October 2013 | Page 23 of 25 | 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 / April 26.
  • Blair (N.J.) Academy wing Marial Shayok visited Providence last weekend and enjoyed it.

    “He had a great visit,” Blair coach Joe Mantegna told SNY.tv. “He felt really comfortable with Coach [Ed ] Cooley. He was impressed with how far along their player development is. It was a really great visit in every way.”

    Providence recently landed power forward Ben Bentil to go along with center Paschal Chukwu and wing Jalen Lindsey in their 2014 recruiting class.

    GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Justin Brownlee may have had one of the briefest stints in Knicks’ history.

    The former St. John’s forward lasted just one day in training camp Tuesday before he was waived and replaced with former Net and former Memphis standout Chris Douglas-Roberts.

    “We just went in another direction with that,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Wednesday. “I think [Brownlee] is good enough to play on our D-League team and there’s a chance he will be on that team so we’ll see.”

    The 6-foot-7 Brownlee was a member of New York’s entry in the NBA Summer League each of last two summers, and averaged 4.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.20 steals this past July in Las Vegas.

    KasongoAfter calling Oregon coach Dana Altman to commit Wednesday night, Canadian forward Ray Kasongo has apparently had a change of mind.

    Early Thursday morning, the 6-foot-9, 235-pound power forward Tweeted: “I am still undecided, and haven’t made a commitment yet. I need more time to think about this and will decide where I go later on this week.”

    Kasongo also considered UConn and sources said he was going back and forth in his mind between the two schools before deciding for Oregon.

    He then committed, telling ESPN.com’s Reggie Rankin, “I got along great with the Oregon players and coach Dana Altman. It was the best fit for me”

    Now, he’s apparently still conflicted.

    Kasongo models his game after (a younger) Amar’e Stoudemire and plays for Grassroots Canada on the AAU circuit.

    Jevon Thomas has already waited to play college ball.

    So he figures waiting a little while longer isn’t a big deal.

    The 6-foot Thomas is a Queens native who attended three high schools and also committed to St. John’s before ultimately committing to Kansas State last December.

    As first reported by ESPN.com, Thomas won’t suit up for Kansas State until Dec. 21 against Gonzaga because he was deemed a partial qualifier coming out of St. John’s Northwest (WI) Military Academy.

    “First I was a little upset but then I had to realize it’s no one’s fault but mine,” Thomas told SNY.tv. “All I have to do is wait patiently and be ready.”

    “Jevon is in great spirits,” his mentor, Casey Williams, told SNY.tv. “He’s maturing and enjoying his experience so far. He’s doing very well and he’ll be ready to play when it’s time.”

    NBA GMs and scouts will be flocking to see a handful of loaded college teams during the 2013-14 season.

    Kentucky and Kansas games figure to be heavily populated by NBA scouts, with several other schools also getting major attention.

    “You could almost cover the [bleepin] lottery if in the preseason you go to Michigan, Michigan State, Kansas Kentucky,” one Western Conference NBA GM told SNY.tv. “I mean you basically almost got the lottery covered.”

    Well, maybe not quite, but seven of the projected first 14 picks in the 2014 NBA Draft according to DraftExpress.com are currently at three of those four schools.

    PATERSON, N.J. — In a recent Fall Ball game at Paterson Kennedy, Chris Silva threw down an emphatic dunk in the final seconds off a pass from Isaiah Briscoe to put Roselle Catholic ahead by 2 points, and then blocked a shot on the other end to seal their opponent’s fate.

    “Crazy athletic” is how Briscoe described the 6-foot-9 Silva, a junior forward originally from the African nation of Gabon.

    “He’s going to be a great player once he starts to feel comfortable in America. His game is just going to explode and he’s going to go to the next level.”

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