Month: June 2025

Hockey is back for the Utah Mammoth — kind of.

The team will host its development camp from June 29 through July 3, during which Mammoth prospects — and possibly invited undrafted free agents — will receive NHL coaching instruction both at and away from the rink. The camp offers the opportunity for players to show their progress and get a taste of the pro pace, and for the organization to get an up-close look at the assets in its system.

The on-ice sessions are set for June 30 and July 1 at Park City Ice Arena and happen in two groups (scheduled for 9:45-11:45 a.m. and 12:15-2:15 p.m.). Those practices will be open to the public.

Development camp will conclude on July 3 with a scrimmage at Utah’s Olympic Oval. The prospects will play in a four-on-four, intra-squad competition to simulate a mock game with officials. While the scrimmage is closed to the public, the Mammoth will host 500 youth hockey players from the Utah Amateur Hockey Association to watch.

A full roster for development camp will be released following the NHL draft (which is June 27 and 28). Until then, here are eight top prospects who are expected to attend and what you need to know about them.

Tij Iginla

Tij Iginla was the sixth pick for the Utah Mammoth in the 2024 NHL Draft — and the first-ever selection for the franchise after last April’s relocation. The organization has high expectations for the 18-year-old forward, however, Iginla was dealing with an injury the last time he was in Salt Lake City.

Iginla was sidelined for the majority of the Mammoth’s rookie and training camp last season with that lower-body injury and eventually underwent successful hip surgery in December. He played 21 games for the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League before the surgery and posted 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) as an alternate captain. The season prior, when Iginla skated in 64 games, he had 84 points (47 goals, 37 assists).

The past few months have been all about rehabilitation for Iginla and he should be ready to go for development camp and everything that is to come after. Utah will see what a fully healthy Iginla is like and how he could fit in on its team. Iginla stands at 6 feet, 182 pounds and can play both center and the wing. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract in July 2024.

Dmitri Simashev

Dmitri Simashev is one of Utah’s most highly anticipated prospects. The 20-year-old defenseman was the sixth overall pick by the Arizona Coyotes (now Mammoth) in the 2023 NHL Draft and signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the team in late May.

Simashev has spent the last three years in the Kontinental Hockey League (in Russia) with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and recently won the league championship before deciding to turn pro. The 6-foot-4, 198-pound blueliner had six points (one goal, five assists) in 56 games this season. He also set new career highs in blocked shots (54) and ice time per game (15:57).

Despite his towering stature — which is a positive for Utah — Simashev is a strong, swift skater. The Mammoth believe there is room for improvement in Simashev’s offensive game but the immediate upside is his responsible and aggressive defense. He will be fighting for an opening-night roster spot come October.

Daniil But

Daniil But has a similar path as Simashev, except that he is a forward. But, the 20-year-old winger, has been teammates with Simashev on the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and also got to raise the Gagarin Cup in May. But signed his matching three-year, entry-level contract the same day as Simashev and now the two will enter the next stage of their hockey careers together.

But was the 12th overall pick by the Coyotes in the 2023 NHL Draft and has the potential to bring size and a powerful shot to the Mammoth’s forward group if he can break through. At 6-5, 203 pounds, But logged 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 54 games this season and set new career highs in assists, points, power-play goals (two) and TOI (11:47).

Cole Beaudoin

Cole Beaudoin arguably had one of the best training camps of any young player for Utah last season and now it is time for him to further prove himself. The 19-year-old center was the 24th overall pick by the Mammoth in the 2024 NHL Draft, following Iginla.

Beaudoin — who is 6-2, 209 pounds — was an alternate captain for the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts this season and had 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists) in 52 matchups. The Ottawa, Ontario native has a strong two-way game, high compete level and skates with an edge while also producing. He can offer the Mammoth depth down the middle in the coming years if things pan out well.

Beaudoin signed his entry-level contract in July 2024.

Michael Hrabal

Michael Hrabal is Utah’s top goaltender prospect in the pipeline. He was selected in the second round (38th overall) by Arizona in 2023 and has been developing in the NCAA with UMass Amherst’s Division I program.

The 20-year-old netminder has a unique build for his position — Hrabal is 6-7, 216 pounds — but has been able to use it to his advantage. In his first two seasons with UMass, Hrabal worked to find consistency in his play and finished his sophomore showing with a .924 save percentage and 2.37 goals against average in 36 games. The plan is for Hrabal to return for his junior year in college hockey.

The World Juniors stage is another place where Hrabal has strengthened his game. He has represented Czechia in international tournaments for the last four years and earned Bronze at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Gabe Smith

Utah signed Gabe Smith to a three-year, entry-level contract at the end of May after the 18-year-old forward had an impressive run in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League this season with the Moncton Wildcats.

Smith (6-foot-5, 207 pounds) had 39 points (20 goals, 19 assists) in 52 regular-season games before garnering 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 19 playoff games. It helped Moncton win the Giles-Corteau Trophy (league championship). Smith set career highs in goals, assists, points, power-play goals (four) and game-winning goals (four) this year, too.

Smith was selected in the fourth round (103rd overall) by the Mammoth in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Tomas Lavoie

Tomas Lavoie is another product of last year’s draft. The 19-year-old defenseman was selected in the third round (89th overall) by the Mammoth and signed his three-year, entry-level contract in April.

Lavoie was an alternate captain for the Cape Breton Eagles in the QMJHL this season and had 55 points (15 goals, 40 assists) in 60 games. The numbers alone show his offensive capabilities on the backend. Lavoie is 6-4, 215 pounds.

Will Skahan

Will Skahan was a second-round pick (65th overall) for the Mammoth in the 2024 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old defenseman just finished his freshman season of NCAA hockey with Boston College.

Skahan had seven points (two goals, five assists) in 30 games for the Eagles. He, at times, was the seventh defenseman because of the depth Boston College had — the team was ranked No. 1 in the nation for the majority of the year before falling in the regional tournament. However, Skahan got to learn from the veterans on his team and will likely get more opportunities in the next few seasons.

The 19-year-old — who is 6-foot-4, 216 pounds — was teammates with James Hagens at Boston College. Hagens is a highly-touted player in this year’s draft who could be in Utah’s range at No. 4.

If there is anything the Utah Mammoth can learn from the Florida Panthers, the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, it’s that winning teams are always looking to improve.

A year removed from its 2023–24 Stanley Cup victory, Florida, like every team, would lose pieces of its championship roster—including Utah’s own Kevin Stenlund.

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However, with the Panthers’ key core intact and an aggressive trade deadline that brought in pivotal pieces like Brad Marchand and Seth Jones, the Panthers clearly are an adaptable team.

Calling the Utah Mammoth a winning franchise is certainly premature, considering its previous history as the Arizona Coyotes. As the Coyotes, the team made the playoffs only once in the past 13 seasons, and that was due to the qualifying round format of the 2019–20 COVID season.

But at the same time, Utah’s 89 points were just seven shy of the final Wild Card spot held by the St. Louis Blues. It has been a long time since this team has been that close to the playoffs.

And even the Panthers were once a team that endured long stretches with minimal playoff success before making five consecutive postseason appearances.

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So while Utah hasn’t been a winning team, its important that it remembers these three lessons from Florida:

The development stage of this Utah team is in a pivotal transitional period as its young prospects continue to grow and build team chemistry.

But another key reason for the success the Utah Mammoth saw was the addition of three defensemen—Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino, and Olli Määttä—all acquired through various trades either prior to the 2024–25 season or early in the season.

Plus, back when GM Bill Armstrong was making trades when the team was known as the Arizona Coyotes, defensemen Sean Durzi and Michael Kesselring were also acquired in trades.

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When everyone was healthy, all five players were logging important minutes for the Utah Mammoth, proving how valuable those trades were.

Who Is Considered the Mammoth’s Best-Value Contract? – Community Post The 

Athletic released another great story today, highlighting each NHL team’s best value contract for the 2024–25 season.

So while it’s not likely the Utah Mammoth will continue trading for defensemen, it does need to keep its ears open for high-value trades, just as the Panthers did with both then-unsatisfied Jones in Chicago and when it capitalized on a struggling Boston Bruins looking to sell Marchand.

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Plus, the Panthers also acquired forwards Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Sam Reinhart through trades in years prior to this season.

That doesn’t mean Utah needs to flip its fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft, especially since Utah’s cap space is around $20 million despite having already signed most of its roster.

But what Utah needs to do is remain an active listener. Rather than making impulse buys in free agency just for the sake of spending money, Utah needs to remember that some of the greatest opportunities for the Panthers come at the trade deadline.

Utah’s play style isn’t nearly as aggressive as the Florida Panthers, there’s a reason the Panthers are hoisting another Stanley Cup. But while the Panthers defense is certainly better right now, Utah should only get better on defense next year.

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With Marino and Durzi both playing less than half the season, Utah not only played through injuries, but also lacked the time to develop team chemistry.

Now, with an offseason to work together and everyone entering the season healthy, the Mammoth should already be set to have an improved defense it can rely on as it continues to figure out how to improve its offense that ranked 21st in goals scored last year.

But while Utah’s offense will need Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley to regain the chemistry they had before Cooley went down with injury—and not be so reliant on Dylan Guenther one-timers—it’s arguably more important that Utah leans on goalie Karel Vejmelka and the defensive talent Armstrong has assembled.

NHL Buyout Window Opens in 48 Hours: Will Utah Take Advantage? Now that the Stanley Cup Final is over and the Florida Panthers have won the Stanley Cup, all 32 NHL teams will shift their attention to the off-season. 

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The Florida Panthers have certainly been scoring this postseason, but the Panthers are only allowing 2.43 goals per game, which is by far the best mark in the playoffs. That stat alone shows their commitment to the defensive play style Florida plays with.

Being a physical team that makes life hard on opposing offenses, anchored by Sergei Bobrovsky, is where it all starts for the Panthers.

Utah is certainly poised to be a better team as it stays healthy on defense and has Vejmelka as its clear-cut starting goalie. The Mammoth will only benefit on offense  as it will get to continue developing its offense, but also not have to worry about always making a comeback like it did so often last season.

But if Utah can play with more physicality, cut down on some of the careless mistakes in its own defensive zone and rely on its defensemen to stay strong like Florida does, the Mammoth will make a jump next season.

One of the most apparent differences between the Oilers and Panthers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs was what happened when star players weren’t able to score.

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For the Panthers, they had players like Marchand chipping in with six goals of his own and had their defense playing at an elite level. Florida was scoring at will and getting contributions across the board.

But when the Oilers were struggling to score against the Panthers, they didn’t’ have anyone else carry the load unless it was their leading scorers—Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard.

Utah Should Target This Intriguing Forward In Free Agency NHL free agency opens in just over two weeks, and the Utah Mammoth have some big questions to answer. Recently in the news, we’ve heard some of them. Are they going to trade their fourth overall pick? Will they land Mitch Marner in free agency? Is Utah the team to watch this summer?

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While Utah is going to need its core of Keller, Guenther and Cooley to all produce and step up in big moments, it will need more than just its top three players to contribute come playoff time.

That isn’t to say Utah doesn’t need top-end production from its best players—after all, the Oilers made it to the Finals in back-to-back years for a reason.

But when Utah faces top-end defense in the playoffs, if it’s too reliant on its first line, it won’t be able to go very far.

Even now, the Mammoth had stretches in the regular season where, if it wasn’t getting scoring from anyone but the first line, it couldn’t win.

So getting a more balanced attack won’t just help Utah win more regular season games, it will make the team more built for the playoffs.

The 2025 NBA draft is less than a month away. Which means it’s that time of the year when prospects visit teams across the league to improve their stock.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the 2025 NBA draft with three draft picks. They own the No. 15 pick (via Heat), No. 24 pick (via Clippers) and the No. 44 pick (via Hawks).

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The two first-round picks are interesting. The Thunder already have one of the deepest rosters and are a championship contender right now. Adding on several rookies might be impossible. But that’s all a pure assumption. Maybe OKC falls in love with a prospect in that range.

One possibility is Utah’s Gabe Madsen. He had a predraft workout with the Thunder, per Utah sports media member Steve Bartle. He could be a possible late second-round selection or an undrafted free agent.

Madsen played in five college seasons from 2020-25. He spent his first year at Cincinnati before transferring to Utah for his final four campaigns.

Madsen averaged 15.2 points on 37.1% shooting, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season. He shot 32.2% from 3 on 9.5 attempts. He was an 85.4% free-throw shooter.

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The Thunder could likely add Madsen from the undrafted pool. From there, he can audition for the summer league squad. Maybe even the G League’s OKC Blue.

A full list of draft prospects that met with the Thunder can be checked here. The 2025 NBA draft is from June 25-26.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Report: Utah’s Gabe Madsen had predraft workout with Thunder

The “Outdoor Retailer 2025″ show taking place in Salt Lake City this week will feature six local brands showcasing the future of outdoor innovation in the state.

Nebu Clothing, Timpanogos Hiking Co., ChuckRack, Coalatree, Duct-Aid and Paddlesmash are the brands that will be in the booth by the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation.

Utah’s Division of Outdoor Recreation is debuting what it calls the “Utah Outdoor Business Incubator” booth, set on the show floor as a central hub to exhibit the Beehive State’s outdoor entrepreneurship.

“Our goal is to elevate emerging Utah companies by giving them a national platform to connect with buyers, media, and outdoor industry leaders,” Tara McKee, deputy director of grants and outdoor industry relations for the department, said in a press release.

The Utah outdoor recreation economy leads in sustainability, creativity and adventure. It also supports nearly 72,000 jobs and generates $9.5 billion, according to a report from last year by Utah’s Department of Natural Resources.

Nationwide, the outdoor industry contributes $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy, supporting 5 million jobs.

Highlighting nearly 300 brands, the Outdoor Retailer show is the premier business event for outdoor wellness-focused gear that offers sustainable solutions and innovative technologies.

The opening day of the event included keynote speakers from other Utah-based companies including Skullcandy and Cotopaxi.

A lasting commitment to the next generation of outdoor brands

Cotopaxi particularly noted the positive effects of an early partnership with the Division of Outdoor Recreation that propelled the brand. The brand with the iconic llama logo and the colorful outdoor gear participated in the state’s first Outdoor Recreation Summit in 2014, a year after the DOR office — the first state-level office of its kind — was created, and weeks before the company officially launched.

According to a press report, the Outdoor Business Incubator program — a public-private collaboration sponsored by nonprofit Grow Utah and the city of Ogden, and supported by the department — aids Utah businesses by reducing exhibitor expenses, enhancing exposure and establishing routes for expansion into larger markets.

Such an investment aligns with the division’s larger goal of promoting a sustainable and accessible outdoor recreation environment that serves both Utah residents and visitors.

“This incubator booth reflects our state’s commitment to not only outdoor access and infrastructure, but also the innovators building gear and experiences that get people outside,” McKee said.

For the 2025 retailer show, each of the six featured brands presents a distinctive contribution to the outdoor space:

• Nebu Clothing: Technical apparel rooted in performance and minimalist design.
• Timpanogos Hiking Co.: High-quality, handcrafted leather hiking boots.
• ChuckRack: Innovative hunting gear organization systems.
• Coalatree: Eco-minded outdoor lifestyle apparel made with upcycled materials.
• Paddlesmash: A fast-growing pickleball-meets-roundnet game designed for families and friends to play outdoors.
• Duct-Aid: Ultimate first-aid kits designed for any adventure.

The state’s Division of Recreation will also be present at the retailer show to explain how the state is actively funding outdoor infrastructure and stewardship efforts to maintain Utah’s status as a national leader in outdoor recreation.

Note to readers • This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship.

Kayla Kidd already had a lot on her plate.

Last school year, the University of Utah junior studied criminal justice with an eye toward law school. A descendant of the Ute Indian Tribe, she hopes to one day be a lawyer helping the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, where she grew up.

Then came a request to take on a new assignment: Would she be willing to mentor other Ute students? She quickly said yes.

“I just wanted to make it easier,” Kidd said. “I didn’t really have that chance for me. I didn’t really have a person to talk to about my struggles.”

In recent years, The Salt Lake Tribune has examined Ute students and their struggles. The Utes are integral to the identity of the state; Utah takes its name from the tribe, as does the mascot of the state’s flagship university.

And at nearly every level of education, Ute students are left behind.

Ute students in the Uinta Basin are the students most likely to drop out of high school. Their test scores rank the lowest among any racial or ethnic group in the state.

Last year, The Tribune examined the relationship between the Ute Indian Tribe and the University of Utah with the help of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach Fellowship.

In 1951, 11 Ute students arrived at the Salt Lake City campus. Nearly 75 years later, that number was even lower this academic year: Three students received the scholarship for enrolled members of the Ute Tribe and four other students of Ute descent received third-party scholarships. In all, six Ute students have graduated with the Ute Tribe scholarship since it was started in 2014, the university says.

It will take a concerted effort from a variety of stakeholders to improve things, those involved say.

Part of that effort will be defined by the next Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Ute Tribe and the University of Utah. The latest version of the agreement, which gives the university permission to respectfully use the tribe’s name in athletics, expires in 2026. The U. has said it has proposed the idea of expanding the scholarship program to include students who identify as Ute but do not meet the tribe’s blood quantum requirements.

Kidd is one proponent of that expansion. She grew up on the reservation but does not meet the lineage requirements for the scholarship.

But nothing will stop her from trying to make a change in the meantime.

“We just try to make it easier,” Kidd said of her role in this new mentorship program.

Sometimes that’s as simple as bringing a freshman to their first football game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Other times, it’s helping them navigate school work and financial aid.

“If you would have asked me as a freshman, I would’ve had no clue,” Kidd said. “Now I know a lot. I’ll most likely have an answer.”

There have been mixed results. One student has already dropped out, Kidd said. But another has thrived. “Now she’s doing great on her own,” she said.

It will take a lot more people like Kidd, who want to work to foster change. She’s already looking forward to advising a larger group of Ute students next fall with whatever they need — whether that’s signing up for classes or taking a homesick student to the reservation for the weekend.

“It’s no problem,” Kidd said, “because I’m going to the same place.”

There is a growing sentiment that the Utah Jazz will be one of the more important teams in the NBA this summer.

It’s to the point that the team has come up in conversations among league insiders throughout the NBA Finals.

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Yes, you read that right. While the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers play for the title, the Jazz — who finished the 2025 season with the worst record in the NBA — have been a regular topic of discussion.

(To be fair, so has a potential Kevin Durant trade from Phoenix. And after the Desmond Bane trade, the trajectories of the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies have been widely discussed, too).

Zach Lowe, Bill Simmons, Brian Windhorst — go down the list of prominent national pundits, and almost all of them have talked about the Jazz in the last couple of weeks, specifically how Utah is a team to watch this offseason. Maybe even the team to watch.

Why, exactly, is a matter of debate.

Will the Utah Jazz be buyers?

At his introductory press conference, Austin Ainge — Utah’s new president of basketball operations — didn’t mince words about the strategy of the team going forward.

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When asked about tanking, a team-building approach that for the Jazz meant the manipulation of minutes and/or holding out the team’s best players throughout much of the 2025 season, Ainge said, “You won’t see that this year.”

Some have taken Ainge at his word.

In a recent appearance on “SportsCenter,” during which Windhorst was analyzing the trade that sent Bane from Memphis to Orlando, Windhorst said that the Jazz should no longer be considered a rebuilding team. Instead, Utah has intentions on genuinely competing in the Western Conference, despite three straight years of steady decline.

“There’s not anybody in the Western Conference who is really rebuilding right now,” Windhorst said. “Everyone’s kind of got the gas put down. Including the Jazz. The Jazz are intending to try to turn it up.”

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If the Jazz were to try to improve rapidly, the team has the assets to pull it off.

Utah has nine first-round picks through 2031, and that doesn’t include pick swaps where the Jazz can get the more favorable of two picks. Nor does it include the Jazz’s 2026 first-round pick, which is projected to be in the top eight (if it falls lower than that, it conveys to Oklahoma City).

Orlando sent four first-round picks to Memphis (plus a pick swap) to land Bane (plus rotation players for salary-matching purposes). The Jazz have the ammunition — pick-wise — to land a pair of players the quality of Bane or better, in theory.

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Utah also has multiple notable expiring contracts it can use in a talent acquisition deal, namely those of John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton.

And then there are the numerous young prospects the team has, multiple of whom could be enticing to a team trading an established pro.

All of which is to say, the Jazz have the assets to do what Windhorst suggests. And quickly, too.

Will the Utah Jazz be sellers?

There is a completely different train of thought about why the Jazz will be one of the more notable franchises in the NBA this offseason, however.

As in, polar opposite.

CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn laid it out on Monday. Namely, that the Jazz have solid players that contending teams could want (he singled out Sexton), have enough cap space to facilitate deals and the team doesn’t have to “tank” if it trades away most of its solid players. The team can just be bad and develop talent without any real tanking shenanigans. (A byproduct would be that Utah would still have a shot at a top pick in 2026 and avoid giving that selection to OKC.)

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“The younger Ainge himself said that the Jazz would not tank next season, but to be fair, in the Western Conference, they really won’t need to in order to get a high draft pick. If they just bring back last year’s team and play everyone the appropriate amount of minutes, they are going to miss the playoffs comfortably,” Quinn writes.

“That is almost certainly still the goal, whether Ainge will admit it or not. This team isn’t close enough to trade their way into the playoffs, much less genuine contention. If anything, the question here is whether they’ll make any further rebuilding trades, not whether they’ll function as surprise buyers.”

Quinn goes even further beyond the normal names that have been speculated for years as being movable by Utah.

He questions whether it is worth it to extend Walker Kessler, arguing that the Jazz are so far away from being a legitimate contender that they should still be squarely in asset-acquisition mode.

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“Walker Kessler is now extension-eligible,” Quinn writes. “Does it make sense for a team with no young players trending toward stardom to pay significant money for a rim-protector that offers little offensively? That’s a worthwhile question.

“Here’s a bigger one: What is Lauri Markkanen’s trade value now that he’s signed a max contract? The Jazz were demanding in last year’s negotiations. They almost always are when it comes to trading veterans. But at his current price and given the down year he just had, his market is going to be smaller. Two or three first-round picks? Sure, though the matching salary attached probably wouldn’t be great. Four or five? No way, not with a $46 million cap number.

“You’ll hear about the usual suspects. It wouldn’t be an offseason without John Collins rumors. Collin Sexton is ready to help a winner. One of these days someone is finally going to pry Jordan Clarkson loose. But the upheaval at the top of this organization suggests some measure of frustration. It’s not clear what exactly the Jazz are going to do, but they don’t seem like a team eager to stand still.”

What will the Utah Jazz do?

Abrupt turn to contention or a deeper descent into a rebuild — either option is possible for Utah this summer.

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Exactly what the Jazz will end up doing remains a question for now, but one thing is certain: The Jazz aren’t going to stand pat.

Since Danny Ainge came on board in December 2021, Utah has been involved in 16 trades, most of which included multiple players leaving and/or coming to Utah. The Jazz have not been shy about getting involved in the trade market, either as one of the primary teams involved (think the trades of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell) or as a facilitator (think the Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler trades).

That track record, coupled with a tight free agent market — the Brooklyn Nets are the only team in the NBA that has the ability, right now, to offer a contract to a free agent this summer for more than $30 million a year — means it is more a matter of when, not if, the Jazz start making waves this offseason.

Only one thing seems really certain about Utah this summer: Moves are going to be made.

The NBA Draft is 8 days away, and the Utah Jazz are hoping to make their selection with the 5th pick in the draft. However, there seems to be a bump in the road. Rutgers’ star, Ace Bailey, isn’t very interested in Utah:

Bailey, who continues sliding down the board in this scenario, doesn’t appear to have much interest in Utah and is viewed by most teams as a riskier bet. — Jeremy Woo of Draft Express

Ace Bailey has always seen himself as “THE guy” and wants to be that for an NBA team. He wants enough runway to be able to take as many shots as he can and play as many minutes as he can. So, why not Utah, Ace? I honestly couldn’t answer that. Utah gets a bad rap, the fans, the city, the people, and I just don’t get it.

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One of the reasons I don’t get it is that Ace Bailey is not good enough to be that guy for a team, and he probably never will be, given his playing style. He is a shot chucker, a ball stopper, and has very bad passing chops. He takes terrible shots largely due to the fact that he can’t get to the rim. He has the 2nd or 3rd worst rim frequency out of all draft-eligible freshmen in the entire draft, because he has an underdeveloped handle, which leads to the worst shot you can take in the game of basketball — the long 2.

I already talked about his bad feel of the game — a disappointing 0.6 assist-to-turnover ratio. If you look at all of the best players in the league, they get efficient looks at the basket because they make their teammates more of a threat. If you get your team involved, that is going to open up the court for yourself; Ace Bailey does not play that way. Before you say he had a terrible team (which is true), Collin Murray-Boyles, a projected first-round pick, was on one of the worst basketball teams in high-major basketball and still ended up with a net neutral assist-to-turnover ratio with a higher assist percentage — not to mention the usage difference was less than 1% and CMB was in a tougher conference.

If you combine Ace’s subpar collegiate shot diet, his poor feel of the game, and age, there are only 2 players since 2008 that have had good careers: Tobias Harris and Harrison Barnes. Why did they succeed? Because they scaled down and accepted a role that was less than trying to be “the guy”. Ace Bailey will have to do that if he wants to find success in the league. He can also find success by harnessing his defensive potential, which is a legitimate skill set he has.

Ace Bailey and his agency are trying to force themselves into a place where he is the focal point of the team (Givony & Woo). That doesn’t scream “team player” to me; that screams entitlement and an unwillingness to do what it takes to win. Will Hardy and the Jazz have lived by “minutes aren’t given, they’re earned” for the past 2 seasons, and it is likely that will not change. If Ace Bailey doesn’t want to earn his minutes, then he can go get run in Philly, New Orleans, or whatever organization he wants. The Utah Jazz want to build a team with players who want to win.

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Does this mean that the Utah Jazz won’t take Ace? I am not sure. Would I take Ace Bailey? Probably not. If I am the Utah Jazz, my eyes turn to Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe, Noa Essengue, Derik Queen, and for most of you out there, Tre Johnson. Out of those listed players, I would imagine that the Utah Jazz would select Tre Johnson.

More from slcdunk.com:

MIDVALE — Joseph and Jan Carbone sacrificed everything 25 years ago to provide eye care for kids in need. As a longtime optician, Joseph Carbone decided to close his for-profit practice and devote all of his time and energy to his nonprofit, EyeCare4Kids.

Throughout his 50 years of experience, he has had many memorable experiences. Carbone said it was his work in private practice that led him to establish a nonprofit providing free and low-cost eye care for children and families in need.

“I did 25 years of for-profit work and did quite well,” he explained. “Now, I have 25 years of nonprofit (work). I have a core belief that everybody should take what they learned from life … and bless the life of somebody else.”

On Monday, EyeCare4Kids held an open house to celebrate leadership transitions and reintroduce the community to the organization, which has been helping children in Utah see better since 2001.

During his 25 years of running a clinic, Joseph Carbone said he repeatedly saw how many children and families could not afford the necessary eye care for reading, learning or interacting with the world around them. He realized he wanted to do more to help them and, with his wife’s help, started the nonprofit.

“When (Joseph) came home and said he wanted to start a nonprofit, I almost laughed at him,” said Jan Carbone. “I knew nothing about being involved in a nonprofit. … We made every mistake.”

On the day of their grand opening, the Carbones and another couple of friends showed up to staff the clinic. Over 100 people came to the grand opening seeking eye care. In that moment, they knew they had something special and would need a lot more help.

For a time, the Carbones attempted to run both the clinic and the nonprofit simultaneously. The time and manpower needed to run both became too much to handle. So, the couple decided that they would have to close one of their clinics. They took a leap of faith and closed the one making money, took a second mortgage on their home and fully invested in EyeCare4Kids.

Today, the nonprofit operates 10 clinics in the United States and six in Africa, with numerous mobile clinics also traveling to other areas. Over 400,000 children have been served through the organization.

“Children don’t know what they don’t know,” Jan Carbone shared. “They don’t know that other people see something different than them. It is so rewarding to put glasses on these little kids and have them realize that there is a world out there that they have never seen.”

As part of their 50th anniversary, the Carbones will move their focus to the EyeCare4Kids’ African clinics.

“Joseph is the kind of person that you love being around because his passion and his vision are infectious,” said EyeCare4Kids treasurer Alan Hague.

Maggie Cline, former executive director at the nonprofit, will now take the helm. Her efforts have helped open new clinics across the nation and increase patient engagement.

The mission of EyeCare4Kids resonates with Cline, who was raised by a single mother.

“We did not have a lot of things. I love this so much because I get to help the people who are living the way I used to live. It’s very personal,” she said. “I know what it is like to not have basic needs (met). … It speaks to the cycle of poverty. If you are not able to learn, you will be stuck. This helps people with vision, which is everything.”

EyeCare4Kids offers the best equipment available at its clinics across the globe, often exceeding what is offered at a typical eye clinic.

“Even if a child doesn’t have $200 for an eye exam or $400 for glasses, they get the same service, exam and glasses,” Joseph Carbone said. “They deserve everything.”

He said 90% of all donations to the nonprofit go directly to children and families. The team strives to keep the focus on the children and allow the administration to take a backseat. Children are identified through school referrals, community events and recommendations. Lions Club International, the world’s largest service club organization, also works closely with the organization to aid its cause.

Throughout the years of service, Joseph Carbone’s outstanding moments include “watching the little miracles.” He believes that it is his mission to help children and families get professional eye care, regardless of their financial situation. With a large selection of glasses, the team believes that each child should feel comfortable and confident in their eyewear.

“I feel I am the one who has been changed the most in 25 years,” he said. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is the goodness of people. The overwhelming majority of people are good. … The people we work with and help are sincerely and genuinely grateful for what we do for them.”

Looking toward the future, the team of “dreamers” hopes to continue making eye care accessible and affordable for low-income families.

“The sky is the limit and nothing is impossible. If we believe in doing something and want it to happen, we figure out a way,” Cline said. “We need to help each other because that is what life is about.”

For more information or to volunteer, visit the EyeCare4Kids website.

By SAFIYAH RIDDLE and HANNAH SCHOENBAUM, Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The man shot and killed while participating in the “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City was a successful fashion designer and former “Project Runway” contestant who devoted his life to celebrating artists from the Pacific Islands.

Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, was killed Saturday night when two men shot at a person brandishing a rifle at demonstrators, and one accidentally struck Ah Loo in the stomach, authorities said. Ah Loo later died at the hospital.

Salt Lake City police said it remained unclear Monday whether the individuals, one of whom identified himself as part of a “peacekeeping” team for the protest, were brought in by the event organizers or acted on their own initiative.

Arturo Gamboa, 24, never shot his rifle, but police arrested him on murder charges and said he created the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo’s death. Police said Monday they were investigating whether the man who shot at Gamboa — and fatally hit Ah Loo — was justified in firing his gun. He has not been identified publicly.

Victim was a self-taught designer

Ah Loo leaves behind a wife and two young children, according to a GoFundMe page for his family that raised over $100,000 in 48 hours.

The self-taught fashion designer known to many as Afa devoted his life to doing “good things for his neighbors and community,” state Rep. Verona Mauga, a close friend, told The Associated Press. Their families were from the small village of Lotopa in Samoa, she said.

Ah Loo was born in Samoa and has lived in Utah for about a decade, his friend Benjamin Powell said.

Mauga, who was born in Hawaii, was at the “No Kings” protest a few blocks from where Ah Loo was shot. The Democratic lawmaker said she only realized something was wrong when she saw the crowd scattering.

Peaceful protest turns deadly

The protest Saturday was one of hundreds in cities nationwide to counter President Donald Trump’s military parade in Washington, which marked the Army’s 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump’s birthday.

As gunshots rang out through the Utah

There is no record in the Salt Lake City event permit indicating that armed security would be present, police said.

Carl Moore, a 49-year-old indigenous advocate, was filming the protest when three gunshots rang out through the crowd estimated at 10,000 people. Moore said he observed confusion among police as protesters hid behind barriers and took shelter inside parking garages and nearby businesses.

“They don’t know what they’re looking for. They’re just yelling like, ‘What does he look like?’” Moore recalled.

Weaving culture and community through fashion

Mauga said Ah Loo would have been proud that his last moments were spent advocating for what he believed in.

“If Afa was going to go out any other way than natural causes, it would be standing up for marginalized and vulnerable communities and making sure that people had a voice,” she said.

Powell, a hair salon innovator from Fiji, co-founded Create Pacific with Ah Loo shortly after they met four years ago. The organization uplifts artists from the Pacific Islands, allowing a new generation to connect with their heritage.

Every offseason, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg creates a future power rankings for college football that attempts to forecast the health of programs around the country for the next few years.

He’s changed the formula up a bit this year in the college football future power rankings through 2026 that were released last week, thanks to the changing landscape of the sport that is ever-increasingly impacted by the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness, among other factors.

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In previous years, Rittenberg had based these future rankings on a three-year window — now he’s changed that to looking ahead at the next two seasons.

He also changed the overall delivery of the rankings.

Instead of breaking them out into a look at the quarterback position, as well as individual offensive and defensive rankings, as he’s done in the past in addition to team rankings, this year Rittenberg has released the team rankings only for the Power Four conferences and Notre Dame.

“The reason: The spring portal changes things, and QB rooms or individual units can look moderately or significantly different by late May or early June,” Rittenberg explained. “For example, think about where Tennessee would have been on the quarterback list in February and how the outlook is now.”

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There are six criteria Rittenberg is basing these rankings on. They include returning quarterback, likelihood of a multiyear QB on roster, offensive line/defensive line outlook, roster management, star power and coaching staff.

What do these latest rankings project for BYU, Utah and the rest of the Big 12?

And how does that compare to other power conferences, particularly the ACC, seen as its chief rival below the game’s two dominant leagues, the SEC and the Big Ten?

Where Big 12 football teams land in ESPN’s 2025 future power rankings

• 66. West Virginia

• 64. Arizona

• 62. Oklahoma State

• 61. Houston

• 57. Cincinnati

• 50. Kansas

• 35. Colorado

• 32. Baylor

• 29. Texas Tech

• 21. Kansas State

• 19. Iowa State

• 12. Arizona State

What stood out: First, the discouraging news for the conference — five of the bottom eight teams in the future power rankings are from the Big 12.

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West Virginia and UCF, the two lowest rated league schools in the rankings, both have new head coaches this year in Rich Rodriguez and Scott Frost, respectively.

There’s another group of five Big 12 programs bunched together from No. 29 to No. 38 as well, teams that could elevate themselves into top 25 territory.

Then there are four Big 12 teams in the top 25, including the league’s top-ranked team, Arizona State, at No. 12, followed by Iowa State (19), Kansas State (21) and BYU (25).

How the Big 12 compares to other power conferences: The Big 12 has the fewest teams in the top 50 of ESPN’s future power rankings, as the league has six schools — or 37.5% of the league — outside of the top 50, followed by the Big Ten with five (27.7%), the ACC with four (23.5%) and the SEC with three (18.7%).

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The SEC, meanwhile, has more than half of its 16 teams in the top 25, with nine (or 56.2%). That is followed by the Big Ten with seven (or 38.8% of its 18 teams), followed by the Big 12 and ACC with four each (25% of the Big 12’s 16 teams, 23.5% of the ACC’s 17 football-member schools).

The Big 12 is the only power conference without a team in the top 10.

The ACC has one in Clemson at No. 7, while the SEC has five (Texas at No. 1, Georgia at No. 3, LSU at No. 8, Tennessee at No. 9 and Alabama at No. 10), the Big Ten has three (Ohio State at No. 2, Oregon at No. 4 and Penn State at No. 6) and independent Notre Dame is No. 5.

What ESPN’s future power rankings say about BYU

The Cougars weren’t ranked in Rittenberg’s top 25 last year, but now come in at No. 25 following an 11-2 season where BYU went 7-2 in Big 12 play and won the Alamo Bowl.

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There are question marks surrounding the future of BYU’s quarterback position right now, with the civil lawsuit filed against last year’s starter, Jake Retzlaff, alleging that he sexual assaulted a Salt Lake County woman in November 2023.

Coming out of spring camp, McCae Hillstead and Treyson Bourget were in competition to be QB2 and could take over the offense. So, too, could incoming freshman transfer Bear Bachmeier, though likely further down the road.

Beyond those questions, Rittenberg pointed to several other things in the Cougars’ favor over the next couple of seasons.

One of those is coaching stability.

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“Kalani Sitake has good stability on the staff as he enters his 10th season overseeing the team at his alma mater. Primary coordinators Jay Hill (defense) and Aaron Roderick (offense) are both back, and the staff had minimal changes coming off of an 11-2 season,” Rittenberg wrote.

He also outlined the Cougars’ star power back in 2025 — BYU returns linebacker Jack Kelly on defense, while bringing back wide receiver Chase Roberts, running back LJ Martin and offensive guard Weylin Lapuaho on offense, along with all-Big 12 first-team kicker Will Ferrin.

As for roster management, Rittenberg wrote, “High school recruiting has fluctuated a bit, but BYU still does well in its state and in Texas, and the 2026 class currently ranks No. 20.”

What ESPN’s future power rankings say about Utah

Following a forgettable 5-7 season where injuries again impacted the Utes, particularly on offense, Utah fell from No. 14 in Rittenberg’s future power rankings last year to No. 30 ahead of the 2025 season.

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There’s uncertainty interspersed with optimism for Utah in several areas, from coaching stability — with Kyle Whittingham’s future a popular topic in recent years — to the quarterback position.

The Utes brought in New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier to take over as the Utes’ dual-threat starting QB, and he will be a junior in 2025. That likely gives the program a multiyear starter under first-year offensive coordinator Jason Beck, who also came to Salt Lake City from Albuquerque.

While there’s been plenty of roster turnover for the Utes, Dampier is one of the storylines to follow in terms of star power, along with guys like offensive tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, as well as defenders Logan Fano, Lander Barton and Smith Snowden, per Rittenberg.

“Dampier led the Mountain West in yards per carry last fall (7.52), in addition to finishing second in passing. He’s a potential plug-and-play superstar,” Rittenberg wrote, while adding Utah’s additions at running back — including Wayshawn Parker — and wide receiver are worth monitoring.

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What could end up being a major positive for Utah this year is the trenches, especially on the offensive side.

“Utah’s offensive line returns all five starters and could be among the nation’s best. The team retained tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, and has a veteran interior group,” Rittenberg wrote.