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.
Source: Calhoun ‘Gearing Up for Big Year’; Momo, Garrett, Teague Updates
It’s hard to imagine Jim Calhoun landing the No. 3 small forward in the Class of 2011 and then walking away from the game.
It’s also hard to imagine that DeAndre Daniels didn’t get some sort of assurance from Calhoun that the UConn coach would return to the sidelines for at least one more year.
“I think he is gearing up for another year,” a source close to the UConn staff said of Calhoun the same day the Huskies landed a verbal commitment from the 6-foot-8 Daniels.
Calhoun, 69, said he will finalize his plans this month during a family vacation in Hilton Head, S.C. He is one of just five men’s coaches to win three or more NCAA championships, including the victory in April over Butler.
“I think June is a good month,” he said last month at the New York Athletic Club. “I think I don’t have that much planned in June. We’ve got a family vacation away, 10 days on the beach and all that kinda stuff. That’ll be a good time. Because I haven’t gotten away from the game.”
IMG Academies coach Andy Borman said Calhoun was a major factor why Daniels chose the Huskies over Kansas, Texas, Florida, Duke and others, and he believes that UConn can make a run at back-to-back titles with the addition of Daniels to a core that includes rising sophomores Shabazz Napier, Jeremy Lamb, Roscoe Smith and rising junior Alex Oriakhi.
“I’m trying to do everything humanly possible right now to prepare ourselves like I’m the coach next year,” Calhoun said last month.
ST. JOHN’S GARRETT DRAFTED
The future of St. John’s signee Amir Garrett appears up in the air after the Cincinnati Reds chose the flame-throwing, left-handed pitcher in the 22nd round of the MLB First Year Players’ Draft Tuesday.
“Everyone don’t listen to a lot of these articles they don’t know what I’m doin, I don’t even know what I’m doing, its a lot of gossip…,” Garrett Tweeted Tuesday.
A source close to the Findlay Prep staff confirmed that the 6-5 Garrett was undecided about what to do next.
“No idea,” the source said. “Don’t think he knows….Good problem for him to have.”
Garrett, an athletic wing, is part of St. John’s coach Steve Lavin’s highly-ranked No. 2 recruiting class.
MOMO JONES UPDATE
Arizona transfer Lamont “Momo” Jones has not yet decided on a school, according to a source with direct knowledge.
Jones has visited Seton Hall and Iona, and hopes to still visit Hofstra and, possibly, UMass.
If he hasn’t chosen a school at that point, he will set visits to Big East schools Marquette, South Florida and Pitt.
Speaking of Hofstra, former UConn guard Jamal Coombs-McDaniel will visit the school Friday and Saturday.
TEAGUE TO SETON HALLEugene Teague, a 6-9, 260-pound center from Southern Illinois, has signed scholarship papers to transfer to Seton Hall.
The Vineland, N.J., native must sit out next season and will suit up in 2012. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
“Definitely he wanted to be closer to home. That was his main priority,” Nate Teague, Gene’s father, told Jerry CArino of Gannett New Jersey. “He was homesick. The first year I told him, ‘You’ve got to stick it out and try another year.’ Then the same thing happened. He never got comfortable with the situation.”
This past season, Teague averaged 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 60.6 percent from the floor. He was averaging 11.1 points and 7.6 boards before spraining his ankle in December. He also missed three games in February for disciplinary reasons.
He chose Seton Hall over interest from Clemson, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Penn State, per Gannett.
“He has live feet and real big hands,” Nate Teague told Gannett. “He catches everything thrown to him. He brings a presence to where he commands a double team. His weakness, where he can develop, is just being more patient with his game.”
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.
It’s hard to imagine Jim Calhoun landing the No. 3 small forward in the Class of 2011 and then walking away from the game.
It’s also hard to imagine that DeAndre Daniels didn’t get some sort of assurance from Calhoun that the UConn coach would return to the sidelines for at least one more year.
“I think he is gearing up for another year,” a source close to the UConn staff said of Calhoun the same day the Huskies landed a verbal commitment from the 6-foot-8 Daniels.
Calhoun, 69, said he will finalize his plans this month during a family vacation in Hilton Head, S.C. He is one of just five men’s coaches to win three or more NCAA championships, including the victory in April over Butler.
“I think June is a good month,” he said last month at the New York Athletic Club. “I think I don’t have that much planned in June. We’ve got a family vacation away, 10 days on the beach and all that kinda stuff. That’ll be a good time. Because I haven’t gotten away from the game.”
IMG Academies coach Andy Borman said Calhoun was a major factor why Daniels chose the Huskies over Kansas, Texas, Florida, Duke and others, and he believes that UConn can make a run at back-to-back titles with the addition of Daniels to a core that includes rising sophomores Shabazz Napier, Jeremy Lamb, Roscoe Smith and rising junior Alex Oriakhi.
“I’m trying to do everything humanly possible right now to prepare ourselves like I’m the coach next year,” Calhoun said last month.
ST. JOHN’S GARRETT DRAFTED
The future of St. John’s signee Amir Garrett appears up in the air after the Cincinnati Reds chose the flame-throwing, left-handed pitcher in the 22nd round of the MLB First Year Players’ Draft Tuesday.
“Everyone don’t listen to a lot of these articles they don’t know what I’m doin, I don’t even know what I’m doing, its a lot of gossip…,” Garrett Tweeted Tuesday.
A source close to the Findlay Prep staff confirmed that the 6-5 Garrett was undecided about what to do next.
“No idea,” the source said. “Don’t think he knows….Good problem for him to have.”
Garrett, an athletic wing, is part of St. John’s coach Steve Lavin’s highly-ranked No. 2 recruiting class.
MOMO JONES UPDATE
Arizona transfer Lamont “Momo” Jones has not yet decided on a school, according to a source with direct knowledge.
Jones has visited Seton Hall and Iona, and hopes to still visit Hofstra and, possibly, UMass.
If he hasn’t chosen a school at that point, he will set visits to Big East schools Marquette, South Florida and Pitt.
Speaking of Hofstra, former UConn guard Jamal Coombs-McDaniel will visit the school Friday and Saturday.
TEAGUE TO SETON HALL
Eugene Teague, a 6-9, 260-pound center from Southern Illinois, has signed scholarship papers to transfer to Seton Hall.
The Vineland, N.J., native must sit out next season and will suit up in 2012. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
“Definitely he wanted to be closer to home. That was his main priority,” Nate Teague, Gene’s father, told Jerry CArino of Gannett New Jersey. “He was homesick. The first year I told him, ‘You’ve got to stick it out and try another year.’ Then the same thing happened. He never got comfortable with the situation.”
This past season, Teague averaged 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 60.6 percent from the floor. He was averaging 11.1 points and 7.6 boards before spraining his ankle in December. He also missed three games in February for disciplinary reasons.
He chose Seton Hall over interest from Clemson, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Penn State, per Gannett.
“He has live feet and real big hands,” Nate Teague told Gannett. “He catches everything thrown to him. He brings a presence to where he commands a double team. His weakness, where he can develop, is just being more patient with his game.”
