December 2010 | Page 4 of 18 | Zagsblog
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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.

When Louisville coach Rick Pitino announced last week that he would coach the Puerto Rican National Team during 2011 Olympic qualifying, Todd Washington was one of the first to applaud the decision.

Washington, a senior adviser to the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation and the son of Charlotte Bobcats co-owner Robert B. Washington, believes that this is the first of many Federations in the region that will go in that direction.

“In the last week I’ve gotten calls from several coaches who expressed an interest in learning more about the development of basketball in the region,” Washington said. “The Pitino announcement has really helped bring attention to the sport in this part of the world. It baffles me why more coaches are not spending time down here recruiting players.”

In a Christmas Day shocker, Ricky Ledo committed to Providence.

“Yes,” the 6-foot-6, 188-pound Ledo, the No. 2 shooting guard in the Class of 2012, said by phone.

Ledo initially Tweeted his decision.

“I thought it was a  good fit,” he added by phone. “The coaches and I just know I’ve got the opportunity to start from day one.”

Ledo is a Providence native who transferred to South Kent (Conn.) from St. Andrew’s School in Barrington, R.I.

Asked what he’ll bring to the school, Ledo said, “A scorer, come in and score the ball . Make my teammates better.”

Asked if it felt good to have the recruiting process over with, Ledo said, “It feels good, yeah.”

Just four days after he was suspended for an incident at practice in Hawaii, Renardo Sidney has been suspended again. This time indefinitely.

Sidney and Elgin Bailey, who are roommates, were caught on camera fighting in the stands after Thursday’s game at the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. The fight lasted for several minutes before it was broken up by teammates and coaches. Both players have been sent home from Hawaii.

The fight came three days after Sidney was initially suspended one game for an incident at practice Monday.

By ALEX KLINE

They are only high school freshmen, but in just a small amount of time they have already made an impact on the basketball court.

While there is no clear-cut top prospect in the class of 2014, a number of players around the country appear destined to become stars

2014 features two top players who verbally committed to schools before they played a single game in high school.

Indiana head coach Tom Crean picked up commitments from Tre Lyles, a 6-foot-7 forward from Arsenal Technical (IN), and James Blackmon Jr., a 6-foot-2 shooting guard from Bishop Luers (IN).

New York City has now lost the Jordan Classic, the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event and the ABCD Camp within the span of four years – and needs a big-time high school event to restore its prominence on the grassroots circuit.

To review:

**Nike moved the Jordan Classic to North Carolina for April 2011 because of the ongoing renovation at Madison Square Garden.

**Kris Stone, founder of the Boost Mobile game, took that event to Venice Beach, Calif., in 2010 after the 2009 game was rained out and moved inside to the Gauchos Gym.

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