October 2013 | Page 12 of 25 | 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.

NEW YORK — Fuquan Edwin knows full well that Seton Hall has a loaded recruiting class coming in next year.

The Pirates have ESPN.com’s No. 4-ranked class, led by Brooklyn Lincoln guard Isaiah Whitehead, Huntington Prep forward Angel Delgado and Bishop Loughlin guard Khadeen Carrington.

If Edwin could have his way, he would stick around South Orange to join them.

“Yeah, I know next year’s going to be a great team, too, so I just wish I could be a fifth-year senior,” the 6-foot-6 wing from Paterson, N.J., told SNY.tv Wednesday at Big East media day.

With the first coaches’ poll out, this much is clear: the new-look Big East took a beating.

Marquette, picked to win the Big East, is the only league team in the Top 25 — at No. 17.

Creighton, Georgetown and Villanova all received votes.

Meantime, former Big East teams are all over the Top 25 — with defending NCAA champion Louisville at No. 3, Syracuse at No. 7, UConn at No. 19 and Notre Dame at No. 22.

NEW YORK — The Big East Preseason Player of the Year has never played a single game in the Big East Conference.

He has never competed in Madison Square Garden, either.

Oh, and did we mention that he’s a walk-on?

Meet Doug McDermott, who joins the league for his senior season as Creighton moves into the Big East along with Butler and Xavier.

First things first. There has probably never been a Big East Preseason Player of the Year who was also a walk-on.

With several of the highest-profile recruits in the Class of 2014 set to take visits in the coming days, this is shaping up as a huge recruiting weekend.

**KANSAS**

If anybody can pry the dynamic duo of Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor away from Duke, it just might be Kansas.

The 6-foot-1 Jones and the 6-10 Okafor arrive at Kansas tonight and the visit officially begins Friday morning. They are the program’s only visitors this weekend.

Rick Pitino is comparing Louisville guard Russ Smith to former NBA star Allen Iverson.

“We still have a little psycho all-American, named Russ Smith, still here,” Pitino said at AAC Media Day, according to Rick Bozich.

“I say that in a very affectionate way. I think Russ Smith is the closest thing at the collegiate level to Allen Iverson that I’ve seen. He’s just a great, great college player. I don’t think you’re ever out of the game because of his abilities.”

SMU coach Larry Brown, who coached Iverson with the Philadelphia 76ers, isn’t buying it.

Duke was picked to win the ACC regular-season title, while former Big East stalwart Syracuse was chosen second.

All told, three of the top six picks are former Big East teams — No. 2 Syracuse, No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 6 Pittsburgh. Had defending NCAA champion Louisville, which joins the ACC in 2014, been included this year, former Big East clubs would have comprised four of the top six.

The Blue Devils, who return starting guards Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon from last season’s 30-6 NCAA Regional finalist, and whose highly-touted group of newcomers includes sophomore transfer Rodney Hood and freshman Jabari Parker, received 50 of 54 first-place votes in a preseason poll of media in attendance at Wednesday’s event.

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