April 2014 | Page 25 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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Saturday / April 20.
  • EkwuNathan Ekwu, a skilled 6-foot-7 2014 forward from Cardinal Hayes in The Bronx, picked Davidson over Fordham on Friday, Hayes coach Joe Lods told SNY.tv.

    Ekwu called Davidson coach Bob McKillop to inform him after McKillop flew up to see Ekwu on Thursday.

    “Nathan told me he was very impressed with both coaches and both universities but he kept saying, ‘My heart tells me to go to Davidson,” Lods said Friday.

    Walker mcdARLINGTON, Texas –– Florida freshman forward Chris Walker says he will wait until after the Final Four to make any decisions about his future plans.

    The 6-foot-10 1/12, 220-pound Walker is projected as the No. 10 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com, but some mock drafts have him in 2014 despite the fact the he has only 17 college games under his belt.

    “I haven’t really been thinking about it,” Walker said Friday in the Florida locker room. “I’m just thinking about winning this UConn game and staying in the moment and hopefully winning that and advance to the championship game.

    DeAndre DanielsARLINGTON, Texas — DeAndre Daniels is the perfect example of a guy who heated up in the NCAA Tournament and could ride that hot streak all the way to the NBA Draft.

    “He’s coming out,” one veteran NBA scout, who has no inside knowledge of Daniels’ decision-making process, told SNY.tv. “He’s playing the best he’s ever played, he might as well go for it.”

    “He just scares me because I don’t know what you’re getting,” a second veteran scout said. “If Connecticut wins the NCAA championship and he plays great two nights in a row, he’ll be at another level. Right now, he’s a giant question mark.”

    DraftExpress.com has Daniels projected as the No. 29 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft –but he’s taken his game to a new level in the NCAA Tournament as UConn has moved to a Final Four showdown with Florida here on Saturday night.

    EnnisIt doesn’t sound like Jim Boeheim is all that pleased with Tyler Ennis’s decision to go one-and-done.

    Speaking Friday morning on SportsCenter, the Syracuse coach said Ennis could’ve used another year in college.

    “I think he’s a great college player,” Boeheim said. “I think physically he probably could’ve used another year. A little bit different than Dion Waiters who I had a couple of years ago who left. I think Dion was physically better, more physically ready.

    RandleARLINGTON, Texas — The Final Four is in Julius Randle’s backyard and to hear him tell it, the Dallas native been planning on playing in it since the eighth grade.

    “It’s kind of weird. It’s just what I asked for,” Randle said, according to the AP. “I was in study hall and I didn’t have anything to do, and I found out it was here, the national championship, Dallas. It’s just where I wanted to be and it’s always been my goal.”

    Carolyn Kyles, Randle’s mother, said she recalls her son telling her his plan back in 2008 when the site was announced.

    Danny ManningDanny Manning is the new head coach at Wake Forest.

    The No. 1 pick in the 1988 NBA Draft, Manning led Tulsa to a 21-13 mark this season, 13-3 in Conference USA, and an NCAA Tournament bid.

    A year ago, Tulsa went 17-16 and qualified for the CBI.

    Manning replaces Jeff Bzdelik,who went 51-76 in four seasons, 17-51 in the ACC.

    “We are very pleased to welcome Danny Manning to Wake Forest,” said AD Ron Wellman. “There have been very few players who have had as much success on the court as Danny. He has played for and worked under a number of legendary coaches and he has been successful in his coaching career. We fully expect that Danny’s coaching career will reflect the excellence of his playing career.”

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