August 2015 | Page 6 of 19 | Zagsblog
Recent Posts
About ZagsBlog
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.
Follow Zags on Twitter
Couldn't connect with Twitter
Contact Zags
Connect with Zags:
Thursday / March 28.
  • CNHL97fUwAEPq7ERoger Federer will head into the U.S. Open with major momentum after he took out world No. 1 Novak Djokovic to win his seventh title in Cincinnati.

    Playing an attacking style of tennis, the 34-year-old Federer beat Djokovic, 7-6 (1), 6-3 to take the final at the Western & Southern Open for his seventh crown there in 16 appearances.

    Federer’s win came 24 hours after he took out Andy Murray in straight sets in the semifinals.

    Overall, Federer is 42-8 at the event.

    “I think we really get the best out of each other, we’ve improved a lot over the years playing against each other and another run this week,” Federer said, directing his comments to Djokovic.

    “I really hope that you can win here one day, all the best. Of course, he deserves it, come on.”

    Thon Maker UANEW YORK — Arizona State and Indiana now have some company in the pursuit of Thon Maker.

    Notre Dame is the latest school to get involved with the 7-foot 2016 athlete from Canada’s Orangeville Prep who went for 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks Saturday night in the Under Armour Elite 24 Game in Brooklyn.

    “Mike Brey is a DMV guy who cut his teeth at DeMatha [Catholic] and then at Duke before becoming a head coach,” Ed Smith, Maker’s guardian, told SNY.tv. “I’m from the DMV and he actually was my camp coach when I was in high school. He is big on development and exploiting mismatches.

    This embed is invalid

    Kentucky commit Tai Wynyard, the 6-foot-10, 265-pound New Zealand big man, confirmed that he will enroll at the school in December and will play the second semester of the 2015-16 season.

    “I’m sure I will be coming to UK in December to begin classes winter/spring semester,” Wynyard told VaughtsViews.com. “I’m looking forward to and excited about joining the program in December.”

    Wynyard will join fellow newcomers Jamal Murray, a Canadian point guard, and Isaac Humphries, an Australian big man. Both reclassed to 2015 and will be part of an international class that also includes Mychal Mulder of Canada, Skal Labissiere of Haiti, Charles Matthews of Chicago and and Isaiah Briscoe of Newark, N.J.

    Michael Porter UABy ADAM ZAGORIA & DAN PONEMAN

    NEW YORK — Michael Porter Jr. was originally supposed to be in the Bahamas at the Nike event this weekend, but wound up in Brooklyn at the Under Armour Elite 24 Game instead.

    “My passport didn’t go through in time,” Porter Jr. told SNY.tv on Friday. “It was on short notice and I didn’t have a passport so they tried to get one but it didn’t come in on time, so I just decided to come here.

    “I’m really happy I made the decision to come.”

    The 6-foot-8 2017 forward out of Columbia (MO) Father Tolton recently cut his list to 10 schools: Washington, Duke, Missouri, Stanford, Kentucky, UCLA, Syracuse, Indiana, Kansas and Virginia.

    But he says five of those are working the hardest.

    KJK_1594-XL

    By ADAM ZAGORIA & DAN PONEMAN

    NEW YORK — T.J. Leaf has official visits set to Cal and UCLA, his father confirmed to SNY.tv.

    Leaf, who notched 14 points and seven rebounds in the Under Armour Elite 24 Game, will visit Cal Oct. 23 and UCLA Oct. 30, Brad Leaf said.

    He took an unofficial visit to San Diego State last week.

    Leaf also has several in-home visits coming, with UCLA and Gonzaga getting the first shots on Sept. 9. Leaf will also have home visits with Cal Sept. 10, Kansas Sept. 13 and North Carolina and San Diego State Sept. 14.

    The 6-foot-10, 217-pound 2016 face-up forward from El Cajon (CA) Foothills Christian recently cut his list to Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Texas, California, San Diego State, Gonzaga and Indiana after decommitting from Arizona.

    Rawle action RuckerNEW YORK — Rawle Alkins knows all too well about about the narrative that New York City hoops is dead — or dying.

    You don’t have to ask him twice to get him started on the topic.

    “New York, it’s not where it was so you can’t say that it’s still at the top,” the 6-foot-5 combo guard from Brooklyn told SNY.tv on Friday after practice for the Under Armour Elite 24 Game set for Saturday night in his home borough (ESPNU, 7 p.m).

    “But they’re sleeping on a couple kids. Shamorie [Ponds] is pretty good. Jose Alvarado from [Christ the King], so New York is not where it was in the past where it was the Mecca of basketball but if you had to do a star rating, I would give it a 4-star.”

    } });
    X