February 2014 | Page 17 of 23 | 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, SMU

    SMULet me preface this post by saying that I was nowhere near Dallas, Texas or Moody Coliseum on Saturday.

    I spent the day covering high school hoops and recruiting at the PrimeTime Shootout in New Jersey.

    Yet even there the buzz surrounding the SMU basketball program was palpable.

    And that was several hours before Larry Brown’s program stayed undefeated at home with a 76-55 victory over No. 7 Cincinnati, ending the Bearcats’ 15-game winning streak.

    The victory marked SMU’s first win over a Top 10 team since 1987.

    Articles, Kentucky

    ROSELLE, N.J. — Karl Towns Jr. came up one victory shy of winning the New Jersey Tournament of Champions last season.

    Now in his final year at St. Joe’s-Metuchen, the newly-minted McDonald’s All-American has two main goals going forward.

    No. 1: He wants to win the TOC in his final year of high school.

    “My goal for the rest of the season is to win the TOC,” the 7-foot Towns said after putting up 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 assists as St. Joe’s hammered Pace Academy (N.C.), 91-57, in the PrimeTime Shootout at Roselle Catholic. “Nothing else matters.”

    Articles, Syracuse

    ROSELLE, N.J. — Malachi Richardson didn’t start very well against St. Anthony in the PrimeTime Shootout at Roselle Catholic.

    But he sure finished on a high note.

    After going scoreless in the first half, the Syracuse pledge hit a game-winning floater in the lane with 28 seconds remaining to propel Trenton Catholic Academy to a 51-50 victory over St. Anthony.

    “I played horrible in the first half, but I picked it up in the second half and so did my team. And we came out with a victory towards the end,” the 6-foot-5 Richardson told SNY.tv after scoring all 12 of his points in the second half. He remains 14 points shy of 1,000 for his career.

    Articles, Recruiting

    ROSELLE, N.J. — In his third game back from a hand injury, Tyus Battle finally started to look like his old self.

    The 6-foot-5 Gill St. Bernard’s sophomore guard went for 21 points, including two 3-pointers, and 5 steals as his team handled Plainfield, 50-37, in the PrimeTime Shootout at Roselle Catholic.

    “[It’s] much better, my hand’s getting better each day,” Battle said of the hairline fracture to his right hand that occurred after he fell on it.

    Battle is a special player who is being recruited at the highest levels.

    “This kid is of the charts,” Gill coach Mergin Sina said. “I don’t use this term. This kid will be a pro and I think he’s the best player in the state. A lot of coaches might get upset about that, but I think he’s the best player in the state because he does a little bit of everything.”

    Articles, Creighton

    Dougie McBucketsDougie McBuckets is ready to invade New York.

    Following his 32-point effort in a 78-66 win against DePaul Friday night, Doug McDermott has now made 1,000 field goals and scored 2,773 career points — 28 behind Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston for 16th on the all-time Division 1 list.

    The 3,000-point plateau is within his grasp and he could reach it next month at the Big East Tournament, becoming just the eighth player ever to do so.

    But the 6-foot-8 McDermott has never scored a single point at Madison Square Garden.

    The Creighton star from Ames, Iowa, has never even played at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

    Articles, Kansas, NBA Draft

    NEW YORK — Count former Kansas big man Cole Aldrich among those who think it’s not a bad idea for Joel Embiid to remain at Kansas for another season.

    “I don’t knock a guy that wants to stay,” Aldrich told SNY.tv before Friday’s Knicks game against the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. “He’s so young and when you get to the NBA there’s no going back. You can’t go back to college and get those years back. They’re done, they’re over with.”

    The 7-foot Embiid is widely projected as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, but recently told ESPN he’s “strongly considering” returning for his sophomore season.

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