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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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Recruiting, St. John's

Since taking over at St. John’s in 2010, St. John’s coach Steve Lavin has had his share of success recruiting players from the West Coast.

Lavin landed Dwayne Polee of California in his first spring, and then added California guys Amir Garrett and Norvel Pelle in 2011. (Polee later transferred and Pelle never made it to campus after being declared academically ineligible. On Tuesday, he withdrew from the NBA Draft.)

Now Lavin is making a run at Stephen Zimmerman, the 7-foot 2015 big man from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas.

Duke, UCLA

UCLA released its schedule Tuesday and it is highlighted by a game against Duke on Dec. 19 at Madison Square Garden.

The matchup will pit two storied programs that have won a total of 15 national championships, 11 for UCLA and four for Duke.

The game will allow New Jersey forward Kyle Anderson to play close to home for a second straight year. Last season, UCLA played in the Legends Classic in Brooklyn.

In all, UCLA will play non-conference games against four teams that finished the 2012-13 regular season with an RPI of better than 80, Duke (1), Missouri (42), Alabama (64) and Weber State (78). 

Articles, Louisville, NBA Draft

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Gorgui Dieng touches base with Louisville coach Rick Pitino on a daily basis.

Pitino knows a thing or two about the machinations of the NBA Draft, having coached the Knicks and the Celtics and famously missing out on Tim Duncan in 1997.

“He just said I can go anywhere from 12 to 20,” the 6-foot-11 Dieng said of Pitino following his Knicks’ workout Tuesday.

“I just need to be myself and play the way that he tells me, which is compete and just bring a lot of energy and effort. He said that’s all people want to see – energy and effort. So when i step on the court it’s like second nature to me. I can be tired when I step on the court but once I get going I just keep going. Actually, I play better against competition than against myself.”

Articles, Louisville

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Gorgui Dieng won an NCAA championship with Louisville this past April, but the big man believes the Cardinals will be even better in 2013-14.

“I think they’re going to have a better team this year,” the 6-foot-11 Dieng said Tuesday following his Knicks workout.

“It’s tough to believe but I think they’re going to have a better team. They have a lot of guards and the biggest guy on the team is 6-8. So they’re going to do the things that they are known (for), which is like press, press more, press more because they have a lot of guards. Last year we had a lot of bigs but this year we have more guards. We have four, five guys coming in.”

NBA Draft

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Jordan Henriquez didn’t have to travel far to work out for the Knicks on Monday.

A Port Chester, N.Y., native, Henriquez worked out for Knicks’ brass less than 10 miles from where he grew up.

“It’s a great feeling, just knowing that I had the opportunity given to me,” the 7-footer said following a closed workout. “For them to fly me all the way out from L.A., I know that was pretty expensive on short notice so it’s a blessing.”

The 6-foot-11 Henriquez has been training on the West Coast with Norvel Pelle and Josiah Turner. The trio are all represented by agent Greg Nunn, although the 6-10 Pelle — a former St. John’s and Iona commit — withdrew from the NBA Draft, according to DraftExpress.com.

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