February 2012 | Page 4 of 28 | Zagsblog
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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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    • Articles, Big East

    This year, perhaps more than in recent campaigns, there is a spirited debate over who should be named Big East Coach of the Year.

    At least three or four men could lay claim to the award, presented annually during the Big East Tournament each year at Madison Square Garden.

    Under Jim Boeheim, Syracuse will win the Big East regular-season title after being chosen as the preseason favorite, along with UConn. Yet there was a time earlier this season — at the height of the Bernie Fine sex scandal — when it appeared Boeheim’s job might not be safe.  Now that he’s weathered the storm and moved past the scandal, Boeheim is a candidate for Big East and National Coach of the Year honors.

    UConn

    UConn coach Jim Calhoun underwent successful surgery Monday morning to address foraminal spinal stenosis, a lower back condition which has forced him to take an extended medical leave of absence, the school announce.

    The procedure, performed at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, removed a large extruded disk fragment that was pressing on the spinal nerve and decompressed the area around the nerve. The surgery took approximately two hours and doctors expect the Hall of Fame coach to make a full recovery. He will remain hospitalized overnight and is expected to be released on Tuesday.

    Kansas, Recruiting

    The widespread perception may be that Kentucky, UCLA, Duke or even UNLV may end up securing the services of 6-foot-6 senior wing Shabazz Muhammad, but his father says Kansas has a legitimate shot to land his son.

    “Kansas has a real shot, definitely,” Ron Holmes told SNY.tv Monday following his son’s official visit there this past weekend. “They did a great job.”

    Muhammad and his father visited for the Border War — an 87-86 OT win Saturday over Missouri — and also spent time with fellow 2012 uncommitted players Tony Parker and JaKarr Sampson.

    “When you go on these official visits, you might have a perception about a school but you can really see yourself playing there if the official visit goes right and the official visit definitely went right,” Holmes said.

    Iona

    The MAAC Tournament bracket is now set and the event runs March 2-5 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass.

    Iona is the No. 1 seed and is hoping to get to the Big Dance after losing in last year’s title game to St. Peter’s.

    Friday, March 2 – Men’s First Round
    Matchup

    Time

    TV
    #8 Marist vs. #9 Saint Peter’s

    7:30 p.m.

    — 
    #7 Niagara vs. #10 Canisius

    9:30 p.m.

    — 

    Kansas, Recruiting

    After taking a weekend visit to Kansas, Tony Parker is finished taking trips and will likely announce his college choice at the McDonald’s All-American Game, his father told SNY.tv.

    “I think he’s going to do it at the McDonald’s Game,” Virgil Parker said Monday morning in a phone interview.

    The game is set for March 28 at the United Center in Chicago and is preceded by several days of practices.

    Virgil said his son, a skilled 6-foot-9 center from Lithonia (Ga.) Miller Grove High, will choose from among Kansas, UCLA, Duke, Ohio State, Memphis and Georgia. He confirmed that Kentucky and UConn were no longer in the mix.

    Articles, Recruiting

    JaKarr Sampson was in the house at Allen Fieldhouse Saturday when Kansas beat Missouri, 87-86 in OT, in the latest, and perhaps, last edition of the Border War.

    The 6-foot-8 Sampson visited Kansas along with 2012 late-signing studs Shabazz Muhammad and Tony Parker.

    “It was a real good visit,” Don Anderson, Sampson’s AAU coach, told SNY.tv Sunday by phone. “They showed us the facilities and talked to JaKarr and told him what they wanted to do with him as far as him being a player. You know, doing it the Kansas Way.”

    Sampson previously visited Baylor and is next eyeing trips to Providence and Florida.

    Articles, Hurleys, St. Anthony, St. Benedict's, St. Patrick

    For nearly two decades, St. Patrick and St. Anthony forged one of the most bitter and hotly contested high school basketball rivalries in the nation.

    A year ago, the two North Jersey schools were undefeated and ranked first and second nationally when they met in the unofficial national championship game at Rutgers.

    St. Anthony beat St. Patrick in that game and went on to claim its fourth mythical national championship.

    Now, with the news that St. Patrick will close its doors at the end of the year, Hall of Fame St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley says it’s the end of an era.

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