Just a few days after landing Western Kentucky transfer Derrick Gordon, UMass coach Derek Kellogg landed a commitment from 7-foot-2, 215-pound Isaac Freeman of South Kent (Conn.).

Freeman, who averaged 14.7 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 7.5 blocks last season at Osbourn High (Va.), before transferring to South Kent, chose UMass over DePaul, Drexel and UCF.

“What made me choose UMass is their style of basketball,” he said by text. “They are uptempo with the game and run the floor very well. I loved their campus and I immediately could see myself going to school there and being part of their basketball program. (more…)

Derrick Gordon visited a trio of Atlantic 10 schools and then chose one.

The 6-foot-2 former Western Kentucky guard Tweeted Friday that he picked UMass over St. Joe’s and Rhode Island.

The former St. Patrick standout averaged 11.8 points and 6.7 rebounds. He must sit a year per NCAA transfer regulations.

“THIS WAS A LONG AND HARD DECISION FOR ME…BUT NOW IT’S OVER…IT’S OFFICIAL I WILL BE GOING TO UMASS!!!!…” he Tweeted. (more…)

**Photos courtesy Lonnie Webb Photography**

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — JayVaughn Pinkston spent part of last summer cooped up in a classroom at Bishop Loughlin High School while his friends were out playing summer ball.

He didn’t want to do it, but he had to in order to get his academics right.

“I felt that it was important for me to get my grades up,” the Villanova-bound Pinkston said Thursday night after scoring 15 points as the Blue team downed the White squad, 124-112, in the 3rd Annual Frankie Williams Charity Classic at the Theodore D. Young Community Center. The game was sponsored by Frenji Sports.

On Saturday his hard work will pay off when Pinkston will become the first member of his family to graduate from high school. On Sunday, he will head to summer school at Villanova. (more…)

Onetime Seton Hall recruit Jesse “The Takeover” Morgan has enrolled early in school.

But it’s not Seton Hall.

“He’s at UMass,” Fred Snead, Morgan’s Godfather and coach, said by phone.

“Yes, he is at UMass,” confirmed a source close to the UMass basketball program.

The 6-foot-5, 175-pound Morgan, out of Philadelphia Olney, signed a Letter of Intent with Seton Hall in the fall but Snead says he does not have a qualifying SAT score.

The Big East does not accept non-qualifiers, but the Atlantic 10 does. Morgan will have to spend a year in residence at UMass and meet their minimum academic requirements before potentially being eligible for the second semester of the 2010-11 season.

“He doesn’t have a qualifying SAT score,” Snead said. “He wasn’t going to qualify [at Seton Hall]. The Big East doesn’t take non-qualifiers. (more…)

As he comes to the Prudential Center Monday night for a nonconference game with Bobby Gonzalez and Seton Hall, UMass coach Derek Kellogg is very high on two Pirates whom he recruited while an assistant to John Calipari at Memphis.

Kellogg recruited Seton Hall forward Herb Pope out of high school, but Pope ultimately landed at New Mexico State before transferring to the Big East school. 

Kellogg also successfully recruited Jeff Robinson out of Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick to Memphis.

“I watched Herb Pope a lot in high school,” Kellogg said Monday by phone from his Newark hotel. “We recruited him a lot at Memphis, a 6-9 kid who can do all things that he can do. He scores around the basket. He steps out to the mid-range. He brings a physical presence and toughness to their team. That’s been really helpful to them this year and why they’re off to such a good start (6-0).” (more…)

Chris Chaney, the former Patterson School coach who is touring the country visiting some of the top college programs, has graciously agreed to guest blog for ZAGSBLOG.

Chris has been a head coach for 18 years and has won 558 games. He has also won 3 National Prep School Championships and 3 National Coach of the Year Honors. He has coached 10 NBA draft picks and over 100 Division I players. He has also done coaching clinics all over the world and his 2005 40-0 National Championship team is considered the Best Pre-College team of All-Time. He has been featured on ESPN and is known as one the brightest minds in the game.
 
Chris was at the Legends Classic last weekend in Atlantic City, N.J., and has written observations on all four teams — Florida, Michigan State, Rutgers and UMass.

He also has comments on several of his former players now in the Big East: Jeremy Hazell of Seton Hall; Dwight Hardy of St. John’s; Darius Johnson-Odom of Marquette; and Vincent Council of Providence. …take it away, Chris. (more…)

As of Wednesday morning, Michael Bradley has still not chosen a school.

“He has not made a decision yet,” said Chattanooga (Tenn.) Tyner Academy coach Gerald Harris.

The 6-foot-10 Bradley is considering UConn, Drake and Georgia, Harris said.

“I think the date was yesterday and he decided to extend it,” Harris said.

Bradley has only been playing ball for four years and averaged 8 points last season.

“A lot of people see  his upside more than anything else,” Harris said. “What people see in him is what kind of what player he’s going to be. He’s a coachable kid, a real hard worker. He’s only been play basketball for about four years.”

MORGAN TO VISIT UCONN

Jesse “The Takeover” Morgan will visit UConn for First Night festivities Oct. 16, according to his Godfather, Fred Snead.

Morgan had initially said he would visit Louisville that weekend.

He is tentatively set to visit Seton Hall this coming weekend.

The 6-5, 180-pound Morgan is a Philly native playing at South Kent (Conn.). He said he’s considering Seton Hall, UConn, Rutgers, Louisville and UMass.

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Jesse Morgan, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound shooting guard known as “The Takeover,” has picked up offers from Louisville and Rutgers and will tentatively visit Seton Hall this weekend and Louisville the next.

“[Rick] Pitino and Fred Hill were in yesterday [Monday]. They both offered yesterday,” said South Kent (Conn.) coach Kelvin Jefferson.

Morgan said he has two visits set.

“I have a visit to Seton Hall this weekend and a visit to Louisville on the 16th,” he wrote in a text.

“Seton Hall is trying to get him up on a visit this weekend. I’m trying to get the paperwork done,” Jefferson added.

Morgan said his top five schools are Seton Hall, UConn, Louisville, Rutgers and UMass. Jefferson said UConn and UMass “like him” have not officially offered.

(more…)

J.J. Moore, the 6-foot-5 wing out of South Kent (Conn.), is down to four schools, according to his AAU coach, Gary Charles.

St. John’s, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Florida are the Final Four for Moore, an athletic wing who lives in Brentwood, N.Y.

Moore will tentatively visit Louisville Oct. 16 and Florida Oct. 23. He has already taken unofficials to St. John’s and Pittsburgh. (more…)

Jesse Morgan is beginning to narrow down his list.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound shooting guard out of Philly known as “The Takeover” is now playing for Kelvin Jefferson at South Kent (Conn.).

Morgan said Wednesday that Seton Hall, UConn and Florida were showing him the most love at this point.

“I’m just pretty much open right now. In the next couple of months I will schedule some official visits,” Morgan said. “I want to go where I can play.”

Georgia, Pitt, Temple, La Salle and UMass have also shown interest. (more…)