NEW YORK — After Corey Fisher poured in 105 points in a summer league game Saturday night in The Bronx, Villanova coach Jay Wright knows one thing for sure.
“Fish” can fill it up.
“I’ve played in a summer league and haven’t taken 105 shots in the season,” Wright cracked Wednesday after Team USA practiced at John Jay College in Manhattan.
Wright also joked that he doubted Fisher played much ‘D’ in the game.
“I guarantee if it was summer league, Corey gave up 102 if he scored 105,” Wright said. “I guarantee it.”
Fisher reportedly went 23-of-28 from beyond the arc and scored 72 points in the second half.
Wright said he was initially concerned that it wasn’t a sanctioned summer league because otherwise there could have been eligibility issues.
“That was my major concern,” Wright said.
After clarifying that it was sanctioned, Wright asked the rising senior from The Bronx: “How do you score 105 points and I have to beg you to shoot? How does that happen? Can we translate that into next year and we play with that same aggressiveness?”
A year ago, Fisher played alongside Scottie Reynolds, the Big East Player of the Year who recently signed to play in Italy.
Fisher averaged 13.3 points and 3.9 assists.
“When he played with Scottie Reynolds, he had such respect for Scottie Reynolds, there were games I would have to beg him to shoot because he always wanted to get it to Scottie, get it to other people,” Wright said.
“But I’d rather him score 105 points in a game than hear he went 2-for-25 in a game, so I’m happy.”
With Reynolds gone, the Wildcats will now rely on Fisher, fellow senior Corey Stokes of Bayonne, N.J. and Philly product Maalik Wayns to step up their scoring output.
“We always have a lot of guys who can score, but we just need Corey to be a guy that consistently scores,” Wright said. “He’s had great games of 25, 28 and he’s had games of 5 or 6 when he doesn’t shoot. It’s not that he misses, he just doesn’t shoot.
“So I like this, I hope it carries over.”
WRIGHT HIGH ON ALLEN
Wright, who is coaching the Select Team here, is also high on 6-10 Temple senior Lavoy Allen, a Morrisville, Pa. native who was watched Wednesday by Temple coach Fran Dunphy.
“He’s gotten better and better throughout our time in Vegas,” Wright said. “He needed to look for his shot more and he’s just not naturally a selfish guy. But you saw today sometimes you’d pick and pop him and he’d shoot the ball.
“He’s a great defensive player, great rebounder.”
JAY-Z TO PERFORM THURSDAY AT RADIO CITY
(AP) — Jay-Z will provide the opening act for the World Basketball Festival.
The rap mogul will perform Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall as part of the kick-off ceremony for the weekend event.
Event organizer Nike made the announcement Wednesday. The performance will follow an on-court appearance by the 15 finalists for the U.S. team that is training in New York before the world championships.
The teams from France, Brazil and China are also part of the festival, which includes appearances around the city before an exhibition doubleheader Sunday at Madison Square Garden. The Americans will face the French before China meets Brazil.
FREE THROWS
2011 PG Josiah Turner of Sacramento, Calif. will visit UConn Sept. 10-11, a source confirms…Chris Singleton, a 6-10 forward from Florida State, continued to impress media and NBA guys with his ability to stroke it from long range for the Select Team…Among the college coaches on hand at Wednesday’s Team USA practice were Fran Dunphy (Temple), Barry Rohrssen and Scott Adubato (Manhattan), Tom Pecora (Fordham) and former Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez…Fordham commits Jeff Short and “Fatty” McMillan will both prep next season, Pecora said…Syracuse will face N.C. State Dec. 4 at the Carrier Dome.
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