Overview: Gaucho chief must wear many hats in recruiting and training next season’s group of Gauchos Joe Pasternack is amid Finals Week, although there’s no real finality to his work as the UC Santa Barbara men’s basketball coach. One season merely turns to the next in the blink of a shooting eye. “It’s constant,” he […]
He just held his final spring workouts, sent his Gauchos to their final exams for the spring quarter, and then headed to Oklahoma City for Monday’s Game Five of the NBA Finals.
Mitchell was his point guard at UCSB for three seasons. McConnell played the same position for Arizona a decade ago when Pasternack served on the Wildcats’ staff.
The ever-changing landscape of college basketball has made the Gaucho coach feel like he’s “now the owner of an NBA team.”
“You’re the general manager and you’re the fund raiser,” Pasternack said. “I have to raise every penny, recruit the kids, coach them, and manage the expectations of people.
“It’s a 180-degree change in the job title from when I came here eight years ago.”
But if it sounds like a complaint, be assured that it’s not.
Pasternack’s success in finding donors to remodel the Thunderdome proved that he was built for this kind of competition.
“I love the chase, so I love it,” he said. “These are the rules now, and in business you have to adjust and go after it.
“Some have had to change their personality to deal with it, but I feel like the luckiest man in the world.
“I get to live in Santa Barbara and do this.”
Springing Forward
Watching the NBA Finals gives him a brief respite after a busy spring of recruiting and training.
“The guys are going home after finals, and then we’ll have eight weeks of summer workouts starting July 7,” Pasternack said. “They’re going to be open to the public.”
He’s excited to showcase what’s new in this latest reboot.
“I think we have the most returners of anybody in our league,” Pasternack said. “Retaining players was first and foremost our No. 1 priority when the season ended.”
They all hit the court running during the postseason workouts.
“It was one of the best springs we’ve had,” Pasternack said. “Colin Smith played healthy in only 18 of last year’s 31 games, but he was awesome this spring.
“He’s really changed his body and was fully healthy the entire time.
“And KK (Koat Keat Tong) made a huge amount of progress this spring.
Colin Smith, a 6-foot-8 forward, averaged 8.7 points on 46% shooting — 43.5% from the three-point line — despite suffering through several injuries last season. Credit: Jeff Liang / UCSB Athletics photo
“It was the first spring he’s ever practiced basketball with us, when you really think about it, because he’s always had to deal with a knee injury.”
Pasternack took nothing for granted, however, in restocking his roster.
Injuries knocked his team down a few pegs after its NCAA tournament seasons of 2021 and 2023. The Gauchos finished seventh in the Big West Conference in 2024 and fifth last season.
“Ajay wasn’t able to practice one day during his last season here, and it had a domino effect on us,” he said.
“Injuries have derailed us the last two years and we just want to make sure that we have enough depth of experience.”
He’s taking full advantage of the NCAA’s new scholarship limit, which has been expanded to 15 from 13.
“I’m really excited about these guards, and the big kid worked out with our guys and looked unbelievable,” Pasternack gushed. “It’s exciting to think of these guys playing with our returning players, like Jason Fontenet.
“Our two returning freshmen, Zion and ZZ, are looking really good, too.”
Mahaney went for the gold ring after entering last year’s transfer portal by signing with UConn, the two-time defending NCAA champion.
The 6-foot-3 guard had averaged nearly 14 points per game as both a freshman and sophomore at Saint Mary’s to earn All-West Coast Conference first team honors both seasons.
Aidan Mahaney is embraced by UConn coach Dan Hurley after making a flurry of shots in a game last season. Credit: University of Connecticut Athletics photo
“He can really score the ball and he has an incredible amount of confidence,” Pasternack said. “We didn’t recruit him out of high school because he was set on Saint Mary’s for a long time, but we saw him a ton.
“He obviously had a great two years there and was then one of the hottest commodities in the portal.
“He visited Kentucky and UConn, which was coming off its two national titles, and he chose UConn.”
But Mahaney envisions the NBA as his final destination. He figured his playing time with the Huskies of 12.3 minutes per game last season wasn’t helping him get there.
And Cole Anderson, whose 47.4% shooting from the three-point line last season broke James Powell’s Gaucho record of 46.7% (2007-2008), was invited to work out with the Lakers last week.
Finnish Product
Little, a member of Finland’s senior national team since age 17, is making UCSB his third college after having played one season at Baylor and another at Utah.
He led the Utes last season with 96 assists but decided to transfer after they fired head coach Craig Smith.
“Miro is big, he’s strong and he’s versatile,” Pasternack said. “He also has a lot of international basketball experience, just like Ajay had with Belgium.
“I recruited (Utah Jazz star) Lauri Markkanen to Arizona, and he’s playing with Miro this summer on Finland’s national team.
“Miro talked to Lauri, and I think that really helped in our recruitment of him. He wanted to make sure this next stop was his last stop.”
Miro Little, a transfer from the University of Utah, has played for Finland’s senior national team since he was 17. Credit: University of Utah Athletics photo
“Miro comes from a real big basketball family,” Pasternack said. “Our goal in this recruiting class was to find high-character guys that No. 1, care about getting a degree from UCSB, and No. 2, care about team.
“We wanted to find two-way players who can play offense and defense and are driven to compete for a championship … Guys who are really hungry because of the situation they’ve come from.
“That’s how we’ve been successful in the past, and Miro fits that.”
McGhee showed his long-distance marksmanship against the Gauchos on Jan. 9, making 3-of-5 three-pointers while scoring 11 points in Bakersfield’s 78-66 defeat at the Thunderdome.
He shot 47.1% from three (40-for-85) for the season.
“We needed some outside shooting, and he gives us that,” Pasternack said. “But he’s also 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and incredible upside.
“He’s a two-way player who can shoot, score, defend and rebound.
“We feel like he’s a versatile player who can play three different positions, and that gives us a lot of flexibility.”
He plans to play a three-guard, two-forward offense next year.
“All these guys can come off ball screens,” Pasternack said.
Center Attraction
Kitenge, a powerfully built, 6-foot-8 senior, figures to be an anchor to that offense.
He received All-Sun Belt Conference honors after averaging 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for Louisiana during the 2023-2024 season. He missed all of last year with a torn Achilles tendon.
“It was a similar injury to Colin Smith’s, except he did it in October — two months earlier in the year than Colin,” Pasternack said. “He had a physical and practiced with us this spring.
“He’s gone from 275 pounds to 242, which is pretty incredible, and his attention to detail has been excellent.”
Even before the injury, former Louisiana coach Bob Marlin said Kitenge “improved from start to finish as much as any player I’ve coached.”
His versatility fits the mold of the recruits that UCSB pursued this offseason.
Hosana Kitenge, a transfer from the University of Lousiana, sat out last season with a torn Achilles tendon after having earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors during the 2023-2024 season. Credit: University of Louisiana Athletics photo
“He’s got an incredible motor defensively, can shoot threes, score in the post, drive the ball and he can really pass it, too,” Pasternack said. “But what I like most about him is how hard he plays.
“On top of everything, he talks on the court. He’s such a great young man.”
Kitenge wasn’t the only newcomer who worked out with the Gauchos this spring. Shaw graduated early from Mojave High so he could enroll at UCSB for the spring quarter.
“He’s been here and able to practice with the team,” Pasternack said. “It’s been great having guys like Jason Fontenet and Colin Smith, the leaders of our team, teaching him the ropes and giving him such a huge head start.”
Developing talent, he noted, can be more important than having it transfer to you.
“Basketball is a game of habit,” Pasternack said. “Everyone plays a different offense and a different defense, and it’s not easy for a transfer to learn a new habit.
“We didn’t want to have to teach 14 whole new players.”
He plans to mix and match when it all starts again in three weeks.
Patrick Mahomes Gets Honest About Eli Manning’s Hot Take on NIL: “You’re Bringing So Much Money to the University”
Some college sports fans will tell you that they support the concept of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Others will tell you that true amateurism should have remained the standard in collegiate athletics. And there are plenty of people, athletic background or not, on both sides of the aisle. Take Eli Manning. In May 2024, […]
Some college sports fans will tell you that they support the concept of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Others will tell you that true amateurism should have remained the standard in collegiate athletics. And there are plenty of people, athletic background or not, on both sides of the aisle.
Take Eli Manning. In May 2024, he teamed with Jaxson Dart to raise money for his alma mater’s NIL collective. His general feeling on NIL when it was first introduced, though, paints a picture opposite to that of his future partnership.
“I know how immature I was at 20 years old and I wouldn’t have spent it the right ways. It scares me from that perspective, it scares me from chemistry of the locker room with some guys getting endorsements and if they’re not playing well, how his teammates will handle that.”
Manning has every right to change his mind, especially after experiencing three seasons with NIL. His adaptation of his mindset demonstrates an understanding of the nuance required for NIL debates.
When discussing NIL as a whole, you can’t limit the conversation to future NFL and NBA stars. There are thousands of players in countless other sports, not to mention football and basketball themselves, that will never get professional contracts, let alone generational wealth.
This is why Patrick Mahomes told CNBC’s Alex Sherman that NIL is a boon for college athletics.
“At the end of the day, I think it’s a good thing that players are getting paid. I mean… you’re bringing so much money to a university. There has to be a way that you can earn a profit. It doesn’t have to be a huge profit… it’s cool to see people that might not have the ability to earn this money at any other point of their life… being able to change their families.”
Non-athletes can use their talents to generate revenue while in college. Prior to NIL, universities saw immediate returns on a team’s hard work while the athletes pocketed nothing.
It wasn’t fair to the players. NIL took some of that power and redistributed it to them. So it’s good that Mahomes and others are recognizing that NIL’s main mission is being accomplished.
UConn stars Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong sign NIL deals with Unrivaled league founded by Huskies legends
UConn women’s basketball stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong will be among the new collegiate faces of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league launched by Huskies legends Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier in 2025, after signing NIL deals with the organization. Fudd and Strong announced they will be a part of the league’s 14-player NIL class this […]
UConn women’s basketball stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong will be among the new collegiate faces of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league launched by Huskies legends Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier in 2025, after signing NIL deals with the organization.
Fudd and Strong announced they will be a part of the league’s 14-player NIL class this season during an event at WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis on Saturday. The UConn duo appeared at Unrivaled’s All-Star headquarters alongside LSU star Flau’jae Johnson, who signed a deal with the league last year. Johnson and former UConn star Paige Bueckers launched the league’s “The Future is Unrivaled” campaign in Dec. 2024, and Bueckers is expected to compete in Unrivaled this upcoming season after completing her rookie year in the WNBA with the Dallas Wings.
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The new class of NIL athletes also includes USC’s JuJu Watkins, UCLA’s Lauren and Sienna Betts and Kiki Rice, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, Texas’s Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, TCU’s Olivia Miles, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords.
Johnson and Bueckers, like every professional player who competes in Unrivaled, received an investment stake in the league as part of their agreements, so the same will likely be true for the 2025 NIL signees. Watkins is also already part of Unrivaled’s star-studded investor group, which includes UConn coach Geno Auriemma, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, NBA stars Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and USWNT legend Alex Morgan.
Unrivaled exceeded expectations in 2025, reportedly generating more than $27 million in revenue and nearly breaking even in its inaugural season. The league averaged 221,000 viewers on TNT during the regular season and the playoffs, and the championship saw a significant increase drawing 364,000 viewers. Unrivaled also paid its 36 players an average of $220,000, which is higher than the WNBA’s regular maximum salary in 2025.
Fudd has always had a national presence as the former No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, but she joins Unrivaled amid a spike in popularity following UConn’s run to the NCAA Championship. The redshirt senior’s first three college seasons were heavily impacted by injuries, but she completed a triumphant comeback from an ACL tear in 2024-25 and was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Fudd’s NIL portfolio includes partnerships with Bose, TurboTax, skincare brand Paula’s Choice and hair color brand Madison Reed among others. She also announced Thursday that she is hosting a new podcast on the iHeart Radio network titled “Fudd Around and Find Out,” the viral phrase that her mother Katie wore on a t-shirt during the national title game.
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Strong is also a rising star in the college game after coming to UConn as the No. 1 ranked recruit in the 2024 class and winning WBCA Freshman of the Year in 2025. She had a historic first season with the Huskies, making the All-Final Four team and breaking the record for most points by a freshman ever in an NCAA Tournament. Unrivaled will be one of Strong’s most prominent NIL deals to date, but she has also partnered with Epic Games and VKTRY, a performance shoe insole for athletes.
Patrick Mahomes Gets Honest About Eli Manning's Hot Take on NIL
Some college sports fans will tell you that they support the concept of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Others will tell you that true amateurism should have remained the standard in collegiate athletics. And there are plenty of people, athletic background or not, on both sides of the aisle. Advertisement Take Eli Manning. In May […]
Some college sports fans will tell you that they support the concept of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Others will tell you that true amateurism should have remained the standard in collegiate athletics. And there are plenty of people, athletic background or not, on both sides of the aisle.
Advertisement
Take Eli Manning. In May 2024, he teamed with Jaxson Dart to raise money for his alma mater’s NIL collective. His general feeling on NIL when it was first introduced, though, paints a picture opposite to that of his future partnership.
“I know how immature I was at 20 years old and I wouldn’t have spent it the right ways. It scares me from that perspective, it scares me from chemistry of the locker room with some guys getting endorsements and if they’re not playing well, how his teammates will handle that.”
Manning has every right to change his mind, especially after experiencing three seasons with NIL. His adaptation of his mindset demonstrates an understanding of the nuance required for NIL debates.
When discussing NIL as a whole, you can’t limit the conversation to future NFL and NBA stars. There are thousands of players in countless other sports, not to mention football and basketball themselves, that will never get professional contracts, let alone generational wealth.
This is why Patrick Mahomes told CNBC’s Alex Sherman that NIL is a boon for college athletics.
“At the end of the day, I think it’s a good thing that players are getting paid. I mean… you’re bringing so much money to a university. There has to be a way that you can earn a profit. It doesn’t have to be a huge profit… it’s cool to see people that might not have the ability to earn this money at any other point of their life… being able to change their families.”
Non-athletes can use their talents to generate revenue while in college. Prior to NIL, universities saw immediate returns on a team’s hard work while the athletes pocketed nothing.
It wasn’t fair to the players. NIL took some of that power and redistributed it to them. So it’s good that Mahomes and others are recognizing that NIL’s main mission is being accomplished.
Memphis guard Sincere Parker arrested on assault charge after girlfriend says he choked her
Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis guard Sincere Parker was arrested Saturday on an aggravated assault charge for an attack on his girlfriend, who told police that he choked her and hit her, according to court documents. The woman told police that the attack occurred on May 27 at the Memphis apartment the couple […]
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis guard Sincere Parker was arrested Saturday on an aggravated assault charge for an attack on his girlfriend, who told police that he choked her and hit her, according to court documents.
The woman told police that the attack occurred on May 27 at the Memphis apartment the couple shared. She reported that Parker pushed her, slapped her in the face and choked her, leaving her bruised and bloodied, according to a police report.
The woman also told police that Parker broke her cellphone because he didn’t want her to have the digital key to the apartment.
A warrant for Parker’s arrest was issued Friday and the 22-year-old was taken into custody Saturday. An arraignment was scheduled for Monday on charges of felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor vandalism.
It was not immediately clear whether Parker had an attorney.
The 6-foot-3 Parker transferred to Memphis after averaging 12.2 points last season for McNeese, helping the Cowboys and coach Will Wade reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He played his first two seasons for Saint Louis.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll
Unrivaled Announces NIL Deals With College Stars JuJu Watkins, Azzi Fudd, More
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are three of 14 top women’s college basketball players that Unrivaled is signing to name, image and likeness deals, the league announced Saturday. It’s the second consecutive year that the 3-on-3 league that was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna […]
JuJu Watkins, Flau’Jae Johnson and Azzi Fudd are three of 14 top women’s college basketball players that Unrivaled is signing to name, image and likeness deals, the league announced Saturday.
It’s the second consecutive year that the 3-on-3 league that was founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart has had NIL with college players. In its inaugural season, Unrivaled had deals with Paige Bueckers and Johnson.
Watkins, who plays for USC but is sidelined with an ACL injury, has also previously been involved with Unrivaled as an investor in its Series A funding round.
Johnson, who is at LSU, and Fudd, at UConn, both were on hand for the announcement, as were Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and UConn’s Sarah Strong.
Other players signed include TCU’s Olivia Miles, UCLA’s Kiki Rice and Lauren and Sienna Betts, Texas’ Madison Booker, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, LSU’s MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson and Michigan’s Syla Swords. The players range from sophomores to seniors.
Women’s basketball players have been able to take advantage of NIL opportunities over the last few years with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Bueckers and Johnson at the forefront of it. Reese played in Unrivaled in its first season.
[MORE: Top 10 Women’s College Basketball Players with the Highest NIL Valuations]
As part of the initiative, the class will be attending a multi-day event at the league’s headquarters in Miami, which will include skill development and content shoots.
“This transformational, first-of-its-kind initiative brings together the best of the best and reflects our deep commitment to elevating the women’s game and holistically supporting athletes,” Luke Cooper, President of Basketball Operations at Unrivaled, said in the initiative’s announcement. “Investing in elite women’s basketball talent is central to Unrivaled’s mission.”
Unrivaled completed its inaugural season this past March, and is gearing up for its second this coming January.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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Kentucky baseball adds Belmont pitcher to 2026 roster through transfer portal
Nick Mingione continues to fill out Kentucky baseball’s 2026 roster through the portal. On Thursday night, Belmont right-handed pitcher Will Pryor announced he’s transferring to play for the Wildcats. A 6-foot-2 rising redshirt junior, the Tennessee native pitched 140.1 innings across his three seasons with the Bruins, posting 146 strikeouts with a 9-7 record and […]
Nick Mingione continues to fill out Kentucky baseball’s 2026 roster through the portal.
On Thursday night, Belmont right-handed pitcher Will Pryor announced he’s transferring to play for the Wildcats. A 6-foot-2 rising redshirt junior, the Tennessee native pitched 140.1 innings across his three seasons with the Bruins, posting 146 strikeouts with a 9-7 record and an ERA of 4.94 in 36 total appearances. As a sophomore in 2024, his opponents batted just .239 while his 62 strikeouts led the team.
“God is so good! I am blessed and beyond excited to announce that I’m continuing my college career at the University of Kentucky,” Pryor wrote on social media. “I want to thank the coaches for this amazing opportunity and my whole support system that’s helped me through this process. I am fired up to be a part of Big Blue Nation! Go Cats!”
Pryor will have two years of eligibility remaining at Kentucky. He becomes the 13th portal addition this offseason for Mingione and Co.
This past season, Pryor threw 25 innings, recording a 7.56 ERA with 26 strikeouts. He even took the mound against Kentucky back on Feb. 21, allowing two runs with six strikeouts in six innings of action, but was ultimately tagged with the loss. Of his five games played in 2025, his showing against the ‘Cats was arguably his best performance of the season.
Now, he’ll be the one pitching for Kentucky.
Kentucky Baseball 2026 Transfer Class
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