Former Vermont freshman forward Jordan Clarke has chosen to play for Drake, starting in 2010-11. Clarke must sit out the upcoming season according to rules for transfers. He averaged 1.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game this past season for the Catamounts.
Hawaii will host the first Diamond Head Classic Dec. 22-25 next season, and the tournament organizers announced six of the seven other teams in the field. Those teams are:
The event organizers have not announced the final team participating in the tournament, which ESPN will televise regionally.
UNLV freshman forward DeShawn Mitchell announced that he would leave the Runnin’ Rebels to find a team that will offer him more playing time. Mitchell averaged 1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds in 5.4 minutes per game this past season. In a university press release, Mitchell indicated that he appreciated the work of coach Lon Kruger but needed to find a school that could give him a bigger role.
“I really enjoyed my year at UNLV and wish the coaches and players nothing but success in the future,” Mitchell said. “It is important for me to look for a situation that will provide me with a more significant role and more playing time.”
After finishing with a winless record in the BIg East during the regular season, DePaul assistant coaches Gary DeCesare and Ramon Williams have resigned. Coach Jerry Wainwright likely needed to significantly change his staff to demonstrate to school officials that he intends to do something to turn around the program after a disappointing season. His son, who was also a Blue Demons assistant coach, resigned in March.
Wainwright has hired Tracy Webster to fill one of the open assistant positions. Webster comes to Chicago after working for former coach Billy Gillispie at Kentucky for the past two seasons. He also has worked as an assistant at Illinois, Purdue and Ball State, and his teams have flourished, making the NCAA Tournament or NIT every season, according to a university press release.
Webster spent the last two years at Kentucky where he helped lead the Wildcats to a pair of postseason appearances. A year ago, Kentucky went 22-14 and reached the NIT Quarterfinals following a NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007-08. Before moving to Lexington, he was an assistant coach at Illinois from 2004-07 and an assistant at Purdue during the 2003-04 season. The Illini made NCAA Tournament appearances in each of Webster’s three seasons in Champaign, including a trip to the NCAA Championship game in 2005. Webster’s one season at Purdue saw the Boilermakers make the NIT.
Before his two stops in the Big Ten Conference, Webster spent two seasons at Ball State. The Cardinals put together one of the best seasons in program history under Webster’s watch with a Mid-American Conference West Division title and quarterfinal appearance in the NIT. He started his collegiate coaching career in 1998 as an assistant at UW-Parkside.
Sophomore guard Zane Johnson announced that he plans to leave Arizona to transfer to another school. New coach Sean Miller said Johnson wants to find a better opportunity with another team. Johnson averaged 4.6 points and 1.8 rebounds per game this past season.
Glen Gondrezick, a former UNLV star and recent Rebels commentator, died at 53 because of complications from a heart transplant he received last year. Gondrezick helped the Rebels reach the Final Four in 1977 before playing in the NBA for six years. After his professional career, Gondrezick returned to Las Vegas as a color commentator at Rebels game. He received the hear transplant in September 2008, and doctors said Gondrezick’s body rejected the heart.
Syracuse will be starting from scratch in the backcourt next season after senior guard Eric Devendorf, who had one remaining year of eligibility, signed with an agent and ended his collegiate career. Devendorf joins teammate sophomore point guard Jonny Flynn in the draft. Devendorf said he wants to take care of his family, including his young daughter. He added that he has received interest from teams in Spain and Italy in case he does not make it onto an NBA roster.
Appalachian State has gone back to the future by hiring Buzz Peterson, who previously coached the Mountaineers from 1996 to 2000, compiling a 79-39 record in four seasons. The Mountaineers hope he can help turn the program around again after Peterson led an 8-20 team to a conference championship by 2000. He left the team to become head coach at Tulsa and later coached at Tennessee and Coastal Carolina. A university press release mentions more of Peterson’s accomplishments.
In his four years at ASU, he was twice named SoCon Coach of the Year (1998 and 2000) and mentored seven all-conference honorees.
He left the college game in 2007 to become the Director of Player Personnel for the National Basketball Association’s Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats won a franchise-record 35 games in 2008-09.
Prior to accepting his first head-coaching position at ASU in 1996, Peterson spent nine seasons as an assistant coach, with stints at ASU (1987-89), East Tennessee State (1989-90), NC State (1990-93) and Vanderbilt (1993-96). The teams that he served as an assistant coach for made four postseason appearances (two NCAA, two NIT) and were a combined 154-117.
Winthrop sophomore guards Byron Faison and Marc-David Vil announced that they will transfer at the end of the semester. They told coach Randy Peele that they want more playing time. Faison averaged 4.6 points in 13.4 minutes per game, and Vil added 1.7 points in 6.8 minutes per game. Peele wished the players well in a university press release.
“I have had several discussions with Byron and Marc-David since the completion of our season. Both players have enjoyed their time at Winthrop University, but they have decided to transfer in order to have more playing opportunities,” said Peele. “I have great respect for both Byron and Marc and we wish them the very best in their future college careers.”
Florida sophomore forward Alex Tyus has changed his mind about transferring, deciding instead to remain with the Gators. Tyus averaged 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this past season, good for second on the team in scoring. NBC Sports speculated about a possible reason for Tyus’ original decision to leave.
Tyus played out of position all year, having to line up at center on an undersized team, and had decided to transfer because he wanted to play small forward.
Tyus’ decision to stay gives Florida’s frontcourt a boost heading into next season. Had Tyus transferred, the Gators would have had little experience behind center Kenny Kadji and forwards Vernon Macklin, Dan Werner, Adam Allen and Chandler Parsons.
Now, Donovan will have five big men: Tyus, Kadji, Macklin, Eloy Vargas and incoming freshman Erik Murphy.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence Jam Fest was another well-run tournament by the Hoop Group. It brought teams primarily from the northeast corridor for a good weekend of basketball, with a couple of teams from outside the area coming as well. Friday night’s action took us to Rhode Island College before two days of games at Providence College.
The 15-under championship game saw BABC take an early lead over New Jersey-based Hoop Heaven Heat and gradually build it to double digits late in the first half, going up 28-14 at the break. But Hoop Heaven Heat started the second half on a 12-2 run to make it a ballgame before BABC had an answer. After getting the lead back up near double digits, BABC had to hold on for a 61-57 win. Kamali Bey (6’2″ Fr. SG, Springfield (MA) Sabis Charter School) led BABC with 19 points, while Dominique Bull (Fr. SG, Worcester (MA) Cushing Academy) added 11, including a big three-point play in the final seconds. Alex Mitola (5’9″ Fr. PG, Gladstone (NJ) Gill St. Bernard’s HS) had a game-high 29 points, with seven three-pointers, in the losing effort.
The 16-under championship was a close battle for most of the first half between the Albany City Rocks and Expressions Elite. Albany had a lead for a while, but Expressions grabbed some momentum late in the half and had a 33-26 lead at the half. Down 44-38, the City Rocks rallied with a 9-2 run to take the lead, but it would be short-lived as Expressions scored the next eight points to take the lead for good in a 64-54 win. Alex Murphy (6’8″ Fr. SF, Wakefield (RI) St. Mark’s School) capped a solid playoff run with a game-high 22 points to lead Expressions, while Khem Birch (6’9″ Fr. C, South Kent (CT) School) added 14. Jerrell Scott (6’5″ So. SF, Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS) led the City Rocks with 15 points.
Some might have thought the 17-under championship game would be a bit anti-climactic, as the New Jersey Celtics and Boo Williams matched up in the semifinals as arguably the two most talented teams there. The Celtics pulled out a 72-66 win, and in the final they got a good battle from Mass Rivals before pulling away in the second half for a 79-68 win. As was the case all weekend, Kyrie Irving (6’1″ Jr. SG, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) and Mike Gilchrist (So. SF, Somerdale (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) carried the Celtics, this time with 36 and 20 points, respectively. Evan Smotrcyz (6’8″ Jr. SF, Reading (MA) New Hampton Prep) capped off a fine weekend with 22 points to lead Mass Rivals, while Matt Brown (6’2″ Jr. SG, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon) added 17 to cap a solid weekend as well.
Now, a look at some of the players.
Ike Azotam (6’7″ Sr. PF, Roxbury (MA) John D. O’Bryant HS) Although he has some skills away from the basket and again showed his ability to run the floor, he generally did his work close to the basket. He scored most of his points there, going for 15 points in one game and 16 in another. A mid-major prospect, he’s working hard to qualify for the fall, but prep school seems likely at this point.
Billy Baron (6’1″ Sr. PG-SG, Warwick (RI) Bishop Hendricken HS) Combo guard seems to have found a niche as simply a solid glue guy at either guard, often not really playing like one guard or the other. He doesn’t do anything exceedingly well, but he’s showing a better feel for the game all the time and scored 17 points in each of two games with a combination of jumpers and drives to the basket.
Dimitri Batton (6’2″ Jr. PG-SG, Newport News (VA) Heritage HS) This Old Dominion commit has good size for the point guard spot, although he also played a fair amount off the ball and was effective. He’s athletic and can finish at the basket, and on a team stacked with big-time talent he’s a solid fill-in off the bench.
Kamali Bey (6’3″ Fr. SG, Springfield (MA) Sabis Charter School) A thick power guard, he showed his scoring ability by going for 22 points in the semifinal, then 19 in the championship game. His conditioning will need some work, but the ability is there as he scored on drives, posted up and used the left hand a couple of times as well.
Khem Birch (6’9″ Fr. C, South Kent (CT) School) He’s a baby physically but clearly possesses plenty of potential, and he showed some of it this weekend. He runs the floor well and can be an excellent help-side shot-blocker, while also rebounding mostly from being active. At the offensive end, he’s raw but got a couple of post baskets, as he clearly doesn’t know the game yet. Besides that, he can box out better and also needs to learn to grab loose balls or rebounds more firmly with both hands.
Matthew Bodden (5’7″ Jr. PG, Fall River (MA) Durfee HS) Small point guard was erratic early on, but settled down and played better later. He did well with the drive and dish and has a good upper body, and while he’s not a big scorer he did score 12 in one game and can hit from long range enough that a defense needs to respect it.
Denzel Brito (6’2″ Jr. SG, Groton (MA) Lawrence Academy) With a good weekend here, he closed out a good month of basketball. He showed more of a variety of ways to score, which has been in development, and it showed as he had a couple of nice scoring games from the wing.
Matt Brown (6’2″ Jr. SG, Northfield (MA) Mount Hermon) This weekend was probably his best one, as he was able to string together several good games right in a row. The well-built guard has a mature body and generally let the game come to him, not trying to do too much as he has done on occasion. He made a number of mid-range shots and showed a nice in-between game, not settling for three-pointers or forcing drives that weren’t there, and the results showed that this worked: games of 13 points with three three-pointers, 24, 15, 15 in the semifinals and 17 in the championship.
Taran Buie (6’2″ Jr. SG, Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS) A solid athletic scorer, he put up the points again this weekend, posting an 18-point effort and two 22-point outings. While the recent Penn State commit scored in transition and continues to look more like a scorer than a shooter, he did knock down a couple from long range along the way.
Dominique Bull (6’2″ Fr. SG, Worcester (MA) Cushing Academy) Well-built guard came up big a couple of times for his team, scoring six of his 19 points in overtime in the semifinal game, then a big three-point play to seal the championship game.
Luke Cothron (6’8″ Jr. PF, Redspring (NC) Flora McDonald Academy) Active forward is long and capable of making a lot of plays as he has a nose for the ball. Whatever the reason, he didn’t show that consistently this weekend and wasn’t always a factor. He went for 19 points in his team’s tournament-ending loss, a game in which he was a factor and found the ball often.
Joey DeLaRosa (6’10″ So. PF-C, Bronx (NY) St. Raymond’s HS) Still a “potential” player, his body has matured appreciably from a year ago. He showed signs of some good post scoring ability as he scored a couple of times when getting it inside, so there’s certainly been some good progress.
Carson Desrosiers (6’11″ Jr. PF, Lawrence (MA) Central Catholic HS) Although this long forward showed a few new positives, it also served to raise questions about his reputation. He blocked a few jumpers and poked away a couple of entry passes, but he was far from dominant inside. As has been the case before, he often stayed on the perimeter, where he made enough shots to reach double figures a few times and look the part of a prospect, but his lack of athleticism won’t help, especially defensively.
Andrew Douby (6’3″ Jr. SG, Oakdale (CT) St. Thomas More) We saw his talent a month ago at another Hoop Group event, but here he didn’t look quite as good. He didn’t work to get the ball and then forced shots when he did get it, struggling in his team’s tournament-ending loss. He’s also fairly new to the game, which partly explains it.
Naofall Folahan (6’10″ Jr. C, Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep) Very long post player had a limited role on his team but will get looks because of his body. He’s a baby physically and lacks any touch on close shots, but he blocked a couple of shots and can alter others.
Eric Ferguson (6’7″ Sr. SF, Winchendon (MA) School) Active athlete gave a valiant effort playing a lot of minutes inside, which isn’t where he’s best at. He showed a nice in-between game with some good ball skills, along with a couple of mid-range jump shots, and he’s good in transition with his athleticism. He went for 15 points in each of two games. Mid-major/mid-major plus prospect.
Alex Francis (6’5″ Jr. SF-PF, Plymouth (NH) Holderness Prep) Active forward plays more like an undersized power forward, but is athletic enough to play on the perimeter one day. His game is an in-between game with a lot of close baskets, while he also rebounds and will score in transition. He went for 21 points in his team’s last game.
Mike Gilchrist (6’7″ So. SF, Somerdale (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) Probably the best sophomore in the country, he’s constantly around the ball and still isn’t very close to his full physical maturity. He’s deadly in transition, both leading and finishing the break, rebounds well at both ends, can hit from long range, and put up some big numbers this weekend that included 28 points in one game and 30 in another. Already a pretty complete player, he still can get better.
Allen Harris (6’4″ Sr. SG, West Roxbury (MA) Catholic Memorial HS) Still a baby physically, this scoring wing knows what he is and that’s what makes him so effective. His jump shot range is steadily expanding, as he’s now a more dangerous three-point shooter, and he’s also unselfish from the wing. He scored well, getting 19 points in one game that included three three-pointers, but his defense also looks like it needs some work. Prep school beckons, as he will be at Suffield Academy next year.
Kyrie Irving (6’1″ Jr. SG, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) If there’s a better pure scorer in the country than this guard, we haven’t seen him. All weekend long, he was practically unstoppable, primarily on drives but also from long range as he shot the ball better as the weekend went along. In the playoffs, the stakes were raised and so was his game, as he went for 31 in one game, 42 in another, 31 in the semifinals and 36 in the title game. He’s also not a ball hog, as he made a couple of nice passes on the move and a long pass for a basket on one play. Big-time prospect.
Jordan Laguerre (6’0″ Jr. PG-SG, Manchester (NH) Trinity HS) Until Sunday, there weren’t many better guards here than this well-built guard. He was shooting very well out to three-point range, especially in a big win Saturday night where he hit five from downtown. Then on Sunday, he had nothing left in the tank and struggled, coming up short on some jumpers. Still, he closed out a good month, and with a little better endurance he won’t have another Sunday like this one.
Danny Lawhorn (5’11″ Jr. PG, Hartford (CT) Public HS) A recent Boston College commit, this quick point guard is a baby physically, but an unselfish pass-first player. He doesn’t look to score much, instead driving to try to find teammates, and he shows a good feel for the game.
Ricardo Ledo (6’3″ So. SG-SF, Warwick (RI) Bishop Hendricken HS) A baby physically, this athletic wing is an intriguing talent. At times, he rebounded very well from the wing and clearly thrives in the open court, and is more of a scorer than a shooter. He went for 16 points in a playoff game, and though he struggled early from long range he made a couple of shots in the championship game. More mental maturity will be one key to reaching his potential.
Christopher Loftus (6’6″ So. PF, Red Hook (NY) High) An undersized power forward, he has a good body that can still mature more and works inside. He rebounded well and scored some close baskets, and didn’t try to do too much.
Jefferson Lora (6’6″ Jr. PF, Wallingford (CT) Lyman Hall HS) Possessing a good post body, this undersized power forward was active on the glass and around the ball often. He didn’t put up big scoring numbers but was constantly involved in plays and a factor in games. He’s committed to Central Connecticut State.
Nate Lubick (6’8″ Jr. PF, Southborough (MA) St. Mark’s School) Continuing to show improvement, the Georgetown-bound forward had another solid weekend that included games of scoring 17, 23 and 21 points. He continues to be a tough inside player, and evidence of better conditioning came as he got fast break baskets after he was in the mix for a rebound and simply out-ran most of the other team.
Majok Majok (6’8″ Jr. PF, South Kent (CT) School) Well-built post player has a mature body and works inside. He’s aggressive at both ends and scored 20 points in a big win on Saturday night.
Allan Marshall (6’6″ Sr. PF, Brooklyn (NY) Progressive Christian Academy) An undersized power forward, he rebounded well and got some baskets in close. His ball skills leave something to be desired and make it clear he’s not a wing, and although he’ll get to the foul line his free throws left something to be desired as well.
Kendall Marshall (6’4″ Sr. PG, Dumfries (VA) Bishop O’Connell HS) Lefty point guard ran the show capably, occasionally getting his offense in the flow. Although he passes well on the move, he looked to be a little too reliant on the jump pass and got himself into trouble a couple of times when he left his feet to make a pass. Big-time prospect has committed to North Carolina.
Paris Massey (6’8″ Sr. PF-C, Boston (MA) English HS) A long post player, he’s flown very much under the radar but has some good ability. He boxes out well inside and rebounds at both ends, getting a few stickbacks, is active and doesn’t try to be what he isn’t. He made a few close shots and a short jumper, scoring nicely one time while being held. Foul trouble hurt him in one game. Low-major Division I prospect is qualified academically but may prep next year.
Luke Matarazzo (5’9″ Jr. PG, Farmington (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall) Small point guard helped his team advance in the playoff round with some good play, including off the bench. He didn’t shine, but was effective, and he also turned in what might have been the play of the tournament when he finished a fast break by putting up a difficult reverse layup with his body at an odd angle to ward off a potential shot-blocker.
James McAdoo (6’8″ So. SF, Norfolk (VA) Christian HS) Although he had a limited role on his stacked team, he showed big-time potential as he’s athletic with good size. He has a slight frame and his body will still mature more, and he reached double figures in a couple of games.
Samir McDaniel (6’3″ So. SG, Roxbury (MA) New Mission HS) Well-built guard has some talent but also needs work in several areas. He plays bigger than his size and will get his share of rebounds, and he’s not afraid to go inside to try to score against taller players. On the down side, he could stand to improve his dribble and learn to dribble right before finishing, as he looked awkward a couple of times when he caught the ball too far away to not dribble but went up without doing so.
Travis McKie (6’7″ Jr. SF, Richmond (VA) John Marshall HS) Active athlete finds a way to score, as he doesn’t do any one thing exceedingly well except play the game. A recent Wake Forest commit, he reached double figures at least three times and was constantly a factor while in the game.
Louis Montes (6’4″ Sr. SF, Brockton (MA) High) Arguably the best high school player in Massachusetts this year, he went up against some tougher competition and was exposed this weekend. He’s active and can rebound from the wing, and though his body isn’t there yet he’s not a baby physically, but he lost the ball too easily and foul trouble hurt him in a game on Saturday. Prep school beckons next year.
Nick Moore (6’5″ Jr. SF, Haddonfield (NJ) Paul VI HS) A wing with a good body and some athleticism, he had a couple of solid scoring games as he went for 16 in a pool play game and 20 in the playoffs. Although it didn’t look like his forte, he did show a little range on his jumper.
Alex Murphy (6’8″ Fr. SF, Wakefield (RI) St. Mark’s School) Simply put, there wasn’t a better player in the 16-under division. All day Sunday, he was deadly in transition whether leading or finishing the break as he ran the floor well, and he hit a variety of shots on the move either getting to the basket or the nice runner he hit in the semifinal game. At one point, he took over the semifinal game once he entered. He did show some issues boxing out, but he looks ready to blossom after having a limited role on a team stacked with upperclassmen during the season.
Shabazz Napier (5’9″ So. PG, Charlestown (MA) Lawrence Academy) This weekend didn’t bring about anything new from this undersized gunner, although there were some “what if” moments. He put up some scoring numbers from making shots, but he also took plenty of shots that didn’t go and were not in the flow of the offense, often without making a single pass. A few times, he made a very nice pass to a teammate, which would leave an observer thinking of the floor leader he could be if he could just do that a little more.
Nerlens Noel (6’9″ Fr. C, Everett (MA) High) Long post player is a baby physically with plenty of potential. As one might expect from looking at him, he can block and alter shots inside, but he also rebounded well. At the offensive end, he knocked down a couple of mid-range shots, but his post game is a ways away as he’ll travel with the ball when he gets it inside.
Joe O’Shea (6’4″ Jr. SG, Burlington (VT) High) Known primarily for his shooting, the lefty guard made a few nice scores off the bounce over the weekend. That’s not likely to become his forte, but if he can do that to complement his shooting, he’ll certainly be tougher to guard.
Tyler Olander (6’8″ Jr. PF, Storrs (CT) E.O. Smith HS) Lefty post player showed some improving range on his jump shot, which goes well with his post game. He went for 19 points in one game and 10 in another, scoring inside and including a nice stickback on one play. Next year, he will attend Worcester Academy.
Chase Plummer (6’6″ Jr. PF, Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick’s HS) A solid glue guy, he’s an undersized power forward with a good body. Capable of running the floor, he took contact and complemented the two studs on his team en route to a championship.
Preye Preboye (6’5″ Sr. SF, Springfield (MA) Winchendon School) A well-built athlete, he’s very aggressive and effort is never a question, but his game is very rough around the edges. The lefty doesn’t have the best ball skills and is limited with ways he can score, but he’ll get points from being active and finding the ball.
Will Regan (6’8″ Jr. PF, Buffalo (NY) Nichols School) You could hardly find a better player for much of Saturday than this warrior of a post player. Constantly battling inside, he knows what he is and does his work inside, although he did step out and hit a couple of three-pointers. But give him credit for not falling in love with that once he hit a couple. Besides putting up scoring efforts that included 26 and 24 points, he rebounded well and was never out-worked.
Mike Rivera (5’11″ Sr. PG, Fall River (MA) Durfee HS) While his main position is the point, he played off the ball a fair amount and shot the ball well off the catch. He had four three-pointers en route to 18 points on Friday, but on Saturday he had a tougher time with the physical nature of the game against a stronger player. Prep school beckons next year.
Ryan Romich (6’5″ Jr. SF, West Groton (MA) Groton-Dunstable HS) He hasn’t fared as well in events like this as he did in the Massachusetts AAU last year, but he showed some signs of progress this weekend. An excellent student, his body is getting better and he let the game come to him more, and a highlight was a nice reverse layup he made on one play.
Lamont Samuels (6’3″ Jr. SG, Brooklyn (NY) Boys and Girls HS) In a pool play game we saw, he constantly drove to the basket to score with good success. In going for 17 points, he used his good body and above-average quickness to his advantage.
Jermaine Sanders (6’4″ So. SG-SF, New York (NY) Rice HS) Athletic wing has a good lower body and the tools to be a nice player. He’s very left-handed but has some range on his jump shot.
Jerrell Scott (6’5″ So. SF, Albany (NY) Bishop Maginn HS) Athletic wing has a thin upper body, but doesn’t let that stop him from going to the basket. He drove inside and scored even with contact, and as he gets stronger he’ll be even tougher to stop on the go.
Evan Smotrcyz (6’8″ Jr. SF, Reading (MA) New Hampton Prep) Continuing to let the game come to him, this recent Michigan commit had a solid weekend helping his team to the championship game. He knocked down shots all weekend long out to long range, including the game-winning three-pointer in the semifinal game, and was consistently in double digits in scoring. We also liked one play where he dove on the floor for a loose ball and then fed a teammate up the court for an easy basket.
Jaymie Spears (5’9″ So. PG, Georgetown (MA) High) Small point guard helped lead his team to the final, capably running the show. Also a good football player, he has a good motor and is not afraid to go inside where the trees are. He’s not known for his scoring, but reached double figures twice with 11 in one game and 12 in another. Next year, he will re-classify and attend St. Mark’s.
Tyler Strange (5’10″ So. PG, (MA) Cushing Academy) Steady floor leader didn’t try to do too much, and that’s a big reason his team took home the 16-under title. He has a mature body, and besides running the show with good point guard instincts he made several big defensive plays in the title game.
Kaleb Tarczewski (6’10″ So. C, Claremont (NH) Stevens HS) A baby physically, this big man’s game is currently rough around the edges. He can run the floor and got a few baskets inside, but at the defensive end he’ll need the most work as he’s too aggressive at times and had some foul trouble and also isn’t a good shot-blocker, as he takes swipes that might block some shots but will also get him called for fouls. He has a chance, and next year he will re-classify while attending St. Mark’s.
Jules Tavares (6’2″ So. SG, Wareham (MA) High) A nice athlete who showed some potential as a defender, he’s content being one of the glue guys and it fits the way he plays. Here, he did little things, as he didn’t reach double figures in scoring, but certainly helped his team win. Next season, he will re-classify and attend the Tilton School.
Naadir Tharpe (6’0″ So. PG, Worcester (MA) Brewster Academy) Wrapping up a good month of April, this quick guard continued to show an ability to get in the lane and find teammates. A couple of times, it was a nice wrap-around pass, while he also looked to score a couple of times as well. The latter point can’t be underestimated because he has looked a little too unselfish at times and turned the ball over.
Corey Wright, Jr. (5’10″ Jr. PG, Pawtucket (RI) Marianapolis Prep) Lefty point guard did well with the drive and dish, and also finished a couple of times when he got in the lane. He’s able to go to his right, which he did a couple of times, and while he’s played better this wasn’t a bad showing.
Other players who caught our attention:
Macam Bak (6’8″ Fr. PF, Newton (MA) North HS)
Andre Dawkins (6’5″ Jr. SG-SF, Chesapeake (VA) Atlantic Shores HS)
Phil Gaetano (5’10″ Jr. PG, Wallingford (CT) Mark T. Sheehan HS)
Nate Gause (6’3″ So. SG, Poughkeepsie (NY) High)
J.J. Moore (6’6″ Jr. SF, Brentwood (NY) High)
Isaiah Roberts (6’0″ Jr. SG, Woodbury (NJ) High)
Jared Roberts (6’0″ Jr. SG, Woodbury (NJ) High)
Anthony Taylor (6’2″ Jr. SG, Pennsauken (NJ) APEX Academy)
Davon Whitaker (5’8″ Jr. PG, Poughkeepsie (NY) High)
Joel Wright (6’6″ Jr. SF, Brooklyn (NY) Thomas Jefferson HS)
The NCAA has reprimanded Northeastern for its recruitment of former player Benson Egemonye, according to a public infractions report dated April 24. As a result of the infractions, Northeastern is on probation through April 2011 and had reduced scholarships and recruiting rights for 2008-09. The university also must develop an education program for coaches and athletic department staff members and submit updates about that program’s status.
According to the report, a university representative had improper communications with Egemonye during his recruitment and paid for some of his expenses. It cites the coaching staff, led by Duquesne coach Ron Everhart, for failing “to recognize the impropriety of the representative’s involvement.” Everhart coached the Huskies from 2001 to 2006, posting a record of 82-68 before leaving Northeastern to lead the Dukes.
In addition to Everhart, the infractions report identifies the improper involement of a university representative, David Caputo. Caputo first met Egemonye, who hails from Benin City, Nigeria, at a summer basketball tournament in Italy in 2001. That fall, Caputo “agreed to assist [Egemonye] in obtaining an F-1 student visa, entering the United States and enrolling in a collegiate institution in which to participate in intercollegiate basketball,” the report states.
Caputo first contacted Everhart about Egemonye’s recruitment in 2003, according to the report. Northeastern’s athletic department first learned about Caputo’s involvement in July 2004. The report criticizes the athletic department, especially Tricia Turley, former associate director of athletics for compliance and senior woman administrator, for failing to question the participation of [Caputo] in recruiting activities once she became aware of his possible involvement.”
In December 2004, Caputo paid for Egemonye to come to the United States, buying the recruit a plane ticket and paying for a night in a hotel. The following day, Egemonye and Caputo met with Everhart, and Egemonye signed with the Huskies, the report states.
In addition to the improper recruitment of Egemonye, the NCAA found a minor violation involving improper use of a team phone card. A member of Everhart’s staff used the card to check on Egemonye’s amateur status and high school credentials, and Anthony Serro, former director of operations on Everhart’s staff, made some of those calls in Egemonye’s presence, the report states, adding that Egemonye could view the phone card information and personal identification code. From July 2005 to November 2005, he made calls worth $201.36 to his family, the report states.
Egemonye played only four games for the Huskies in November 2005, scoring a total of four points in 23 minutes, before leaving the program to transfer to Niagara. Egemonye started all but one game for the Purple Eagles during the past two seasons and finished his senior season in March with averages of 12.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
The infractions report states that Northeastern has already taken preventive measures as a result of this incident. For example, the university added a third full-time employee to its compliance and enrollment service and emphasized the need to monitor the involvement of outsiders in recruitment of athletes.
The report adds that Northeastern would have sent Everhart a reprimand if he remained with the team. The report indicates that Northeastern concluded that Everhart and his staff were not part of major rules violations.
Nevada sophomore forward Malik Cooke received permission from new coach David Carter to transfer to another school. A university spokeswoman said Cooke wants to move closer to his home in Charlotte, N.C., because of family responsibilities. Cooke averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this past season.
Wichita State has awarded coach Gregg Marshall with another year to his contract, keeping Marshall with the Shockers through 2015. In two seasons in Wichita, Marshall has compiled a 28-37 record. His team improved by six wins this past season and figures to be even more competitive next season with nine of the top 10 scorers returning. In a press release, Marshall said he looks forward to future success with the Shockers.
“I think we all saw the progress our young squad made this year,” Marshall said. “It was exciting and gives us a lot of hope for the future. I remain committed to building a championship caliber program here at Wichita State in a first-class manner. I am grateful for the faith our administration has demonstrated through this contract extension.”
One of the last players to announce for the draft before Sunday’s deadline, Mississippi State junior forward Jarvis Varnado announced that he will enter the NBA Draft and does not plan to sign with an agent. Varnado was one of the best defenders in the country, averaging 12.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game. Varnado said in a press release that he looks forward to the NBA Draft process.
“I just want to test the water to see where I stand,” said Varnado, who led the nation with 170 blocks, an SEC single-season record, and has 394 for his career. “I’m not going to hire an agent so I can have an opportunity to return.”
Should he return for his senior season, he would need just 19 more blocks to surpass former LSU great Shaquille O’Neal’s SEC career mark of 412 and 141 to tie the NCAA record of 535 Louisiana-Monroe’s Wojciech Mydra set from 1998-2002.
The NCAA has punished Northeastern for improper recruiting tactics in 2003 and 2004 related to an international player. As outlined by the Associated Press’ report on the NCAA judgment, the punishment includes a two-year probation and loss of a scholarship.
The NCAA said the case resulted from the university basketball staff’s failure to recognize the impropriety of the booster’s involvement and a former associate athletics director’s failure to question the booster’s participation in recruiting activities from the summer of 2003 through Dec. 28, 2004.
It said the university’s punishment would include probation from Friday to April 23, 2011; a reduction in men’s basketball athletics scholarships to no more than 12 for the 2008-09 academic year, from the maximum of 13; and a reduction in the number of official visits in men’s basketball to nine for the academic year, from a maximum of 12.
The Northeastern booster had several improper exchanges with the recruit. For example, the booster sent e-mail messages and called the recruit and his relatives and arranged a recruiting trip to the Boston area for the recruit to visit the Huskies. The Associated Press provides more details about the booster’s actions.
The NCAA said on its Web site Friday that the university and its former head coach didn’t know the booster had bought a one-way ticket for the student-athlete so he could travel to Boston, enroll at the university and join its basketball team. It said when the student arrived in Boston, the booster took him from the airport to a hotel for a night in a room registered to the booster but paid for by the university.
It said the student made more than $201 in international phone calls using a calling card belonging to the university and that the school’s former director of basketball operations made several long-distance calls while the student was present to gather information on his amateur status and academic eligibility.
Although the university didn’t authorize the personal calls, the NCAA said, its former head coach and former director of operations failed to monitor the calling card and prevent the student from using it.
The report does not name any Northeastern officials. Duquesne coach Ron Everhart — also not named in the article — was the Huskies’ head coach from 2001 to 2006. He compiled an 82-68 record in his five seasons at Northeastern and elevated the Huskies to contender in the America East and CAA conferences.
Duke junior swingman Gerald Henderson announced that he will enter the NBA Draft and will not hire an agent. Henderson wants to receive feedback from NBA scouts before deciding whether to remain in the draft. He averaged 16.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game this past season. Latest draft projections have Henderson nearing the lottery. Coach Mike Krzyzewski said he supports Henderson’s decision to enter the draft, according to a university press release.
“Gerald is an impressive young man on and off the court,” said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “We had great conversations about his NBA prospects and we are 100 percent behind his decision. Gerald is coming off a great season and he has an extremely bright future as a professional. We are ready to help him in any and every way during this process.”
West Virginia junior guard Joe Mazzulla has been suspended indefinitely after he was arrested and charged with domestic violence. The incident occurred at de Lazy Lizard, a Morgantown, W.Va., nightclub. One of the Mountaineers’ toughest players, Mazzulla missed most of this past season because of a fractured left shoulder. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.7 assists in the seven games he played. The Times West Virginian reports that this incident is not Mazzulla’s first run-in with the law.
This is Mazzulla’s second disciplinary problem in the last year.
He and teammate Cam Thoroughman were arrested at a Pittsburgh Pirates’ game last summer and charged with scuffling with police and underage drinking.
The two were allowed to plead guilty to lesser charges of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness and were fined $222 plus courts each. The record of their arrest was to have been expunged upon paying the fine.
Mazzulla, of Johnston, R.I., was the starting point guard for the Mountaineers when the season started and was coming off a heroic performance against Duke in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. However, at Mississippi, he suffered a serious injury, fracturing the growth plate in his shoulder.
New Alabama coach Anthony Grant has formed his staff for the upcoming season, naming Antoine Pettway, John Brannen and Dan Hipsher as assistant coaches and Tony Pujol as director of basketball operations. Pettway is the lone remaining member of former coach Mark Gottfried’s staff. All other members of Grant’s staff, except Hipsher, followed Grant from VCU. Hipsher was a coach at Dayton when Grant was a player.
Ball State junior forward Eric Wormely will leave the Cardinals at the end of the semester to transfer to another team. He told coach Billy Taylor that he wants to find a place where he can get more playing time in his senior season. He averaged 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game.
Some quick hitters about Boston University’s rebounding, a transfer helping Marquette, an improving Husky guard and a couple of key road wins among others as we head into another weekend.
Quinnipiac can now head home with the hope that their last game in the current road stretch does more for them than add one into the left-hand column. The Bobcats had a few tough games recently, and had another one in which they managed to pull out a 78-71 win in overtime at Bryant on Saturday.
We have a few quick hitters on a streaking America East team, another whose star had his first rough night, two inconsistent Patriot League teams and a couple of teams who have lost a player for the season but for different reasons.
Ron Hunter knew he had a culture to change at Georgia State, and he knew he was in a different place. Now he has a different issue on his hands with his team, which stands 5-2 in CAA play after a loss at Northeastern on Wednesday night.
There’s a big surprise near the top of the ACC standings. With only Duke sporting an undefeated record, one team in the logjam at 2-1 is the very young Boston College Eagles after two straight home wins.
Just over a month ago, Boston University looked ready go on a good run. But a six-game losing streak resulted instead, and the Terriers hope to regain confidence after ending it on Sunday.
Harvard improved to 13-2 on Saturday by winning the first Ivy League game of the season. While the bottom line is all positive, the Crimson also lived dangerously for a while, more so than the 16-point final margin of victory might lead one to believe.
With conference play, a bad non-conference run with one loss after another doesn’t matter on the bottom line. One example of that is UMBC, a team that won one game in non-conference play but is tied atop America East after an 82-76 win at New Hampshire on Monday night.
Boston College has come back from the Christmas break in a better place than they were before it. In fact, it’s better than where they were over a week before their last game, as their 83-73 win over Sacred Heart last Wednesday was their third straight.
Stony Brook probably welcomed the relative break in the action they are coming up on the end of. This stretch, with a lot of practice time, followed by three straight at home, gives this team a chance to gain some momentum.
JUST IN TIME FOR TONIGHT’S GAMES… All the news you ever wanted to know about the Big Sky, the weekly edition. YOUR WEEKLY DAMIAN LILLARD IS A STUD LINK-FEST: A Salt Lake Tribune story on his success. USA Today also jumped in sometime in the last week to talk about …
In a game with major implications for the regular season Horizon League championship and seeding for the Horizon League Tournament, the Cleveland State Vikings dominated the Milwaukee Panthers by a score of 83-57 in a game in which the Panthers never led. The Vikings and Panthers began the day in …
One team stands alone atop the standings for now, with another a little behind them and a logjam near the middle of the pack.
The Cleveland State Vikings started 2012 off on a winning note with a 69-48 victory at home on Saturday afternoon over the visiting Loyola Ramblers. In his pregame radio comments, Vikings coach Gary Waters stated that the Ramblers’ 5-10 record heading into Saturday’s matchup was deceiving and that the Ramblers were …
Opening weekend in the Big Sky Eastern Washington Record: 7-7, 1-1 Weekend: 1-1 Major superlatives: Won by 16, lost by 8; 76.5 ppg for, 72.5 against; plus-4 scoring margin; 52-112 FG; 20-53 3pt; 29-43 FT. Summary: One night, the lead stuck. The other, it didn’t. The Eagles made an early …
The Big Sky is about to dive in to conference play, and so far, the season has unfolded pretty much as expected, with Sacramento State looking like the one surprise.
Like the rest of the country, the Horizon League teams have been enjoying the holiday season and taking it easy on the hardwood. Here’s a roundup of the action that did go down during the past week.
Cleveland State had plenty of Christmas cheer to share in the Vikings’ easy win against Sam Houston State, though they didn’t exactly give the Bearkats a festive feeling.
Butler Bulldogs (5-7): Butler began the week with a matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers at Conseco Fieldhouse. Having struggled in the early part of the season, the Bulldogs probably weren’t given much of a chance by most observers against the Boilermakers. Summing up some of the magic that has helped …
Butler Bulldogs (4-6): Butler has continued to struggle in the early stages of the 2011-12 college basketball season. However, don’t start writing Butler’s obituary just yet. Horizon League fans shouldn’t forget that Butler began last season slowly and bottomed out with a loss to Youngstown State before turning their season …
We take a quick run through the results from the past week in the Big Sky Conference, giving a little love to each team in the conference.
Missouri and Baylor are looking great, but we love the improvement of one of Lon Kruger’s guards.
Longtime Cleveland sports fans are familiar with the “Kardiac Kids,” which was the nickname bestowed on the 1980 Cleveland Browns team that won multiple games in the waning seconds of the game. Although the 2011-12 college basketball season is still somewhat young, the Cleveland State Vikings have already given that …
The Vikings keep rolling as they take out Detroit in an early battle for positioning at the top of the Horizon League.
Yes, a few Big East teams have faltered early in the season. No, that’s not a reason to panic, as it is still November.
Recent Comments