After weeks of rumor-fueled speculation, the Houston Rockets landed their man with the third overall pick: Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard. It was believed that Houston could take Connecticut big man Donovan Clingan or trade down in an asset grab out of the third slot altogether, but once they were on the clock, it was ultimately Sheppard’s name that was called to the podium.

Sheppard, the most recent addition to Houston’s impressive core of first round lottery talent, is a 6’3 sharpshooter who shot a blistering 52% from long distance during his freshman season at Kentucky. He’ll eventually spread the floor for a Rockets team which was one of the worst shooting units in the entire league last season and had an overall anemic offense. The Rockets boasted a top ten defense for the entirety of the year.

Of course, Houston only had the pick as a result of the 2021 blockbuster trade which sent James Harden to Brooklyn. The pick was originally projected to be ninth but leapfrogged others at the lottery drawing. The Rockets swapped future obligations owed by Brooklyn in 2026 and 2027 on Tuesday night as part of a larger trade which brought back swaps and picks into the future from the Phoenix Suns. Houston is betting big on a Suns implosion.

Sheppard joins a crowded Rockets backcourt which features veteran guard Fred VanVleet and fourth year shooting guard Jalen Green, now eligible for a contract extension. Sophomore guards Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore will see extended minutes off the bench. It’s unlikely at the moment that Sheppard will initially play a major role in the Rockets’ rotation though he could serve as a replacement for journeyman guard Aaron Holiday.

VanVleet, signed to a three year, $128.54 million last offseason has a club option on his contract in 2025-2026 when he will be owed $44.89 million. If Sheppard develops as hoped, the Rockets could decline the option and part ways with VanVleet, opening up extensive room under the salary cap. Sheppard, like VanVleet, brings a change of pace to Houston’s backcourt, with his shooting and playmaking prowess. He will also be under contract for four full seasons upon signing his rookie scale contract.

Krishna Malhotra was among the top 50 students selected to participate in the 2024 Braille Challenge Finals. The event hosted by the Braille Institute in Los Angeles on June 21-23, included competitors from across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

“It was really cool to me to meet kids from other states like Missouri and stuff like that,” said Krishna. “It was a cool experience because I’ll have these friends forever and it was really fun.”

Krishna, a 13-year-old going into 7th grade at the Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB), participated in the sophomore division. The competition was conducted in a way similar to the Regional Braille Challenge hosted by KSB in February that Krishna won: students were graded on charts and graphs, proofreading, reading comprehension, speed and accuracy, and spelling.

“Saturday (the day of the contest) was a little scary because you were competing against some really experienced kids,” he said.

Krishna said the time each student had to complete the challenges was longer than the regional, so it was a little bit less stressful. He also said it felt good to be among the best at the Braille Challenge.

“Every kid in that group was nice,” he said. “I didn’t really get to talk to them as much because we were testing, but it felt good to be with other people in a group with them.”

Krishna previously qualified for the Braille Challenge Final in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, everything was virtual and he competed from home.

“It wasn’t as fun (in 2020),” he said. “It was still fun, but everything was on Zoom and there were different sessions that we did, but this was more fun.”

Virren Malhotra, Krishna’s father and a member of the KSB Advisory Council, said there were plenty of events for the parents to connect and learn more about emerging technology to help the blind and visually impaired.

“It’s a great way to network with parents that are probably in a similar position as we are – where we are wanting to encourage Krishna to explore his possibilities after high school, to challenge himself to not set these societal boundaries as to what he is or is not capable of,” he said.

The 2024 Braille Challenge, presented by the Braille Institute, was hosted by the University of Southern California. Krishna Malhotra, a student at the Kentucky School for the Blind, got the chance to interact with the university’s marching band while he wasn’t competing. Photo courtesy Virren Malhotra

Virren Malhotra said it was a unique opportunity to watch his child perform in a competition that was specifically designed for blind and visually impaired children, as opposed to events that are adapted for them, like sports.

“To see Krishna put on his game face for something that was not adapted, that was purely for blind people, was something I don’t think I’ve seen before,” he said.

And he said he’s proud his son got the chance to compete.

“We’ve been following the arc of Krishna’s life since he was born, and these kids that make the national competition, they’re the best of the best,” he said. “Some of the older kids had already written down that they were on their way to Stanford University or Caltech (California Institute of Technology). … It’s inspiring when you sit across from a blind person that you know is studying biochemistry at the high school already and on their way to college.”

Despite not placing among the winners of the competition, Krishna said he’s happy with his performance.

“I’m just happy I got to this level, especially since I got to go to Los Angeles,” he said. “I understand that there are other kids that did a little better than I did, but I’m proud that I made it to the national stage.”

Duke guard Jeremy Roach shocked the college basketball landscape when he decided to enter the transfer portal after spending all four seasons of his college career with the Blue Devils. A two-time team captain who will take his talents to Waco, Texas next basketball season and suit up for Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears for his final year of eligibility.

The transfer portal process for coaches and players alike can be a hectic one, which Roach tried to avoid as he reopened up his recruitment this offseason. Keeping things simple and revealing to Ray McCallum from Swish Cultures that Baylor was just one of two programs he was exploring while in the portal.

“So it was really kind of a quick decision, I didn’t want to elongate my decision,” Roach said. “So when Baylor called I took maybe a day or two, I met with Kentucky too, and then it was really between those two and I think Baylor was the best decision for me.”

Roach committed to Baylor just five days after it was reported that he would be entering the transfer portal, becoming one of the most coveted point guards in the recruiting landscape once again.

Out of Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax (VA), Roach was the four-star prospect ranked the No. 22 overall player and the No. 6 point guard for the 2020 class according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Entering the transfer portal this offseason as the No. 2 available point guard and No. 11 ranked player regardless of position in the portal according to On3’s Industry Transfer Portal Rankings.

“For me just going in the process, I already knew it was kind of going to be crazy. I mean I’ve already been through the recruiting process already,” Roach explained. “Doing visits, doing multiple meetings, and stuff like that. So I really didn’t want to even go through that whole visiting and meeting with 50 million coaches. I wanted to kind of keep my schools tight and wanted to pick from all the schools that were calling me.”

Roach is one of the most experienced and productive guards in the country, coming off of a career year where he averaged 14 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Joining the Bears after starting in 108 of his 130 career games with 1,469 points to his name and extensive postseason experience with 11 NCAA Tournament game appearances.

There’s no question that the Wildcats and many other programs would have loved to add Roach to their roster ahead of the 2024-2025 season. With the head coach and roster turnover at Kentucky likely playing a role in his decision.

But now that Roach revealed what his top two looked like, fans in Lexington will likely reflect on what could have been for quite some time as Baylor faithful let out another sigh of relief following rumors of their own head coach jumping ship for Kentucky this offseason.