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Ben Saraf, the Israeli point guard who is still seen as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by plenty of draft aficionados, decided to leave Israel last summer for an opportunity with Ratiopharm Ulm. The German club is one of the best development programs in European basketball. They give playing time to youngsters, which helped both Killian Hayes and Pacome Dadiet become first-round picks, and have invested resources in development facilities and staffing.
Saraf’s decision to join Ulm also made sense because their starting point guard from the previous season, Juan Nunez, who was a second-round draft and stash, left to join EuroLeague club Barcelona. This paved the way for Saraf to start and carry his impressive summer play with the Israeli national team to the club level and potentially become a lottery selection.
That reality has not panned out, though. After a decent start, Saraf’s efficiency has taken a dive. He has struggled to create for himself, and his jump shooting has mostly been below average. He’s still seen as a first-round pick, but the second round seems more likely than the lottery. With Saraf’s struggles likely taken into consideration, Omer Mayer - another young Israeli point guard prospect - has opted to take another path for the upcoming season and has committed to Purdue.
Mayer’s commitment to Purdue came after a strong showing at the 2025 Nike Hoop Summit, where he put up seven assists against Team USA. Mayer’s performance was less discussed due to Dame Sarr and Bogoljub Markovic, two potential 2025 NBA Draft selections, putting on strong performances as well.
Mayer was a known name heading into the Summit as well. He made eight appearances, averaging eight minutes per game, for EuroLeague club Maccabi Tel Aviv this season. In a Round 27 matchup against Fenerbahce, Mayer scored seven points and dished six assists. In the last game of the season against Bayern Munich, he finished with 11 points and three assists.
Mayer is 6-foot-4 and solid, showing good on-ball strength, balance, and body control. He’s skilled at navigating ball screens, a good passer, and looks like he could explode as a shooter and be a real offensive threat for the Boilermakers next season. With Purdue, he’ll be able to learn from Braden Smith, who has improved each season of his own collegiate career and might also be able to play next to him, giving Matt Painter a chance to play two dynamic pick-and-roll creators together.
Mayer is a great pickup by Purdue, and if he continues on the growth trajectory he’s shown the last couple of seasons he could be making a great impact as a freshman next season. He’ll be 19 at the start of the season, with plenty of upside for them to tap into.
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Jarmaine Mitchell Announces Commitment to Georgia Bulldogs
Jarmaine Mitchell, a 2026 JUCO offensive lineman, has announced his commitment to Georgia. It looked like the Georgia Bulldogs might be done adding names to their 2026 recuriting class, but they just picked up another prospect. Jarmaine Mitchell, a 2026 JUCO offensive lineman, has announced his commitment to Georgia. Mitchell flipped his commitment from Mississippi State. Mitchell is rated as the eighth-best JUCO prospect in the class, the best offensive tackle and the second-best JUCO player in the state of Louisiana. Mitchell took an official visit to Georgia back in September of this year and had been committed to Mississippi State since August of this year. This is the second JUCO prospect Georgia has added to their 2026 recruiting class. Defensive lineman Seven Cloud is also a member of Georgia's current class. The Bulldogs have added two very impressive prospects from the JUCO level and both will have the ability to immediately impact Georgia's roster. The Bulldogs are always looking for high impact players on the lines of scrimmage and they have found two promsing prospects on both sides of the ball. It's shaping up to be yet another very impressive class for Georgia. Will Georgia Add Anyone Else to the 2026 Recruiting Class? Georgia is now back up to 30 total commits in the 2026 class with the addition of Mitchell. The Bulldogs had a couple of players decommit over the last month, but still hold one of the best classes in the country. Quarterback Jared Curtis is the headliner of the group for Georgia. He recently took a visit to Vanderbilt, as he is from Nashville, but Curtis reassured everyone that he is committed to Georgia and wants to be a Bulldog. As long as Georgia is able to hold on to the players that are currently committed, they will once again finish with one of the best classes in the country. Georgia Bulldogs 2026 Commits Lincoln Keyes, TE Seven Cloud, DL Zech Fort, S Brady Marchese, WR Kealan Jones, S Jared Curtis, QB Jordan Smith, S Justice Fitzpatrick, CB Graham Houston, OL Ryan Mosley, WR Carter Luckie, DL Zachary Lewis, OL Zykie Helton, OL Ekene Ogboko, OL Caden Harris, CB Harran Zeurikat, K Wade Register, P Khamari Brooks, Edge Craig Dandridge Jae Lamar, RB Chace Calicut, S PJ Dean, DL Kaiden Prothro, TE Preston Carey, DL Brayden Fogle, TE Tyriq Green, ATH Nick Abrams, LB Anthony Lonon Jr., DL Jarmaine Mitchell, OL
Cowboys WR George Pickens has telling response to question about contract
George Pickens is having an outstanding first season with the Dallas Cowboys, and the career-best pace has come at a time when he is preparing for potential free agency. Is it possible the star wide receiver could sign an extension before he gets to that point? Pickens says that is up to his boss. Pickens, who was drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, is in the final season of his rookie contract. He was asked on Thursday if he would consider signing a new deal with the Cowboys before he becomes a free agent after the season. He had a noteworthy response. "That’s kinda up to what (Jerry Jones) wants to do. All I can do is perform at my best," Pickens said. George Pickens has earned No. 1 wideout money Pickens has 685 receiving yards through the first eight weeks of the season, which ranks third in the NFL. His six touchdown catches are already the most of his four-year career. CeeDee Lamb missed several games this season with an ankle injury, and Pickens showed during that time that he is more than capable of being the featured wideout in a quality offense. That should go a long way toward setting his market, whether he re-signs with the Cowboys or becomes a free agent. With Lamb making an average of $34M per year, the Cowboys probably cannot afford to keep Pickens. For now, the 24-year-old is at least giving off the impression that he is open to the possibility. He also suggested recently that money is not the most important thing to him with his next contract, which could keep Dallas in the running.
Latest news prove Minnesota Vikings aren't content with the status quo, and it could elevate the team to the playoffs
This Sunday against the Detroit Lions is going to be huge when it comes to setting the expectations for the rest of the season. A loss will make a run toward the playoffs significantly less likely for the Vikings, and it could impact how they approach the trade deadline. The conventional wisdom would be that the Vikings wouldn't make a move to add at the trade deadline due to their record, especially when you look at the majority of players being acquired are on expiring contracts. Three years ago, the Vikings and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a big splash to acquire T.J. Hockenson at the deadline, and it was a big addition both for the 2022 season and beyond. Even if the Vikings lose, they could make an addition with the long-term in mind. Vikings trade history with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah The Vikings traded second and third round picks for T.J. Hockenson and two fourth-round picks at the trade deadline in 2022 Ahead of the 2022 season, the Vikings made low-risk trades for both Jalen Reagor and Ross Blacklock At the 2024 trade deadline, the Vikings acquired LT Cam Robinson for a 2026 fourth-round pick Minnesota Vikings eyeing a cornerback at the trade deadline One of the positions the Vikings need to find a long-term solution for is cornerback. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported on Friday that the Vikings are looking for a cornerback. "As for buyers, the Vikings and Colts are among a list of teams looking for corners. That market isn’t rich with options, which could make the Rams (McCreary), Browns (Tyson Campbell) and Eagles (Michael Carter II) look smart for striking a little earlier." It shouldn't be much of a surprise that the Vikings are looking for a cornerback to help them out, especially with Jeff Okudah being both ineffective and injured. They haven't shown a willingness to trust Dwight McGlothern as of yet, and finding a player at the position to fortify with Isaiah Rodgers and Byron Murphy Jr. should make a difference, especially when it comes to playing man coverage. The key here is finding a cornerback whom the Vikings can trade for. There aren't a lot of options, especially with four cornerbacks having already been traded. Two that come to mind are Riq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks and Alontae Taylor of the New Orleans Saints. Woolen has fallen out of favor with the Seahawks over the last couple of seasons with Mike Macdonald at the helm. He is currently starting for the Seahawks, but he doesn't seem to be in their long-term plans. He would provide the necessary size and speed the Vikings need at the cornerback position. Taylor is more of a slot cornerback, which the Vikings have been hesitant to add with wanting to slide Murphy on the inside. Even so, he's a versatile piece that could end up being a huge benefit for the Vikings. The deadline is going to be huge for the Vikings, and it could give them a necessary piece to help the defense both short-term and long-term. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-383').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-383').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
George Springer's status for Game 6 is becoming more clear
George Springer’s status for Game 6 of the World Series is becoming more clear. Springer has missed the last two games of the World Series after hurting his side on a swing in his Toronto Blue Jays’ 18-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3. The Blue Jays were able to win Game 4 on Tuesday and Game 5 on Wednesday despite the outfielder’s absence. On Thursday, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Springer is physically ready to play in Game 6. “He’s checked every box physically so far,” Schneider said of Springer. Getting Springer back would be a nice boost to the Blue Jays’ lineup, which has performed well even without him. Springer went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Game 3 before leaving the game. He’s batting .246 with an .884 OPS this postseason and has mashed 6 doubles and 4 home runs in 57 at-bats. Springer went 1-for-3 in Game 2 against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is the Dodgers’ scheduled starter for Game 6. Springer’s double was the Blue Jays’ only extra-base hit of the game, and he scored their only run that contest. His presence would be a big help for Toronto.
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