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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 / December 22.
  • The Hoop Group is hosting the first annual “End of Summer” grassroots basketball tournament in Reading, Pa., on Sunday.

    The End of Summer Classic is an invitation only event featuring many of the top programs from up and down the East Coast. The one-day event will showcase the top 17U, 16U and 15U stars from as far south as Maryland and as far north as Massachusetts.

    Some of the  teams confirmed for the event are New Heights NYC, Playaz Basketball Club, Baltimore Elite, New York Gauchos, Sports U / Team Izod, Team Philly, Players Teaching Players, Philly’s Finest, Jersey Shore Warriors, Mid-Atlantic Select, Team NJABC, New Jersey ShoreShots, Expressions, Mid-Penn Motion, Delaware Team Takeover, Long Island Lightning Dingle, BC Eagles and many more.

    Kyle Anderson and Kareem Canty played AAU ball together for several years with the Long Island Lightning, and could team up again in college.

    “They can play together because ‘Nunu’ [Canty] is a combo guard and Kyle is basically a point forward,” said Dana Dingle of the Lightning, who is helping to advise Canty on his college choice. “Kyle is more of a distributor than a scorer and ‘Nunu’ is more of scorer than a distributor. But in Vegas he was working on his distributing.”

    “I believe they both can play together because they have.”

    Andre Drummond may not return to St. Thomas More next season and his plans are up in the air, according to STM head coach Jere Quinn.

    “I’m really not sure [what he will do],” Quinn told SNY.tv by phone Friday, echoing comments he made to the Norwich Bulletin. “We had a meeting with the family and his mom and his AAU guy in June and they said were considering keeping his options open.

    “I asked them to get a little more specific by what they meant about that. By the end it was not clear what they wanted and what direction they were thinking of going.”

    The No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2012 and a likely future NBA player, Drummond was the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year last season. The 6-foot-10 Drummond averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds a game while leading St. Thomas More to a 30-7 record and a National Prep School Tournament championship.

    NEW YORK — Like many former college players who weren’t selected in last month’s NBA Draft, Antonio Pena is looking to go overseas.

    The former Villanova standout and Brooklyn native said he may land in France for the upcoming season.

    “Hopefully, I’ll get a chance somewhere in France or somewhere like that,” Pena said after posting 10 points and 10 rebounds as The Uptowners lost to Corey Fisher and The Franchise, 115-113, Thursday in the Nike Pro City League at Baruch College.

    “Hopefully, [I will know] by the next two weeks.”

    Kyle Anderson, Darrick Wood, Savon Goodman and Myles Davis closed out their AAU careers with an 80-72 overtime win over the Mac Irvin Fire Thursday night in the championship game of the Desert Duel in Gilbert, Az.

    The Playaz trailed by 23 at the break, but roared back for the win.

    Wood scored 17, the Villanova-bound Goodman had 13, Davis tallied 12 and Anderson 10.

    While many of his fellow high school basketball standouts are finishing up on the AAU circuit, Ricky Ledo is training with the Puerto Rican National Team and planning his college visits.

    The 6-foot-7 Ledo, the No. 1 shooting guard in the Class of 2012, said he is planning to visit Syracuse, UConn, Kentucky and Providence, although no dates have been set.

    “I plan on visiting Syracuse and UConn and Kentucky and some other schools,” he told SNY.tv Thursday by phone.

    “Those are just schools I want to visit. I don’t have a top [five]. I have friends at UConn and friends at Syracuse.”

    In preparation for his tenure as coach of the Dominican Republic National Team during Olympic qualifying, Kentucky coach John Calipari will lead the Dominicans against a team of Kentucky pros.

    The Kentucky roster will reportedly include Rajon Rondo, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Nazr Mohammed, Tayshaun Prince, Keith Bogans and Jodie Meeks, and will be coached by Joe B Hall and Sam Bowie. No Enes Kanter though.

    Calipari’s Dominican team is slated to include NBA players Franciso Garcia, Charlie Villanueva and Al Horford.

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