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.
No sooner does the former Creighton coach get the Oregon job, than he persuades Los Angeles Westchester star Dwayne Polee to postpone his college announcement until after visiting the Oregon campus Friday.
The 6-foot-7 Polee was to announce between St. John’s and Georgia at halftime of the Collision all-star game Saturday night, but decided to hold off instead.
“St. John’s and UGA,” he wrote by text prior to the latest development.
Back home in Toronto with his mother, Cory Joseph finally made a decision.
The 6-foot-3, 170-pound point guard out of Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep chose Texas over UConn, Villanova, Minnesota and UNLV.
“Yeah, I did,” he said by phone from Toronto. “Coach [Rick] Barnes and the staff, we have a good relationship. The style of play, they go up and down. I really feel like it can excel my game to the next level there. It was the best fit for me.”
Joseph is the No. 3 point guard in the Class of 2010 and No. 7 overall player, according to Rivals.
Joseph averaged 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in leading Findlay Prep to the second of back-to-back National High School Invitational titles.
In choosing Texas, Joseph will join Findlay teammate and fellow Canadian Tristan Thompson, a 6-9 forward who signed with the Longhorns in November.
While Kentucky has grabbed seemingly every top prospect in the last week or so, there is good news for Kansas fans.
Terrence Jones, a 6-foot-8 forward from Portland (Ore.) Jefferson High, will take an official visit to Kansas.
“Terrence will be taking an official visit to Kansas this Sunday,” his mother, Linda Mashia-Jones, wrote in an email.
After putting up 17 points and 9 rebounds in the Jordan Classic Saturday, Jones told reporters he planned to visit Kansas before announcing alongside 6-5 Portland (Ore.) Jefferson teammate Terrence Ross.
“Hopefully, I will get that done,” Jones said, according to the Lawrence Journal World & News. “I have one official visit left. I want to use it.”
Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti has reached out to a group of people for advice, including Hurley, former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy and NBA Commissioner David Stern, a Rutgers alum. Tara Sullivan of The Record reported the Van Gundy and Stern news.
“I’m one of a group of people,” Hurley said. “I shared my feelings about some of the candidates.”
Among the names in the mix at Rutgers are Fran Fraschilla, Eddie Jordan, Jim O’Brien and Fran Dunphy.
“Those are among the names that we’ve talked about,” Hurley said.