Sterling Gibbs, a point guard out of Seton Hall Prep pictured at left, Myles Mack of Paterson (N.J.) Catholic and Tyler Harris of Half Hollow (N.Y.) Hills West were all behind the Pirates bench at the Prudential Center.

“It was a good game,” Mack said. “Seton Hall pulled it out. I love the atmosphere but when the student body gets back it’s going to be better.”

The 5-10 Mack has not officially been offered yet by Seton Hall, but sources said head coach Bobby Gonzalez planned to offer him. He has led Paterson Catholic to a Top 10 ranking nationally.

Asked if he had any favorites, Mack said, “Not really, no favorites.”

**Gibbs says his current list includes Seton Hall, Providence, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Virginia, Rutgers, Villanova, Florida and Wake Forest and that he hopes to visit Florida and Wake Forest soon.

“Florida and Wake Forest are involved. Providence recently got involved,” Panthers coach Gary Charles said. “No dates are set. Everything right now is unofficial.”

**The 6-8 Harris holds offers from UConn, West Virginia, Seton Hall, Hofstra, Fordham and  Delaware and interest from Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Maryland and South Florida. He and his father plan to attend Wednesday’s Syracuse at Rutgers game to check out the Orange.

**6-3 Plainfield junior point guard Tyrone Johnson did not make the game but plans to visit Virginia Tech and West Virginia, in addition to Rutgers, Seton Hall and Villanova, when he has a break in his schedule.

**Seton Hall is also involved with 6-10 center Maurice Walker of Brewster (N.H.) Prep.

“He’s hearing from a lot of schools right now, such as Pitt, Seton Hall, Oklahoma, Marquette, Kansas, LSU, etc.,” Brewster coach Jason Smith wrote by text. “He’s from Toronto. He will take visits in the spring after the Final Four.”

**In other recruiting news, the Arizona Daily Star reports that Rice forward Kadeem Jack will visit Arizona Jan. 26-27.

Jack holds offers from St. John’s, Seton Hall, Florida and Arizona, and Florida International coach Isiah Thomas has called, Rice coach Moe Hicks said.

“He has no favorite right now,” Hicks said. “He’s not going to do anything until late.”

**Duke-bound point guard Kyrie Irving dropped 30 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists Sunday as St. Patrick downed Trenton Catholic, 78-52, in the Scholarship Fund for Inner-Children Festival at Kean University’s Harwood Arena in Union, according to The Star-Ledger. The Celtics continue to play without junior Mike Gilchrist, out two weeks with a right knee strain.

Markeese Tucker had 17 and Frantz Massenat 15 for TC.

**St. Bonaventure-bound PG Elijah Carter dropped 19 points and Richmond commit Derrick Williams had 12 points and 7 boards in the same event when St. Anthony beat NIA Prep, 62-51. The Friars continue to play without 6-8 Oregon State-bound F Devon Collier (academics) and 6-8 Maryland commit Ashton Pankey (shin splints).

**Texas-bound junior guard Myck Kabongo of St. Benedict’s dropped 19 points, including three 3-pointers, and Rutgers commit Gil Biruta added 18 as the Gray Bees crushed Our Saviour, 95-63. Mike Poole added 17 points and Arizona commit Sidiki Johnson had 7.

**St. John’s-bound forward Ronald Roberts scored a game-high 20 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists to lead St. Peter’s Prep over Hudson Catholic, 77-42.

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

Grasso landed a double-dip of guards Monday night when Jayon James, a 6-foot-5 guard from Paterson (N.J.) Catholic, and 6-2 guard Sean Armand, a Brooklyn native spending a postgrad year at Central Jersey Each One Teach One (CJEOTO) in Jersey, both orally committed to the Rams.

“I feel I had the best relationship wth Coach Grasso and the players that’s already there,” said James, who comes off the bench for the No. 9 team in the PrepNation.com poll. “I’ve been keeping in contact with them the most out of any other schools that I had.”

Grasso has been recruiting James since he was in the eighth grade and it paid off. A regular at the Reebok All-American Camp every July in Philadelphia, James said he chose Fordham over interest from La Salle, Rice, Canisius and Ivy League schools Columbia, Brown and Harvard.

A tall, cerebral guard who has battled weight issues in the past but has slimmed down to 225 pounds, James could play a point forward position for Fordham, currently 2-10 on the season.

“He said I would be the point forward,” James said of Grasso. I  would be the playmaker, get everybody on my team better.”

Fordham already features former PC guard Lance Brown, and that factored into James’ decision.

“He’s like a big brother ever since I came to PC,” James said. “And I also know [Fordham freshman] Chris Gaston.”

PC coach Damon Wright said he was very happy for James, and that Fordham was landing a very smart, talented player.

“He’s going to defend, he’s going to be a point forward, he’s going to be a winner,” Wright said. “He’s going to be a player that brings  a lot of IQ to the team.”

PC has cracked the Top 10 in several national polls after winning the City of Palms Classic in Florida, beating Austin Rivers and Winter Park (Fla.) in the final. Since then, the Cougars beat Huntington (West Va.) Prep in West Virginia and St. Peter’s Prep in Teaneck on Sunday.

“It’s been pretty exciting,” James said. “We were never able to be in the Top 10 in any of the polls. To win all these independent games is great so far. It’s good to beat some of these best teams in the country.”

James will be joined at Fordham next year by Armand, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound combo guard from Brooklyn who also orally committed Monday.

“Yes, five minutes ago,” Armand, pictured at left courtesy Jay Gomes, NJHoops.com, said by phone.

Armand said he had interest from La Salle, St. Joe’s, Rutgers, Arkon and Houston. St. Bonaventure also offered.

“I was about to go visit Houston,” he said.

Armand said he developed a close bond with Grasso and assistant Steve Trefilletti.

“I was close to him,” he said of Trefilletti. “The way I way I felt about my high school coach, that’s the way I feel with him.”

Armand averaged over 25 points and 12 rebounds as a junior at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School in Manhattan and then dropped 44 points in one game there last season.

Josh Hoffman, Armand’s AAU coach with the New Jersey Trail Blazers, said Fordham is getting a steal.

“He can flat out score the ball,” Hoffman said. “He’s got NBA range on the jumper, can go to the hoop. He’s quick. He’s a high-character young man who will work his tail off and play defense and score. He’s under the radar, played at a no-name New York high school.”

“If he played for the New York Gauchos or the New Jersey Playaz, everyone in the nation would know who he was.”

Armand said he’s aware that Grasso is an interim coach and feels confident in his decision.

“I trust Coach Grasso and what he told me about the situation,” Armand said. “That he’s confident that he’s going to have his job. I’m going to take his word.

“He was loyal to me. I’m loyal to him.”

Added Hoffman: ”If Sean were my son I would feel comfortable sending him to play for Jared. They made him feel comfortable.”

FLORIDA AFTER KADEEM JACK

Rice coach Maurice Hicks said Florida coach Billy Donovan and assistant Rob Lanier will be up this week to visit 6-8 senior forward Kadeem Jack (pictured courtesy NewYorkGauchos.com).

“Everybody’s coming,” Hicks said. “Billy Donovan is coming in this week.”

Jack holds offers from St. John’s, Seton Hall, Florida and Arizona, and Florida International coach Isiah Thomas has called, Hicks said.

“He has no favorite right now,” Hicks said. “He’s not going to do anything until late.”

Jack and teammates Shane Southwell, who committed to Kansas State on SNY.tv, and junior wing Jermaine Sanders, who has interest from several Big East schools, will play in the SNY Invitational Jan. 29-30 at NYU.

“He’s a high-major player,” Hicks said of Jack. “He’s really developed into a power player. He just turned 17. His upside is great. I think he can be a high-major four or five.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

John Calipari

Is Brandon Knight next in line at Kentucky?

The 6-foot-3 Knight, the top prospect in the Class of 2010, has narrowed his list to four schools — Kentucky, Kansas, UConn and Florida — and will sign in the spring.

Considering Kentucky freshman John Wall will likely be the top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, does it make sense that Knight will end up following in Wall’s foosteps?

“Is he John Wall’s replacement,”  Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Pine Crest coach Dave Beckerman asked rhetorically.

“I don’t think Brandon Knight is anybody’s replacement. He’s a true natural point guard. He has his own game.”

Calipari has proven to have a special touch with point guards.

Derrick Rose was the NBA Rookie of the Year last year with the Chicago Bulls.

Tyreke Evans is having a fine rookie campaign with the Sacramento Kings.

Calipari coached both at Memphis.

And Wall has led No. 3 Kentucky to a 10-0 record and has people talking about a potential Final Four appearance.

Just last week he dropped a season-high 25 points and 6 steals (together with 7 turnovers) on UConn in the SEC/Big East Invitational at Madison Square Garden.

When I asked Calipari where Wall compared to Rose and Evans, he answered: “He is a little bit ahead in what we are running on offense.”

Of course Kentucky won’t be the only program losing a point guard to the NBA.

Kansas will lose senior Sherron Collins and UConn could lose sophomore Kemba Walker.

Both teams, along with Florida, would love to land Knight, who boasts a 4.2 GPA, has already won two MVP trophies this season and was one of 10 high school players  named to the Naismith Trophy Boys’ High School Player of the Year watch list on Friday.

Beckerman said Knight will watch all the teams this season and then decide after the high school season ends.

“He wants to see how schools do,” Beckerman said. “What recruiting classes are so that he can look in and find his spot and enroll at the right school.”

Of course if he ends up at Kentucky as the next lottery pick in line, don’t be surprised.

“Kentucky has shown a lot of interest,” Beckerman said.

MILK FIELDING OFFERS

Beckerman said 6-9 forward Matt Milk, a Long Island native playing at Pine Crest, has not committed to Florida International coach Isiah Thomas but remains interested and has also heard from other schools.

“Hartford has called on him.  Fordham called on him. [Division 3] Trinity (Conn.) has been hot after him. He would be a big fish in a small pond there,” the coach said.

“A lot of people stopped calling because they thought he had committed to FIU,” Beckerman added. “The answer is he hasn’t committed. He’s waiting until the spring and evaluating his position.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.

Florida International, Florida, Georgetown, Oklahoma and Texas are still in the running for the No. 1 center and No. 4 overall prospect in the Class of 2011.

Baylor, Villanova, Indiana and Ohio State were cut from the old list, and Florida International, coached by Isiah Thomas, was added.

“Since our last announcement, certain schools have made a valiant effort regarding Rakeem’s recruitment. Stronger bonds have been established with a few programs and their staff. Our current list reflects that,” said Amira Hamid, Christmas’ aunt and legal guardian. “Once we know it’s right for Rakeem and once he feels 100 percent confident about the situation, everyone else will know. This process has been lengthy but we are in no rush to meet a timeline. We’re pleased with the current schools we are considering and looking forward to watching them play this season.”

The 6-foot-9 Christmas transferred to the Academy of the New Church from Philly Northeast Catholic.

“I’m happy to work with a smaller group of schools going into the season,” he said. “I’ve been so busy with maintaining my grades and practicing with the team, that I think this will help me focus with having to deal with less pressure during the season. My transition at ANC has been great. I’m enjoying my classmates, teachers, and teammates. Coach [Kevin] Givens has been great with the workouts. I’m just ready for the season to start.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

By BILLY DIAMOND
Special Contributor to ZAGSBLOG.com

Facing a raucous anti-Isiah crowd, Florida International dropped to 0-2 after falling, 99-70, Friday at Monmouth’s new Multipurpose Activity Center.

Thomas, the former coach and president of the Knicks, was loudly booed as he walked onto the court to take his seat on the bench and one fan held up a sign that read “FIU: Fire Isiah University.”

“I’m used to being in hostile arenas,” Thomas said, according to The Associated Press. “As an athlete and as a former ‘Bad Boy,’ every place we went to was kind of this kind of environment. So I’m used to dealing with tough environments.”

Thomas’ team played lackluster defense and failed to shut down the opposing team’s best player, Travis Taylor, who led the winners with 18 points. Former Rutgers guard Justin Sofman added 13 points in 14 minutes in his first game since transferring and sitting out a year.

Thomas’ team was coming off an 88-72 loss Monday at defending NCAA champion North Carolina.

That same day, his mother, Mary, underwent heart surgery following a heart attack. He told reporters she’s feeling better.

“It’s been a stressful week,” Thomas told the AP.

Thomas entered the court to a raucous student section behind the FIU home basket booing at the top of its lungs. His team was down by 10 points early in the game, 23-13, to the enjoyment of most in attendance. Chants of “Magic Johnson,” “Sexual Harassment,” and “Fire Isiah” ensued.

He was constantly heckled by fans throughout the game, and he said one adult fan accosted  him and used profane language after the game.

“There was a gentleman that I don’t even think he goes to school here and he’s not even in college, but he got out of line and security put him back in line, which was good,” Thomas said. “He didn’t grab me. If he did that, then I would have had the right to go Charles Barkley on him.

“I think the students were well in line and in-bounds in terms of the chants and the things they were saying. It was all in good spirit.

“But for someone who was older to act that way and conduct himself in that manner, particularly at a college game and a college environment, he should have known better.”

Thomas  was forced to huddle his players before the first mandatory time-out in the first half. His team trailed by eight at halftime and was outscored by 21 points in the second half.

Brooklyn’s Marvin Roberts led FIU with 21 points.

Monmouth coach Dave Calloway said he believes Thomas can turn things around.

“It takes time,” Calloway told the AP. “Recruiting is a big part of it. Guys are going to want to go play for him because he’s an NBA guy. Everybody wants to play in the NBA.”

(The AP contributed)

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

Isiah Thomas will make his college coaching debut with Florida International University on Monday night against defending NCAA champion North Carolina.

“She told me to go to work,” Thomas told FOXSports.com.

Thomas spent much of Sunday with his mother in Chicago before flying to North Carolina Sunday night, according to FoxSports.com.

FIU is also due to play Monmouth on Friday night in West Long Branch, N.J.

Read the full story here.

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

“He probably won’t sign until the spring. I can’t say for 100 percent sure,” Lisa Leslie, C.J.’s mom, said Saturday in a phone interview.

The 6-foot-8, 205-pound Leslie out of Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God Academy is the No. 4 power forward in the nation, according to Rivals.

He took his first official visit to Kentucky Oct. 28 for the Blue/White Scrimmage and was supposed to visit Florida this weekend (Nov. 7-8), but will have to reschedule because his high school team has a scrimmage today (Saturday).

“We thought it would be better if we just totally rescheduled it,” Lisa said of the Florida visit.

Leslie had in-home visits with Kentucky, Maryland, Seton Hall, Arizona State, Georgetown, N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Florida International and Oregon.

He plans to take four more officials — including one to Florida — but all four likely won’t happen this fall. Lisa said the family wasn’t sure which schools would get the three remaining visits.

“As of right now, we don’t know which other three schools he’s going to visit,” she said. “We’ve been so busy with the recruiting and everything that we haven’t had enough time to sit down and complete the schedule.”

Lisa said North Carolina was supposed to come for an in-home visit, but cancelled because they decided instead to focus on Harrison Barnes, the nation’s No. 2 recruit.

“Roy [Williams] must feel pretty comfortable with Barnes because Coach [Steve] Robinson called us and they were saying they didn’t want to hinder C.J.’’s recruiting by putting us on hold to see whether Harrison Barnes was going to take the scholarship,” she said.

“Coach Williams told C.J. he really wanted him, he just wishes he has one more scholarship. That was the turnaround with North Carolina.”

The 6-6 Barnes is due to announce this week and is considering North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa State.

As for Leslie, Lisa said he enjoyed his official to Kentucky but hasn’t proclaimed the ‘Cats his leader.

“He said when he went down there for the visit he really enjoyed it,” Lisa said of Kentucky. “He never said that that was his favorite school.

“He’s still saying that he’s open. I wouldn’t say that that was his favorite school.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.

“The list is three schools: Louisville, Pittsburgh and St. John’s,” said Gary Charles, Moore’s AAU coach with the New York Panthers. Moore made the trip with Charles and Moore’s mentor, Hunt Bresky.

Charles said Moore, ranked No. 23 among small forwards in the Class of 2010, is tentatively slated to take an official to St. John’s the weekend of Oct. 30 and to Pitt the weekend of Nov. 6.

Florida is out after getting a commitment from Jackson (Tenn.) small forward Casey Prather.

At Louisville, the 6-foot-5 Moore spoke with New York and New Jersey guys Edgar Sosa and Samardo Samuels.

“He had a very good visit at Louisville,” Charles said. “He really liked it. He got a chance to speak to the New York guys like Edgar and Samardo and Terrence Jennings [who played with the Panthers]. It was good. He got a feel for the coach. He hung out with the crew.

“We got a chance to go see the new arena that they’re building. We more or less just watched practice. He got a good feel for the way [head coach Rick] Pitino runs his practice. He got a chance to see these guys work.”

After visiting St. John’s and Pitt, Moore will be ready to announce a decision.

“The goal is for him to see everyone in the same exact element that he saw Louisville in,” Charles said.

MILK TO FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL

Matt Milk, a 6-8, 240-pound forward from Long Island now playing at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Pinecrest alongside Brandon Knight, is “95 percent” sure he will verbally commit to Florida International head coach Isiah Thomas after weekend visit.

“He was offered a scholarship and we’re still making our final decision,” Mary Milk, Matt’s mother, said by phone.

“We told them that we’re very interested. We didn’t make a solid commitment. We’re like 95 percent sure that we want to go there.”

Mary said her son would like to visit some other schools, but wasn’t sure which ones.

Gary Charles, Milk’s AAU coach, said he would be a solid contributor.

“He’s a low post player who will do all the little things that will help you win,” Charles said. “He will hit that 10-foot jumper, he’ll do a nice job rebounding. He’ll set the pick. He’ll be a chemistry player. He’s a kid that you need to win games. He’ll be solid for them for four years.”

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.

“C.J. is still wide open with his recruitment. He doesn’t have a strong leader,” Raleigh (NC) Word of God coach Erasto Hatchett said Friday. “He’s still entertaining about 10 schools as of right now. He’s completed some home visits. He just had his last visit [Thursday] night with Georgetown. Seton Hall was there the night before.”

Hatchett said the 6-foot-8, 205-pound Leslie is considering Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Oregon, Florida and Florida International.

No official visits have yet been set and the list has not been cut, but Hatchett did say that a few schools have been involved for a long period of time.

“I think everyone is doing a good job,” he said. “There are some that have come in kind of late.  Florida, Kentucky, N.C. State, Arizona State, they’re being very consistent in the recruitment. Those guys have been around for a while and have been very consistent.”

He added:  “We’re going to take it one day at a time. It’s not really a heavy topic between C.J. and I. We’re focusing on getting better and trying to put ourselves in position to win a state championship.

“At some point in time that list of 10 will be cut to five, and then from five down to three and then he’ll make his decision.”

CLINIC TO END ALL CLINICS ON SATURDAY

Manhattan College will again play host to ‘The Clinic to End All Clinics’, an annual basketball coaches’ workshop orchestrated by Howard Garfinkel, the founder of Five Star basketball camp. This year’s clinic is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2009 in Draddy Gymnasium from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The event will feature sessions instructed by college basketball’s winningest coach Bob Knight (ESPN), as well as 2009 NCAA National Champion coach Roy Williams (University of North Carolina), and Leonard Hamilton (Florida State University), along with former NBA coaches Don Casey and Mike Fratello.

Schedule of Speakers

9 a.m. to 10 a.m. – Roy Williams

10:10 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. – Leonard Hamilton

11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. – Bob Knight

1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Don Casey

3:10 p.m. to 4:10 p.m. –  Mike Fratello

4:20 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. – Don Casey

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

The U.S. 2010 team is undefeated at 3-0 with victories over USA 2011, Latin America and Africa.

Here are some quick updates on Brandon Knight, Marquis Teague and Cory Joseph.

**BRANDON KNIGHT

The top-ranked player in the Class of 2010, Knight is not playing at adidas nations, only watching, because of a broken right foot suffered at the Peach Jam.

“I’m still in a cast right now, I’m still recovering,” Knight said.

As far as colleges, Kansas, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Miami and Syracuse are all on his radar, but he hasn’t yet formulated a list.

“I don’t have a list yet, but I plan on narrowing it down soon,” Knight said. “Me and my parents haven’t really discussed it yet, but I’m sure we will sooner or later.”

Knight told Jayhawkslant.com on Wednesday that he would like to have Kansas Coach Bill Self in for an in-home visit and would also like to take an unofficial or official visit to KU.

Kentucky is involved with nearly every top point guard in the nation, including Knight, Teague, Joseph, Joe Jackson, Josh Selby, Kyrie Irving and Doron Lamb.

“They’re recruiting me, so I’m definitely considering Kentucky,” Knight said.

Knight said he wants to be a floor general when he gets to college.

“Just a leader, a guy who can run the team and try to be the coach on the floor,” he said.

**MARQUIS TEAGUE

The 6-2, 170-pound Teague out of Indianapolis (IN) Pike said he has a Top 5 of Louisville, Ohio State, Wake Forest, Kentucky and Indiana.

“I’m going to visit Kentucky sometime this month,” Teague said.

Teague has been to all of the other schools.

He also hopes to lead his team at the next level.

“Someone who can lead the team, make sure everything’s going right on the floor, a coach on the floor,” he said. “Just work hard and win games.”

**CORY JOSEPH

Canada is 2-1 at the event, with a loss to Europe.

The 6-3, 175-pound Canadian point guard who plays at Henderson (NV) Findlay Prep still has about 15 schools on his list.

His list includes Villanova, Louisville, UConn, Kansas, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Cal, Mississippi State, Memphis, Syracuse, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Minnesota, UNLV, Texas A&M and Ohio State.

“After I get home from this event I think I’m going to sit down with my mom and Coach Ro Russell and cut it down,” he said.

FERGUSON TO FIU

Isiah Thomas continues to bring in talented players to Florida International.

Dominique Ferguson, a 6-9, 210-pound power forward from Indiana who will play at Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military, chose FIU on Friday during a visit to the school.

He chose FIU over Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Indiana and UCLA. He is the No. 6 ranked PF in the nation according to Rivals.

“The main thing in my decision to come to FIU is Coach Thomas’ past success in the NBA as a player and coach,” Ferguson told the Miami Herald. “He knows what it takes to get to the next level and that’s what I eventually want to do.”

That is the same thing big man Chris Coleman, a 6-10 junior center from Buffalo who attends Durham (NC) Mt. Zion, said when he committed last month to FIU. Thomas also landed a commitment from point guard Phil Taylor, a Brooklyn native who plays at Marietta (GA) Wheeler.

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.