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.
Duke Offers 2012 Duo of Murphy, Muhammad; UConn Adds Coach, Loses Player
Alex Murphy and his parents met with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and his assistants on Monday during an unofficial visit to campus.
At the end of the meeting — which came after the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions — Coach K let the 6-foot-8 Murphy know exactly how much he thought of him by offering a scholarship.
“We talked about a lot of stuff and in the end he said he really wanted me,” Murphy, a 2012 forward from the St. Mark’s (Mass.) School, said Tuesday by phone.
“It was a good feeling. Duke just doesn’t go around throwing offers out to kids. Anytime something like that happens it’s a good feeling. It’s a blessing.”
Murphy’s father, Jay, played four seasons in the NBA and seven in Europe. The younger Murphy’s list of offers reads like a Who’s Who of major college programs.
He rattled off Duke, Florida, Kansas, Texas, Syracuse, Arizona, Butler, Michigan, Boston College and Virginia as options.
“I don’t want to say it’s a done deal [to Duke],” Murphy said. “I think it’s too early but obviously if you get a chance to play somewhere like Duke and they offer you a scholarship, it’s definitely something you have to take into consideration.”
A day before offering Murphy, Coach K stood in his office and made the same offer to 6-5 shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, the No. 8 prospect in the Class of 2012 according to Rivals.
Duke now has three 2012 offers out, Murphy, Muhammad and 6-5 Wisconsin small forward J.P. Tokoto, the No. 4 player in the class.
“I know Shabazz pretty well from the adidas Nations team,” Murphy said. “I played with him twice at adidas Nations this summer and I played against him at the Jawhawk Invitational in Lawrence Kansas.”
Muhammad holds offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Duke, Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky, USC, Texas, and Memphis, with North Carolina expected to make a formal offer soon.
“He’s really good,” Murphy said. “He can score the ball really easily. Everything he does it looks effortless. He’s a lot of fun to watch, a lot of fun to play with. He’s a really good passer. He has a high IQ. He’s a real good kid so I like him a lot.”
UCONN ADDS COACH, LOSES PLAYER
UConn will add a coach and lose a player, according to reports out of Connecticut.
Former star Kevin Ollie will replace Pat Sellers, who resigned in the wake of the Nate Miles recruiting scandal, according to the New Haven Register. The newspaper also reports that Donyell Marshall, another former UConn star, could replace Beau Archibald as Director of Basketball Operations.
Meantime, freshman guard Darius Smith will transfer, the Hartford Courant reports. Smith averaged 1.0 point in 19 games. In other UConn news, 2012 power forward Elijah Macon says UConn is now his favorite school.
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Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Alex Murphy and his parents met with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and his assistants on Monday during an unofficial visit to campus.
At the end of the meeting — which came after the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions — Coach K let the 6-foot-8 Murphy know exactly how much he thought of him by offering a scholarship.
“We talked about a lot of stuff and in the end he said he really wanted me,” Murphy, a 2012 forward from the St. Mark’s (Mass.) School, said Tuesday by phone.
“It was a good feeling. Duke just doesn’t go around throwing offers out to kids. Anytime something like that happens it’s a good feeling. It’s a blessing.”
Murphy’s father, Jay, played four seasons in the NBA and seven in Europe. The younger Murphy’s list of offers reads like a Who’s Who of major college programs.
He rattled off Duke, Florida, Kansas, Texas, Syracuse, Arizona, Butler, Michigan, Boston College and Virginia as options.
“I don’t want to say it’s a done deal [to Duke],” Murphy said. “I think it’s too early but obviously if you get a chance to play somewhere like Duke and they offer you a scholarship, it’s definitely something you have to take into consideration.”
A day before offering Murphy, Coach K stood in his office and made the same offer to 6-5 shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, the No. 8 prospect in the Class of 2012 according to Rivals.
Duke now has three 2012 offers out, Murphy, Muhammad and 6-5 Wisconsin small forward J.P. Tokoto, the No. 4 player in the class.
“I know Shabazz pretty well from the adidas Nations team,” Murphy said. “I played with him twice at adidas Nations this summer and I played against him at the Jawhawk Invitational in Lawrence Kansas.”
Muhammad holds offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Duke, Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky, USC, Texas, and Memphis, with North Carolina expected to make a formal offer soon.
“He’s really good,” Murphy said. “He can score the ball really easily. Everything he does it looks effortless. He’s a lot of fun to watch, a lot of fun to play with. He’s a really good passer. He has a high IQ. He’s a real good kid so I like him a lot.”
UCONN ADDS COACH, LOSES PLAYER
UConn will add a coach and lose a player, according to reports out of Connecticut.
Former star Kevin Ollie will replace Pat Sellers, who resigned in the wake of the Nate Miles recruiting scandal, according to the New Haven Register. The newspaper also reports that Donyell Marshall, another former UConn star, could replace Beau Archibald as Director of Basketball Operations.
Meantime, freshman guard Darius Smith will transfer, the Hartford Courant reports. Smith averaged 1.0 point in 19 games. In other UConn news, 2012 power forward Elijah Macon says UConn is now his favorite school.
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