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Friday / April 19.
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    • Kentucky

    John Calipari’s team performed well on the hardwood this season, but not so well off it.

    The Kentucky basketball team posted a cumulative GPA of 2.025 in the fall, the lowest of any of the 20 athletic teams at the SEC school and the lowest for the men’s basketball team since the spring of 2002, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

    That number was significantly lower than eventual NCAA champion Duke (3.01), Louisville (3.0) and Kansas (2.95).

    “I was disappointed,” UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. said recently, according to the Herald-Leader.

    Kentucky, Washington

    For what it’s worth, Mitch Whitehurst says Terrence Jones will play for Washington.

    “Terrence is going to the University of Washington because that’s what I heard him verbally say,” Whitehurst, the athletic director at Portland (Ore.) Jefferson High, told the Seattle Times. “He said he wanted to go with his boy Terrence Ross and Terrence Ross is at Washington so I’m assuming that he’s going to do exactly what he said. Follow his boy and follow his decision.”

    The 6-foot-8 Jones verbally committed Friday to Washington but did not sign his Letter of Intent. He then spoke with Kentucky coach John Calipari, fueling speculation that he might still land at Kentucky.

    Coaching moves, Columbia

    As reported here late Saturday night, St. Mary’s associate head coach Kyle Smith is moving East.

    Smith is the new head coach at Columbia University, edging former New Orleans coach Joe Pasternak and NJIT coach Jim Engles, among others.

    “Columbia University is very proud and excited to name Kyle Smith as our head men’s basketball coach” said Dr. M. Dianne Murphy, the school’s AD. “Kyle is an outstanding leader and successful recruiter with a terrific basketball mind. We are thrilled to welcome him to Columbia.”

    Smith, who is an 18-year veteran assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level, has worked as the associate head men’s basketball coach at St. Mary’s College (Ca.) of the West Coast Conference (WCC), for the past nine seasons. In 2009-10, the Gaels finished 28-6 and reached the Sweet 16.

    St. Anthony, St. Bonaventure

    Elijah Carter has decommitted from St. Bonaventure and intends to spend next year at a prep school.

    “I’m opening up my recruitment,” Carter said Saturday by phone. “St. Bonaventure is still my top school.”

    Carter, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard from Jersey City (N.J.) St. Anthony, decided he needed a year to mature.

    “I’m doing a year of prep school,” he said. “I’m looking at Winchendon (Mass.) and Brewster (N.H.) and a couple other schools right now. Me and my parents came to an agreement that I needed to mature as a player and a person.”

    Kentucky, Washington

    Less than 24 hours after Terrence Jones verbally committed to the University of Washington during a press conference that drew more than 25,000 fans to the OregonLive.com site, the Internet is humming with rumors that Jones is now considering Kentucky.

    Percy Allen of the Seattle Times reported that the 6-foot-8 Jones left Friday’s press conference without signing his National Letter of Intent, while teammate Terrence Ross did sign his NLI to Washington.

    Of course, Kentucky recruit Brandon Knight committed to that school without signing an NLI, so Jones could opt to do the same with Washington.

    Ross updated his Facebook status twice to say that he wasn’t certain what Jones was doing.

    Coaching moves, Rutgers

    Rutgers has wrapped up its interviews and could have a new coach by the beginning of next week.

    ESPN.com reported that former Boston College Al Skinner interviewed Friday with athletic director Tim Pernetti.

    “He definitely interviewed [Friday],” a source close to the situation confirmed.

    Fran Fraschilla and Mike Rice previously interviewed to replace Fred Hill.

    Skinner, 57, was fired after 13 seasons at Boston College in which he went 247-165. He won three Big East crowns and took the Eagles to seven NCAA tournaments.

    Copyright 2016 Zagsblog. Partner of iOne Digital / Cassius Network
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