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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.
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Duke, Florida State

By MIKE McCURRY

Three down, three to go for No. 9 Florida State.

The Seminoles, in the midst of a brutal six-game stretch all against ranked opponents, improved to 3-0 during this critical juncture after an 88-72 win over No. 7 Duke on Tuesday.

With the victory, Florida State has now won 12 consecutive games–a program record. It’s also the first time ever that FSU has started out 4-0 in ACC play.

Despite usual stud Dwayne Bacon’s off-night (13 points on 6-of-15 shooting and 7 turnovers), the Seminoles were able to cruise mainly thanks to Xavier Rathan-Mayes‘ 21 points and a collective defensive effort that limited Duke to just 0.96 points per trip–the Blue Devils’ lowest mark since a loss to Utah back in December of 2015.

Rathan-Mayes, who was tripped by Duke’s Grayson Allen on Feb. 25, 2016 in one of Allen’s tripping incidents, said he had been looking forward to seeing him again.

Kentucky, Recruiting

MIDDLETOWN, N.J. — Scottie Lewis and Bryan Antoine are just sophomores, so there is a long road ahead in their recruitment.

That said, several schools have gotten in on the ground floor and already have an edge.

“Some schools we’re both considering,” the 6-foot-5 Lewis told ZAGSBLOG after his Ranney (N.J.) School team fell to unbeaten St. Anthony’s, 51-48, Tuesday night in the Hoop Group Showcase at Brookdale Community College. “Definitely Florida, Villanova, Kentucky, those are really the top three that we’re both considering going to.”

The 6-4 Antoine is ranked No. 8 in the 2019 ESPN 25, while the 6-5 Lewis is ranked No. 16. Bob Hurley, the Naismith Hall of Fame coach of St. Anthony’s — which has now won 41 straight games dating to 2015 — compared the duo to former Tollentine stars Adrian Autry and Brian Reese.

Recruiting

Shakur Juiston, a 6-foot-7 forward from Hutchinson (KS) Community College, continues to play well and gain attention from high-major programs.

The former Paterson (N.J.) Eastside star is averaging 15.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for national power Hutchinson (15-0)

Illinois coach John Groce came to see Juiston last week, while Iowa State, Seton Hall, Rhode Island, Arizona State, Rutgers, La Salle, UTEP, St. Joe’s, Ole Miss and DePaul are also involved.

“Shakur is a walking double-double,” Hutchinson assistant Jay Cyriac said. “He has an unbelievable motor and does everything you need to win. He won a lot of games for Paterson Eastside and at the Peach Jam with the NJ Playaz and was an important player last season as a freshman. He’s a tremendous athlete, and better kid.”

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