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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.

James SoutherlandBy Josh Newman
Special to ZAGSBLOG

NEW YORK – Former Syracuse star James Southerland has an agreement in principle on a non-guaranteed contract with the Charlotte Bobcats. The face of the franchise, who also happens to be a former college rival, believes the undrafted free agent small forward can help a young team in need of some offensive punch off the bench.

“He can shoot the ball, he has length, he can defend a little bit and, again, he can really shoot it,” Bobcats third-year point guard and former UConn star Kemba Walker told SNY.tv on Saturday evening at the Elite 24 under the Brooklyn Bridge. “We need guys that can spread the floor, so best of luck to him. Hopefully, he can make the team.”

Tyus JonesBy Josh Newman
Special to ZAGSBLOG

NEW YORK – Before recently offering a scholarship to 5-foot-9 Chicago native Tyler Ulis, the University of Kentucky had focused on two point guards, Emmanuel Mudiay and Tyus Jones.

The 6-foot-5 Mudiay out of Dallas (TX) Prime Prep committed to head coach Larry Brown and SMU during halftime of the Elite 24 on Saturday night, while it is widely-assumed that Jones, a 6-foot-1 star out of Apple Valley (Minn.) High School, will head with 6-foot-10 Chicago Whitney Young star Jahlil Okafor to Duke.

Assumptions aside, the fact that Mudiay is not going to Kentucky means the Wildcats are still in the mix for Jones’ services.

“It (Mudiay’s decision) just means I’m still looking at them,” Jones told SNY.tv after scoring 10 points and picking up co-MVP honors in Team Coney Island’s 114-109 win over Team Bed Stuy at Elite 24 under the Brooklyn Bridge. “If he were to have gone to Kentucky, we obviously would have had to have a talk with them because he is a point guard, but I’m still just gonna keep going through my recruiting process with Kentucky still involved and we’ll see where it goes.”

NEW YORK — On the eve of his unofficial visit to Indiana Sunday, Isaiah Whitehead put on a show in Brooklyn.

The 6-foot-4 Brooklyn Lincoln guard scored 26 points and earned co-MVP honors as Team Coney Island survived a late threat from Team Bed Stuy to win the Elite 24 game, 114-109, in a nationally televised game played under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Tyus Jones earned co-MVP honors for Team Coney Island, while Stanley Johnson and Emmanuel Mudiay, who announced for SMU at halftime, won the honors for Team Bed Stuy.

“I just wanted to show out,” Whitehead said. “This is my hometown. All these guys flew in, so I just wanted to show them what Brooklyn basketball is all about.”

Whitehead said he felt no pressure despite playing in front of a packed crowd in his home borough.

“I’ve dealt with pressure my whole life, so this is nothing to me now,” he said.

Whitehead was set to fly to Indiana on Sunday during a weekend when the Hoosiers will also host recently de-committed shooting guard James Blackmon, as well as Virginia shooting guard Robert Johnson and 2015 New Jersey wing Malachi Richardson.

NEW YORKAs expected, Emmanuel Mudiay announced he would play for Larry Brown and SMU during halftime of the Elite 24 game here in Brooklyn Saturday night.

The 6-foot-5 Mudiay out of Dallas (TX) Prime Prep picked SMU over bluebloods like Kentucky and Kansas, along with Baylor and Oklahoma State; he said after the game that Kentucky was his second choice.

Jean Micheal Mudiay, Emmanuel’s older (middle) brother and an athletic 6-5 wing at Western Texas College, will also join the SMU program on scholarship, something that Emmanuel is excited about.

“It should be real, real fun,” Mudiay (at left in picture) told SNY.tv. “I’ve always wanted to play with him, I’ve always looked up to him, so it’s going to be fun.”

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