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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 / December 10.
  • NCAA Basketball: Butler at ProvidenceNEW YORK Kris Dunn flirted with the first triple-double in the Big East Tournament in 17 years, but despite his heroic efforts defending champion Providence lost to this year’s favorite, Villanova, 63-61, in an instant-classic semifinal on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

    In Saturday night’s championship game, No. 1 Villanova will play No. 6 Xavier for its first Big East tournament title since 1995. The Musketeers fended off a late run by No. 2 Georgetown to win 65-63 in the nightcap.

    In the first semifinal, the 6-foot-3 Dunn went for 22 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds and tied the game at 61 on a layup off a steal by teammate Ben Bentil with 12 seconds left.

    NCAA Basketball: Big East Tournament Semifinal-Villanova vs ProvidenceBy JOSH NEWMAN

    NEW YORK – Villanova head coach Jay Wright does not fancy himself a ‘Bracketologist,’ but if the Wildcats win the Big East Tournament against Xavier on Saturday night, he knows exactly where they should be seeded.

    “Honestly, I don’t know enough about it, I really don’t,” Wright said Friday night after top-seeded Villanova outlasted No. 4 seed Providence, 63-61, Friday night in one semifinal. “I don’t follow it and I couldn’t give you an honest answer.”

    “I think if we win it, we deserve one, but I don’t know all the other parameters to give you an honest answer.”

    NCAA Basketball: SEC Conference Tournament-Florida vs KentuckyBy JOSH NEWMAN

    If anyone is going to beat the University of Kentucky this month, they’re going to have stand toe-to-toe with the Wildcats for 40 minutes, not just 30 or 35.

    The latest example of this came Friday afternoon in an SEC Tournament quarterfinal. No. 8 seed Florida had the game at a manageable point, down just five with 7:11 to play, but then the tidal wave came.

    The top-seeded, unbeaten Wildcats (32-0) closed the game on a 14-4 run to pull away for a 64-49 victory over the Gators at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

    Freshman big man Karl-Anthony Towns continued his strong play with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while sophomore guard Aaron Harrison added 13 on 4-for-8 shooting for Kentucky, which is now eight wins away from becoming the first time to finish a season 40-0.

    Jamal Murray actionKentucky is the latest school to show interest in Jamal Murray, the 6-foot-5 2016 lead guard from Orangeville Prep (Ontario).

    Wildcats assistant Barry “Slice” Rohrssen saw Murray on his recent trip to Canada where he also saw 7-footer Thon Maker.

    Both players are considering reclassing to 2015 from 2016, with Maker recently saying he’s “70 percent” inclined to do so.

    NEW YORKChris Hurley predicts this weekend will be “extremely nerve-wracking.”

    “I’ll lose about five pounds over the weekend,” she joked.

    Bob Hurley Sr. says of the next few days, “It’s going to be a lot of suffering. It’s almost not fun because there’s so much at stake.”

    Yes, there sure is a lot at stake in the coming hours and days for New Jersey’s most famous basketball family.

    In the span of less than 24 hours beginning Friday night, both Bobby Hurley and Danny Hurley will begin trying to coach their teams into the NCAA Tournament, while Bob Sr. will coach for the 26th state championship in his Naismith Hall of Fame career.

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