LEXINGTON, Ky. — Before Reed Sheppard became a Kentucky Wildcat, yours truly heard through the grapevine that a respected coach opined he was sure the high school hero would be a good college player. He was not so sure Sheppard would be a pro.

One year later, that same Reed Sheppard could be the No. 1 overall selection in the NBA draft on ...Read more

SEATTLE — While being introduced as Washington's men's basketball coach on March 27, Danny Sprinkle donned a purple tie and sat at a table inside Alaska Airlines Arena. Facing rows of family members, media, athletic department employees and increasingly important donors, he laughed and told the truth.

"It's the wild, wild west now in college ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The best possible outcome for the NBA and its Finals in June would be a matchup between the New York Knicks, with their Villanova DNA and their bulldog playing style, and the Minnesota Timberwolves and their defense played with the ferocity of an actual wolf pack. Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards would goose with fresh names ...Read more

Nobody could hear a word Adam Silver was saying, but the speech was probably nice.

On a night Ball Arena drowned out the NBA commissioner’s presentation of Nikola Jokic’s third MVP award with “M-V-P” chants, Jokic proceeded to give Silver a treat. He went for 40 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists to lead the Nuggets to a 112-97 Game ...Read more

Before Game 5, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presented Denver center Nikola Jokic with his third MVP trophy.

His teammates mobbed him at midcourt as the Wolves looked from their end of the court.

That's essentially what Jokic reduced the Wolves to the rest of the night — witnesses to an all-world performance as Denver defeated the Wolves 112-...Read more

NEW YORK — Why is Aaron Nesmith playing Twister on a basketball court?

It’s the fourth quarter of a blowout Knicks Game 5 victory over the Indiana Pacers, a decisive 121-91 result in favor of a Knicks team that bounced back from a 32-point loss in Game 4, and Jalen Brunson, who had torched the Pacers’ best defensive option all night, went...Read more

CHICAGO — Bronny James, meeting with reporters at the NBA draft combine Tuesday, said he had not thought about playing in the NBA with his father.

"I would be happy about getting to the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad," he said. "But that's not my mindset at all. I'm just trying to put in the work and see where it ...Read more

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The “Caitlin Clark effect” may have fueled the sold-out crowd that flocked to Mohegan Sun Arena for the Connecticut Sun season opener against the Indiana Fever, but the veteran Sun squad asserted its will against the rookie superstar in a 92-69 win on Tuesday.

DeWanna Bonner appeared ageless in the first game of her ...Read more

Former Kansas and North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams has said many times he did not retire on April 1, 2021, because of radical changes in the sport and college athletics in general.

Though the 73-year-old Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer reiterates that’s still the case, he did concede in a Zoom call with media ...Read more

DENVER — Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was fined $75,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for making a "money sign" during the Wolves' loss to Denver in Sunday night's playoff game at Target Center.

It's the second time this season he's been fined for the gesture in games involving referee Scott Foster. The previous fine was $100,000.

The Nuggets ...Read more

I have three kids under the age of 10, including two grade school-aged daughters, which means Taylor Swift music is unavoidable in our house (not that I mind).

When her song, "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" comes on, I admit that sometimes my thoughts turn to Minnesota sports and how that Swift offering can be interpreted as an ...Read more

The two questions we ask ourselves each May:

1) How much time will Joel Embiid spend on the court next season?

2) How do you build a roster that can survive without him?

I’m talking mostly within the context of a game here. During the Sixers’ loss to the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, the contrast in their performance with and...Read more

CLEVELAND — For these Celtics, there’s no place like the road.

The road Monday started smooth, paved with pregame injury luck. Then it turned rocky, littered with turnovers and obstructed by a wounded dog.

But by the end of the night, the road led the Celtics exactly where they want to be: back home with a chance to clinch a spot in the ...Read more

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — When she was asked about rookie superstar Caitlin Clark’s highly anticipated arrival in Connecticut, DiJonai Carrington wore an expression like she was struggling internally to keep from rolling her eyes. Point guards Tyasha Harris and Moriah Jefferson exchanged knowing looks, giggling before they answered.

The veteran-...Read more

A key part of the schedule for Mark Pope’s first season as Kentucky basketball coach has been revealed.

On Monday afternoon, the SEC announced the conference opponents for each of the 16 teams in the league for the 2024-25 season, which will be the first with Oklahoma and Texas.

UK will play all 15 of its SEC opponents at least once next ...Read more

Great Osobor was always the top target for the Washington men’s basketball team after the Huskies hired coach Danny Sprinkle in March.

The Bradford, England, native began his collegiate career with Sprinkle at Montana State and after two years followed him to Utah State where he became the Mountain West player of the year last season.

When ...Read more

Many an NBA franchise has found their championships hopes built or dashed with the first overall draft pick. This year, the Hawks have that team-changing choice after winning the top pick in Sunday’s NBA Draft lottery.

Though draft experts have not held the 2024 draft class in high regard, the Hawks don’t buy into it too much. They embrace ...Read more

INDIANAPOLIS — Josh Hart is taking the blame for the Knicks’ poor performance in a blowout Game 4 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The lifeless Knicks took the floor against a Pacers team dreading the thought of returning to Madison Square Garden in a 3-1 series hole for Game 5 on Tuesday.

They responded by walloping the Knicks by 20 points in ...Read more

Initial thoughts from the Nuggets’ Game 4 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in the Western Conference playoffs.

1. Ant-nother strong performance: There’s been one constant for the Timberwolves throughout this series. Anthony Edwards shows up. Every time. Ant-Man set the tone from the start, attacking the rim, pulling ...Read more