GoneTrending

When Ronan Farrow decides to bury himself in a subject, this usually doesn’t signal that positive news is on the way. Sure enough, Farrow’s latest investigative report has surfaced for The New Yorker, and it’s all about Elon Musk’s hands not only being in many pots but also in many U.S. government matters. Musk, of course, is even better known for his newest role of Twitter Owner/Chief Troll and being a bad neighbor. Oh, and he recently blew up a rocket, which is apparently something that does not worry him at all according to Farrow’s reporting, much of which involves direct statements from former Under-Secretary Of Defense At The Pentagon Colin Kahl.

More immediately crucial, however, is Farrow’s reporting on Musk’s influence in the Ukraine/Russia war. Yes, it’s as disturbing as it sounds, especially since Musk is a civilian. Yet he is a civilian who is a billionaire and does a lot of exclusive business with the U.S. Department of Defense (SpaceX is the only active means for manned U.S. trips into space), and those ties include SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. We’ve all heard of Starlink, of course, and vaguely heard about the difficulties that Ukraine has had with Elon wavering on whether to keep providing access to troops.

Yet the situation reportedly grew dire, according to an anonymous Ukraine soldier, known as “Mykola,” who was tasked with making sure that Starlink was operational on Ukraine front lines. Mykola called the service “essential” to the Ukraine cause, and he noted that after Musk started publicly hedging about the war and worrying about upsetting Russia, the access to Starlink mysteriously died during a critical operation within Ukraine. As Farrow leads into the section, he wrote that “Musk’s sympathies appeared to be manifesting on the battlefield.” Reportedly, Starlink access evaporated without warning, creating a deadly situation:

By then, . One day, Ukrainian forces advancing into contested areas in the south found themselves suddenly unable to communicate. “We were very close to the front line,” Mykola, the signal-corps soldier, told me. “We crossed this border and the Starlink stopped working.” The consequences were immediate. “Communications became dead, units were isolated. When you’re on offense, especially for commanders, you need a constant stream of information from battalions. Commanders had to drive to the battlefield to be in radio range, risking themselves,” Mykola said. “It was chaos.” Ukrainian expats who had raised funds for the Starlink units began receiving frantic calls. The tech executive recalls a Ukrainian military official telling him, “We need Elon now.” “How now?” he replied. “Like f*cking now,” the official said. “People are dying.”

Fixing the situation proved to be tricky, and the Pentagon found itself attempting to figure out how to get SpaceX to agree that Elon “couldn’t wake up one morning and just decide, like, he didn’t want to do this anymore.” Kahl spoke with Musk to thank him about providing the Starlink service thus far and asked for Elon to help come to an agreement because “[I]f you cut this off, it doesn’t end the war.” In response, Kahl reveals that he learned how Elon Musk (he of the poop emoji) had privately spoken with Vladimir Putin, and yikes:

To the dismay of Pentagon officials, Musk volunteered that he had spoken with Putin personally. Another individual told me that Musk had made the same assertion in the weeks before he tweeted his pro-Russia peace plan, and had said that his consultations with the Kremlin were regular. (Musk later denied having spoken with Putin about Ukraine.) On the phone, Musk said that he was looking at his laptop and could see “the entire war unfolding” through a map of Starlink activity. “This was, like, three minutes before he said, ‘Well, I had this great conversation with Putin,’ ” the senior defense official told me. “And we were, like, ‘Oh, dear, this is not good.’”

This was probably around the time that Elon was running a Twitter poll to gather public opinion on how to best end the Ukraine/Russia war, as though Putin had nothing to do with his own invasion. And yeah, this looks more than bad. Starlink eventually did come back online in Ukraine, but SpaceX placed restrictions on its use by Ukraine drones. And Putin’s war keeps raging on, even as the Russian ruble has been nosediving.

The full Ronan Farrow piece dives into many other ominous Elon-related subjects including AI and is well worth a read at The New Yorker.

(Via New Yorker)

The 2023 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup will get underway this Friday, August 25, with games being played in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia for this year’s event. As is the case at most every international basketball event, Team USA is the heavy favorite at -125 to win it all, but the Americans finished seventh at the 2019 World Cup (where Spain beat Argentina in the finals) and are bringing a young team without much of any international experience, meaning the outcome of this year’s tournament is far from a certainty.

As such, a number of teams have hopes of making a run at the World Cup crown, while plenty of others are looking to take a stride forward with the best result in their country’s recent basketball history. Group B features one tournament hopeful and three teams looking to enjoy a run to the knockout round, as Serbia has the sixth-best odds for winning the World Cup (+1400) and are heavy favorites to win the group, while Puerto Rico, China, and South Sudan are all looking to reach the knockout stage, with Puerto Rico the expected second team to advance (odds via DraftKings).

Serbia -2500
Puerto Rico +1200
China +2000
South Sudan +4000

Here we’ll look at some players to watch, the biggest game, and the full schedule for Group B.

Players to Watch

Kyle Anderson (China): Anderson is among the names NBA fans will be familiar with and might be surprised to see playing for a certain national team. Anderson’s great-grandfather was Chinese and thus allowed him to gain naturalized citizenship earlier this year — he’s the first naturalized basketball player to play for China. Anderson gives China some needed size on the wing and additional ball-handling as they look to get past the group stage the Timberwolves forward will get the chance to be the leading man.

Tremont Waters (Puerto Rico): The former second round pick of the Celtics now plays professionally in Puerto Rico and is that leading man for the national team. Waters has authored some big moments for Puerto Rico in the run-up to the tournament, including a buzzer-beater to take down Brazil during qualifying (and a 29-point outburst against Brazil a few games prior).

Waters scored 17 against Team USA during tune-up play (and had five steals), and if Puerto Rico is going to emerge from the group stage it is likely due to strong play from the small guard.

Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia): Serbia won’t have the services of their biggest star this summer, as Nikola Jokic sits out the World Cup after winning his first NBA title, but they still have some serious talent on the roster. Bogdan Bogdanovic headlines that group, as the Hawks wing will serve as Serbia’s top star in the World Cup. Bogdanovic scored 15 points and 14 points in Serbia’s exhibitions against Greece and Italy respectively earlier in the month and is their most dynamic perimeter threat. The World Cup will also be a chance for Bogdanovic to build back his confidence a bit after battling injuries recently in Atlanta, which could bode well for the Hawks if he can establish a rhythm overseas.

Nikola Jovic (Serbia): Joining Bogdanovic from the NBA on Serbia’s roster is Nikola Jovic, who is coming off of a rookie year in Miami where he played sparingly. For the Serbian squad, he takes on a bigger role and led the team with 18 points in the tune-up against Italy. Jovic has an intriguing mix of size (6’10) and skill, and with Jokic off the roster for the tournament, they’ll be looking for the collective group to step up and fill larger roles, giving Jovic a chance to have a real impact on how far the Serbian team can go.

Wenyen Gabriel (South Sudan): Gabriel is the biggest name suiting up for South Sudan this year, as the Lakers big man will bring some serious size and athleticism to the roster. Gabriel didn’t play in qualifiers or AfroBasket 2021, but should give the South Sudan squad a serious presence on the glass and a vertical spacing threat at the rim. He pairs with Marial Shayok in the backcourt as the players American basketball fans will be most familiar with, and will hope to lead South Sudan to a surprising performance in the group.

Schedule/TV Info (all times EST)

Aug. 26
South Sudan vs. Puerto Rico 4:00 a.m., ESPN+
Serbia vs. China, 8:00 a.m., ESPN+

Aug. 28
China vs. South Sudan, 4:00 a.m., ESPN+
Puerto Rico vs. Serbia, 8:00 a.m., ESPN+

Aug. 30
South Sudan vs. Serbia, 4:00 a.m., ESPN+
China vs. Puerto Rico, 8:00 a.m., ESPN+

Game to Watch

China vs. Puerto Rico: With Serbia as the heavy favorites, the focus in Group B is likely to be on who can be the second team to advance to the knockout stages. China and Puerto Rico’s game on August 30 could very well be a play-in game as the final game of the group, as they will each have played South Sudan and Serbia already, with the odds being they’ll both come in at 1-1. If that’s the case, it’ll be very interesting to see how this game shakes out. Puerto Rico will be the favorites, but in a one-game eliminator, China will certainly have a shooter’s chance at breaking their way through to the knockout rounds.

Taika Waititi reportedly has ideas for where to take Thor 5, and it all comes down to finding a worthy villain.

The Marvel director, who’s already tackled two installments in the series (Ragnarok and Love and Thunder), has not been officially attached to the fifth film, but a new book reveals that Waititi is ready should the time come. According to a passage from the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder The Official Movie Special, Waititi wants to give the Norse god an opponent that has to be stronger than anything he’s faced before.

Via ScreenRant:

“What is left to do to him? It’s got to be something that feels like it’s carrying on with the evolution of the character, but still in a very fun way and still giving him things to come up against that feel like they’re building on the obstacles that he has to overcome. I don’t think we can have a villain that’s weaker than Hela. I feel like we need to step up from there and add a villain that’s somehow more formidable.”

Of course, there’s a big question mark around whether of Thor 5 will even happen and, with Waititi at the helm. Love and Thunder proved to be a divisive entry for fans, and Chris Hemsworth has expressed doubts about returning to the character. If the actor does do a fifth movie, he’s already signaled that it would have to be “drastically different” from his last two films with Waititi.

“I don’t know if I’m even invited back, but if I was, I think it would have to be a drastically different version in tone, everything, just for my own sanity,” Hemsworth told the Happy Sad Confused podcast with a laugh. “Thor lost his mind that last one. He’s got to figure it out now.”

(Via ScreenRant)

Having your first baby is a scary experience. Everything is new—you’ve quite literally never done this before—not to mention an entire human is going to be removed from your body one way or another. Childbirth, no matter how your baby leaves your body, is not for the weak. But imagine giving birth alone to not just one baby, but three, all at the same time. Then imagine doing that feat at the age of 14.

Shariya Small experienced that scenario in a hospital in Indiana, and her nurse Katrina Mullen took note. Small’s babies were premature, born at just 26 weeks, when the average gestation for triplets is 33 weeks, according to ReproductiveFacts.org. Due to their early birth, the babies, Serenitee, Samari and Sarayah, had to stay in the NICU at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis for more than five months, according to Today.com.

During their time in the NICU, Mullen noticed the young mom visited her babies alone, not appearing to have much of a support system. “She’d be there alone for days at a time sitting at her babies’ bedside,” Mullen told Today.com.

---

The pair got to know each other over the months that the babies were in the hospital, but Small continued to be reluctant to open up about her family life. That changed after she found out that Mullen had her first child at 16 and had given it up for adoption. Their experiences bonded the two moms, and Mullen began helping to care for the babies and Small by giving her advice and showing her how to properly care for the infants.

Eventually, Mullen gave Small her phone number before the babies were discharged from the hospital. It quickly became apparent that Small did not have a support system, as she called Mullen often asking for advice. Out of concern, the nurse went to visit Small an hour away, where she was living with a family member.

The condition of the home was concerning enough, but Mullen became even more worried when she saw how thin Small’s son Samari was. It turns out he had to be admitted to the hospital, which prompted a visit from Child Protective Services, who determined that Small and her three infants would need to enter foster care. She gave the social worker Mullen’s information and things began to fall into place.

Listen to Small and Mullen explain their unique story below:

This article originally appeared on 4.10.23

Larissa Gummy was first introduced to the work of the Peace Corps in high school. All it took was seeing a few photos shared by her ninth-grade teacher, a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, to know that one day, she would follow in those footsteps.

This inspiration eventually led Larissa away from her home in Minnesota to Rwanda in East Africa, to give back to her family’s country of origin and pursue her passion for international development. Though her decision confused her parents at first, they’re now proud and excited to see what their daughter has accomplished through her volunteer work.

And just what was that work? Well, it changed from day to day, but it all had to do with health.

Mostly, Larissa worked for Rwanda’s First 1,000 Days Health project, which aims to improve the conditions that affect the mortality rate of kids within the first 1,000 days of being born (or almost three years old). These conditions include hygiene, nutrition, and prevention of childhood diseases like malaria and acute respiratory infections (ARI). Addressing malnutrition was a particular focus, as it continues to cause stunted growth in 33% of Rwandan children under the age of five.

In partnership with the local health center, Larissa helped with vaccination education, led nutrition classes, offered prenatal care to expecting mothers, and helped support health education in surrounding communities. Needless to say—she stayed busy with a variety of tasks.

---

But what she also liked to focus on was her personal project: one that aimed to help mothers find ways to provide their kids with proper nutrition. One idea she worked on was to start a savings fund that would allow mothers to buy chickens, which in turn would continuously provide a source of much-needed protein through eggs.

She fell in love with the beauty of Rwanda from the warm interactions she shared with its people. Not least of which being Marcella, aka Mama Kuku, Larissa’s “counterpart,” a local community member who worked alongside her as a cultural liaison. But after welcoming Larissa into her home, teaching her to cook, celebrating multiple holidays…Mama Kuku truly became an extended family member.

“She’s literally my favorite person,” Larissa gushed.

And while Larissa had dedicated a lot of time to nutritional education, she learned a few invaluable lessons herself.

“The Peace Corps has taught me that I am a lot stronger than I think I am,” she shared.

Larissa also added how traveling helped her, and can help anyone, get to know a different part of themselves and expand their worldview. All pretty handy skills, if you ask us.

“If you’re thinking about [joining the Peace Corps] you should do it. Challenge yourself. It’ll be worth it.”

Does reading this generate a little buzz of excitement, or pique your curiosity? The Peace Corps has immersive and fulfilling opportunities in over 60 countries. Learn more about becoming a Volunteer here.

Jai Paul had never performed live, anywhere at all, until he hit the Mojave Stage at Coachella in April. His inaugural setlist comprised 11 songs, including “100,000” and BTSTU.”

“Because Jai Paul isn’t used to performing in front of a crowd, much less to a crowd of thousands at one of the biggest festivals in the world, it was clear he had some understandable nerves,” Uproxx’s Carolyn Droke relayed from Coachella. “Unlike seasoned performers like Blackpink or Charli XCX, Jai Paul didn’t address the crowd during his set or try to hype up the audience. Instead, he walked out on stage and launched straight into the music. Even still, his dance-y beats and impressive falsetto vocals were enough to win over the crowd.”

Paul has since performed at Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn, New York, and Outernet in his native London, so he should feel more comfortable when he embarks on headlining dates to close out 2023, as announced on Monday (August 21).

First, Paul will deliver back-to-back nights at The Mayan Theater in Los Angeles on September 26 and 27. He’ll squeeze in a performance at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California on September 29 before bopping over to the Portola Music Festival at San Francisco’s Pier 80 on September 30.

Paul will then make his live debuts in Paris (November 27) and Berlin (November 28), rounding out the mini run with back-to-back nights in Melbourne, Australia on December 4 and 5.

Per press release, tickets will only be available for purchase via ballot on Paul’s official website.

“For a chance to purchase tickets, fans should sign up by 10 p.m. PST on Wednesday, August 23 for Los Angeles and San Francisco and by 9 a.m. local time on Monday, August 28 for Paris, Berlin and Australia,” it reads. “Ticket purchases will be limited to two per person. All ballot winners will be notified by email on Monday, August 28.”

Find all dates listed below.

09/26 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Mayan Theater
09/27 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Mayan Theater
09/29 — San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
09/30 — San Francisco, CA @ Portola Music Festival
11/27 — Paris, FR @ Élysée Montmartre
11/28 — Berlin, DE @ Huxley’s
12/04 — Melbourne, Australia @ 170 Russell
12/05 — Melbourne, Australia @ 170 Russell

The 2023 Reading & Leeds Festivals are set to take the stages in their respective English cities with massive lineups consisting of just about every kind of music imaginable. The headliners include The 1975, Billie Eilish, Foals, Imagine Dragons, The Killers, and Sam Fender, while everyone from Central Cee and Loyle Carner to Steve Lacy and Lil Tjay are set to perform from August 25 to August 27. With two main stages at each festival venue, as well as smaller stages representing Radio 1Xtra, Radio 1 Dance, Festivals Republic, and the festivals’ annual comedy showcases. Here are the set times, thanks to NME. You can find more set times on each festival’s respective app. Reading app here, Leeds app here.

READING FESTIVAL

Friday, August 25

Main Stage East

12:40 – 1:10 Yard Act
2:10 – 2:45 Tion Wayne
3:45 – 4:20 Mimi Webb
5:20 – 6:00 Wet Leg
7:20 – 8:05 Loyle Carner
9:50 – 11:20 Sam Fender

Main Stage West

12:00 – 12:30 Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls
1:20 – 2:00 Sea Girls
2:55 – 3:35 You Me At Six
4:30 – 5:10 Trippie Redd
6:10 – 7:10 Bicep
8:15 – 9:45 Foals

Saturday, August 26

Main Stage East

12:00 – 12:30 James Marriott
1:20 – 1:50 Baby Queen
2:40 – 3:10 Holly Humberstone
4:00 – 4:35 Inhaler
5:35 – 6:15 Nothing But Thieves
7:15 – 8:05 Central Cee
9:50 – 11:20 The Killers

Main Stage West

12:40 – 1:10 Jamie Webster
2:00 – 2:30 Arlo Parks
3:20 – 3:50 Easy Life
4:45 – 5:25 Chase Atlantic
6:25 – 7:05 Knucks
8:15 – 9:45 The 1975

Sunday, August 27

Main Stage East

12:10 – 12:40 The Amazons
1:30 – 2:00 MUNA
2:50 – 3:25 Bakar
4:20 – 5:00 Rina Sawayama
5:55 – 6:35 Declan McKenna
7:40 – 8:25 Steve Lacy
10:00 – 11:20 Billie Eilish

Main Stage West

12:50 – 1:20 Hot Milk
2:10 – 2:40 The Snuts
3:35 – 4:10 Don Broco
5:10 – 5:45 Lil Tjay
6:45 – 7:30 Becky Hill
8:35 – 9:55 Imagine Dragons
11:30 – 01:00a Sigma & Friends

LEEDS FESTIVAL

Friday, August 25

Main Stage East

12:00 – 12:30 The Amazons
1:15 – 1:45 Muna
2:35 – 3:05 Bakar
3:55 – 4:25 Rina Sawayama
5:20 – 5:55 Declan Mckenna
7:00 – 7:40 Steve Lacy
8:20 – 10:50 Billie Eilish

Main Stage West

12:40 – 1:05 Hot Milk
1:55 – 2:25 The Snuts
3:15 – 3:45 Don Broco
4:35 – 5:10 Lil Tjay
6:05 – 6:50 Becky Hill
7:50 – 9:10 Imagine Dragons

Saturday, August 26

Main Stage East

12:45 – 1:15 Yard Act
2:05 – 2:35 Tion Wayne
3:30 – 4:05 Mimi Webb
5:00 – 5:35 Wet Leg
6:50 – 7:40 Loyle Carner
9:20 – 10:50 Sam Fender

Main Stage West

12:00 – 12:35 Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls
1:25 – 1:55 Sea Girls
2:45 – 3:20 You Me At Six
4:15 – 4:50 Trippie Redd
5:45 – 6:40 Bicep (Live)
7:50 – 9:10 Foals

Sunday, August 27

Main Stage East

12:40 – 1:10 Baby Queen
2:00 – 2:30 Holly Humberstone
3:20 – 3:50 Inhaler
4:50 – 5:30 Nothing But Thieves
6:30 – 7:20 Central Cee
9:10 – 10:50 The Killers

Main Stage West

12:00 – 12:30 Jamie Webster
1:20 – 1:50 Arlo Parks
2:40 – 3:10 Easy Life
4:00 – 4:40 Chase Atlantic
5:40 – 6:20 Knucks
7:30 – 9:00 The 1975
11:00 – 01:00a Sigma & Friends (Silent Disco)

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North Of Richmond” is perhaps 2023’s most unexpected hit. The song came out of nowhere and topped the Apple Music and Spotify charts. There were some predictions (like this) that indicated the song was expected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and now we know for sure: On the new Hot 100 dated August 26, “Rich Men North Of Richmond” is indeed on top in its debut week on the chart.

In reaction to the song debuting at No. 1, Anthony told Billboard, “The hopelessness and frustration of our times resonate in the response to this song. The song itself is not anything special, but the people who have supported it are incredible and deserve to be heard.”

The publication also notes Anthony is “the first artist ever to launch atop the list with no prior chart history in any form.” He’s also just the sixth artist to ever debut a first solo Hot 100 entry at No. 1, after Zayn, Baauer, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia, and Clay Aiken. The song is also No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.

The song has generated some controversy with lyrics like, “Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothin’ to eat / And the obese milkin’ welfare / Well, God, if you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds / Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds.”

Anthony noted of himself in a recent video, “I sit pretty dead center down the aisle on politics and always have. I remember as a kid the conservatives wanting war, and me not understanding that. And I remember a lot of the controversies when the left took office, and it seems like, you know, both sides serve the same master. And that master is not someone of any good to the people of this country.”

Learn more about Anthony and his hit song in our recent explainer, here.

Over the weekend, Donald Trump confirmed reports that he will be skipping the first GOP debate, and instead, sit down for an interview with Tucker Carlson. The move is considered to be a “major affront” to both Fox News and the Republican National Convention, so this latest update is sure to be salt in the wounds.

According to a new report, Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle will be attending the GOP debate to act as media surrogates for the former president and promote their Rumble shows, of course.

Via The Daily Caller:

“We’re excited to see all of our friends in Milwaukee on Wednesday in support of President Trump. We’re confident that in 2024, GOP voters will reject the RINO establishment and re-nominate President Trump in a landslide,” Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle told the Caller.

The pair are going to do media for the former president and will be promoting their Rumble shows.

Sending Don Jr. and Guilfoyle arrives on the heels of speculation that the elder Trump is afraid to get on the debate stage with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. While Christie continues to lag in the polls, he has been a relentless opponent for Trump. The former prosecutor has been on top of every blunder from Trump’s recent remarks about Putin to his last-minute canceling of a press conference that would have allegedly proved Trump’s innocence in Georgia.

In the meantime, Don Jr. linked the The Daily Caller‘s report on Twitter about his dad not showing up to the debate.

You can see some of the reactions below:

(Via The Daily Caller)

The 2023 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup will get underway this Friday, August 25, with games being played in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia for this year’s event. As is the case at most every international basketball event, Team USA is the heavy favorite at -125 to win it all, but the Americans finished seventh at the 2019 World Cup (where Spain beat Argentina in the finals) and are bringing a young team without much of any international experience, meaning the outcome of this year’s tournament is far from a certainty.

As such, a number of teams have hopes of making a run at the World Cup crown, while plenty of others are looking to take a stride forward with the best result in their country’s recent basketball history. That second group is where all of the teams in Group A are at as this year’s tournament gets set to begin, as Angola, the Dominican Republic, Italy, and the Philippines will battle for a place in the knockout rounds. All four countries are long shots in the tournament — Italy at +5000 has the lowest odds of the group — but a berth in the knockout rounds would mean plenty to each squad.

The group favorites are Italy, with the Dominican Republic not far behind with a large gap back to the host Philippines and then Angola as one of the tournament’s biggest underdogs (via DraftKings).

Italy -165
Dominican Republic +150
Philippines +1600
Angola +10000

Here we’ll look at some players to watch, the biggest game, and the full schedule for Group A.

Players to Watch

Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic): The biggest NBA star in this group is Karl-Anthony Towns, who is finally making his international tournament debut for the Dominican Republic. Towns immediately brings some name recognition to the squad, but this is a team that’s had a terrific past year prior to his arrival, beating Argentina twice in qualifiers and winning the Central American and Caribbean Games back in July. A confident team adding a star the caliber of Towns makes them a genuine threat in this group and a dangerous team to potentially run into on the knockout rounds — as shown by their win over Canada last week in a tune-up game.

Lester Quinones (Dominican Republic): Quinones, who plays on a two-way with the Warriors, likewise steps into the Dominican team looking to make an impact from the backcourt. He starred for the Dominican national team at the U18 Worlds in 2018, averaging 17.5 points per game, and had 12 points in their game against Spain last week as he looks to have a similar impact on the senior squad.

Simone Fontecchio (Italy): Fontecchio had a solid rookie season in the NBA with the Utah Jazz last year, as the 27-year-old forward made the move stateside, which kept him away from Italy for most of qualifying. However, when he was able to join the squad, he scored 20-plus in each of his three appearances with the national team in the qualifiers. He’s continued that strong play in the tune-up games, scoring 26 against Brazil last week, and has proven himself as a leader for this Italian side.

Nico Mannion (Italy): Mannion will be a familiar face to American college basketball fans and anyone who was particularly fond of the 2020-21 Warriors. While he now plays in Spain professionally, he has become a stalwart for the Italian national team, averaging 15 points per game on 40 percent shooting from three in eight qualifiers for theWorld Cup. Mannion’s shooting from the perimeter is a big part of Italy’s high octane offense, as they are the highest scoring team in the world this year.

Jordan Clarkson (Philippines): The former Sixth Man of the Year will take on the starring role for the host nation, as he joins the Philippines team for this year’s World Cup. Clarkson is a dynamic scorer and with his talents on the roster, the Philippines will hope to find their way to an upset or two in the group stage to delight their basketball-crazed fans with a surprising push to the knockout rounds.

Schedule/TV Info (all times EST)

Aug. 25
Angola vs. Italy, 4:00 a.m., ESPN+
Dominican Republic vs. Philippines, 8:00 a.m., ESPN+

Aug. 27
Italy vs. Dominican Republic, 4:00 a.m., ESPN+
Philippines vs. Angola, 8:00 a.m., ESPN+

Aug. 29
Angola vs. Dominican Republic, 4:00 a.m., ESPN+
Philippines vs. Italy, 8:00 a.m., ESPN+

Game to Watch

Italy vs. Dominican Republic: This is the game that figures to decide the group winner as it pits the two group favorites against each other. More importantly, the winner of this game should be a lock to make the knockout rounds, even if the Philippines go on a crazy run. Italy has designs on a real run in this tournament, coming off of a quarterfinals appearance at EuroBasket a year ago, but Karl-Anthony Towns will be the best player in this game and whether Italy can come up with an answer for the Timberwolves star big man will be fascinating to watch.