Tom Izzo on Jahlil Okafor: 'When's the trade deadline?' | 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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Thursday / March 28.
  • Tom Izzo on Jahlil Okafor: ‘When’s the trade deadline?’

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    NCAA Basketball: Duke at St. JohnMichigan State coach Tom Izzo was one of several college coaches who recruited but failed to land Duke big man Jahlil Okafor, the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.

    The 6-foot-11 Okafor ultimately chose Duke over a list that included Kentucky, Kansas and Baylor.

    Before that Okafor was considering Michigan State, Arizona, Illinois and Ohio State.

    “When’s the trade deadline up? I’d still trade,” Izzo joked about Okafor on Thursday in Syracuse a day ahead of Michigan State’s Sweet 16 matchup with Oklahoma.

    “If it’s before [Friday], I’m still doing it.”

    Okafor and Duke face Utah Friday night in Houston.

    Meantime, Izzo praised his current roster of Spartans.

    “I know one thing: I wouldn’t trade anybody as far as the way these guys have handled things this year, the class in the way they’ve dealt with things, winning and losing, the frustration of the free-throw situation we went through and how they handled that, what they are as students, what they are as people,” he said. “I’m cool with it all.”

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    Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

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