Oumar Ballo has committed to Gonzaga as a recruit in the incoming 2019 class.
Ballo is a 6'10 Maian center with a 7'6 wingspan and is considered a top international prospect at the age of 16.
Ballo plays at the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City.
Host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) and draft expert Sam Vecenie of The Athletic (@Sam_Vecenie) catch up on 2019 NBA Draft prospects.
They discuss Zion Williamson’s injury and decision, the impact on his Duke teammates, Sam’s big new project, the 2019 offseason and more.
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Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 right knee sprain.
Williamson will be day-to-day.
Williamson suffered the injury during the opening minute of Duke's loss on Wednesday to North Carolina.
The NBA has formally submitted a proposal to the NBPA to lower the draft-eligible age to 18 from 19.
The NBPA and its executive director, Michele Roberts, planned to review the proposal Monday at a post-All-Star weekend meeting in the Bahamas.
Adam Silver is on record saying the current 19-year-old age limit is not working for the league or college basketball.
The rule change will likely take effect by the 2022 NBA Draft, which would give most teams ample time to prepare for the effects of the change.
Zion Williamson suffered a mild knee sprain after blowing out his shoe 36 seconds into a rivalry game against UNC. Duke lost the game 88-72.
Mike Kzryzewski said Williamson's knee was stable, and that the team would provide a timetable for his recovery on Thursday.
Williamson was wearing a pair of Nike PG 2.5's, Paul George's signature sneaker from last fall, during the blowout.
Ticket prices for Wednesday's game between Duke and North Carolina have reached amounts typically reserved for Super Bowls.
The cheapest available tickets for Cameron Indoor Stadium is $2,500.
One ticket to this week's UNC-Duke game sold for $10,652, per Vivid Seats.
Duke is ranked No. 1 while North Carolina ranks No. 8 with the presence of Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish adding more intrigue to the rivalry game.
"Between Zion Williamson, a No. 1 ranking and this being one of the biggest rivalries in sports, there's intense demand," TickPick marketing strategist Kyle Zorn said. "There's also a limited supply of inventory, which is having a major effect on price. Cameron Indoor Stadium has 13 percent the seating capacity of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. When you factor in that the floor seating is reserved for students, you're left with a short supply -- and massive demand."
LeBron James praised Zion Williamson after watching him in person during Duke's win over Virginia last weekend.
"What strikes me? His agility and his quickness. For his size, how strong he is, to be able to move like the way he moves, he's very impressive. I mean, everybody can see the athleticism. That's obviously, that's ridiculous. But the speed and the quickness that he moves [with] at that size is very impressive," said James.
But James said he was most impressed with how Williamson is handling off-court pressures.
"The best thing I've noticed is he seems like a good kid. He seems like he's got his head on straight. And when they asked him about, you know, guys in our league and people who cover our league talking about, 'If I was Zion Williamson, I would sit out for the rest of the year,' he was like, 'That's [silly]. Why? I'm here to play basketball. I love to play basketball. I'm here at Duke, I'm having fun. These are my friends. I'm having a great time. Why would I sit out?' That's the type of s--- that strikes me. Everybody gets so caught up in the game itself. I look at the intangibles. And he seems like he has great intangibles and seems like a great kid," he added.
UCLA are looking to hire Tony Bennett as their next head coach.
“They are going hard after Tony Bennett and he has not said no yet,” according to a source.
Bennett's grinding style of play would be an issue in winning over UCLA fans.
“That cost [former coach Ben] Howland. They never embraced him because of his defensive approach. The low-scoring and methodical pace was not appreciated by Coach [John] Wooden or the fans," according to the source.
Anthony Edwards has committed to Georgia.
Edwards is ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the incoming class of 2019. In a recent ESPN mock draft for 2020, Edwards is selected No. 2 behind Jaden McDaniels.
"The reason I picked the University of Georgia is because it's my home school," Edwards told ESPN's Paul Biancardi. "I want to put the state school back on the basketball map. Tom Crean is a great dude, and I believe in him coaching me and developing me. On my visit we watched film together, and he talks with so much energy."
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