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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Thursday / March 28.
  • "CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - NBPA Players Association Top 100 Camp at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville Virginia on June 18, 2015. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Under Armour)"

    Shamorie Ponds has officials set to St. John’s and Minnesota following his Creighton trip. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Under Armour)

    Following his recent official visit to Creighton, Shamorie Ponds has three more official visits slated and could then make a decision.

    The 6-foot-2 Brooklyn (N.Y.) Thomas Jefferson guard will visit St. John’s officially Aug. 28-30, Providence Sept. 11-13 and then Minnesota Sept. 18-20.

    “He’s going to take those and make his decision,” Jefferson coach Lawrence “Bud” Pollard told SNY.tv on Wednesday.

    deadwof5The Grateful Dead aren’t done after all.

    After supposedly playing their final three shows at Chicago’s Soldier Field over the July 4th weekend — which followed two June shows in Santa Clara, Calif., — members of the legendary group will re-form and play Halloween Night at Madison Square Garden.

    From Billboard.com:

    As previously reported by Billboard, three of the Dead’s “core four” players — guitarist Bob Weir and drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann — plan to continue the party, with John Mayer on guitar. Their first performance as Dead & Company is set for Halloween night (Oct. 31) at New York’s Madison Square Garden, where the Grateful Dead had played more than 50 times since its formation in 1965.

    Joining the group on bass is Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Brothers and Aquarium Rescue Unit and Ratdog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, who played all five Fare Thee Well shows alongside Bruce Hornsby. Dead bassist Phil Lesh will sit out this incarnation, but continue with his own side outfit, Phil and Friends.

    “Those songs weren’t done with us,” Weir tells Billboard of a decision that came with little deliberation. “It was a matter of who wanted to get back out on the road and keep doing it.” Mayer’s enthusiasm, he adds, “was the cherry on the sundae that made this project look like a good idea.”

    Screen_Shot_2015-07-01_at_1.02.10_PMKassoum Yakwe will take an official visit to St. John’s Aug. 13-15, a source told SNY.tv..

    The 6-foot-7, 205-pound power forward from Our Savior New American and the reigning Nike EYBL Defensive Player of the Year, Yakwe led the Peach Jam through pool play in both rebounds (11.8) and blocks (5.6).

    One source close to Yakwe recently said St. John’s, Kansas and Oregon are “working very hard on Kassoum.”

    Yakwe’s immediate future remains unclear. He could end up on a college campus in 2015 or attend prep school for one season before going to college in 2016.

    GilesWhat Harry Giles is saying must be music to the ears of Duke fans.

    The No. 1-rated player in the Class of 2016, Giles wrote in his USA Today blog that he and his best friend Jayson Tatum would be a “problem” should they team up at Duke.

    “Of course everyone wants to know if we’re still planning to play together like we’ve been talking about and it’s definitely something that we still always talk about,” the 6-foot-10 Giles wrote. “He knows I’ve gotta do what’s best for me the same way he did, but Duke is a school that’s high on my list and if it works out like that it’s gonna be a problem!

    As expected, Virginia landed a commitment on Tuesday from Mamadi Diakite, a 6-foot-9 power forward from the Blue Ridge School (VA).

    Diakite also considered USC and Washington.

    “It feels great,” he told Scout.com. “I feel like I’m free. No more calling from coaches. I know where I am going. I can focus on what I am doing, and I can get ready for school.”

    It remains unclear if he will enroll in 2015 or 2016.

    “It’s a possibility,” he told Evan Daniels of Scout of enrolling for 2015. “We don’t know yet.”

    At the adidas Nations event this week, Diakite averaged 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds with Team Africa.

    Virginia currently has three commits for 2016 in guards Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy along with power forward Jay Huff. They also have a pledge from Memphis transfer Austin Nichols, who must sit out the upcoming season.

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