John Calipari will be the next coach of Kentucky after accepting an eight-year, $35-million deal, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Calipari plans to bring his “whole staff” with him, Memphis assistant coach Orlando Antigua said.
“Go Big Blue,” Antigua wrote in a text message.
Memphis point guard Tyreke Evans also plans to leave and will head to the NBA after his freshman season. (more…)
Tobias and Tyler Harris will likely transfer back to Half Hollow Hills West on Long Island from Long Island Lutheran.
“It’s 99.99 percent that Tobias and Tyler Harris will be transferring back to Half Hollow Hills West after the school year,” said Torrel Harris, the boys’ father.
Under New York State rules, you are allowed a one-time exemption back to your home district, meaning the boys could suit up immediately if they returned to Half Hollow (more…)
Xavier Henry is waiting to hear from John Calipari before he makes his next move.
The 6-foot-6 Henry, a shooting guard out of Putnam City (Ok.) High, is part of Calipari’s star-studded recruiting class at Memphis that also includes unsigned 6-10 center DeMarcus Cousins. But if Calipari takes the eight-year, $35-million deal on the table from Kentucky, Henry could ask out of his Letter of Intent.
“We came because of the style of basketball and the way the coach coaches,” said Carl Henry in a phone interview. “I haven’t talked to my sons. Knowing them, they would probably want to leave.”
He added: “We already signed and coach has to give us a release. He said he would give us a release.” (more…)
There will be no college announcement from Lance Stephenson today.
Apparently the coaches at Kansas, Maryland and St. John’s — as well as their fans — will have to wait until Stephenson finalizes his plans.
“Me and my family and I have decided that we are going to wait it out and I’m going to make the best decision for me and my family,” Stephenson told SNY’s Brooklyn Sal at the McDonald’s All-American media day.
Lance Stephenson Sr. called the McDonald’s PR people Monday night and told them his son wasn’t yet ready to announce his college decision. The 6-foot-5 Stephenson was expected to announce for Kansas today.
Stephenson is the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2009 according to Hoop Scoop and No. 9 by Rivals. This marks the second time he has delayed his announcement. He was originally supposed to do it March 21 at Madison Square Garden, but held off. (more…)
The friendship between Jim Calhoun and Tom Izzo dates back a decade to when both men guided their teams to the Final Four for the first time in 1999.
Izzo’s Michigan State team lost to Duke in the national semifinals that year before Calhoun’s UConn club beat the Blue Devils 77-74 for its first national championship.
Ten years later, Calhoun and Izzo will square off again on Saturday in the Final Four at Detroit’s Ford Field.
**Speaking of UConn, the Huskies landed a commitment from 6-2 point guard Darius Smith of Chicago Marshall, the No. 19 point guard in the Class of 2009 according to Rivals. He chose the Huskies over Marquette, Arizona and Cincinnati. UConn returns Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker so Smith gives them another guard. He is their fourth recruit following PF/C Alex Oriakhi and SF Jamal Coombs, teammates at Tilton, and Los Angeles G Jamaal Trice.
**Virginia hired former Washington State coach Tony Bennett to replace the fired Dave Leitao. Steve Landesberg, father of former Queens Holy Cross star Sylven Landesberg, the ACC Freshman of the Year, said his son would stay no matter who the coach was.
**Andy Katz says John Calipari is close to taking the Kentucky job. IT will be interesting to see if DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall follow him. Wall is reportedly down to Memphis and Kansas and one source told me he’d be surprised if it wasn’t Memphis. If Cal leaves for Kentucky, Wall could pick Kansas or potentially follow Cal to Kentucky. Imagine if Kansas lands both Wall and Lance Stephenson? Watch out for the Jayhawks if that happens.
Two of the top available point guards on the market could soon be finding new homes.
Lamont Jones of Oak Hill Academy will visit Southern Cal April 10-11 and will sign in New York April 17 just before the Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden, according to Oak Hill coach Steve Smith.
Asked where Jones will end up, Smith said, “Most likely USC.”
A Harlem native, the 6-foot Jones recently decommitted from Virginia Tech. He previously decommited from Louisville. Twice. (more…)
The Associated Press All-America teams were named and six of the 15 picks came out of the loaded Big East.
ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
First Team All-America
Blake Griffin, 6-10, So., Oklahoma, 335 votes (71 first team)
Tyler Hansbrough, 6-9, Sr., North Carolina, 304 votes (50 first team)
DeJuan Blair, 6-7, So., Pitt, 294 votes
James Harden, 6-5, So., Arizona State, 290 points
Stephen Curry, 6-2, Jr., Davidson, 288 points
Lance Stephenson is expected to name Kansas as his college destination when he makes his announcement Tuesday at the McDonald’s All-American Game in Miami.
“My guess is Kansas based on his cancelling of the [college] announcement at [Madison Square] Garden and the fact that he wants to be able to have a chance to win a national championship,” a source close to the Stephenson family said.
Brooklyn Sal of SNY will be in Miami to conduct an exclusive one-on-one interview with Stephenson after his announcement.
McDonald’s officials say the announcement will come Tuesday morning at 11:45 during its media day. The dunk contest, 3-point contest and skills competition will take place Monday (7 p.m., ESPN2) and the game itself is on Wednesday (8 p.m., ESPN). Brooklyn Sal’s interview will air on SNY’s “Daily News Live” and “Geico SportsNite” if he announces Tuesday.
Stephenson was the only McDonald’s All-American not on hand for Sunday’s first practice in Miami. The other 23 players are reportedly there. Stephenson will room with North Carolina-bound guard Dexter Strickland of St. Patrick of Elizabeth (N.J.)
Just a few days after losing to Villanova in the NCAA Tournament, Duke is back in the headlines.
Seth Curry, the younger brother of Steph Curry, is transferring to Duke, according to the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer. He will have to sit out a year as per NCAA transfer regulations.
“Seth committed before he left [Sunday],” Dell Curry, Seth’s father, said in an interview with the paper.
Curry, the leading freshman scorer in the nation at 20.2 points per game, obtained his release from Liberty but only visited Duke.
“There were other schools he was going to visit, but Coach K really wanted Seth,” said Dell Curry, a former Virginia Tech and Charlotte Hornets star.
“His vision for Seth and for the program, it was great as parents to hear someone of his stature sell us on how bad he wanted Seth.”
CAL CONSIDERING KENTUCKY
Memphis coach John Calipari met with Kentucky officials Sunday to discuss the school’s coaching opening, ESPN is reporting.
Calipari is meeting today with Memphis officials, the network said.
“There has been no official contact from University of Kentucky to ask for permission to talk with Memphis head coach John Calipari,” Memphis basketball spokesman Lamar Chance wrote in an email.
Kentucky fired Billy Gillispie last week and needs a high-profile coach to replace him.
Calipari has four years left on a contract that pays him $2.35 million annually, plus an annuity that averages $1 million over the course of the deal, which runs through 2013, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported. The paper says Memphis has also been working on a contract extension that would significantly increase Calipari’s total package.
If Calipari were to take the Kentucky job, several people have floated the possibility that he could bring 6-10 big man DeMarcus Cousins and point guard John Wall with him. Cousins committed to Memphis but has yet to sign. Wall says he is leaning toward Memphis.
COACH CAL’S MEMPHIS RESUME
252-69 in 9 seasons
6 NCAA Tournament appearances
Won 2002 NIT
2007-08 NCAA Tournament finalist
(Photos courtesy Liberty U and the AP)
Sherrod Wright took an official visit to George Mason from Thursday-Saturday and said he’s been getting the most love from George Mason and Central Florida.
“Central Florida and George Mason are showing me the most,” said Wright, the 6-foot-4 wing from Mount Vernon (N.Y.) High.
Wright said he wasn’t certain whether he would take a visit to Central Florida April 9, or if he would visit any other schools.
“I should be planning one but I’m not sure,” he said. “We didn’t set one yet.” (more…)
“Adam Zagoria sees the story behind the daily happenings.”
~ St. Anthony Coach Bob Hurley
Zagoria covers the New York Knicks and Big East hoops for NBA.com and SNY.tv. He also appears as a Big East Basketball Insider on SNY and 1050 ESPN Radio.
He is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, SI and Basketball Times.
