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NBA Draft

Andrej Stojakovic Likely Exiting NBA Draft Process, Returning to Illini Next Season

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The Illinois Fighting Illini will certainly lose player to the NBA Draft, in Keaton Wagler, who is likely to be selected in the top ten. The Illini will also see one of their players from the 2024-25 team, Morez Johnson, stay in the draft. He'll likely be a late first round selection. Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic, two key players from this past season's Final Four team, … [Read more...] about Andrej Stojakovic Likely Exiting NBA Draft Process, Returning to Illini Next Season

Kylan Boswell: Strengths, Weaknesses of former Illini PG as NBA Combine Nears

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This past Friday saw the NBA Draft Combine invite list, 73 names long, released, and it included three Illinois Fighting Illini. Shooting guard and Jerry West Award wiiner Keaton Wagler, point guard/combo guard Kylan Boswell and small forward Andrej Stojakovic. Wagler is set to become a top 10, maybe even 5 overall pick. Stojakovic, who has a mid-to-late second round grade, … [Read more...] about Kylan Boswell: Strengths, Weaknesses of former Illini PG as NBA Combine Nears

Yaxel Lendeborg Played His Way into NBA Draft Lottery this March Madness

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The NCAA Tournament can do a whole lot for your NBA Draft stock, provided you are a player who can rise up and carpe diem. Michgan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, the reigning Big Ten Playery of the Year, projected as a potential mid first round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, entering March Madness. However, some pundits and prognosticators project him into the late lottery, and the … [Read more...] about Yaxel Lendeborg Played His Way into NBA Draft Lottery this March Madness

Big Ten Scoring Champ Carsen Edwards: NBA Draft Stock Update

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(Editor's note: this Carsen Edwards NBA Draft stock article from the end of the regular season is now being re-posted with the NBA Draft tomorrow night) It won’t be official until tomorrow, but Purdue junior combo guard Carsen Edwards (23.4 points per game entering the regular season finale) will win the Big Ten scoring title. It will make him the third Boilermaker in the last … [Read more...] about Big Ten Scoring Champ Carsen Edwards: NBA Draft Stock Update

BEST AND MOST DOMINANT BASKETBALL PLAYER(S) IN 1950’S

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If you ask a lot of people who he or she thinks is the greatest basketball player of all time, I bet most people would say Michael Jordan. Some might say Wilt Chamberlain. Some might say Magic Johnson. Unique skill-sets are what set players apart from one another. LeBron James was supposed to the “next” MJ coming out of high school. But we soon found out that his skill-set … [Read more...] about BEST AND MOST DOMINANT BASKETBALL PLAYER(S) IN 1950’S

West Virginia’s Ebanks is a Draft Wildcard

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By Paul M. Banks and David Kay In helping lead West Virginia to their first college basketball Final Four since 1958, extremely gangly (6-9, 205) forward Devin Ebanks helped his NBA Draft stock; or did he? At the Final Four, Bob Huggins discussed why his two stars didn't leave school for "the league" right away. Da'Sean Butler stuck around all four years and Ebanks stayed … [Read more...] about West Virginia’s Ebanks is a Draft Wildcard

Gani Lawal: proof that testing the waters benefits NBA Prospects

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By Paul M. Banks and David Kay For 6-9, 235 lb Georgia Tech Jr. Gani Lawal, testing the waters of the NBA Draft, seeing what NBA scouts had to say about his game, and then returning to college basketball has been the best thing for him "It's been great coming back. I've learned a lot. I'm better off for it," Lawal said during the NCAA Tournament on the eve of his final … [Read more...] about Gani Lawal: proof that testing the waters benefits NBA Prospects