Alabama
How former Alabama basketball players performed in 2025 NBA Summer League debut
This past Thursday, the 2025 NBA Summer League officially began play out in Las Vegas, Nevada, with many former Alabama Crimson Tide basketball players among the names competing for NBA roster spots in the coming weeks.
Among this group of former Alabama players, all four of the Crimson Tide’s undrafted prospects from the 2025 NBA draft are in Las Vegas this week to showcase their talents for the first time at the professional level, while there are a few others from the program’s past as well.
There is also a former first round pick among this group who played in the first Summer League games, a player who has NBA experience.
Here is a look at how every former Alabama player performed during their 2025 NBA Summer League debut across the last two days.
Undrafted last month, Youngblood was among the biggest talking points Thursday afternoon from Oklahoma City’s 90-81 win over the Nets, scoring 19 points with five rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, as well as 3-of-5 from three. Drawing the start, Youngblood went on to play 26 minutes where the guard had two steals with a +/- of +23, while also shooting 3-of-5 from three, as well as 2-of-3 at the free throw line.
On the other side of that 90-81 win from Oklahoma City over Brooklyn was Nelson, who came off the Nets bench to play 14 total minutes in his first game after going undrafted. Overall, Nelson had five points, two rebounds, and one assist on 2-of-4 shooting from the field, as well as 1-of-3 from three-point range.
Sears did not see action during his first game as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks during their 90-89 victory over the Orlando Magic. The next chance for Sears to make his Summer League debut will come Saturday as Milwaukee faces the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Aaron Estrada, Guard – Memphis Grizzlies
Estrada came off the bench for Memphis during the Grizzlies’ 92-78 loss against the Boston Celtics, scoring eight points with a rebound across 16 minutes. The former Alabama guard also shot 4-of-6 from the field, while also 0-of-1 from three.
Kira Lewis Jr., Guard – Miami Heat
A former first round pick from the 2020 NBA draft, Lewis started for the Miami Heat during their 105-98 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, scoring four points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field with five rebounds and seven assists. Across 26 minutes, Lewis also shot 0-of-2 from three, as well as 2-of-2 at the free throw line.
Omoruyi came off the Raptors bench in Toronto’s 116-72 blowout victory over the Chicago Bulls, but played only five minutes. The former Alabama center had two points and one assist on 2-of-4 shooting from the free throw line.
Shackelford came off Golden State’s bench in the Warriors’ 106-73 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, scoring nine points with two rebounds and one assist across 20 minutes. The former Alabama guard also shot 3-of-7 from the field, 2-of-6 from three, and 1-of-3 at the free throw line.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
Alabama
Gov. Kay Ivey sets execution date for Jeremy Williams
Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday set an execution date for death row inmate Jeremy Williams, who was convicted in the 2021 kidnapping, rape and murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland in Phenix City.
Williams is scheduled to be executed by the state’s three-drug lethal injection during a 30-hour window beginning at 12 a.m. August 13 and ending at 6 a.m. August 14. The execution date comes after the Alabama Supreme Court granted a request from Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office on June 16, authorizing the state to carry out the sentence.
In a letter to Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Greg Lovelace, Ivey said the Supreme Court’s June 16 order serves as the official death warrant for Williams.
“By law, I am required to specify the time frame for carrying out the sentence of death,” Ivey said. “Accordingly, I hereby order that Jeremy Lee Williams’s sentence of death be carried out within a time frame beginning on August 13, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. and ending on August 14, 2026, at 6:00 a.m.”
Ivey noted that she retains the authority to commute the sentence before the execution takes place.
Williams, 34, was convicted in April 2024 on four counts of capital murder stemming from Holland’s death. Prosecutors charged him with capital murder during a kidnapping, capital murder during a rape, capital murder during first-degree sodomy and capital murder of a child younger than 14.
Authorities said Holland disappeared from her family’s home in Phenix City on December 13, 2021. Her body was discovered two days later inside an abandoned house less than a mile away. An autopsy determined that she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
In addition to the death sentence, Williams received several other prison terms. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for human trafficking and for knowingly producing recordings depicting the sexual abuse of a child. He also received another life sentence for a separate sexual abuse conviction, along with a 20-year sentence for conspiracy to commit human trafficking and a 10-year sentence for abuse of a corpse.
Unlike most death row inmates, Williams sought to speed up the execution process. During a hearing, he told the court that he accepted responsibility for his actions and wanted the sentence carried out.
In 2025, Williams dismissed his attorneys and informed the court that he wished to waive any remaining appeals and proceed with his execution. Russell County Circuit Court Judge David Johnson determined that Williams was competent to make that decision and allowed him to forgo further legal challenges.
Under Alabama law, capital convictions automatically receive appellate review. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals subsequently affirmed Williams’ conviction and death sentence in March.
After that review concluded, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office petitioned the Alabama Supreme Court in May to authorize an execution date. The court granted the request earlier this week, clearing the way for Ivey to schedule the execution.
If carried out as scheduled, Williams’ execution would occur nearly five years after Holland’s death and a little more than two years after he was sentenced to death.
Williams’ execution would be Alabama’s first by lethal injection since April 2025. The state’s three most recent executions were carried out using nitrogen hypoxia, which Alabama began using in 2024.
Alabama
Kids take center stage at Alabama Shakespeare Festival summer camp
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – You don’t find too many camps where you learn how to slap someone. But this summer, you will in Montgomery. It’s one of many kids camps put on by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
“We have our Camp Shakespeare Junior which is our half day for the littles, kindergarten through 3rd grade,” said Cameron Williams, the ASF director of education. “We have Big Kid Shakespeare camp and everyone is learning all about ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.”
They learn about on stage combat, different acting techniques, and also how to be creative and think on their feet.
“I think theater skills are life skills. So, what makes this camp special is we’re doing more than just boosting literacy and doing theater things. We’re doing life skills, learning what it means to be team players, about discipline, and working with people who may have different personalities than you.”
Different kids have different talents. And even if your child isn’t up for a lead role in the next play, this place can leave a lasting impact.
“If you’re looking for a place where your kid can come out of their shell, to learn how to speak in front of a group, and develop some confidence, this is the place to be.”
It’s a place that’s a real treasure in Montgomery, and its mining some young gems, who one day, could be on the big stage themselves. There are still more ASF camps going on this summer for pre-teens and even adults.
Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!
Copyright 2026 WSFA. All rights reserved.
Alabama
Alabama Defense Contractor Agrees to $507K Settlement Over Cybersecurity Allegations
Huntsville-based defense contractor LOGZONE Inc. has agreed to pay $507,144 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts with the U.S. Department of the Navy, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The settlement resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act alleging that LOGZONE knowingly submitted claims for payment while not meeting certain cybersecurity standards required under two Navy contracts.
Federal officials alleged that between May 2021 and March 2025, LOGZONE did not implement specific cybersecurity controls outlined in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171. The standards are designed to protect sensitive defense information handled by government contractors.
According to the Justice Department, the deficiencies were identified during an assessment conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The evaluation resulted in LOGZONE receiving a score of -170 on a scale ranging from -203 to 110, indicating significant gaps in compliance with required security controls.
The government alleged that the missing cybersecurity measures could have increased the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information or the exploitation of company systems.
The settlement does not include a determination of liability. As part of the agreement, LOGZONE will pay $507,144 to resolve the allegations.
Federal officials said the enforcement action reflects ongoing efforts to ensure government contractors comply with cybersecurity obligations tied to federal contracts, particularly those involving sensitive defense information.
The investigation and settlement involved the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the Department of the Navy, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Additional details regarding corrective actions taken by the company were not immediately available.
-
News23 minutes agoAlgae clouded Trump’s vision for the Reflecting Pool. But scientists aren’t surprised
-
New York2 hours agoVideo: The Democracy of The Dive Bar
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours agoSweltering heat wave to grip Southern California next week
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoTop 10 ‘Hour Detroit’ Covers, As Voted By Readers
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoInjured SFPD officer released from hospital after line-of-duty shooting
-
Dallas, TX2 hours ago25,000 free Dallas teen passes available June 29 for museums, zoo and more
-
Miami, FL2 hours ago3 wildfires burn over 20,000 acres in Miami-Dade ahead of long-awaited rain
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoBoston is opening outdoor drinking areas during the World Cup. Here’s how it works.