Three players with local ties made it on Maxwell Ogden's list of the top 10 active NBA players from mid-major conferences for HoopsHabit.
Ogden ranks Utah Jazz wing Gordon Hayward landed at the No. 8 spot, saying, "Today, the Utah Jazz standout may be the single most underrated player in the NBA — and no, that’s not hyperbole."
Ogden continues, "Hayward is one of the most well-rounded players in the NBA. He can score with volume, facilitate the offense, crash the defensive or offensive glass, space the floor and even defends at a respectable level."
Former Weber State Wildcat, Damian Lillard came in at No. 4.
"Since arriving in the NBA, Lillard has done everything in his power to establish himself as a future superstar. He won rookie of the year in 2012-13 and has since been named to the All-NBA Second Team and All-NBA Third Team," writes Ogden of Lillard's early success.
Former Jazzman Paul Millsap was ranked fifth on the list.
Nebraska Hail Mary ranked as one of the best finishes of 2015
In anticipation of the start of the college football season, ESPN is counting down the top 10 finishes from 2015. Coming in at No. 5 on the list is the 42-yard pass from Tanner Mangum to Mitch Mathews with no time remaining as the BYU Cougars stunned the Nebraska Cornhuskers 33-28.
New backcourt pairing could be X-factor for Jazz
HoopsHabit's Vijay Vemu takes a look a what a possible new backcourt pairing of Dante Exum and George Hill could mean for the success of the Utah Jazz.
After he breaks down the key figures on the 2016-17 Jazz roster, Vemu writes, "But there is one duo that will be a for sure X-factor for Utah this season. That duo could be a starting backcourt of George Hill and Dante Exum.
"The combination of Hill and Exum will give Utah’s backcourt some good length on the defensive end," writes Vemu.
Then he analyzes each guards strength individually, saying, "Hill is a great defensive guard who is able to use his length to stay in front of defenders on drives and he is also an exceptional rebounding point guard."
Talking about Exum, he continues, "Exum is also a very solid defender as we saw in his last full season in 2014. When the Jazz started him midway through the season, their defense improved by leaps and bounds. In 2014, when Exum was on the court, the Offensive Rating of the Jazz’s opponents was 102.2."
Jay Yeomans is a sports writer for DeseretNews.com. Contact him at jyeomans@deseretdigital.com.