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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 / March 28.
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers are pursuing Michigan State’s Tom Izzo as their next head coach, according to reports.

    “If I was anywhere but at Michigan State, I would be interested in Tom, too, because he’s the best coach in college basketball,” Michigan State AD Mark Hollis told The Associated Press. ” Hollis added that there was “not a contract offer on the table.”

    Izzo, who makes a reported $3 million annually, has led the Spartans to a 364-146 career record, six Final Four appearances and six Big Ten championships in 15 seasons. Michigan State won the NCAA championship in 2000 and reached the Final Four last season, falling to Butler in the national semifinals.

    Kadeem Jack took his latest college visit this past weekend when he went to West Virginia for its elite camp.

    “Kadeem played well and he got a chance to be on campus and visit” with the West Virginia players, a source close to the Mountaineers program said.

    The source added that the West Virginia staff “likes him a lot and looks forward to watching him this summer.”

    The 6-foot-9 Jack, who scored 16 second-half points last week in an all-star game in Greenburgh, N.Y., visited Rutgers unofficially last week.

    Desmond Wade only needed one official visit to make his college choice.

    The 5-foot-9, 160-pound point guard will transfer to Fairfield University after taking an official visit last week. He must sit out a year per NCAA regulations.

    Wade, a three-time time All-State performer at Linden (N.J.) High School, also visited Wagner and La Salle unofficially.

    “Yes, I like the coaches [at Fairfeld],” Wade said. “The coaches are like a family. It was a nice campus and everything.”

    St. Anthony will feature an all-Paterson Catholic backcourt next season.

    Myles Mack, a rising senior point guard ranked No. 21 at his position in the Class of 2011, has chosen to attend St. Anthony in Jersey City for his senior season. Mack, who averaged 14.8 points and 2.8 steals last year, spent the past three seasons at Paterson Catholic, which is set to close its doors in June.

    He will team will rising junior guard Kyle Anderson, another former PC player who previously announced his decision to play for Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley.

    “[Mack’s] mother did call me and I think at this point he’s leaning toward going to St. Anthony,” Hurley said Sunday evening.

    Here’s Gonzo’s first interview since being fired in March by Seton Hall.

    He spoke to The Star-Ledger and had a few choice words for AD Joe Quinlan, Pat Hobbs, Dean of the Law School, and outgoing president Msgr. Sheeran (who “should be ashamed of himself”), as well as thinly veiled comments directed at Louisville coach Rick Pitino and current Pirates coach Kevin Willard.

    The interview is in three parts, with two videos below.

    Bobby Gonzalez on what happened the day he was fired from Seton Hall

    New Rutgers head coach Mike Rice continues to bring in the top players from New Jersey and the surrounding area for visits.

    The same week that Kadeem Jack unofficially toured campus, 6-foot-8  forward LaQuinton Ross of Burlington (N.J.) Life Center came to Piscataway.

    “I took a visit out there,” Ross said Friday by phone on his way to Los Angeles for the Pangos all-american camp. “It was good. I liked the campus a lot and the new coaches over there.
    I talked to the head coach and the assistants and I played.”

    Arizona State scored twice on Saturday by landing two quality frontcourt players who took recent visits.

    The Sun Devils got commitments from 6-foot-7 forward Kyle Cain of Hampton (N.H.) Prep and 6-6 wing Carrick Felix of the College of Southern Idaho.

    Cain chose the Sun Devils over West Virginia, Alabama and Illinois after an official visit to the school June 2-4.

    “Yeah,” said the New Hampton (N.H.) combo forward. “I like the coaching staff and the facilities they had and I always liked the campus.”

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