St. John’s freshman guard Rysheed Jordan returned to practice Thursday and will play Saturday against Columbia at the Barclays Center.
“He was back at practice [Thursday], and will be us with us tomorrow against Columbia,” Johnnies coach Steve Lavin said Friday.
Jordan missed Saturday’s game against Youngstown State due to the illness of his mother, Amina.
This two-part video series from the Herald-Sun on Australian point guard Dante Exum does a nice job of breaking down his current situation and the choice facing him in the coming months.
Exum is projected as a top-five pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, and it is expected that he will announce his plans to enter the draft sometime in the coming months. He and his family are currently meeting with NBA agents.
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Chris Smith made his long-awaited NBA debut on Christmas Day, but it was hardly the stuff of fairytales.
The 6-foot-2 Smith played the final 1 minute, 21 seconds of a 123-94 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and did not touch the ball.
“Nobody wants a 30-point game to be your first appearance really, but it was a great experience just to actually touch the Garden floor for the first time you’re playing an NBA minute,” Smith said Thursday at practice.
“It was definitely a dream come true but we lost so it doesn’t really help the fact that I played, you know what I’m saying? If it was on the other side of the table it would be great, but it’s humbling just for everything I’ve been through.”
His name is Georgios Papagiannis and his coach believes he could be a lottery pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
“I think his upside quite frankly is a top five, one-and-done, 2016 pick,” Westtown (Pa.) coach Seth Berger told SNY.tv of the 7-foot-1 native of Amarousio, Greece.
Papagiannis’ father played professionally in Greece, so he has good genes. He’s currently averaging about 15 points and 9 rebounds for Westtown, which plays this weekend in the Under Armour Holiday Classic in San Diego.
“He’s a really unique player,” Berger said. “He’s 7-1, 250 pounds. Incredibly coordinated. Jumps well, shoots well, dribbles well, passes well, has really good post work and he just turned 16 in July.”
NEW YORK -- La Salle coach Dr.
NEW YORK –– Brewster (N.H.) Academy 2015 point guard Donovan Mitchell visited Florida Monday and will also take in a UConn game later this month.
“[Florida] said I would be a wing and play guard,” the 6-foot-3, 205-pound native of Elmsford, N.Y, told SNY.tv. “They need me as a scorer and to make plays as well as their other guards. I liked the facilities a lot. The gym is huge and I like the fan base as well. I like the coaching staff a lot as well.”
Mitchell was in Florida for the City of Palms Classic but was limited due to a sprained ankle.
Mitchell’s Florida offer was reported last month by SNY.tv.
He will next trip to Bridgeport, Conn., for the Eastern Washington-UConn game Dec. 28.
By JASON MORROW
Special to ZAGSBLOG
FORT MEYERS, Fla. – Good things come to those who wait.
That was especially true on Monday night for Montverde Academy, who had to wait through an hour delay and a change of venue to defeat Fairfax Paul VI 58-53 for their second straight City of Palms Championship. The game started at the host site Bishop Verot High School, but had to be moved to Fort Myers High School due to an extremely slippery floor.
The delay may have actually helped the Eagles, as they jumped out 26-11 after one quarter. Montverde head coach Kevin Boyle agreed.
“We jumped on them,” Boyle said. “You could tell our kids were ready from the whole hour off.”
