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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 26.
  • Andrew Wiggins will get a chance to play with WiggyLeBron James and won’t be traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love.

    So says new head coach David Blatt.

    “There’s no reason or cause for worry on his part because Andrew’s not going anywhere, as far as I know and as far as the club has expressed,” Blatt told reporters Saturday following the Cavaliers’ Summer League practice in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.

    The 6-foot-8 Wiggins was the No. 1 pick in last month’s NBA Draft and said before the Draft he would love to play with James. This weekend that became a reality.

    NBPA Top 100 CampOn the same weekend he received the devastating news that he had torn his ACL, Las Vegas High wing Ray Smith brought down some good news.

    He has committed to Arizona.

    The 6-foot-7 small forward had recently cut his list for a second time to include Arizona, Arizona State, Texas, UConn, Georgetown, Louisville, UCLA, USC and Cal. (He then added UConn.)

    “My son’s dream is to go to the NBA,” Bobby Smith, Ray’s father, recently told SNY.tv.

    BlakeneyAs the July recruiting period heats up, Kentucky has offered a pair of 2015 stars in Antonio Blakeney and Henry Ellenson, while Louisville has extended offers to a pair of 2016 guards.

    Kentucky has now offered 12 players in the Class of 2015, according to ZAGSBLOG contributor Chip Miller.

    The Wildcats offered the 6-foot-4 2015 Blakeney out of Orlando (FL) Oak Ridge, according to Evan Daniels of Scout.com.

    Blakeney previously told SNY.tv he was being courted by Louisville, Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, Florida State, Providence, LSU and USC.

    adidas UnrivaledBy NICK MEDLINE

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    CHICAGO — On September 1, Carlton Bragg plans to cut his list to five schools, he told SNY.tv.

    In this unique recruitment, three spots are guaranteed, and the remaining two are wide open.

    Bragg confirmed that he plans to keep Illinois, Kansas and Kentucky on his final list. As for the other two? With so many schools in pursuit, that might get tricky.

    The Rivals.com No. 9 prospect in the class of 2015 opened his July evaluation period in Chicago. At the Adidas Unrivaled Camp, he proved his top-ten status — but still strives for better.

    adidas UnrivaledBy NICK MEDLINE 

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    CHICAGO — Coaches and media members flocked to Chicago from Thursday to Sunday.

    Adidas held its “Unrivaled Camp” over the weekend, with several top-100 players in attendance. It even ended with an All-Star game that pitted the best young players against one another. Several 2015, 2016, and even 2017 prospects added to their stock with great performances. Here’s what stood out.

    — There’s no choice but to begin with 2015 prospect Brandon Ingram. The 6-foot-8 five-star small forward from Kinston (N.C.) picked up an offer from Kentucky on the heels of a dominant performances.

    Evan Daniels of Scout.com referred to his “scoring arsenal,” which includes shots from all over the court. Ingram was better than his Rivals.com No. 25 ranking, and should become even more of a priority for teams as the July evaluation period progresses.

    As previously reported, Ingram already held offers from North Carolina, Duke, Minnesota, N.C. State, Clemson, VCU, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Clemson and Louisville.

    By MIKE GRIMALA

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    LAS VEGAS — Eric Davis , a 2015 point guard out of Saginaw (MI) Arthur Hill, has been picking up momentum on the recruiting trail, and with good reason—as his play at this week’s LeBron James Skills Academy has shown, he’s one of the nation’s top backcourt prospects.

    And it’s only going to get more intense for Davis, who is just beginning the process of sorting out his list and his visits.

    There won’t be any shortage of suitors who want to get him on campus.

    “UConn has offered,” the 6-foot-3 Davis said on Friday, running through the interested parties. “Texas recently offered. I’ve been talking to Kentucky a lot. Oregon, NC State, Michigan, Michigan State as well. Iowa, UCLA. And UNLV has also been in the mix, too.”

    By MIKE GRIMALA

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    LAS VEGAS — On Wednesday, before he announced he was coming home, LeBron James jumped onto the court at his Nike Skills Academy in Las Vegas and threw down a handful of vicious dunks, much to the delight of the high school players in attendance. On Thursday, it was another athletic small forward from Akron, Ohio, turning heads with his finishing ability.

    This time it was V.J. King, a consensus top-20 player in the Class of 2016, who impressed by running the floor and converting above the rim. Like James, King attends St. Vincent/St. Mary, and like James, he’s got the skill, size (6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan) and athleticism to dominate in transition, as he did on Thursday.

    King said the level of competition at the LeBron camp helped to bring his game to another level.

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