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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.
  • Malik Newman actionDespite all the Internet fantasies of Ben Howland pulling a Larry Brown and hiring Malik Newman’s father as an assistant coach at Mississippi State, it’s not going to happen.

    “Absolutely not, I’m not a coach at all,” Horatio Webster, Newman’s father and a former Mississippi State star, told the Clarion-Ledger after Howland got the job Monday. “I don’t want the headache. I’m already getting grey hairs on both sides of my head.”

    The 6-foot-4 Newman remains the top uncommitted guard in the Class of 2015 and is considering Kentucky, Kansas, LSU, N.C. State, Ole Miss and Mississippi State among others. He is expected to announce sometime in April, perhaps after the NBA early entry deadline on April 26.

    Diallo

    This week will be a big one on the recruiting front for Our Savior New American star forward Cheick Diallo.

    Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon saw the 6-foot-9 Diallo on Monday, Kansas head coach Bill Self is due Wednesday and St. John’s coach Steve Lavin and Iowa State coach Fred Holberg are expected Thursday.

    Diallo, who is an uncommitted and a consensus top-7 recruit nationally, last week won his second Gatorade Player of the Year honor. As a senior at the Long Island school, he averaged 17.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for the 22-12 Pioneers. Diallo is considering Kentucky, Kansas, Iowa State, St. John’s and Pittsburgh and will commit in the spring.

    roselle-catholic-vs-pope-john-njsiaa-boys-basketball-tournament-of-champions-final-2015-99b1496b9afef79f

    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    TRENTON, N.J. — Displaying a diversified offensive game featuring 3-pointers, dunks and clutch foul shooting, Isaiah Briscoe ended his high school career in style.

    The 6-foot-3 Kentucky-bound point guard went for 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 assists and 8 turnovers to lead Roselle (N.J.) Catholic to a 57-45 victory over Syracuse-bound big man Moustapha Diagne and Pope John XXIII in the New Jersey Tournament of Champions final at Sun National Bank Center. Naz Reid, Roselle Catholic’s 6-9 freshman man-child, added 12 points and junior guard Matt Bullock had 12 rebounds.

    It marked the first TOC title for Briscoe, whose team lost in last year’s semifinals, but the second TOC crown for head coach Dave Boff and the Lions (28-4) in the last three years.

    “I told you after the St. Anthony game, and before the TOC, that we were going to win it and we did,” Briscoe said.

    4_2918351Seton Hall landed its third commitment in the Class of 2015 on Monday when Myles Carter, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward from Chicago (IL) St. Rita committed to the Pirates.

    Carter is a teammate of Kentucky-signee Charles Matthews and plays for legendary coach Gary DeCesare.

    “It just felt like a second home to me,” Carter told SNY.tv by phone. “Coach [Kevin] Willard and Coach [Fred Hill] recruited me, they’re great coaches. The team there is great and I feel like they can really be big in the future. Academic-wise they’re really helpful, that’s the main part. I loved it there, I loved it there.”

    NCAA Basketball: Alabama at Wichita StateIn an interview Monday with New York radio personality Mike Francesa, Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said Kansas “still tried to get to” Fred VanVleet even after he committed to the Shockers.

    “They still tried to get to him [after he committed] but he stood by his word and his commitment,” Marshall said. “We were glad they got to the party late on him.”

    The 6-foot junior went for 17 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals on Sunday when No. 7 Wichita State upset No. 2 Kansas 78-65 to advance to a Sweet 16 matchup with No. 3 Notre Dame in the Midwest Region.

    image_handler.aspxEric Paschall, the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year who averaged 15.9 points per game at Fordham, announced on Twitter that he has opened up his recruitment in the wake of the school firing coach Tom Pecora.

    “I have been granted Permission to Contact, which means my recruitment is now open,” the 6-foot-6 freshman guard Tweeted. “Fordham is still an option for a school.”

    Juan Paschall, the player’s father, confirmed to SNY.tv that his son did not obtain a full release.

    “Permission to contact. Not a release,” he said.

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