Big East Teams Jockeying for Rankings
Now that top-ranked Kentucky has dropped from
Now that top-ranked Kentucky has dropped from
David Lee won’t be the Knicks first All-Star since Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell in 2001.
Despite averaging 19.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, Lee wasn’t selected as a reserve for next month’s All-Star Game in Dallas.
“It’s out of my control, and coach always tells me to try to control things that I can control. I think the overall message was that nobody was taken off a team with a sub-.500 record. So that means one thing: we have to get some more victories,” Lee said Thursday before the Knicks met Toronto at MSG.
Brooklyn’s Lance Stephenson was named the Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year, and Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin says Stephenson is on track to win that award.
The 6-foot-5 Stephenson, New York State’s all-time leading scorer, is averaging a team-best 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Bearcats (13-7, 4-4 Big East).
“He’s had a good year,” Cronin said. “I think for a freshman he’s had a great year. You can’t compare people to John Wall or Michael Beasley but Lance has had a very good year. I’d probably say if the voting were taken right now he’d probably be Freshman of the Year in the Big East. You can’t live up to ridiculous expectations that other people set forth for you.”
Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari and Nets center Brooke Lopez are headed to Dallas for NBA All-Star Weekend.
Gallo, who leads the NBA in 3-pointers made, and Lopez will participate in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam to be held on Friday, Feb. 12.
Gallinari could also join the 3-point competition and assist Nate Robinson in the Dunk Contest.
“He better go,” Robinson said of Gallo before the announcements were made.
Among those joining the Sophomores in the Rookie-Sophomore game are Derrick Rose of the Bulls, O.J. Mayo of the Grizzlies and Eric Gordon of the Clippers.
The Rookie team features former Big East stars Jonny Flynn of the T’Wolves (Syracuse) and DeJuan Blair of the Spurs (Pitt). Brandon Jennings of Milwaukee, Tyreke Evans of Sacramento and Stephen Curry of Golden State are also in the Rookie Game.
Knicks forward David Lee will learn Thursday whether he was chosen to the main All-Star Game.
Full rosters below:
Click the Video Player at right for my interview from Wednesday with Rice senior guard Shane Southwell and senior center Kadeem Jack, seen here throwing down a dunk courtesy of the Daily News.
Rice plays in the SNY Invitational this weekend at LIU-Brooklyn and will open up against Boys & Girls on Friday night. The championship game takes place on Saturday at 4.
“I think this is big for us as a school. It gives us a chance to play on TV, which is very big for us as basketball players,” Southwell said. “It gives the whole city a chance to know who we are and prove that we’re the best team in New York right now.”
NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Wizards guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton without pay for the rest of the season after both players brought guns into the Verizon Center during a Dec. 21 incident.
Arenas will end up serving a 50-game suspension. Crittenton has missed most of the season with a foot injury.
Here is Stern’s statement:
“The NBA has conducted a thorough investigation of events relating to this matter.
“It is not disputed that, following an argument on the team’s flight home from a game in Phoenix, both Mr. Arenas and Mr. Crittenton brought guns to the Verizon Center locker room and – with other players and team personnel present or nearby – displayed them to one another in a continuation of their dispute. The players engaged in this conduct despite a specific rule set forth in the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the Players Association prohibiting players from possessing a weapon at an NBA facility, and reminders of this prohibition given annually by the NBA to players both in writing and in person.
Joe Susan, the Rutgers recruiting coordinator and
