January 2012 | Page 28 of 28 | 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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Thursday / March 28.
  • HACKENSACK, N.J. — Kyle Anderson admits that his life is more relaxed now that he’s signed, sealed and delivered to UCLA.

    Yet that hasn’t stopped the 6-foot-9 point guard from setting big goals.

    “My junior year we didn’t lose a game, and I kind of want to finish like that my senior year,” Anderson said after finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 turnovers as St. Anthony won its 40th straight game, 51-50, over St. Benedict’s at the New Year’s Jump Off at Hackensack High School. “Part of playing for St. Anthony is going down in history, that’s what it’s all about.

    “So we would be the first team to go 66-0 and win two national championships so that’s just our goal.”

    HACKENSACK, N.J. — Tyler Ennis and his father say a handful of schools are working hardest to land the talented 2013 St. Benedict’s point guard.

    “Louisville, Arizona, Memphis and Syracuse are probably all about the same right now,” Tony McIntrye of CIA Bounce, Ennis’ father, told SNY.tv following St. Benedict’s narrow 51-50 loss to St. Anthony in the New Year’s Jump Off at Hackensack High School. “And Kansas is in there as well.”

    “There’s still other schools that can get involved,” McIntyre said. “Those are the ones that are just working a little bit harder, and making contact and talking more.”

    Former Pittsburgh forward Khem Birch has three visits planned this week.

    “This week he’s going to go to Florida (Tuesday), New Mexico State (Wednesday) and UNLV (Friday) and he may go visit another maybe one or two,” his mother, Wendy Sparks, told SNY.tv by phone.

    “We’re not sure which ones he’s going to go visit. He has to decide soon because he wants to be back in school by mid-January.”

    By JOSH NEWMAN

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Looking back on it, the weight and expectations placed on Harrison Barnes before he even suited up for the University of North Carolina as a freshman last season were unfair and they weighed on him early in his rookie campaign.

    Barnes was a highly-decorated high school player out of Ames (Ia.) High School. A McDonald’s All-American in 2010, the 6-foot-9, 210-pound swingman was the USA Today National Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American a year after being named The Sporting News National Player of the Year as a junior. Over his final two years of high school, Ames went 53-0 and won back-to-back state titles.

    Big Jorts was motivated by his old team.

    Knicks rookie Josh Harrellson said he watched Kentucky’s 69-62 victory over Louisville Saturday before making his first start in the NBA.

    Starting in place of the injured Amar’e Stoudemire (ankle), the 6-foot-10 Harrellson then went out and put up 14 points and 12 rebounds in 38 minutes as the Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings, 114-92

    “I was a little nervous, excited,” Harrellson told reporters. “This time last year was my first big game in college that I ever had and I watched Kentucky-Louisivllle so that kind of motivated me to come out and play hard.

    “And that’s what I did. Just come out and played hard, played confident.”

    Said Carmelo Anthony: “He stepped up big tonight. We talked about that this morning, about guys stepping up in place of Amar’e, and Josh did that tonight. He stepped up big-time.”

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