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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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Monday / December 23.
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    • Articles

    Five hours before No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama square off Saturday night in football, the top two junior college basketball programs in the country will face off in New York.

    No. 1 College of Southern Idaho will face No. 2 Monroe College at 3 p.m. in the first-ever Mustangs Invitational at the Monroe Atheltic Complex (MAC) in downtown New Rochelle, N.Y.

    “This is as high a level junior college game as you will see,” said Iona associate head coach Jared Grasso, who has recruited numerous JUCO players to his program, including former Monroe standout Randy Dezouvre. “The No. 1 and No. 2 JUCO programs in the nation on the first weekend of the season is unheard of.”

    According to the NJCAA, only one other time in recent memory have the NJCAA’s top two Division I men’s teams met head-to-head so early in the season.  (No. 1 Indian RIver vs. No. 2 Chipola in 2008).

    Articles, UConn, Video

    With Kemba Walker watching from the stands Wednesday night, UConn got off to a strong start in the post-Kemba Era.

    Jeremy Lamb scored 17 points and Shabazz Napier added 15 assists, nine points and seven boards  to help the No. 4 Huskies rout American International 78-35 in an exhibition game.

    “I think we can be very good,” Lamb told SNY.tv in the below video interview. “We lost Kemba but we still have a lot of talent, a lot of good players.”

    “This team is very talented,” added junior forward Alex Oriakhi. “I definitely think it can be more talented than it was last year.”

    Freshman center Andre Drummond made his debut on schedule despite the broken nose and mild concussion he sustained in practice last week.

    Articles, Kentucky, Michael Gilchrist

    Former Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick star Michael Kidd-Gilchrist appears headed for a starting spot at Kentucky.

    “I would say, looking at today, he’s a starter because you have to have him start the game,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said Wednesday, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. “Can’t start the game like we did today.”

    Kentucky trailed Division 3 Transylvania 11-4 before Kidd-Gilchrist went into the game at about the four minute mark and the Wildcats went on to win 97-53. He finished with 19 points (including a dunk that made SportsCenter), seven rebounds, five assists and a block.

    “He was the difference in what happened,” Calipari said. “He did what I knew he would do.”

    Articles, Maryland

    Maryland coach Mark Turgeon and Terps fans everywhere got some much needed good news Wednesday when the NCAA cleared 7-foot-1 Ukrainian Alex Len to practice but suspended him for 10 games “based on amateurism guidelines.”

    Len will be eligible for the Terps’ game against Albany Dec. 28.

    “We appreciate the NCAA’s cooperative review of Alex’s case,” Maryland Athletic Director Kevin Anderson said in a statement. “However, it has been a difficult situation in light of Alex’s educational pursuits. Alex and his family have been very patient and honest throughout this process, which speaks well of his character.”

    Kentucky

    The possibility that Kentucky sophomore guard Stacey Poole will transfer seemed to increase Wednesday night when he sat out the team’s exhibition contest against Transylvania.

    If Poole were to play in an exhibition game it would count as playing a full year of college basketball, so if he transferred he would lose this year of eligibility.

    Under NCAA rules, and specifically Bylaw 14.2.3.1.3, freshman student-athletes are allowed to participate in preseason exhibition contests and still preserve the entire year of eligibility. The Bylaw, however, does not provide the same exception for returning student-athletes in their sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

    Articles, St. John's

    Onetime St. John’s signee JaKarr Sampson is likely to go to college in the fall of 2012 instead of at the semester break this year, according to his AAU coach.

    “Since Brewster is on trimesters it’s going to be kind of difficult to get him in in December,” Don Anderson told SNY.tv. “I think that JaKarr is probably leaning toward just going ahead and reclassifying for a 2012 kid.”

    There had been some thought that the 6-foot-8 Sampson could enter St. John’s or another school in December. Amir Garrett and Norvel Pelle, the two other St. John’s signees declared ineligible by the NCAA, both hope to join St. John’s in December, their prep coaches told SNY.tv.

    Articles, N.C. State

    T.J. Warren is staying home.

    A Raleigh, N.C. native rated the No. 6 small forward in the Class of 2012, Warren announced Wednesday for N.C. State over Georgetown.

    The 6-foot-7 Brewster (N.H.) Academy wing joins fellow Raleigh native Rodney Purvis and Tyler Lewis of Statesville in coach Mark Gottfried’s 2012 class.

    “I’m going to N.C. State,” Warren told Scout.com. “I feel like they are on the come up.

    “I just want to go in there and help bring the excitement back to Raleigh, N.C.”

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