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.
Markus Kennedy, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound junior forward from Living Faith Christian Academy (N.J.), will stay home for college.
Kennedy, a Philadelphia native, chose Villanova over West Virginia and Temple during a press conference Wednesday at his school.
“I just loved the coach and the team and everything about the campus,” Kennedy said by phone. “Coach [Jay] Wright really cares about the players. He just doesn’t care about winning basketball games. He cares about their future.”
Asked how much the Wildcats’ run to the Final Four impacted his decision, Kennedy said: “Yes, it did. The way that their team is, they only have a couple of big men and for them to get to the Final Four, that says a lot.”
BothWright and West Virginia coach Bob Huggins were in to the school last week to see Kennedy, the No. 37 power forward in the Class of 2010. Kennedy has also visited Villanova twice.
Kennedy possesses tremendous versatility. He can step away and face up to the basket and he can also pound it inside. He has great hands and great feet.
“[Coach Wright] said I will get playing time, but how much I play depends on how I do in practice,” he said.
Villanova is bringing in a stellar 2009 recruiting class that includes big men Mouph Yarou and Isaiah Armwood of Montrose Christian; wing Dominic Cheek of St. Anthony and point guard Maalik Wayns of Philly Roman Catholic.
Duke transfer Taylor King and redshirt center Maurice Sutton will also suit up for the ‘Cats next season, making them perhaps the team to beat in the Big East.
KEVIN PARROM DOWN TO FINAL 2Kevin Parrom is down to Pitt and Arizona.
Xavier, to whom he originally committed, and Virginia Tech are no longer in the mix.
“Yeah,” Parrom wrote in a text message.
The 6-6 Parrom, a New York native playing at South Kent (Conn.), will decide after taking an official to Arizona this weekend. Former Xavier coach Sean Miller and assistant Book Richardson are now at Arizona.
“Sometime next week,” Parrom said of his decision.
(Photo courtesy Brian Kelley)
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Markus Kennedy, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound junior forward from Living Faith Christian Academy (N.J.), will stay home for college.
Kennedy, a Philadelphia native, chose Villanova over West Virginia and Temple during a press conference Wednesday at his school.
“I just loved the coach and the team and everything about the campus,” Kennedy said by phone. “Coach [Jay] Wright really cares about the players. He just doesn’t care about winning basketball games. He cares about their future.”
Asked how much the Wildcats’ run to the Final Four impacted his decision, Kennedy said: “Yes, it did. The way that their team is, they only have a couple of big men and for them to get to the Final Four, that says a lot.”
Both Wright and West Virginia coach Bob Huggins were in to the school last week to see Kennedy, the No. 37 power forward in the Class of 2010. Kennedy has also visited Villanova twice.
Kennedy possesses tremendous versatility. He can step away and face up to the basket and he can also pound it inside. He has great hands and great feet.
“[Coach Wright] said I will get playing time, but how much I play depends on how I do in practice,” he said.
Villanova is bringing in a stellar 2009 recruiting class that includes big men Mouph Yarou and Isaiah Armwood of Montrose Christian; wing Dominic Cheek of St. Anthony and point guard Maalik Wayns of Philly Roman Catholic.
Duke transfer Taylor King and redshirt center Maurice Sutton will also suit up for the ‘Cats next season, making them perhaps the team to beat in the Big East.
KEVIN PARROM DOWN TO FINAL 2
Kevin Parrom is down to Pitt and Arizona.
Xavier, to whom he originally committed, and Virginia Tech are no longer in the mix.
“Yeah,” Parrom wrote in a text message.
The 6-6 Parrom, a New York native playing at South Kent (Conn.), will decide after taking an official to Arizona this weekend. Former Xavier coach Sean Miller and assistant Book Richardson are now at Arizona.
“Sometime next week,” Parrom said of his decision.
(Photo courtesy Brian Kelley)
