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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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Wednesday / December 11.
  • NEW YORK — Kentucky is “highly unlikely to participate in the 2013 Carrier Classic,” a Kentucky source told SNY.tv.

    A source close to the event earlier told SNY.tv that Kentucky was among the schools invited and expected to headline the expanded 2013 event.

    Texas, N.C. State, Missouri, Florida State, Gonzaga and Davidson are among the other schools invited to participate in the eight-team event, according to the source, who was not authorized to speak publicly. The source said four teams had so far agreed to participate.

    “We’re going to expand the event and invite more teams so we can do more for the military,” Michael Watkins, Tournament Director Operations, said at a press conference here promoting this year’s game between Ohio State and Marquette Nov. 9 on the USS Yorktown in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

    North Carolina coach Roy Williams underwent a robotic partial nephrectomy at UNC Hospitals Wednesday morning to remove a tumor from his right kidney, the school announced.

    Dr. Eric Wallen, a professor of urology at North Carolina, and co-surgeon Dr. Mathew Raynor led the surgical team, which took three and a half hours to complete the operation. Doctors discovered the presence of the tumor during a physical earlier this month.

    The CIA Bounce AAU team featured Andrew Wiggins, Tyler Ennis and Xavier Rathan-Mayes during a successful run this past summer, but every time the team needed a key rebound or putback it seemed like Denzell Taylor was in the right place at the right time.

    A 6-foot-7, 215-foot power forward from Brampton, Ontario, Taylor is now a senior at St. Benedict’s Prep and getting close to making a college decision.

    He is considering Fordham, Temple, Long Island University, Wagner, FDU, New Mexico, Siena, New Hampshire and Santa Clara, but seems inclined to stay close to home in the Northeast because his father, Joshua, lives in Teaneck, N.J.

    Sam Davis, the father of Xavier recruit Myles Davis, has hired an attorney to battle the NCAA after his son was declared ineligible for the upcoming season.

    Sam Davis told SNY.tv he has retained Stuart Brown of Ice Miller LLP in Indianapolis to handle the case.

    “We have retained a law firm to see if could do something about this decision by the NCAA,” Davis said. “This firm has dealt with issues in the past against the NCAA and they feel that there be a chance to change the ruling.”

    During a visit to Roselle (N.J.) Catholic High School Tuesday night, Kentucky head coach John Calipari and assistant Orlando Antigua offered 2013 forward Tyler Roberson a scholarship.

    “They did offer,” RC coach Dave Boff told SNY.tv. “They extended an offer to come down and take an official. Tyler will make that decision in the coming days as to whether or not he’s coming down there.”

    The 6-foot-8 Roberson currently has officials set up to SMU, Syracuse and Kansas, but has yet to decide on the other two.

    Kansas coach Bill Self will watch Roberson work out Thursday before having a home visit with him. Florida coach Billy Donovan, in town for the Brayden Carr Foundation Clinic, has a home visit Friday.

    Roberson will then likely decide on his final two visits.

    Steve Lavin is gearing up for his 2013 recruiting class.

    The St. John’s coach visited Montrose Christian small forward Ish Wainright on Tuesday, and will host point guard Rysheed Jordan this weekend on an official visit, sources told SNY.tv.

    The 6-foot-5 Wainright (pictured) is the Rivals No. 11 small forward in the Class of 2013 and has been a St. John’s target for some time.

    Huntington Prep shooting guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes will visit Illinois this coming weekend and UConn the following weekend, according to the New Haven Register.

    Illinois head coach John Groce and assistant Dustin Ford visited the 6-foot-4 shooting guard Tuesday at the West Virginia school, and UConn head coach Kevin Ollie and assistant Karl Hobbs were in on Monday.

    He is also considering Florida State, alma mater of his parents.

    “It definitely plays a factor, my dad playing at Florida State,” he told the paper. “Not a lot of kids can say their dad played at the same school recruiting you. My

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