July 2014 | Page 14 of 19 | 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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    • Andrew Wiggins, Articles

    Wiggins cavsBefore the NBA Draft last month, Andrew Wiggins said he would love to some day play with LeBron James.

    Now that day will become a reality — assuming the Cleveland Cavaliers hold on to Wiggins and don’t deal him — and Wiggins is thrilled.

    “Oh, it’s a big day, we got the win and best of all we got the best player in basketball coming to play on our team,” Wiggins told NBA TV after putting up 18 points in his NBA debut, a 70-68 win over Jabari Parker (17 points, nine rebounds) and the Milwaukee Bucks in the Las Vegas summer league. “It’s going to be a great learning experience for all of us on the team. We get to go under his belt and see how hard he works and what it takes to get to his level.”

    Articles, Recruiting

    PHILADELPHIA — Jean Marc Christ Koumadje was walking to the market in Senegal to look for clothes 18 months ago when his life changed forever.

    The 7-foot-4 Koumadje is originally from the African nation of Chad and was staying with a family friend in Senegal when he was spotted by Ibrahima N’Diaye, who subsequently introduced him to basketball and invited him to several camps, including the Basketball Without Borders Camp in Senegal.

    “Somebody saw me with my height and told me I can come practice with them,” Koumadje told SNY.tv.

    “That’s how he was discovered, walking to the store to get mom something,” Sulieman Holman, Koumadje’s mentor in Florida who has also hosted Montverde (FL) Academy players Ben Simmons and D’Angelo Russell at his home, told SNY.tv by phone.

    N’Diaye and others soon arranged for him to come to the U.S., where he enrolled at Montverde. He wil spend next year at the the Village Christian School in Sun Valley, Calif., Holman said.

    Articles, Recruiting

    PHILADELPHIA — Seven schools are working the hardest for 2016 point guard Derryck Thornton, his father told SNY.tv.

    Kentucky, UConn, Michigan, Florida, Miami, USC and Cal “are working the hardest,” Tank Thornton said here at the Reebok Classic Breakout.

    The younger Thornton will eventually trim his list to five and go from there.

    Kentucky coach John Calipari, UConn’s Kevin Ollie, Michigan’s John Beilein, Miami’s Jim Larranaga and USC’s Andy Enfield have all been in attendance, while Florida’s Billy Donovan may arrive later Friday.

    Articles, Notre Dame

    Matt RyanHis name is Ryan so it somehow seemed inevitable he would land with the Irish.

    And now he has.

    Matt Ryan, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound sharpshooting small forward from New Rochelle (N.Y.) Iona Prep, has verbally committed to Notre Dame, becoming the Irish’s first commit for 2015.

    Ryan, who will remain at Iona Prep for his senior season, has been unable to play this spring and summer after undergoing two arthroscopic hip surgeries on March 3, but expects to be cleared to play in about a month.

    “I have chosen to verbally commit to ND at this time because I saw spots being taken at some colleges and thought I should do the same,” he told SNY.tv. “I have been thinking this through for a couple weeks and because of a great relationship with the coaching staff I am happy with my decision.

    Recruiting

    By MIKE GRIMALA

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    LAS VEGAS — Class of 2015 guard Jalen Coleman of Indianapolis (IN) La Lumiere cut his list down to six schools in late June, but the sharpshooter’s busy schedule has thus far kept him from taking official visits to any of the six.

    Still, the 6-foot-3 Coleman believes he’s got a good handle on what each school has to offer, and feels he’s already got enough information to be able to make the best decision. His six are N.C. State, Indiana, UNLV, Michigan, Illinois and Notre Dame.

    “Right now, I know a lot about each school,” Coleman said after the morning session on Thursday at the LeBron James Skills academy. “I just need to talk to my parents, and basically right now the decision comes down to me.”

    Coleman does plan to make official visits once his summer schedule slows down.

    Articles, Recruiting

    PHILADELPHIA — Two of the more intriguing big men at Reebok Classic Breakout — Horace Spencer and Ernest Aflakpui — are on the same team here and drawing looks from a number of college coaches.

    The 6-foot-9 Spencer is a Philadelphia native now playing at Findlay Prep.

    Spencer told Josh Verlin of CityofBasketballLove.com that his experience at Findlay playing against Kelly Oubre, a 6-7 Kansas freshman from Findlay, and Craig Victor, a 6-7 Arizona freshman from Findlay, has helped him improve his game.

    “I like a challenge, but when I first played against Kelly Oubre, Rashad Vaughn [UNLV] and Craig Victor, I knew I had to get my game up a whole lot,” he told the site. “Because I’m really behind these guys, even though I’m a year younger than the rest of them.”

    Articles, Recruiting

    PHILADELPHIA –– By midday Thursday, Donovan Mitchell was already having a good day.

    The 6-foot-3 point guard from Brewster (N.H.) Academy picked up offers from Louisville and Memphis after going for 17 points in a win at the Reebok Classic Breakout.

    “[Coach Rick Pitino] texted me and said that he enjoyed watching me play and that I had an offer from Louisville,” Mitchell told SNY.tv.

    “I felt real excited. Finally, everything’s coming full circle. I’m just playing my game, doing well and it’s all coming to light now.”

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