VCU: Huge fan of Adrian 'Ace' Baldwin Jr. Even Mathurin took on some point guard duties against UCLA, dishing out a career-high seven assists to go with 27 points. For the latest Damian Lillard rumors and salary info, click here. We know Cryer can fill it up, but DraftKings is averaging a soft line for him. In the height of college football anticipation, there is one last chapter before we completely close the book on the 2021-2022 college hoops season; the 2022 NBA Draft. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year and the first guard to win the award sinceGary Payton in 1995-96,Marcus Smart was a huge part of why the Boston Celtics were able to reach the Finals and come within two wins of banner No. Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. This 6-foot-7, 210-pound senior forward averages 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from the field for a Jackrabbits team that owns the longest winning streak in Division 1 at. The playmaking guard was a starter for the Tide last season, scoring 20+ points six times and being a steady scorer on offense throughout. 2 with the top two prospects, Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren . 3PM:3-Point Field Goals Made; 3PA:3-Point Field Goals Attempted; PTS:Points; OR:Offensive Rebounds; And I think just everyone knows what type of year the Lakers went through last year. You can get deep into the playoffs with guys like that surrounding your star pieces, as Smart and the Celtics proved just last season. First, Matthew Mayer rolls his ankle stepping on Jeremy Sochan's foot, allowing North Carolina to play 5-on-4, which pays off when Armando Bacot scores and is fouled on the other end. Jan 18 @ West Virginia, Baylor (16-2) Win vs. West Virginia, 77-68, 19. In that four-season stretch, Young ranks fourth in total points scored, behind just Harden,Giannis Antetokounmpo andDevin Booker. North Carolina visits Florida State after . Baylor (19-10, 10-7 Big 12) won 63-54 at 12th-ranked Texas on Monday, holding the Longhorns to a season low in points, ending their 12-game home winning streak and preventing them from clinching . North Carolina will play either No. Yet another disappointing playoff finish was in the cards forChris Paul in 2021-22, a true shame considering last season legitimately looked like Pauls best chance to win the first championship of his career. Miami can give him that opportunity. Regardless, we decided to list Simmons as a point guard for this exercise since that is the position hes spent his entire career playing. Clearly, the first name to mention is senior guard Grant Sherfield (17.5 ppg, 3.5 apg), the Nevada transfer who has fit in well in this system and become the focal point of the offense. Well, he was able to accomplish just that in 2021-22, leading the Golden State Warriors to a somewhat unexpected title run, their first in the post-Kevin Durant era while averaging 27.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 4.1 three-pointers in 22 playoff games. If Wheeler's jumper doesn't come along, Kentucky will have plenty of high-floor options. pic.twitter.com/QFCKm05lvO, Head to CBS to catch all the madness https://t.co/FeBnkWchKr. The second Ball brother on this list,LaMelo Ball is one of the flashiest young point guards weve seen in the NBA in quite some time, along with one of the boldest, particularly with his shot selection. Who among the group has the best chance of winning the award? Campbell is tough as nails, and he plays hounding defense. He elevated his play even further when it mattered most in the playoffs, putting up 21.6 points and 4.6 rebounds over 18 postseason contests, helping guide the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010-11. Baylor Scheierman is 6-foot-6. There are 20 candidates that start out in the preseason and it gets whittled down throughout the year until a winner is named around the Final Four. For the latest Fred VanVleet rumors and salary info, click here. We see no drop-off coming for Holiday in 2022-23 despite the fact hes now 32, as his game should continue to age well. Remember: North Carolina is without both Brady Manek and Caleb Love. Baylor cut North Carolina's lead to three points on a James Akinjo and-one before the Bears get a couple bad breaks. Ranked by 247Sports Composite as the No. Big man Drew Timme is the face of the franchise for the Zags, but their point guard depth is absurd. Dec 18 @ Oregon, Baylor (10-0) Win vs. Oregon, 78-70, 11. Not bad, especially for a 6-foot-3 guard. Baylor Scheierman (55) Guard - 2021-22: Junior at South Dakota State Selected as the 2022 Summit . Smart had the sixth-best defensive swing rating on those shots defended, forcing foes to shoot 6.5 percent worse than normal on those field-goal attempts. Kolek jumped from a 28% 3-point shooter last year to 38.2% in 2022-23. Baylor have won 13 out of their last 16 games against Oklahoma State. Lewis, who averaged 11.8 points with 5.3 assists during her lone campaign with the Bears . That's just ridiculous point guard depth for Chris Beard and Texas. Murrays prospects for the 2022-23 season are tough to forecast due to his extended injury layoff. !UNC 80, BU 80 | :15 2H#SicEm | #CultureofJOY pic.twitter.com/xHYk8rf3No, Three. He's just going to have to find some consistency. Or write about sports? From Jan. 21 through the end of the campaign, a 29-game stretch, Cunningham averaged 19.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.2 steals per contest, making a push for Rookie of the Year, an accolade in which he ultimately finished third. Tyger Campbell opting to run it back at UCLA was an enormous win for Mick Cronin. Nov 25 (Neutral), Baylor (6-0) Win vs. Virginia Commonwealth, 69-61, 7. Facing Baylor- Here's The Scout Oklahoma State men's basketball will host No. And so just the different various energy injuries with people within the lineup that were dependent upon within the rotation. Baylor's guards give everybody fits. There was definitely some consternation about Porter Moser's offseason, but that changed when the Sooners landed Nevada transfer Grant Sherfield. 2:45 pm ET, at 2:28 pm ET, at And if he continues to improve in 2022-23 as he has every other year of his career, hell prove this ranking wrong. Nevertheless, despite Paul being 37 now, we still expect big things from him in the upcoming league year, as he proved without a doubt last season that he remains the Point God, one of the best floor generals in the league, a force from the midrange and out of the pick-and-roll, and a disruptive defender as there ever has been in the steals department. 2:53 pm ET, at The biggest question mark on this entire list, we took somewhat of a leap of faith with this ranking considering the long layoffJamal Murray is attempting to return from. Point guard play wins in March. #16 of 38 on. He can score 20+ points most of the time and went for 35 in a single game last season and with star forward and Mountain West Player of the Year David Roddy now gone, the senior was set to lead the Rams on offense completely. July 26, 2022 He scored 71 points during for the LA Lakers against the New York Knicks during the 1960-61 season. For the latest Russell Westbrook rumors and salary info, click here. For the latest Lonzo Ball rumors and salary info, click here. in defensive rating, giving up an atrocious 117.4 points per 100 possessions, a rate that was only stingier than the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers, all of whom were tanking and brashly, too. So clearly, despite what the naysayers will pick at, Simmons is an excellent point guard. Jan 22 @ Oklahoma, Baylor (17-2) Win vs. Oklahoma, 65-51, 20. Heres how I would rank each of their chances, based on their respective circumstances. 2:33 pm ET, at . One of last year's most improved players, Garland recorded seven 30-plus-point scoring performances in 2021-22, including on March 8 when he poured in a career-best 41 points against the Pacers. My Home Court. How will Simmons look after a back injury forced him out of action last year? Stevens made the All-Mountain West team in all three seasons and has been one of the better playmakers out west since he arrived in college. Manek led all scorers with 26 points on just 13 shots when he left the court. After all, hes just 32 and has proven time and time again to be one of the leagues top point guards since his breakout 2015-16 season. EX Baylor Point Guard vs. While some addressed those in free agency, others relied on the draft,. 'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs'); With the boring doldrums of the offseason firmly upon us, we though it a solid time to begin a fun summer project, one that will see us preview the upcoming NBA campaign by ranking the Top 25 players in every position, from point guard to center. All of those perimeter players being so selfless is a joy for Arizona's. So how could we have him anywhere but the top spot on the list of best point guards for 2022-23? For the latest Ben Simmons rumors and salary info, click here. But he has help. Thoughts on Baylor's 26-20 Loss to BYU and the Trip to Provo The Baylor Bears dropped to 1-1 on the 2022 season with a road loss to a future Big 12 member. The one area Gilgeous-Alexander needs to bounce back in is as an outside shooter, especially if hes going to play more off-ball next season next to Giddey, as he shot just 30.0 percent from three last season. pic.twitter.com/GXQCSeJMjH, (@PlayoffShai) July 10, 2022. Notes: He spent the summer working out with Jared Butler, Freddie Gillespie, and many other professional basketball players. LJ Cryer and Dale Bonner each scored 15 points, and No. Self said then that taking Cryer a 46.8% 3-point shooter out of the Bears' lineup changed the way Baylor played and made the BU offense easier to guard. This is the one big, glaring point of emphasis Baylor's coaching staff could maybe push at the moment the one place an extremely good team could get obviously better. That average point total was his lowest since 2012-13, his first season with the Toronto Raptors before any of his six All-Star campaigns. The future Hall-of-Famer led the NBA in nightly assists at 10.8 while contributing 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals and shooting 49.3 percent from the floor. Carr is the productive veteran who's seen it all. Baylor knocked off Texas 63-54 Monday night in the Moody Center in Austin for the green and gold's third-straight win and fifth victory over a top-25 opponent this season. Boise State: Marcus Shaver Jr. is back to run the show. He struggled enough, particularly with his shooting and decision-making, that Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch even opted to bench him in pivotal fourth quarters in the playoffs in favor ofPatrick Beverley, who isnt even on the team anymore. Caleb Asberry just hoisted a 3 from the right wing, trying to return the 3-pointer that Baylor guard Dale . Young had an embarrassing 2022 playoff showing, averaging just 15.4 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 31.9 percent from the field and 18.4 percent from deep, with the Heat doing a great job of trapping him and forcing anyone else on the Atlanta Hawks to beat them. However, that down year and that low scoring averaged still entailed Harden putting up 22.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 10.3 assists per contest. Eric Musselman is already raving about the basketball IQ that 5-star freshman Anthony Black has. Michigan State scored 127.3 points per 100 possessions in the 215 possessions Hoggard and Walker played together last season, according to Pivot Analysis. He's really developed his offensive game, so when UCLA needs a bucket, Campbell is able to go get one when things look dire. Preseason watch list for the Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the nations best point guard: pic.twitter.com/goVyNjNUYa, Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) October 24, 2022. Kansas won the National Championship with two point guards ( DaJuan Harris and Remy Martin) playing heavy minutes. That, obviously, hasnt totally happened quite yet, despite Doncic still having three 1st Team All-NBAs under his belt. 16 . No matter the exact position, Gilgeous-Alexander has developed into one of the most exciting lead guards in basketball, posting his best career campaign in 2021-22. For the latest Darius Garland rumors and salary info, click here. 2:46 pm ET, at Let's take a deep dive into which point guard rooms are set upto thrive in 2022-23: Marcus Carr, Tyrese Hunter and Arterio Morris? 2022-23 Big 12 Conference Standings . 2021-22 Baylor Bears Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 27-7 (14-4, 1st in Big 12 MBB ) Rank: 4th in the Final AP Poll Coach: Scott Drew More School Info Big 12 Reg Season Champ Baylor (Men's) School History Roster & Stats Polls, Schedule & Results Game Log Starters On this page: Roster Per Game Team and Opponent Stats Zeigler is one of the most fun players to watch in the country. He leads the Summit League in rebounds and assists. Injury concerns factored intoLonzo Balls place in these rankings, with the Chicago Bulls still publicly showing some concern regarding whats going on with the former UCLA Bruins knee. All rights reserved. How valuable is Ryan Nembhard to Creighton's offense? Rod Aydelotte, Tribune-Herald The Cowboys are limiting. 2:23 pm ET. Kansas won the National Championship with two point guards (DaJuan Harris and Remy Martin) playing heavy minutes. Davis is exactly what the doctor ordered for Penny Hardaway. Along with his 1.7 steals per contest, however, Smart also put up 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 33.1 percent from beyond the arc. I've been saying for the past month that I've heard it is over a 50% chance that D'Angelo Russell is traded this offseason. He's so poised and under control at all times. If that does prove to be the case, how could we not rank him as the best point guard in basketball? The future is bright for the young Pacer. Visit ESPN for the box score of the Texas Longhorns vs. Baylor Bears NCAAM basketball game on 26 February 2023 . Overtime will be interesting. Houston's trio of Tramon Mark, Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead is just dirty. Baylor Bears guard Adam Flagler (10) shoots a 3 point shot during the 2nd half the NCAA Football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Baylor Bears at Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound shooting guard from Link (MO) Academy, chose the Bears over his remaining finalists - Texas, Auburn and Alabama. Baylor closed the final 10:08 of the first half after Brady Manek's ejection on a 38-13 run to erase North Carolina's 25-point lead. 2. For the 2022-23 season, we have a new list of candidates to watch for the best point guard in the country. !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? Unfortunately, Stevens recently suffered a serious foot injury thatll keep him out for 2023, hopefully for the start of league play. We start with arguably the most hotly contested position in the modern NBA, point guard, with so many of the leagues best players filling that role. How Brunson, a southpaw, will mesh with two other ball-dominant lefties inRJ Barrett andJulius Randle next season will go a long way in determining whether he can match or top his 2021-22 production, but considering Brunson is used to sharing the ball with a super high-usage player, Knicks fans shouldnt fret over that too much. North Carolina ultimately survived thanks to the play of Davis, who played all 45 minutes and scored 30 points and added six assists, and Bacot, who had 15 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. OH MY.Heels lead by 6 with 25.2 to goBaylor ball. North Carolina led the reigning national champions by as many as 25 points, and that was the advantage the Tar Heels held with 10:08 left in the second half when UNC's Brady Manek was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul when he elbowed Jeremy Sochan in the face. The players who can realize the benefit of playing with multiple lead guards, and the teams with the best techniques to get the most out of themwill have the most success. Theres no doubt hes got that in him, as his scoring, playmaking and rebounding are all at elite levels, with his crafty bucket-getting, ability to score from all three levels and to make passes that few others would even consider, let alone attempt, all give Doncic a package that few players have ever possessed. Maybe a healthier Davis in 2022-23 plus more additions to the Lakers roster (Buddy Hield orEric Gordon, perhaps?) CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. (Photo: Steve Cheng, Bruin Report Online), (Photo: Shotgun Spratling | USCfootball.com, Getty), (Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski, USA TODAY Sports). There was even talk of Russell getting traded this offseason. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound veteran is an elite scorer who has shot over 37% from downtown in each of the past two seasons. Over that span, Fox has averaged 23.2 points, 6.5 assists and 1.4 steals on 47.6 percent shooting. Caleb Love had some massive moments in the NCAA Tournament, but R.J. Davis' emergence was one of the real reasons why North Carolina advanced all the way to the championship game. Now, Harden is coming off a somewhat down year, as the bearded superstar averaged his per-game point total since 2011-12 when he was still a bench player for the Thunder. Describing Texas' point guard room as "loaded" might be underselling how special this unit might be. And even as the short-handed Bears found themselves down huge to North Carolina in the second half, there wasn't any quit. Jeremy Sochan's banked 3-pointer with 31 seconds left sliced the deficit to 80-77. In close games, Arizona has two guys (and really a third in Pelle Larsson) who can handle the rock and handle pressure. Whats more, in total assists over that span, he ranks first overall, with 2,544, just ahead of Westbrook. They're going to be awesome defensively and in transition, but can they knock down enough perimeter jumpers? The Billikens could be a problem in March thanks to their terrific guard play. Campbell might be the best point guard in the country. Taevion Kinsey. Butler is one of two Big 12 players on the watch list, joining Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham. Expect Walker and Hoggard to play a lot of minutes together next year. Baylor point guard James Akinjo speaks with Pacers.com's Wheat Hotchkiss following his pre-draft workout. UMass Minutemen (14-14, 5-11 A-10) at Duquesne Dukes (19-10 . He got so much better throughout his freshman year, and that should give him a ton of confidence in Year 2. The veteran point guard is an elite scorer and distributor. 7 Baylor held off Oklahoma State for a 74-68 victory on Monday night. Kentucky also has 5-star combo guard Cason Wallace who should be a major baller, and Illinois State transfer Antonio Reeves was very comfortable with the ball in his hands. For anyone arguing to themselves right now that Golden States title run was not unexpected, or that the team is loaded with talent and that they knew Andrew Wiggins was the missing piece for the Warriors return to greatness: Stop lying to yourself. SG. South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman will be very capable of running the point too, so Bluejays head coach Greg McDermott will have a ton of options to keep the offense humming. In 2021-22, Lowry averaged 13.4 points on 44.0 percent shooting (37.7 percent from deep) and 7.5 assists. KU still holds an overwhelming series lead over them in that time. After all, despite the drama, Irving still put up 27.4 points, 5.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 2021-22 while shooting 41.8 percent from three. In the playoffs, that number was actually even bigger, as Simmons boasted a +19.6 swing rating during his time on the floor in the 2021 postseason. When you go back and look at the games missed by LeBron James at different segments add a different set. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. It has a chance to get a bit midrange-heavy at times, but Smith is going to average. pic.twitter.com/be8jtNHVe6. Jan 14, 2023 - Baylor 74 vs. Oklahoma State 58; Feb 21, 2022 - Baylor 66 vs. Oklahoma State 64 The former UCLA Bruin also made the Milwaukee Bucks 14.0 points per 100 possessions better during his time on the floor, proving what an important piece he continues to be for one of the leagues top contenders. All in all, if hes healthy once again in 2022-23, Ball should be able to outpace his place in these rankings he was that effective last season for Chicago. His midrange game is just nasty, plus Davis shot over 40% from 3-point range in ACC play last season. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a career-high 24.5 points last season to go with 5.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steal. Who will his teammates even be in 2022-23, with the trade rumors surrounding the teams other star point guard, as well as Kevin Durant? 2022 Draft Workouts: James Akinjo. Sherfield has averaged at least 18.6 points and 6.1 assists in each of the last two seasons. Nov 12, Baylor (1-0) Win vs. Incarnate Word, 87-60, 2. 6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories_live-blog, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. Able to knock down shots from all over the floor, either with his feet set or off the dribble, and do so accurately, is one of Balls biggest strengths. What a shot RJ Davis! 2:44 pm ET, at !UNC 79, BU 73 | 1:37 to go. Adam Flagler, LJ Cryer, Langston Love, Dale Bonner and Keyonte George give Scott Drew a ton of ridiculously talented guards. They'll feed off each other and really inspire everyone else to raise their effort level to match theirs. His herky-jerky, sudden movements make him extremely difficult to guard, as does his ability to stop on a dime and score from all over the midrange, as well as set up teammates out of the pick-and-roll. Dec 20, Baylor (11-0) Win vs. Alcorn State, 94-57, 12. #1 of 45 on. Thats why Atlanta went out and acquiredDejounte Murray, one of the best two-way guards in the league and someone wholl be able to take some of the playmaking load off of Youngs shoulders. Baylor might not have that James Akinjo-like point guard who has the ball in his hands 24/7, but that might not be a bad thing. He's going to be a fantastic gamechanger in the Big East because his pick-'n'-roll navigation is as good as it gets. Theres no question 2021-22 was a down year forDamian Lillard, who saw his season end after just 29 games after an abdominal injury that he says has bothered him for years was finally too much for him to bear playing through any longer. Do you have a blog? Three of No. 2:54 pm ET, at Overall, VanVleet has developed from an undrafted project into one of the best point guards in the league thanks to his confident, bombastic shooting abilities and solid playmaking, as well as his grittiness on both ends of the floor. But with so many legitimate questions surrounding the Brooklyn Nets in 2022-23, we didnt feel comfortable ranking him higher than this. In five games this season when Ivey has posted at least 20 points, the Boilermakers have won four of those contests. Westbrook shouldered the majority of the blame for L.A.s struggles last season, a year in which the purple-and-gold franchise missed the playoffs for the second time in four seasons. Garland uses his shooting, his most impressive trait both off the dribble and with his feet set to get buckets from all over the floor. But a lot will fall on the shoulders of Fox to make that come to fruition. Bryce Thompson squatted down, trying to get a better vantage point of the ball. Nolan Hickman and/or Hunter Sallis are primed to explode next year, but Gonzaga also added prized Chattanooga transfer Malachi Smith. Feb 16 @ Texas Tech, Baylor (21-5) Loss vs. Texas Tech, 73-83, 27. Baylor women's basketball sophomore point guard Alexis Morris has been dismissed from the team, head coach Kim Mulkey announced on Tuesday morning. As we are all well. Hunter is the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year who defends like his life is on the line and has All-American upside if his jumper comes around. You could also say that KU's guards give people fits. #4 of 54 on. Campbell's pulse for the game is top notch. For the latest Cade Cunningham rumors and salary info, click here. Thats also the 27th-best mark among players with 150 such possessions, not a bad rate for a player who has lost a step athletically and was hampered by injuries throughout the year. Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) June 23, 2022. Thats why we landed on No. For the latest James Harden rumors and salary info, click here. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Follow @frankurbina_ Head coach: Scott Drew. !UNC 80, BU 80 | :15 2H#SicEm | #CultureofJOY pic.twitter.com/sO34TV4h6c, Akinjo TIE's it!!! A hot debate on NBA Twitter this offseason centered around who fans would rather take as their point guard: Young or Ja Morant. The bottom part of the bracket sees one of either No. When he was off the floor, that dipped down to 101.09, according to Pivot Analysis. That's why they're perfect for Arizona. Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) April 30, 2022. Mar 17 (Neutral), Baylor (27-6) Win vs. Norfolk State, 85-49, 34. Nov 15, Baylor (2-0) Win vs. Nicholls State, 89-60, 3. Last year was more of the same from Young, who averaged 28.4 points and 9.7 assists while shooting 38.2 percent from three. His impact was clearly felt every time he stepped on the floor, too, as the Celtics were 4.7 points per 100 possessions better with Smart in the game. With the additions of Domantas Sabonis andKeegan Murray, as well as the continued presence of veterans likeHarrison Barnes, the Kings could have a strong enough roster to at least make it into the play-in tournament in 2022-23. So tales of Hardens demise may have been greatly exaggerated, and with an offseason to heal from nagging injuries and preseason to mesh with his new team, we expect more big things from the former league MVP in 2022-23. 2 pick in his draft class and putting up 19.1 points and 7.4 assists in his sophomore season. He's been one of college basketball's best point guards for a long time, and that won't change at Oklahoma. Elgin Baylor was the first player to score 70 points in an NBA game. For the latest Kyrie Irving rumors and salary info, click here. Baylor closed the final 10:08 of the first half on a 38-13 run. The Bears likely aren't going anywhere. Still, we opted to play it safe and keep the smooth Canadian guard with the point guards, which we felt better about after seeing thatBasketball-Reference had Gilgelous-Alexander as playing 62 percent of his 2021-22 minutes as a point guard. HEELS LEAD BY 5.HEELS BALL.4.8 SECONDS LEFT.NO TURNOVERS!!!!!!!! In last years playoffs, 23 players defended at least 200 field-goal attempts, according to NBA.com. The Kansas State transfer is an elite 3-point shooter with deep range. Miles averaged 15.4 points and 3.8 assists this past season. For the latest Ja Morant rumors and salary info, click here. Both Kerr Kriisa and Courtney Ramey know what it's like to play in loaded backcourts.