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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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Sunday / December 22.
  • CC6L55iUUAEFxcATyus Battle, the best player in New Jersey in the Class of 2016, took his official visit to Duke this weekend and took this picture with reigning national champion players Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Matt Jones and Grayson Allen.

    The photo was posted by Andrew Slater of 247Sports.com.

    Battle is a major priority for the Blue Devils going forward.

    Coach K came to Gladstone (N.J.) Gill St. Bernard’s with assistants Jeff Capel and Jon Scheyer for a second time in December to see Battle, ranked No. 15 by ESPN.com in the Class of 2016.

    “We like a Duke a lot, what’s not to like?” Gary Battle, the player’s father, told SNY.tv then. “They’re playing some great basketball right now. Coach K is very good at adapting to his players. Obviously, it’s a great academic school, that’s important to us, important to Tyus.”

    CC5844vWEAAdZFf.jpg-largeBrandon Sampson, the uncommitted 2015 guard out of Baton Rouge (LA) Madison Prep, is down to three schools and will announce his college choice on Monday morning at 10 a.m., according to NOLA.com.

    “It’s down to three schools, it’s Oklahoma State, LSU and St. John’s,” Madison Prep coach Jeff Jones told SNY.tv by phone on Sunday morning. “That’s it. It’s definitely narrowed down, and I would say LSU probably has the inside track, kind of being the home school. And St. John’s is right there as well.”

    LSU already has a loaded class with Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney signed, and they are also in the mix for Malik Newman.

    Meantime, new St. John’s coach Chris Mullin and his staff flew to Louisiana and met Sampson later Saturday after meeting with Cheick Diallo. Sampson decommitted from St. John’s after Steve Lavin was fired.

    CC4dYMlUMAE9HIk.jpg-largeNEW YORKAllonzo Trier will bring instant offense to Arizona next season, but he hopes to bring a run to the Final Four, too.

    In Coach Sean Miller’s six years at Arizona, the Wildcats have been to three Elite Eights and one Sweet 16, but never a Final Four.

    “Most definitely, I know how important it is to Coach Miller and the Arizona program to get to the Final Four after going to the Elite Eight for so many times in a row and falling short, so that’s definitely going to be a goal of mine and my teammates to try to come in there and take that next step,” Trier told SNY.tv this week at the Jordan Brand Classic.

    The 6-foot-4 Trier knows about performing big in crunch time.

    H_v3lxl5_400x400NEW YORK — Jessie Govan plans to be on Georgetown’s campus by May 30 and hopes to continue his winning ways beginning with the Hoyas’ exhibition trip to Italy in August.

    “The plan is to leave May 30th and go down there for some summer classes. They want me to get some credits in because we go to Italy in August,” the 6-foot-11 Govan told SNY.tv after going for 10 points and 7 rebounds Friday night when the Away Team beat the Home Team, 125-112, in the Jordan Classic Regional Game at Barclays Center.

    Govan has done nothing but win in recent weeks — and he should make an immediate impact upon stepping onto the Georgetown campus.

    1428798253As we reported earlier today, Kentucky coach John Calipari and assistant Kenny Payne are in Canada recruiting.

    The Kentucky coaches were spotted in Drake’s seats at Game 1 of the Wizards-Raptors playoff series, won by the Wizards, 93-86.

    As first reported by Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal, Calipari and Payne are recruiting the Orangeville Prep duo of Thon Maker and Jamal Murray. Both are considering reclassifying to 2015 from 2016 and Kentucky is targeting both players.

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