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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.

BY ZACH SMART

With Florida International, Ole Miss, and Northeastern in heightened pursuit of him, the old adage about the only easy day being yesterday now has special resonance with Class of 2019 prospect Idrissa Bivens. That’s because the 6-foot-4 guard out of The Nation Christian Academy (FL) now has a fight on his hands with the program’s ratcheted up in-house competition.

Oh yeah, we’re talking about practice.

With Bivens flanked by Class of 2020 Khyree Taylor in the backcourt and with Class of 2021 Jaden Levine arriving at the doorstep with an advanced skill set and a certifiable toughness, point guard has rapidly evolved into a bellwether position in the upstart second year program. The Nation also features an under the radar Class of 2019 point guard in Toronto native Josiah Tynes, who has shown an ability to quarterback a team while simultaneously establishing a dependable knockdown game.

By ADAM ZAGORIA

Rick Pitino doesn’t have a team of his own to coach this season, so he’s touring other schools and imparting some wisdom.

Pitino, who was fired at Louisville last October in the wake of the Brian Bowen/Adidas scandal, has visited Cincinnati, Syracuse and Manhattan in recent days. He may also hit Seton Hall in the coming days or weeks.

“He spoke to our team,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said Thursday by phone. “He was really here to go over some things with the coaching staff and gave us some ideas. I think it’s always good to get a fresh take on things.”

Boeheim famously called Pitino on Pitino’s wedding night in 1976 to offer him a job as an assistant coach at Syracuse and the two have maintained a close, and colorful, relationship ever since.

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