Rafer Alston may be the only high school basketball coach competing in the NBA D-League.
Alston, 35, is taking a break from coaching Humble (Texas) Christian Life Center in order to get his own playing career back on track.
“I’m just trying to open eyes again and let people know I still got a lot in the tank and just compete,” Alston, now with the LA Defenders, told SNY.tv in his first interview since returning to the pros.
Memphis and Houston playing for the Big East basketball championship?
It sounds strange, but it could happen.
With established powers Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia on their way out and former Conference-USA schools Memphis, Houston, SMU and UCF on their way in, the Big East will look dramatically different in a year or so.
All those schools are set to join in 2013, meaning by the time of the 2014 Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden, it’s at least possible Memphis and Houston – or for that matter, SMU and UCF — could play for the title.
**PROGRAMMING NOTE: Memphis basketball coach Josh Pastner will be my guest on ‘The Big East Report’ on Thursday. Check back here and on SNY.tv tomorrow for the interview.**
Everyone in the college basketball world knows Josh Pastner can recruit.
The Memphis coach signed ESPN’s No. 4 recruiting class nationally in 2010.
His current roster includes McDonald’s All-American Joe Jackson and Jordan Brand All-Americans Will Barton and Wesley Witherspoon.
Now that Memphis is headed to the Big East beginning in 2013, Pastner and his staff will have recruiting entree to the rich talent corridor from New York to Washington, D.C.
UConn coach Jim Calhoun will miss his third consecutive game Saturday at Syracuse as he continues to battle spinal stenosis, a painful lower back condition, the school announced Wednesday.
Calhoun, who was physically unable to coach games Saturday against Seton Hall and Monday at Louisville, is scheduled to meet with specialists over the next few days to determine the best course of treatment.
“I’m feeling better, but as of now, I wouldn’t be able to coach,” Calhoun said Tuesday. “I’m trying to get the best assessment in order to find the best solution.”
Two former Knicks have been sidelined with serious injuries.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Chauncey Billups, whom the Knicks amnestied in order to sign center Tyson Chandler, is done for the season with a torn left Achilles tendon.
And Danilo Gallinari, who was dealt last February in the Carmelo Anthony trade, is out a month with a badly sprained left ankle.
Billups injury occurred during the Clippers’ 107-102 overtime victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.
Bob Hurley and St. Anthony captured their 50th straight game Tuesday when they won at Plainfield, 43-31.
The reigning mythical national champions, No. 5 in the Five Star Power Rankings, have not lost since the 2010 New Jersey state tournament against Trenton Catholic.
UCLA-bound point guard Kyle Anderson is now 50-0 since coming over to St. Anthony from Paterson Catholic.
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Communicating publicly for the first time since his older brother’s death Monday in a car accident in Florida, Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire said he plans to be out a “few days” while grieving with his family.
“I am humbled by all of the thoughts and prayers I have received,” he said in a statement. “Thank you for all of the support. I am going to take a few days to be with my family and grieve the loss of my big brother, Hazell Stoudemire. Although it is not clear to me now, I hope to make some good come from our tragedy.”
Stoudemire took an indefinite leave of absence Monday after learning of the tragic news and missed the Knicks’ 99-88 victory over the Utah Jazz.
