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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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Friday / October 4.
  • By DAVID DORSEY

    FORT MYERS, Fla. – Kevin Knox has quite a good problem on his hands. He also has plenty of time to solve it.

    Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Florida State each have scholarship offers on the table for Knox, who plans to make multiple visits, unofficial and official, to each one.

    “I want to commit after the season,” said Knox, whose stock rose between his sophomore and junior seasons at Tampa Catholic High School, when he advanced from 49 players trying out to make the 16 and under national team. “I want to slow everything down and just take my time with it.

    “Now that I’m down to four, I don’t get as many text messages and phone calls.”

    For those holding out hope of seeing Lonzo and LiAngelo Ball balling it up at UCLA during the 2017-18 season, Steve Alford says Lonzo is “absolutely” going to be one-and-done.

    Not exactly shocking news, considering Ball is now the projected No. 4 pick via DraftExpress.com and will be watched by nearly 50 NBA scouts on Saturday when No. 2 UCLA (11-0) faces Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic in Las Vegas.

    But it isn’t always that a head coach comes flat out and says that about a star freshman, either.

    “Do we know he’s a done and done, do we know he’s not gonna be here long? Absolutely,” Alford told ESPN’s Cari Champion for a feature that aired Friday. “Do his teammates know that? Absolutely. Everybody understands that but if you’re around ‘Zo, you would think this is a lifetime deal.”

    Nearly 50 NBA scouts are expected on Saturday for the CBS Sports Classic that features No. 2 UCLA facing Ohio State and No. 6 Kentucky meeting No. 7 North Carolina in Las Vegas, a source told ZAGSBLOG.

    UCLA is led by freshman sensation Lonzo Ball, currently projected as the No. 4 pick in 2017 by DraftExpress.com. Freshman big man T.J. Leaf has also seen his draft stock rise with his play of late for the unbeaten Bruins (11-0).

    “With Lonzo [in the] top 5, I know if I’m at that level, I’ve got him higher than that,” Bruins coach Steve Alford said on The 4 Quarters Podcast. “I just think he’s special. You don’t get point guards that are that size with that length, with that basketball IQ and somebody that can change the game in so many ways. Lonzo can change it through passing, he can change it through defense and his ability to get deflections and steals. He can do it through rebounding and then when you forget about him he can score 9, 10 points in a minute. He’s such a versatile point guard and he’s fun to play with and I think that’s what you see our team enjoying right now, is people like playing with him.”

    Kentucky features three projected first-round one-and-dones in No. 5 Malik Monk, No. 10 De’Aaron Fox and No. 15 Bam Adebayo.

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