October 2018 | Page 9 of 18 | Zagsblog
Recent Posts
Breaking News, Kansas
Coaching Carousel, St. John's
About ZagsBlog
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.
Follow Zags on Twitter
Couldn't connect with Twitter
Contact Zags
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Advertising
Connect with Zags:
Saturday / November 23.
SECTION
logo
mobile-logo
LSU, NCAA, NCAA FBI Investigation

By ADAM ZAGORIA

NEW YORK — LSU coach Will Wade on Wednesday responded to the fact that his name came up during the Adidas college basketball bribery trial here on Tuesday.

“Certainly, I don’t want to react to what a defense attorney said yesterday,” Wade said at SEC Media Day, per the Daily Advertister. “I get it. And I understand the judge didn’t let it in, but what I will say is that I’m very proud of everything I’ve done as the LSU basketball coach. And I have never, ever done any business of any kind with Christian Dawkins.”

Dawkins is one of three defendants in the case — along with former Adidas executive Jim Gatto and former Adidas consultant Merl Code. The defendants are charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the case. Closing arguments began Wednesday and will continue Thursday.

Wade was the subject of a phone call the defense tried to enter into evidence Tuesday. On that call, Wade tells Dawkins “that he can get him what he needs, meaning money, if a high school player in Florida, Balsa Koprivica, agrees to play for LSU,” defense attorney Casey Donnelly argued.

Recruiting

By ADAM ZAGORIA

Aidan Igiehon, the 6-foot-10 center from Lawrence Woodmere (NY) Academy and the Team Rio AAU program, will announce his college choice at noon on Friday at his high school, his high school coach told ZAGSBLOG.

Igiehon lists Louisville, Kentucky, Oregon and St. John’s among his final four. He visited Oregon and then tripped to Louisville, but cancelled his visit to St. John’s and never visited Kentucky.

Louisville coach Chris Mack visited Igiehon’s mother in her native Ireland, as did St. John’s assistant Matt Abdelmassih.

St. John's

By JADEN DALY 

NEW YORK — With the likely Big East Conference Preseason Player of the Year back for his junior season and a highly-touted transfer immediately eligible, expectations surrounding St. John’s this season are as high as any point since head coach Chris Mullin assumed the reins at his alma mater, and justifiably so.

But while Mullin refused to acknowledge the pressure of the rising demands for the Red Storm, he was more than willing to admit that the return of Shamorie Ponds and arrival of Mustapha Heron makes his program a much stronger outfit than it had been last season.

Ponds, who tested the NBA Draft waters before opting to return to campus, on Monday was named to the Bob Cousy Preseason Award Watch List. One day later, Heron, the Auburn transfer whose hardship waiver to play immediately was first reported by ZAGSBLOG, was named to the Jerry West Preseason Award Watch List.

“I like this team,” Mullin said, giving a nod to the potential impact of Ponds and Heron as one of the dominant backcourts in the Big East, citing the latter as “another player defenses are going to have to account for.”

Copyright 2016 Zagsblog. Partner of iOne Digital / Cassius Network
X