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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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Sunday / November 24.
  • Four prep football players have decommitted from the Rutgers football team, but a couple of recruiting experts say it’s not that big a deal.

    RB Desmond Scott, C Mark Brazinski, OL Malcolm Bunche and TE Malcolm Bush (pictured) have all decommitted, but John Otterstedt of ScarletNation.com says Rutgers still has a strong class.

    “When Rutgers nearly completed their recruiting class before many schools had picked up a third of their classes, it was pretty obvious that they wouldn’t roll into Signing Day without a few changes,” Otterstedt said. “Desmond Scott’s commitment hurt since it was a position of need [running back], but then again, his commitment was just as much of a shock since it came on a whim. The other one that came as a bit of a shock was Mark Brazinski, who appeared to be 100% RU after a large press conference to announce his decision.

    Billy Gillispie stirred controversy last month when he held his Midnight Madness event at Kentucky a week early, on Oct. 10. St. John’s and Illinois also began their events early.

    The NCAA’s board of directors is now ending that practice because it believes it could give schools a recruiting advantage.

    The emergency legislation, passed Thursday, is designed to close a loophole in a previous rule that allowed coaches to have two hours of individual instruction before the official start of the season.

    Carl Henry, the father of Oklahoma City (OK) Putnam City shooting guard Xavier Henry, says his son will likely decide between Kansas and Memphis this week.

    “We are trying to get together today as a family and he’s trying to make a decision [this] week, either Thursday or Friday,” Carl said Sunday morning by phone.

    The 6-foot-6 Henry is the No. 1 shooting guard in the Class of 2009.

    Carl said he thinks his son “wants to go to Kansas” but is torn because his brother, C.J. Henry, plays for Memphis. C.J. recently underwent surgery to repair a broken bone in his left foot.

    “I think the hardest [part] is his brother’s at Memphis,” Carl said. “I believe he wants to go to Kansas but then again with his brother at Memphis, he might want to go there also.”

    John Riek will be cleared to start running in a few days and expects to join the Cincinnati basketball team in December.

    “He just gets clearance this month to start running,” said Riek’s adviser, Fatah Muraisi. “On Nov. 5 he’ll get the green light to start running. He’ll be joining the team in December.”

    The 7-foot-2 Riek is rehabbing a surgically-repaired knee at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and recently received a qualifying score on the ACT.

    Georgetown gave Louisville a real scare on Saturday.

    No, not the Hoyas.

    This was NAIA power Georgetown (Ky.) College pushing the No. 3 team in the nation before falling 74-67 in an exhibition game in Louisville broadcast on SNY.

    Samardo Samuels, the 6-9 freshman out of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark pictured above left, scored 20 points for the Cardinals. Fellow freshman Jared Swopshire also played well for Louisville, adding 14 points and 11 rebounds.

    Vincent Crutcher led the Tigers with 18 points and David Graham added 16, but the Tigers missed several free throws in the final minute that could have helped them pull off the upset.

    Louisville shot 39 percent from the field, was outrebounded 46-37 and committed 18 turnovers, but was 33-of-50 from the free-throw line.

    This was one of several scrimmages/exhibitions this weekend, including Rutgers at UMass and Fordham at Seton Hall on Saturday. We hear former St. Anthony point guard Jio Fontan of Fordham played exceptionally well finishing with about 30 points, and Jeremy Hazell shot it well for the Pirates. Seton Hall won the first 20-minute period by 1 point against Fordham’s starters, while in the second half, Fordham played all its guys and Seton Hall won by a dozen or so.

    Here’s a complete list of weekend scrimmages courtesy of Jeff Goodman at FoxSports.com

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