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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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    • Knicks

    By JOSH NEWMAN
    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    Kenyon MartinNEW YORK – Following two 10-day contracts beginning on Feb. 23, the Knicks went and did what everyone expected them to do on Friday afternoon, signing reserve forward Kenyon Martin for the remainder of the season.

    In his 13th season after being selected No. 1 overall back in 2000, Martin was signed to the first 10-day contract by the Knicks largely as an insurance policy with Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby nursing injuries at the time.

    That was the plan then, but that has drastically changed. After logging just five minutes in his first six games in uniform, Martin has played at least 17 minutes in each of his last five games, including a 31-minute, 12-point outing in Thursday’s 105-90 loss at the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday evening.

    Articles

    By ADAM ZAGORIA & JEREMY BAUMAN

    NEW YORK — The ACC is reportedly looking at bringing its postseason tournament up here to the Big Bad City sometime after 2015 when the contract with Greensboro runs out.

    Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center reportedly have not put in bids to host the tournament from 2016-21, but the ACC plans to announce its plans in April or May, according to this WNCN.com report.

    “We’ve got some options [in New York],” Karl Hicks, the league’s associate commissioner who runs the tournament, told WNCN.

    Working the Syracuse-Georgetown Big East semifinal game for ESPN at the Garden, Jay Bilas said they should bring the ACC Tournament here.

    “It’s a no-brainer,” Bilas told SNY.tv. “Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame. It’s a no-brainer.”

    Articles, Roselle Catholic

    For the first time since 2010, the New Jersey Tournament of Champions does not include Bob Hurley’s storied St. Anthony program.

    And the Friars have Syracuse-bound forward Tyler Roberson and Roselle Catholic to thank.

    Roberson went for 13 points and 11 boards last Saturday when Roselle Catholic stunned St. Anthony, 48-44, in the Non-Public B state final.

    Hurley and St. Anthony had won the TOC 12 times in 24 years and was the two-time defending champ of the event, which includes New Jersey’s six public and private state champs in a single-elimination tournament.

    As a result of the big win, Roberson and Roselle Catholic are now the No. 1 seed in the event and will tip off against No. 5 Newark Tech in the semifinals Friday night at Monmouth University.

    Kentucky-bound junior big man Karl Towns Jr. and No. 2 St. Joe’s-Metuchen will meet No. 3 Atlantic City in the other semifinal. The 7-foot-1 Towns Jr., Kentucky’s lone commit for 2014, went for 12 points and 5 rebounds when St. Joe’s knocked off St. Peter’s Prep in the Non-Public A final.

    Articles, Louisville

    NEW YORK — Back in his hometown for the Big East Tournament, Russ Smith called Archbishop Molloy High School on Thursday morning to touch base.

    Then he got the news that broke his heart.

    Jack Curran, the legendary Molloy coach, had passed away earlier Thursday after battling lung and kidney problems. He was 82.

    “Every time I’m in town, I always love to go back there, communicate with the guys,” Smith said of his alma mater after pouring in a game-high 28 points as Louisville advanced to the Big East semifinals against Notre Dame with a 74-55 win over Villanova.

    Articles, Big East, Louisville

    NEW YORK — Jim Boeheim isn’t alone in thinking that moving the ACC Tournament to Madison Square Garden is a good idea.

    Louisville coach Rick Pitino believes the ACC would benefit from such a move, too.

    “I don’t know if they would go for it, like Duke and  Carolina, but I think they would benefit greatly,” Pitino told SNY.tv following Louisville’s 74-55 victory over Villanova in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.

    He added: “I would love to see it, I don’t know if they can pull it off.”

    Articles

    BY MATT SUGAM

    Special TO ZAGSBLOG

    NEW YORK – Pittsburgh’s stay in their final Big East Tournament ever did not last long.

    The No. 4 Panthers earned a double-bye but were knocked out in their first game of the tournament, falling to No. 5 Syracuse, 62-59, in the quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden.

    “Pittsburgh’s a very, very good basketball team,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said.

    “They’ve got good leadership, good seniors. They’ve got some good young players.  They’re a very good — they’re a really good tournament team.”

    Articles, NBA Draft, Syracuse

     

    NEW YORK — As we’ve seen many times before, a successful run during March Madness can help a player’s NBA Draft stock rise markedly.

    One guy who is helping his stock big-time right now is Syracuse forward James Southerland.

    The 6-foot-8 senior from Queens went a perfect 6-of-6 from the arc Thursday as Syracuse beat Pittsburgh 62-59 in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.

    In two days in New York, Southerland is 12-of-15 from deep and has scored a combined 40 points.

    “It helps his stock a lot because he is on the big stage,” one veteran NBA scout told SNY.tv.

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