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Rather than declare as early entry candidates for the2026 NBA Draft, several of the top players in college basketball decided to go back to school.

With the significant rise of NIL packages offered to collegiate players to play another season with their college team or use the transfer portal, the basketball world has never seen such little financial incentive to turn pro. In many cases, top men's basketball players can actually collect more annual money at their university than they would have in the first year of their rookie scale contract.

Prospects have until 11:59 p.m. ET on April 24 todeclare as early entry candidatesfor the2026 NBA Draft. Those players can remain as draft candidates 11:59 p.m. ET on May 27 if they want to maintain their collegiate eligibility.

It is not uncommon for players to "test the waters" and go through the draft process and attend the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, then decide to go back to school.

AJ DYBANTSA DECLARES FOR NBA DRAFT:How does he project at the next level?

Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claim

Notable players who have already declared for the draft but may still return to their college team next season include Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford) and Meleek Thomas (Arkansas). Some who have declared (e.g. Allen Graves, Flory Bidunga, Tounde Yessoufou, Milan Momcilovic and Juke Harris) also entered the transfer portal and a few have already committed to new schools.

This year, more than ever, several notable players announced they will not even go through the pre-draft process.

Thomas Haugh (Florida), Braylon Mullins (UConn) and Patrick Ngongba II (Duke) are among those who were widely considered potential first-round picks but opted to not enter the pre-draft process. Others, including Pryce Sandfort (Nebraska), Alex Condon (Florida), Joseph Tugler (Houston) and David Mirković (Illinois), made the same decision.

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Haugh is reportedly expected to earn what he would have made in his first two NBA seasons combined at Florida next season,according to The Athletic.

Some have argued thatNIL is bad for the NBA, but in many cases, the opposite is true. NIL is mutually beneficial for both the NCAA and the NBA at large.

NBA DRAFT:How the order was impacted by league's tiebreaking process

For college basketball, top players returning can help teams compose the most talented rosters available and keep the product as interesting as possible for fans with old faces at either familiar or new places. Players can build their brands and create a legacy while improving their draft stock in the process.

In the NBA, meanwhile, professional teams can reserve roster spots only for the most ready-to-contribute players. Rather than drafting young players with the hope to develop them over the years, they can use the spots at the end of their bench for veterans who do not need that same on-ramp in the pros.

Ideally, these players can become known quantities while in college rather than alluring but risky mystery boxes for the next level. Now that players can hire agents, it is often even more financially lucrative for their clients to stay in school as well.

College basketball provides players from around the world a chance to get mentally and physically ready as they mature, rather than rush, to reach their dreams of playing in the NBA. Big name players staying in the NCAA is mutually beneficial for everyone involved.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Top college basketball products return to NCAA. Why it's good for NBA

The UKgovernmentisescalatingits planning tocounteractpotentialshortagesstemming from theIranconflict.

Oil prices have soared since the US-Israel war onIranbegan, driven by the closure of theStrait of Hormuz– a key shipping lane that once handled a fifth of global oil and gas.

The Prime Minister will chair another meeting of the Cabinet committee, established to manage the fallout, this Tuesday, following last week's Middle East Response Committee session.

A separate contingency group of ministers, led by Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones, also meets twice weekly.

They are focusing on live monitoring of stock levels and what plans are in place for addressing supply chain disruption.

TheGovernmenthas been seeking to calm the public, urging drivers to keep filling up with petrol and using cars as usual and not to change their travel plans amid fears over potential jet fuel shortages.

There have also been fears that the war could hit stocks of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is used in the food industry and by breweries to make drinks fizzy as well as for defence purposes and medical uses such as MRI scanning.

Mr Jones said: “This is not our war. The Government made the right call to stay out of the conflict and only take defensive action to protect Britain’s interests.

“We’re acting now to prepare for, and mitigate where possible, the impact on our economy and domestic security as a result of the conflict.

“The Prime Minister wants to see a toll-freeStrait of Hormuzreopened as soon as possible. The UK is working tirelessly with our international partners to find a permanent solution to this crisis and minimise the knock-on impact to households.”

Mr Jones will seek to emphasise that the UK is in a good position and highlight how Sir Keir Starmer’s administration is working directly with businesses to limit disruption and keep prices down when he speaks to broadcasters on Sunday.

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UK airlines have insisted they are not currently seeing a shortage of jet fuel as they buy it in advance and airports maintain stocks, but the Government has said it is “closely monitoring” stocks.

Airports will make it easier for airlines to cancel flights without running the risk of losing their allocated “slots” – scheduled times for take-off or landing which some UK airports assign to airlines – if fuel shortages prevent them from flying.

The Government also plans to temporarily relax laws that require airlines to operate part-full flights from UK airports, The Times reported.

This would allow flight schedules to be consolidated months before any potential fuel shortages, meaning there may be fewer flight options available but minimising disruption and last-minute cancellations, the paper said.

Supermarkets have said they are working with the Government to help plan for a worst-case scenario which could see the ongoing war lead to shortages of carbon dioxide used by food producers.

On the outbreak of war, the Government provided funding to reactivate the Ensus bioethanol plant, which makes CO2 as a by-product, in order to shore up supplies of the gas.

And they are taking steps to weaken the link between electricity and gas prices to protect households and businesses from price spikes.

Leaked government plans setting out a reasonable worst-case scenario suggested there could be shortages of certain foods on supermarket shelves if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed in summer.

The Lib Dems urged that a Bill be included in the next King’s Speech to put food security at the top of the Government’s agenda.

The party’s Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart said: “The Government also needs to wake up and provide more support to people who simply cannot afford the sky-high cost of getting around, which is why we’ve proposed a 10p cut on fuel duty and slashing public transport costs, to protect Brits’ pockets from Trumpflation.”

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had told envoys not to go to Pakistan for more talks with Iran, after the White House had said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would be travelling to Islamabad to attempt to revive ceasefire negotiations.

The Houston Rockets aren’t done just yet.

The Rockets, even without Kevin Durant available, picked up a solid 115-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night in Game 4 of their opening-round playoff series. The win kept their postseason run alive after they dropped the first three games of the series.

While a 3-0 deficit is something that no team has successfully rallied back from — very few in that spot have even forced a Game 7 — the Rockets have officially avoided the series sweep. It’s a start.

The Rockets took control of the game in the first half, and even briefly took an 11-point lead late in the second quarter — which marked their largest lead of the series up until that point. The Lakers struggled to get their offense going, went just 1-of-6 from behind the arc and committed 13 turnovers in the first 12 minutes.

Deandre Ayton ejected in the third quarter

Deandre Ayton was perhaps the best part of the Lakers’ offense early on Sunday night.

So when he picked up the first ejection of his career midway through the third quarter, it marked a major blow to the Lakers’ chances.

Ayton was trying to stop Alperen Şengün from driving to the rim when his left elbow came up high and drilled Sengun right in his jaw. Sengun recoiled immediately, clearly shaken up by the hit.

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Officials reviewed the incident and quickly determined that Ayton’s elbow was “unnecessary and excessive.” While it didn’t appear to be intentional by any means, Ayton was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and was thrown out of the game. He finished the night with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Rockets were up by 19 points at the time. They ended up outscoring the Lakers 34-18 in the third period alone and took a 25-point lead into the fourth quarter. By that point, the Lakers were just about out of it. Houston powered through the rest of the way to grab the 19-point win easily.

Aaron Holiday and Adou Thiero got into a very small scuffle under the rim with a little more than a minute left, which earned them both quick ejections. Officials, however, got the dustup settled without much issue. The two teams met for a third scuffle after the final buzzer sounded, too, though not much came of it.

Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 23 points and seven assists after he went 10-of-16 from the field. Tari Eason added 20 points and eight rebounds, and Şengün finished with 19 points.

The Rockets were without Durant on Sunday night. He was ruled out of the game earlier in the day with a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle, which marked his third missed game of the series. He missed Game 3 due to the ankle injury, and he missed the opening game due to a knee injury. His status in Game 5 is still in doubt.

Rui Hachimura added 13 points to go with Ayton’s 19 for the Lakers. LeBron James had 10 points and nine assists, but also had eight of the Lakers’ 23 turnovers. They went just 5-of-20 from behind the arc, too, which marked their fewest made 3-pointers in a single game all season.

The Lakers also ruled out Austin Reaves due to an oblique strain. He’s missed the entire series so far, but has reportedly been close to making a return and was considered questionable entering Sunday’s contest. Luka Dončić is still out, too.

Reaves’ presence on Wednesday night in Game 5 would undoubtedly provide a significant boost for the Lakers as they attempt to close out the Rockets. While the Lakers are still in great position to make it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2023, it’s going to take at least one more night to officially pull that off.

Sean McVay doesn’t dispute that in the aftermath of the first-round selection of quarterback Ty Simpson on Thursday night his reserved body language wasn’t what we’ve come to expect from the high-energyLos Angeles Ramscoach.

As he described later, he surelygave off a “grumpy” vibeduring the draft night press conference.

Yet his disposition, McVay explained, was more about his MVP quarterback, Matthew Stafford, than it was to reflect that he wasn’t in agreement with GM Les Snead in drafting the Alabama product with the 13th pick overall.

No matter. Amid super-hyped coverage of the NFL draft, McVay quickly found himself in damage-control mode as reaction spread.

“Totally overblown,” McVay wrote of the reaction in a text to USA TODAY Sports.

McVay maintained he is “very excited” about the pick of Simpson but had a key reason to curb enthusiasm: “Was being careful not to be disrespectful to Matthew,” he said.

I’ll take McVay at his word on this, given the delicate balance that in some cases must be navigated when a team with an established quarterback drafts an heir apparent.

No, Simpson hardly poses a threat at this point to Stafford, 38, who won a Super Bowl with the Rams and just won NFL MVP honors for the first time in his career. And Stafford doesn’t strike me as the over-sensitive type.

Yet McVay knows. These situations can get a bit sticky. The coach is joined at the hip with his quarterback, their chemistry is essential as L.A. ranks among the favorites to reach Super Bowl 61 in February.

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More:Ranking Ty Simpson, 9 other QBs picked in NFL draft by fit with new teams

Stafford, in talks to extend an $84 million contract that has a year remaining, may turn out to be the perfect, cordial mentor for Simpson. McVay insists that whenever Stafford retires, he will do it on his own terms. So, no need for controversy. Easy does it.

Still, NFL history tells us it’s not always smooth between star quarterback and projected successor. Case in point: Brett Favre was hardly accommodating during the early 2000s when thePackersselected Aaron Rodgers with a first-round pick. Rodgers was much more of a mentor when Jordan Love came along in 2020.

A generation ago, Joe Montana was miffed when the 49ers traded for Steve Young, who ultimately replaced the three-time Super Bowl MVP after Montana’s long-term elbow injury surfaced in 1991 and opened the door. And three years before that, Montana was benched for a game and replaced by Young, which ignited tension that never subsided for the rest of Montana’s tenure in San Francisco.

Ironically, McVay’s late grandfather, John, was the 49ers GM and for a significant portion of that period was Bill Walsh’s right-hand man.

More recently, the Falcons had a mess on their hands when they drafted Michael Penix, Jr. eighth overall in 2024 – weeks after luring Kirk Cousins to Atlanta with a $180 million contract. In one regard, there was nothing outlandish about then-GM Terry Fontenot’s decision to draft a promising young quarterback, stocking up for the future.

The problem, though, was that the Falcons never bothered to tell Cousins that they might draft a quarterback. Cousins didn’t find out until Atlanta was on the clock to select Penix. Not good. Seems like that would have been standard courtesy, even if Cousins (who wound up starting 24 games over two seasons) was already guaranteed $100 million.

Which reminds me of a case in 2017 that involved Sean Payton and Drew Brees. The Saints were set to draft Patrick Mahomes with the 11th pick overall. And Payton was sure to share the plan with Brees, who also happened to be visiting the team’s draft headquarters during the draft.

Then Andy Reid & Co. wrecked the plan. The Chiefs swung a huge trade with the Bills – which included giving up a No. 1 pick in 2018 and a third-round pick in 2027 – to move up from 27th in the first round to 10th, jumping one spot ahead of the Saints. New Orleans wound up drafting cornerback Marshon Lattimore with the 11th pick. And there were no hard feelings with Brees, who went on to play four more seasons to finish his Hall of Fame career. Yet a different type of history for all parties was right there to be written.

In the Rams case, McVay was wise to amplify his stance on Stafford, just in case anyone needs to hear it. Or see it.

Contact Bell atjbell@usatoday.comor follow on X: @JarrettBell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sean McVay's reaction to Ty Simpson NFL draft pick about respect – and history

The idea is straightforward: Takea blood testnow, even without symptoms, and learn if you could some day develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Whether youshouldget this test is a more complicated matter.

Most Alzheimer’s blood tests work bymeasuring levels of amyloid or tau, proteins that build up in the brain and are thought to play key roles in the disease. Both can begin gathering in the brain decades before any symptoms appear.

But it’s still an ongoing debate how well the tests can predict who will go on to developAlzheimer’s disease,doctors say. Some people who test positive never do, fueling suspicion about how reliable the results are in the first place.

Even if the tests can accurately predict risk, they raise a bigger question: what should patients do with the information? There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which affects about 7 million people in the U.S., according tothe Mayo Clinic. Thetwo drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration— Leqembi and Kisunla — aim to slow, not cure, the disease. There’s mixed evidence for how well they work, and they come with potentially serious side effects, including brain swelling and bleeding. Diet and exercisemay help reduce the riskof Alzheimer’s, but their effects are limited.

“The whole idea of doing a test to provide an early diagnosis of any disease is that if we act early, we get better results,” said Dr. Alberto Espay, a neurologist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. “But there is zero evidence to demonstrate that people who are at the earliest stages [of Alzheimer’s disease] would benefit from anything we have.”

That tension is reflected in a survey published earlier this month in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, which found that 85% of patients said they would take a blood test to assess their Alzheimer’s risk if their doctor recommended it.

The survey included responses from nearly 600 adults with an average age of 62 at primary care clinics in the Chicago area. About half reported having a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, though none had been diagnosed. Most had never heard of the tests before taking the survey.

The survey’s lead author, Andrea Russell, said the findings reflect the anxiety she sees in her older patients.

“A lot of people seem to want to understand what’s happening to them,” said Russell, a clinical and primary care psychologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The survey also found that nearly 3 in 4 respondents said they would expect to feel distressed after a positive result, even as most said they would likely take steps to improve their brain health.

As a psychologist, Russell does not order the tests for her patients. She said she has questions about the tests’ validity.

“There’s still a lot to be ironed out. They’re still not ready for prime time,” Russell said. “There is definitely skepticism.”

The FDA has cleared two blood tests for Alzheimer’s, both in the last year, for people 55 and older. They’re approved for people who are already showing symptoms of the disease, not for those without symptoms. The tests don’t diagnose Alzheimer’s on their own and are used alongside other tests, like a PET scan. The FDA notedin one of its approvalsthat the main risk of the tests is inaccurate results — including false positives and false negatives — which “could lead to an inappropriate diagnosis of, and unnecessary treatment for, Alzheimer’s disease.”

Despite the current limitations, there are at least 25 commercially available blood tests worldwide, and there are more in development, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, a proponent of testing.

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The approval of blood tests isn’t only important for earlier diagnosis, but for ensuring that patients have easy access to a diagnosis, according to Rebecca Edelmayer, the Alzheimer’s Association vice president of scientific engagement. The tests, she said, are simple to administer, relatively inexpensive and more convenient than PET scans or MRI.

“There is strong public sentiment in support of early Alzheimer’s diagnosis and treatment,” Edelmeyer said in an emailed statement. “People want to know if they have Alzheimer’s or another disease that causes dementia, and they want to know before it impacts their daily life.”

Dr. Ronald Petersen, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said the tests have improved “dramatically” in recent years, though more work is needed.

Petersen said the blood tests are generally used in three ways.

The first is prediction, estimating the likelihood that someone has amyloid in the brain, which is then typically confirmed by a PET scan. That’s how the tests have been used in clinical trials, he said, as a screening tool to identify which patients should go on to more expensive imaging.

The second is tracking treatment. In theory, doctors could use blood tests over time to see whether amyloid levels or other changes after a patient starts on an Alzheimer’s drug.

The third is diagnosis: whether a blood test alone can confirm Alzheimer’s disease by detecting amyloid or other markers of the disease in the brain.

“I think the jury is still out on that,” Petersen said. “Some people will take that and will say, ‘OK, good enough for me.’ But I think there’s been enough inconsistencies, discordances, mismatches between blood tests, spinal fluid and PET scans, in both directions, to make most people in the field still skeptical about using a blood test alone.”

A2024 studyfound blood tests correctly identified whether patients with memory problems had Alzheimer’s about 90% of the time, though experts noted it was conducted in Sweden and would need to be confirmed with studies in the U.S., where the population is more diverse. Last December, the Mayo Clinic presented data on one of the FDA-approved Alzheimer’s blood tests — from Fujirebio — finding it may be overly sensitive and more likely to flag patients as positive than other methods.

Espay, of the University of Cincinnati, said another important consideration is that amyloid and another biomarker, tau, are also present in the brains of some older adults who may never go on to develop the disease.

It may not be “telling you have a disease,” he said. “Pathology is what we are all developing as we age, but very few of us will die with the disease we’ve attributed the pathology to cause.”

Petersen said he’s hopeful that the tests will one day evolve and could one day be used as a lone tool for diagnosis, although the field isn’t there yet.

Russell said patients desperately want to know whether the symptoms they’re experiencing are a normal part of aging or something more.

“It could make a meaningful difference and help people feel like they have hope and control,” Russell said.

A suspect has been arrested after a body was found in thesearch for two University of South Florida doctoral studentswho vanished a week ago.

Zamil Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland Bridge Friday but the search continues for Nahida Bristy.

The couple from Bangladesh was reported missing on April 17.

Limon, who was studying geography, environmental science and policy at the school in Tampa, Florida, was last seen at his home in a student apartment complex. Bristy, a chemical engineering student, was last seen an hour later at a campus science building.

A family friend contacted authorities last Friday after being unable to contact either one, USF police said. Friends and family described their lack of communication as out of character.

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During the search for the missing couple, investigators identified a suspect in the case, Limon’s roommate Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih.

Officers responded to a report of domestic violence at a home about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from campus Friday and were able to safely remove the suspect’s family. The suspect then barricaded himself inside and refused to come out.

A SWAT team responded and the suspect eventually came out peacefully. He was initially communicating with authorities but stopped talking.

He was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death and improper removal of a human body.

An autopsy will determine Limon’s cause of death, and investigators haven’t yet identified a motive for Abugharbeih’s alleged crimes, officials said.

Deputies are still searching for Bristy and urged the public to contact police if they’ve seen or heard from her. A sheriff’s spokesperson said they have no indication as to whether she has been harmed.

Two young children have died in a house fire inWolverhamptonas police launch an investigation into the cause of the deadly blaze.

Emergency servicesarrived in under five minutes after they were called to Mason Street at about 8.30pm on Friday.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and rescued two children but they were sadly pronounced dead at the scene,West Midlands Policesaid.

A woman and two other children had already escaped the flames. They were checked over by ambulance staff but did not need hospital treatment.

Police have cordoned off the property, which was extensively damaged, while work is done to establish the cause of the fire.

Investigators wearing protective equipment were seen combing the property on Saturday.

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Crews from Bilston, West Bromwich and Bloxwich Fire Stations attended the scene and six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property to find the children.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said two ambulances, three paramedic officers, HART paramedics, a MERIT trauma team and a critical care car from Midlands Air Ambulance Charity attended.

Ambulance crews administered advanced life support but tragically they were both confirmed dead a short time later.

In a statement on their website,West Midlands Fire Servicesaid: “Our thoughts are with the children’s loved ones and all those impacted by this heartbreaking incident.

“Police have cordoned off the scene as we work with other emergency service colleagues to establish the exact circumstances of the fire. We thank the community for their support with the on-going investigation. The cordon is expected to remain in place for some time at the property, which was extensively damaged, as enquiries continue.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or via live chat quoting log 5640 of April 24.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow...