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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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Monday / December 9.
  • After a breakout July in which he just added an offer from Kansas, Brewster (N.H.) Academy guard Donovan Mitchell has cut his list to 10 schools and plans to trim to five by the end of August.

    Mitchell Tweeted out a list of Providence, Creighton, Florida State, Indiana, Georgetown, Villanova, Louisville, Kansas, Boston College and North Carolina. St. John’s was among those not on the list.

    He also has a couple of visits on tap.

    The 6-foot-3 Mitchell will visit unofficially Villanova Monday (Aug. 4) and Louisville officially Thursday-Friday (Aug. 7-8).

    “[Villanova first] was just how it worked out,” the Greenwich, CT, native said by phone. “There’s no reason I picked them first. It’s two hours away from where I live and I would really to go see them.”

    Tyus Battle’s terrific summer continues.

    The 6-foot-5 2016 combo guard from Gladstone (N.J.) Gill St. Bernard’s made the 12-man roster for the USA U17 team that will compete in the FIBA U17 World Championship next month in Dubai.

    Battle has already enjoyed a strong summer in which he added offers from Duke, Kentucky, Louisville and Arizona to an already impressive list.

    Battle also helped lead Team Scan to the Peach Jam semifinals last week, where they lost to Isaiah Briscoe and the Playaz Basketball Club. Battle was named to the ZAGSBLOG All-Peach Jam 2nd Team.

    “Tyus has really improved his overall game from last year,” U17 coach Don Showalter told SNY.tv. “He is much more aggressive and plays with more confidence both on defense and offense. For us he can play multiple positions, point guard, two or three — which makes him very valuable against international teams.

    MudiayEmmanuel Mudiay passed through the NCAA Eligibility Center on the academic front, SMU coach Larry Brown and an NCAA source told SNY.tv on Monday.

    “The NCAA Clearinghouse approved his credits from Prime Prep,” Brown told SNY.tv exclusively after speaking with his compliance director earlier Monday. “I want people to know he could’ve gotten into SMU. He chose to go to China to help his family, not because of an amateur issue.”

    An NCAA source confirmed to SNY.tv that the 6-foot-5 point guard was cleared on the academic front by the NCAA. The source added that the amateurism review was not completed, so it’s not clear whether or not that would have been a stumbling block.

    Matt Coleman - 1.1By JACK LeGWIN

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    LOUISVILLE, Ky.- Matt Coleman just gets it. He realizes what it takes to win. That is why he could be a future superstar at the point guard position.

    “There aren’t many of us from 2017 that get to play in the EYBL,” Coleman told SNY.tv. “I’m starting and playing minutes too, so it’s a blessing really. Not many people get this chance to play this early on the EYBL. I’ve got 2 more years, so I’m going to keep growing and keep getting better.”

    The 6-foot-1, class of 2017 lefty point guard from Maury (Va.) has led Boo Williams this summer to back to back successful showings, at Peach Jam, reaching the semifinals before losing to Team Penny 77-68, and at the Super Showcase, winning it all.

    “It was great to play on ESPN (at Peach Jam),” Coleman said. “You see the cameras, but when the game starts, you don’t really let that get to you, the plus is that it’s just on TV.” 

    SWaniganIt’s been quite a July for Caleb Swanigan.

    He was named to the ZAGSBLOG All-Peach Jam First Team after leading the event in rebounding.

    He picked up a Kentucky offer.

    And now the 6-foot-8 forward from Fort Wayne (IN) Homestead has made the first cut for the USA U17 team.

    If he makes the final cut to 12 this week, Swanigan will trave to Dubai to compete in the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship for Men on Aug. 8-16.

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