Words. dimemag
For those of us who follow the recruiting process, rankings aren’t always an accurate data point when measuring the likelihood of immediate success at the collegiate level. Sometimes, the biggest factor is player retention. Which freshman will be given an opportunity? Sometimes the biggest factor is “fit”. How does this new crop of talented freshman adapt to playing for a new coach in a new system? MORE >
Words. Bryan Horowitz
At one point early in the first half of Saturday night’s Jordan Brand Classic, the crowd at Barclays Center suddenly and incongruously erupted into a thunderous ovation during a dead ball. Only one person’s arrival could have elicited such a reaction.
Nope, not him. It was Drake. MORE >
Words. High School Hoop
The 2013 Jordan Brand Classic announced its field yesterday, a 22-star collection that’s the center of the showcase April 13 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. How many of these players will be back in the New York metro area for the 2014 NBA Draft just over a year later? By the looks of the field, a number of them could be. MORE >
Words. High School Hoop
With the news of Andrew Wiggins‘ reclassification to ’13, how does that alter the landscape of current high school prospect rankings? MORE >
Words. Sean Sweeney
How young is too young? Well, we’ve had 43-year-old presidents. Justin Bieber was an annoying sensation at 15, and Freddy Adu signed a professional deal at 14. Just two years ago, a 15-year-old girl named Lexi Thompson quit school to play on the LPGA Tour and yet, no one seemed to give a shit. Only in basketball do the fake mothers and fathers come out of hiding to preach on how they’d raise their young sons. Only in basketball do kids turning pro get scolded for jumping at the money or chasing their dream. Dime challenged the ruling in the past, giving this fact: if you jump from high school to the NBA, you have over a 70 percent chance of making it as (at least) a solid rotational player. We’d take those odds. MORE >
Words. Patrick Cassidy
We’ve been looking back at some of the real stars of the past summer (and season before that), and few stand out more than the force of nature that is Texan Julius Randle.
The 6-9 PF consensus No. 1 high school player in the land bulldozed his way across the country over the past year, destroying pretty much everything in his path.
Here now are some of the best highlights of his work: MORE >
