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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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Thursday / December 26.
  • Todd Decker is the new head basketball coach at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City.

    Decker, 32, takes over for Mike Kelly, who spent five years at the parochial powerhouse before being promoted to captain in the Jersey City Police Department.

    “I’m honored to be the head coach of Saint Peter’s Prep,” Decker said. “There is not a better school in the tri-state area for student-athletes.Ā  We will continue to build on what was started here five years ago, and continue to attract some of the top players around.Ā  I have some big shoes to fill, but am grateful for all the knowledge that Coach Kelly gave to me.”


    GREENBURGH, N.Y.
    — One thing Jeremy Hazell can do is shoot.

    And the 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Seton Hall said he did exactly that during Tuesday’s workout at the Knicks Westchester campus.

    “I think I made all of them,” Hazell, a Harlem native, said in reference to taking 25 college and 25 NBA 3-pointers during the workout. “Yeah, I was lights out today.

    “And it just felt great being at home. It relaxed me, it calmed me because I’ve been away for so long. So coming back here playing for the Knicks, my dream team, I know I had to show what I can do, and I think it did it today.”

    Isaiah Whitehead and Dakari Johnson are two of the elite players in the Class of 2014, yet they were left off the 2011 USA Menā€™s U16 National Team announced Monday.

    Don Showalter, head coach of the team, told SNY.tv he liked both players but the committee didn’t feel either deserved a spot on the 12-man roster that will compete this month in the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Cancun, Mexico.

    “We had 27 really good players,” Showalter said by phone. “We were only going to take one true five man and the fellow [Jahlil] Okafor was a little more consistent [than Johnson]. Playing in a national camp there’s just not enough room for two strictly post players.


    Another tournament, another MVP award for Kyle Anderson.

    The 6-foot-8 junior from St. Anthony High School was named MVP of the Rumble in the Bronx after the Playaz downed host Albany City Rocks, 67-65, in the title game Sunday. Anderson tallied 19 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.

    He also recently picked up co-MVP honors at the Frankie Williams Charity Classic in Greenburgh, N.Y. after putting up 20 points in that game.

    Villanova signee Savon Goodman scored 16 points and uncommitted shooting guard Myles Davis added 14 for the Playaz.

    N.C. State signee Tyler Harris of Long Island led the City Rocks with a game-high 31 points, and Tyler Cavanaugh added 13. The City Rocks were without stud junior center DaJuan Coleman, playing at the adidas Nations event.

    GREENBURGH,N.Y. –– He is just 15 years old and stands 7 feet, 1 inch tall.

    His name is Pascal Chukwu and he is a rising sophomore at Trinity Catholic in Greenwich, Conn.

    He’s only been playing basketball for about a year, but he’s extremely coordinated [and] hardworking,” said Paul Staubi, Chukwu’s AAU coach with Greenburgh-based Team Frenji. “He has all the ingredients to become a very good player.”

    A Nigerian, Chukwu will appear this summer at the ReebokĀ Basketball Breakout Challenge at Philadelphia University July 5-9. He has already drawn interest from Big East, ACC, MAAC and A-10 schools.

    In their search to land a shooting guard for the post-lockout NBA, the Knicks worked out former Portland Trail Blazers guard Bonzi Wells Thursday and Friday.

    Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni was an assistant in Portland during Wells’ tenure in 2000-1.

    “I had a great camp,” Wells told The Star Press.com. “I’m a 34-year-old guy and I got up and down the court excellent. I shot the ball great. I played pretty good defense. I did the best I could to keep those little 20-year-old guys in front of me.”

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