December 2017 | Page 20 of 22 | 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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Sunday / December 8.
  • By SEAN BOCK & ADAM ZAGORIA

    Lavar Ball has pulled his middle son, LiAngelo, out of UCLA and plans to prep him for the NBA Draft.

    “He’s not transferring to another school,” he told ESPN. “The plan is now to get Gelo ready for the NBA Draft.”

    “We learned today of LiAngelo Ball’s intention to withdraw from UCLA,” Bruins head coach Steve Alford said in a statement. “We respect the decision he and his family have made, and we wish him all the best in the future.”

    According to TMZ, which first reported the news, Lavar made the decision due to the indefinite suspension LiAngelo — and UCLA teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill — are currently serving because of his arrest in China last month on shoplifting charges.

    “There’s no need to break down a kid’s spirit for making a mistake,” Lavar told TMZ of the suspension. TMZ also reported that LiAngelo has not officially withdrawn from the school, but he’s at home and won’t return.

    “I haven’t told any of those guys,” Lavar told ESPN of the UCLA staff before Alford made his statement. “They didn’t tell me anything, so why am I gonna tell them.”

    Earlier this year, Lavar decided his youngest son, LaMelo, would be homeschooled for his remaining two years of high school. He has committed to UCLA beginning in 2019, but at this point it remains an open question as to whether he’ll ever suit up there.

    Lavar did say recently his kids didn’t need school and could train/prepare for the NBA without high school or college. But while LaMelo is considered an NBA prospect, like oldest brother Lonzo of the Los Angeles Lakers, LiAngelo is not.

    By JOHN MARSHALL

    Notre Dame won the Maui Invitational with an impressive comeback against Wichita State.

    The Fighting Irish didn’t fare as well against another top 10 team, leading a shuffling at the top half of The Associated Press Top 25 poll .

    Duke (10-0) received all 65 first-place votes in the poll released Monday after a pair of easy victories, its second straight week as the unanimous No. 1. The next three spots also remained the same from last week: Kansas, Michigan State and Villanova.

    Notre Dame was No. 5 last week, but dropped to No. 9 following its 81-63 loss to the Spartans.

    By SEAN BOCK

    There have been rumors that 5-star recruit James Wiseman would be reclassifying to the 2018 class. Those talks have been shut down.

    In fact, he has no idea where they started.

    “I have no clue,” Wiseman told SEC Country. “I just looked on Twitter, and they were talking about that. It was crazy.”

    Wiseman, a 6-foot-11 power forward from Memphis East (TN), was originally not able to play this season because of the relationship he formed with Penny Hardaway who coached his AAU team and is the head coach at Memphis East, the school to which Wiseman transferred this year. But a temporary restraining order has allowed Wiseman and another teammate to play until their court hearing on Dec. 13.

    The crystal ball seems to be in favor of Kentucky, as it gives the Wildcats a 100 percent chance to land Wiseman.

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