By ADAM ZAGORIA TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — After winning the prestigious Haggerty Award on Thursday night, Hofstra star Tyler Thomas is set to begin the next phase of his career. And that will involve some 15 NBA workouts in May. “Hopefully the workouts go well and it gets the ball rolling and hopefully leads me to a Summer League team,” the 6-foot-3 senior guard from New Haven, Conn. told ZAGSBLOG at the Met Awards dinner. A special night honoring two special players. #PrideOfLI x @Tyler_the_T x @DstoneDubar1 pic.twitter.com/yzLUyd4eW0 — Hofstra Men's Basketball (@HofstraMBB) April 19, 2024 Thomas ..read more

By ADAM ZAGORIA Kentucky freshman guard Reed Sheppard declared for the NBA Draft on Thursday. The 6-foot-3 Kentucky native averaged 12.5 points 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his lone season in college, shooting 54% from the field and 52% from deep. He is the projected No. 7 pick per ESPN.com and follows fellow freshman guard Rob Dillingham into the Draft. “I’m going all-in,” Sheppard told ESPN.com. “The opportunity I have is great. I’ve gotten really good feedback showing where I can be in the draft. I had an unbelievable year at Kentucky. It was such a fun year. It’s not easy leaving the fa ..read more

By CHARLIE PARENT Kentucky standout Rob Dillingham has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft without retaining his college eligbility, he announced Tuesday. The freshman guard averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds on 47.5% shooting this season. He is the No. 4 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board. “This was a decision I made with my family,” Dillingham told ESPN on Monday. “I felt prepared. Coach [John] Calipari taught me a lot about how to be a better teammate and that it was not all about me.” Dillingham was the SEC 6th Man of the Year and an All-SEC honoree. He played his senior sea ..read more

NBA G League Ignite forward Ron Holland has undergone successful surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his right thumb and will miss the remainder of Ignite’s season, general manager Anthony McClish announced Tuesady. Holland is expected to make a full recovery. Before suffering the injury, Holland appeared in 29 games (28 starts) and averaged 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field. Holland finishes his season as the franchise leader in several statistical categories, including steals (69), 30-point games (4) and 20-point game ..read more

The NBA announced Wednesday that the 2024 NBA Draft 2024, presented by State Farm, will expand to a two-night format that features the first round on Wednesday, June 26, and the second round on Thursday, June 27.  The first round will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., home of the Brooklyn Nets.  The second round will take place at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York. Smart move by the NBA: -showcases the 2nd-round picks more -gives teams more time to make decisions -expands the NBA footprint another day into the summer https://t.co/SFJeKgyNi6 — Adam Zagoria ..read more

By CHARLIE PARENT SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Monteverde Academy (FL.) head coach Kevin Boyle has another potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick in high school phenom and Duke commit Cooper Flagg. The Eagles and Flagg dominated in Saturday’s 91-58 HoopHall Classic win over Brewster Academy (NH.). Flagg had a seamless 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting in 20 minutes of action. He posted 5 rebounds and 2 blocks as well. “He’s a great player,” Boyle said postgame. “He doesn’t have to score to be outstanding. A lot of times, he can block shots, get steals, his defense and rebounding, his ability to attract people and ..read more

By ADAM ZAGORIA Duke commit Cooper Flagg continued to impress NBA executives and scouts on Friday night at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. The 6-foot-9 Flagg went for 25 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks and 2 steals in an 80-50 rout of Oak Hill Academy (VA). Flagg, the No. 1 recruit in 2024, committed to Duke over UConn in October and is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg would be the fourth No. 1 pick coached by Montverde’s Kevin Boyle should he eventually go with the top pick. Duke is getting a young man who is not only very skilled but extremely competi ..read more

By ADAM ZAGORIA & DYLAN LUTEY NBA scouts have been cleared to attend high school games this weekend during the NBA In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas, and they will be flocking to Friday’s game featuring Duke commit Cooper Flagg of Montverde (FL) Academy and Texas pledge Tre Johnson of Link Academy (MO). As reported by ESPN, that game will air on ESPNU at 11 p.m. ET. According to one 2025 mock draft, the 6-foot-9 Flagg is the projected No. 1 pick in 2025 and the 6-6 Johnson is No. 4. “The more exposure we have, the better we can determine their growth and potential,” one NBA scout told ZAGS ..read more

By CHARLIE PARENT Bronny James, the son of NBA legend LeBron James and four-star in the class of 2023, has been cleared for a full return to basketball following his cardiac arrest episode in July, a statement from the James family said Thursday. The 6-foot-4 guard rejoins a 6-2 USC team that received votes in this week’s AP Poll. James is expected to return to practice next week while resuming game action “soon after.” Statement from James family spokeperson Bronny will play alongside another talented five-star freshman in Isaiah Collier, as well as veteran guard Boogie Ellis.  ..read more

By ADAM ZAGORIA More than 75 NBA personnel from all 30 NBA teams are expected on Tuesday for the Champions Classic in Chicago, a source close to the event told ZAGSBLOG. No. 2 Duke faces No. 4 Michigan State at 7 p.m. ET, followed by No. 1 Kansas against No. 16 Kentucky at 9:30 (ESPN). According to the latest ESPN.com NBA mock draft, Kentucky freshmen Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner are the No. 5 and 10 picks in next year’s draft, respectively. Kentucky sophomore big man Ugonna Onyenso is also projected at No. 30. For Duke, sophomore forward Kyle Filipowski is at No. 9, sophomore guard Tyrese Pro ..read more