The king of self promotion just did something for the good of the whole, throwing out a line of succulent bait for all to nibble. 

Now let’s see who bites.

Let’s see which universities see Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ invite to come to Boulder, Co., and play a “spring game” agains the Buffs as more than hyperbole from college football’s masterful carnival barker.

Which see it as blazing down the path to a fresh future, not rehashing or reorganizing the past.

Hours after Sanders’ spring practice game statement during Monday’s press conference, Syracuse coach Fran Brown responded on X, posting that he’d like to take his team to Colorado for a spring game. A few joint practices, too. 

You know, the whole NFL training camp model thing. 

But it’s not up to Brown or Sanders or North Carolina coach Bill Belichick, who Sanders wants to see on the other sideline this spring. The highest-paid employees at their respective schools have no control over this. 

The heavy hand of It’s Not Happening belongs to – who else? – the NCAA.  

The NCAA says teams cannot play each other in the spring. Not a commissioner at the top of the NCAA food chain, who could individually make nuanced decisions. Not an end-all, be-all deity doling out dos an don’ts.

That would make too much sense.   

SPRING POWER RANKINGS: Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12

LOOKING AHEAD: Our way-too-early college football Top 25 for 2025

But 300-plus universities who make up the NCAA, who have glommed together in planned purpose, through various committees and subcommittees, to decide the specifics of every sport. Then placing president Charlie Baker out in front, with a hefty contract, to take the slings and arrows. And giving him zero power.

It couldn’t be more bureaucratically entangled if it were run by the federal government. 

Colorado and Syracuse simply can’t have joint practices, and then a controlled scrimmage. Why, you ask? 

Well there’s airfare for players to Colorado, and who pays for that? There’s also lodging and housing and meals, and who pays for those?

Then there’s insurance waivers, because, buddy, this thing isn’t insured for spring football — even though the Big Ten spent months in 2020 trying to convince anyone who would listen that teams could play spring football in 2021 instead of forging through the Covid season.

The Big Ten also – just in case anyone forgot – floated the idea of its teams playing two seasons in nine months to avoid playing in 2020. Now, that can be pulled off ― in the middle of a flipping pandemic. 

But two teams getting together for a week, holding a few joint practices and playing a controlled scrimmage spring game? Heavens, no.

Why? Because they’re all about rules at the NCAA — except for rules against member institutions tampering with players from other schools. 

And that’s how we got into this mess in the first place.

“The way the train is going,” Sanders said, “You never know if this is going to be the last spring game.”

That train gained momentum earlier this spring when Nebraska coach Matt Rhule declared he wouldn’t have a spring game because he didn’t want every swinging scout from FBS schools watching his game — and seeing what players were prime for the transfer portal picking. 

Translation: the tampering problem the NCAA refuses to honestly discuss, much less include in rules enforcement.

NCAA bylaw 13.1.1.3 prohibits any communication with an enrolled student athlete before they enter the transfer portal. Violations can result in penalties, including recruiting bans and loss of scholarships. 

The joke goes something like this: the NCAA was so mad about tampering in FBS, it threw the book at an FCS school. If you think that’s a joke, let me introduce Southern Utah.

The Thunderbirds (best mascot, ever) were in the NCAA crosshairs because coach DeLane Fitzgerald was accused of illegally contacting two players. Southern Utah was given one year of probation and a $5,000 fine, among other slaps on the wrist. 

To this day, no FBS coach has been accused and sanctioned for tampering. 

So it should come as no surprise that after Nebraska bailed on its spring game, Texas soon followed. So did Ohio State and Southern California and LSU and Oklahoma … and stop me if you don’t get the picture. 

All of them, and many others in FBS, have either eliminated spring games or substituted another form of practice to wrap up spring drills.

“Those other coaches who want to come watch our spring game, they’re going to get a good look at our threes and fours,” West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez told me last week. “We won’t have our best out there. (Coaches are) going to have to go way down the list to find out who these guys are.”

Or, and I’m just spitballing here, power conferences desperate for additional revenue streams could televise the joint practices and controlled scrimmages and make a boatload of media rights money. Take the NFL model ― and cash in on it.

“I think the public would be satisfied with that tremendously,” Sanders said. 

That would make too much sense.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

During Wednesday’s Dodgers-Cubs game at the Tokyo Dome, Los Angeles third baseman Max Muncy reached over the netting to try catching a foul ball, but it landed in the glove of a spectator instead.

That fan? Former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete.

Peete, whose son RJ is a clubhouse attendant for the Dodgers, coolly made the grab in the stands – while Muncy was frustrated he couldn’t secure the catch. Replays showed that the ball had missed Muncy’s glove before Peete made the play.

Peete played in the NFL from 1989 to 2004 with the Lions, Cowboys, Eagles, Washington, Raiders and Panthers. A multi-sport athlete in high school and college at Southern California, Peete was selected in the Major League Baseball draft four times (1984, 1988, 1989 and 1990) but chose to stick with football.

Peete’s wife Holly Robinson-Peete, an actress and singer, took to Instagram to share video of the encounter and apologize to Muncy, noting that the foul ball ‘was coming straight for my head!’

Peete, who also works for the Dodgers’ radio station AM 570 LA, said fans in the area he was seated were given gloves and helmets because of the low netting.

The Dodgers won the game 6-3, taking both contests against the Cubs in Tokyo to open the 2025 MLB season.

This story was updated to include new information.

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McNeese State coach Will Wade has reached an agreement to be hired as the next coach at North Carolina State, according to multiple reports on Wednesday, returning to the power conference level three years after his tenure at LSU ended with NCAA violations and a show-cause penalty.

Wade is expected to accept his new ACC job after McNeese State’s postseason run is complete. No. 12 seed McNeese faces No. 5 seed Clemson in a Midwest Region first-round game to start the 2025 NCAA Tournament. It’s the second year in a row Wade led the Cowboys to the Southland Conference championship and a spot in March Madness.

Wade, 42, confirmed during a news conference Wednesday in Providence, Rhode Island ahead of McNeese’s game against Clemson that he had spoken with North Carolina State officials since the Wolfpack announced they had fired former coach Kevin Keatts.

Wade had a fast rise up the coaching ladder to start his career, first as an assistant coach at VCU during its Final Four run under Shaka Smart and later as a head coach at Chattanooga, VCU and then LSU. Wade had a 105-51 record over five seasons at LSU, making the NCAA Tournament every year after his opening campaign in 2017-18. The Tigers won the SEC and went to the Sweet 16 under Wade in 2019, but he was suspended for the final five games of the season.

Wade eventually agreed to modifications in his contract and continued as LSU’s coach for three more seasons while an investigation into the program continued. Wade was fired by LSU following the 2021-22 season after the school received a notice of allegations from the NCAA that detailed Wade’s alleged conduct offering financial inducements to players as ‘deliberate and committed after substantial planning.’

After sitting out a season, Wade was hired by McNeese State in March 2023 and retained three months later when he was given a 10-game suspension and two-year show-cause penalty by the NCAA’s now-defunct Independent Accountability Resolution Process. Wade has a 49-8 record during his two seasons at the Lake Charles, Louisiana school.

Keatts led North Carolina State to the Final Four in 2024 after making the NCAA Tournament as one of the final at-large teams. He was rewarded with a contract extension, but the Wolfpack couldn’t follow up that success this season. They finished with a 12-19 record and failed to qualify for the ACC tournament after a 16th-place finish in league play.

Michigan State’s Jase Richardson started the men’s college basketball season as an important reserve freshman on a promising team.

He ended the regular season and Big Ten conference tournament as a starter and perhaps the most important player for the Spartans, who are a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

And Richardson has vaulted higher and higher in NBA mock drafts, going from a potential first-round pick to potential lottery pick if he decides to leave Michigan State after one season.The son of former Michigan State star and NBA player Jason Richardson, a two-time dunk contest champion and 14-year veteran, Jase has impressed scouts with his shotmaking and poise.

Michigan State went 8-1, including multiple victories over ranked opponents at home and on the road, before the NCAA Tournament began, and in those nine games, Richardson averaged 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and shot 48.5% from the field and 45% on 3-pointers.

Few players who could be drafted in 2025 have improved their draft stock like Richardson has.

Here is USA TODAY Sports’ latest mock draft as the NCAA Tournament begins. (Stats through games of March 16; age listed is age at time of June 25-26 draft):

2025 NBA mock draft

1. Cooper Flagg, Duke

Freshman, guard-forward, 6-9, 205, 18 years old
2024-25 stats: 18.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.3 bpg, 48.8% FG, 36.8% 3PT, 83% FT

The do-it-all young star leads the Blue Devils in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Flagg has outstanding footwork, especially in the low post. He can use either hand on shots in the paint, knows how to run plays, can hit catch-and-shoot 3s and is an active weakside defender. Flagg, who has added more muscle since the start of the year, is a physical player who initiates contact, is confident and plays with force when necessary. He is leading Duke to an impressive season, which includes the ACC regular-season title and ACC tournament title. Flagg sprained his left ankle in Duke’s first game of the ACC tourney, missing the second half against Georgia Tech, the semifinal game against North Carolina and final against Louisville.

2. Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Freshman, guard, 6-6, 215, 19
2024-25 stats: 19.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 48.4% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 75% FT

The lefty stroke will remind some of Jalen Brunson, but Harper has far more size at 6-6 and tremendous length with a wingspan of 6-foot-10. Harper’s best asset at the next level might be his versatility to run point and play off the ball. In Rutgers’ lone Big Ten tournament game, Harper had 27 points (9-for-21 shooting), eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks in a double-overtime loss to Southern California.

3. Ace Bailey, Rutgers

Freshman, guard-forward, 6-10, 200, 18
2024-25 stats: 17.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.3 bpg, 46% FG, 34.6% 3PT, 69.2% FT

Bailey is a hyper-athletic wing with length and size coming into a league that prioritizes players built exactly the way he is with exactly the skill set he has: an effortless and reliable shot and an attack-first mentality with an ability to finish at the rim. Needs to improve as a playmaker on the pass and free throws. But even when offense isn’t easy, he remains active on defense. He had 17 points, seven rebounds, three steals and one block in season-ending loss to USC.

4. VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Freshman, guard, 6-5, 180, 19
2024-25 stats: 15.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.1 spg, 43.5% FG, 34.5% 3PT, 77.9% FT

The Bahamian native has displayed his athleticism, has shown he can be explosive and has an elite knack for steals. He will be able to contribute at the NBA level and can be aggressive at the point of attack. The freshman is a high-level off-ball scorer but can improve when it comes to on-ball scoring. Edgecombe logged significant minutes at the end of the season. He had 19 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals in 36 minutes in a Big 12 tournament victory against Kansas State and 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in 36 minutes in a Big 12 tournament loss to Texas Tech.

5. Kon Knueppel, Duke

Freshman, guard-forward, 6-7, 217, 19
2024-25 stats: 14.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 47.2% FG, 39.2% 3PT, 91.4% FT

He can ignite an offense with his 3-point shot, thanks to an efficient motion, seemingly always ready to receive the ball in his shooting pocket. He can also lace shots from midrange, take care of the ball and is money on free throws. In the ACC tournament, Knueppel averaged 21 points (28 against Georgia Tech) and shot 48.6% from the field, stepping up with Flagg injured.

6. Tre Johnson, Texas

Freshman, guard, 6-6, 190, 19
2024-25 stats: 19.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.8 apg, 42.7% FG, 39.2% 3PT, 89.1% FT

Johnson is a natural shooter and scorer. He does well when scoring on the move and is a decent playmaker for his size. He still needs to work on his ability to make plays for others. He must also work on his strength and his explosiveness in order to assert himself as a finisher at the rim. He has three 30-point games in the past two months, including 39 against Arkansas on Feb. 26. He had 20 points, four assists and three steals in an SEC tournament victory against Texas A&M but was limited to 11 points on eight shot attempts in and SEC tourney loss to Tennessee.

7. Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois

Freshman, guard, 6-6, 205, 19
2024-25 stats: 15.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.7 apg, 44.8% FG, 32.9% 3PT, 84.1% FT

Jakucionis is a playmaker – a scorer and passer. He has range with a nice 3-ball, can shoot off the dribble from deep, including on step-back 3s, and looks for an open teammate when he draws multiple defenders. Jakucionis sees the court well with savvy passes and likes to get to the rim for layups. But he can be turnover-prone. He struggled offensively in the Big Ten tournament, going 1-for-6 with no assists in a victory against Iowa and scoring 15 points on 4-for-10 shooting with 10 rebounds and four assists in a loss to Maryland. He had 12 turnovers – six each game – in the conference tournament.

8. Khaman Maluach, Duke

Freshman, center, 7-2, 250, 18
2024-25 stats: 8.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 69.3% FG, 74.6% FT

Playing about 20 minutes per game, Maluach is a mobile big who excels in pick-and-rolls and has the hands to catch lobs for easy dunks; soft touch at the rim; shot-blocker/rim protector; active on the offensive glass; will get stronger and has a great aptitude for the game, learning concepts quickly. In the ACC tourney, Maluach, who played for South Sudan at the 2024 Paris Olympics, averaged 11.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and shot 76.2% from the field.

9. Asa Newell, Georgia

Freshman, forward, 6-11, 220, 19
2024-25 stats: 15.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 spg, 1.0 bpg, 54.1% FG, 29.9% 3PT, 74.4% FT

Based off of his size, Newell wouldn’t appear to be as quick and fluid as he is, which should make him an instant threat in pick-and-roll situations. He was one of the lone bright spots for the Bulldogs in a loss against No. 1 Auburn with a team-high 20 points. His scoring dipped at the end of the regular season, however, he had 21 points and 17 rebounds in an SEC tournament loss to Oklahoma.

10. Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma

Freshman, guard, 6-4, 182, 18
2024-25 stats: 17.0 ppg, 4.1 apg, 4.1 rpg, 1.6 spg, 43.6% FG, 27.5% 3PT, 84.5% FT

Solid start to his freshman season; quick on the dribble; has strength going to the rim and can finish; operates well in the pick-and-roll as a scorer and passer; needs to improve his 3-point shot but potential is there. Fears scored a season-high 31 points and added five assists and four rebounds in a win against ranked Missouri. Fears had a strong SEC tournament, producing 29 points, six rebounds and five steals plus five turnovers in a victory against Georgia and 28 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals (just one turnover) in a loss to Kentucky.

11. Derik Queen, Maryland

Freshman, center, 6-10, 246, 20
2024-25 stats: 16.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.1 bpg, 52.9% FG, 76.8% FT

An active, physical big man, Queen has a soft touch around the rim with either hand but has a power game, too. He can run the court and handle the basketball well for a power forward-center. He is another potential first-round pick with good hands and footwork and has the mechanics to become a shooter who can stretch the floor. Queen had 23 points and 10 rebounds against Illinois and 31 points and three rebounds against Michigan, shooting 56.7% from the field in Big Ten tournament games

12. Liam McNeeley, UConn

Freshman, forward, 6-7, 210, 19
2024-25 stats: 14.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.3 apg, 39.1% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 86.1% FT

What McNeeley may lack in fluid athleticism, he more than makes up for with a smooth, natural shot and knack for drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. He also has a quick release and plenty of range to suggest that he should get early minutes. He has bounced back since suffering an ankle injury New Year’s Day that had sidelined him for a few weeks. McNeeley struggled with his shot at times down the stretch of the regular season. In a Big East tournament loss to Creighton, McNeeley had 13 points on 6-for-20 shooting (0-for-5 on 3-pointers), and in his final eight games before the NCAA Tournament, he shot 34.1% from the field and 28.2% on 3s.           

13. Egor Demin, BYU

Freshman, forward, 6-9, 19
2024-25 stats: 10.3 ppg, 5.4 apg, 3.8 rpg, 1.2 spg, 41% FG, 27.1% 3PT, 67.5% FT

The Russian is a playmaker who can make quick decisions and facilitate for others. Demin is the size of a wing player but has guard-like skills. On defense, he uses his length to his advantage while forcing turnovers and being active in passing lanes. His shooting efficiency is a concern. Demin had difficulty with his offense as the season progressed. He had just three points with four turnovers, three assists and three rebounds in a Big 12 conference tournament victory against Iowa State and six points on 2-for-9 shooting (1-for-7 on 3s) with four assists and five turnovers in a conference tournament loss to Houston.

14. Noa Essengue, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)

Forward, 6-10, 198, 18
2024-25 stats: 10.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 51.4% FG, 21.8% 3PT, 70.7% FT

The next forward with elite finishing ability to come out of France, Essengue figures to be more of a developmental prospect, but his size, instincts at the rim and plus-defensive ability could make him a star if he bulks up.

15. Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina

Sophomore, forward, 6-8, 245, 20
2024-25 stats: 16.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.4 agp, 1.5 spg, 1.3 bpg, 58.6% FG, 26.5% 3PT, 70.7% FT

Although he’s a bit undersized for a power forward, Murray-Boyles plays with intense effort and determination, which will very quickly please his NBA coaches. He also has plenty of strength to finish at the rim and was the SEC’s No. 3 rebounder. Murray-Boyles had 35 points and seven rebounds against Arkansas late in the regular season and had 20 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to Arkansas in the SEC tournament.

16. Jase Richardson, Michigan State

Freshman, guard, 6-3, 185, 19
2024-25 stats: 12.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.9 apg, 51.2% FG, 41.2% 3PT, 84% FT

Richardson has improved as the season has progressed and has turned into the Spartans’ steady hand with the basketball as a shooter (inside and out) and facilitator. He is an active defender with surprising bouts of athleticism. He also has a knack for collecting rebounds, big plays and poise under pressure.

17. Ben Saraf, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)

Guard, 6-6, 200, 19
2024-25 stats: 12.2 ppg, 4.4 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.1 spg, 45.8% FG, 26.7% 3PT, 70.8% FT

He’s just as comfortable knocking down a step-back jumper, finding creases in the paint and dishing the ball with excellent vision. He may need some time to develop as he adjusts to NBA athletes, but his length and size at point guard will make him an intriguing prospect.

18. Nolan Traore, Saint-Quentin (France)

Guard, 6-4, 175, 19
2024-25 stats: 11.8 ppg, 4.6 apg, 1.9 rpg, 40.9% FG, 27.8% 3PT, 71.8% FT

Traore is a point guard who can score and pass and has court awareness but also a propensity for bad turnovers. He’s quick, can get to the rim and is comfortable taking his defender off the dribble. Needs to work on his shooting efficiency, especially on 3s. His brother, Armel, was on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles and South Bay Lakers before being waived last month.

19. Thomas Sorber, Georgetown

Freshman, forward-center, 6-10, 255, 19
2024-25 stats: 14.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.0 spg, 53.2% FG, 72.4% FT

The standout freshman will miss the remainder of the season, requiring surgery to repair a foot injury suffered Feb. 15. That could alter his plans for the draft, but Sorber is a stellar inside threat who’s just as comfortable cutting to the basket on pick-and-rolls as he is backing down opponents. His rebounding and rim protection will make him an asset, as he continues to grow into his frame.

20. Kam Jones, Marquette

Senior, guard, 6-5, 205, 23
2024-25 stats: 19.2 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.4 rpg, 1.4 spg, 48.5% FG, 31.6% 3PT, 64.3% FT

All-Big East first-team selection, Jones is a strong, physical guard who can finish on drives to the rim, possesses solid footwork and isn’t afraid of contact. He has improved as a playmaker/passer this season and is a solid rebounder with at least 10 five-plus rebound games. The left-hander had a dip in his 3-point shooting percentage this season but has shown the ability to make them off the dribble and on catch-and-shoots as a career 37% shooter from deep in his four-year career. Jones was solid in the Big East tournament with 28 points (11-for-22 shooting, 5-for-10 on 3s), five assists and four rebounds in a victory against Xavier and 24 points (3-for-12 on 3s) and seven rebounds in a loss to St. John’s.

21. Labaron Philon, Alabama

Freshman, guard, 6-4, 177, 19
2024-25 stats: 10.9 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 spg, 45.7% FG, 30.1% 3PT, 75.6% FT

Philon excels in transition with his speed and ability to finish at the rim; is capable on catch-and-shoot 3s but needs work on that part of his game. He’s a heady defender who disrupts opponents with his ability to get steals. The Crimson Tide finished the regular season with seven games against ranked opponents, going 3-4, and Philon had 15 points in an overtime victory against top-ranked Auburn on March 8. He had a team-high 21 points, four assists and three steals in an SEC tournament victory against Kentucky but just three points on 1-for-9 shooting in a conference tournament semifinals loss to Florida.

22. Boogie Fland, Arkansas

Freshman, guard, 6-2, 175, 18
2024-25 stats: 15.1 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.4 rpg, 1.5 spg, 39.1% FG, 36.5% 3PT, 83.9% FT

Fland is an aggressive defender, can hit mid-range shots, makes 3s off the dribble and on catch-and-shoots and attacks the rim. He is getting more comfortable reading defenses and finding advantages with the pass. Fland sustained a a thumb injury Jan. 11 and hasn’t played since Jan. 18, undergoing surgery on Jan. 22.

23. Hugo Gonzalez, Real Madrid (Spain)

Guard-forward, 6-7, 207, 19
2024-25 stats: 3.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 40.8% FG, 27.4% 3PT, 74.4% FT

One of Europe’s top young NBA prospects, Gonzalez is a versatile wing with the ability to score inside and out. He can handle the basketball, pass and is a surprising shot-blocker. He’s still raw.

24. Carter Bryant, Arizona

Freshman, forward, 6-8, 225, 19
2024-25 stats: 6.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.0 bpg, 47.4% FG, 36.6% 3PT, 67.3% FT

The athletic forward provides a solid combination of strength and fluidity. He has lateral quickness to stay in front of the ball and the ability to block shots. He can still improve on his technique as a finisher and in scoring efficiency. He will get an increased opportunity to impress scouts and executives at the draft combine if he enters the draft.

25. Joan Beringer, KK Cedevita (Adriatic League)

Forward-center, 6-10, 230, 18
2024-25 stats: 4.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 59.7% FG, 58.5% FT

Beringer has gained traction among NBA scouts and executives as a mobile big man who can run the pick-and-roll as a screener on offense and guard the pick-and-roll. He doesn’t have a lot of experience but his potential – especially as a rim protector – has made him a first-round prospect.

26. Noah Penda, Le Mans (France)

Forward, 6-8, 225, 20
2024-25 stats: 9.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.0 bpg, 44.3% FG, 31.4% 3PT, 71.2% FT

A solidly-built wing, Penda may not be the most explosive athlete, but he has flashed excellent footwork in the low block, has steady enough ball-handling abilities and can knock down 3s with relative efficiency. Penda has also shown that he can move well without the ball, often slashing through a defense on cuts for easy buckets.

27. Nique Clifford, Colorado State

Fifth-year graduate season, guard, 6-6, 200, 23
2024-25 stats: 19.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.2 spg, 50.7% FG, 39.8% 3PT, 77% FT

Clifford is versatile wing who does a lot of multiple things – scoring, rebounding, passing defending. He has a quick burst on drives to the basket and can finish with force or finesse. He logged big minutes for Colorado State and was excellent in the Rams’ final six games before the NCAA Tournament, posting 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals and shooting 60% from the field, including 54.8% on 3s. He had 36 points against Boise State at the end of the regular season and recorded two double-doubles in the Mountain West tournament.

28. Danny Wolf, Michigan

Junior, forward-center, 7-0, 250, 21
2024-25 stats: 13.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.3 bpg, 50.3% FG, 33.7% 3PT, 61.6% FT

The Yale transfer is shooting up draft boards thanks to his fluid scoring and play-making portfolio in the package of a 7-foot stretch big. Wolf has played point guard at times this season for the Wolverines just like he’s played center. His handles make him a threat as the initiator in pick-and-roll actions and his range should translate to the NBA. Wolf had 21 points and 14 rebounds against Maryland in the Big Ten tournament semifinals and shot 52.9% from the field as the Wolverines won the conference tourney.

29. Johni Broome, Auburn

Senior, forward-center, 6-10, 240, 22
2024-25 stats: 18.9 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.3 bpg, 51.3% FG, 28.9% 3PT, 60.7% FT

A powerful and physical forward, Broome is a double-double machine in points and rebounds but also has a penchant for assists – 31 points, 14 rebounds against Georgia; 19 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks against Alabama; 21 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, three blocks against Ohio State. He is in the running for college player of the year, and in two SEC tournament contests, Broome averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds and shot 63% from the field.

30. Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s

Junior, forward, 6-9, 240, 20
2024-25 stats: 14.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 1.4 spg, 1.3 apg, 53.8% FG, 40% 3PT, 73.7% FT

Fleming is a mobile forward who plays a physical game and has strong footwork to finesse his way around defenders. He likes to get easy buckets in transition, his 3-point percentage in nearly five attempts per game is encouraging and he is valuable in pick-and-rolls as the screener. Defensively, he deflects passes and can protect the rim. Fleming didn’t have a great offensive outing (28.6% shooting) in the Atlantic 10 tournament) but averaged 10 rebounds in three games.

It’s been a few months since Dax McCarty helped Atlanta United eliminate Lionel Messi and Inter Miami from the postseason, before retiring after 19 seasons in Major League Soccer.

It’s been a little over a year since Ozzie Alonso retired, and two years since Sacha Kljestan and Bradley Wright-Phillips retired from MLS.

Ask any former athlete in any sport: The desire to play again never goes away.

The four are now MLS Apple TV analysts, but they’re going to step onto a pitch once again in Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday night. They’ll play with six other retired stars on an amateur team from Iowa against a bunch of 19- to 24-year-olds aspiring to play in MLS like they did.

They’ll play for the Des Moines Menace on the road against Sporting Kansas City II inside Children’s Mercy Victory Field at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match is in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup – the longest ongoing tournament in America soccer in its 110th edition. It will be available to stream on YouTube.

At least the tournament is older than them?

‘I just ran sprints for the first time in four months. I still got it,’ McCarty, 37, said in a video on social media last week – breathing heavily before laying down on some grass.

‘I don’t know how I got convinced, man,’ Wright-Phillips, 40, told USA TODAY Sports with a sigh.

Kljestan, 39, played with the Menace for two games in last year’s Open Cup. He did the convincing along with Benny Feilhaber, who is going to play against the MLS Next Pro team he coached for the last three years. Feilhaber, who played for the USMNT and was born in Brazil, helped SKC win MLS Cup in 2013, the Open Cup in 2017, and is in the franchise’s hall of fame.  

Kljestan and Feilhaber recruited McCarty — the trio competed for playing time together for U.S. Soccer at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Alonso, a four-time Open Cup winner and 2016 MLS Cup winner with the Seattle Sounders, said McCarty influenced him before a flight to their current day jobs.

And Kljestan needed his ‘striking partner” in Wright-Phillips. Kljestan led MLS in assists and Wright-Phillips in goals twice each during their careers, and one of those times was in 2016 when they played together for the New York Red Bulls.

‘Sasha worked his magic, wore me down and convinced me,” Wright-Phillips said.

The Menace is a USL League 2 team that plays from May to August and is typically filled with amateur players in college. The former MLS stars aren’t getting paid for participation.

They’re just in it for the thrills.

‘When you retire, you can never get that feeling back of playing in a stadium, scoring a goal and hearing everybody cheer for you. There’s just nothing in life that can replicate that,” Kljestan said. “So, just getting that opportunity to do it one more time, or two more times, or three more times depending how many games we win, I think it’s pretty exciting for us.”

McCarty said he walked away from the game in great shape, but the day-to-day grind and being away from his family took its toll. He started playing some golf and pickleball in his spare time to feed his competitive fire.

But it just doesn’t compare.

‘I absolutely want that feeling back,” McCarty said.

Alonso misses being in the locker room with his teammates and the pressure to perform.

‘I miss everything,” Alonso said succinctly.

Wright-Phillips — who started his career Manchester City before eight MLS seasons – wants to make up for lost fun.

“I’m one of those players that I don’t really miss the game,” he said. “When I played, I was really uptight. It wasn’t fun because I was very hard on myself to always score goals. I didn’t enjoy as many games as I should have because you’re always worried about three points and worrying about other teams’ results.

‘So, I just want to enjoy the game, try to win and just have fun playing with my friends.”

They’ll be joined by AJ DeLaGarza, a three-time MLS Cup champion with the L.A. Galaxy who won the Open Cup with Houston in 2018. Victor Ulloa (FC Dallas, 2016) and Justin Meram (Atlanta, 2019) also won Open Cup titles. Matt Hedges (2016 MLS Defender of the Year) and Mikey Ambrose (former six-year MLS veteran) will also play.

Their first order of business should be getting on the same page.

Kljestan and Wright-Phillips want McCarty to play the whole game since he’s the least removed from professional soccer of the bunch.

‘Their expectations are I’m supposed to play 90 minutes,” McCarty said. ‘I don’t know how that’s going to work out.”

They also need to figure out how far they really want to go in the tournament. McCarty said it would be ‘a little irresponsible and foolish to talk about winning the whole thing.’ Kljestan said his ‘dream scenario’ would be to at least play against an MLS team in a big stadium again.

‘It’s going to sound delusional, but I want to get to the final. I want to win this. That’s the way I am in my mind,” Wright-Phillips said. ‘I’m not saying I’m going to be leading the line. I’ll be on the bench like a great cheerleader. But let’s try and get to the final.”

On Tuesday, U.S. Soccer announced a record $1 million prize pool would be awarded during this year’s tournament. The champion will win $600,000, the runner-up $250,000, and $50,000 for each of the three highest finishers from lower divisions participating.

The Open Cup – despite its history – has been a bit of an afterthought in the American soccer space since the summer Leagues Cup tournament between MLS and LIGA MX teams was created in 2019.

MLS nearly pulled its senior teams from the tournament last year, but eight competed in 2023, and 16 of the 30 of them will play this year.

The former players don’t feel responsibility to play in hopes of reviving the Open Cup, but believe their presence will bring some attention.

‘People over time have seemed to play it down. It’s the oldest tournament in the country, and that’s to be respected,” Wright-Phillips said. “A lot of people made their name in this tournament. Why are we above it? Why would I not want to play in this tournament and get more people interested?”

Added Kljestan: ‘This is just getting a group of guys that want to give it one last shot of playing together at the highest level, and it will shine a light to the Open Cup and hopefully bring more eyeballs for it.”