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The Final Fourcast announced former West Virginia University forward Esa Ahmad will join the unofficial WVU men’s basketball alumni team Best Virginia for TBT this summer.
"Esa was a 1,000+ point scorer during his time at WVU," GM Chase Harler said. "He brings a versatility to our team that is much needed. He's been playing at a high level his whole career, and fans should be really excited to have him back in the Gold and Blue."
NEW SIGNING
— Final Fourcast Podcast + Best Virginia™️ (@finalfourcast) June 15, 2024
Esa Ahmad (@Gmb_Esa23) joins TBT after a brief reunion last summer!
"Esa was a 1,000+ point scorer during his time at WVU," GM Chase Harler said. "He brings a versatility to our team that is much needed. He's been playing at a high level his whole career,… pic.twitter.com/vbVGTNAi89
The Cleveland, OH, native produced 1,032 points and averaged 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during his time as a Mountaineer. He averaged 19.3 ppg in the first six games of his senior year, including producing a career-high 30 points against Valparaiso in the Jimmy V Classic.
Ahmad was averaging a career-best 12.0 ppg as a senior and hit double figures in four of his last five games as a Mountaineer after missing double figures in five of the previous six games, but his time in Morgantown was cut short after he was dismissed from the team for violating athletics department policies in February of the 2018-19 season
Since leaving Morgantown, Ahmad has played professionally in Cyprus, Hungary, Argentina and Germany.
Ahmad averaged a career-best 14.2 ppg last season in Germany with BBC Bayreuth.
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Tar Heels Welcome Luka Bogavac to Chapel Hill at Last
After concerns he might not make it to campus, Luka Bogavac has arrived from Montenegro and is now in Chapel Hill. The 6'5" wing committed to UNC on May 31 but he had to go through several steps before he could step foot on campus. First, Bogavac cleared UNC admissions in early July. He then interviewed with government officials at the U.S. embassy in Montenegro to obtain his student visa a few weeks ago. The 22-year-old freshman is now set to begin classes Monday, Aug. 18. “I hadn’t considered college as an option — during the season, a serious offer and great interest appeared,” Bogavac told reporter Savo Njunjić of Vjiesti this summer (in Montenegrin, translated to English). “Knowing that North Carolina is the cradle of NCAA basketball and one of the most prestigious universities, I couldn’t refuse the offer when it arrived. There was interest from other colleges, but when the offer from North Carolina arrived, I knew that this was it.” Why This Is a Big Deal? Bogavac is one of 10 new players on the 2025-26 roster as head coach Hubert Davis and general manager Jim Tanner completely flipped the roster following a disappointing 23-14 season that ended in a first-round exit at the hands of Ole Miss. He will also be one of three Europeans on the 2025-26 squad joining center Henri Veesaar (Estonia) and Ivan Matlekovic (Croatia). Bogavac, who committed to UNC on May 31, played four professional seasons in ABA Liga (the Adriatic Basketball Association) for the SC Derby club based out of Podgorica, Montenegro. Bogavac is a knock-down perimeter shooter and he provides maturity and poise for a freshman due to his 21 years of age and playing against professional athletes before coming to America. Bogavac had his strongest season professionally as he averaged 14.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in 2024-25, while shooting 45.1% from the field, 39.9% on three-point shots and 87% from the charity strike. He scored 19 or more points in eight of his final 15 ABA games, including a 24-point game where he made with seven three-pointers on March 30, and a season-high 27 points on April 25. “North Carolina fans can expect a temperamental and characterful player, I will try to give 100 percent,” Bogavac said. “I have great energy, character. I know that the expectations are high and I will try to justify them. I like to be a man of decisions, I like to take the initiative. I like to ask questions, to make decisions. I know where I come from, that it is the University with the largest fan base in America. I will make sure that the team achieves as many victories as possible and goes to the very top.” Bogavac has also represented his country in international play. He competed for Montengro in the FIBA U20 European Championship in 2022 and 2023, and was a member of the senior Montenegrin national team in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament and the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers.
Patriots have big Drake Maye concern surface at Vikings' joint practice
Defense ruled the day during the joint practice between the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings. Per Chad Graff of The Athletic, the Patriots defense did a masterful job of disrupting Vikings second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy at Wednesday's practice. However, New England's offensive line was unable to allow Drake Maye to have enough time to finish plays. "Even with four new expected starters up front following last year’s debacle, Wednesday suggested that there will likely be some bumps ahead for this offensive line," Graff wrote. "Sure, going up against the Vikings was always going to be a difficult task. Greenard has been wrecking his own team’s practices in training camp, and everyone in New England knows how good Flores’ scheme can be. But the domination was so thorough by the Vikings’ front seven that three straight plays at one point would’ve resulted in a sack." Maye showed flashes of promise when he had time to throw downfield or was able to use his legs to buy time or scramble when pressure came. The concern is that the offensive line won't allow Maye enough time to even scramble, so he can make throws. Graff has noticed the same issues that happened on Wednesday have been a constant at training camp against the Patriots defense. With a new-look offensive line that includes first-round pick Will Campbell at left tackle, the Patriots are expected to have some bumps at training camp and in September. New England's offense probably won't look great out of the gate while the offensive line develops in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' scheme. If and when the offensive line improves, Maye will have a chance to show off the arm that made him the No. 3 pick in 2024. For now, the offensive line is a concern much like it was last season.
Browns HC confirms Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders whispers
A previous report suggested that the Cleveland Browns want to start 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel at quarterback for this coming Saturday's preseason game at the Philadelphia Eagles over 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders as long as Gabriel is healthy enough to play at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. While speaking with reporters ahead of Wednesday's joint practice involving the clubs, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that Gabriel began the day on track to start Saturday's contest. "The plan was always to give both of those guys a start in the preseason, so we’ll see how it shakes out," Stefanski explained, as shared by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Neither Gabriel nor backup Kenny Pickett played in Cleveland's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday as they continued to recover from lingering hamstring injuries. Sanders received the bulk of the meaningful reps in that game and completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 win over Carolina. While Gabriel is doing 11-on-11 work during joint practices this week, Pickett remained relegated to 7-on-7 drills as of Wednesday. That said, FanDuel Sportsbook continued to list 40-year-old Joe Flacco as the betting favorite at -310 odds to be the Browns' starting quarterback for their Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals as of Wednesday. Pickett was at +360 odds, followed by Sanders at +1060. Gabriel was a +1800 underdog to get the nod for the Cincinnati matchup at that time. Gabriel began Wednesday as the Browns' unofficial QB3 ahead of Sanders. Meanwhile, Sanders did not get any reps in the opening few periods of the Browns' joint practice with the Eagles on Wednesday morning after suffering an oblique injury. Earlier in the month, the former Colorado star missed some practice time due to arm soreness. Per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Stefanski added that he wants "to get through" Thursday before he finalizes his plans for the Philadelphia game. Unless Gabriel experiences a setback ahead of the weekend, it seems he will receive an opportunity to silence critics while serving as Cleveland's temporary QB1 against the Eagles.
Giants force Jets' Justin Fields into familiar problem at joint practice
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields was a little more accurate on Wednesday than he was in his "alarming" performance during joint practice with the New York Giants on Tuesday. Still, the fifth-year quarterback had a familiar issue pop up. Per Dan Duggan and Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic, Fields took several sacks against a Giants defense that brought the house on a shaky Jets offensive line. Via The Athletic: "On the other field, the Giants defensive front carried over its domination from Tuesday, giving Jets quarterback Justin Fields and his offensive line plenty of problems. Camp stats are subjective, especially when it comes to sacks, but the Giants appeared to get to Fields for four sacks. "Similar to Tuesday, there were moments when it was hard to tell exactly who was causing problems as the Giants sent multiple bodies in the backfield. Fields, who went 7-of-11 on the day, had a few overthrows on plays that likely were sacks." Fields did have a couple of long runs on a Giants defense that struggled against the rush in 2024. While Fields has a unique ability to add to the running game, the Jets need the 2021 first-round pick to push the ball down the field in the passing game. Fields has always had a problem with being indecisive in the pocket, leading to his taking too many sacks since entering the league. He led the league with 55 sacks in 2022 and has taken 151 in his four-year career. The Ohio State product took 16 sacks during his six starts with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. In camp, Fields doesn't have to worry about taking body blows from sacks that lead to injuries. That will happen in the regular season if he plays how he practiced on Wednesday.
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