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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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Thursday / March 28.
  • By TIM REYNOLDS

    LAS VEGAS — Kyrie Irving isn’t in a position where he could play with USA Basketball this week at its minicamp.

    He made the trip to Las Vegas anyway.

    The way Irving sees it, if USA Basketball calls, you answer. So he was in the gym Thursday for the start of the two-day camp, watching and interacting with guys but not partaking in the on-court action.

    And he insisted that when the Boston Celtics start training camp in about two months, he will be fully ready to go.

    “Easily. Easily. Easily,” the former Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick’s star said. “It’s just the summertime. This is probably one of the first summers in my last seven years where I’ve actually had time to kind of develop and work on things that I want to improve on.”

    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    Nico Mannion, the 6-foot-3 point guard from Pinnacle (AZ) High School who will reclassify to 2019, plans to cut his list soon and says three schools are near-locks to make his revised list, while two blue bloods are trying to crack the list.

    In June, Mannion named his top ten schools. Kansas, Duke, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, Villanova, Marquette, USC, UCLA, and Vanderbilt made the list.

    He told Eric Bossi of Rivals.com that Arizona, Duke and Villanova are near-locks to make his new list once he cuts it.

    “It’s hard to say right now,” he said. “Arizona, Duke and probably Villanova and then the other spots are hard.”

    By JOHN HANNA

    TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A grand jury investigating alleged recruiting abuses in college basketball ordered the University of Kansas earlier this year to turn over communications involving its men’s team coaches and at least one prospective recruit, newly released records show.

    The federal grand jury in New York also demanded copies of any agreements with apparel manufacturer Adidas and communications between the basketball coaches and company representatives.

    “These documents do not suggest any wrongdoing by the university,” spokesman Andy Hyland said in an email Wednesday to The Associated Press, referring to the two subpoenas, which were sent in January and March. “We are cooperating fully with investigators in this matter.”

    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    Precious Achiuwa, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound wing from the New Heights AAU program, says he remains wide open in his recruitment and will begin to form a college list this fall.

    Achiuwa, who averaged 20.9 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season at St. Benedict’s Prep, holds offers from UCLA, Kansas, St. John’s, UConn, Tulane, Florida State, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Michigan, among others.

    “Before this point, I’ve just been putting my recruitment aside and just worrying about getting better and improving my game, but this is pretty much my last week of AAU so I want to just put it out there that I’m open to every school,” Achiuwa said Wednesday by phone from Las Vegas. “My recruitment is still open. I’m not down to any number of schools, my recruitment is still open to whoever.

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