December 2016 | Zagsblog
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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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Tuesday / March 19.
  • Roland Griffin, a highly athletic 6-foot-7 combo forward from Midland (TX) College, committed to Iona, a source told ZAGSBLOG.

    He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

    As a freshman at Illinois State, Griffin scored 14 points at Kentucky on Nov. 30, 2015. He then departed that school that winter for undisclosed medical reasons before landing at junior college power Midland.

    “Roland chose Iona for a few good reasons,” Midland coach Jordan Dreiling said by email. “One, they win. Two, his relationships with their staff. And three, the past success they have had with JUCO transfers.

    “Roland Griffin is a big, versatile player who can guard multiple positions. Ro can really attack the basket and finishes very well. He’s a good athlete and a very underrated passer. He may be our best rebounder as well. He didn’t play the first semester due to leaving Illinois State in the middle of the spring semester last year. He’s eligible for us from here on out and we expect big things for him.”

    In other Iona news, former Marquette guard Traci Carter will take an official visit to campus Jan. 3.

    PITTSBURGH (AP) — Butler athletic director Barry Collier has dealt with plenty of turbulence during his basketball career.

    It was nothing like Thursday night’s flight home from New York.

    Collier said the lights on the plane went out about 40 minutes into the flight, oxygen masks deployed, tears flowed and text messages started being sent as the Bulldogs descended from 35,000 feet to 10,000 feet before an unscheduled landing in Pittsburgh.

    In Collier’s opinion, it was eventful and unusual but not terrifying.

    “It felt a lot like a normal descent for a landing, it wasn’t dramatically different — other than the cabin was dark,” Collier told The Associated Press on Friday as the Bulldogs took a bus home. “After about five or 10 minutes, the lights came back on.”

    Kentucky coach John Calipari and assistant Kenny Payne are the latest high-profile coaches to watch Kevin Knox.

    The Kentucky coaches watched the 6-foot-8 Knox go for 22 points and five rebounds in a 77-60 loss to DeAndre Ayton and Hillcrest Prep (AZ) in the championship game of the John Wall Holiday Invitational on Friday night.

    Ayton, the 7-1 Arizona signee, finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds en route to Most Valuable Player honors, while Knox, who was tasked with guarding Ayton, was named Most Outstanding Player.

    “I think overall it was great for us to come up here and play against great talent,” Knox said, per USA Today. “I didn’t have my best game this game, but that’s something that I can work on. Hopefully we’ll all learn from this loss and go back to Tampa and win regionals and states.”

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