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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 17.
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    • Articles, Coaching moves

    After VCU coach Shaka Smart turned down N.C. State, the Rams locked their coach up with an eight-year contract extension.

    The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that his base pay increased to $1.2 million annually from $325,000.

    “Coach Smart’s contributions to the university are unquantifiable,” said VCU President Michael Rao. “His character, intelligence and pursuit of excellence embody VCU’s core values.”

    Smart led the program to its first-ever Final Four and was courted by N.C. State, which has now swung and missed on Smart, Arizona’s Sean Miller, Memphis’ Josh Pastner, Texas’ Rick Barnes, Texas A&M’s Mark Turgeon and Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall. Marshall also agreed to an extension Monday.

    Articles, North Carolina

    HOUSTON — Harrison Barnes’s high school coach says he’s uncertain if Barnes will return to North Carolina for his sophomore season.

    “I don’t have any idea,” Ames (Iowa) coach Vance Downs said Monday by phone. “I haven’t spoken to Harrison about it. I texted him about a week ago. We haven’t talked on the phone.”

    Downs said he would be “pretty careful” about believing any reports on Barnes’s future “until the family” announces its plans.

    Coaching moves, N.C. State

    HOUSTON –– The N.C. State job is Shaka Smart’s to turn down, according to a report by David Glenn of ACCSports.com.

    “The Shaka Smart chapter of this search is going to come to a conclusion soon, probably today,” an agent who works with numerous college coaches told Glenn.

    “Regardless of his response, the Wolfpack will have a new coach this week. That’s how most of these searches go nowadays. You talk with multiple candidates at the same time, usually on different timetables, and that’s what’s happened here.

    Articles, Coaching moves, Miami, Missouri, Oklahoma

    HOUSTON — Former Miami coach Frank Haith is the new coach at Missouri, according to multiple reports.

    Haith, 45, replaces Mike Anderson, who departed last month to take the Arkansas job.

    As of late Sunday night, Haith had not informed his staff of his decision to move to the Big 12 from the ACC.

    Haith went 129-101 in seven seasons at Miami, 43-69 in the ACC.

    Articles, UConn, Video

    HOUSTON — Kemba Walker and Shelvin Mack began to develop a bond while playing together last summer on the college select team against Team USA.

    They exchanged texts throughout this college season and when Mack and Butler upended No. 1 seed Pittsburgh in the NCAA Tournament at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., March 19, Walker shared a message with the Butler guard.

    “He kind of got on me when we fouled Pittsburgh at the end,” Mack said Sunday, referring to the final 2.5 seconds of the game won by the Bulldogs, 71-70. “You know, he don’t really like Pittsburgh. He didn’t want them to win.”

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