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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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Friday / November 22.
  • NEW YORK — So I was in the Knicks media room the other day when a conversation with one of my fellow sports writing colleagues turned to Ultimate.

    OK, I brought it up, only to get a barrage of the same questions I and other Ultimate players have been answering for decades.

    “Is it a real sport?” my colleague asked. “Are there teams? How do you play? I don’t see it anywhere.”

    You can’t blame the guy. He doesn’t see Ultimate anywhere, so how’s he expected to know about it?

    Yet now that a pro Ultimate league is launching, he and others may finally be

    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).

    By JOSH NEWMAN

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The scene wasn’t quite out of the Twilight Zone, but it was odd enough to anyone who knows the history and was paying attention.

    Here was first-year Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello still in stunned disbelief after the Jaspers, once down as many as 18, claimed a 75-72 win at MAAC-leading Iona on Thursday night thanks to freshman forward Emmy Andujar banking in a 3-pointer from about 25 feet out at the regulation buzzer.

    The officials reviewed it, Andujar’s shot was indeed good and Masiello and his players understandably went nuts.

    Masiello turned, and who was at midcourt near the scorer’s table to greet him? Yes, his former employer and ex-Jaspers head coach Bobby Gonzalez to give him a huge hug and say a few kind words.

    By JOSH NEWMAN

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – If all the key figures declare for this June’s NBA Draft, there is going to be a whole lot of exceptional talent at the top waiting for David Stern to call their name.

    The Draft lottery could be a smorgasbord of talent at the top with the likes of Kentucky freshman forward Anthony Davis, UConn freshman center Andre Drummond, North Carolina sophomore swingman Harrison Barnes and Ohio State sophomore forward Jared Sullinger at the top.

    What you won’t find is a pure point guard. The first point guard listed among the “Top 100 Prospects” on DraftExpress.com is Carolina sophomore Kendall Marshall at No. 20.

    Iona senior Scott Machado? 

    With St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin looking on, 6-foot-9 Chris Obekpa put on quite a show Thursday night for Our Savior New American.

    Obekpa notched 11 points, 15 rebounds and 20 blocks as unbeaten Our Savior (11-0) beat National Christian (Md.), 87-56, at Our Savior.

    Felix Balamou, a 2012 wing also being courted by St. John’s, added 13 points and Nick Lewis had 20 off the bench.

    “Steve Lavin was front and center,” Our Savior assistant Eric Jaklitsch said, adding that the 20 blocks were legit.

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