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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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Wednesday / December 25.
  • NateBuffalo head coach Bobby Hurley continues to do work on the recruiting trail.

    Buffalo on Tuesday landed a commitment from Nate Navigato, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound shooter from Geneva (IL) High and the Mercury Elite AAU program.

    He also considered Lehigh and Toledo.

    “After seeing everything they had to offer I fell in love with it,” he told SNY.tv. “I love the players, coaches, and school and my heart was telling me to go there.”

    Kevin Ollie, coach of the reigning NCAA champion UConn Huskies, visited Tuesday with the two best high school prospects in New Jersey in hopes of building toward future Final Four appearances.

    During the afternoon, Ollie visited 6-foot-5 2016 guard Tyus Battle at Gill St. Bernard’s. In the evening, he met with 6-3 2015 Roselle Catholic point guard Isaiah Briscoe.

    “Ollie is one of the best young basketball minds in the country,” Gary Battle, the player’s father, told SNY.tv. “Coach is so smart and he has so much wisdom.”

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JL0_yCP4vY]

    By JACK LeGWIN

    Eric Davis has committed to Texas.

    Davis chose Texas over LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State and UNLV.

    Back in July, Davis said that the relationship he has with a coaching staff would play into the decision.

    “The schools that I have the best relationship with, so I feel comfortable at the school,” Davis told SNY.tv at Peach Jam this past summer. “I’m looking for a point guards coach as well.”

    At 7-foot-5, Tacko Fall of Tavares (FL) Liberty Christian Academy is one of the tallest high school recruits in recent memory.

    His recruitment is heating up as he’s had home visits recently with Wake Forest and UCF and will take an official visit to Wake Forest this weekend, an unofficial to Florida State Oct. 3 and an official to Georgetown Oct. 18.

    “Tacko’s upside is through the roof,” E1T1 coach Steve Reese told SNY.tv. “He’s a kid that continues to work on his game every day and wants to be the best.”

    Tanksley “Tank” Efianayi, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound shooting guard/small forward from Daytona State (FL), will visit St. John’s and Arizona State on the next two weekends and could commit at anytime.

    “My plan is to wait and see, but things sometimes never go as planned, so anything could happen,” he told SNY.tv by phone on Tuesday.

    Efianayi, a native of Manchester, Conn., has gotten to know St. John’s coach Steve Lavin in recent weeks.

    “We built a relationship over the phone and I was able to meet both Coach Lav and coach [Jim] Whitesell less than a week ago when they came to see me practice,” he said.

    MudiayEmmanuel Mudiay has signed a multi-year deal with Under Armour, the company announced Tuesday.

    The onetime SMU pledge is set to travel to China this month to begin preparing for his first professional season with the Guandong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. He signed a reported $1.2 million deal in China.

    Many draft experts project the 6-foot-5 Mudiay to be a top five NBA Draft pick in 2015 because of his combination of size, speed and natural feel for the game.

    “With Emmanuel joining our roster, Under Armour Basketball has added one of the game’s best young players to our team,” said Matt Mirchin, EVP,

    Brandon Sampson, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound shooting guard from Baton Rouge (LA) Madison, is in the middle of in-home visits while also planning several officials.

    Sampson met with California Monday and is planning an official visit there the weekend of Sept. 26.

    USC came in Tuesday, while Oklahoma State and Texas A&M are also expected.

    St. John’s coach Steve Lavin came in last Friday, and Sampson will take an official to St. John’s for Midnight Madness the weekend of Oct. 17.

    “He got a chance to meet coach Lav, liked Coach Lav a lot,” Sampson’s high school coach, Jeff Jones.

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