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Sixers' Star Sends Message to Multiple March Madness Competitors

Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has a message for Kentucky Basketball and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Justin Grasso

Feb 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) looks on during the second quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Feb 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) looks on during the second quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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There won’t be any shocking rooting interests from Philadelphia 76ers players when it comes to the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Earlier this week, the rookie Jared McCain revealed his top pick for March Madness is Duke Basketball.

On Thursday, Tyrese Maxey wished Kentucky Basketball good luck but also threw in another name in support of his former head coach.

“It’s Tyrese Maxey! I just want to say good luck to the University of Kentucky and also good luck to Coach Cal and the Razorbacks,” Maxey said.

via @Sixers: the fellas have a lot of stakes in this year’s March Madness. 👀

When Maxey made his somewhat shocking statement regarding Arkansas, he brought the second-year forward Ricky Council into the shot as he comes from the Razorbacks.

“Congrats on making it in the tournament, Arkansas,” said Ricky Council IV. “Go make history, go win some games. Handle business vs. Kansas..”

Tyrese Maxe
UK G Ashton Hagans and G Tyrese Maxey listen to head coach John Calipari during the University of Kentucky basketball game against Lamar at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY on Sunday, November 24, 2019. Kentucky Basketball Lamar / Mike Weaver/Special to Courier Journal, Louisville Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

During the 2019-2020 NCAA season, Maxey appeared in 31 games for the University of Kentucky as a freshman. The young guard produced 14 points per game on 43 percent shooting. He also accounted for four rebounds and three assists per game.

John Calipari, one of the most notable coaches in college basketball, coached Maxey for his lone season at Kentucky. When the young guard entered the 2020 NBA Draft, Calipari was extremely vocal with his support of Maxey, who dropped past the lottery and shockingly landed on the Sixers’ laps.

Although Calipari is no longer coaching Maxey’s go-to team, the young guard still supports the one-time Sixers assistant and longtime college coach.

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Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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