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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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Saturday / November 23.

Scottie Reynolds likely wasn’t going to get chosen in the June 25 NBA Draft and so he has opted to return to Villanova for his senior season.

“The best decision for me is to return to Villanova for my senior year,” said Reynolds, who averaged 15.2 points per game in helping lead Villanova to a school-record 30 victories last season. “I’d like to thank everyone who put their time into helping me get better during these NBA workouts. I especially want to thank my teammates and coaches here for all of their support. I felt like I learned a great deal from this process.

“I’m blessed to be in the situation I am in. I’m happy to be back at Villanova.”

Greg “Shoes” Vetrone, a former assistant to Tom Green at FDU, will become the program’s new interim head coach, according to sources.

“They’re giving the job to Greg Vetrone,” a source said.

Green was fired last week after 26 years on the job.

Assistants Ron Brown and Jared Stephans were also reportedly considered for the job.

Since 2002, Vetrone has served as a consultant for the Reebok Grassroots Program. In that position, he was the Director of ABCD East and West Camp Next, co-director of ABCD All-American Basketball Camp and co-director of Roundball Classic High school All-American game in Chicago.

As first reported here last week, Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard is considering taking a position as an assistant under Louisville coach Rick Pitino.

“I’m just trying to weigh everything,” Willard told the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram Monday night after meeting with his players. “I’m trying to make the best decision for Holy Cross, for our kids, for the University of Louisville, and for Rick Pitino.

“I think that every one of those considerations will provide a very invigorating and challenging outcome for Ralph Willard. I’m trying to weigh all those things.”

Willard is due to decide this week.

South Florida finished 14th in the 16-team Big East last season, but head coach Stan Heath believes things will be much better this season.

The Bulls have secured an impressive recruiting class that includes 6-11 JUCO forward Jarrid Famous, forward Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and guards Mike Burwell Jr., Jordan Dumars and Shaun Noriega. Anthony Crater, who transferred from Ohio State last December, can suit up Dec. 12

Junior transfer Ron Anderson, a 6-8 forward from Kansas State, will have to sit out next year as per transfer regulations.

“I think we can improve a lot,” Heath said by phone. “We didn’t have much depth last season. We had significant injuries. With a full roster where we can play for 40 minutes, I think it really gives us a different situation out there on the court. We return some key players. We add some key players. Anthony Crater, a transfer from Ohio State, should help us.”

***UPDATED***

Kyrie Irving, one of the top point guards in the  Class of 2010, took an unofficial visit to UConn this weekend and has changed his list as a result.

“I liked the court and the facilities,” Irving wrote in a text message. “The coaching staff, they were really passionate and informative.”

The 6-foot-1 Irving previously said Indiana was at the top of his list.

UConn, which wasn’t on his list before, now is.

“Yea, they are on my list,” he said.

The new list looks like this: UConn, Georgia Tech, Duke, Indiana, Seton Hall, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Florida, Marquette and Kentucky.

St. Patrick of Elizabeth (N.J.) Coach Kevin Boyle has high praise for Irving.

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