The Knicks could have taken point guard Brandon Jennings in this year’s NBA Draft.

Jennings worked out at the team’s Westchester campus back in May, along with Tyreke Evans, Earl Clark and Austin Daye.

Instead, Knicks President Donnie Walsh opted to pick forward Jordan Hill with the No. 8 pick on draft night and Jennings went to the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 10.

On Saturday night, Jennings made the Knicks pay, dropping 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists as the Bucks absolutely slaughtered the Knicks, 102-87, in Milwaukee.

New York is now 1-6 on the season.

“I was a little upset because New York was one of my No. 1 teams I did want to go to at the time,” Jennings told The New York Times. (more…)

Here’s a quick rundown on what’s going on in the sports world this Wednesday…

**First off, for those keeping track at home, my Black summer league Ultimate team in the Westchester Summer League (WSL) came back from a 7-4 deficit to Gold to win 10-7 in an exciting, rain-shortened affair at SUNY Purchase. We scored six unanswered goals to win the game and garner the No. 4 seed in Saturday’s playoffs…Wish us luck.

PITINO APOLOGIZES, FEELS THE HEAT

**Louisville coach Rick Pitino apologize for his behavior and was effectively backed by Louisville president James Ramsey.

“I let them down with my indiscretion and I’m sorry,” Pitino said.

Pitino is taking a lot of heat for his actions, and this episode will no doubt be used against him on the recruiting trail.

Tim Dahlberg of the AP came out with a really strong column and some harsh words for Pitino and his employers.

(more…)

Jeremy Tyler, the 6-foot-11 high school senior out of San Diego High, will likely sign a contract next week with Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League

“They’re the favorites,” Sonny Vaccaro, who is advising Tyler, said by phone. “It looks like Jeremy Tyler is going to end up with Maccabi Haifa. It’s 90 percent done.

“The contract has not been signed yet. As soon as they do the faxes back and forth, it should be done Tuesday or Wednesday.”

Maccabi Haifa finished second in the Israel Premier League last year and also features Davon Jefferson, the former USC forward. (more…)

Latavious Williams is the latest American player to head overseas to play hoops.

The 6-foot-8, 205-pound native of Starkville, Miss. had committed to play for Memphis head coach Josh Pastner, but will pursue a pro career instead.

“It was a difficult decision,” Williams said in an official press release that appeared on Rivals.com. “But after consulting with a number of people, and taking my family situation into consideration, playing overseas is the best move for me.

“It will not be an easy transition, but I have surrounded myself with a core of very competent people who I trust and who have my best interests at heart, so I am confident that things will work out very well.” (more…)

Sonny Vaccaro will be honored in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

The Grassroots Basketball of America (GBOA) Hall of Fame announcement will be held at the Palms Hotel and Vaccaro will be given the organization’s Grassroots Pioneer Award.

Grassroots legends Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Stephon Marbury, Chauncey Billups, Sharief Abdul-Rahim, Rafer Alston, Felipe Lopez and Tim Thomas will also be honored

The event will also raise money for Coaches Versus Cancer.

Vaccaro has long been an opponent of the NBA age limit and has been influential in recent years in brokering Brandon Jennings‘ contract with an Italian club and in negotiating for American high school phenom Jeremy Tyler to play overseas as well. Tyler will skip his final two years of high school and then enter the 2011 NBA Draft.

“I just think it’s a whole new world,” Vaccaro told The New York Times in reference to American players going overseas. “There’s never going to be a migration, like the salmon going upstream. But there’s going to be selective kids who have the option.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.

A year from now, the Knicks will zero in on LeBron James and a high-profile class of free agents that also includes Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Steve Nash.

But beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, New York must worry about the immediate task at hand.

The Knicks can begin negotiating with their own restricted free agents, David Lee and Nate Robinson, and they can meet with other team’s free agents, such as Dallas point guard Jason Kidd.

Read the full story here.

Could Xavier Henry be headed to Europe?

Xavier and his father Carl Henry told the Kansas City Star that a month after Xavier committed to play for Kansas the family looked into a deal that would have sent Xavier to Europe next season.

“You don’t have to take any classes,” Xavier told the newspaper.

The deal would’ve paid Xavier $1 million, but the snag was that they would not have known which team he would play for (Say what?). (more…)

Great story by the fellas over at the Daily News today on Lance Stephenson and where he may end up.

The story examines a number of factors complicating Lance’s recruitment, from his father to his pending sexual assault case to the BornReady.tv website to his academics to his on-court demeanor.

At this point, Florida, Kansas, Maryland and St. John’s have all bowed out. Arizona may or may not still be in it, and Memphis is interested but hasn’t been in direct contact of late.

What do you think?

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The Big East will meet the Big 10 when Pittsburgh and Indiana face off Dec. 8 in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.

“We’re planning to play them in the Jimmy V,” an Indiana source said.

The news was first reported by Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com.

Pitt is losing DeJuan Blair, Levance Fields and Sam Young, but returns guards Jermaine Dixon, Ashton Gibbs, Brad Wanamaker and Travon Woodall, and is bringing in McDonald’s All-American big man Dante Taylor. Both Gibbs and Taylor were invited to try out for the USA U19 National Team that will compete in the FIBA World Championships next month in Auckland, New Zealand. (more…)

**Check out my feature on Brandon Jennings wanting to play for the Knicks.

**For more Knicks, check out point guard Chris Duhon with Tommy Dee tonight on TKB Radio.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. – OK, now I officially have no idea where Lance Stephenson is going to college.

Just a week after I said I thought Maryland was the leader for his services, the Baltimore Sun is quoting two unnamed sources as saying the Terps are no longer recruiting the 6-foot-5 Stephenson.

Last week Lance said he was considering Arizona, Florida, Maryland and Memphis and would decide within “three weeks.” (more…)