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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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Thursday / December 19.
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    • Andrew Wiggins, Articles

    Five of the best minutes I’ve seen on TV in a long time happened today on ESPNU just before Julius Randle pulled the trigger for Kentucky.

    Colin Cowherd, who claims to follow college basketball recruiting, was interviewing Rhode Island assistant and former Duke star Bobby Hurley.

    Cowherd wanted to know who the next LeBron James was and whether he was out there somewhere on the recruiting trail, and could Bobby tell him who it might be.

    Hurley cracked an incredulous look and first explained to Cowherd that, being a college assistant, he was not permitted to comment on recruitable student-athletes.

    Articles, Kentucky

    NEW YORK — Doron Lamb knows from firsthand experience that Kentucky can win an NCAA championship with the proper blend of youth and experience.

    A year ago, a Kentucky team with four high-profile freshmen (Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Kyle Wiltjer), two sophomores (Lamb and Terrence Jones) and one senior (Darius Miller) cut down the nets in New Orleans.

    A year from now, Lamb says it’s possible for history to repeat itself if several of Kentucky’s current freshmen come back to campus to join up with the six McDonald’s All-Americans they have coming in.

    “Yeah, it will be easier for everybody if they all stay because you ain’t gotta do that much to win a championship,” Lamb, a Queens, N.Y. native, told SNY.tv before the Orlando Magic lost to the Knicks, 106-94, at MSG. “You’re all great players and they all should be pros, so you gotta wait and see what happens.”

    Articles, Michigan State

    Gavin Schilling is headed to Michigan State.

    “I proudly announce that I will be playing my college basketball at Michigan State University! Much love to all who supported me! #GoGreen,” he Tweeted.

    The 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward from Findlay Prep picked the Spartans over Villanova, UCLA and Minnesota.

    Schilling called Michigan State Tom Izzo on Wednesday to inform him.

    “The whole winning tradition and how good Coach Izzo is at developing his players,” Schilling told SNY.tv by phone of why he picked the school. “And the whole family atmosphere I  went through on my visit with the players. I really got a good feel for the school.”

    Knicks

    By MATTHEW FALKENBURY
    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The wounded Knicks finally got some good news on the injury front.

    Carmelo Anthony, who has missed the past three games and six of the past eight with fluid in the back of his knee, is probable to play tonight against the Orlando Magic at MSG.

    The Knicks return home after going 1-4 on a West Coast swing that culminated with a 90-83 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday.

    “He’s still probable,” coach Mike Woodson said. “If something changes between now and the arena, but I’m thinking he is going to play tonight so we will see. Having Melo back is a major plus for our offensive flow…Melo’s been great at scoring the basketball and everybody around him has benefited from it as well. So it’s important to have [Melo] back.”

    Articles, Kentucky

    Julius Randle finally made the call on Wednesday, thrilling Kentucky fans by picking the Wildcats over Kansas, Florida and Texas on ESPNU.

    The 6-foot-9 Randle is the record sixth McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American to pledge to Kentucky for 2013, following Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Marcus Lee, Dakari Johnson and James Young. All told, Kentucky now has seven recruits, including Derek Willis.

    “Cal just reloads,” one veteran NBA scout told SNY.tv, referring to Kentucky coach John Calipari. “If his freshman this year outside of [Nerlens] Noel remain in school this team may be better the the team that won the National Championship last year.”

    There had been rumors that Randle and the Harrisons didn’t get along, but that proved not to be an issue for Randle.

    “I felt like the system at Kentucky was a great system,” he said on ESPNU. “They have a lot of great players going in there, so you’re going to have to battle.

    Articles, Big East

    NEW YORK — Just came from the Big East/Fox Sports press conference in midtown Manhattan and here are the highlights.

    **As has been widely reported, Butler, Creighton and Xavier will officially join the new 10-team league  as of July 1 and begin play next year in men’s and women’s hoops and all Olympic sports. They will join the Catholic 7 of DePaul, Georgetown Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John’s and Villanova. Georgetown, Providence, St. John’s and Seton Hall are all founding members of the Big East, which began conference play in 1979. Villanova was added in 1980, while DePaul and Marquette joined in 2006.

    **The league announced a 12-year deal with Fox Sports and its new Fox Sports 1 multi-sport channel, which launches Aug. 17. Father Brian J. Shanley of Providence College said the deal — reportedly worth $500 million — offers “stability” to the Big East.

    Articles, Kentucky

    Three key Kentucky freshmen indicated after last night’s season-ending 59-57 loss to Robert Morris in the NIT that they will return to campus for their sophomore seasons, which has major implications not only for next year’s national college basketball landscape but also for the impending recruiting decisions of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon, too.

    Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress and Willie Cauley-Stein all said they would return to Kentucky, which would give the Wildcats a very deep and experienced team coming back in 2013-14 — similar to what they had last season when they won the NCAA championship with a group of talented freshmen plus two sophomores and a senior.

    Coach John Calipari already has a six-man recruiting class coming in, including five McDonald’s All-Americans.

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