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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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Friday / October 4.
  • One of the most intriguing and hyped recruiting processes in recent memory has finally come to an end.

    And it leaves UCLA fans rejoicing, and Seton Hall and St. John’s fans heartbroken.

    Kyle Anderson, a 6-foot-8 point guard from Jersey City (N.J.) St. Anthony, on Monday night chose to bring his talents to the West Coast instead of keeping them near his Fairview, N.J., home for family and friends to watch.

    “I’ve decided to be a UCLA BRUIN!!” he Tweeted, adding by email that he “just made up his mind tonight.”

    He chose the Bruins over Seton Hall, St. John’s, Florida and Georgetown.

    Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon says his school tried to keep the Big East together, but ultimately felt the ACC was the best option going forward.

    “We’re excited, and I don’t know when we will officially enter the ACC, but we’re excited about this season, we’re excited about next season,” Dixon, whose team won the Big East regular season title last year, said in a statement. “Whenever we do enter the ACC and begin play in that conference, we’ll be ready for that as well. Chancellor [Mark] Nordenberg and [athletic director] Steve Pederson, what they’ve done over the years in monitoring this whole situation has put the University in the best situation it can be. They did an unbelievable job and we have great respect, confidence and admiration for what they’ve done and the position they’ve put us in.”

    Nordenberg has taken some heat for leaving the league after he criticized Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech for doing the same thing in 2003.

    Even as a New York Post report surfaced indicating that Rutgers and UConn could join the ACC within three weeks, Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano is trying to downplay the hype.

    “My wife asked me [about it],” Schiano said Monday on the Big East conference call in advance of Saturday’s game against Ohio University.

    “I’m getting it from you, my wife, everybody.  Like I said, it doesn’t matter because if we’re not ready to play, all this stuff is not going to matter.  We got to be ready to play and we’re playing a very good football team.”

    Schiano said he is deferring all questions about Rutgers’ potential future to athletic director Tim Pernetti.

    Pittsburgh and Syracuse are already out the door.

    UConn and Rutgers may soon follow.

    Now comes word from the Orlando Sentinel that Villanova is among the more than 10 schools that applied to join the ACC, which now has 14 schools, but could soon have 16.

    Villanova hardly disputed the report when it issued the following statement Monday.

    “Villanova University will never waver from its pursuit of excellence. Part of that pursuit is a firm commitment to furthering its current position as a premier athletic program.

    NEWARK, N.J. — It was an emotional couple of days for Dan and Bobby Hurley last week when they spent back-to-back days recruiting at North Jersey powerhouses St. Anthony and St. Benedict’s Prep.

    Wearing green Wagner shirts, the brothers spent Monday at St. Anthony, where they both played under their father, Naismith Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley.

    A day later, they walked into the St. Benedict’s gym, where Dan spent nine years helping forge the Gray Bees into a perennial national high school power.

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