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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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Articles, Duke, Kentucky, Recruiting

4_2971152Can Harvard compete with heavyweights Duke and Kentucky for Wendell Carter, the No. 1 power forward in the Class of 2017?

“Absolutely, it’s one of the top academic programs in the country,” Carter’s mother, Kylie Carter, told SNY.tv. “Top academics must be considered.”

Crimson head coach Tommy Amaker will get a shot when he meets with the 6-foot-10 Carter at Atlanta (GA) Pace Academy on Nov. 4.

Carter told me over the summer that Harvard was the one offer he really wanted that he lacked at that point.

Articles

635806224491643736-bagleyThe NCAA is looking into the status of Starshine Prep, the academic program associated with Hillcrest Prep, a Phoenix (AZ)-based prep basketball team that features stars Marvin Bagley III and DeAndre Ayton.

The NCAA sent two officials to visit Starshine Prep on Monday, NCAA spokesman Chris Radford told SNY.tv.

“As part of its review, members of the NCAA staff visited the school [Monday] for a site visit associated with the school’s review (I wouldn’t characterize it as an investigation),” he said via email. “The school’s account will be updated on the EC website when the review is complete and a decision has been reached. It is also worth noting that since Hillcrest is a basketball team, not a school, our process is centered on the school, Starshine Academy.”

“They were shocked to see such a beautiful place,” Starshine CEO Trish McCarty told the Arizona Republic. “They liked it and were happy.”

Recruiting

KJK_0212-L

In his first USA Today blog, Rawle Alkins reiterated that he will wait until the spring to commit to a college.

“My recruitment process is cool; I still plan to wait as late as possible before I decide,” he wrote. “I just want to see who’s all definitely coming and who’s staying in school and who’s leaving. I just feel like people can be promised lots of things and commit early thinking the player that’s there is getting drafted but it’s all about how guys play during the season. It’s not about what people say. I think it’s just smarter to wait and get all of the information and then decide what’s best for me.”

The 6-foot-5 Brooklyn native who now plays at Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God recently cut his list to eight schools:  Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana, North Carolina, N.C. State, St. John’s and UNLV.

Articles, Kentucky

Jan 6, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Aaron Harrison (2) and guard Andrew Harrison (5) celebrate after the overtime win against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

While 21 former Kentucky players will start the 2015-16 season on NBA rosters, one-third of the six Kentucky players drafted in June will begin the year in the NBA D-League.

Andrew Harrison and Dakari Johnson have signed NBA D-League contracts with the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively. Both players agreed to play in the D-League while their teams retained their rights, a source said.

Harrison was chosen at No. 44 by the Suns but dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies, while Johnson, a Brooklyn native, was taken at No. 48 by the Thunder.

“I hope some of these college guys who are considering jumping to the NBA this year follow their story and reconsider coming out,” said one NBA scout, who cannot comment publicly.

Yet the good news for players like these is that 30 percent of current NBA players — 132 total players — have spent time in the D-League.

More than 40 percent of the last five NBA Draft classes have honed their skills in the NBA D-League, including 15 2014 first-round selections.

Articles, Kentucky

image001Kentucky once again leads the country with 21 players on opening-day NBA rosters.

Kansas has 19.

Of the 446 players in the NBA to start the 2015-16 season, approximately 4.7 percent played college basketball at Kentucky. No other college basketball school comes within three players of UK as the NBA season opens Tuesday.

Kentucky has seven total players on Phoenix and Sacramento. Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, Archie Goodwin and Brandon Knight are all part of the 2015-16 Phoenix Suns roster, while former UK stars Willie Cauley-Stein, DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo are in Sacramento.

Two other franchises – the Charlotte Hornets (Aaron Harrison, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (Tayshaun Prince, Karl-Anthony Towns) – open the season with two Wildcats apiece.

Articles, Recruiting, St. John's

MinayaNEW YORK — Justin Minaya is already connected to one great team from Queens.

Now he’s hoping to potentially be part of another one.

Justin is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound junior shooting guard from Old Tappan (N.J.) High School who is the son of former Mets GM Omar Minaya. 

During the same weekend the Mets will host World Series games in Queens, the younger Minaya will visit St. John’s for their Red-White Scrimmage.

“I’m going on Saturday,” Minaya said after the Sharette Dixon Classic on Sunday night at the Gauchos Gym. Asked if he thinks Chris Mullin and his staff will offer him a scholarship, he said, “I don’t know, I hope so.”

Articles, Virginia Tech

KhadimBy JACK LeGWIN

Khadim Sy has committed to Virginia Tech.

The 6-foot-10, 245-pound three-star power forward from Oak Hill Academy (VA) chose the Hokies over Wake Forest, Purdue, Kansas State, and Georgia Tech, all of which he visited. He was scheduled to visit Miami this coming weekend.

“I think I will be a good fit for them and that I will fit in there,” Sy told Hoop Seen’s Corey Evans. “They have good coaches, good academics, and can make me a better player,”

Sy is the first commit for the Hokies in the class of 2016. He will fit in well in the front court alongside Kerry Blackshear.

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