November 2010 | Page 7 of 20 | Zagsblog
Recent Posts
About ZagsBlog
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.
Follow Zags on Twitter
Couldn't connect with Twitter
Contact Zags
Connect with Zags:
Monday / December 2.
  • NEW YORK — It isn’t exactly The Beatles playing Shea Stadium, but Duke and Gonzaga will draw a crowd Monday in Kansas City.

    Some 43 NBA scouts have requested credentials for the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic Championship Round to see players like Duke’s Kyrie Irving and Kyle Singler and Gonzaga’s Steven Gray.

    “Forty-three is a lot,” said Ray Cella of the Gazelle Group, which is putting on the event Monday and Tuesday. “Obviously, when you get quality teams coming to one place everybody wants to come out.”

    Khem Birch, who was initially Class of 2012, signed with Pittsburgh on Wednesday for their 2011 class and will forgo his postgraduate year at Notre Dame Prep.

    “I decided that the best thing for my development was to begin my college career next year,” Birch told the FlagrantFouls.com Website, which first reported the news.  “I’m going to go to college where I will be a 3/4.   I just feel that I have a better chance to develop my skills on the perimeter at the next level than I do with another year of high school.”

    Notre Dame Prep coach Ryan Hurd confirmed the development by phone and said he supported Birch’s decision.

    The NCAA ruled that Kansas freshman Josh Selby must sit out nine regular season games and repay $5,757.58 in impermissible benefits to the charity of his choice.

    He can join the team for its Dec. 18 tilt with USC at Allen Field House. Ironically, that is the same date that Fordham transfer Jio Fontan will debut for the Trojans.

    “Even though I’m disappointed I have to miss nine games, I’m happy that I know when I can be on the court with my teammates,” said Selby, a Baltimore native and 2010 McDonald’s All-American.  “I’m looking forward to helping my team win another conference championship.”

    “I’m happy for Josh and his family that they can put this behind them,” said KU Interim Athletics Director Sean Lester. “This process had several moving parts, the first one being academics.  Once that was addressed we and the NCAA moved to the eligibility aspect.  We knew it would take time, and we appreciate our partnership with the NCAA and our constant communication during this process.”

    Senior guard Jeremy Hazell scored a game-high 27 points as Seton Hall outlasted Alabama, 83-78, in the first round of the 2010 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Friday.

    The Pirates advanced to play the Iowa-Xavier winner in Sunday’s semifinals.

    “They made a couple of tough shots and got up on us and went on a nice early run,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard told The Star-Ledger by phone. “But I think our guys did a nice job of coming back. We went from being down 11 to being down one. I don’t think we started off slow, I just don’t think we started off well.”

    } });
    X