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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.
  • World Select Team v USA Junior Select TeamKentucky commit Karl Anthony-Towns is going to be running out of room on his mantelpiece.

    Every day seems to bring a new honor or award.

    On Monday, the 7-foot-1 big man from St. Joe’s-Metuchen was named to the 10-member World Select Team for the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit where he will represent the Dominican Republic. The 17th annual Nike Hoop Summit will take place at 4 p.m. (PDT) on Saturday, April 12 at the Moda Center, in Portland, Ore.

    Among those joining Towns on the roster are fellow Kentucky commit Trey Lyles (Canada), SMU pledge Emmanuel Mudiay (Congo), Florida signee Brandone Francis (Dominican Republic) and uncommitted 2016 point guard Jamal Murray (Canada), who has been compared to Syracuse point guard Tyler Ennis.

    Adonis Delarosa enjoyed his weekend visit to Pittsburgh and may take other visits before announcing his decision April 18.

    “I like what they’re doing over there,” the 6-foot-11 Delarosa told SNY.tv.

    Asked how he might fit in there, he added, “They need a low-post guy that can score and also step out and hit the mid-range.”

    Delarosa, recently selected for the Jordan Brand Regional Game April 18, said he has no other visits set although it’s possible he could trip to some combination of Rutgers, South Carolina and other schools.

    WiggyKansas announced a 3 p.m. ET press conference on Monday at which freshman Andrew Wiggins will announce he will enter the NBA Draft.

    “I wish I had more time to stay here and do my thing and just be with the team and the coaches and all these wonderful fans,” Wiggins said following Kansas’ loss to Stanford in the NCAA tournament last week, according to RockChalkblog.com. “I’m sad it’s my last time. But I’ve enjoyed my time here. I couldn’t ask for more.”

    The 6-foot-8 guard from Vaughn, Ontario is projected as the No. 1 overall pick by DraftExpress.com after averaging 17.1 points and 5.9  rebounds.

    NapierBy JOSH NEWMAN
    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    NEW YORK – It’s been quite a long time since the University of Florida lost a game. To be specific, it’s been 118 days since the Gators last tasted defeat at the hands of the University of Connecticut on Dec. 2.

    Twenty-nine games after Huskies senior guard Shabazz Napier beat the Gators at the buzzer, 65-64, with a fade-away foul-line jumper at a sold out Gampel Pavilion, the two sides will meet again. This time, it will be at the Final Four after the Huskies came from nine down in the second half to defeat Michigan St., 60-54, in Sunday’s East Regional final at Madison Square Garden.

    Napier was named East Regional Most Outstanding Player after scoring 25 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists against the Spartans. In four NCAA Tournament games, the Roxbury, Mass. native has scored 93 points for an average of 23.3 points per outing.

    Bazz KembaNEW YORK — Jim Calhoun coached Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier to a national championship in 2011.

    Now that Napier has led the Kevin Ollie-coached Huskies back to another Final Four in Texas, the inevitable Kemba/Shabazz comparisons have resurfaced.

    And we’re likely to get another week’s worth as UConn heads to North Texas to meet Florida in the Final Four on Saturday.

    But Calhoun says it’s time to settle down on the comparisons between the two diminutive guards.

    “There’s no comparison, they’re both great players,” Calhoun said in the middle of the Madison Square Garden floor after the No. 7 Huskies completed a 60-54 victory over No. 4 Michigan State in the East Regional final thanks largely to Napier’s 25 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists that helped garner him Most Outstanding Player honors.

    UK froshNEW YORK — Here we are entering the Final Four and Kentucky remains the last great hope for the Year of the Frosh.

    Sound like a familiar story?

    With Arizona’s loss to Wisconsin Saturday night — their fourth straight Elite 8 loss —  five of the top eight picks in the DraftExpress.com Mock Draft are out of the NCAA Tournament.

    And they’re all freshmen.

    That would be No. 1 Andrew Wiggins, No. 2 Joel Embiid, No. 3 Jabari Parker, No. 7 Noah Vonleh and No. 8 Aaron Gordon. Tyler Ennis, another frosh projected at No. 14, is also done.

    Who does that leave?

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