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.
Taylor Mulling Options; FDU Lands Duo; Rutgers to Hire Eric Murdock
Monmouth transfer Travis Taylor has taken two visits so far.
He saw Seton Hall last Saturday and Boston College last Sunday and Monday. The 6-foot-7 Taylor is scheduled to visit Temple on Sunday and Monday.
“Right now that’s all the visits the Taylors have set up,” said Bill Diamond, Taylor’s mentor.
“I will sit down with Travis and his parents next week after the Temple visit and get a feel if they would like to utilize the remaining three visits (Seton Hall was an unofficial). Tennesse, Clemson and Fordham have expressed an interest to me and are under consideration. We wanted to wait until the Temple visit before we sat down and met again, so we can compare the three visits he’s taken. This is an extremely important decision for Travis and he and his parents want to explore all of their options and do their homework and research before making a well thought out and informed decision.”
Monmouth has given Taylor a conditional release, limiting him to the teams not on Monmouth’s schedule for next season.
**In other Monmouth news, the school’s Board of Trustees will meet at 1:30 Thursday and could discuss the struggling basketball program, the Asbury Park Press reported.
“It’s got to come up,” Board member H. William Mullaney told the paper. “It’s a topic of conversation.”
After Taylor announced his transfer, former Rutgers guard Justin Sofman said he was leaving the team and would transfer to Division 3 Ramapo College.
“I expect when the athletic director [Marilyn McNeil] makes her report that [subject of men’s basketball] will be raised at that time,” Mullaney told the paper . “Obviously what’s going on is unacceptable.”
The newspaper reports that Monmouth has gone 39-84 since 2006-7 and 10 players have left the program for various reasons.
FDU LANDS DUO
Fairleigh Dickinson landed a pair of verbal commitments Thursday from A.J. Matthews and Ryan Davis of Broward (Fla.) Community College.
Matthews is a 6-11, 206-pound center and Davis is a 5-10, 170-pound point guard.
Both will spend one more year at Broward before joining FDU in 2011, when they will have two years of eligibility remaining.
“I like the school,” said Matthews, a Brooklyn native. “It’s a good environment. The coach [Greg Vetrone] was really good.”
Matthews said he also had interest from Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Fordham, Iona and St. John’s. Broward coach Bob Starkman said Kansas, Cincinnati and Washington State “are calling me already on him” even though Matthews hasn’t stepped foot yet on campus.
“A 7-footer that can really play is unheard of these days,” Starkman said.
“He runs the floor, he’s 6-11, he’s athletic, he’s got Big East potential,” added one Big East assistant coach said of Matthews. “In the NEC, if his head’s on straight, he’s the best player in the league. Not many 6-11 guys can run and jump and catch and have skills.”
Davis, a Queens native, sat out this past season to improve his grades but played the 2008-9 and was named second-team all-conference.
“He’s really quick and he’s a good 3-point shooter,” Starkman said.
Davis said he wants to help FDU make the Big Dance.
“Definitely win the NEC and hopefully take the team to the tournament,” he said of his goals.
RUTGERS TO HIRE MURDOCK
New Jersey native and former NBA player Eric Murdock will be named Director of Player Development at Rutgers next week, sources said.
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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.
Monmouth transfer Travis Taylor has taken two visits so far.
He saw Seton Hall last Saturday and Boston College last Sunday and Monday. The 6-foot-7 Taylor is scheduled to visit Temple on Sunday and Monday.
“Right now that’s all the visits the Taylors have set up,” said Bill Diamond, Taylor’s mentor.
“I will sit down with Travis and his parents next week after the Temple visit and get a feel if they would like to utilize the remaining three visits (Seton Hall was an unofficial). Tennesse, Clemson and Fordham have expressed an interest to me and are under consideration. We wanted to wait until the Temple visit before we sat down and met again, so we can compare the three visits he’s taken. This is an extremely important decision for Travis and he and his parents want to explore all of their options and do their homework and research before making a well thought out and informed decision.”
Monmouth has given Taylor a conditional release, limiting him to the teams not on Monmouth’s schedule for next season.
**In other Monmouth news, the school’s Board of Trustees will meet at 1:30 Thursday and could discuss the struggling basketball program, the Asbury Park Press reported.
“It’s got to come up,” Board member H. William Mullaney told the paper. “It’s a topic of conversation.”
After Taylor announced his transfer, former Rutgers guard Justin Sofman said he was leaving the team and would transfer to Division 3 Ramapo College.
“I expect when the athletic director [Marilyn McNeil] makes her report that [subject of men’s basketball] will be raised at that time,” Mullaney told the paper . “Obviously what’s going on is unacceptable.”
The newspaper reports that Monmouth has gone 39-84 since 2006-7 and 10 players have left the program for various reasons.
FDU LANDS DUO
Fairleigh Dickinson landed a pair of verbal commitments Thursday from A.J. Matthews and Ryan Davis of Broward (Fla.) Community College.
Matthews is a 6-11, 206-pound center and Davis is a 5-10, 170-pound point guard.
Both will spend one more year at Broward before joining FDU in 2011, when they will have two years of eligibility remaining.
“I like the school,” said Matthews, a Brooklyn native. “It’s a good environment. The coach [Greg Vetrone] was really good.”
Matthews said he also had interest from Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Fordham, Iona and St. John’s. Broward coach Bob Starkman said Kansas, Cincinnati and Washington State “are calling me already on him” even though Matthews hasn’t stepped foot yet on campus.
“A 7-footer that can really play is unheard of these days,” Starkman said.
“He runs the floor, he’s 6-11, he’s athletic, he’s got Big East potential,” added one Big East assistant coach said of Matthews. “In the NEC, if his head’s on straight, he’s the best player in the league. Not many 6-11 guys can run and jump and catch and have skills.”
Davis, a Queens native, sat out this past season to improve his grades but played the 2008-9 and was named second-team all-conference.
“He’s really quick and he’s a good 3-point shooter,” Starkman said.
Davis said he wants to help FDU make the Big Dance.
“Definitely win the NEC and hopefully take the team to the tournament,” he said of his goals.
RUTGERS TO HIRE MURDOCK
New Jersey native and former NBA player Eric Murdock will be named Director of Player Development at Rutgers next week, sources said.
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