1 0 Archive | July, 2010
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USA Roster Trimmed to 15; Big Apple Next Stop

By Adam Zagoria on July 28, 2010, 11:00PM

After four days of training and an intra-squad exhibition game that were held July 19-24 in Las Vegas, Nev., USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo announced that 15 players have been selected as finalists for the 2010 USA World Championship Team.

The roster includes Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets); Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies); Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers); Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers); Jeff Green (Oklahoma City Thunder); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); Brook Lopez (New Jersey Nets); Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls); and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder). (more…)

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Big East Notebook: Huggins Released From Hospital; Calhoun High on St. John’s; UConn Charity Game

By Adam Zagoria on July 28, 2010, 10:38PM

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins was released Wednesday from a Las Vegas hospital.

“He’s resting, feeling better,” a source with knowledge said.

Huggins had been hospitalized since breaking seven ribs in a fall in his hotel room on Friday while in Nevada on a recruiting trip.

CALHOUN HIGH ON ST. JOHN’S

UConn coach Jim Calhoun said he expects big things from St. John’s under first-year coach Steve Lavin. The Johnnies return nine seniors this season.

“I have no question that St. John’s is going to move up,” Calhoun told me at the Peach Jam. “When you got 8 or 9 seniors, you’re gonna be good. You are gonna be good.”

St. John’s finished 17-16, 6-12 in the Big East under former coach Norm Roberts last season. (more…)

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After Rutgers, Rosario Gearing up for Gators

By Adam Zagoria on July 28, 2010, 12:56PM

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. Mike Rosario watched Bradley Beal and Austin Rivers battle it out in the AAU Super Showcase championship game from Orlando, Fla. Tuesday night on ESPNU.

While the 6-foot-4 Beal has verbally committed to join Rosario at Florida in 2011, the 6-4 Rivers is considering Duke, Florida, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky. Many expect him to land at Duke.

With Florida coach Billy Donovan among those watching courtside, Rivers scored a game-high 24 points as his Each 1 Teach 1 team beat Beal’s St. Louis Eagles, 78-60, for the title.

“I watched them go to head-to-head,” Rosario said by phone from the Florida campus. “It was a great matchup. Those guys been playing well. I love Brad Beal’s game. He has a smooth game like Ray Allen.

Read the full story at SNY.

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Knicks an Option for Fernandez?

By Adam Zagoria on July 28, 2010, 8:58AM

The Knicks may be done on the free agency front, but could still improve their team with a trade.

New York is one of three teams in the mix — along with Boston and Chicago — to land Portland Trail Blazers small forward Rudy Fernandez, according to The Oregonian.

Fernandez is reportedly unhappy with his role behind All-Star Brandon Roy and with coach Nate McMillan’s penchant to use him as a shooter instead of a playmaker. (more…)

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Epic Music Night in the Big Apple

By Adam Zagoria on July 27, 2010, 8:11PM

If anyone has a cloning machine, I need to borrow it Wednesday night.

Not only does my Black summer league team (10-2) have a big Westchester Summer League Ultimate game against Forest (6-6) at SUNY Purchase, but three huge acts are all playing in New York City.

Tom Petty is playing Madison Square Garden.

Furthur (The Dead) is taking up at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square.

And Willie Nelson and The Levon Helm Band are hitting Radio City.

A buddy of mine just called to say he’s taking his whole family, folks included, to Willie and Levon.

I may try and play my Ultimate game and then catch the second set of Furthur. Or maybe I’ll just try to score tickets for Thursday night’s show.

Gotta love New York City on nights like this, though.

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Rivers Wins Showcase, Gets Boost Mobile Invite

By Adam Zagoria on July 27, 2010, 7:10PM

Austin Rivers and Bradley Beal are the first two players who have been invited to this year’s Boost Mobile Elite 24 game Aug. 28 in Venice Beach, Calif., a source with knowledge told ZAGSBLOG.

The 6-foot-4 Rivers and Each 1 Teach 1 beat the 6-4 Beal and the St. Louis Eagles, 78-60, Tuesday night on ESPNU for the Orlando Super Showcase title in front of a crowd that included Billy Donovan of Florida, Roy Williams of North Carolina, former Duke star Grant Hill, Brad Stevens of Butler, Bruce Pearl of Tennessee, Anthony Grant of Alabama and Mike Anderson of Missouri.

Rivers and teammate Trevor Lacey combined for 46 points, with Rivers dropping a game-high 24 and Lacey scoring 22.

“They beat us at Boo Williams at our first tournament,” Lacey told ESPNU. “We kind of wanted a little payback. It was good for us to come out and win the game.”

Rivers said after the game he is considering Duke, North Carolina, Florida, Kansas and Kentucky. (more…)

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Quinn Cook Looking to Cut List; Lester Injures Calf; Anderson Shutting it Down for July

By Adam Zagoria on July 27, 2010, 4:02PM

Quinn Cook has been on the road seemingly all summer.

Already he has traveled to Minnesota, California, North Carolina, Texas, Germany, Las Vegas and now Arizona.

“I’m exhausted, but I got a couple games left,” Cook, the No. 5 point guard in the Class of 2011, said Tuesday from the Desert Duel in Gilbert, Az.

Cook and his DC Assault AAU program will finish up in Arizona before playing one more local event in Virginia at the end of the month.

After that he plans to head home to Prince George’s County, Maryland and cut his college list.

That list now includes Arizona, UCLA, Villanova, Duke, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, West Virginia, Rutgers, St. John’s and Georgetown. (Rutgers was left off a list published by an Arizona newspaper.) (more…)

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Rivers, Beal Lead Teams into Showcase Finals

By Adam Zagoria on July 26, 2010, 6:17PM

Austin Rivers and Bradley Beal, two of the brightest stars in the Class of 2011, put their teams on their respective backs Monday and will square off Tuesday for the Super Showcase championship in Orlando, Fla.

The 6-foot-4 Rivers scored 17 of his game-high 37 points to lead Each 1 Teach 1 to a come-from-behind 76-67 victory over the Georgia Blazers in the second semifinal.

In the first one, the Florida-bound Beal dropped 36 points as the St. Louis Eagles exacted revenge on Team Takeover with an 80-76 win. Team Takeover beat E1T1 to win the Peach Jam July 15.

The title game is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday on ESPNU. (more…)

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DaJuan Coleman Says He’s Wide Open

By Adam Zagoria on July 26, 2010, 5:23PM

On the eve of the AAU 17U Nationals in Orlando, Fla., DaJuan Coleman and his Albany City Rocks teammates weren’t cooped up in a condo in Florida.

No, City Rocks coach Jim Hart took them in an air-conditioned van to see the Tigers play the Rays at Tropicana Field.

When the City Rocks take the floor for their first game at 10:40 Tuesday morning, you can rest assured he will draw a big crowd of high-profile college coaches.

The 6-foot-10, 280-pound Coleman says his list includes Syracuse, Ohio State, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Louisville, UConn, Florida and North Carolina.” (more…)

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T-Mac Appears Headed to the Bulls

By Adam Zagoria on July 26, 2010, 4:52PM

Tracy McGrady worked out with the Chicago Bulls Monday and is now waiting on an offer from the franchise, ESPN.com reported.

McGrady, 31, joined the Knicks for 24 games last season after he was acquired from the Houston Rockets at the trade deadline.

The Bulls are ready to offer McGrady a contract if his knees look healthy and he is prepared to come off the bench, ESPN.com reported. McGrady came off microfracture knee surgery and had a limited role in New York.

“This was a great team, a pretty good team, without adding myself and Carlos Boozer, and some of the key players that they added this offseason,” T-Mac told ESPN.com. “You bring a coach in like [Tom] Thibodeau, who’s very defensive minded, very smart and knows the game, knows what to get out of his players. I think we can be really good, I really do.”

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