Bigs are back! Karl-Anthony Towns goes 1st, Satnam Singh goes 52nd, & #IndiaBasketball history is made

The NBA got a whole lot bigger yesterday.

With the first pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky, a talented 6-foot-11 big man with promises to finally take the team back to the playoffs after 11 years. With the 52nd pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks selected Satnam Singh Bhamara from India, a 7-foot-2 project who made history as he became the first Indian citizen to be drafted into the NBA.

And in between the two bigs, there were a whole lot of other interesting, infuriating, exciting, and disappointing selections – many of them surrounding other big men entering into the NBA. These bigs came in many forms: from post-beasts to stretch shooters, including Jahlil Okafor, Kristaps Porzignis, Willie Cauley-Stein, Frank Kaminsky, Myles Turner, and Trey Lyles in the lottery.

Click here for my quick analysis of the top 14 lottery picks at the 2015 NBA Draft on SportsKeeda.

Timberwolves celebrate… And how will the 2015 Draft Lottery reshape the NBA?

Getting the draft right is of utmost importance. Through the salary cap and the draft system, the NBA theoretically allows for teams to rebuild, creates an environment when even the worst team can be a contender in a matter of years. The right draft pick can completely change the fortunes of a franchise. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who won the NBA Draft Lottery and will be picking first next month, that opportunity is finally here. Which rebuilding team will redefine their fortunes? Which young player will be the perfect new fit and take the league by storm? Here are my thoughts on the NBA Draft Lottery results.

Click here to read full feature on SportsKeeda

Duke win 2015 NCAA National Championship, edging Wisconsin in the Final

With just minutes left in the biggest college basketball game in the year, we were no closer to a decision than we had been at tip-off. Duke and Wisconsin were tied at 56-56, back to square 1, and both teams had the final three and a half minutes of the game to decide the winner. Eventually, the result came down to which team held their nerves under pressure the most, and this turned out to be the Blue Devils, playing under a coach who had experienced this moment a handful of times before already. Led by a clutch performance by point guard Tyus Jones and the leadership of Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Duke won their fifth national title - all under Coach K - with a memorable 68-63 triumph over Wisconsin at Indianapolis on Monday, April 6.

Click here to read full feature.

USA win U19 FIBA World Basketball Championship for fifth time

The American basketball future - much like the American basketball present - is shining bright.

USA's under-19 Men's Basketball team defeated Serbia on Sunday night in Prague (Czech Republic) to lift the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship for a record fifth time. No other team has won the tournament more than once. The USA used an impressive 13-1 run in the fourth quarter to sneak away to a 82-68 victory, thus ending the tournament undefeated.

It was Serbia's second consecutive silver medal at the tournament, after finishing as runners-up to Lithuania in 2011.

The Americans, who were dominated through the course of the tournament, were given some healthy competition for three quarters by a feisty Serbian side in the Final. Jovan Novak of Serbia was the game's leading scorer with 21 points, but the USA used a balanced attack, led by forward Montrezl Harrel (17) to slip away to victory.

USA's Aaron Gordon, who only had six points and six rebounds in the Final, was named the tournament's MVP for his efforts leading up to the Final game of the tournament. He was the finest amongst near-equals in a balanced USA team. Gordon, who is committed to the attend Arizona next season, is one of the brightest young American players and was named the MVP of the 2013 McDonald's High School All American game.

Defending champions Lithuania had to settle for the bronze medal after defeating Australia 106-100 in overtime earlier in the day. Lithuana were led by Tomas Dimsa (19) while Dante Exum (28) and Dane Pineau (20) led the way in a losing effort for the Aussies.

Earlier on the semi-finals, USA had destroyed Lithuania 100-60 in a balanced effort led by Marcus Smart. Nikola Jancovic scored 21 points to lead Serbia past Australia 63-58 in the other semi-final. Dante Exum had 20 for Australia.

Final Standings

1. USA
2. Serbia
3. Lithuania
4. Australia
5. Spain

All Tournament Team

• Jahlil Okafor (USA)
  
• Aaron Gordon (USA)
  
• Dario Saric (Croatia)
  
• Dante Exum (Australia)
  
• Vasilijie Micic (Serbia)