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The Shaquille O’Neal effect is already being felt at Sacramento State.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Tuesday that Sacramento State has landed a transfer commitment from former top recruit Mikey Williams. The 20-year-old guard Williams entered the portal last month after spending last season at UCF.
A consensus four-star recruit, Williams was a highly-coveted prospect coming out of high school, averaging 26.9 points and 6.4 assists per contest over his career at San Ysidro High School in San Diego, Calif. Williams would eventually commit to play for Penny Hardaway at the University of Memphis but never appeared in a single game for them due to legal trouble.
In 2023, Williams was arrested and hit with five felony charges after an incident in which allegedly shot at a car with multiple people inside following an argument at his residence (details here). Williams ultimately managed to avoid jail time for the incident though after reaching a plea deal later that year in which he agreed to community service, gun safety courses, and anger management classes.
Last season, Williams averaged just 5.1 points and 0.7 assists in a meager 14.0 minutes per game for UCF (whom he transferred into in early 2024). Now Williams will be hoping to get his career back on track at Sacramento State.
The Hornets, coming off a 7-25 campaign, already added Shaq’s son Shaqir O’Neal (a 22-year-old forward) in the transfer portal a few weeks ago. Then the news broke earlier this week that Shaq himself would be coming aboard to lead the Sacramento State front office. The Hornets also now have a former NBA guard as their head coach, and it is clear that they are rapidly gaining pull with big-name talent.
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Wisconsin Badgers Basketball: John Blackwell Previews Team’s Exciting Guard Unit for 2025 Season – ‘We Complement Our Games Really Well’
Braydon Hawthorne details Kentucky's focus on defense in practice
Mark Pope was brutally honest about where Kentucky's defense stands right now in his press conference on Monday, saying the Wildcats have a 'long way to go.' That came after the players hyped up Kentucky's potential on that end of the floor, and while that may be true, Kentucky still has work to do. Kentucky incoming freshman Braydon Hawthorne detailed a step Pope and the staff are taking in practice to help the team improve in that area. He talked about a certain drill in practice that Pope introduced to help the team get where he knows they can get on the defensive end. That has made the team step up, not only during the particular drill, but throughout practice. "Today, we were going at it. Man, today we were playing really aggressive on the defensive end," Hawthorne said. "I feel like we got a whole bunch of guys who can guard several positions, so it's gonna be fun." As far as the defensive drill goes, Pope is really ramping up the intensity on that end, specifically in terms of legal contests, which he talked about on Monday. Hawthorne went in-depth on how defense has been in practice. "They count how many you miss or you make throughout the day and if you don't get 100 percent, there's a punishment behind it," Hawthorne said. "You just gotta do a lot of close-outs, contests. ...I feel like I've gotten better as the weeks have gone by with that. I didn't start off that well with that, but I'm getting there." The 6-8 wing also noted that he has been staying after practices and playing one-on-one with some of the players, really keying in on improving his physicality. He knows how important it is for a young player like him to lock in on defense. "That's what separates the young guys from getting on the floor is defense, so I feel like that's a big piece of what I'm gonna have to do to get on the floor. Mark Pope wanted his squad in year two to be much better defensively and handle physicality better, and it looks like that is already highly focused on in practice.
Former Kentucky Wildcat describes the differences between John Calipari and Mark Pope
Los Angeles Lakers Officially Sign Basketball Legend's Son
Augustas Marčiulionis played all four seasons of his college career for St Marry's. He finished last year with averages of 14.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals per contest while shooting 44.6% from the field and 34.7% from the three-point range in 35 games. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced that they had signed the 23-year-old (and three others). Via The Los Angeles Lakers: "The Lakers have signed guard RJ Davis, forward Eric Dixon, forward Arthur Kaluma and guard Augustas Marčiulionis." Marčiulionis went unselected in the 2025 NBA Draft last month. Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation reported more details about the signings. Via Lane: "I’m told these are exhibit 10 deals. Exhibit 10s have the ability to be converted to two way contracts. Brings these players into camp with the Lakers to let them compete. E10s also provide a bonus if, after being waived, the player signs with South Bay and stays for at least 60 days" Marčiulionis is also the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Šarūnas. Via ESPN Jonathan Givony (on June 26): "The two-time WCC player of the year missed the pre-draft process with a foot injury but will be healthy in late July. Son of hall of famer Šarūnas Marčiulionis." In the past, the Lakers have done an excellent job of developing undrafted players such as Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso. Via Ballislife.com (on June 13): "HBD Sarunas Marciulionis! The Lithuanian legend was a master of the euro step getting by defenders with his behind the back move."
New suitor emerges for Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez
The Arizona Diamondbacks have plenty of suitors for third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A new team has reportedly entered the market for his services. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Phillies have reached out regarding Suarez. While Lauber did not provide any indication as to whether or not those talks have gained traction, the Phillies are an intriguing suitor for the Diamondbacks' third baseman. The Phillies' interest may be a recent development. Jon Heyman of the New York Post speculated on Friday that the Phillies could emerge as a suitor in the wake of third baseman Alec Bohm landing on the injured list with a fractured left rib. Suarez is in the midst of what is arguably his best season thus far. He has produced a .249/.321/.587 batting line in 421 plate appearances entering Saturday with 36 homers and a major league-leading 87 RBI. Suarez would be more than just another powerful bat in the lineup. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper are both left-handed hitters — adding Suarez would provide more balance in the batting order. He would also provide a counter against opposing managers bringing in a lefty reliever to face Schwarber and Harper. The biggest question would be how the Phillies would handle an eventual logjam on the roster. Bohm is expected to return from the IL in mid-August and would not have a clear path to regular at-bats if Suarez were acquired. Schwarber could theoretically return to left field to open up playing time at the DH spot, but his outfield defense is mediocre at best. However, as the Phillies are also looking to upgrade the outfield, where Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh have been disappointments, adding Suarez could solve several problems in one fell swoop.
Brutal setback could be end of the line for former Titans first-round pick
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks may have already sealed his fate ahead of a make-or-break 2025 season. On Saturday, the No. 18 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft suffered a broken collarbone while making an outstanding diving catch along the sideline during training-camp practice on a pass from rookie quarterback Cam Ward. The play was a distillation of Burks' pro career thus far, one that could be special if not beset by injuries. Burks has only appeared in 27 of a possible 51 career regular-season games. During his rookie season, Burks missed Weeks 5-9 with a foot/toe injury. He also suffered a concussion against the Philadelphia Eagles, forcing him to miss two additional games. In 2023, he was sidelined by a knee injury from Oct. 1 through Oct. 15, followed by another three-game absence the next month after he was carted off with a head injury in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last season, Burks was limited to five games after tearing his ACL during practice. He appeared to be in prime form on his spectacular grab during the play he was injured, showing off his tantalizing potential (and no lingering effects from his knee injury) by laying out to make the catch. But as has been the case throughout Burks' career, his giant step forward was met with two backward strides. In May, the Titans declined to pick up Burks' fifth-year rookie option, which would have paid him a projected $15.493 million in 2026, per Over The Cap. Over his first three seasons, Burks has 53 receptions, 699 receiving yards and one touchdown. Tennessee invested heavily in improving its wide receiver depth this offseason, insulating it from the effects of Burks' most recent injury. During free agency, the Titans added Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson. They selected Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft while also signing Ward's college teammate, Xavier Restrepo, as an undrafted free agent. Burks' path to playing time was already challenged by the offseason moves, but his broken clavicle could knock him out of the rotation for good. If Burks is ever going to live up to his draft status, it's become increasingly more likely it won't be in Tennessee.
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