The adviser requested anonymity but said Murray’s Tweets were done in a “dare-type situation and he was having fun” and they were “more of a prank than anything else.”

Over the weekend, the 6-foot-10 Murray Tweeted: “I’m the newest member of the west Virginia team!”

The source said Murray might issue a correction via Twitter at some point today or tomorrow.

“It was done and we have to move forward,” the source said of Murray’s Tweets.

Murray is transferring from La Salle and will have to sit out next season wherever he lands.

The source also forwarded a text message that he said was sent to Travis Ford at Oklahoma State and Bob Huggins at West Virginia, which reads, “Although there has been rumors claiming Aaric agreed to a commitment, we would like to officially report that as of [this] date, we are still reviewing our options. We are scheduled to have several calculated meetings to discuss the pros and cons of each program.”

The source added by phone:  “Right now it’s between OSU and WVU. We’re going to meet today and tomorrow and Wednesday, and Thursday we’re going to call the schools. We’ll let everybody know what the decision is.

“We’re gonna hold a press conference on Saturday.”

The source said he and Murray would consider a number of factors, including teammates, coaches, practice facilities, number of TV games, fan support and chances of the program being in the Top 5 in 2013.

“No matter what we’re going to make sure the decision he makes is a business decision,” the source said.

“Both of them have a very good chance of being the school.”

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The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Murray listed Rutgers, St. John’s, West Virginia, UConn, Oklahoma State, Texas, Florida, Kansas and Kentucky.

“No visits set and I’m still open for more schools,” the Philly native said by text. “I just got release.”

West Virginia was his second option after La Salle in 2008.

As first reported on my Twitter, Murray opted to transfer from La Salle after averaging 15.2 points last season.

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Isaiah Williams, a 6-7, 190-pound, 190-pound wing from The Robinson School, has decommitted from Iona. He will choose either Marshall or UTEP, according to Robinson…Former St. John’s wing Omari Lawrence has resurfaced at Kansas State…Former North Carolina point guard Larry Drew has enrolled at UCLA, joining former Carolina big men Travis and David Wear. He must sit out next season.

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Lee coach Andrew Papaefthemiou said Coleman now holds offers from VCU, La Salle, Rutgers and Seton Hall, but that schools like Florida and Texas called since Coleman’s performance at the recent National Prep Showcase.

Coleman will sign in the spring but VCU and La Salle “are the frontrunners” for now, his coach said.

“It’s hard to say until he goes on visits and takes care of business in the classroom,” Papaefthemiou said.

“As soon as he’s done taking the SAT this weekend, he can start going through the process and we’ll get  him on to the visits.”

Coleman is averaging 10 points and eight rebounds a game and everyone agrees he has a strong upside.

“He’ll be one of the best big guys available and he’s big enough, strong enough, athletic enough to play in the Big East,” one Division 1 head coach said.

Added Papaefthemiou: “Right now he’s a mid- to high-major guy with upside. He could be an impact guy at a high-major school within a year.”

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Anderson is the No. 1 point guard in the Class of 2012 and his father broke down the visits.

“All three visits went well for different reasons,” said Kyle Anderson Sr. via text. “La Salle’s visit went well because besides Coach [John] Giannini and the entire staff being hospitable on the tour of the campus and facilities, we met with the academic advisor [Christine Cahill] and she explained how she will help make Kyle a better student. She also spoke highly of [former Paterson CAtholic stars] Kimmani Barrett and the Williams twins. We could see the sincere concern in her face. It also helped that she had a Playaz football jersey hanging that Jerrell Williams gave her.

“Jay Wright of Villanova gave Suzanne, Kyle’s mother,  and me a tour of the campus and it is beautiful. All the students spoke and high-fived Coach Wright, which showed how well he is liked on campus.  During the tour, Kyle stayed in the gym and watched the team play against Villanova and Philly players. Malik Allen, Randy Foye, Shane Clark, Dante Cunningham and Wayne Ellington were all in the gym playing.

“Seton Hall’s staff met us at the Prudential Center  in Newark and gave us a tour and explained to us what renovations were being made. They have some great things in the works. On campus Coach [Shaheen] Holloway gave a tour of the campus and we didn’t realize how nice it is. We watched Coach [Kevin] Willard work out and I love the way he pays attention to details and makes corrections.”

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Quinn Cook has added Villanova back on his list. “Yeah, they are,” he said by text. Cook, who partially tore his ACL and due for surgery, is also considering Rutgers, St. John’s, Duke, North Carolina, UCLA, Arizona and Georgetown…Rutgers latest commit, 5-10 senior point guard Myles Mack, is scheduled to be here tonight for the Norfolk State-Rutgers football game…Cincinnati will have in-home visits with Elijah Carter (Sept. 9) and Shaq Thomas (Sept. 10), per Alex Kline…Rhode Island transfer Steve Mejia has transferred to Hofstra, per sources. The 5-9, 175-pound Mejia led the A-10 last year in assist-to-turnover ratio…The same week that Ater Majok withdrew from UConn to reportedly pursue a pro career in Australia, his brother, 6-8 Majok Majok, will reportedly not play for Fairfield due to paperwork issues. The news was reported by Steve Amedio…Seton Hall offered 2013 guard Reggie Cameron of Hudson Catholic, per Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop…Seton Hall has an in-home visit with 6-8 PF Jacob Lawson of Oak Ridge NC next Friday.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky

Jurich isn’t one of them.

He reiterated his support for Pitino on Thursday after a jury found Karen Cunagin Sypher guilty of three counts of extortion, two counts of lying to the FBI and one count of retaliating against a witness.

Pitino acknowledged during six hours of testimony that he had a sexual encounter with Sypher at a Louisville restaurant in July 2003. She demanded millions in exchange for her silence, leading Pitino to eventually tell authorities about the plot.

“I feel very proud in the fact that he did own up to everything,” Jurich said. “He understood the consequences taking this to the U.S. Attorney, taking this to the government. He knew his name would be dragged through the mud but he also wanted the facts out there because the only thing that would vindicate him in this case were the facts.”

Jurich stressed “there were no winners” in the process but added the university would not discipline Pitino for his conduct. Pitino publicly apologized last summer for what he then called an “indiscretion” at the request of university president James Ramsey.

Pitino, who was not available for comment after the verdict was announced, signed a four-year contract extension in the spring that will keep him at Louisville through 2017.

“He’s a grand ambassador for this athletic program,” he said. “When he came here [in 2001], it was a difficult time for all of us and he’s made it much, much better. This is an error in judgment, which he’s always said and been up front with and I certainly think it won’t happen again.”

Juror Charles Smith, who acknowledged he’s a Louisville fan, said he didn’t come to any conclusions about Pitino or his character.

“He was not the one on trial here,” Smith said. “Whatever was being said about him during the trial never affected me at all.”

Jurich has no concerns whether the trial will impact Pitino’s job performance, pointing out that Pitino went straight from the witness stand to the recruiting trail.

“He spent the last days of the live [recruiting] period going 180 mph, so he’s very committed to making this work,” Jurich said.

– (AP)

ANDERSON PLANNING VISITS

Credit DePaul coach Oliver Purnell with getting some of the biggest names in high school basketball to visit his campus.

Anthony Davis visited earlier this week and 6-foot-8 junior guard Kyle Anderson of St. Anthony visited with his father on Thursday in advance of the adidas Nations event in Chicago.

“DePaul is great,” Kyle Anderson Sr. said by text. “Beautiful campus and facility. Great relationship with staff. We both liked it a lot.”

Anderson he played brilliantly on the summer circuit with the Playaz and now boasts offers from Louisville, Kentucky, Arizona, Georgia Tech, DePaul, UMass, Wake Forest, Maryland, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Miami, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Xavier and interest from North Carolina, Indiana, Baylor, Virginia, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Memphis.

Kyle Sr. said his son will visit La Salle and Seton Hall “in the month of August.”

Anderson and his St. Anthony teammates will also accompany head coach Bob Hurley to the Naismith Hall of Fame induction ceremonies next weekend in Springfield, Mass, where they will conduct a clinic on Thursday.

MSU’S ALLEN TRANSFERRING

Former Michigan State guard Chris Allen will transfer to a school outside of Michigan.

His mother, Janice Allen, told The Detroit News that she had received calls from Notre Dame, UConn, Memphis and South Florida, among others.

“The phones have been blowin’ up,” Janice told the newspaper on Thursday. “He’s definitely going to start soon at another school. There definitely won’t be any relax time.”

The 5-foot-9, 160-pound point guard will transfer to Fairfield University after taking an official visit last week. He must sit out a year per NCAA regulations.

Wade, a three-time time All-State performer at Linden (N.J.) High School, also visited Wagner and La Salle unofficially.

“Yes, I like the coaches [at Fairfeld],” Wade said. “The coaches are like a family. It was a nice campus and everything.”

As a sophomore at Houston, Wade started 31 of 35 games last season. He averaged 5.7 points and 4.8 assists per game and helped lead the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1992.

“I can bring them good point guard play,” he said of Fairfield. “Just bring a winning attitude towards the team that we can get back to the [NCAA] tournament.”

GIANNINI GETS EXTENSION

La Salle gave Dr. John Giannini a multi-year extension.

“The basketball program has shown consistent progress during Dr. John’s tenure,” La Salle AD Dr. Tom Brennan said. “The Explorers entered the 2009-2010 campaign as a preseason 4th pick in the A-10 Conference, following two solid seasons with a finish in the upper half of this very competitive conference. Unfortunately, the past season ended with disappointment as it was marked by an unprecedented rash of injuries.”

“Dr. John has demonstrated the ability to recruit highly qualified student-athletes,” Brennan added. “This was evident this past year, in particular, with a class that included five graduating seniors. Education and the concept of student-athlete hold great importance at La Salle.”

“All of us at La Salle are optimistic about next season and the future of La Salle basketball,” said Brennan.

Dr. Giannini said, “I appreciate the opportunity that President McGinniss and Dr. Brennan have afforded me. We have a very talented group of young men in our program–a strong returning group and some very highly regarded newcomers. Our immediate goal is to be selected for a post-season tournament. Quite frankly, I cannot wait for the new season to begin. We plan to make the La Salle family proud.”

WRIGHT TO TOLEDO

Former Michigan player Anthony Wright is transferring to Toledo.

“The coaches at Toledo seem cool and I haven’t met the players yet. The facilities are ridiculous,” the 6-6, 235-pound Wright told ZAGSBLOG.com contributor Alex Kline. “They put $35 million into the arena and it looks good.The non-conference is filled with top tier teams.”

He added: “My role is to score and finally get a chance to do everything I’m capable of doing, and working hard this summer to be a top NCAA scorer.”

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“Yes, Emmanuel has committed to New Mexico,” Brewster (N.H.) Academy coach Jason Smith wrote by text. “He hasn’t signed [scholarship] papers yet. He will on Monday.”

Negedu, the 2008 New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year, also visited Indiana.

He sat out last season at Tennessee after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest on Sept. 28, 2009 and having a sub-pectoral internal cardiac defibrillator (ICD) implanted in his chest on Oct. 6. Negedu remained on full scholarship, attended practices and traveled with the team.

Now he will suit up at New Mexico.

“New Mexico has cleared him to play,” Smith said. “He will hopefully receive a waiver and play immediately, since he sat this year. He has three years of eligibility left.”

STEFAN TO LA SALLE

Cole Stefan, a finalist for Mr. Basketball in the state of Minnesota, signed a Letter of Intent to play at La Salle.

“Cole has a bright future and is a perfect fit with his classmates,” La Salle coach Dr. John Giannini said. “He can be part of our core group for the next four years.”

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Stefan averaged 19 points per game as a junior and 19.3 ppg. as a senior at Minnetonka (Minn.) High. He was also a McDonald’s All-American game nominee at Minnetonka High School.

“He is an excellent shooter, a good athlete and a smart, unselfish player,” Giannini said. “He comes from a great family and will be a positive addition to our program and the La Salle community.”

Stefan was a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain for Minnetonka, which won the Minnesota State Championship in 2008.

Stefan joins three players in Giannini’s recruiting class –Tyreek Duren, Sam Mills and Matt Lopez – who signed NLIs in the fall signing period.

(Photos courtesy Tennessee Athletics & Rivals.com)

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He was a tremendous high school player and a nice, soft-spoken kid. He was part of a pioneering recruiting class for Dr. John Giannini that tried to turn things around at the Philly school.

Now his college career is over.

The 6-foot-5 Barrett will have surgery this week because of a fractured bone in his right foot.

“Kimmani Barrett has a fracture in his foot and he’s probably out for the year,” Giannini said Monday by phone.

Barrett, a Paterson, N.J., native, was averaging 13.3 points per game in 15 starts and became the 47th Explorer to reach 1,000 points versus Oklahoma State. He currently has 1,057 career points.

“He brought La Salle back to respectability and is on track to have his degree,” Giannini said. “He’s accomplished everything that we wanted to academically and as a team member. It’s just a shame that the second half of his senior year isn’t going to be what we hoped.”

The other piece of bad news for La Salle is that fellow senior Ruben Guillandeaux, a 6-6 guard, may be finished as well.

Guillandeaux, a Brooklyn native who played for Kevin Boyle at St. Patrick, has been out since the fourth game of the season with a stress fracture.

“There’s a small possibility he could return this year,” Giannini said. “He would be eligible for a medical redshirt.”

Giannini had hoped that his quartet of four-year seniors, Barrett, Guillandeaux, Rodney Green and Yves Mekongo would combine with 6-9 stud freshman Aaric Murray to lead the Explorers on a big year.

They were picked fourth in the Atlantic 10 by the coaches.

But with Barrett and Guillandeaux done, the Explorers (10-9) simply aren’t the team Giannini had hoped they would be.

“We had four battled-tested, productive, good A-10 players,” Giannini said. “You add Aaric Murray and the expectations are tremendous.

“Unfortunately since the fourth game of the season we never had those four together.”

(Photo courtesy La Salle Athletics)

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The 6-foot combo guard out of Queens, N.Y., has visited Oklahoma, Kansas and Kentucky and will now make UConn his fourth official.

He may also visit Arizona, but no date has been set.

The early signing period runs Nov. 11-18 and it remains unclear when Lamb will sign early or late.

His father, Calvin, previously said his son faced a tough choice among his leaders.

“I think it’s going to be a tough choice for him,” Calvin said.

“There are so many good systems and universities that are recruiting him. It’s going to be tough.”

UConn is also involved with Lamb’s teammate, 6-9 forward Roscoe Smith, who is considering UConn, Duke and Georgetown.

DUREN TO LA SALLE

Neumann-Goretti point guard Tyreek Duren committed to La Salle over Temple and UMass.

ESPN Insiders ranked the 6-foot, 180-pound Duren No. 25 among point guards in the Class of 2010.

“I like their coaching staff and I think that they have a good thing going there,” Duren, whose picture appears at left courtesy Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News, said by text.

Duren averaged 12 points, 6.5 assists and four rebounds last season.

Duren said Explorers coach Dr. John Giannini wants him to “come in and be an impact player right away.”

Said Neumann-Goretti assistant John Mosco: “He is a solid point guard who loves to get everyone involved. He handles the ball great. He gets in the lane and makes great decisions.

“He figured he would get more playing time at La Salle and make a bigger impact.”

Duren is the third Neumann-Goretti senior to commit, following guard Tony Chennault to Wake Forest (last year) and forward Daniel Stewart to Rider (last month).

JOSEPH VISITS MINNY

Findlay (Nev.) Prep guard Cory Joseph visited Minnesota over the weekend and spent time with his older brother, Devoe, a sophomore guard, and the rest of the team.

Joseph told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he went to a Timberwolves game Friday night with the college team and watched the Michigan State-Minnesota football game Saturday.

Joseph told the paper playing with his brother wouldn’t be the deciding factor, though.

“Everybody wants to play with their brother, but I still make a decision what’s 100 percent for me,” he told the Star-Tribune.

Joseph added: ”At the same time, I still gotta check out other schools. … [I'll] keep on looking into all the schools.”

Joseph has visited UConn, Villanova and Texas. Florida, UNLV and Mississippi State are also on his list.

He is unsure if he will sign in November or in the spring.

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