A fans perspectives

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Sports radio, the driving force

Monday evening the undefeated and number one Arizona Wildcats (23-0) faced the number 9 Kansas Jayhawks (18-5) at Allen Fieldhouse. We knew ahead of time presumed number one draft pick Darryn Peterson would not be available, he was reported to have flu symptoms. Okay, another miss or limited game for the projected top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, in any event despite his absence the Jayhawks held on beating Arizona 87-78. You would think a thrilling victory over the number one team in the nation would suffice, most likely it would. That failed to account for sports talk radio on Tuesday morning, instead of reveling in the victory they were raking Peterson over the coals for his nonappearance.

The co-host of this particular sports radio station has made in my opinion extreme statements in the past so instead of rejoicing in the win he preferred to attack Peterson. We cannot see or feel for that matter the belief, illness or injury of Peterson…we must take his word he was sick with the flu. If this particular host is upset regarding Name, Image and Likeness he might want to follow another sports, whether he likes it or not it's here to stay. Apparently he expressed a concern about play for pay. A friend suggested this to me, “I bet he didn’t say anything about the Peterson 3-point shot which tied the Texas Tech game nor the 3-pointer which won it.” We as sports fans don’t have the capability of deciding who is playing for real and who is faking it. This writer is no fan of Bill Self nor Kansas basketball however I believe the coach, he said “Peterson has flu like symptoms that is good enough for me.”

Will it occur…they believe it

This from Yahoo Sports, “The NBA is likely to vote on expansion this summer.” If that should occur it’s not shocking news, it has been a subject of discussion at least by the media for the past two years. The two leading cities for an NBA franchise hasn’t changed either, Seattle and Las Vegas are the contenders. As for the particulars I am aware of at least three ownership groups vying for the Seattle franchise, Las Vegas is a little trickier. The Sonics (I think that’s appropriate) will play in Climate Pledge Arena their former home before the franchise moved to OKC.

Questions abound where the Las Vegas team will play, the last information I read indicated there were two competing groups desiring to build an arena. Whatever might occur in the intermediate time there are two potential sites which could be utilized for a time. T-Mobile Arena home of the NHL Golden Knights could be used, in addition the Cox Pavilion or Thomas & Mack Arena could also be utilized although none of the arenas would be permanent. This account similar to others is not set in stone, the news didn’t originate from the NBA offices so there is that to consider. There is no doubt NBA expansion will take place, exactly when is unclear.

There was never a question about talent

I don’t believe any of us including yours truly questioned the talent of Kawhi Leonard. It was the other stuff, the injury bug which cropped up periodically indirectly led to his “load management” status. Then came the report Clippers ownership had attempted to circumvent the salary cap, he was paid an additional sum by a questionable company which resulted in an NBA investigation being initiated. Although results of the investigation are yet to be completed Leonard continues to press on.

The 2025-26 season has been outstanding thus far for Kawhi and circumstances beyond his control provide us an idea he becomes even more valuable. The recent trade of James Harden and Ivica Zubac are the basis for two reasons, Darius Garland obtained from the Cavs is still injured and unavailable. Zubac has been replaced in the lineup by Brook Lopez, while he remains a capable scorer Lopez is 37-years old now and cannot hit the boards in the same manner as Zubac or score down low. Back to Leonard, he’s leading the Clippers in scoring with a 28 point a game average the highest output since his first season with the team 5 years ago. I love guys who shoot free throws and currently Leonard is 91.4% from the line.

I remember it like yesterday

A prominent media figure delivered a critical commentary following the NBA draft, expressing unfamiliarity with a particular athlete who was chosen by his favorite team. While I was aware of this player’s name—primarily due to regularly consulting mock draft websites—I did not initially know if he possessed the skill level required for the NBA; he later demonstrated that he was indeed prepared for the league. Many do not closely follow Euroleague or Australian basketball, the only names somewhat familiar are the international athletes playing at U.S. schools.

Their home country is listed and behind that is the college they attend in the U.S. My aim is to share names of international players who are likely candidates for the 2026 NBA draft. Although the list is ranked, it is intended solely to provide names of potential prospects, focusing on individuals projected as first-round and early second-round selections. By no means should this be considered complete, in addition several of the names might skip the draft while others might not be drafted at all. The bottom line, this account should not be regarded as exhaustive or extensive.

Karim Lopez Mexico-NBL

Dash Daniels-Australia

Miikkia Muurinen-Finland

Sergio De Larrea-Spain

Adam Atamna-France

Mouhamed Faye-Senegal

Ognjen Srzentiz-Serbia

Hans Steinbach-Germany (Washington)

Aday Mara-Spain (Michigan)

Tomislav Ivisic-Croatia (Illinois)

Flory Bidunga-Congo (Kansas)

Mor Massaba Diop-Senegal (Arizona State)

Michael Ruzic-Croatia

Henri Veesaa-Estonia (North Carolina)

Johann Grunloh-Germany (Virginia)  

Motiejus Krivas-Lithuania (Arizona)