June 2012 | Page 11 of 22 | 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 Tom Crean is not sitting courtside at the NBA Finals and rooting on his former protege Dwyane Wade, he’s been busy sending texts to many of the top recruits in the nation.

The Indiana coach tapped out the first texts after midnight on Friday — when the new NCAA rule kicked into effect — to both 2014 wing Theo Pinson and 2013 center Beejay Anya.

“Tom Crean texted me at 12 o’clock,” Anya said from the USA U17 trials in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he was named among the 14 finalists for the World Championship team.

USA Basketball announced 14 finalists for the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team.

Headlined by 2011 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year Jabari Parker (Simeon Career Academy / Chicago, Ill.), the list features eight athletes who won a gold medal at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and one who was on the 2011 USA Basketball 3×3 Youth World Championship Team.

Named as finalists for the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s U17 World Championship Team were: Beejay Anya (DeMatha Catholic H.S. / Gaithersburg, Md.); Joel

Memphis signee Shaq Goodwin went off for 30 points Saturday as the USA U18 team crushed the U.S. Virgin Islands, 105-42, in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Brazil.

Goodwin was a perfect 12-of-12 from the field and 6-of-6 from the line.

Goodwin’s 30-point outpouring was the third highest single game scoring effort in USA Basketball U18 Championship history. His 12-12 shooting set a U.S. mark for highest field goal percentage in a U18 game.

The top two players in the Class of 2012, Nerlens Noel and Shabazz Muhammad, waited until the spring signing period to make their college announcements.

But that won’t be the case for the top player in the Class of 2013.

Jabari Parker, the consensus No. 1 player in the nation, plans to make his college decision in November and not let the process drag out through his senior season at Chicago Simeon.

“It’s a lot of schools on my list right now,” the 6-foot-7 Parker, who was compared to LeBron James in a recent Sports Illustrated cover story, told SNY.tv by phone from the USA U17 trials in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“I’m on a setback not making as much progress as I should be [cutting his list] but I’m looking to make my choice in November.

“I want to do it for me because I want to get it over with before the season starts.”

Theo Pinson is one of the most talented and sought after players in the Class of 2014, and he holds list of offers as long as his arm.

Yet right now the 6-foot-5 small forward from Greensboro (N.C.) Wesleyan Christian says Indiana is working as hard as anyone for his services.

“I took a visit there last weekend and it was a good experience,” Pinson told SNY.tv from the USA U17 trials in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Florida guard Mike Rosario has made the 12-man Puerto Rico Senior National Team roster, sources told SNY.tv.

The former McDonald’s All-American from St. Anthony High School will compete for Puerto Rico in the 2012 Centrobasket Championship beginning Monday in San Juan.

That is the first step toward potentially qualifying for the London Olympics.

“I’m lost for words right now,” Rosario told SNY.tv. “I came down to Puerto Rico knowing that the challenge to make this National Team was going to take a lot of hard work and being professional at all times.

When last we saw Dakari Johnson on the high school circuit, he was a member of the Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick team that lost the mythical national championship  game to Kyle Anderson and St. Anthony in March 2011.

That squad also featured Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who is now less than two weeks away from becoming a lottery pick in the NBA Draft.

When that season ended in disappointment and heartbreak for the Celtics, the 6-foot-11, 250-pound Johnson left New Jersey and followed St. Patrick coach Kevin Boyle down to Montverde (Fla.) Academy.

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