Rutgers University named Carl Kirshner interim athletic director.

Kirschner  is Special Counselor for Integrated Academic Programs at Rutgers and is also on the Oversight Academic Committee. He was incorrectly identified as a Spanish professor. He is not believed to be a candidate for the full-time job.

Kirschner replaces Bob Mulcahy, who was fired earlier this month after refusing to resigin.

“He fully understands the importance of a well-run athletics program that succeeds both on the field and in the classroom,” Rutgers president Richard L. McCormick said in a statement.

Several coaches checked in Sunday night to watch Jarrid Famous, the 6-foot-11, 235-pound center from Westchester Community College.

Bobby Gonzalez and Derm Player of Seton Hall, Pat Skerry of Providence and an Oregon coach watched Famous drop 21 and 10 in a blowout of Rockland Community College. He is averaging 23.9 points and 11.5 boards on the year.

WCC leaves tonight for a tournament at the College of Southern Idaho Jan 1-3.

Famous officially visited Seton Hall in the fall and said he enjoyed it. (more…)

Vincent Council, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound point guard from New York, will visit Rutgers this week and will attend the Pittsburgh game on Wednesday at the RAC.

“I’m going on the 30th,” Council, who plays for Chris Chaney at The Patterson (NC) School, wrote Sunday in a text message.

Council is also supposed to visit Central Florida the weekend of Jan. 10.

Council is basically down to Providence, Rutgers and UCF and his father, Vincent Council Sr., said he will announce in early January. (more…)

Dan Hurley’s St. Benedict’s Gray Bees have reached the semifinals of the Gatorade International Championship in Puerto Rico.

St. Ben’s, No. 3 in the USA Today Super 25, will face Bayamon Military of Puerto Rico in the semis on Monday at 5:30.

The Gray Bees downed St. Francis of Puerto Rico 82-72 Saturday night at Coliseo Guillermo Angulo behind a combined 70 points from Tristan Thompson, Tavon Sledge, Tamir Jackson and Aaron Brown.

The Texas-bound Thompson posted a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. Sledge added 19 points while the Rice-bound Jackson and Brown, an uncommitted junior, tallied 15 points apiece. (more…)

North Carolina-bound guard Dexter Strickland hit four clutch free throws in the final 16.7 seconds and St. Patrick won the Battle of New Jersey at the Beach Ball Classic.

The Celtics, ranked No. 2 in the ESPN RISE Fab 50, downed Paterson Catholic, 64-57 in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

George Mason-bound forward Paris Bennett led the Celtics with 21 points and sophomore Michael Gilchrist added 15.

“Theyr’e a very good team,” said St. Patrick coach Kevin Boyle, whose team led 35-18 at the half. “We should be finishing them off. They’re a better outside shooting team than I thought they were. (more…)

Jeremy Hazell poured in a career-high 35 points on 15-of-26 shooting to lead Seton Hall to a 101-70 rout of in-state rival Fairleigh Dickinson Saturday night at the Prudential Center.

Seton Hall improved to 9-3 in its last non-conference game before beginning Big East play Tuesday at Syracuse.

Robert Mitchell added 24 points and a game-high 10 boards, Eugene Harvey scored 17 points and Jordan Theodore 11.

Sean Baptiste scored 31 for FDU (1-9). (more…)

Beas Hamga, a 7-foot, 225-pound native of Cameroon, will visit South Carolina and Rutgers next week and could decide between those two schools by early 2009.

Hamga obtained his release from UNLV and is scouting his future destination.

“He’s leaving Monday for South Carolina and will watch them play Clemson Tuesday,” Mark Adams, Hamga’s guardian, said by phone from Indiana. “Then he’s flying Wednesday to Rutgers and he’s going to the Pittsburgh game.” (more…)

NEW YORK – When St. John’s comically missed an alley oop conversion and then another shot attempt within the span of a few seconds Saturday, the intimate crowd at Madison Square Garden let out a smattering of boos.

The St. John’s fans can only hope that the Red Storm’s 70-56 loss to Miami in their final non-conference tilt did not foreshadow another long and brutal Big East season.

But it sure doesn’t look that way.

Read the full story here.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — It’s like going from Ugly Betty to Beyonce.

Like hearing a garage band one minute and being blown away by Led Zeppelin the next.

The Rutgers basketball team is transitioning from playing the absolute worst basketball team in Division I to competing against the best.

Actually, the three best.

Read the full story here.

**And watch the interviews above for comments from Rutgers coach Fred Hill on scheduling No. 1 North Carolina.

St. Anthony’s 34-game winning streak has come to an abrupt end.

Bishop O’Dowd (Calif.) routed the Friars 69-40 Friday in the first round of the MaxPreps Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines, Calif.

Bishop O’Dowd coach Doug Vierra told the San Francisco Chronicle he never would have dreamed of beating St. Anthony and legendary coach Bob Hurley.

“Never, ever, ever,” said Vierra. “I envisioned maybe 60-57 or 59-58 on a buzzer-beater. This probably won’t sink in until tomorrow.” (more…)