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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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Thursday / October 3.
  • Boston College became the latest major school to offer a scholarship to 6-8 junior Rod Odom of the Middlesex (Ma.) School.

    “He went down there Tuesday,” said Rod Odom Sr., whose family lives on Long Island. “His coach brought him down to take another look at the campus. He played some pickup with the guys. He sat down with (Coach Al) Skinner for a while. Coach Skinner gave me a call yesterday to offer the scholarship.

    “The academics at Boston College are great. Coach Skinner has a great record, and it’s an ACC school so there are a lot of attractive things about Boston College that we like. He definitely has an opportunity to play there away and they have had a knack for finding talent and developing that talent.”

    Kansas beat Memphis in the national championship game last April.

    And now the Jayhawks have beaten the Tigers out for the services of Thomas Robinson.

    Robinson, a 6-8 power forward from Brewster (N.H.) Academy, verbally committed to Kansas head coach Bill Self Thursday night.

    “Yes,” Robinson said in a text message Friday morning. “Me and my family decided last night.”

    Here are a few quick notes on Seton Hall heading into Media Day on Oct. 21…

    John Akers has a long piece in the current Basketball Times about NCAA transfers seeking waivers so they can play immediately. Akers reports that the NCAA is hearing more than 20 basketball cases, “ranging from players whose parents are ill to players whose coaches were fired to another player who didn’t fully understand transfer rules.” He correctly points out that Julian Vaughn has been granted immediate eligibility after moving to Georgetown from Florida State, adn that Alex Stepheson is hoping to do the same after going to USC from North Carolina. Much of the story deals with Seton Hall’s attempts to get waivers so former New Mexico State big man Herb Pope (pictured) and former Missouri guard Keon Lawrence can play this year. Pope’s waiver has already been submitted, while Lawrence’s has not.

    As reported earlier today by ZAGSBLOG, Ryan Kelly has pledged to play for Duke.

    “With strong confidence I look forward to playing at Duke University next year,” Kelly said Thursday night on ESPNU.

    The 6-foot-10 forward from Raleigh (NC) Ravenscroft School chose Duke over Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Georgetown and Wake Forest.

    “I’ve taken a lot of time and I’ve looked at all these schools very thoroughly…and really it all came down to a gut felling,” Kelly said. “I think everything about it was the best fit for me and I just can’t wait to get there now.”

    Jordan Hamilton made his college announcement on national TV Thursday.

    “I’m going to be playing college basketball for the University of Texas, the Texas Longhorns,” the 6-foot-7, 210-pound small forward out of Dominguez High in Compton, Calif. said on ESPNU.

    Hamilton, the No. 1 small forward in the Class of 2009 according to Rivals, had initially narrowed his choices to Texas and UConn and said the fact that he had family in Austin, Texas was a deciding factor.

    Ryan Kelly, a 6-foot-10 forward from Raleigh (NC) Ravenscroft School, will announce his intention to play for Duke University tonight at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU’s Recruiting Insider, according to sources.

    Kelly selected Duke over Notre Dame, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt and Georgetown.

    Ravenscroft head coach Kevin Billerman said he did not know which school Kelly was going to choose.

    “I don’t know,” he said Thursday afternoon. “He is with his parents on their way to Charlotte (to an ESPNU studio).”

    It’s a two-horse race for Torrington (Conn.) big man Jordan Williams.

    The 6-foot-10, 245-pound Williams is expected to decide between Maryland and St. John’s within the next week or so, according to Torrington head coach Tony Turina.

    “He’s been at St. John’s and he was also at Maryland,” Turina said. “Both visits were great. He’s got a difficult choice. He came away impressed with both schools. I would say they’re both neck-and-neck. He’s narrowed his choices down to those two schools. Within the next week to 10 days, he should be making a commitment one way or the other.”

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