Vassell reunites with buddy.
Ex-college teammates Vassell, Bulls’ Williams handle strange rookie years
As Spurs rookie Devin Vassell navigated the strangest pre-draft process in NBA history last fall, with team interviews conducted on Zoom in the middle of a pandemic, he found himself playing the role of hype man for a different prospect.
If you like me, Vassell often told teams interested in him, you’re going to love Patrick Williams.
The two played together at Florida State. Outside of mem“i bers of the Williams family, Vassell might be Patrick Williams’ biggest fan. told every team that Pat was going to be special,” Vassell said. “And he is.”
The two former Seminoles are set for a reunion Wednesday night at the United Center in Chicago, where Williams is already beginning to live up to billing.
Drafted fourth overall by the Bulls in November, Williams has started all 36 games for Chicago, averaging 10.2 points and flashing his chops as an emerging force on defense.
His old college teammate — and fellow lottery selection — has been no slouch either.
The 11th overall pick, Vassell has appeared in 28 games for the Spurs, all but one as a reserve, with the flashes of promise coming more frequently.
In Wednesday’s 109-99 victory in Detroit, the 20-year-old Vassell supplied 13 points off the bench, with three 3-pointers and a pair
of fast-break dunks.
“Since the day he got here, I’ve seen his growth day in and day out,” Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV said. “I am really happy he is getting this experience as a rookie and just continuing to develop.”
With the speed at which this compressed NBA season has proceeded, it is a wonder any rookie can find his way to the gym.
The pandemic wiped out NBA Summer League, typically the first step in onboarding first-year players.
Training camp was shortened, as was the preseason.
NBA teams rarely practice in the guts of a regular season, but this campaign has resulted in even less on-court teaching time.
When the Spurs reconvened March 9 after the All-star break, they had what will be their final practice of the regular season.
Playing every day or every other day from here out, there will not be space for another one.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been impressed with Vassell’s
propensity to process information in a short amount of time.
“He’s really a bright young man,” Popovich said. “He has a great personality. He’s a great teammate. He absorbs things.”
The way Vassell approaches his job, he is never off the clock.
To make up for a lack of oncourt practice time, Vassell makes sure to meet daily with assistant coaches — either in person or virtually — to go over what he might have missed.
“It’s a crazy schedule and there is not that much practice time, so when coach Pop calls your name, you can’t be lost,” Vassell said. “You can’t be looking around. You have to know exactly what you are doing.”
Enduring a crash course in the Spurs Way would be difficult for any rookie under any circumstances.
Vassell was beginning to come into his own in mid-february when he came down with COVID-19.
He was one of five Spurs players to become infected with the virus during that outbreak and one of six throughout the season.
Vassell said his illness could have been worse.
“For two days, it was tough for me just with some little body aches and stuff like that,” Vassell said. “After that, I was fine.”
Still, due to the NBA’S health and safety protocols requiring him to quarantine, it took a month for Vassell to return to the court.
His last game before COVID came in a Feb. 14 win at Charlotte. He did not play again until March 12 against Orlando.
Spurs coaches worried Vassell’s progress might stall during his convalescence.
He scored eight points in a 104-77 win over the Magic, knocking down the first 3-pointer he saw and not looking back.
“Considering he is a rookie, and there was no real training camp over the summer and then the COVID, he’s been exceptional,” Popovich said.
Vassell is shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range, tops among Spurs regulars. He also averages 2.2 steals every 36 minutes, which ranks first among the team’s rotation players.
From Dec. 30 to Jan. 20, Vassell had a streak of 11 consecutive games logging at least one steal with zero turnovers. That marked an NBA record.
Like Williams, it is clear Vassell
spent his college years learning at the foot of Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton, a renowned defensive guru.
“He’s a smart player,” forward Rudy Gay said. “He’s played well beyond his years in the NBA.”
Vassell would be lying if he said his rookie season was going as planned.
Contracting COVID, for instance, was never part of the dream.
He is determined to make the most of his opportunity.
“At the end of the day, it’s a blessing to be out here to play the game that I love, be on this stage,” Vassell said.
Wednesday in Chicago, Vassell will share the stage with an old friend.
The NBA’S second-youngest player at 19 years and 203 days, Williams will not be far removed from posting his professional scoring high. He had 23 points in the Bulls’ victory over Toronto on Sunday.
Vassell will do his best to make sure Williams does not add to those achievements Wednesday.
“That’s my brother and I have all the respect in the world for him,” Vassell said. “But once we step across those lines, it’s business.”
On the heels of the least successful year in program history, UTSA women’s coach Kristen Holt will not have her contract renewed, athletic director Lisa Campos announced Tuesday.
The Roadrunners finished the 2020-21 season 2-18 overall and 0-14 in Conference USA. Since Holt came aboard in 2017, the Roadrunners are 24-83 (.224) overall and 10-54 (.156) in league games.
UTSA’S record regressed during Holt’s four years at the helm, as the program went 9-21 in 201718, 7-21 in 2018-19 and 6-23 in 2019-20 before this year’s twowin campaign.
“I want to thank Kristen for her hard work and dedication to the women’s basketball program and tireless commitment to the student-athletes during her tenure,” Campos said in a statement. “We are grateful for her contributions to our department and to the university.”
Pitino lands new job fast at New Mexico
Richard Pitino was hired as New Mexico’s coach, hours after Minnesota finalized his firing following eight seasons with the Gophers.
Lobos athletic director Eddie Nunez picked the 38-year-old Pitino to be the 22nd coach in the history of the men’s program. He’s replacing Paul Weir, who went 58-63 in four seasons.
New Mexico last reached the NCAA Tournament in 2014 in coach Craig Neal’s first year. The Lobos, playing in the Mountain West Conference, went three times in six seasons under Neal’s predecessor, Steve Alford.
Pitino took Minnesota to the NCAA Tournament twice. Over his eight years in the rugged Big Ten, the Gophers were 54-96 in conference play with only three regular-season finishes higher than 10th place.
The son of Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, who’s back in the NCAA Tournament this year with Iona, Richard Pitino had one season of prior experience as a head coach at Florida International when he was hired at Minnesota.
6 referees out of event after 1 tests positive
Six officials won’t be working the men’s NCAA Tournament because one tested positive for COVID-19 and five others were deemed close contacts after arriving in Indianapolis.
NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt confirmed the details Tuesday. CBS Sports first reported the officials received permission to leave for dinner together when their rooms weren’t ready and no food was available as they arrived at their hotel.
They later returned to the hotel and one of the officials tested positive. The amount of time they would have to quarantine meant they wouldn’t be available for the entirety of the tournament, which begins Thursday with four games before 16 more on Friday.
George Mason ousts Paulsen as head coach
George Mason has fired men’s coach Dave Paulsen, ending his tenure after six seasons that did not include an NCAA Tournament or NIT appearance.
The Patriots had four winning seasons under Paulsen and went 95-91 with a 47-57 record in Atlantic 10 Conference play. George Mason was 13-9 this season and lost in the conference tournament quarterfinals.