Deion Sanders just did it again – bringing in another top transfer to Colorado for 2023 and another four-star recruit for 2024.

Both were announced by the players Tuesday as Sanders, Colorado’s new football coach, continues to build his roster back up after tearing it all down to an unprecedented degree since early December.

“Definitely a big day,” four-star recruit Aaron Butler told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday after committing to Colorado for 2024.

Butler, a high school star out of Calabasas, California, chose Colorado over Alabama, Georgia and Southern California. But he was just one piece of the recruiting puzzle on Tuesday — yet another big day in a wild offseason for the Buffaloes under Coach Prime.

University of Houston running back Alton McCaskill also announced Tuesday that he is transferring to Colorado for the 2023 season after sitting out the 2022 season with a knee injury. He rushed for 961 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2021, helping him become the rookie of the year in the American Athletic Conference.

Where do these recruits fit in?

Butler told USA TODAY Sports he expects to play receiver at Colorado. He was ranked as the No. 5 athlete recruit in the nation for 2024 by 247 Sports.

“A big decision was also knowing that I have the opportunity to go well over 1,000 yards,” Butler said.

He announced his decision on Instagram, prompting Sanders to react with glee while his son, Bucky, filmed his father’s reaction for a video on YouTube. Sanders just didn’t want to publicly mention Butler’s name because of NCAA recruiting rules that forbid it until a recruit is signed.

“I can’t talk, because it’s a violation,” Sanders said. “I can’t talk, but I can jump and clap, right, Bucky? I can shout, right?”

“This is a good day today,” Bucky replied.

McCaskill visited Boulder recently and will join a running back corps at Colorado that includes Kentucky transfer Kavosiey Smoke and freshman Dylan Edwards, a four-star recruit who previously committed to Notre Dame before changing his mind to Colorado.

He also adds to a transfer recruiting class that ranks No. 1 nationally, primarily because of its size with more than 40 players, according to 247 Sports. That recruiting website shows no other major college football team with more than 28 four-year college transfer recruits for 2023.

Five alone are coming to Colorado from Florida State, Sanders’ alma mater.

Why so many transfers?

They are replacing all the players that were forced out or left voluntarily since Sanders’ arrival, including nearly 40 who left since the start of the spring practice season in March.

Sanders was transparent about his intention to overhaul the Buffs’ roster since his first team meeting at Colorado, when he told his inherited players he was going to try to run them off after they finished 1-11 in 2022. His plan worked. Out of a roster of 85 scholarship players, only about 13 remain from last year’s team.

He since has filled most of those vacancies but still has at least a handful of spots open. The newcomers are led by Sanders’ son Shedeur at quarterback, along with cornerback Travis Hunter, the No. 1 high school recruit in the nation for 2022.

“You need dogs to battle with dogs,” said Butler, who visited Boulder for CU’s sold-out spring game last month. “I know we got dogs.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

DENVER − One of the most gifted offensive basketball players in the world vs. one of the best defending big men in the world.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic vs. the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis.

This is a two-way battle, too. Davis can put up points, and Jokic is a competent defender.

The anticipated matchup that may determine the outcome of the Western Conference finals exceeded the hype.

Jokic 1, AD 0.

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Jokic’s 34 points, 21 rebounds, 14 assists and two blocks were enough to overcome Davis’ 40 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in Denver’s 132-126 victory against Los Angeles in Game 1 Tuesday.

If the start of the series is a harbinger, this series will be competitive, tantalizing, entertaining with the potential to be a classic.

Jokic and Davis got it started the right way, especially Jokic, who had 19 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists at halftime.

“We always talk about an aggressive Nikola Jokic is a very effective Nikola Jokic. A hell of a job by him,” Denver coach Michael Malone said.

The Lakers didn’t have many answers for Jokic, who began the game by dominating on the glass and finding open teammates when the Lakers double-teamed him. Then, as the Lakers began adjusting their defense, Jokic unleashed his scoring.

“When he felt there was one-on-one coverage, facing up and getting to the basket and using that understated athleticism to finish in traffic. That was great to see. He’s going to continue to have to do that at a high level,’ Malone said.

Jokic’s stat line was just the fourth 30-point, 20-rebound triple-double in NBA playoff history. Jokic has two of them, and Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain each have one.

“I just love playing with Jokic, willing passer, dominant big man down there,” Denver’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. “Just seeing him do what he do gets everybody else going, as well.”

Caldwell-Pope compared Jokic to LeBron James, saying the only difference is that James jumps higher than Jokic

“That’s really offensive,” Jokic said. “I’m joking. To be compared with one of the best ever or the best ever, I think it’s really cool. I don’t know. I think we don’t have a similar game. Maybe we have like a similar global game, if that makes any sense. We affect the game in different ways.”

Jokic’s 3-pointer with 5:24 left in the third quarter gave the Nuggets a 93-72 lead. It was part of a three-minute stretch in which Jokic had seven points and four assists.

However, the Lakers weren’t content to let Denver run away stress-free. Davis had 13 points in the third and nine in the fourth, and Los Angeles trailed 129-126 and had a chance to tie the score on James’ 3-point attempt with 45 seconds remaining.

In the Lakers’ comeback, they may have found a lineup that helps limit what Jokic can do. Los Angeles went big with James, Davis and Rui Hachimura on the court to counter Denver’s size. Hachimura had 17 points, defended Jokic and the Lakers were 10 points better than Denver with him on the court.

“Wanted to take (Davis) off as being the initial line of defense and hopefully Rui could turn him, make him go east-west a little bit more,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said, adding, “It’s not any one coverage that you’re going to be able to stay in versus that kid. There’s no one person that’s going to stop him. It has to be done by committee and you have to switch up. You have to switch up matchups at times and you have to switch up coverages.”

It’s more than just Jokic vs. Davis. James will have an impact as he did with his 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver had six players score in double figures, including Jamal Murray with 31.

But so much of the series revolves around Jokic and Davis, and we saw the best of both in Game 1.

We’ll take more of that in Game 2 with the requisite strategic counters that both coaches employ.

Starting next school year, one-and-one free throws will no longer be part of high school basketball in the United States.

According to a release posted Monday on the National Federation of State High School Associations website, the basketball rules committee approved changes to the ‘bonus’ rules at its annual meeting last month. ‘The recommendations were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors,’ the release said.

Teams will now shoot two free throws for common fouls when in the ‘bonus,’ and will reach the bonus when their opponent commits five fouls in a quarter, the release said. Team fouls will reset each quarter instead of each half.

Previously, teams shot one-and-one free throws when their opponents committed seven fouls in a half, and two free throws when 10 fouls were committed each half.

“The rules committee studied data that showed higher injury rates on rebounding situations and saw this as an opportunity to reduce opportunities for rough play during rebounds,” Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS Director of Sports and liaison to the basketball rules committee said in the release. “Additionally, resetting the fouls each quarter will improve game flow and allow teams to adjust their play by not carrying foul totals to quarters two and four.”

The high school basketball bonus rules now match the rules used in the NBA, WNBA and NCAA women’s basketball. NCAA men’s college basketball still uses the rules previously used in high school basketball.

Other approved rule changes

➤There will now be four designated spots for teams to inbound in the ball after violations, defensive fouls (prior to the bonus) or dead balls that occur with the offensive team in the frontcourt. ‘The one exception is when the defensive team causes a ball to be out of bounds, the throw-in shall be the spot where the ball went out of bounds.’

➤There is now an official placement of a shot clock operator at the scorers’ table for states that use a shot clock.

➤Teammates can wear different styles of uniform bottoms, ‘but they must all be like-colored and adhere to uniform rules outlined in Rule 3-6-2 regarding logos and trademarks.’

➤Visiting teams with dark jerseys can wear a single solid color or solid black undershirts. ‘This provides an opportunity for schools with hard-to-find colors to have all players wear a black undershirt.’

➤A player can step out of bounds and return to the court if that player gains no advantage. ‘A player is penalized only if, after returning inbounds, the player is the first to touch the ball or avoids a violation.’

The San Antonio Spurs will pick first in the 2023 NBA draft after winning the draft lottery on Tuesday night.

It is a near guarantee that they will select Victor Wembanyama, the towering French phenom who brings a near-unprecedented combination of size and skill to the NBA. The 19-year-old has been labeled one of the best prospects in years — perhaps the best since LeBron James was selected right out of high school 20 years ago.

Tuesday night’s events will shape the course of the NBA for years. Even though the Spurs are the clear winners of the draft lottery, plenty of other teams benefited from the ping-pong balls … and others are left licking their wounds.

Here’s the winners and losers of the NBA draft lottery:

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WINNERS

San Antonio Spurs

This is their third draft lottery win. The first two worked out pretty well.

San Antonio also picked first in 1997, selecting Tim Duncan, and in 1987, when it selected David Robinson. Both players are in the Basketball Hall of Fame and Duncan finished his career with five NBA championships. The Spurs never missed the playoffs during Duncan’s 19 seasons, but their 22-year playoff streak came to an end in 2020 and they have failed to reach the postseason since.

Now, the Spurs, who went 22-60 this past season, presumably have another big-man building block in Wembanyama. Managing partner Peter J. Holt did not hide his excitement when it was revealed the Spurs would pick first.

Gregg Popovich … and whoever coaches the Spurs next

Popovich is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach, but he has not had a ton of talent to work with in the years since Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard left the team. Wembanyama could be the key to Popovich getting the Spurs back on track. But ‘Wemby’ also figures to help the next coach of the Spurs. Popovich is 74 years old, and while he’s given little indication about his future, we know he will not coach forever. Wembanyama could improve the Spurs in the immediate and make San Antonio an attractive destination for prospective coaches whenever Popovich is ready to hand the reins over.

Victor Wembanyama

Regardless of who got the first pick, Wembanyama was going to be a winner. He’s going to be the first pick in the NBA draft. That’s awesome. Landing with the Spurs is a nice bonus. This isn’t the same franchise that churned out 18 straight 50-win seasons, but the Spurs are still generally more stable with a more recent track record of success than teams like Detroit and Charlotte and they have a long history of embracing and succeeding with international players.

Charlotte Hornets

Though ending up No. 2 to the Spurs stings — Charlotte last picked this high in 2012, when it selected Michael Kidd-Gilchrist … right behind top pick Anthony Davis — the Hornets should still be getting a real solid player. For the team with the longest playoff drought in the NBA, that’s a good thing.

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland had the fifth-best odds but jumped up to No. 3. The Blazers can either use that pick to add a talented young player … or perhaps package it to bring in another star alongside Damian Lillard. The slight jump gives Portland even more possibilities.

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas pretty blatantly tanked the end of its season to try and preserve its first-round pick; if the Mavericks’ selection fell outside the top 10, it would become property of the New York Knicks via 2019’s Kristaps Porzingis trade. The NBA fined the Mavs $750,000 for their actions but the team got what it wanted in the end, keeping their first-round pick by sticking at No. 10.

LOSERS

Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets

Detroit was the worst team in the NBA at 17-65 and Houston matched the Spurs with a 22-60 record. The teams had the same 14% chance of selecting first as San Antonio did. Wembanyama would have been a welcome addition with both squads fielding extremely young cores. Instead, the Pistons tumbled to fifth while Houston fell to fourth. That stings.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls only had a 1.8% chance at the top pick, but they end the night without a pick at all. Chicago’s pick was top-four protected, but the Bulls remained at 11 and instead the Orlando Magic will pick in their place thanks to the 2021 trade for Nikola Vucevic. The Bulls went 40-42 this season and lost the play-in for the No. 8 seed to the Heat. For a team stuck in no-man’s land, this is a worst-case scenario.

At the start of every NBA season, when asked to make preseason predictions for individual awards, out of reflex, I type ‘Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat.’

He is the best coach in the league. And definitely the best coach in the league never to have won Coach of the Year.

He’s proving it in the playoffs with the eighth-seeded Miami Heat reaching the Eastern Conference finals where they will play Boston for a trip to the NBA Finals for the third time in four seasons.

As a play-in team, they lost to Atlanta and had to beat Chicago just to make the playoffs and then for just the sixth time in NBA history, the No. 8 seed beat a No. 1 seed − Miami stopped Milwaukee in five games.

The Heat dispatched No. 5 seed New York in the conference semifinals and became just the second No. 8 seed to reach the conference finals. When New York did it in 1999, it was a lockout-shortened, 50-game season.

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Once a Spoelstra-led Heat squad gains an ounce of momentum, they become dangerous. That’s what has happened in the postseason.

The team that didn’t shoot so well in the regular season is starting to make shots. The defense is always going to be there with Spoelstra, and Jimmy Butler in the playoffs is always a difficult player to beat.

The NBA is a players’ league, but it requires a fantastic coach to do what Spoelstra has done as often as he has done it. He accomplishes a lot with a lot and a lot with a little.

Spoelstra reminds me of what football coach Bum Phillips once said about Alabama’s Bear Bryant, and paraphrasing here: He can take his and beat yours and take yours and beat his. Spoelstra can beat you with his players, no matter who they are. Take me, my editor, and three fans in the arena wearing Heat jerseys and he will win a game.

I spent the past three weeks canvassing the league and asking team insiders (executives, scouts, coaches) what makes Spoelstra so good.

Excellent communicator. Has players who buy into in his offensive and defensive philosophies. Smart. Works hard, a product of many things but including his days as a low-level video coordinator. Strong coaching staff. Adapts to the personnel on the roster instead of forcing styles and has an extensive playbook to meet different needs. He challenges players and strives for accountability. Has unwavering support from the front office. Has confidence in whom he decides to play and that translates.

In the 2022-23 NBA.com GM survey, 52% of responding execs voted Spoelstra the best coach in the league, second-best at in-game adjustments, third-best at managing/motivating players and the coach with the best defensive schemes.

Against Milwaukee, he put Bam Adebayo in the point forward role, to help draw Milwaukee’s ace paint defender Brook Lopez away from the basket. It helped Miami’s ability to get to the rim and collapse the defense. Spoelstra listens, too. After drawing up a last-second play that wasn’t for Jimmy Butler, Butler asked Spoelstra to make the play for him. Butler made the shot that forced overtime in Game 5, leading to Miami’s series-clinching victory.

The second-longest tenured coach with the same team, Spoelstra, 52, has the fifth-most playoff coaching victories (104) − behind Doc Rivers (111), Gregg Popovich (169), Pat Riley (171) and Phil Jackson (229) and has won 60.5% of playoff games. He is No. 20 on the all-time regular-season coaching victories list with 704. He will pass John MacLeod next season, and depending on how long he wants to coach, he’ll keep moving ahead of Nate McMillan, Gene Shue, Cotton Fitzsimmons and Jack Ramsay over the next five seasons.

Spoelstra took over for Riley in 2008, and Spoelstra never let Riley’s legacy overwhelm him. In 15 seasons under Spoelstra, the Heat have missed the playoffs just three times. They reached the Finals five times and won two championships.

At some point, he should have won Coach of the Year, perhaps during the seasons Miami won 58, 46 (of 66 in a lockout season), 66 and 54 games and two titles in 2012 and 2013 with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. It wasn’t easy coaching those three, in part because of the big personalities and in part because Spoelstra asked them to change their games for the benefit of the team. Uncomfortable at times, James improved under Spoelstra, became a more efficient player and had a couple of his all-time best seasons with Miami.

When the NBA announced its 75 all-time greatest players during the 2021-22 season, it also revealed its 15 all-time greatest coaches. Spoelstra was on the list.

‘There’s this narrative that Spo is not great,’ James said during the 2020 NBA Finals. ‘The narrative is that he doesn’t get a lot of respect, which he should. He prepares his team every single night. If you watch the Miami Heat, no matter who’s on the floor, they’re going to play Heat culture. They’re going to play hard. They’re going to play together. That’s what he’s always been about.’

‘He prepares like it’s his last time ever coaching again every game, and I know that. You guys always said, ‘Well, you have LeBron, you have D-Wade, you have Bosh, any coach can do it.’

‘No, any coach can’t do it.’

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jay Jackson admitted he was tipping his pitches Monday night before allowing a mammoth home run to New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

The blast sparked a bit of controversy when the Jays TV broadcast noticed Judge casting a quick glance toward the Yankees dugout while he was in the batter’s box, suggesting that he may have been receiving some advance notice on what pitch was coming.

Jackson, who was demoted to Class AAA Buffalo after Monday’s game, said Tuesday in an interview with The Athletic that his grip and his timing may have allowed the Yankees to figure out what was coming.

“From what I was told, I was kind of tipping the pitch,” Jackson said. “It was (less) my grip when I was coming behind my ear. It was the time it was taking me from my set position, from my glove coming from my head to my hip. On fastballs, I was kind of doing it quicker than on sliders. They were kind of picking up on it.”

Although Judge said his sneak peek was in response to ‘a lot of chirping from our dugout,’ he was most likely looking at first base coach Travis Chapman, whom several Jays sources told The Athletic was able to see Jackson’s grip — in plenty of time to relay that information to Judge.

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While the unusual turn of events leading up to Judge’s 462-foot home run raised questions of possible cheating, that type of sign-stealing is completely within baseball’s accepted rules — unlike the Houston Astros’ electronic sign-stealing, trash can-banging scandal in 2017.

However, the flap did carry over into Tuesday’s game between the two teams. The Blue Jays complained to MLB officials that the Yankees’ base coaches were standing outside the dimensions of the coaching box, potentially allowing them to get a better view of pitchers’ grips.

That led to an on-field argument when the Yankees asked umpires to force Jays third base coach Luis Rivera to stay inside his box.

The NBA draft lottery is set with the San Antonio Spurs earning the top pick in the 2023 draft.

That means it is extremely likely Victor Wembanyama, the skilled big man from France who has made NBA execs and fans alike drool, will soon be in a Spurs jersey. Undoubtedly, San Antonio fans are already counting on winning a world championship sooner rather than later.

But besides one of the most highly anticipated prospects in the history of the NBA, who else is in this year‘s draft class? It’s a mix of international players, G League superstars ready for a promotion and college standouts who scouts have been following since they starred in AAU ball.

Every GM is looking for a player who can change their franchise for the better. Which of these guys will do it besides Wembanyama? Here’s our mock draft in the wake of Tuesday’s lottery:

1. SAN ANTONIO SPURS: Victor Wembanyama, Metropolitans 92

Forward/center, 19 years old, 7-2, 230 pounds, France

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2022-23 stats: 21.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, 2.5 assists, 0.7 steals

With his size and skill set, Wembanyama is one of the most lauded prospects of the past three decades. Execs believe he is the kind of player who will turn a team into a title contender.

2. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: Scoot Henderson, G League Ignite

Guard, 19, 6-2, 195 pounds

2022-23 stats: 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.1 steals

Henderson, who at 17 became the youngest player in G League history in 2021, is the total package. He’s a master at midrange, can knock down a shot from behind the arc and finish at the rim, while getting it done on the defensive end. He can immediately impact any team.

3. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Brandon Miller, Alabama

Small forward, 20, 6-9, 200 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals

The national freshman of the year, Miller’s long, lanky frame and athleticism will translate quickly at the next level, though he needs to become a more efficient shooter in the pros.

4. HOUSTON ROCKETS: Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite

Guard, 20, 6-7, 205 pounds

2022-23 stats: 16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.3 steals

He is an outstanding athlete with great size and strength for a guard and flourishes in transition with his leaping ability. He can finish at the rim with either hand. Twin brother Ausar is also a projected lottery pick.

5. DETROIT PISTONS: Jarace Walker, Houston

Forward, 19, 6-8, 240 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 blocks

A versatile forward with a soft touch inside, the American Athletic Conference freshman of the year will be an immediate help on defense, where his 7-foot-2 wingspan can cause all sorts of problems for opposing players.

6. ORLANDO MAGIC: Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite

Guard, 20, 6-7, 215 pounds

2022-23 stats: 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.4 steals, 1.1 blocks

Like his brother, Ausar has great size, especially when he plays point guard. He also has strength and athleticism. But they are not mirror images of each other. He can beat defenders with the dribble, can direct the offense, and he improved his jump shot this season.

7. INDIANA PACERS: Anthony Black, Arkansas

Guard, 19, 6-7, 198 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals

Black is a floor general who sets his teammates up for success with sharp passes. He can also attack the basket himself or pull up from beyond the arc. He is another big guard in the draft.

8. WASHINGTON WIZARDS: Taylor Hendricks, UCF

Power forward/center, 19, 6-9, 215 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.7 blocks, 0.9 steals

Don’t be fooled by his slender frame: Hendricks, who will face up more than play with his back to the basket, can finish inside through contact. He’s also a versatile defender.

9. UTAH JAZZ: Cam Whitmore, Villanova

Forward, 18, 6-7, 232 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.4 steals

A physical wing and active offensive player who likes contact, Whitmore operates from the perimeter with his jump shot or his dribble-drive to the basket but is also comfortable playing off the basketball. He has power and finesse when finishing at the rim.

10. DALLAS MAVERICKS: Gradey Dick, Kansas

Guard, 19, 6-8, 205 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 steals

A lethal catch-and-shoot threat from long distance − he shot 40% on nearly six 3-point attempts per game − Dick has terrific size on the perimeter and will be even more of a scoring threat as a slasher if he can put on 10-15 pounds of muscle.

11. ORLANDO MAGIC: Cason Wallace, Kentucky

Guard, 19, 6-4, 193 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2 steals

You can rely on Wallace for highlight reel-worthy steals and chase-down blocks, but he can also get it down on the offensive end with his ability knock down a shot. 

12. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: Nick Smith Jr., Arkansas

Guard, 18, 6-5, 185 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 12.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists

One of the top players coming out of high school in 2022, Smith was limited to just 17 games because of knee problems. However, scouts are enamored with his shooting. Consistency and playmaking are areas that require attention.

13. TORONTO RAPTORS: Keyonte George, Baylor

Shooting guard, 19, 6-4, 185 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals

The Big 12 Freshman of the Year will give teams an instant playmaker, someone who can finish through contact and get his shot off quickly without much room. 

14. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: Jordan Hawkins, UConn

Guard, 21, 6-5, 195 pounds, sophomore

2022-23 stats: 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals

Hawkins thrives behind the 3-point line: He can catch and shoot or pull up off the dribble. And he’s always moving off the ball to create a shot for himself. 

15. ATLANTA HAWKS: Kobe Bufkin, Michigan

Guard, 19, 6-4, 195 pounds, sophomore

2022-23 stats: 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 steals

A second year in college proved to be huge for Bufkin, who can score from all over and is especially good at attacking the rim and finishing through contact. He’s a tough on-ball defender, too.

16. UTAH JAZZ: Dereck Lively II, Duke

Center, 19, 7-1, 230 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1.1 assists

An athletic rim protector − he has a 7-foot-7 wingspan − who hasn’t really lived up to the hype on offense, Lively is an intriguing prospect because of what he can do defensively. 

17. LOS ANGELES LAKERS: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana

Guard, 19, 6-6, 215 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.8 steals

Hood-Schifino can pull up from anywhere on the court, particularly from midrange. He just needs to work on consistency to take the next step in the NBA.

18. MIAMI HEAT: Jett Howard, Michigan

Guard, 19, 6-8, 215 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2 assists

A versatile playmaker who loves the pressure of a big moment and has a high basketball IQ, Jett is the son of former NBA All-Star and Michigan coach Juwan Howard.

19. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Rayan Rupert, New Zealand Breakers

Forward, 19, 6-7, 192 pounds, France

2022-23 stats: 5.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists

A solid year in Australia’s pro league and 7-3 wingspan will be attractive to NBA teams, as will Rupert’s basketball lineage: his dad played and was the former captain, of the French national team and his older sister Eliana currently plays for the national team.

20. HOUSTON ROCKETS: Leonard Miller, NBA G League Ignite

Forward, 19, 6-10, 210 pounds

2022-23 stats: 18.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 blocks, 0.9 steals

Miller is a versatile big man who can push the ball up the floor and finish beautifully at the rim. He uses his size to outrebound opponents, averaging a double-double this season.

21. BROOKLYN NETS: Brice Sensabaugh, Ohio State

Forward, 19, 6-6, 235 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists

One of the best pure scorers in the draft, Sensabaugh − who surprised many with his immediate production at the college level − is a strong, powerful player who can score in and out of the paint and finish through contact.

22. BROOKLYN NETS: Dariq Whitehead, Duke

Forward, 18, 6-7, 220 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists

Whitehead was hurt early this season, but when he’s healthy, he’s a do-everything guy who likes physical play, especially when he’s attacking the rim. A 6-foot-9 wingspan helps him on defense, too. 

23. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Gregory ‘GG’ Jackson, South Carolina

Forward/center, 18, 6-9, 215 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 15.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.8 steals

Jackson’s bread and butter is his jump shot but he has the ability to finish strong at the rim. 

24. SACRAMENTO KINGS: Noah Clowney, Alabama

Forward, 18, 6-10, 210 pounds, freshman

2022-23 stats: 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 0.9 blocks per game 

A raw prospect with tons of upside, Clowney can score inside with both hands and space the floor with a consistent outside shot that defenses have to respect. A 7-foot-2 wingspan makes him a tough defender and solid rebounder.

25. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Kris Murray, Iowa

Forward, 22, 6-8, 220 pounds, junior

2022-23 stats: 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists

A high IQ player who understands the difference between a bad, good and great shot, Murray is a lefty with a 6-foot-11 wingspan who can excel at both small and power forward. 

26. INDIANA PACERS: Maxwell Lewis, Pepperdine

Forward, 20, 6-7, 195 pounds, sophomore

2022-23 stats: 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals

Lewis is a threat around the perimeter and has the potential to be a 3-and-D player with his ability to catch and shoot and pull up off the dribble.  

27. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: Bilal Coulibaly, Metropolitans 92

Forward, 18, 6-6, 230 pounds, France

2022-23 stats: 5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 blocks

Playing on the same team as Wembanyama, scouts have taken notice, and while his stats don’t stand out, he’s a skilled wing who just had his best game of the season with 14 points, five assists, four rebounds and two made 3s.

28. UTAH JAZZ: Colby Jones, Xavier

Guard, 20, 6-6, 205 pounds, junior

2022-23 stats: 15 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.3 steals

A tough, team-oriented player, Jones is solid as a shooter, passer and defender and moves well without the ball on offense. 

29. INDIANA PACERS: Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA

Guard, 22, 6-7, 225 pounds, senior

2022-23 stats: 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals

Jaquez is reliable at the midrange and uses his impressive footwork to get defenders in the air with pivots and fakes. He’s also a spark plug on the defensive end and will fight for rebounds. 

30. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: Sidy Cissoko, G League Ignite

Forward, 19, 6-8, 200 pounds, France

2022-23 stats: 11.6 points, 2.9 assists, 3.3 assists

The first European-born player to play for Ignite, Cissoko is a tough, defensive-minded player who can create problems for opposing players with his 7-foot wingspan.

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon said Wednesday during WNBA head coaches media availability that she “doesn’t recall my relationship (with anyone) being anything but on the up-and-up” and that she was “disappointed” with the findings of a league investigation that led, among other penalties, to Hammon being suspended for the Aces’ first two games of the season. 

The league announced Tuesday that Hammon, who led the Aces to the WNBA title in her first season as head coach, would be suspended without pay after an investigation into allegations a player was bullied for being pregnant. The team also lost a 2025 first-round draft pick for violating league rules regarding player benefits.

The investigation stemmed from allegations made by former Las Vegas forward Dearica Hamby, who was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in the offseason. After the trade was announced in January, Hamby, a two-time Sixth Woman of the Year, posted on her Instagram account, “Being traded is a part of the business. Being lied to, bullied, manipulated, and discriminated against is not,” adding that the Aces questioned her commitment to the team after learning she was pregnant with her second child.

Hamby’s comments sparked a monthslong investigation by the league — an investigation that, according to Hammon, did not include interviewing any of the other Aces players from last season. The WNBA said Las Vegas was given the opportunity to provide names of individuals to be interviewed and did not do so. Hammon also pushed back on the notion that she treated Hamby inappropriately. 

“I handled Dearica with care from Day 1 when she told me (she was pregnant), she knows that,” Hammon said. “Once the decision had been made to move her (to Los Angeles), that’s when everything fell apart.” 

Hammon said she did ask Hamby about her pregnancy and that based on the league’s findings, just asking Hamby “was my misstep.” 

“(The pregnancy) wasn’t a problem, it not why we made the decision to move Hamby, it’s because we could get three bodies for one contract,” Hammon said. “I think it’s very evident why we made the move. (Her pregnancy) was never an issue and never the reason she was traded, it came down to math and business, it wasn’t anything personal.” Hammon added that she prides herself on having close, personal relationships with all her players and she’d guess “that’s why (Dearica) felt the way she did — (being traded) feels like a betrayal.

“Whatever Dearica deemed as painful, I’m not (invalidating) her feelings. I’m sorry they were hurt,” Hammon said. “My job is to make the Aces better every year and sometimes that’s a hard process.” She added that she does “feel bad” if anything she said or did upset Hamby or “inflicted pain or stress on anybody.” 

In the WNBA’s release about the investigation Tuesday, the league said it reviewed “numerous texts, emails and other documents.” Asked Wednesday if she’d considered releasing screenshots of any of her text messages conversations with Hamby, Hammon said no, adding “I’ve never had one bad text or email” and that she doesn’t typically email players because “I talk to them directly.”

Hamby: ‘I want to move forward’

In a statement Tuesday, the Aces said they were “deeply disappointed by the outcome of the WNBA investigation” and that “the WNBA’s determinations about Becky Hammon are inconsistent with what we know and love about her.”

Additionally, the WNBA Players Association said in a statement that the league’s findings and action “misses the mark.” It called the penalty “far from appropriate” adding that “while taking away a future draft pick is significant … it penalizes a future player by removing an opportunity to compete for a job.” 

Hamby, who gave birth to a boy in March, told reporters Tuesday, “I want to move forward and focus on where I am today. I’m healthy, I’m happy, my son is healthy … I want to focus on moving forward, this part of it is over, and me and the (players) union will continue to explore my options.” 

The Aces open the season Saturday at Seattle before traveling to play Los Angeles and Hamby on May 25.

Follow Lindsay Schnell on Twitter @Lindsay_Schnell