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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.

NEW YORK — The Knicks chances for a deep run in the Eastern Conference playoffs appear to have just taken a major hit.

The Knicks announced Saturday that Amar’e Stoudemire will undergo right knee debridement this week and is expected to miss six weeks.

The NBA playoffs begin exactly six weeks from today (Saturday), April 20.

The Knicks (37-22) are currently the No. 3 seed in the East but are in danger of falling below that without Stoudemire for the rest of the regular season. 

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The Knicks may conclude their homestand tonight against the Utah Jazz without the services of both Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire.

Both Knicks stars are questionable with knee problems, and one or both may just sit out until the five-game West Coast swing begins Monday at Golden State.

Asked if it was possible they would play without both players, Tyson Chandler said, “Yeah, that definitely might happen. But that’s something that we’re prepared to do.”

Asked how the team, which is coming off a 95-94 loss to Oklahoma City on Thursday, would handle playing without both players, Chandler added: “You play basketball. This is the New York Knicks. It ain’t about Melo, it’s not about Amar’e, it’s not about Tyson Chandler. It ain’t about any other individual. It’s a team. It’s not tennis or golf or anything else that’s an individual sport.”

NEWARK — Rutgers got a much-needed win in its last regular-season Big East game ever, sweeping the season series from arch-rival Seton Hall, 56-51, for the first time since the 2000-1 season.

The Scarlet Knights (14-15, 5-13 Big East) will head into the Big East Tournament with some measure of momentum, but will play their last Big East Tournament game ever sometime next week. They open play Tuesday night against DePaul at Madison Square Garden.

After that will come a transitional season in the likely-to-be-named America 12 Conference, or as Rutgers coach Mike Rice said at the podium at the Prudential Center, the “America whatever thing.”

NEWARK  — Kevin Willard did not wear the happy look of a man who recently received a contract extension when he took the podium at the Prudential Center Friday night.

Instead, the Seton Hall coach wore the exhausted, frustrated look of a man whose team had just been swept by Rutgers for the first time since the 2000-01 season, had dropped to 3-15 in the Big East and, oh by the way, had a recruit arrested in Illinois for felony robbery.

If Willard could fast-forward the calendar to next year when he hopes his team will be fully healthy and ready to compete in the new Big East, he probably wouldn’t pass up the chance.

When Tyler Roberson left Union (N.J.) High School two years ago for Roselle Catholic, he might never have imagined he would be where he is today.

The Syracuse-bound Roberson and Roselle Catholic (22-5) are one victory away from the New Jersey Non-Public B state championship.

The only thing standing in their way?

Bob Hurley’s St. Anthony club (26-1), winners of 91 of their last 92 games.

Louisville junior center Gorgui Dieng is projected as a late-first round or early-second round pick should he enter the NBA Draft.

“Bottom of first round or early second round for someone looking for an off-the-bench interior defender,” one veteran NBA scout told SNY.tv.

DraftExpress.com has the 6-foot-11 Dieng going at No. 28 in the first round.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino told CBSSports.com that Dieng is “98 percent gone” and will participate in Senior Day activities on Saturday when Louisville hosts Notre Dame in the final Big East game for both teams.

“If he is projected as a first-rounder, he is leaving,” Pitino said, according to CBSSports.com. “And I’m almost sure he’ll be taken in the first round.”

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