Tracy McGrady has played in a total of six NBA games this season while averaging 3.2 points and 0.8 rebounds, yet he ranks second among Western Conference guards in All-Star votes.

He’s actually ahead of Steve Nash, Chris Paul and Jason Kidd.

What’s more, McGrady could well be a member of the Knicks or another franchise by the time the NBA All-Star Game takes place Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium.

Consider that Knicks forward David Lee is averaging a double-double of 18.9 points and 11.0 boards (ninth-best in the NBA), yet isn’t even among the top 12 centers in the Eastern Conference in terms of votes.

“I think I have a shot (at the All-Star Game), but it’s not something I’ll worry about,” Lee told New York Post scribe Marc Berman. “The most important thing is our team is playing better and that makes a huge difference in that category. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully we’ll get more victories before that time comes and we’ll see what happens.” (more…)

Terrence Ross, the No. 10 shooting guard in the nation out of Montrose (Md.) Christian, has decommitted from Maryland and is now considering several schools including the Terps.

“He’s going to reopen his recruiting on a limited basis,” Montrose Christian coach Stu Vetter said by phone. “Maryland is still very much in the picture. He’s going to limit it to four or five schools so that he can make sure he’s making the right decision.”

Vetter confirmed a report that those schools included Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Maryland.

The news was originally reported by Rivals.com

“He’s not going to go on the West Coast,” Vetter said. “Those are not schools he’s considering at this point.”

The 6-5, 180-pound Ross initially committed during the spring of his junior season. He won’t be able to take any officials until the high school season ends in March, Vetter said. He has four officials remaining.

“Once our season starts he’s got to be devoted to Montrose basketball and academics,” Vetter said. “In March he’ll be able to take some officials if he would like.”

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Mouphtaou Yarou, who hasn’t played for Villanova since Nov. 16, has been cleared to play and practiced on Thursday.

“We’re excited for Mouph,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said in a statement. “The doctors tell us he has responded well to treatment. We’ll see where he’s at once he is back practicing with us and then make a determination on when he’s ready to return to game action.”

The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Yarou started Villanova’s first two games before being sidelined with Hepatitis B prior to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff on Nov. 19.  

“Mouph is a terrific player,” said Montrose Christian coach Stu Vetter, who coached Yarou last year. “I think it will take him some time [to get ready]. Mouph is not a player who has played basketball since he was a very young player and because of that his feel for the game is not as good as maybe an American player. But his talent and natural ability is superior. Once he’s comfortable within the system he’ll be an outstanding player.”

Villanova opens Big East play Jan. 2 at Marquette (3:30 p.m., ESPN2).

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Two of the nation’s elite high school tournaments finished up Wednesday night on the West Coast, with Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick winning the National Division of the MaxPreps Holiday Classic in San Diego, and Westchester (Calif.) downing Oak Hill (Va.) for the Les Schwab Invitational crown in Hillsboro, Ore.

St. Patrick 6-foot-7 junior wing Michael Gilchrist scored 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds and Duke-bound point guard Kyrie Irving added 22 to lift the Celtics over Newark (Calif.) Memorial. Gilchrist and Irving combined to outscore the entire team from the San Francisco Bay area.

“I was just playing my game,” Gilchrist told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “It’s all about heart.”

Irving was named MVP of the tournament and Gilchrist and teammate Derrick Gordon joined him on the all-tournament team. (more…)

We may have seen Lance Stephenson’s official coming out party Wednesday night.

In a nationally televised game against No. 10 UConn, Stephenson hit two free throws with .7 seconds left to give Cincinnati a 71-69 home victory in the Big East opener for both clubs.

A highly touted freshman from Brooklyn, Stephenson dribbled into the lane in the final seconds and was fouled by Gavin Edwards at the buzzer. After a review, the officials put .7 seconds on the clock. Stephenson hit both and finished with 21 points.

“[In the] Xavier game I took a bad three-point shot, and I felt like Coach said I needed to drive the ball,” Stephenson said. “Today I did that, and it worked. And we won the game. Yeah, I think I got fouled. He forced me left, so I spun and the big man ran into me. I knew there was one second left and I knew there was a foul.”

Stephenson appeared to draw contact on the perimeter from UConn’s Jerome Dyson but the refs whistled Edwards for the foul on the interior. Alex Oriakhi was behind Edwards and ultimately blocked Stephenson’s attempt. (more…)

Tracy McGrady is officially on the market and the Knicks are officially intrigued.

McGrady, 30, has taken a leave of absence from the Houston Rockets while the team shops him and his $23 million expiring contract for suitable trade partners.

At 12-19, the Knicks are on the periphery of the Eastern Conference playoff race and a player like McGrady, despite his recent history of injuries, could vault them into the postseason.

“I think you always have to be intrigued with somebody the stature of Tracy McGrady,” Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni told The New York Times on Tuesday when the Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons.

McGrady has averaged 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists over his career but has played in only 101 games over the last two years. (more…)

The Big East season has just begun and already things are getting pretty wild…

UNBEATENS KEEP ON WINNING: Six undefeated teams were in action Tuesday night, and all six won, including two from the Big East: No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Kentucky, No. 4 Purdue, No. 5 Syracuse and No. 6 West Virginia.

JOHNSON, BUTLER MAKING STATEMENTS: Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson and West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler will be in the conversation for Big East Player of the Year when all is said and done. Johnson put up 20 points and a career-best 19 rebounds Tuesday in Syracuse’s 80-73 victory over Seton Hall in Newark, N.J.

In Morgantown, West Va., Butler rebounded Jimmy Butler’s missed foul shot with 12 seconds left, dribbled up the court and drained a jumper just inside the 3-point line with 2 seconds left and two defenders –6-2 Darius Johnson-Odom and 6-6 Lazar Hayward — in his face to give West Virginia a 63-62 victory over Marquette.  (more…)

Doron Lamb dropped 29 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals Monday to lead unbeaten Oak Hill (Va.) Academy to an 80-67 victory over Oregon City in the Les Schwab Invitational in Hillsboro, Ore.

In Sunday’s 94-66 win over Sunset, Lamb had 16 points and 3 assists, while teammate Roscoe Smith put up 12 points and 13 boards, according to OregonLive.com.

Both the 6-foot-4 Lamb, a Queens, N.Y. native, and the 6-8 Smith have yet to pick schools.

Lamb is set to visit Arizona Jan. 7-9 and will be followed there by Baltimore (Md.) Lake Clifton guard Josh Selby, who visits the desert Jan. 9-11.

Lamb has visited Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma and UConn and will sign in the spring.

Smith is considering Duke, UConn and Georgetown.

Terrence Jones, another highly regarded uncommitted senior, put up 38 points,12 rebounds and six blocks on Sunday as Portland Jefferson beat Central Catholic, 72-63.

On Monday, Jones had 19 points but his Jefferson team lost to Westview, 70-59.

The 6-8 Jones is considering UCLA, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and Kentucky.

Oak Hill meets Westview in the semis on Tuesday. The final is set for Wednesday.

The games will be streamed live at OregonLive.com.

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The Rockets have agreed to trade injury-plagued star Tracy McGrady, according to the Houston Chronicle.

McGrady has been granted an indefinite leave of absence from the team while a deal is struck.

McGrady’s expiring contract is worth $23 million, a hot commodity considering the free agent Class of 2010.

Expect Knicks president Donnie Walsh to reach out to Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey to see if a deal can be worked out. Despite a 1-9 start, the Knicks are on the periphery of the Eastern Conference playoff race and a player like McGrady could help vault them into the postseason.

As Alan Hahn of Newsday points out, Larry Hughes’ contract is worth $13 million and Al Harrington’s is $10 million, but the Knicks may have to throw in something (more…)

Dexter Strickland had a breakout performance against a team from his home state.

The former Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick star scored a career-high 18 points Monday to lead No. 9 North Carolina to an 81-67 victory over Rutgers at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Rutgers (9-3) closed within four points with about 2 minutes left, but Strickland hit a 3-pointer with 1:54 left that pushed the lead to 74-67.

“I mean, down four points with two minutes to go, we really gave ourselves a chance,” Rutgers head coach Fred Hill said. “But we made a mistake on the defensive end there. We didn’t pick up Dexter Strickland in transition, we made him hesitate, but he still got an open look. But you have to give him credit, he knocked down a big shot.” (more…)