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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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Tuesday / October 8.
  • By ADAM ZAGORIA & ZACH SMART

    Less than a week after losing out on Roselle (N.J.) Catholic guard Isaiah Briscoe, St. John’s landed its first commitment in the Class of 2015 when Philadelphia Math, Civics, & Sciences combo guard Samir Doughty committed to the Johnnies.

    St. John’s coach Steve Lavin had hoped Briscoe would be the building block to a huge class for 2015 that must replace six graduating seniors.

    “Style of play and great coaching,” the 6-foot-4, 182-pound Doughty told SNY.tv of why he picked St. John’s over Penn State and Seton Hall. “That’s what I really like about it. And they play at [Madison Square] Garden.”

    Kentucky graphicINDIANAPOLIS — What if the Kentucky Wildcats and their nine McDonald’s All-Americans played the 0-10 Philadelphia 76ers?

    Would Kentucky win?

    Some people have mocked this notion, including Wildcats head coach John Calipari.

    After Kentucky recently defeated Georgetown College, 121-52, Georgetown coach Chris Briggs said:  “I just told the guys in the locker room, they could have beaten some NBA teams tonight. No doubt in my mind.”

    Briscoe Peach Jam actionJim Halley of USA Today named the All-USA preseason boys basketball team. Here it is:

    Dwayne Bacon, 6-6, Oak Hill Academy (VA) (FLORIDA STATE)

    Scored 41 points in first game at Oak Hill

    Isaiah Briscoe, 6-3, Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (KENTUCKY)

    21.2 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.9 rpg

    Jaylen Brown, 6-7, Marietta (GA) (UNDECLARED)

    24.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.4 bpg

    Jalen Brunson, 6-1, Lincolnshire (IL) (VILLANOVA)

    26.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.9 spg

    TownsKentucky and Kansas each put four players on the Wooden Award Watch List Monday.

    Junior Willie Cauley-Stein, sophomores Aaron and Andrew Harrison, and freshman Karl-Anthony Towns were Kentucky’s four selections to the preseason list.

    Kansas, which meets Kentucky Tuesday night in the Champions Class in Indianapolis, also had four players on the list — junior Perry Ellis, freshmen Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre Jr. and sophomore Wayne Selden.

    Arizona had three players on the list with junior Brandon Ashley, sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and freshman Stanley Johnson.

    MSGThe Barclays Center in Brooklyn will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and Madison Square Garden will host the East Regional in 2017, it was announced Monday.

    “Hosting the NCAA East Regional again in 2017 is wonderful for Madison Square Garden and all of New York,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president of sports properties at MSG. “In April, the World’s Most Famous Arena was thrilled to be the site of UCONN’s breathtaking victories on its way to the Final Four and national championship. We are proud to continue the 80-year legacy of exciting college hoops at The Garden with the NCAA Tournament in 2017.”

    Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia will also host the 2016 East Regional.

    Here’s the complete list of sites for 2016-18:

    2016 HOST ROUND SITE VENUE
    March 15-16 Dayton First Four Dayton, Ohio UD Arena
    March 17, 19 Providence First, Second Providence, R.I. Dunkin Donuts Center
    March 17, 19 Iowa State First, Second Des Moines, Iowa Wells Fargo Arena
    March 17, 19 NC State First, Second Raleigh, N.C. PNC Arena
    March 17, 19 Mountain West First, Second Denver Pepsi Center
    March 18, 20 Atlantic 10 First, Second Brooklyn, N.Y. Barclays Center
    March 18, 20 Missouri Valley First, Second St. Louis Scottrade Center
    March 18, 20 Big 12 First, Second Oklahoma City Chesapeake Energy Arena
    March 18, 20 Idaho First, Second Spokane, Wash. Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
    March 24, 26 Big West West Regional Anaheim, Calif. Honda Center
    March 24, 26 Louisville South Regional Louisville, Ky. KFC YUM! Center
    March 25, 27 Big Ten Midwest Regional Chicago United Center
    March 25, 27 LaSalle East Regional Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center

    "2014 Under Armour Elite 24"Brandon Ingram will decide his college choice early, but sign late, his high school coach confirmed to SNY.tv Monday.

    “Will decide early but sign in the spring,” Perry Tyndall said. “Exactly when he commits, I’m not sure. He still has some uncertainty.”

    The 6-foot-8 2015 forward from Kinston (N.C.) visited N.C. State, Duke and North Carolina over the weekend for games.

    He’s also considering UCLA, Kansas and Kentucky.

    RutgersBy JEREMY FUCHS

    PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Before Rutgers’ season-opener against George Washington on Sunday, senior guard Bishop Daniels said he had a plan for the Colonials.

    “What we plan on doing to them is, like I said, stepping on their throat,” Daniels told the Rutgers Daily Targum.

    How’d that one work out?

    Rutgers ended up losing to George Washington, 70-53, at the RAC, shooting a paltry 35.2 percent from the floor.

    Myles Mack outpaced all Scarlet Knight scorers with 14 points and added three assists. The next highest scorer was freshman guard Mike Williams with 10 points. Rutgers played without senior big man Kadeem Jack (sprained thumb). The Colonials capitalized on the missed shots and had seven steals to cruise to the easy victory.

    “We got punched in the mouth,” Daniels said after the game. “Can’t let that happen again.”

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