October 2011 | Page 13 of 21 | Zagsblog
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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 / March 29.
  • NEW YORK — Steve Lavin’s honeymoon at St. John’s lasted for more than a year.

    After a disturbing early-season loss at Fordham last year, pretty much everything went right in Lavinwood.

    Loaded with 10 seniors, they beat six Top 25 opponents, including four ranked in the Top 10. In perhaps the highlight of their season, they ran then-No. 3 Duke out of Madison Square Garden by 15 points in late January.

    The Johnnies went on to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.

    Kansas freshmen Ben McLemore and Jamari Traylor are both ineligible to play during the 2011-12 season, Jayhawks coach Bill Self told the Kansas City Star.

    Both players can practice beginning the second semester and will be eligible next season, the Star reported. They are considered partial qualifiers.

    “We are disappointed, but know that Jamari will do what is necessary to get back on the court as soon as possible,” IMG coach Andy Borman told SNY by text.

    On the same day the Big East decided to invite six new football programs into its midst, Conference USA and the Mountain West announced they would create a new super football amalgam of their own.

    After a conference call Friday afternoon, the Big East decided to invite Air Force, Boise State and Navy into the league for football only, and to extend invitations to Central Florida, Houston and SMU for all sports, according to The Boston Globe.

    The league also approved raising the exit fee to $10 million from $5 million, the Globe reported.

    Kevin Parrom says he’s “happy to be alive” after being shot Sept. 24 in The Bronx while visiting his mother.

    Parrom, a 6-foot-6 junior from The Bronx, made the comments Wednesday at Arizona’s media day, according to the Daily Wildcat.

    As first reported by SNY.tv, Parrom was shot once in the leg and a shot also grazed his hand. Jason Gonzalez, 19, of The Bronx was later arrested and charged with attempted murder. The dispute was apparently over a woman.

    In addition to the shooting, Parrom’s mother, Lisa Williams, is also battling breast cancer and was described by Arizona coach Sean Miller as “very critically ill.” His grandmother also passed away within the past few months.

    Prince Ibeh, a 6-foot-10 center from Garland (Texas) Naaman Forest, has verbally committed to Texas.

    The Rivals No. 10 center in the Class of 2012, Ibeh also considered Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M.

    He brings “great length and athleticism,” Naaman Forest coach Jeff Clarkson said by text. “He is already a great shot blocker. He needs to work on the offense but he has tremendous upside with his size and quickness.”

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpsnVK-HO10&w=470&h=315]

    Hours before Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was to sign his National Letter of Intent to Kentucky last November, his uncle, Darrin, collapsed of a heart attack at 42.

    “My sister-in-law called and said that DeAnte, his son, found him passed out,” Cindy Richardson, Michael’s mother, says in the film “Prayer For A Perfect Season,” which airs Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. on HBO.

    “So we all ran around there to try to resuscitate him, and the ambulance came. They couldn’t revive him. We did CPR as best we could and we couldn’t revive him.”

    Faced with this tragedy on a day that was supposed to be filled with joy, the family persevered and carried on with heavy hearts for the celebration honoring the Kentucky signing.

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