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NBA Draft Notebook.....

NBA Draft Notebook Pod: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey lead updated big boards​

NBA Draft Notebook, CBS Sports' exclusive NBA Draft podcast, updated big boards of the top 15 prospects in the 2025 class.​

Adam FinkelsteinAdam Finkelstein8 hrs0


The latest episode of the 2025 NBA Draft Notebook, CBS Sports' exclusive NBA Draft podcast, was released on Thursday and featured a look at the current NBA Draft big board which ranked the top 15 prospects in the draft.

While Duke's Cooper Flagg and Rutger's rookie duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey were the consensus top three, the two lists differed after that. Baylor's VJ Edgecombe, Illinois's Kasparas Jakucionis, and Texas' Tre Johnson were all ranked within the top seven on both boards, while players like Michigan State's Jase Richardson, Duke's Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, and Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears saw some of the bigger discrepancies.

Other players discussed included UConn's Liam McNeeley, Maryland's Derik Queen, Georgia's Asa Newell, South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles, BYU's Egor Demin, Michigan's Danny Wolf, and Texas Tech's JT Toppin.

The entire podcast can be found on the CBS Sports College Basketball YouTube page along with past episodes including mock drafts, deep dives on Flagg, Harper, Bailey, and Edgecombe, along with a breakdown of the best big man in this draft class.

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Chance Mallory's top 5 schools....

Former 2025 Virginia commit Chance Mallory shares top five schools and sets commitment date​

Ranked the No. 54 overall player in the 2025 class, Mallory is one of the higher ranked uncommitted prospects for this cycle.​


Chance Mallory, the No. 54 overall prospect in the class of 2025, has cut his list of options and revealed his commitment date.

Mallory, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound four-star point guard from Charlottesville, Virginia will announce his college decision on Saturday, March 22. He'll make this decision from a list of five schools that include Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

"I'm going to make my decision on March 22," Mallory told 247Sports. "I'm focused on just finding the perfect fit for me and my family. I want a school that I can see myself at and grow as a person and a player."

Mallory was committed to Virginia prior to Tony Bennett stepping down as the program's head coach. But, since he was able to experience the recruitment process in all of its stages, Mallory knows what's important to him now that he's making the decision for a second time.

"I've learned to just trust the process and that everything happens for a reason," he explained. "Now that I know how it goes, I to just want make sure that I find a school that I know is a 100 percent fit for me."

247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein provided the following scouting report on Mallory.

"Mallory may be undersized and play under the rim, but there are few more reliable true point guards in the national class. His skill level with the ball is truly elite. He has complete command of his handle and a pure release on his jumper. He not only shoots it with deep range but is equally comfortable off the catch or the dribble and has the effortless quick release to get it off despite his lack of size. Mallory can stop quickly for mid-range pull-ups with deceptive lift and also has a deep bag of floaters and runners that he can utilize without breaking his stride inside a crowded lane. While he only played seven games in the UAA this season, his 45/38/90 shooting splits are indicative of what we have come to expect.

Simultaneously, Mallory is also exceptionally reliable with the ball in his hands. He's extremely strong with the ball, rarely rattled by pressure, a very good passer, and a pinpoint lob thrower (4.2 assists vs. 1.7 turnovers). He's even starting to show more creativity and playmaking with the ball in his hands, all without limiting his efficiency.

Mallory is also a diligent defender who can pick up the ball for the length of the floor, fight over ball screens, has good hands (1.6 steals in the 2024 UAA and 2.1 in 2023), and will dig out long rebounds. While there are likely to be some moments at the next level where his size will limit him on that end of the floor, it won't be due to a lack of fight or intellect.

Mallory's value is also magnified by his wealth of intangibles and true leadership skills. He's not only a throwback true point guard, but one of the most skilled players in the class, with the ideal mental make-up to compensate for whatever he may be lacking in terms of physical measurables."

Maryland basketball's bracketology 2....

Maryland basketball's bracketology, analytics and Big Ten Tournament double-bye prospects with one game left​

The Maryland men's basketball team notched a massive win Wednesday night in Ann Arbor, beating No. 17 Michigan, 71-65. Where do the Terps stand in the key categories as the postseason nears?​


The Maryland men's basketball team notched a massive win Wednesday night in Ann Arbor, beating No. 17 Michigan, 71-65.

The Terps have put themselves in a position to clinch a double bye in the Big Ten with a home win over Northwestern in the regular-season finale. A win would put the Terps as high as No. 2 and as low as No. 4.

Maryland's win over the Wolverines allowed Michigan State to secure a share of the Big Ten title. If the Spartans beat Iowa on Thursday, they will win it outright. They can do Maryland a favor by beating Michigan in their remaining matchup The current Big Ten standings and tiebreakers:


Michigan State 15-3

Michigan 14-5

Maryland 13-6

Purdue 13-6

Wisconsin 13-6


1. Results of head-to-head competition during the regular season.

  • a. When comparing records against the tied teams, teams will be seeded based on winning percentage head-to-head among the group, even if the number of games played against the team or group are unequal (i.e., 2-0 is better than 3-1, but 2-0 is not better than 1-0 or 0-0). If all teams among the group are separated based on winning percentage, all ties are broken. Ties shall be considered separated when a team(s) emerges from the top, middle or bottom of the group and is awarded a seed(s).
  • b. Once a seed is awarded, all remaining tied teams shall restart the tiebreak process at the first criteria (e.g. if there is a four-team tie, one team is 4-0, another is 3-1 and the last two are 2-2 among the group, the two teams that are 2-2 move to step a (head-to-head) and the teams that are 4-0 and 3-1 assume the next two available highest seeds).
2. If the remaining teams are still tied, then each tied team's record shall be compared to the team occupying the highest position in the final regular-season standings, continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage.

  • a. When arriving at another pair of tied teams while comparing records, use each team's record against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to their own tiebreaking procedures), rather than the performance against the individual tied teams.
  • b. When comparing records against a single team or group of teams, the higher winning percentage shall prevail, even if the number of games played against the team or group are unequal (i.e., 2-0 is better than 3-1, but 2-0 is not better than 1-0 or 0-0).
3. Won-loss percentage of Division I opponents.

4. Highest NET ranking of the teams. NET rankings that are released on the last Friday of the regular season will be utilized.

Purdue closes the regular season at Illinois on Friday. Wisconsin closes the regular season against Penn State at home on Saturday. Michigan State and Michigan close the season against each other in East Lansing on Sunday.

If Michigan defeats Michigan State and Maryland, Purdue and Wisconsin all finish 14-6, Maryland would have the three-way tiebreaker over both Wisconsin and Purdue. The group is all 1-1 against each other, and the next tiebreaker would be comparing the team's record against the team occupying the highest position in the standings. All three teams went 0-1 against Michigan State, so the next team to look at would be Michigan. Maryland went 1-0 against Michigan, Purdue went 1-1 against Michigan and Wisconsin went 0-1 against Michigan. In this scenario, Maryland would be the No. 3 seed, Purdue the No. 4 and Wisconsin the No. 5.

If Michigan State defeats Michigan and Maryland, Michigan, Purdue and Wisconsin all finish 14-6, Maryland would own the four-way tiebreaker over the remaining teams. The Terps would be 2-1 against the quartet, the best round-robin record, and earn the No. 2 seed. The other three teams would then have to enter more complicated tiebreakers, but Maryland would ultimately have the upper hand over any of them in this situation.

If Purdue, Maryland and Michigan were in a three-way tie, Maryland would be second in the group with the best round-robin record. If Maryland, Michigan and Wisconsin were in a three-way tie, Maryland would be first in the group because of its round-robin record.

In a two-way tie with Michigan or Wisconsin, Maryland would own the head-to-head tiebreaker. If Maryland were in a two-way tie with Purdue, the Boilermakers would own the head-to-head tiebreaker; if Michigan beats Michigan State,

Wisconsin loses to Penn State and Purdue beats Illinois, this could be a scenario that drops Maryland to the No. 4 seed.

Again, all the above scenarios rely on a Maryland home win over Northwestern. Long story short, a win guarantees no worse than a fourth seed and a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.

Maryland's resume is strong. The Terps added a seventh Quadrant 1 win Wednesday night. Maryland's seven Quad 1 wins are tied with nine other teams for 10th most in the country. Maryland is one of only 11 teams in college basketball to have at least seven Quad 1 wins and a winning record in the first quadrant. The Terps finish the regular season with a Quadrant 2 game against Northwestern. They are 7-6 in Quad 1 and 5-1 in Quad 2.

Maryland is 12th in the NET, 13th at KenPom, 13th in the ESPN Basketball Power Index and 15th at BartTorvik. The Terps' resume metrics have improved of late; they rank 22th in KPI, 16th in strength of record and 17th in wins above bubble.

A lot of bracketologists will not update projections until Friday morning, but the win over Michigan has the Terps trending toward a No. 5 seed or better in the NCAA Tournament.

Maryland impresses Michigan's coach...

How Maryland basketball confused Michigan's star, impressed their coach and kept fueling itself with defense​

The offensive weaponry in Maryland basketball's starting lineup gets more attention, but the Terps have been carried by defense lately. They piled 12 steals Wednesday night in a 71-65 win at Michigan, allowing them to do something difficult: beat a top Big Ten team on the road while shooting 38.1 percent.​


The offensive weaponry in Maryland basketball's starting lineup gets more attention, but the Terps have been carried by their defense lately. They piled 12 steals and scored 21 points off turnovers Wednesday night in a 71-65 win at Michigan, allowing them to do something difficult: beat a top Big Ten team on the road while shooting 38.1 percent.

Maryland (23-7 overall, 13-6 Big Ten) held No. 17 Michigan to a season-low 22 points in the first half and never trailed during the final 32 minutes, staying on pace in the chase for a Big Ten tournament double-bye and a high NCAA Tournament seed.

"There's a reason they're the second-best defense in our league while playing really only five guys in their rotation. We were static, didn't finish around the rim when we had opportunities," Michigan coach Dusty May said.

Kevin Willard was dialed in on defense, switching looks to keep Michigan off-balance. Several Wolverines passes looked like they were intended for Maryland's players.

"They changed defenses, running zone to man, man to zone, zone. So, it comes down to concepts and principles, and we didn't play with great discipline. Against a defense like this, the one-handed hook passes [won't work]," May said. "When we penetrated, they collapsed on Vlad [Goldin], and we just didn't find the penetration reactions that we needed against a team like that. But credit Maryland. They keep you off balance."

Goldin, the 7-foot-1 250-pound Russian import who starred for May's Final Four team at FAU, has been one of the Big Ten's most consistent big men. He made a big night with 20 points and 15 rebounds. But led by Julian Reese, Maryland held him without a field goal in the final nine minutes.

"At the beginning of the second half, I think we just didn't make great decisions. Then the stretch with five- or six-minutes left, I thought we were competing at a really high level. We were just playing a little bit sped up and fast. We just looked excitable during that stretch and tried to force it into Vlad, who had it going. Credit Maryland, they collapsed on him," May said.

Maryland has held its past three opponents to an average of 61.3 points.

"They've got really good instincts, especially in their drop coverage. We just didn't make great decisions. At that time, you're weighing whether to continue to attack, try to get it inside, and find threes early, or do you slow it down and get organized? Obviously, I should have stopped this and gotten more organized in those possessions."

May said Maryland's changing defenses confused Goldin.

"Sometimes they came right away, and other times they came late. They were really just choosing different guys to come off of. It wasn't as if they were coming off the passer or coming from the opposite big. So, Vlad didn't really know when or where they were coming from. When he got deep position, or when we got it to him on the elbow and Danny dove, I thought we generated some really good looks," he said. "Other than his last possession, the dust settled, and we probably needed to get to an uphill handoff. He had it going, and I don't know whose defender came from behind and stopped him. Then his guy was able to get a loose ball for a jump ball."

Michigan has hit a dip as the season winds down. It was their third defeat in five games, along with losses to Michigan State and Illinois, following a six-game winning streak.

"Usually, the dips occur when you're playing really good teams. So, when you look at our schedule, we knew this would be a challenge. We put ourselves in position where all these games were where you need them to be. But when you look at the standings, typically, the dip coincides with the schedule. I know Michigan State's dip was a West Coast Road trip. Illinois's dip was when they played the top teams on the road," he said.

"Maryland's dip has been buzzer-beaters on the road against really good teams. So, I don't know. I'm sure there have been times when you don't play well for a week, depending on who you're playing and where you're going."

MD BB: Geronimo bringing a spark...

Maryland Basketball: Jordan Geronimo is bringing a spark and Kevin Willard wants you in the building early​

The latest from the Terps coach after Maryland basketball's big win at Michigan.​


Maryland basketball lost its first four road games of the season. After the Terps' struggles away from home last season, it became a big topic of discussion. But with their 71-65 win at Michigan on Wednesday night, they finished with five wins in the remaining seven road trips, with both of the losses coming on last-second shots.

The Terps (23-7 overall, 13-6 Big Ten) have spent the winter transitioning from one of the Big Ten's worst road teams to one of its best.

"There was so much talk earlier in the year. We lost a close one to Purdue, lost two tough ones out West, lost a buzzer beater. And then the negativity. I'm really proud of these guys, because they blocked out all that negativity so they could start over after four in a row. To stay positive, to stay with everything and ended up five and five [on the road] in this conference," Kevin Willard said.

"More than anything. I'm just so proud of that group of guys, because it could have been easy to let all that negativity, let all that talk deter them. And I think they showed the grit from the Michigan State half-court shot, to go on the road at Penn State and win a tough game and then come here and win a tough game."

He'll never be one of Maryland's leading scorers, but Jordan Geronimo has become a vital piece of offensively limited bench. He ended a bench scoring drought lasting more than three whole games with a monstrous dunk that ignited the team.

"Jordan's energy, I think Jordan's energy over the last three games has been great. He's a senior. He's taken advantage of the opportunity. And it was, it's funny, because Jordan got hurt and Tafara took over and was really playing well," Willard said. "And then Tafara gets sick and misses 12 days, and Jordan has stepped up. So, Jordan's energy was terrific. Defensively, he was all over the place. And again, there's just not a lot of shots for the bench guys because we have five stars that need shots. So, for them to come in and play with that energy was great.

On his second-half strategy: "Well, it's kind of simple. If you're going to switch on Derik Queen, you're probably going to put a guard on him. Then you should not overcomplicate it. And pretty much what we did, we ran some things for Rodney to get Rodney the ball. And I thought Rodney really had a great second half. Ja'Kobi was struggling a little bit, but I love the fact that he had five assists. Was really passing the basketball. But if you're going to switch your guard on Derik Queen, you really shouldn't do anything else besides just post him up at the elbow and try to let him go to work and get fouled."

On finishing the game at the free throw line: "A little bit like what happened at Ohio State. We missed six free throws at Ohio State. So, for us to sit there and again, this is, it's kind of funny. It's March, whatever it is, 19th conference game, it's going to be a grind. And for these guys to go through, again, so many of these guys are going through this for the first time. Of the pressure, the ranking, people talking about double byes and NCAA Tournaments. These guys mentally have really stayed strong."

On Senior Day this weekend at Xfinity: "For all these seniors. I look at, Jordan's been with me two years. You look at a guy like Selton [Miguel] and [Jay Young], who've given up their last year to come play for you, it's very special. And obviously for Julian, I think our fans need to get to the arena early. It's a three o'clock Saturday game. There's no reason why everybody can't be in early. Julian, he went through a coaching change. He goes through a really tough year last year. Most people bail. He stayed true to the University of Maryland. He stayed true to the Terps. He deserves an unbelievable ovation because he showed what loyalty is all about. He showed what character is all about. And not only that, but he's been a hell of a player.

On players building their legacies: "That's the funny thing about it, it's probably the one thing I hate about the transfer rule more than anything. I don't think kids understand, in the future, what are you going to call home? Where are you going to go back and get love and call home. Obviously, Ju's Baltimore. But Ju's the University of Maryland, through and through."
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Terps transforms into B1G 10 road warriors...

Terps cap unlikely transformation into Big Ten road warriors, control No. 17 Michigan in 71-65 win​

It was Maryland's third straight Big Ten road win, a streak that could be seven if not for buzzer-beaters at Northwestern and Ohio State. The Terps (23-7 overall, 13-6 Big Ten) also stayed apace in the chase for a top four Big Ten finish and the valuable conference tournament double-bye that comes with it.​


Selton Miguel has never played in the NCAA Tournament, nor competed for a conference championship. But he's on his best team and playing the best basketball of his career. Miguel led Maryland to a critical road win at Michigan, 71-65, on Wednesday night.

It was Maryland's third straight Big Ten road win, a streak that could be seven if not for buzzer-beaters at Northwestern and Ohio State. The Terps (23-7 overall, 13-6 Big Ten) also stayed apace in the chase for a top four Big Ten finish and the valuable conference tournament double-bye that comes with it.

After an ugly start to the season in road play, Maryland has become a force away from College Park. The Terps led for most of the night nd were barely threatened during the second half despite going without a field goal for the final six minutes.

"There was so much talk early," Willard said. "To start 0-4 on the road… they showed the grit to go on the road and win a tough game and come here and win a tough game. These kids deserve a lot of credit."

Miguel scored 17 points, coupled with his wing partner Rodney Rice's team-leading 19 points and Derik Queen's 17 points and 12 rebounds. When Miguel plays well, the Terps typically win. Maryland is 20-2 this season when Miguel scores in double figures, but 3-5 when he scores 10 or less.

It was a slugfest through the first 10 minutes. Maryland was 2-14 from the field through ten minutes, a dangerous recipe against a potent Michigan offense. Miguel's shooting can solve offensive lulls, though. The senior scored 13 first-half points, including three triples to push the Terps ahead by 11 points at halftime. The USF transfer has been one of the best outside shooters in the Big Ten. He's shooting 43% from deep in conference play and made multiple tough shots against the Wolverines.

Miguel even hit a double-pump 3-pointer from the left corner with under a minute remaining in the first half. When he's hot, he can change the course of a game with his scoring. For everyone accept Reese, they're entering a new phase, playing on the big stage for a top 15 team as the postseason nears.

"So many of these guys are going through this for the first time – the pressure, the ranking, people talking about double-byes and NCAA tournament," Willard said.

When Maryland's other players struggled, Miguel carried the Terps' offense. Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Julian Reese combined for 14 points on 4-for-18 shooting,

It was the first game all season that the point guard and both have both scored in single digits, yet Maryland was in control all night on the road against the No. 17 team.

Miguel remained poised despite the strong first half. He made multiple extra passes, including an assist to Rice for a second-half 3-pointer. The Wolverines drew within five points at the under-eight timeout. But Rice, after struggling against Penn State, made multiple clutch shots. The Virginia Tech transfer scored 19 points and made 4-9 triples.

"I thought Rodney had a great second half," Willard said.

Michigan's excelled in close contests, its past nine victories coming by four or less points. On the other hand, the Terps seven losses this year have come by an average of 3.9 points (27 total points).

Maryland's also 1-7 at Crisler Center and hadn't won there since 2016. The game had the makings of a Wolverines comeback win. But the Terps' held on with strong free-throw shooting and defense and picked up a critical road win. Maryland can clinch a top four seed in the Big Ten Tournament with a win against Northwestern on Saturday and could rise as high as No. 2.

At least somebody at CBS likes us.

Jerry Palm moved us all the way up to a #5 seed in his latest projection. Sounds about right from him after we beat a team he had as a #3 just yesterday. And did it on their floor. Heard him this morning on 105.7 and it seemed his only justification for having them as a #7 yesterday was the nonsense about their resume from December/January. Laughable nonsense.

This writer on the other hand, has a lot of good things to say. And I have been hearing & reading more like this in the last few weeks. Say what you want about the bench, when you have the highest scoring starting 5 in the country AND you play tough D, possibilities are endless.

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