April 2013 | Page 21 of 32 | 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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Saturday / December 28.
  • The third-longest winning streak in Knicks’ history has been snapped at 13 games.

    Behind 35 points from former Knick Nate Robinson, the Chicago Bulls improved to 4-0 against New York this season with a 118-111 OT win in Chicago.

    “It’s over with, you can’t win ’em all,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson told reporters in Chicago. “It would’ve been nice if Melo knocks down that shot [in the final seconds] and we walk out here with a win. But it didn’t happen and we gotta rebound tomorrow night against Cleveland.”

    Carmelo Anthony put up 36 points and a season-high 19 rebounds while playing center for much of the game, but missed a potential game-winning jumper with the game tied at 105 in the final seconds.

    J.R. Smith added 28 points, Raymond Felton 19 and Chris Copeland 14.

    BY MATT SUGAM & ADAM ZAGORIA

    Dan Hurley turned down an offer to become the next head coach at Rutgers on Monday — and will not return home to New Jersey to try to save the day.

    Hurley has agreed in principle to a contract extension through 2019-20 at Rhode Island, sources with direct knowledge told SNY.tv. He is expected to sign the extension soon.

    Hurley initially signed a six-year deal worth approximately $4 million at Rhode Island a year ago after leaving Wagner following a two-year stint there. The Rutgers offer was not significantly more than what he makes at Rhody.

    http://web.sny.tv/media/video.jsp?content_id=26195361

    NEW YORK — Rob Fulford coached a virtual Dream Team on Thursday.

    At various points during practice for the Jordan Brand Classic, the Huntington (W.V.) Prep coach fielded a five of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle and Chris Walker up front, with Andrew and Aaron Harrison in the backcourt. Walker is committed to Florida, while Randle and the Harrisons are bound for Kentucky.

    “That’s not a bad mix right there,” Fulford told SNY.tv in the above interview. “Obviously, there’s a ton of talented kids here.”

    College coaches were not permitted at the practice, but a gaggle of NBA scouts watched from the stands. All 30 NBA teams have requested credentials to Saturday’s game at the Barclays Center, and with good reason. Five of the top 10 projected picks in the 2014 NBA Draft were in the gym on Thursday.

    KentuckyBy BRIAN FITZSIMMONS

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    NEW YORK — Now that the dust has settled from Louisville’s win over Michigan in the national championship showdown on Monday, college basketball fans are turning their attention to the anticipation for next season.

    Where to start?

    Well, that’s easy because Kentucky commit Dakari Johnson of Montverde (Fla.) Academy guaranteed the Wildcats would be the last ones standing in 2014.

    If that were to happen, it would mean the state of Kentucky would win three straight NCAA titles, with Kentucky winning two of the three.

    “Guarantee? I can guarantee we’ll work hard every day,” quipped Johnson’s future teammate, Andrew Harrison, at the Jordan Brand Classic’s media day on Thursday afternoon at Basketball City. “But if Dakari believes it, than I believe it too.”

    Considering Julius Randle (Prestonwood Christian, Texas), James Young (Rochester, Mich.), Marcus Lee (Deer Valley, Calif.) and Aaron Harrison (Travis, Texas) will be joining Johnson and Andrew Harrison at Kentucky next fall, maybe the Joe Namath-like statement isn’t too far-fetched.

    And certainly not if Kentucky adds Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2013, who is considering Kentucky, Kansas, Florida State and North Carolina and is on the Jordan Brand Classic East team here along with Randle and the Harrison twins.

    The Knicks will add 31-year-old James Singleton and release 40-year-old Kurt Thomas for the stretch run, according to multiple reports.

    The 6-foot-8 Singleton last played in the NBA with the Washington Wizards in 2012, and has spent this season in China with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, where he averaged 15.1 points and 11 rebounds in 21 games.

    Singleton will take Thomas’s spot on the 15-man roster. Thomas has been out since March 18 with a stress fracture in his right foot and is slated to have surgery next week, according to the Daily News, which first reported the Singleton news.

    ESPNNewYork.com later reported the Knicks had come to an agreement with Singleton.

    Former Old Dominion commit Denzell Taylor has gotten his release and is mulling several options.

    Taylor will visit St. Bonaventure the last weekend in April and will then trip to La Salle the first weekend in May, CIA Bounce coach Tony McIntyre told SNY.tv.

    He is also still considering Old Dominion, where he pledged in November before recently re-opening his recruitment following the coaching change.

    Taylor was a key cog on a St. Benedict’s team that reached the ESPN NHSI final, where it lost to Montverde, 67-65, on Saturday. Taylor had five points and six rebounds in the game.

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