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.
Key Midseason Additions: SMU Waiting on Kennedy, St. John’s on Big Men
It’s that time of year, the mid-semester break, where colleges are adding key players for the second half of the 2014-15 season.
Rob Dauster of NBCSports.com recently put up an excellent list of the “Ten Most Important Midseason Additions.” Here are some additional names and details.
MARKUS KENNEDY, 6-9, RS Jr. F, SMU
Academic issues kept Kennedy off the court for the Mustangs in the first semester, but an SMU source said they hoped to learn his fate soon. Ideally, Kennedy, who averaged 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds last season, would suit up for Saturday’s nationally televised game at Michigan. SMU coach Larry Brown can only wonder what his team might look like if it had both Kennedy and Emmanuel Mudiay, now playing in China.
JOEY DE LA ROSA, 6-11 Sr. C, St. John’sADONIS DE LA ROSA, 7-0 Fr. C, St. John’s
Joey is an FIU transfer who could be eligible for Friday’s game against St. Mary’s, while his younger brother Adonis was deemed an NCAA non-qualifier in November. Adonis is not eligible until his academic progress meets NCAA standards. While neither big man is expected to make an immediate impact for the No. 20 Johnnies, either or both could give Steve Lavin’s club some added depth in the frontcourt behind junior swat-blocker Chris Obekpa.JESSE MORGAN, 6-5 Sr. G, TEMPLEDEVIN COLEMAN, 6-2 Jr. G, TEMPLE
Morgan hasn’t played since the 2012-13 season at UMass, but is a former Philadelphia schoolboy star. Coleman averaged 5.4 points at Clemson before transferring. Both are eligible to play today (Thursday) at Delaware. “They should add some perimeter scoring,” one Temple source said. “They are two experienced guys who know how to put points on the board.”
JAMEEL McKAY, 6-9 RS JR. F, IOWA STATE
McKay transferred from Marquette where he never played a game and is eligible for Saturday’s game against Drake. McKay finished his junior college career with 1,022 points, averaging 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. “He’s a high-level talent,” an Iowa State source said. “He will have a major impact.” Still, the team plans to ease him in.
LUKE FISCHER, 6-11 SO. C, MARQUETTE
The Indiana transfer went for 19 points and 9 rebounds in 33 minutes in his season-debut Tuesday, a 78-71 win over Arizona State. “Incredibly impressed,” coach Steve Wojciechowski told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Luke has not played a prominent role in any college game, and for him, after a year and a half, to come into his first game and be a presence on both ends of the floor and really give us an amazing spark, it was a terrific performance.”
ALEX MURPHY, 6-8 RS Jr. F, FLORIDA
Murphy averaged 1.9 points and 1.0 rebounds in 36 career games with the Blue Devils and can suit up Saturday against Wake Forest.
ERIC McCLELLAN, 6-3 RS Jr. G, GONZAGA
McClellan led Vanderbilt in scoring with 14.3 points per game last season and also averaged 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Beginning Jan. 8, he will join an already strong backcourt group that includes National Playaer of the Year candidate Kevin Pangos, Byron Wesley and Gary Bell Jr. “He’s a very good all-around guard,” a Gonzaga source said of McClellan. “A very good on-all defender.”
SAVON GOODMAN, 6-6 So. G, ARIZONA STATE
After pleading guilty to petty theft and trespass charges while at UNLV, Goodman resurfaced at Arizona State, where he went for seven points and five fouls in the loss to Marquette. “He will help us, it may take a few games,” an Arizona State source said.
TRAYVON REED, 7-2 Fr. C, AUBURN
Since joining the Tigers, Reed is averaging 1 point and 4 rebounds in two games. Reed wasn’t allowed to enroll at Maryland following his arrest for second-degree assault, second degree assault of a police officer, theft under $100 and resisting arrest.
**CAMERON BIEDSCHIED, 6-7 F, JACKSONVILLE STATEAfter committing to Iona last month, the player and the school parted ways. The Missouri transfer has landed at Jacksonville State, but likely won’t be eligible to suit up this year, sources said.
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Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
It’s that time of year, the mid-semester break, where colleges are adding key players for the second half of the 2014-15 season.
Rob Dauster of NBCSports.com recently put up an excellent list of the “Ten Most Important Midseason Additions.” Here are some additional names and details.
MARKUS KENNEDY, 6-9, RS Jr. F, SMU
Academic issues kept Kennedy off the court for the Mustangs in the first semester, but an SMU source said they hoped to learn his fate soon. Ideally, Kennedy, who averaged 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds last season, would suit up for Saturday’s nationally televised game at Michigan. SMU coach Larry Brown can only wonder what his team might look like if it had both Kennedy and Emmanuel Mudiay, now playing in China.
JOEY DE LA ROSA, 6-11 Sr. C, St. John’s
ADONIS DE LA ROSA, 7-0 Fr. C, St. John’s
Joey is an FIU transfer who could be eligible for Friday’s game against St. Mary’s, while his younger brother Adonis was deemed an NCAA non-qualifier in November. Adonis is not eligible until his academic progress meets NCAA standards. While neither big man is expected to make an immediate impact for the No. 20 Johnnies, either or both could give Steve Lavin’s club some added depth in the frontcourt behind junior swat-blocker Chris Obekpa.
JESSE MORGAN, 6-5 Sr. G, TEMPLE
DEVIN COLEMAN, 6-2 Jr. G, TEMPLE
Morgan hasn’t played since the 2012-13 season at UMass, but is a former Philadelphia schoolboy star. Coleman averaged 5.4 points at Clemson before transferring. Both are eligible to play today (Thursday) at Delaware. “They should add some perimeter scoring,” one Temple source said. “They are two experienced guys who know how to put points on the board.”
JAMEEL McKAY, 6-9 RS JR. F, IOWA STATE
McKay transferred from Marquette where he never played a game and is eligible for Saturday’s game against Drake. McKay finished his junior college career with 1,022 points, averaging 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. “He’s a high-level talent,” an Iowa State source said. “He will have a major impact.” Still, the team plans to ease him in.
LUKE FISCHER, 6-11 SO. C, MARQUETTE
The Indiana transfer went for 19 points and 9 rebounds in 33 minutes in his season-debut Tuesday, a 78-71 win over Arizona State. “Incredibly impressed,” coach Steve Wojciechowski told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “Luke has not played a prominent role in any college game, and for him, after a year and a half, to come into his first game and be a presence on both ends of the floor and really give us an amazing spark, it was a terrific performance.”
ALEX MURPHY, 6-8 RS Jr. F, FLORIDA
Murphy averaged 1.9 points and 1.0 rebounds in 36 career games with the Blue Devils and can suit up Saturday against Wake Forest.
ERIC McCLELLAN, 6-3 RS Jr. G, GONZAGA
McClellan led Vanderbilt in scoring with 14.3 points per game last season and also averaged 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Beginning Jan. 8, he will join an already strong backcourt group that includes National Playaer of the Year candidate Kevin Pangos, Byron Wesley and Gary Bell Jr. “He’s a very good all-around guard,” a Gonzaga source said of McClellan. “A very good on-all defender.”
SAVON GOODMAN, 6-6 So. G, ARIZONA STATE
After pleading guilty to petty theft and trespass charges while at UNLV, Goodman resurfaced at Arizona State, where he went for seven points and five fouls in the loss to Marquette. “He will help us, it may take a few games,” an Arizona State source said.
TRAYVON REED, 7-2 Fr. C, AUBURN
Since joining the Tigers, Reed is averaging 1 point and 4 rebounds in two games. Reed wasn’t allowed to enroll at Maryland following his arrest for second-degree assault, second degree assault of a police officer, theft under $100 and resisting arrest.
**CAMERON BIEDSCHIED, 6-7 F, JACKSONVILLE STATE
After committing to Iona last month, the player and the school parted ways. The Missouri transfer has landed at Jacksonville State, but likely won’t be eligible to suit up this year, sources said.
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