haney and Elijah Bridgers going to Missouri State, Desmond Polk committing to SIUe, or Anton Brookshire heading to Mizzou, it has been a busy offseason.

NCAA recruitment has been slowed by restrictions brought on by the covid-19 pandemic. Many of our players have had to lean on their existing body of work, unable to showcase anything new for these coaches.

All credit goes to the players themselves, of course. The determination and hunger to be better is what has propelled them to reach these new goals and hopefully allow them to establish new ones.

That said, you are on thebasketballmovement.com, so we are going to plug ourselves for a minute as well!

It certainly does not hurt during this process to have your name, face, and skillset out there for the basketball world to see. We take media seriously and work hard for those players that work hard for us. During our events and occasionally workouts, we create highlights, hi-res images, and give shoutouts that go a long way in advancing yourself off the court.

So remember, The Basketball Movement is an accessible resource to help propel you in this sport. Reach out to us any time to get started and we will do our best to be a positive part of your journey for however long you will let us.

On another note, if you (or your athlete) frequent The Basketball Movement or play for one of the Yanders Law AAU teams, remember to reach out with any good news regarding recruitment. As you can see on our social sites, we often highlight D1 offers and college commitments for our guys and gals.

If you have any good news, email it to basketballmovement@yahoo or even DM us on our social media.

Congrats to all of our players that are currently enjoying so much success. The best is yet to come!

Desmond Polk commits to SIU Edwardsville

The Basketball Movement gym rat Desmond Polk has committed to SIUE and is ready to take his game to the next level.

It has been a long road for Desmond Polk of Link Year Prep, but the journey has finally led to an NCAA Division 1 commitment. Polk has verbally committed to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He said that Coach Brian Barone seemed to really want him and the team pursued him hard, despite hurdles.

“My recruitment took a hit last summer,” Polk tells The Basketball Movement. “I wasn’t performing and needed to rebuild myself. SIUE stuck with me.” Polk has been working hard and will be looking to let his new team know that they made the right choice by believing in him.

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A post shared by Desmond Polk (@desmondpolk5) on May 8, 2020 at 11:46am PDT

He does not know anyone on his new team yet but is looking forward to hearing how soon he can get on campus to go to work with his new squad.

“Strength is what I’m working on most,” Polk says about what he needs for the next level of play. “Everyone at this level has to get bigger, faster, and stronger. I’m working on ball handling, consistent shooting, and being a downhill, attacking player.”

Desmond has been at the gym at The Basketball Movement quite a bit in preparation for this big move and we couldn’t be happier to be able to help him on his journey.

“Coach Rob (Yanders) has definitely helped my jump shot. My form is now more comfortable and I’m getting better rotation on the ball.” He says that Yanders is also responsible for helping him become a downhill attacker on offense. “He has helped me make sure that I am thinking north/south instead of east/west.”

Polk was a good player when he first came to The Basketball Movement and we are proud to say that he is already much better. SIUE will be pleasantly surprised with the player he is and we will be watching closely as he continues onward and upward in his hoops career. Congratulations on your selection, Desmond, and good luck!

NCAA: Significant change on the horizon for players

With athletes pursuing alternatives to NCAA basketball, the association is finally supporting avenues for players to receive compensation.

At the NCAA’s April meeting, the group reported that they are backing a proposal that would allow players receive payment for the use of their name/likeness, endorsement deals, and social media. There is still much work to be done in establishing the groundwork for this decision, though officials are hopeful that there can be movement by 2021.

Per ESPN’s report on the release: “The NCAA's news release said athletes will be allowed to appear in advertisements and can reference their sport and school, but they would not be able to use school logos or branding in those advertisements.”

Several states, spearheaded by California, have already paved the way for player options such as these. The NCAA is expected to seek the support of Congress to ensure that their decisions supersede state laws as to not have preferential conditions from state to state. This is where the plan could take a while (especially with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic), but hopefully, we will see action soon.

Another important piece will be placing “guardrails” for boosters, to make sure they are not given too much power or the ability to use workarounds through endorsements to bribe athletes to attend certain programs.

This decision by the NCAA comes on the heels of top prospect, Jalen Green announcing that he will be going straight to the G-League instead of pursuing college ball. The G-League is going to establish a new team in LA with Green as the centerpiece, sweetening his deal and becoming a more attractive option for other top prospects going forward.

It is a shame that it took the nation’s top players playing semi-pro or overseas to create action from the NCAA; an action that is arguably 30 years slower than it should be. Either way, it is refreshing to hear that college athletes are nearing a state in which they can be compensated for their substantial amount of labor. The top athletes generate plenty of income, and they are finally going to be able to get a piece of their own pie.

We will continue to monitor this situation and relay any big moves here in as digestible a form as possible. It is exciting that young athletes may be getting a chance to receive compensation for thousands of hours of hard work. Keep checking back for updates!

March Madness cancelled, NBA season on hiatus

It has been a wild few days for hoops, with the threat of coronavirus impacting every level of the sport.

What started as a breakout virus far from home has turned into a national pandemic with coronavirus working its way across the globe. The Basketball Movement does not have anyone on hand that is an expert on infectious disease, but we do know that it appears to be contagious and potentially quite harmful to elderly individuals or those with weakened defenses against such sickness.

So, even though most players would not likely feel the full effects of the virus, many fans are susceptible. This week, an OKC Thunder game was put on hold moments before tipoff after it was discovered that Rudy Gobert of the visiting Utah Jazz tested positive for the illness. It was later discovered that teammate Donovan Mitchell was positive as well.

The NBA acted quickly, not only canceling the remainder of the games that evening but placing the league on a “hiatus” for at least 30 days as they determine the threat of the virus as well as the next steps.

Action of this magnitude by the NBA triggered responses from all other major American sports leagues. The NCAA has not postponed but canceled their national tournaments for both men and women. That’s right - no March Madness for fans in 2020 and no big endings for the many athletes involved.

We have since seen statements of action from the WNBA, NFL, and state high school sporting programs about the next steps. Major League Baseball’s regular season has been pushed back and the NHL, MLS, and XFL have all gone on hiatus as well.

Again, this is largely for the safety of fans and the personnel involved. Large gatherings of people produce a dangerous situation regarding the airborne virus.

Two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert was the first notable athlete in the USA to bring attention to the threat of coronavirus. Ironically, he also brought a difficult lesson as well. Gobert had been jokingly touching microphones during interviews and players/belongings in the locker room ahead of his diagnosis, making light of the virus and potentially contracting/spreading it.

Gobert has since apologized for this, but it does serve as a reminder for us all to be careful. If nothing else, his diagnosis prompted the NBA to take notice, which in turn prompted other sports leagues, theme parks, churches, and more in a country that had been taking the threat lightly. Hopefully, we have all learned our lesson early.

It will be tough without basketball for a little while, but safety and health are paramount. Stay informed and safe, everybody.

March Madness is approaching

A leap year means we have a spare day in February, but even so, March is nearly here and with it comes… Madness.

Hold up... It really is almost March already. As the name signifies, March Madness is one of the biggest times of the year for hoops fans. The NCAA’s big tournament is an annual source of basketball heroics, underdog stories, crushing blows, and darn good basketball.

Many players are looking to make a splash to get noticed by the next level. Some are just happy playing out their final seasons on a big stage. Either way, it is all on display for the fans, so when will you need to have brackets filled out?

For the men, selection Sunday is March 15th. This is when we will see who plays who and which teams on the bubble do or do not make that cut for NCAA March Madness 2020.

From there, you will need to get that bracket filled out so you can earn those precious bragging rights (or not) because the First Four play-in games take place March 17th and 18th in Dayton, Ohio. These games serve as a nice, immediate reminder that none of us really know exactly how this thing is going to shake out.

The first and second rounds begin on March 19th. Games played on this date and the 21st will be held in Albany, St. Louis, Spokane, and Tampa. Games played on the 20th and 22nd will take place in Cleveland, Greensboro, Omaha, and Sacramento.

The Midwest Regional (Indianapolis) and West Regional (Los Angeles) will take place on March 26th and 28th. The South Regional (Houston) and East Regional (New York) will be played on March 27th and 29th. This will conclude the March action and give us the Final Four.

Final Four games will be held in Atlanta and played on April 4th and 6th. ESPN has a breakdown as of February 24th that gives an early estimation of how the bracket will look here.

Women’s dates and locations

Let’s not forget the ladies. The women’s NCAA tournament is just as much of a catalyst for big stories, with yearly upsets, heroics, and more. There are some big names in women’s college basketball this year and it will be exciting to see everyone put to the test.

Selection Monday is March 16th and will be televised on ESPN. Locations for the first and seconds rounds are still to be determined, but they will run from March 20th to March 23rd.

The Dallas Regional and Greenville (South Carolina) Regional games are on March 27th and 29th. Portland Regional and Fort Wayne (Indiana) Regional games are March 28th and 30th. April 3rd and 5th will see the women’s 2020 Final Four games at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

ESPN has an early glimpse of how this bracket may shake out as well, here.

As mentioned, this is always a crazy exciting time for basketball fans. The Basketball Movement will be bringing you the big stories and recaps of how the rounds shake out. Fill out those brackets, stay tuned all March, and embrace the Madness.

NCAA: Basketball power index update

The landscape of men’s college hoops has officially formed. How are things looking so far?

With plenty of games left, we have still seen enough college hoops to have a good idea of which teams are contenders and which still have a way to go. There is no perfect way to rank NCAA teams. Records are not enough, with the strength of opponents varying greatly in addition to other variables.

So, BPI (Basketball Power Index) is not an end-all-be-all system, but it does factor in important aspects. BPI focuses on what to expect from teams going forward, based on their past performances and upcoming schedule. The ranking occurs based on where a team falls compared to an “average” squad.

We don’t have to get into the math - just know that it is a handy tool for assessing top college hoops teams.

As of early Thursday, February sixth, Duke is at the top of the BPI rankings. Mike Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils are 19 and 3 with many of their most difficult matchups already in the rearview. Gonzaga is unsurprisingly near the top at number two. Next are Kansas, Michigan State, Baylor, Lousiville, Arizona, and Dayton.

Michigan State and Arizona do not have poor records, but at 16-7 and 15-6 respectively, they show some of the curious nature of BPI rankings. Losses to top squads and relatively soft schedules going forward propel them to their spots.

Ninth on the list is San Diego State, who deserves plenty of praise for being the last undefeated Division I team left standing at 23-0. West Virginia rounds out the top ten.

The BPI naturally gives favor to traditional power conferences. Plenty of Big 10 and Big East teams make up the next grouping of squads on the list. Again, not a bad overview for analysis, but not a perfect measurement.

The best way to determine the strongest teams in college ball is to see them for yourself. Smaller programs are still made up of excellent players that can upset the big dogs in any given game. Just tune in and see for yourself as the college season gets serious.

For more on NCAA hoops as well as all other levels of the sport, stay tuned right here to The Basketball Movement.

James Wiseman puts NCAA on notice

Potential top NBA pick, James Wiseman walks away from Memphis and the NCAA to prepare for professional hoops.

The NCAA suffered a big blow recently with the departure of one of the top players in the country, James Wiseman. Wiseman was in the midst of a 12 game suspension by the NCAA, who determined that he and his family received $11,500 to help them relocate to Memphis from Penny Hardaway, who went on to become the head coach for Memphis.

Memphis disputed the suspension, which allowed Wiseman to play out three games total before finally hanging it up for a lengthy stretch. With a simple, but effective way to get back, Wiseman stepped away from college hoops.

Already expected to be a one-and-done player, Wiseman is now strictly focused on preparation for the NBA draft. He will likely be a top-five selection, if not number one overall.

Wiseman undoubtedly had reservations about leaving coach Hardaway and his Memphis teammates high and dry. However, he has a lucrative professional career to care about. There is little doubt that Wiseman will go on to make great money in his field, so it is understandable that he would have little interest in producing additional revenue for an organization that is not willing to pay him one penny for doing so.

The NCAA has been issued a wake-up call from a prominent one-and-done player. Zion Williamson was injured last season but came back to play later. How damaged would the NCAA have been had Williamson decided to hang it up? Would the knock on his camaraderie have held him back in the NBA draft? (Answers: very damaged and nah)

Many top draft prospects are playing overseas and likely more will go the way of Wiseman in the future. In the next two years, we will likely see reform, possibly opening up the NBA draft to 18-year-old high school grads once again.

The NCAA must seek out ways to remain relevant in basketball’s changing landscape. Most players are currently less interested in the G-League route or playing overseas than going to college, but that may change in a hurry, especially with the NBA sweetening the G-League deal all the time.

The obvious solution is to provide some compensation for the players that work so hard and generate revenue for their universities and the NCAA. A paid-for college education is great, but it isn’t for everyone and doesn’t allow players to use their skills to put their families in better situations.

(Reminder that this article is written by Wil Harrington and may not reflect all the views of The Basketball Movement!)

The coming years will hopefully see solutions to the NCAA and players’ issues that will benefit all involved, whatever those may be. Either way, The Basketball Movement will be here letting you know what’s up. We wish the best of luck to James Wiseman on his journey. The future is bright!

NCAA: Men's and women's update 11-2019

Several undefeated teams are left standing early in the 2019-20 NCAA hoops season.

Few teams are more than seven games into their 2019-20 NCAA regular seasons, but we still have some teams separating themselves from the field and/or remaining undefeated. For the most part, any pre-season power rankings are holding mostly true, though several top teams have faced “lesser” opponents to this point.

On the men’s side of things, Michigan State was lauded as a popular number one pick. So far so good for the Spartans, who have looked good despite dropping their first game to Kentucky. The Wildcats are 5-1, largely thanks to Ashton Hagans, whose two-way prowess is putting him on the radar as a quality NBA guard.

Duke boasts a 6-0 record, having kicked off their season with a nice win against Kansas. The Jayhawks have picked it up since, winning their next three and playing at an elite level.

Some other noteworthy undefeated teams are Louisville, Oregon, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Ohio State, Maryland, Texas Tech, Arizona, Tennessee, and reigning NCAA champs, Virginia. The Utah State Aggies have been a pleasant surprise, going 7-0 themselves, including a nice win over LSU in the Jamaica classic. The VCU Rams and Auburn Tigers are 5-0 to start the season as well.

Locally, the Missouri State Bears are 3-4, though they have had some tough calls and very close games. They dropped those four games by a combined nine points.

NCAA women’s update

Like things on the men’s side, many of the pre-season speculations is holding true in the early going for the women. Oregon is the team to beat, with Baylor looking strong as they have for the last several years. Stanford, South Carolina, and of course UCONN are off to brilliant starts as well.

Plenty of talent returned from deep tourney runs for the five teams mentioned above. Multiple undefeated teams remain, including six from the ACC - Florida State, Louisville, NC State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina. The Big 12 is sporting six undefeated squads as well: Kansas, Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia, Texas Tech, and the aforementioned Baylor Bears.

The Missouri State Lady Bears are 5-1, with their lone loss coming at the hands of seventh-ranked Oregon State. They will battle major conference opponents for rankings all year long. We’ll be rooting for them!

Stick with us for more NCAA updates, local hoops stuff, and our Around the NBA segment as we track as much basketball movement as possible!

NCAA Rankings - College basketball is nearly back

With NCAA college basketball just over a week away, we dig into the men’s preseason rankings.

We always point out the triviality of preseason rankings, but that doesn’t mean we can’t discuss leading up to the tipoff of NCAA basketball! The first games of the season begin Tuesday, November 5th. No team has been quite as hyped this season as we saw Duke last year with their star freshman that have since departed for the NBA.

However, there is still plenty of buzz as always ahead of another exciting hoops season. It seems to be anyone’s race, at least for now. Vegas odds-makers like Gonzaga, while the AP and others see Michigan State as the favorite, having retained much of the roster that took them to the Final Four a season ago.

The season starts soon, but we are still a long way from March Madness. In the meantime, here are the AP top-25 rankings before seeing these squads in action:

1 - Michigan State

2 - Kentucky

3 - Kansas

4 - Duke

5 - Louisville

6 - Florida

7 - Maryland

8 - Gonzaga

9 - North Carolina

10 - Villanova

11 - Virginia

12 - Seton Hall

13 - Texas Tech

14 - Memphis

15 - Oregon

16 - Baylor

17 - Utah State

18 - Ohio State

19 - Xavier

20 - Saint Mary's (Cal)

21 - Arizona

22 - LSU

23 - Purdue

24 - Auburn

25 - VCU

Again, there is plenty to look forward to this season, and it begins early. The top four above teams will be meeting each other to open things up. November 6th, Michigan St. plays Kentucky and Duke plays Kansas in back-to-back games of the Champions Classic. The games will be played at Madison Square Garden and will be sure to start the season off with a bang.

Reigning champ Virginia is at number 11, having lost multiple starters. Memphis (number 14) will be an exciting team to keep an eye on if you are looking for the next big squad of talented young players.

Are any of the above teams ranked too high? Too low? Let us know here or start the discussion over on our social media pages as we all get pumped for the return of college hoops!

Notable NCAA coaching changes per ESPN.com

ESPN.com has tracked notable NCAA Men’s Basketball coaching changes made so far ahead of the 2019-20 season.

As always, there has been a slew of coaching changes made on the NCAA Men’s Basketball landscape ahead of the season. Unfortunately, coaching is viewed as a bit of a revolving-door occupation. If a school (or organization) deems that a coach isn’t leading in the direction desired for a team, they are often quickly dispatched.

This is true for all levels of the game. ESPN.com has released a list of coaching changes for big schools, which we have placed below. ESPN.com is responsible for all tracking and verbiage you see on this list. You can view the list in its original home, by viewing the page here. All team links remain intact and will also redirect you to ESPN.com pages.

Some highly recognizable names appear on this list, even on the “Out” side of things. A few of those are Avery Johnson (Alabama), John Beilein (Michigan), Chris Mullin (St. Johns), Mike Dunleavy Sr. (Tulane), Steve Alford (UCLA), and former Missouri State Coach Barry Hinson (Southern Illinois).

A few recognizable names taking new jobs: Juwan Howard (Michigan), Fred Hoiberg (Nebraska), Steve Alford (Nevada), and Lyndsey Hunter (Mississippi Valley State).

“Power Conferences”

School: Out / In

Alabama: Avery Johnson / Nate Oats
Arkansas: Mike Anderson / Eric Musselman
California: Wyking Jones / Mark Fox
Cincinnati: Mick Cronin / John Brannen
George Washington: Maurice Joseph / Jamion Christian
Michigan: John Beilein / Juwan Howard
Nebraska: Tim Miles / Fred Hoiberg
Nevada: Eric Musselman / Steve Alford
Saint Joseph's: Phil Martelli / Billy Lange
St. John's: Chris Mullin / Mike Anderson
Temple: Fran Dunphy / Aaron McKie
Texas A&M: Billy Kennedy / Buzz Williams
Tulane: Mike Dunleavy Sr. / Ron Hunter
UCLA: Steve Alford / Mick Cronin
UNLV: Marvin Menzies / T.J. Otzelberger
Vanderbilt: Bryce Drew / Jerry Stackhouse
Virginia Tech: Buzz Williams / Mike Young
Washington State: Ernie Kent / Kyle Smith

“Traditional one-bid” Conferences”

School: Out / In

Appalachian State: Jim Fox / Dustin Kerns
Belmont: Rick Byrd / Casey Alexander
Buffalo: Nate Oats / Jim Whitesell
BYU: Dave Rose / Mark Pope
Cal Poly: Joe Callero / John Smith
Cleveland State: Dennis Felton / Dennis Gates
Elon: Matt Matheny / Mike Schrage
Fairfield: Sydney Johnson / Jay Young
Georgia State: Ron Hunter / Rob Lanier
Holy Cross: Bill Carmody / Brett Nelson
Howard: Kevin Nickelberry / Kenny Blakeney
Idaho: Don Verlin / Zac Claus (interim)
IUPUI: Jason Gardner / Byron Rimm II (interim)
Idaho State: Bill Evans / Ryan Looney
Kennesaw State: Al Skinner / Amir Abdur-Rahim
Lipscomb: Casey Alexander / Lennie Acuff
Maryland-Eastern Shore: Clifford Reed Jr. (interim) / Jason Crafton
Mercer: Bob Hoffman / Greg Gary
Mississippi Valley State: Andre Payne / Lindsey Hunter
Montana State: Brian Fish / Danny Sprinkle
Morgan State: Todd Bozeman / Kevin Broadus
Niagara: Chris Casey / Patrick Beilein
North Dakota: Brian Jones / Paul Sather
Northern Arizona: Jack Murphy / Shane Burcar (interim)
Northern Kentucky: John Brannen / Darrin Horn
Ohio: Saul Phillips / Jeff Boals
Presbyterian: Dustin Kerns / Quinton Farrell
San Francisco: Kyle Smith / Todd Golden
Siena: Jamion Christian / Carmen Maciariello
South Dakota State: T.J. Otzelberger / Eric Henderson
Southeastern Louisiana: Jay Ladner / David Kiefer
Southern Illinois: Barry Hinson / Bryan Mullins
Southern Miss: Doc Sadler / Jay Ladner
SIU-Edwardsville: Jon Harris / Brian Barone
Stetson: Corey Williams / Donnie Jones
Stony Brook: Jeff Boals / Geno Ford
Tennessee Tech: Steve Payne / John Pelphrey
Troy: Phil Cunningham / Scott Cross
UMKC: Kareem Richardson / Billy Donlon
Utah Valley: Mark Pope / Mark Madsen
William & Mary: Tony Shaver / Dane Fischer
Wofford: Mike Young / Jay McAuley

Tonight: The 2019 NBA Draft

The millionth-ish annual NBA Draft begins tonight - Here is what you need to know about the 2019 edition.

Even with the recent conclusion of the 2019 NBA Finals, the Association has remained abuzz with trades, rumors, and talk of the upcoming NBA Draft. For many of us, basketball has been a 365 day-per-year focus for a while now. More and more, the NBA alone is a year-round event.

With trades continuing to roll in, (recently Mike Conely Jr. from Memphis to Utah for Kyle Korver, Grayson Allen, Jae Crowder, this year’s 23rd pick, and another future first-rounder) focus is firmly on the draft. The biggest trade after the season ended sent superstar Anthony Davis to the Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, and three first-round picks, including number four overall tonight. This trade is noteworthy as it greatly affects tonight’s draft.

Lakerland is focused on winning now, as any team boasting LeBron James should be. The New Orleans Pelicans now have young talent to build around, which they will be able to do right away.

New Orleans will likely select consensus top-talent, Zion Williamson of Duke first overall. Now, they get to select another impressive talent to pair with him since they appear to have control of the number four pick technically still owned by the Lakers. The pick is expected to be Jarrett Culver or De’Andre Hunter to pair with Williamson. Darius Garland will be in the mix as well.

The Grizzlies and Knicks pick number two and three, respectively. Those picks are expected to be Ja Morant of Murray State or RJ Barrett out of Duke.

Below is a mock draft example taken directly from ESPN (that was before the AD to LA deal):

These player rankings are speculation and it is wild how close to the moment these teams often change their minds. There is plenty of reason to believe there will be picks traded throughout the night as well, starting with that new number four overall pick.

It will be interesting to see how everything shakes out as so many young men see their dreams come true. 60 players will be selected - not all will go straight to the association, as many will wind up in the G-League, etc. Either way, they are all moving one step closer to the ultimate basketball dream and we wish them the best!

NCAA: Juwan Howard is going back to Michigan

NCAA hoops fans both new and old are familiar with Michigan’s “fab five” from the early 90’s, which included Juwan Howard - now the Wolverine’s Head Coach.

Perhaps one of the most talented NCAA rosters ever, Michigan’s “fab five” team still stands as one of the best remembered squads in college basketball history. The program drew four McDonald’s All Americans back in 1991 and went on to experience plenty of success. You could call them embattled though, as both of their Final Four appearances and many of their wins were expunged due to compromises in amateur status for several players.

The fab five were: Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson, and Juwan Howard.

Jimmy King’s NBA career was brief and Ray Jackson did not go on to play in the association. Chris Webber went on to have a 15-year career in the NBA, though he seemed to spend much of it injured. Despite missing multiple games almost every season, he holds career averages of almost 21 points and 10 boards. He is now an analyst on TNT.

Jalen Rose is also currently an analyst and personality on TV, over at ESPN. Rose was a solid scorer for over a decade in the NBA. Juwan Howard was an NBA journeyman and excellent scorer over his NBA career. He last averaged double-digits with Houston in the 05-06 season, but continued playing as a veteran presence for teams until retiring after the 12-13 season. He was a two-time champion riding the pine with the big 3 era Miami Heat.

For Howard, his days at Michigan are not over yet.

Coaching comeback for Juwan Howard

As we have told you, former Michigan coach, John Beilein has agreed to a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers to become their new head coach. After a stint as an Assistant Coach for the Miami Heat, Juwan Howard is now heading back to Michigan to assume head coaching duties.

Howard will bring a deep knowledge of the game to Michigan, but also a passion that stems from his now ongoing legacy with the school.

This is not the only situation like this going on in the NCAA world. Penny Hardaway is looking to begin his second year as Head Coach for Memphis, where he played two seasons as a player. He had a strong campaign last year and expectations will be high after drawing the nation’s top recruit in James Wiseman.

Patrick Ewing is also coaching at his alma mater in Georgetown. There he will hope that the undeniable star-power of Mac McClung will payoff as they shoot to return to the NCAA Tournament.

For more NCAA, NBA, and prep news and updates, keep checking back with us at The Basketball Movement!

ESPN's NCAA "Way-Too-Early Top 25"

Sports are all about competition, so we like to compare those who were the best, are the best, and will be the best. “Will be” is up for debate.

We are only about a month or two removed from the NCAA Tournament Championship. That said, college basketball fans still need things to chat about, right? Enter the good people over at ESPN, that have compiled a list of which teams will head into the 2019-20 season with the highest expectations.

Not all incoming freshman have committed to their collegiate teams yet, so the list will likely look a bit different by the end of the summer. Many top prospects have committed, so we are finally getting to see lists like this one that are adjusted to account for incoming talent as well as those that have graduated or declared for the NBA Draft.

James Wiseman, who we had the pleasure of covering at the 2019 Tournament of Champions, is the number one incoming prospect in the country. He has helped to get Memphis into the top 25 list below. Though North Carolina lost arguably it’s five best guys, they are still at 12 due to incoming players such as guard, Cole Anthony.

Though they are the reigning champs, Virginia is just at 14 following the loss of three key players to the NBA Draft. The return of Cassius Winston has made Michigan State the consensus number one while Duke is number two despite losing Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish to the draft. Incoming players such as Cassius Stanley will look to keep Duke more than relevant.

Below is the top 25 NCAA rankings for 2019-20 per ESPN:

1. Michigan State

2. Duke

3. Kentucky

4. Villanova

5. Michigan

6. Gonzaga

7. Ohio State

8. Louisville

9. Maryland

10. Kansas

11. Seton Hall

12. North Carolina

13. Arizona

14. Virginia

15. Oregon

16. Texas Tech

17. Washington

18. Memphis

19. Houston

20. Utah State

21. Saint Mary’s

22. Baylor

23. Florida

24. Creighton

25. Tennessee

A couple of bubble teams that retained most of their core are Creighton and Saint Mary’s, which is why they are on this list. Experience goes a long way in the college game. Seton Hall has some big questions around returning players, but Ohio State is coming back strong.

These rankings figure to shift before the season begins, but it is fun to take a look at where schools are slated so early. College basketball fans have to talk about something! For the fans that are also interested in the NBA, high school ball, and just basketball in general, keep checking back here where hoops are always in season!

Ja Morant headlines list of players declared for the 2019 NBA Draft

NCAA underclassmen must declare before April 22nd to be eligible for the 2019 NBA Draft.

If these NCAA players opt to withdraw their declaration and return to college, they have until May 29th to do so. The NBA Draft Combine runs from May 16-20. So, we are still early in the window of declaration, but things are getting real with NCAA March Madness standout, Ja Morant throwing his hat into the ring.

As it stands today, Murray State’s Ja Morant would be projected at or around the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The consensus number one pick is still Duke’s Zion Williamson by a decent margin. Williamson has yet to declare, and his fellow Duke teammates have not either. Don’t worry; they will. Fellow freshman, RJ Barrett is projected to be picked in the top three with Zion and Ja.

Those players that have declared have likely signed with agents. How college students can afford professional agents is an article for another day.

Below is the list of declared players as it stands right now (per Yahoo! Sports):

Tyus Battle, Syracuse

Bol Bol, Oregon

Ky Bowman, Boston College

Daniel Gafford, Arkansas

Darius Garland, Vanderbilt

Dewan Henandez, Miami

Nassir Little, UNC

Jalen McDaniels, San Diego State

Ja Morant, Murray State

Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s

Naz Reid, LSU

Simi Shittu, Vanderbilt

Coby White, UNC

Kris Wilks, UCLA

The same Yahoo! Sports page names the following players as still “Testing the water.” This means that the players have declared to gauge interest, but have likely not gone so far as to hire agents and or go all-in.

Jordan Bone, Tennessee

Oshae Brissett, Syracuse

Charlie Brown, Saint Joseph’s

Amir Coffey, Minnesota

Steve Enoch, Louisville

Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State

Nathan Knight, William & Mary

Sagaba Konate, West Virginia

Jalen LeQue, N.C. State

Jaden Nwora, Louisville

Miye Oni, Yale

Reggie Perry, Mississippi State

Isaiah Reese, Canisius

Derrik Smits, Valparaiso

Jimmy Whitt, SMU

With the likes of ZIon absent from this list, you know that there are many names still on their way. It is still exciting to see players such as Ja Morant, Nassir Little, and Bol Bol already on here. As we near the April 22nd deadline, many of the names you are hearing amidst the March Madness will start to pop up.

You know we will keep you up-to-date if anything big happens leading up to the combine and the 2019 NBA Draft. Remember to follow us on Twitter @BBall_Movement, Instagram, and like us on Facebook to stay in the know!

March Madness: Sweet 16 set to begin for men and women

The Missouri State Lady Bears and Oregon Ducks are the only double-digit seeds left standing for men and women’s Sweet 16 of March Madness.

As natives of Southwest Missouri, the first order of business is to celebrate the Missouri State Lady Bears’ Sweet 16 bid. This is the first appearance at this stage of the tournament for the Bears since the Jackie Stiles days in 2002. To be the top “Cinderella story” at this stage is special not just for the team, but for all Springfield, MO area basketball fans that have been hungry for this kind of success at the national level.

In the same vein, we need to give props also to the Drury Lady Panthers. Drury looked unstoppable all season and made it all the way to the Final Four of the NCAA Division II tourney. They suffered their first loss of the season to Lubbock Christian, but still had an incredible year.

Despite a smattering of upsets, the men’s bracket looks much like how the rankings predicted that it would. The left side of the Sweet 16 bracket has all of the top seeds, 1 through 4 in both quadrants. There were some scares such as Duke’s narrow victory over UCF, but things still shook out predictably.

On the other side, it was almost the same story. The 1, 2, and 3 seeds are still alive in both quadrants. The 4 seeds were the twist, with 5 seed Auburn sliding past Kansas and 12 seed Oregon beating fellow underdog UC Irvine, who knocked off 4 seed Kansas State.

For the women, all four 1 seeds as well as 2 seeds are alive in the Sweet 16 as well. It gets more interesting from there, with Missouri State leading the charge as an 11 seed. Past the Lady Bears, there are just some 5 and 6 seeds making the field interesting.

Coverage begins tonight (2/28) for the men and tomorrow (2/29) for the women. Congratulations to all teams and players for making it to this point. To keep winning through such a grueling and highly scrutinized event is a special accomplishment. Luckily for the viewers it is also one of the most exciting spectacles in all of hoops. Good luck again to the MSU Lady Bears as well! We will all be watching!

March Madness 2019 update

March Madness is half way through the second round of games. Round one featured twelve upsets in two days.

Perhaps the maddest portion of March Madness, the first round features 32 basketball games in a two day stretch. This naturally leads to big moments each year; we see breakout performances, underdog stories begin, and elite teams assert dominance. March Madness 2019 was no different, featuring all of the above.

Perhaps the most impressive individual performance came from Murray State’s Ja Morant, who had the tournament’s first triple double since 2012. Though Murray State upset Marquette as a 12 seed over a 5 seed, this could hardly be considered a breakout game for Morant. He has had the look of a top-3 draft prospect for months.

Murray State did fall back to Earth in round two, losing to Florida State University. We are seeing plenty of the nations top programs plow ahead through the second round such as Kentucky, Michigan, Gonzaga,and Michigan State. Kansas dropped a tough one to a surging Auburn squad, while LSU edged out Maryland. LSU is surprising some doubters after in-season turbulence (death of a player, suspension of their head coach).

Tennessee is underway now against Iowa and are off to a hot start. Other big programs such as Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia tip off this evening.

Villanova will not get to defend their title, losing to Purdue yesterday. All 1 seeds are still alive, but there are many games left to be played. While there have been plenty of upsets, none have been as surprising so far as what we saw last year from UMBC or Loyola. As the Sweet 16 takes shape, that may be subject to change.

Women’s NCAA update

The lady’s bracket only saw five first round upsets to the men’s 12, but still had plenty of exciting games. One of those upsets was the 11 seed Missouri State Lady Bears, who toppled 6 seed DePaul 89 to 78. The Lady Bears play again tomorrow at 8PM Central against Iowa State on ESPN.

A few of the top dogs in this bracket will be tested soon, so there will be plenty of opportunities for more drama. Things have played out as expected so far, so look for change any time now.

UCONN, seeded as a 2 (the lowest they have been in years) plays Buffalo tonight, who had an upset victory in the first round. A chip on the Huskies shoulder could prove dangerous for any team in their way. Will they storm back to the top of the NCAAW world? Or will Lousiville, Baylor, or someone else have their time to shine?

Tune in to find out!

2019 NCAA March Madness is here

Perhaps the most exciting stretch of basketball each year is upon us - NCAA March Madness is set to begin.

Get pumped basketball fans! The 2019 NCAA March Madness tournament bracket has been released. Last year’s tournament delivered generous amounts of madness, so hopefully this year can live up to the hype as well. We may not get another 16 seed toppling a 1 seed, but hey, we can hope to get close right?

Of the 68 teams named to the nation’s top collegiate tourney, 32 are conference champs and the rest were selected by a committee using various algorithms as well as a bit of objectivity per usual. We will get things whittled down to a clean 64 squads after the “First Four” which will be played on March 19 & 20. The first round will begin Thursday March 21st.

The top seeds are ACC heavy: Duke, Gonzaga, Tennessee, and North Carolina. One of the more controversial seedings is that Michigan State is a 2 seed, where many believed they should be a 1. Adding insult to injury, they are in the same bracket as overall 1 seed, Duke. Assuming both teams advance all the way (and assuming is a dangerous game anyway), it would certainly make for an interesting Elite Eight matchup.

To go all the way, you have to beat the top teams anyway, so who can really complain? To be the best, you must beat the best. Michigan St. is set to start the tournament facing Missouri Valley Conference champs, Bradley.

An unfortunate trend over the years with this tourney is that mid-majors are overlooked in favor of middling schools from big conferences. This year’s bracket bucked that trend a bit and we see some smaller universities in the mix. Everyone loves an underdog story and this year is providing some interesting opportunities for that.

Here is a link to NCAA.com if you would like to view and/or print a bracket

Filling in a perfect bracket may be virtually impossible, but taking a stab at it is one of the sport’s most fun traditions. Sports fans love competition, so what could be better then putting your opinions into a bracket ready to compare with family, friends, teammates, and coworkers.

ESPN had some notes on the women’s NCAA rankings, but that bracket has not yet been released. Congratulations though to the Missouri State Lady Bears who won the Missouri Valley Conference and will be heading to the big dance! Stay tuned for coverage on the lady’s side of things soon.

Good luck to everyone on your brackets and good luck to all of the athletes looking to make a splash on college basketball’s biggest stage.

Keep checking back with The Basketball Movement for more tournament coverage as well as local teams, NBA news, and action straight from our home courts. Merry Madness!

NCAA home stretch power rankings

March is closing in, meaning we have a better idea each day of which teams will make the big dance.

With NCAA hoops hitting the home stretch, many teams are undoubtedly wondering where they will stand at the end. ESPN has updated its power rankings following some big games this week. We dive into those rankings to see how things are shaping up near the top with March Madness on the horizon.

Below are ESPN’s ranks for the top 16

1. Duke (23-3)

2. Virginia (23-2)

3. Tennessee (24-2)

4. Gonzaga (26-2)

5. Kentucky (22-4)

6. North Caroline (22-5)

7. Michigan (24-3)

8. Houston (25-1)

9. Michigan State (22-5)

10. Kansas (20-6)

11. Marquette (22-4)

12. Purdue (19-7)

13. Texas Tech (21-5)

14. Nevada (24-2)

15. LSU (21-5)

16. Wisconsin (18-8)

Despite the upset of North Carolina over Duke in their highly-touted matchup, the needle did not move too far on either team. The impact of Zion Williamson getting injured in the opening minutes had a deeply felt impact on the game instantly.

As Williamson’s shoe exploded and he went down with a knee sprain (not expected to be serious), thoughts naturally turned to other players that were “unable to play due to injury” that were able to go to the NBA unscathed. Duke has seen this before in the form of Kyrie Irving. With Zion set to make millions in the NBA next year, it would be tough to blame him for playing things safe.

In a case of perfect timing, the NBA is currently considering lowering their age of eligibility from 19 to 18.

Anyway, Duke is still set to hold its number one spot on the backs of its touted freshman. Many pundits expected Kansas to be higher on this list so late in the season. They could still make for an unfortunate opponent for some teams should they garner a lower seed come tournament time. Purdue is sitting a bit lower than expected as well.

Nevada and to a greater extent, Houston, are the pleasant surprises on this list. Their strong play has demanded attention and thrust them directly into the mix of the nation’s top teams.

Women’s bracket looking familiar

If March Madness started today, we would be seeing a lot of familiar faces near the top. The 1-seeds would be: UConn, Baylor, Louisville, and Oregon. The 2-seeds would be Mississippi State (who can no longer play underdog after consecutive great seasons), NC State, Stanford, and Notre Dame.

Perhaps March Madness’ biggest individual hero last year, Arike Ogunbowale just recently set an all-time scoring record for Notre Dame.

As the regular season winds down, our thoughts are full steam ahead to March Madness. One-and-done tournaments don’t always produce the truest results in terms of the most talented teams. However, the luck factor, heat checks, and meteoric rise of teams and players make it an incredible event to witness.

Who will be this year’s Arike Ogunbowale or Donte Divincenzo? Follow along with us on social media as we dive into one of the most exciting months in basketball. We’ll see you there!