Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell unanimously named to NBA All-Rookie Team
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Philadelphia
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Philadelphia
By ADAM ZAGORIA
R.J. Barrett played his final high school game in his native Canada, and now he will play his first college games there, too.
The 6-foot-7 Barrett and his heralded fellow freshmen will be with preseason No. 1 Duke when they play exhibition games in Toronto and Montreal in August. Duke is set for a pair of contests at Hershey Centre in Toronto against Ryerson University on August 15 at 7 p.m. ET and the University of Toronto at 6 p.m. ET on August 17. The tour concludes in Montreal against McGill University at Place Bell on August 19 at 3 p.m. ET.
“It’s going to be amazing to take part in this tour,” said Barrett, who went for 47 points, five rebounds, three blocks, and one assist en route to Team White MVP honors in a 138-135 loss to Team Blue in the Signature All-Canadian Showcase in suburban Toronto on April 23. “Not only will I be putting on the Duke jersey for the first time, but I will be doing it in my home country in front of friends and family. It will be a good way to start our year, and bond with each other as teammates.”
RJ Barrett with 47 POINTS in his last HS game ? @RjBarrett6 @signatureacs pic.twitter.com/LAU7rpKVok
— Overtime (@overtime) April 24, 2018
Now Barrett and his fellow “Fab Five” members Joey Baker, Tre Jones, Cam Reddish and Zion Williamson will usher in a new era in Duke basketball for the 2018-19 season.
“We are excited about the opportunity to be tested against three quality basketball programs in Canada this summer,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. “More than a third of our roster includes players competing for the first time as collegians. The practices and games associated with the tour will allow us to bond as a team, while providing us with a terrific educational opportunity to see another country and two amazing cities – Toronto and Montreal. It should be especially fun for one of our newcomers, R.J. Barrett, who will be home.”
By ADAM ZAGORIA
The 16th annual Pangos All-American Camp has been certified by the NBA, meaning NBA scouts can attend and observe some of the top high school players in the Classes of 2019, ’20 and ’21, a source told ZAGSBLOG.
An official memo to NBA teams will be released on Tuesday.
The camp runs June 1-3 at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif.
“I think they just want to give us more access,” one NBA scout said.
The move comes as the NBA’s one-and-done rule seems destined to end sometime in the coming years. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported there was movement to end the rule “but not before 2020.”
“I think you’ll see more events get sanctioned that are worthy of [the NBA’s] attention, whether they’re shoe-related or not,” the source said.
ANDREW DAMPF and SAMUEL PETREQUIN| AP
PARIS — Serena Williams’ return to Grand Slam tennis from maternity leave just got even tougher.
French Open organizers announced on Monday they will not give Williams a seeding.
“This year again, tournament officials will establish the list and ranking of the women’s seeds based on the WTA ranking,” the French Tennis Federation said in a statement to The Associated Press. “Consequently, (the seeds) will reflect this week’s world ranking.”
Williams, a three-time French Open champion, is expected to play in her first major since giving birth to her daughter in September.
While Williams can enter Roland Garros under the WTA’s protected or “special” ranking rule, it’s up to Grand Slam organizers to give her a seed.
By ADAM ZAGORIA Villanova's Donte DiVincenzo expects to remain
