Category: Sports

Killed by greed and mismanagement in the summer of 2023, the Pac-12 has risen and rebuilt itself.

Set to launch on July 1, 2026, the new Pac-12 will feature just two teams from its last version, the left-behinds in Oregon State and Washington State. Joining the Beavers and Cougars to bolster this conference are soon-to-be-former Mountain West members Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State. Gonzaga brings its storied history in basketball, coming over from the West Coast Conference as the lone non-football member, while Texas State rounds out the nine-team league as its easternmost member.

Around the same time the Pac-12 announced the addition of Texas State from the Sun Belt, it unveiled that CBS will be its anchor partner of a new TV deal through 2031. College sports fans will be seeing these nine schools a whole lot on CBS, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+.

Since launching, the Pac-12’s social media arm has been busy touting its successes in men’s basketball and football. And indeed, they now have signature brands in both. Boise State is coming off a College Football Playoff appearance and Gonzaga has been to a pair of Final Fours and two Elite Eights in the past decade. Seven of the new Pac-12’s nine teams have made at least one men’s NCAA Tournament since 2021.

But what about women’s basketball? How good of a league can the new Pac-12 be in that sport?

It depends on how one views the new Pac-12. If you’re expecting this league to return to its old form where it was competing for national championships and putting more than half its membership in the NCAA Tournament every year, you’ll likely be disappointed. This new version of the Pac-12 simply doesn’t have the same depth of talented teams that the old one did.

However, if you’re a bit more clear-eyed but also optimistic, carrying the belief that this could be among the best mid-major conferences in the sport and be a multi-bid conference most seasons, I think your expectations will be met.

Among the nine teams in this conference, there’s a clear top, middle and bottom in women’s basketball.

Let’s start at the bottom with Fresno State, Texas State and Utah State. These are the only three teams in the new Pac-12 that haven’t appeared in an NCAA Tournament in the past decade.

If there’s a team to be optimistic about, it’s probably Fresno State, the program that gave us the Cavinder Twins and has produced two seasons of 20 wins or more in the past decade. The Bulldogs, following the retirement of Jaime White, just hired a new head coach in Ryan McCarthy. He comes to Fresno after 13 seasons at Division II Alaska Anchorage, where he had an 82.2 win percentage, produced six All-Americans and took his team to the national championship game. If he can turn things around at Fresno, it will raise the floor of this league.

Utah State has endured six consecutive losing seasons and has never been to the NCAA Tournament. Wesley Brooks — who has worked under Kevin McGuff, Kim Barnes Arico and Lynne Roberts — is about to enter his second season there. Of the nine teams in the new Pac-12, Utah State is the only one to never finish a season in the past 10 years with a HerHoopStats rating better than 10.0. For reference, 91 teams had HHS ratings of 10 or better this season, including Gonzaga which has had a rating north of that for 10 consecutive seasons.

Texas State is in somewhat of a similar boat, as it hasn’t been dancing in March Madness since 2002. Zenarae Antoine is entering her 15th season at the helm of the Bobcats with a win percentage of 50.1. If she makes it to her 16th season, it’ll be the fourth different conference she’s coached Texas State in. The Bobcats have won two division titles under her watch and were regular season champs of the Sun Belt in 2023.

Now to the middle, which brings us to Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State. Each of these schools have had some form of varying degrees of consistent success over the past decade.

Colorado State, for example, has one NCAA Tournament appearance, four WNIT trips, and seven seasons of 20 wins or more — including the last four — since the 2015-16 season under Ryun Williams. They’ve been a consistent decent-to-good mid-major team.

The same could be said for Boise State, though the Broncos have leveled out a bit since winning four straight Mountain West titles from 2017 through 2020. They have enjoyed three consecutive winning seasons though and returned to the WNIT this past year. In the last decade, Boise State also has five wins over Power 4 opponents — the most of the middle and lower class teams in the new Pac-12.

San Diego State is trending upward under Stacie Terry-Hutson, who just coached the Aztecs to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. They’ve enjoyed three consecutive seasons of 20 or more wins and just added three players in the transfer portal who should help them this season.

Here’s the upper class of the league, which features three teams who have enjoyed national success in women’s basketball in the last decade: Oregon State, Washington State and Gonzaga.

The Beavers are the lone team in this league with a Final Four appearance under their belt, going there in 2016. Since then under Scott Rueck, they’ve gone to two more Elite Eights. Even while playing in the West Coast Conference this past year — after being decimated with transfer portal departures — the Beavers still went to the NCAA Tournament, marking their seventh trip to March Madness in the past decade.

“Those who have been paying attention know the story and know how significant it is,” Rueck said in Chapel Hill in March after the Beavers lost to North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. “I couldn’t be happier for what we’ve accomplished, more proud, and it’s just been an absolute joy… Oregon State is going to be Oregon State. We’re going to be a team that takes care of you and is competitive every night and makes pros. That won’t change. So I think everybody just has evidence now if they were wondering previously.”

In the offseason, the Beavers lost zero players to the portal while gaining two.

Of the nine teams in the new Pac-12, Oregon State has the most wins over AP-ranked opponents in the past 10 years with 43. Having produced stars of the sport like Sydney Weise, Mikayla Pivec and Raegen Beers, Oregon State enters the new Pac-12 as its marquee brand in women’s basketball.

But Gonzaga is right there with the Beavers with seven NCAA Tournament trips in the past 10 years, 20 wins over Power 4 teams and eight wins over ranked opponents. The Zags have won 20 or more games in nine of the past 10 seasons and went to the Sweet 16 in 2024. With Lisa Fortier at the helm, they’ve dominated the West Coast Conference — winning eight of the last nine regular season conference championships — and established themselves as a true mid-major power.

The other team to mention here is Washington State, which went to three straight NCAA Tournaments between 2021 and 2023 and won a Pac-12 title. Kamie Ethridge’s squads have won more than 20 games in each of the past two seasons, but missed March Madness. Still, over the past 10 years, Washington State has 14 wins over ranked opponents. Ethridge, a former Wade Trophy winner and national champion at Texas, will keep Wazzu competitive no matter what conference they’re in.

When the new Pac-12 begins play in the 2026-27 season, it’s not inconceivable to see it as a three-bid league for the NCAA Tournament. The Ivy League just pulled that off this season, and the A-10 got two teams in. It will require signature brands like Oregon State, Washington State and Gonzaga playing at their very best and winning some tough out-of-conference games to boost their NET ratings. And if the other six teams in the league can raise their play and beat some good teams in the non-conference portion of the season, that will only help.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — RV Deniega suffered a one-sided unanimous decision loss to South Africa’s Charlton Malajika in their International Boxing Organization (IBO) World Youth bantamweight title clash on July 5 in Kempton Park, South Africa.

Malajika controlled the fight from the opening bell, earning convincing scorecards of 100-90, 100-90, and 98-92 to deny the 25-year-old Filipino the title.

Deniega, who fights out of the Sanman Boxing Gym in General Santos City, dropped to 10 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, with 7 knockouts.

The win improved Malajika’s record to 8-1, with 3 knockouts. It was his eighth straight victory since 2023—all fought and won in South Africa.

The bout began as a tactical affair, with both fighters cautiously probing each other. But as the rounds progressed, Malajika found his rhythm, using his jab to dictate the pace and disrupt Deniega’s timing.

Malajika repeatedly launched well-timed combinations that kept Deniega on the defensive. The Filipino boxer struggled to let his hands go, often relying on counterpunching while Malajika stayed busy with jabs and crisp one-twos.

Deniega’s left eye began to swell midway through the fight, the result of Malajika’s consistent targeting with sharp jabs and sneaky straight shots. The South African also showcased superior hand speed and movement, slipping Deniega’s punches and controlling the ring.

By the later rounds, Malajika had fully asserted control, landing the cleaner, more accurate shots. Deniega showed signs of frustration and managed to land a few significant blows, but it was too little, too late.

In another undercard bout, Filipino boxer Richard Garde (11-3, 9 KOs) also suffered defeat, falling to Zimbabwe’s Beaven Sibanda (9-1, 3 KOs) via fifth-round knockout in their battle for the vacant IBF International minimumweight title.

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The 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup has wrapped up the group stage. Following three matches for each team, the knockout bracket is settled. The group stage consisted of 16 nations competing in four groups. The top two in each group advanced to the knockout bracket where they were seeded based on whether they finished first or second in their group.

2025 Gold Cup bracket

Final

Match 7: Mexico 2, United States 1

Semifinals

Match 5: United States 2, Guatemala 1
Match 6: Mexico 1, vs. Honduras 0

Quarterfinals

Match 1: United States 2, Costa Rica 2 (4-3 PKs)
Match 2: Guatemala 1, Canada 1 (6-5 PKs)
Match 3: Mexico 2, Saudi Arabia 0
Match 4: Honduras 1, Panama 1 (5-4 PKs)

Who has advanced

Group A: Mexico*, Costa Rica**

Group B: Canada*, Honduras**

Group C: Panama*, Guatemala**

Group D: United States*, Saudi Arabia**

*: Group winner
**: Group runner-up

Costa Rica and Mexico were the first two nations to advance, with both claiming wins in their first two matches to eliminate the Dominican Republic and Suriname. Costa Rica and Mexico face off on June 22 with the winner claiming the group and the loser finishing as the runner-up. The United States followed in advancing after beating Saudi Arabia 1-0. They will clinch the group with a win or draw against Haiti. They have a six-goal lead on Saudi Arabia in goal differential (the first tiebreaker), which means they likely will clinch the group even with a loss to Haiti.

June 22 update: The US beat Haiti 2-1 to win Group D. Saudi Arabia played Trinidad & Tobago to a 1-1 draw, which clinched the Saudis second place in Group D and accompanying advancement to the knockout stage. Mexico and Costa Rica tied 0-0, which meant Mexico won the group and Costa Rica finished second due to the goal differential tiebreaker.

The United States and Canada are co-hosts of this year’s tournament. The United States and Mexico entered the tournament as co-favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook.

June 24 update: Panama beat Jamaica to clinch Group C. Guatemala beat Guadeloupe, which coupled with Jamaica’s loss secured Guatemala the second spot in the knockout bracket. Canada and Honduras won their final matches to secure first and second place in Group B, respectively.

BINH DUONG, Vietnam—At first glance, Tetra Pak’s products seem oddly familiar, like a childhood friend whose name is dangling at the tip of your tongue.

Perhaps it’s the shape that’s cloaked in a different design. It is, after all, the universal term in the Philippines for anything that’s packaged in carton: a niece’s chocolate drink, mom’s pineapple juice, tita’s coconut water.

READ: Tetra Pak recycling: From rubbish to kindergarten tables, chairs

John Jose, Tetra Pak marketing director for Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia, provides some clarity that our childhood assumptions are true. Among Tetra Pak’s biggest customers in the country is Del Monte Philippines, whose products include the fruit juices that line grocery shelves, alongside other staple brands like Nestle, Selecta and Magnolia.

“In the Philippines, we have multiple customers,” Jose tells the Inquirer in an interview here. “If you go to the supermarket, you will see the brands there.”

While Tetra Pak has become a household name in the Philippines, Jose notes that they have yet to capture as many customers as those in neighboring countries.

Home to at least 110 million people, the Philippines presents a massive opportunity for Tetra Pak. At present, the country makes up only a small share of Tetra Pak’s client base, which mostly seeks its services for dairy products.

The majority, or 55 percent, of its products go to Vietnam, while 29 percent collectively go to Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia. The secret here is that Vietnam’s milk consumption is more than double that of the Philippines at 30 to 40 liters per capita, making it a large market for Tetra Pak.

Dairy dynamics

Where might the challenge be for the Philippines, which had welcomed Tetra Pak a few years earlier than Vietnam?

Jose explains that it is in the form that dairy takes: In Vietnam, people consume more ready-to-drink milk, or those already in liquid form. Filipinos, on the other hand, prefer powdered milk because it is easier to transport; it occupies less space and it’s undeniably lighter.

“We cannot do powder in our solution,” Jose admits. “So there are new categories that we’re looking to enter.”

Armed with its P14.4-billion carton packaging factory in Binh Duong province, Vietnam, Tetra Pak is ready to penetrate a new category that’s also emerging in popularity in the Philippines: coffee and tea.

“[Dairy] is becoming a very competitive market. There are a lot of players in dairy, so we need to start expanding into the other categories,” Jose says.

“We feel now is the right time. We have the solutions in place,” he adds, referring to the various sizes of Tetra Pak’s packaging, from 200 milliliters to 300 mL, from slim to wide. “That can address the different needs of consumers.”

The newly opened second phase of its Binh Duong factory more than doubles Tetra Pak’s production capacity at this site to 30 billion aseptic carton packages per year from 12 billion when it was first opened in 2019, along with 15 additional packaging formats.

Alternative to plastic bottles

By expanding its capabilities in Vietnam, Tetra Pak can now better serve neighboring countries in the Asia Pacific, including the Philippines.

The challenge now is toppling plastic bottles from their throne in the coffee and tea packaging category.

For their part, Jose explains they have been hosting open house sessions for brand owners in the Philippines, hoping to change their mind and see the benefits of carton packaging: sustainability and recyclability.

These sessions also allow Tetra Pak to gain consumer insights that will later shape their strategies and turn interest into practice.

But convincing and converting will take some time, he says.

“Through our business development team in the Philippines, we continue to try to talk to beverage players to see if there’s any interest in the ideas that we have,” Jose adds.

For now, Tetra Pak hopes that its efforts are enough to open the gates to packaging coffee and tea by 2026, thus starting a new era for the 74-year-old company.

“We have done a lot of work in terms of understanding the category … we translate these insights into actual opportunity platforms that customers can look at,” Jose says.

On Monday, Julie Vanloo landed in San Francisco after winning the EuroBasket championship with Belgium, only to learn that she’d been waived by the Golden State Valkyries.

The 32-year-old guard turned to social media to express her disappointment that she missed Belgium’s championship parade, only to learn she was no longer a part of the Valkyries’ future.

Three days later, however, Vanloo received great news: the Los Angeles Sparks were signing her.

Vanloo made her WNBA debut in 2024, averaging 7.4 points and 4.3 assists per game for the Washington Mystics.

In December, the Valkyries selected Vanloo in their expansion draft, and she appeared in 9 games before heading overseas for EuroBasket.

While she was gone, the Valkyries re-signed rookie Kaitlyn Chen, whom they drafted 30th overall in April. Chen, who currently remains on the roster, averaged 4.3 points in 19.3 minutes per game, shooting 60% from the field and 50% from three.

The Sparks will benefit from Vanloo’s shooting, playmaking

The Sparks, who currently have a 5-12 record, have been led by Kelsey Plum and Odyssey Sims in the backcourt. Sims, however, was waived earlier this week after averaging 9.8 points per game across 12 games. Plum is averaging 20.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.5 steals.

Vanloo will provide Lynne Roberts with another guard who can handle the ball, and space the floor. Vanloo has shot 30.8% from three in her WNBA career. She also averaged the second-most assists (4.3) per game among rookies last year.

“We’re excited to get her,” Roberts said ahead of Thursday’s game between the Sparks and the New York Liberty, per Winsidr’s Myles Ehrlich. “One thing we need is consistent three-point shooting. She brings that. She’s super feisty, she’s a winner. When we played Golden State, she hit about four threes in 70 seconds.”

Vanloo is poised to make her Sparks debut Thursday night.

LONDON — Filipina-American singer Olivia Rodrigo. John Cena. Dave Grohl. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. There was as much star power — or maybe even more? — in the Royal Box at Wimbledon as there was down below on the Centre Court grass on Wednesday, July 2.

And that was on an afternoon that featured two-time defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz, No. 1-ranked woman Aryna Sabalenka, and 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu of Britain all winning matches at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament’s main stadium to reach the third round.

“It’s so special in the Royal Box to have those kind of people in there. It definitely adds a bit of pressure, I guess, if you look up and you kind of recognize (them),” Raducanu said. “That’s why I try and stay with my eyes on the court as much as possible. Only after, you kind of look up and take it all in, if they’re still there.”

The seats in the Royal Box behind one of the baselines are by invitation only, and there was quite a list of celebrities on hand for Day 3 of competition.

“I was trying not to look today,” Sabalenka said about the collection of boldfaced names, explaining that she might be distracted while competing. “I was just trying to focus on my game. Later on, I’m going to open the social media (and ask), ‘OK, who was there?’”

Well, Aryna, here’s a rundown:

Rodrigo, fresh off headlining at music festival Glastonbury while on tour for her GUTS album, sat next to her boyfriend British actor Louis Partridge and Cena, the professional wrestler and movie star. Rodrigo chatted at one point with former England soccer coach Roy Hodgson (the current person in that job, Thomas Tuchel, also was in attendance).

Grohl, a member of the rock bands Foo Fighters and Nirvana, made an appearance, too, as did the married couple Chopra and Jonas. Hollywood’s Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, who also are married, were on the Royal Box list, along with actor Dominic Cooper.

Others taking in a day of tennis at the most famous court in the world included British athletes from other sports, such as Olympic gold medalists Sophie Bray (field hockey) and Tom Daley (diving), and Paralympic gold medalist William Ellard (swimming).

Oh, and there was actual British royalty there Wednesday: Princess Michael of Kent. /ra

It’s being called the “worst scandal in the history of the World Series of Poker.” Last week the $1,500 “Millionaire Maker” event was wracked with controversy when it was alleged the top two players engaged in a chip dumping scheme at the final heads up table in order to secure an additional $1M in prize money.

Jesse Yaginuma and James Carroll met at the final table, with the winner poised to make $1.26M and the runner-up set to make $1M — but it’s here where the wrinkle comes in. Yaginuma was taking part in third-party promotion that would pay him $1M if he won any qualifying World Series of Poker event, which the Millionaire Maker was. This effectively meant that if Carroll won the final table the combined prize pool would be $2.26M, but if Yaginuma won then the prize pool was $3.26M.

It’s here that viewers began noticing some stunning irregularities in Carroll’s play. Yaginuma continually raised, and re-raised uncontested, with Carroll folding numerous hands. Then to cap things off there was one hand in question where Carroll folded top pair on the flop, which stoked rumors that the pair might have worked out a back-door arrangement to ensure that Yaginuma would win, and they would split the bonus $1M in prize money.

Despite both players denying the allegations the World Series of Poker made an unprecedented decision on Monday night.

This would be the first time in the history of World Series of Poker that a winner’s bracelet was not awarded due to cheating concerns. However, the side promotion will still pay Yaginuma the $1M for winning the event. Some poker events do allow agreements between players, but the World Series of Poker explicitly forbids it.

It’s unclear what will happen next. There’s no concrete evidence that the two players actually colluded, and their actions didn’t influence the event in any way outside of first and second place. They did not cheat any other player out of their placing, and that raises questions whether or not it’s right that they’ll lose their prize money.

There has also been no determination whether the players will be banned from future WSOP events.

MCLEOD GANJ, India — Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, joined thousands of Buddhist followers on Monday in 90th birthday prayer celebrations, a landmark resonating far beyond the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived for decades.

Draped in traditional maroon and yellow robes, the Dalai Lama sat and listened to speeches and chants of monks, nuns, pilgrims, as well as well-wishers from across the world.

The leader, who turns 90 on July 6, and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959.

READ: Dalai Lama says his successor to be born outside China

The Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday is more than a personal milestone.

The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist Tenzin Gyatso — who Tibetans say is the 14th reincarnation of the 600-year-old post — is also expected to reveal if there will be another Dalai Lama after him.

“We offer our fervent devotions that Tenzin Gyatso, protector of the Land of Snows, lives for a 100 eons,” a chorus of red-robed monks sang.

“May all your noble aspirations be fulfilled,” they added, in front of a crowd that included religious leaders of many faiths.

READ: Dalai Lama: Pope Francis ‘dedicated himself to the service of others’

The Dalai Lama has said the institution will continue only if there is popular demand — and is widely expected to reveal that decision on Wednesday.

The occasion carries profound weight not only for Tibetans, but also for global supporters who see the Dalai Lama as a symbol of non-violence, compassion, and the enduring struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule.

His advancing age has also sparked concern over the future of Tibetan leadership and the delicate question of his succession.

While China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognised Dalai Lama describes himself as a “simple Buddhist monk”.

Many exiled Tibetans fear China will name a successor to bolster control over a territory it poured troops into in 1950. /dl

The 2025 Fifa Club World Cup finished off the group stage and the knockout bracket is officially set. The group stage consisted of 32 clubs from around the world competing in eight groups. The top two in each group advanced to the knockout bracket where they were seeded based on whether they finished first or second in their group.

The order of tiebreakers for teams tied in the group stage is first points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question, then goal difference in the matches played between the teams in question, and then the number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question. If there is a tie remaining after that, it goes to total group stage goal differential, then total goals scored in group play, then team conduct in group play, and finally the drawing of lots.

Full Fifa Club World Cup odds are available at FanDuel Sportsbook.

2025 Fifa Club World Cup bracket

Round of 16

Match 1: Palmeiras 1, Botafogo 0 (AET)
Match 2: Benfica vs. Chelsea
Match 3: Inter Milan vs. Fluminense
Match 4: Manchester City vs. Al Hilal
Match 5: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Inter Miami CF
Match 6: Flamengo vs. Bayern Munich
Match 7: Borussia Dortmund vs. Monterrey
Match 8: Real Madrid vs. Juventus

June 28 update: Palmeiras edged out Botafogo in the first match of the knockout bracket. The squads were scoreless through regulation and then the first nine minutes of extra time. Paulinho finally put Palmeiras on the board in the second half of extra time at the 100th minute. Gustavo Gómez received a second yellow card at the 116th minute, which meant he had to leave the game, leaving Palmeiras with ten men on the pitch. Botafogo could not take advantage over the final ten minutes of match time and Palmeiras advanced.

Quarterfinals

Match 9: Palmeiras vs. Match 2 Winner
Match 10: Match 3 Winner vs. Match 4 Winner
Match 11: Match 5 Winner vs. Match 6 Winner
Match 12: Match 7 Winner vs. Match 8 Winner

Semifinals

Match 13: Match 9 Winner vs. Match 10 Winner
Match 14: Match 11 Winner vs. Match 12 Winner

Final

Match 15: Match 13 Winner vs. Match 14 Winner

June 20 update: Bayern Munich clinched advancement from Group C with a 2-1 win over Boca Juniors. Bayern Munich faces Benfica on June 24 and if the German club wins or draws, they will claim the group. Flamengo won Group D with a 3-1 win over Chelsea. With wins over Chelsea and Espérance de Tunis, Flamengo clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker over the two squads tied behind them.

June 22 update: Juventus and Manchester City clinched advancement out of Group G with wins in their first two matches. They face off in the final round of group play, but the their wins eliminated Wydad AC and Al Ain in group competition.

June 23 update: PSG beat Seattle Sounds FC 2-0 while Atlético Madrid beat Botafogo 1-0. That left a three-way tie for first with each team having six points. Due to a split of matches between the three, the tiebreaker moved to head-to-head goal difference. PSG won that (+3) while Botafogo took second place (+0) ahead of the eliminated Atlético Madrid (-3). Palmeiras and Inter Miami CF both played their final group matches to a draw to secure advancement to the knockout stage.

June 24 update: Benefica defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 to win Group C. The German side claimed the second knockout stage berth from the group. Chelsea beat Espérance de Tunis to claim second place behind Flamengo in Group D.

June 25 update: Borussia Dortmund beat Ulsan to win Group F while Fluminense claimed a draw to advance. Inter Milan knocked out River Plate and claimed Group E, while Monterrey advanced with a big win over Urawa Red Diamonds.

June 26 update: Manchester City defeated Juventus to secure the top spot in Group G. Real Madrid beat RB Salzburg to win Group H, while Al Hilal beat Pachuca to move past RB Salzburg for second place.

Who has advanced

Group A: Palmeiras*, Inter Miami CF**

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain*, Botafogo**

Group C: Benfica*, Bayern Munich**

Group D: Flamengo*, Chelsea**

Group E: Inter Milan*, Monterrey**

Group F: Borussia Dortmund*, Fluminense**

Group G: Manchester City*, Juventus**

Group H: Real Madrid*, Al Hilal**

*: Group winner
**: Group runner-up

The 2025 NBA Draft class has been endlessly debated over the last 12 months, with little consensus among the lottery prospects after Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper come off the board with the first two picks. Finally, draft day is here, and the speculation about how certain players fit with certain teams will be over.

There’s no drama at the top of the draft. Flagg will be the new franchise player for the Dallas Mavericks just months after they traded their last franchise player, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers. Dylan Harper will join Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio for what the Spurs hope will be a championship duo. Then things get interesting. The Philadelphia 76ers hold the keys to the draft at No. 3 overall, and things only tougher to project after that.

Check out our top-60 big board for the 2025 NBA Draft. Read our long, reported features on Cooper Flagg and Collin Murray-Boyles. Scope out the three highly-touted prospects I’m fading in this class, and three sleepers I’m willing to bet on. You can also look at my first ever 2025 draft board, published the day after the 2024 draft, to see how much the first-round projection has changed over the last year. Here’s our final mock draft.

We’ll be giving out instant grades for every pick. Refresh this post often to see our analysis as every pick gets made. Let’s get into it.

1. Dallas Mavericks – Cooper Flagg, F, Duke

Grade: A+

Flagg is one of the strongest prospects I’ve evaluated since I started covering the draft here in 2014. He checks every box for a potential franchise player: he had elite production at a young age, he has a great frame for an NBA forward, the skills to dominate on or off-the-ball, and the athleticism to finish plays on both ends of the floor. Flagg’s elite mentality ties the whole package together: it feels like he plays harder than anyone else on the court despite always being the most talented player out there. He was arguably the best player in college basketball this past season despite being 17 years old for half the season after only three years of high school. He’s about to be the youngest player in the NBA, but he’s still going to be an instant contributor around Anthony Davis in Dallas. The Mavs winning the lottery completely makes up for their awful Luka Doncic trade. Good thing Flagg plays defense, so even Nico Harrison won’t trade him.

2. San Antonio Spurs – Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers

Grade: A

Harper is a huge guard at 6’6 with a 6’10 wingspan who gets downhill with ease and converted a stunning 70 percent of his rim attempts as a freshman at Rutgers. He’s more of a scorer than a facilitator at this stage, but he still has solid playmaking vision and has shown some passing manipulation flashes. Harper should be able to guard multiple positions, and he’s especially solid on the ball. His ability to collapse the defenses off the bounce is going to make Victor Wembanyama’s life so much easier. He’s not the best shooter yet, which makes his fit next to Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox a bit less enticing. Still, Harper hit 37 percent of his spot-up threes and should be a fine player off the ball. Every team in the league wants big guards who can get into the paint, and the Spurs just landed one next to Wemby.

3. Philadelphia 76ers – VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor

Grade: B+

Edgecombe is a freak athlete who leverages his physical gifts to disrupt opposing offenses and get out in the open floor. He’s a solid spot-up shooter with easy three-point range, he’s a fantastic rebounder for a guard, and he generally does a good job avoiding turnovers. Edgecombe has a high floor because he’s a good defender with plenty of offensive utility. His ceiling will be determined by how his finishing and pull-up three-point shot develops. He’s an interesting fit for a Sixers team that already has two smaller guards to build around in Jared McCain and Tyrese Maxey, but Edgecombe has a case as the best player on the board, and that makes him a perfectly fine selection.

4. Charlotte Hornets – Kon Knueppel, G, Duke

Grade: A

Knueppel is an elite shooter who made better than 40 percent of his threes and 91 percent of his threes as the Robin to Cooper Flagg’s Batman at Duke. He’s a solid secondary playmaker who developed a nice connection in the pick-and-roll with another Duke lottery pick, Khaman Maluach, while also showing some ability to score on drives off two feet in the paint. Knueppel doesn’t look like a top-5 pick at first blush with only an average mix of length and explosiveness, but his strength, footwork, and knockdown shooting will make him a very good pro for a long time. I like his fit between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller as a connective piece who can play within a team structure and still figure out how to pick his spots and have a big impact.

5. Utah Jazz – Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers

Grade: B

Bailey has an awesome combination of length, shot-making, and athletic explosiveness. He can splash shots from all over the floor, but tends to settle for difficult pull-ups because he doesn’t have the ball handling to get all the way to the rim. Bailey can struggle with his focus defensively, but he has the tools to recover to the ball and swat shots. I worry about his lack of passing vision if he’s going to step into a starring role on a Jazz roster that’s far away from competing. Still, Bailey should have a high floor with his physical gifts and shooting, and as the game slows down for him, he could easily end up as one of the better players in this class.

6. Washington Wizards – Tre Johnson, G, Texas

Grade: B+

Johnson is an indefatigable shooter with a quick release and immense confidence that every shot is going in. The Texas freshman has a unique talent for bending defenses off the ball with his movement shooting, and he’s a an excellent pull-up shooter and mid-range shooter, too. Johnson’s intense mentality should be a welcome addition to a young and wayward Wizards team, and I think he’s better as a defender and passer than he’s given credit for, but he still has plenty of room to grow in those areas. Johnson needs to add strength to his thin frame and prove he can do more than settle for jump shots, but his shooting is so good that it’s hard to imagine him failing.

7. New Orleans Pelicans – Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma

Grade: B+

Fears only spent three years in high school before being thrown into the SEC fire and still leading Oklahoma to the NCAA tournament. He has the best combination of speed and ball handling in this class, and he doesn’t need a screen to beat his defender and get into the teeth of the defense. He has a very good mid-range/floater game for such a young player, and has already mastered the dark arts of getting fouled. Fears has only average size for an NBA lead guard, and he isn’t a good three-point shooter or rim finisher yet. Still, Fears thrived at a super young age against ultra difficult competition, and his best plays showed star upside. The Pelicans are swinging for the fences here.

8. Brooklyn Nets – Egor Demin, G, BYU

Grade: D

I named Demin as one of three prospects I’m fading in this draft. He absolutely has the talent to prove me wrong. The BYU freshman has a great combination of size (6’9) and passing, and looked like a top-5 pick at times this year against weak competition. The problem is that Demin’s production suffered against better competition when facing bigger and more athletic players. He lacks burst to beat anyone off the dribble as a ball handler, he’s a poor three-point shooter, and he’s too weak to compete defensively right now. Demin will have to improve his shot quite a bit to live up to this draft spot, but his size and passing gives him a chance.

9. Toronto Raptors – Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina

Grade: A

Murray-Boyles is the best defensive player in this draft. He also has plenty of offensive skills with impressive driving ability and great passing vision. He can overpower opposing players with his strength, and he can challenge shots and muck up the passing lanes with his length. The catch? Murray-Boyles is a bit short for a big man at 6’6.5 barefoot, and he isn’t a good shooter yet. Read my feature on how CMB is attacking his shooting development, and how he went from a three-star recruit to a top-10 pick. He’s one of the best all-around players in the draft, and he’s going to be a gem for a Toronto team … as long as they can put some more shooting around him for a roster that already doesn’t have much shooting.

10. Phoenix Suns – Khaman Maluach, C, Duke

Grade: A

Maluach was the No. 3 player on my board. I love his combination of length, finishing, and paint protection which gives him a high floor to impact the game. Maluach’s ceiling is dependent on how his three-point shooting and perimeter defense develops, and I’m willing to bet on him in both areas. The fact that he’s only been playing basketball for five years and is already this good is pretty amazing. The Suns badly needed a center, and Maluach falling to this spot is an incredible gift. He has the high upside Phoenix needs to salvage the Devin Booker era. This is my favorite pick of the draft.

11. Memphis Grizzlies – Cedric Coward, F, Washington State

Grade: B-

Coward only played six games at Washington State this past season after starting his career in D3 and also spending two years at Washington State. His year ended early because of a torn labrum, but his defense and shooting projection was still encouraging enough to put Duke and Alabama in a bidding war for him in the transfer portal. Coward shot up the draft board at the combine, and is now a lottery pick. The Blazers traded this pick to the Grizzlies. I’m a bit skeptical of Coward just because he has played so few games against good competition, and hasn’t played well in those games. He’s the mystery man of this draft, but his ridiculous 7’2 wingspan and 40 percent three-point stroke is still a decent bet at this part of the draft.

12. Chicago Bulls – Noa Essengue, F, Ulm

Grade: A-

Essengue has a ridiculous combination of length and athleticism, and he’s already been productive in a pro league as the second youngest prospect in this class. He’s at his best in transition, and the Bulls are a great fit for his skill set as a team that wants to play at a super fast tempo. Essengue is not yet a good shooter, handler, or passer, so the Bulls will need to develop his skill level. Still, it’s hard to find a big forward with this kind of mobility who has already put up good numbers against older competition. The Bulls need upside swings, and this counts as one.

13. New Orleans Pelicans – Derik Queen, C/F, Maryland

Grade: C+

The Pelicans traded an unprotected 2026 pick to Atlanta, a massive gamble to trade up 10 spots. Queen is an awesome driver and one-and-one scorer as a beefy 6’10 big man, but I’m skeptical of how he fits with New Orleans’ other first round pick, Jeremiah Fears. Both Fears and Queen need to play with the ball in their hands because neither is a good shooter yet. They are also both minus defenders. New Orleans does have some long and rangey wings to put around them in Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, but who knows what to make of the Zion Williamson situation there now. I like Queen in a vacuum, but this is way too much to trade up for him, and that’s why the grade suffers.

14. San Antonio Spurs – Carter Bryant, F, Arizona

Grade: B+

Bryant has an ideal frame for an NBA forward at 6’8, 220 pounds, with a 7’1 wingspan. He’s one of the most explosive athletes in this class, which he leveraged to put up huge block and steal rates defensively. His offense is mostly undeveloped to this point, but he showed solid spot-up shooting at Arizona by hitting 37 percent of his threes as a freshman. What worries me about Bryant is that 80 percent of his baskets were assisted, and he can’t do much with the ball in his hands. That’s less of a concern for a team with Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper on the roster. This is a good fit between player and team,

15. Oklahoma City Thunder – Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown

Grade: A-

Sorber is super long and super strong center with a 7’6 wingspan and 260+ pound frame. He’s a throwback big who sets hard screens, rebounds, and protects the rim. He doesn’t currently shoot threes and he doesn’t have great vertical athleticism yet. Still, this is an awesome fit to the OKC roster, and he should allow the team to move off Isaiah Hartenstein eventually for a cheaper backup center as the roster gets more expensive.