May 2015 | Page 4 of 22 | Zagsblog
Recent Posts
About ZagsBlog
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.
Follow Zags on Twitter
Couldn't connect with Twitter
Contact Zags
Connect with Zags:
Friday / October 4.
  • In case you missed it on Wednesday night, former Michigan State and Notre Dame basketball player Garrick Sherman went off on Twitter about the NCAA and drug testing.

    One coach texted me last night, “You need to follow Garrick Sherman on Twitter immediately and read the last two hours of his tweets!”

    Sherman is playing for BC Dinamo Tbilisi in the Georgian Superliga, and apparently had a couple adult beverages after his season ended and took to Twitter.

    Sherman chimed in on music, weighing in on both Kurt Cobain and Taylor Swift, before turning his attention to his playing time at Michigan State and the NCAA and drug testing.

    On Thursday morning, Sherman woke up and issued a couple more Tweets, which are at the bottom here:

    4_2971152By MATT JESSEN-HOWARD

    MINNEAPOLIS – Wendell Carter Jr. put on quite the performance this past weekend in Minnesota for the fourth session of Nike’s EYBL. His play attracted tons of spectators – the Georgia Stars may have had the second-most spectators, only short of the hometown Howard Pulley Panthers – and for good reason.

    Carter’s performance stood out, and onlookers should have been warned with a “Caution: DANGEROUS” sign on Georgia Stars’ court – literally. On Saturday, one of Carter’s dunks violently shook the entire hoop and support system for far longer than anyone close cared to be near. Throughout the course of the weekend, the 6-foot-10 2017 power forward from Atlanta (GA) Fulton Leadership Academy averaged 13.4 points and 9.6 rebounds, both of which are session-highs for him.

    “I just really tried to come out and let loose,” he told SNY.tv in an exclusive interview. “The last two games that I was down here, we kind of played sluggish. I put in my mind, that it’s not happening anymore. I came in not thinking about my fouls, or my foul count. Just playing, playing, playing, I’m going to give it my all.”

    Plenty of college coaches have taken notice.

    Jan 20, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts to a play during the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the second half at Rupp Arena. The Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 65-57. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

    Former Kentucky assistant Barry “Slice” Rohrssen says NBA teams will always court John Calipari, who loves to embrace challenges. Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

    NEW YORK — The way former Kentucky and current St. John’s assistant Barry “Slice” Rohrssen sees it, John Calipari will always be courted by NBA teams and the challenge of coaching at the game’s highest level will always appeal to him.

    “My feelings are that he will always be in demand for an NBA job because he’s a players’ coach and he’s coached as many NBA players as there are out there now except he got them before they hit the NBA,” Rohrssen told SNY.tv on Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium where Red Storm coach Chris Mullin threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

    Calipari was most recently linked to the New Orleans Pelicans, where his former players Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans play. After it was first reported, Calipari Tweeted: “Even though Anthony and Tyreke are in New Orleans, I have no interest in coaching the Pelicans or any other coaching position. I have a great job and I’m happy at Kentucky.”

    Rysheed JordanNEW YORK — St. John’s coach Chris Mullin does not sound optimistic about Rysheed Jordan’s return and says the Red Storm will likely have to go with incoming freshman Marcus LoVett at point guard if Jordan’s college career is done.

    “We’re waiting on his grades and then seeing what his status is academically so once that gets situated then we’ll know,” Mullin said of Jordan before throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

    The 6-foot-3 rising junior is expected to be ruled academically ineligible for the fall semester and may have played his last game for the team. He averaged 14.1 points and 3.1 assists last season and would have been one of the best returning guards in the Big East Conference.

    “[I’m] not real concerned,” Mullin said when asked about his level of concern. “I’ve had good dealings with him and the academic piece is really the thing that’s out of my control. I’m not concerned one way or the other. I’ve had good dealings with him and we’ve all gotta take care of our own responsibilities one way or the other.”

    Without Jordan, the 5-11 LoVett will likely get the nod as the starting floor general in Mullin’s first year on the job.

    derekIn his first public comments since Derrick Gordon transferred to Seton Hall from UMass, Pirates coach Kevin Willard said he expects Gordon to “help us win games.”

    The 6-foot-3 Plainfield, N.J., native is the first openly gay player in Division 1 men’s basketball, having come out in April 2014. He announced his decision to transfer to Seton Hall earlier this month.

    “First of all who, am I to judge anybody?” Willard said Tuesday on The 4 Quarters Podcast. “I know God is the only person that can really judge people. I have no right to judge anybody. Nobody’s given me the right so I am excited about the abilities of the young man coming in to help us win games, that’s the only thing that really matters. Is he a good person and can he help us win games and everything is kind of secondary.”

    Gordon has yet to officially sign with Seton Hall, and thus Willard is not yet permitted to discuss him my name.

    Gordon is joining a Catholic University and one that has had a troubled recent history on the matter of gay rights.

    mychalmulderKentucky official signed junior college shooting guard Mychal Mulder to its already highly-rated 2015 signing class.

    Mulder signed a national letter of intent earlier this month and will join fall signees Isaiah Briscoe, Skal Labissiere and Charles Matthews for the 2015-16 season.

    Mulder is a 6-foot-4, 185-pound shooting guard from Windsor, Ontario. He averaged 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while connecting on 46.3 percent of his field goals from 3-point range as a sophomore at Vincennes University. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

    “I’m so excited to be coaching Mychal,” head coach John Calipari said. “He’s been in a great program the last two years and been pushed hard by a terrific coach. His teams have won and he’s shared, yet he was still rewarded as a First Team All-American. He fits our program.”

    } });
    X