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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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Sunday / October 6.
  • Screen Shot 2014-06-04 at 10.45.42 AMBy JACK LeGWIN

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    Brandon Childress has something to prove. So far, he is well on his way to making his point.

    A 6-foot 2016 guard, Childress will be running the point next year for Wesleyan Christian Academy (N.C.), transferring from East Forsyth (N.C.) to play alongside top prospect Harry Giles.

    “It’s really exciting,” Childress told SNY.tv. “I’m looking forward to playing alongside of Harry and everyone over there. I feel like I can learn a lot. I honestly can’t wait. Coach (Keith) Gatlin played at Maryland and in the pros, so he can teach me about that. I can learn so much from him, really about everything, so I’m very excited.”

    2013 Jordan Brand ClassicWEST ORANGE, N.J. — Beginning on June 15, Jamal Murray’s phone is going to blow up.

    So will those of his coaches, Larry Blunt and Tony McIntyre.

    As one of the most talented and poised players in the Class of 2016, Murray, a 6-foot-5 point guard from Orangeville (Ontario) Athlete Institute, is set for a barrage of calls or messages on June 15, the first date that college coaches can begin unlimited phone and messaging contact with rising juniors.

    “A lot of people have called and said they’re waiting until the 15th [of June] to call and offer just because of the rule,” Blunt told SNY.tv. Saturday night when Murray went for 13 points in the Mary Kline Classic Underclassmen game.

    Josh Sharma, a 7-foot power forward from Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon, visited UConn and Boston College this week and plans to take more visits this summer.

    Sharma was at UConn on Monday for the second time and first since they won the NCAA championship in April.

    “I like what Coach [Kevin] Ollie is doing with the program,” Sharma told SNY.tv. “He was saying that I would fit their system well, being an athletic big in a fast tempo style of play.”

    Sharma was also at BC on Sunday.

    “That was also good,” he said. “They definitely put a lot of effort into my visit, which I appreciate. I think I’m definitely one of the top priorities for BC and I like what [head coach Jim Christian] is doing with the program. I like both schools.”

    By NICK MEDLINE

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    Loyola-Marymount transfer Gabe Levin set up official visits to Marquette, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech—in that order.

    In his freshman year at LMU, the 6-foot-7 Levin averaged 11.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and earned WCC All-Freshman team honors.

    When the school fired head coach Max Good, he opted to transfer and received obvious high major interest.

    “I don’t think a new environment will hurt me,” Levin said. “When you go into an unfamiliar place, you have to perform that much better.”

    Mary KlineAlex Kline hosted the 4th Annual Mary Kline Classic this past Saturday at West Orange High School. The inspirational event raised $31,000 this year for cancer research and has taken in $86,000 over four years to fight cancer.

    Here are five quick takeaways on the events on the court:

    1. Seton Hall’s loaded 2014 recruiting class has created a buzz — and justifiably so. Some 300-350 blue-clad Seton Hall fans made the drive to nearby West Orange and saw the four future Pirates combine for 45 points as Team Courage beat Team Perseverance, 103-90, in the Senior Game. Isaiah Whitehead went for 15 points, Khadeen Carrington had 12, Desi Rodriguez 10 and Angel Delgado 8. Three of these guys — Whitehead, Delgado and Rodriguez — also played together Thursday in the Frankie Williams Charity Classic in Greenburgh, N.Y. In that game, Delgado showed a solid handle and an ability to take the ball the length of the court off the rebound and dunk on the offensive end, while Rodriguez proved he is lethal in transition and near the rim. And remember, these guys also played in the Jordan Brand Classic Regional Game, where the 6-6 Rodriugez went for 17 points, including a key block to force OT. The more these guys (and fellow 2014 recruits Michael Nzei and Ismael Sanogo) play together, and bond off the court, the brighter the future in South Orange.

    One day after Larry Bird said he wants Lance Stephenson back with the Indiana Pacers, Stephenson’s agent told SNY.tv the two sides hope “to get a deal done.”

    “They are a quality organization from the top down,” Alberto Ebanks told SNY.tv of the Pacers. “We are going to try to get a deal done. The communication has been there for the last four years with the Pacers and it has been beneficial for the Pacers and for Lance. I hope we can come to terms.”

    Ebanks told SNY.tv on Saturday that there would be “no shortage” of suitors for Stephenson, and reiterated Tuesday he plans to speak with other interested clubs.

    After the Pacers lost to the Miami Heat in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, Stephenson expressed his desire to return to Indiana, where his idol Bird has mentored him throughout the early portion of tumultuous career.

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