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.
The Dr. Martin Luther King holiday weekend is always loaded with some great high school hoops (as well as the annual Knicks game Monday afternoon).
Weekends like these drive me crazy and make me wish I could clone myself into three or four incarnations.
Here’s a brief look at three elite events going on this weekend. Click on the event name for the full schedule:
**Big Apple Invitational, Saturday & Monday, Baruch College, NYC
Run by our man Jason Curry of Big Apple Basketball, this event will feature several committed players in Steven Adams of Notre Dame Prep (Pitt,) Myles Davis of ND Prep (Xavier), Adonis Filer of ND Prep (Clemson) and Kris Dunn of New London (Providence).
Also slated to play are uncommitted 2013s Jermaine Lawrence of Cardozo, Rysheed Jordan of Robert Vaux, Davon Reed of Princeton Day, Terrence Samuel of South Shore and 2014 guard Isaiah Whitehead of Lincoln.
**Dan Finn Classic, Saturday, Jersey City Armory, Jersey City, N.J.
This event features some of the top teams and players in Jersey, including St. Anthony, St. Benedict’s, Teaneck, St. Peter’s Prep and Linden. UCLA-bound point guard Kyle Anderson will start a busy weekend for the unbeaten Friars (10-0), who are also playing Monday in the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.. New Seton Hall commit Aquille Carr and Baltimore Patterson take on a St. Ben’s team featuring uncommited junior point guard Tyler Ennis. Uncommitted senior Chris Jones and Teaneck will take on Next Level Prep of Toronto.
**Spalding Hoophall Classic, Thursday-Monday, Hall of Fame, Springfield, Mass.
Arguably the best high school tournament of the year, the Hoophall Classic will feature of Who’s Who of teams and players, including committed seniors Kyle Anderson of St. Anthony (UCLA), Mitch McGary of Brewster (Michigan), Brandon Ashley of Findlay Prep (Arizona) and Kaleb Tarczewski of St. Mark’s (ARizona), as well as uncommitted senior studs Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman), Tony Parker (Miller Grove, JaKarr Sampson (Brewster), Amile Jefferson (Philly Friends Central) and Anthony Bennett (Findlay Prep).
Among the top uncommitted juniors expected are Julius Randle (Prestonwood Christian), Jabari Parker (Chicago Simeon) and Nerlens Noel (Tilton).
Here’s the TV sked:
Sun, Jan 15
2 p.m.
No. 23 Friends Central (Pa.) vs. St. Marks (Mass.)
Blake Arena, Springfield, Mass.
ESPNU
4 p.m.
Brewster (N.H.) vs. Tilton School (N.H.)
Blake Arena, Springfield, Mass.
ESPN
7 p.m.
New Hampton Prep (N.H.) vs. Notre Dame Prep (Mass.)
Blake Arena, Springfield, Mass.
ESPN3
9 p.m.
Skills Competition
Blake Arena, Springfield, Mass.
ESPN3
Mon, Jan 16
11 a.m.
No. 2 Miller Grove (Ga.) vs. No. 9 St. Anthony (N.J.)
Blake Arena, Springfield, Mass.
ESPNU
1 p.m.
No. 7 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) vs. No. 13 DeMatha (Md.)
Blake Arena, Springfield, Mass.
ESPNU
3 p.m.
No. 8 Findlay Prep (Nev.) vs. No. 1 Simeon (Ill.)
Blake Arena, Springfield, Mass.
ESPNU
5 p.m.
No. 6 Mater Dei (Calif.) vs. No. 24 Christ the King (N.Y.)
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.