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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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Friday / November 22.
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    • Louisville, Memphis, Recruiting, Seton Hall, St. John's, UConn, Xavier

    After talking with Rice coach Moe Hicks about Durand Scott the other day, I caught up with Durand himself today on the phone.

    He says he has a top eight schools of UCLA, Miami, UConn, Tennessee, Xavier, Pittsburgh, Memphis and Virginia

    “When I get down to my top five, those are the five schools I’m going to take a visit to,” the 6-4, 180-pound Scott said, adding that he plans to cut his list “before school starts, around early September.”

    Hicks had said Scott would take official visits to Pitt, UCLA, Miami and Louisville and unofficials to St. John’s and Seton Hall, but Scott had a slightly different version.

    He did not include Louisville among his final eight, although he said he may well take an unofficial visit there. And he concurred that he would take unofficials to Seton Hall and St. John’s, but did not include them among his top eight.

    Rock 'n' Roll

    My man Neil Young is hitting the road here in the U.S. this October and will have Wilco, Everest and Death Cab For Cutie opening for him. Young finishes a European tour Aug. 23 in Coburg, Germany and will have the same band here – Ben Keith, Rick Rosas, Chad Cromwell, Anthony Crawford and Pegi Young. As usual, Song sets are expected to be eclectic, featuring both newer material and classic Neil hits. Death Cab For Cutie and Everest will open dates from October 14 through November 5; Wilco and Everest are on the bill for dates starting November 29 through the tour’s conclusion.

    Young comes to Philly Dec. 12 and Madison Square Garden Dec. 15. 

    Tennis

    The USTA announced today that reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion and new world No. 1 Rafael Nadal of Spain and defending French Open champ Ana Ivanovic of Serbia are the top seeds at the U.S. Open, which starts Monday.

    Nadal, the Olympic gold medalist in men’s singles in Beijing, is the No. 1 seed at the US Open for the first time.  He will be followed by No. 2 Roger Federer of Switzerland, the four-time defending US Open champion; No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, the reigning Australian Open champion; No. 4 David Ferrer of Spain; and No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia.  Americans Andy Roddick of Austin, Texas, and James Blake of Tampa, Fla., are seeded 8 and 9, respectively. 

    St. John's

    As first reported here recently, St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts has added two coaches with strong New York  City ties to his staff.

    Kimani Young, the director of the New Heights grassroots program, will become the Head Team Manager/Video Coordinator, and Oswald “Oz” Cross of the New York Panthers becomes an administrative assistant.

    “What I could bring just is positive relationships in the city,” Young, who played college ball at UTEP, told me recently. “I can bring an energy, a youthful energy and a hunger. I just want to continue that in any way I can if it turns that that’s where I’m at.”

    Fordham, Paterson Catholic, Recruiting, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Xavier

    Paterson Catholic head coach Damon Wright has his hands full with half a dozen Division I recruits on his team. Here’s an update on what a few of them are up to:

    **7-foot, 245-pound center Ian Chiles of Cliffside Park, N.J. will enroll next year at Edison (NJ) Academy Prep as a postgraduate in order to prepare academically for college. Albany and Alabama State had expressed interest. Guard Jonathan RIggs of Bloomfield, forward Lorenzo Freeman of Trenton and forward Larry Awosanya of Rancocas Valley are also on the team, as is guard Ian Umpierre of the Bronx.

    **On Aug. 29-30, 6-6 junior wing Shaquille Thomas is headed to the Syracuse Elite Camp along with teammate Myles Mack, a sophomore point guard. Thomas holds offers from Syracuse, Providence and Seton Hall and has garnered strong interest from Clemson, Kansas and Rutgers.

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