Today in the Morning Rumble, US takes the crown, Jamal Murray turned down some cold hard cash, and Jon Rothstein sat down with Jay Wright recently.
Villanova commit and the MVP of the tournament, Jalen Brunson, scored 14 points and dished out seven assists while showing poise, presence and a high basketball IQ against Croatia's zone defense. High school seniors, Jayson Tatum (13 points), Harry Giles (13 points and 16 rebounds), and Josh Jackson (10 points), were key, especially in the overtime period.
With Croatia supporting a slim rotation, the USA U19 team used their pressure defense and length to wear down their opponent in overtime, scoring the first 10 points and putting the game out of reach.
5-star Canadian point guard Jamal Murray turned down a seven figure contract with a professional team to play for John Calipari and Kentucky. The 6'5" guard is projected as a top 20 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and is expected to make more money in the future while also playing in the best league in the world.
Murray will have a huge impact for the Wildcats next season as he will play alongside Isaiah Briscoe and Tyler Ulis in the backcourt.
One of the top point guards in the 2016 class, Alterique Gilbert, settled on his next school as he committed to UConn over Syracuse, Louisville and others on Saturday morning. Gilbert has the ability to score from multiple spots on the floor while also having the ability to set up his teammates with crisp passes.
Kevin Ollie is known for bringing out the best in his talented guards (Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright, Rodney Purvis) and he will have star-studded talent with Jalen Adams and Daniel Hamilton, in addition to Gilbert in 2016.
On to the transfer market, where Ahmaad Rorie is trying to find a new home. The rising sophomore guard announced his decision to transfer this past week as he would have struggled for minutes in a Duck uniform with Tyler Dorsey, Casey Benson and Dylan Ennis dominating the ball.
Rorie played 18.8 minutes per game last season, scoring 4.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
The highlight of the weekend? In the gold medal game at the World Championships in Greece, Jayson Tatum went up for a slam and was blocked by Nik Slavica. Definitely the play of the tournament!
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports visited Villanova last week and sat down with head coach Jay Wright to ask him about the loss in the NCAA Tournament to North Carolina State, expectations for next season and the potential of Brunson. It's an interesting interview as Wright explains the team is moving forward despite the disappointment at the end of last season.