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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.

**Click the Video Player at right for my interviews with Tom Konchalski, where he talks New York and New Jersey high school playoffs and recruiting**

CALIPARI MAKING A RUN AT CORY JOSEPH

Just when you thought recruiting of the high-level senior guards had settled down comes the news that Kentucky coach John Calipari is making a run at Cory Joseph.

Calipari was in Las Vegas Monday to scout the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Joseph, a senior McDonald’s All-American at Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep who had previously cut his list to Villanova, UConn, Texas, UNLV and Minnesota.

“He was out here Monday. He came to practice,” said Findlay coach Michael Peck, coach of the defending national champions.

Peck said Calipari did not explicity offer a scholarship, but he assumed that’s what the coach had in mind.

Alex Kline of BoxofMess.com continues to put in work interviewing many of the top high school prospects in the New York metropolitan area.

In this piece, Kline gets Burlington (N.J.) Life Center stars Dion Waiters and LaQuinton Ross talking about their future goals and plans.

The 6-foot-8 Ross has already been compared to Kevin Durant by Burlington coach Wilson Arroyo.

The junior transferred from Murrah (Miss.) High in order to play a national schedule against better competition.

Lance Stephenson will likely return to Cincinnati for his sophomore season instead of declaring for the NBA Draft, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

“I think I’m going to stay and keep working,” Stephenson told the newspaper. “I don’t think I’ve had an NBA season this year so the best choice for me is to stay.”

“Lance really likes it at Cincy,” Lance Stephenson Sr. added in a text message. “My wife and I are happy how he’s maturing and enjoying the college life. We will support him with any decision he makes.”

The all-time leading scorer in New York state history, Stephenson was tabbed as the Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year, but there is no guarantee he’ll win the postseason award.

Rutgers rookie Dane Miller is averaging 12.5 points and 6.6 boards overall and 9.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in the conference. He has won the last three Rookie of the Week honors.

Stephenson is averaging 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds overall and 10.7 and 4.6 in Big East games.

Moses Abraham has only been in this country for three months since arriving from Nigeria the day before Thanksgiving, but he’s already in very high demand.

A 6-foot-9, 237-pound power forward with a 7-3 wingspan, Abraham plays for Temple Hills (Md.) Progressive Christian. His advisor, Joe Boncore, said Abraham is in the Class of 2011 but will go to school in the fall of 2010 after picking a school in two weeks.

“He’s going to make his decision the first week of March. He’s got about six schools that’s he’s narrowed his list down to,” Boncore said by phone.

Boncore listed Georgetown, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland and Seton Hall as the top seven.

Numerous other schools have offered, including Texas, UConn, UCLA, Rutgers and Kansas State.

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