By JACK LeGWIN
Special to ZAGSBLOG
Terance Mann is ready to be the guy at The Tilton (N.H.) School.
The 6-foot-5, 180-pound sophomore guard knows it won’t be easy to replace McDonald’s All-American guard Wayne Selden, but he’s ready for the challenge.
“It’s going to be hard, that’s a huge role to try and replace,” he told SNY.tv, “but I hope to be one of the go-to-guys because I love to score.”
The NBA Draft Combine runs next Wednesday-Thursday in Chicago. Here’s the list of who’s coming.
Check back to ZAGSBLOG for stories and updates next week.
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Carmelo Anthony says he’s not worried that teammate J.R. Smith is partying too much.
Amid a massive slump in the last four playoff games, Smith has reportedly been out clubbing late night with singer Rihanna at Greenhouse in SoHo on Tuesday and at Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club on Saturday.
“I don’t want to speak on that,” Anthony said Thursday after practice. “To me he’s focused now. He’s here with us. When he’s here he’s here. Whatever he’s doing in his spare time, he does in his spare time.”
In his last four games since being suspended in Game 4 against the Celtics, Smith is shooting 15-for-57 (26 percent) and 7-for-24 from the arc (29 percent) while averaging 13 points. In the Knicks’ 105-79 rout in Game 2 on Tuesday, Smith shot 3-for-15 for eight points, including 1-for-7 from the arc.
Rutgers and Seton Hall have signed an eight-year agreement to continue the men’s basketball series at alternating home sites beginning this upcoming season.
The first game will take place at the Rutgers Athletic Center at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Seton Hall will be a part of the revamped Big East Conference, while Rutgers will compete in the American Athletic Conference in 2013-14 before heading to the Big Ten in 2014.
“I’m obviously very excited that this series is going to continue,” said Rutgers head coach Eddie Jordan. “I have been a part of this rivalry as both a player and an assistant coach, and I look forward to preparing our team for it. It helps to build spirit and is good for our University, our fans, our students and the New Jersey basketball community. It’s special and we can’t wait to grow the rivalry even more.”
http://web.sny.tv/media/video.jsp?content_id=26986245
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Amar’e Stoudemire participated in a walk-through with his teammates on Thursday, scrimmaged in a four-on-four and then ran sprints by himself up and down the practice court.
Before an assemblage of more than 20 reporters, he then proclaimed himself ready to play “at a high level” as he prepares to return in Game 3 on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers.
But as the Knicks get ready to integrate the six-time All-Star for the first time since he underwent a right knee debridement in March, head coach Mike Woodson faces a delicate balancing act.
Andrew Wiggins is expected to suit up this summer with the Canadian U19 team in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship for Men, but his future college coach could have something to say about that.
“All indications have been up until now that he is going to play but still his college choice may affect that so I can’t really say either way yet,” Canadian Junior National Team coach Roy Rana told SNY.tv Thursday.
“Once he makes the decision where he’s going to go to school, then obviously that will become part of the equation.”
The World Championship is set for June 27 – July 7 in Prague.
Puerto Rican basketball players Allen Baez and Wilfredo Rodriguez visited Rutgers on Tuesday but left without scholarship offers.
Baez remains in the mix at Rutgers, but Rodriguez does not.
“Coach [Eddie] Jordan and [associate head coach David] Cox are seriously considering Baez,” Todd Washington of the Puerto Rico Playmakers told SNY.tv. “Carlos [Morales] and the coaching staff agreed that Wilfredo is not the right fit. They have been up front about their view of both players.
“Baez can come in and be a 10-15 minutes backup to Myles Mack right now.”
