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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 / November 7.
  • 7045032John Calipari is currently in the same city as two NBA teams that are a combined 7-24, yet he downplayed his future as an NBA coach.

    “I’m good,” the Kentucky coach said Saturday at Barclays Center, according to Brett Dawson of Rivals, adding that he’s “never been able to put kids on a stage like” the one he has at Kentucky.

    As long as the Knicks and Nets continue to be horrendous, Calipari’s name will be linked to a return to the New York area. As discussed here, he is managed by CAA, which handles about half of the Knicks’ organization, including Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith.

    NEW YORK — Jabari Parker sat stoically at the podium at Madison Square Garden following Duke’s 72-66 loss to Arizona Friday night in the NIT Season Tip-off championship.

    Above all else, Parker is a competitor and a winner and he wasn’t happy with this latest loss that dropped Duke to 6-2 on the season, and him to 0-2 against fellow super-frosh Andrew Wiggins and Aaron Gordon.

    “I need to get experience against big guys,” said the 6-foot-8 Parker, who faced an Arizona frontline that goes 6-9, 6-8, 7-foot.

    Despite the loss, Parker’s stock with NBA personnel continues to soar.

    “Jabari could leave Duke now and help any playoff team in the East from the 4th through 8th spots in the playoffs,” one NBA assistant coach told SNY.tv.

    Ryan Arcidiacono was 0-for-5 from the field against Kansas when he let one fly from the left wing with 10.1 seconds left and his team trailing by 1 point.

    The 3-point shot fell, put Villanova up by two points and the Wildcats held on for a 63-59 victory over No. 2 Kansas in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

    The basket was Arcidiacono’s only one of the game.

    “I hadn’t made a shot all game, but I was looking for it. [Coach Jay Wright] called it for me,” Arcidiacono, who scored 4 points in the game, told NBC Sports Network following the game. “I just held my follow-through there at the end and I was lucky enough to get two great screens there at the end. As soon as it left my hand I thought it was good.”

    NEW YORK — If guard play is the key to college basketball, then Arizona would appear to be poised for a potential deep run come March.

    In an NIT Season Tip-Off event that featured future lottery picks Jabari Parker of Duke and Aaron Gordon of Arizona, it was Arizona guard Nick Johnson who won the Most Outstanding Player trophy after the No. 4 Wildcats beat the No. 6 Blue Devils, 72-66, at Madison Square Garden.

    Johnson and teammate T.J. McConnell combined for 25 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

    Rashad Vaughn will visit North Carolina Feb. 15, his mentor, Pete Kaffey, confirmed to SNY.tv.

    The Tar Heels host Pittsburgh in  ACC play Feb. 15.

    “[Carolina coach] Roy [Williams]’s been calling him,” Kaffey said, referring to Vaughn. “I know Roy’s been calling him. Roy always calls Rashad.”

    The 6-foot-5 Vaughn nearly committed to Carolina during a visit last spring, but held off upon talking to his family.

    Perhaps the only funnier radio riff  on Andrew Wiggins than Colin Cowherd’s question to Bobby Hurley earlier this year occurred Friday afternoon on WFAN in New York.

    Mike Francesa, who clearly hasn’t watched a college basketball game yet this season, interviewed Kentucky coach John Calipari in advance of the Kentucky-Providence game Sunday at Barclays Center.

    At one point, Francesa blurted out: “How did Wiggins get to Kansas?”

    Calipari: “Well, I think again we had a whole group of guys and…”

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