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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

    SkalBy JOSH NEWMAN

    NEW YORK – The 2016 NBA Draft may be more than 14 months away, but the early word on its potential is not good.

    “I think it’s really weak, honestly,” Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com told SNY Tuesday afternoon on the 4 Quarters Podcast. “I’m pretty down on it. I don’t see a lot of depth to it right now.

    “We’re hearing there are five or six guys that are in the first round of 2015 that are probably gonna not declare for the draft and be in 2016, and that will help quite a bit because right now because it’s a really, really weak draft.”

    Articles, Recruiting, St. John's

    RawleNEW YORK –– With more and more big-time Division 1 programs joining the Rawle Alkins recruitment seemingly every day, St. John’s has some work to do to make up ground in his recruitment.

    Soon after taking the job, new St. John’s coach Chris Mullin offered a scholarship to the 6-foot-5 junior guard from Christ the King who is New York City’s top player. But schools like Kansas, Villanova, Indiana and Cincinnati have already been recruiting him for a while, and new schools like Duke, Kentucky and Louisville are getting involved.

    “I would think that [St. John’s] has some ground to make up,” CTK coach Joe Arbitello told SNY Tuesday on The 4 Quarters Podcast. “A lot of schools have been on him from the beginning. He’s taken some unofficials to these places and he’s had conversations with a lot of coaches, like coach [Tom] Crean [of Indiana] and coach [Bill] Self [of Kansas] so they’re up against the heavyweights and they’ve been in it a little bit longer than St. John’s so they’ve got some ground to make up.”

    Mullin launched an opening salvo at his introductory press conference in terms of building a wall around New York City.

    Articles, Recruiting

    Mohamed Bamba, a 6-foot-11 2017 power forward from Norristown (PA) Westtown and the PSA Cardinals, has picked up offers from five high-major programs in Kansas, Arizona, Syracuse, UConn and Florida State.

    The Harlem native previously had offers from Texas, Maryland, Villanova, Seton Hall, Temple, James Madison, Penn State, Rice and Yale and others.

    “Mohammed has put himself in the conversation for being a top 5 player in the class of 2017 and a clear-cut high major recruit,” PSA Cardinals coach Terrance “Munch” Williams told SNY.tv. “This past weekend was a demonstration of the growth he has had over the past year and half. Being able to stretch the defense by hitting the 3-8point shut, running the floor with a higher motor, rebounding out of space, blocking shots and becoming more of a vocal leader, have been all skills he has been able to showcase lately. Needless to say, he has a bright future in the game of basketball.

    Articles, Montverde Academy

    964183-46aa6a48-e185-11e4-a16e-c49b94c206d0The SEC could feature the projected 1-2 picks in the 2016 NBA Draft next season in Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere and LSU’s Ben Simmons.

    Both players impressed NBA personnel this past week at the Nike Hoop Summit.

    “Ben Simmons and Skal Labissiere were clearly the two best players in the game,” one former NBA GM told SNY.tv. “They could be the first and second pick in the 2016 Draft.”

    DraftExpress.com elevated the 7-foot Labissiere to No. 1 in 2016 leading up to the Hoop Summit, ahead of uncommitted wing Jaylen Brown at No. 2 and Simmons at No. 3.

    Articles, Kentucky, Recruiting

    1428798253

    **For more on Jamal Murray’s potential status in the 2016 NBA Draft, listen to Jonathan Givony on The 4 Quarters Podcast here.**

    Duke and Kentucky are now recruiting 6-foot-5 Canadian point guard Jamal Murray, who poured in 30 points on Saturday to help the World Team beat the U.S. in the Nike Hoop Summit championship.

    “Duke and Kentucky are now recruiting [him],” Roger Murray, the player’s father, told SNY.tv by text.

    We previously reported here that Kentucky was recruiting him, but Barry “Slice” Rohrssen, who visited Murray and teammate Thon Maker at Orangeville Prep in Ontario, has since moved on to St. John’s.

    “Kentucky has been in contact before but has reached out more so after Saturday’s game.” Roger told ESPN’s Paul Biancardi.

    Duke also reached out to Canadian head coach Roy Rana.

    Articles, Recruiting

    As expected, Ivan Rabb committed to California over Arizona on Monday night.

    SNY.tv had previously reported that the 6-foot-10 Oakland (CA) Bishop O’Dowd big man would join Cuonzo Martin’s club.

    “Next year, I’ll be attending the University of Cal-Berkeley,” he said in the above video. “I definitely like the direction that they’re going in and I think that was the best place for me to go. It was a family setting. I just felt comfortable with them at all times and I could definitely see myself playing with them next year and getting more wins.”

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