J.J. Moore is headed to the Big East.
The 6-foot-5, 190-pound wing from Brentwood, N.Y. and South Kent (Conn.), verbally committed to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA early signing period.
He chose Pitt over Big East rivals Louisville and St. John’s. He also considered Providence and Florida before trimming his list. Moore is ranked No. 107 in the Class of 2010, and No. 23 among small forwards.
“J.J. committed to Pitt,” said his mentor, Hunt Bresky.
With the NCAA early signing period for basketball beginning on Wednesday, several top New York-area stars are still mulling their decisions and may sign late, while others appear on the verge of announcing.
JayVaughn Pinkston, a 6-foot-6 forward from Bishop Loughlin considered the top prospect in the Big Apple, hasn’t picked a school yet and may or may not sign late.
“We cannot say definitively,” New Heights athletic director Kimani Young said Wednesday morning. “There’s still a possibility that he commits early.
“He’s still going through the recruiting process even as of this week to figure out if he’s decided 100 percent where he wants to go to.”
Pinkston, who recently led New Heights to the is8 championship by scoring a combined 59 points in the semis and finals, will choose from among Villanova, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Tennessee and Marquette.
Villanova freshman big man Mouphtaou Yarou has been cleared to play in the team’s opener Friday against Fairleigh Dickinson.
“He has been cleared by the eligibility center and will play,” Wildcats Coach Jay Wright told ESPN.com.
The Sporting News reported on Monday that the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Yarou might be 25 instead of 19 — as he is listed — because he was listed as being 23 during the 2007 African Cup.
Wright told ESPN Yarou said he did not play in the event and that Villanova has documents proving his birthdate.
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Seton Hall guard Keon Lawrence of Newark
NEW YORK — When your team is 1-6 and struggling to get wins, even the impending return of Eddy Curry constitutes big news.
The 6-foot-11 Curry, who has been out since the first day of training camp with a torn calf muscle, is expected to return to practice with the Knicks on Tuesday.
“That’s what I heard,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said before Utah beat the Knicks 95-93 Monday at MSG to drop New York to 1-7 on the young season.
Harrison Barnes, the No. 2 prospect in
