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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, Kentucky

    dakariIt has been more than two months since Wisconsin stunned Kentucky in the national semifinals, ending Kentucky’s once-perfect season with a 38-1 record, but Dakari Johnson still hasn’t fully recovered.

    “I’m still not over it, it’s still a tough loss,” the 7-foot Johnson told reporters Thursday at the Brooklyn Nets training facility.

    Ironically, Wisconsin guard Josh Gasser was also part of the group workout, but Johnson said Gasser hadn’t busted his chops about the NCAA semifinal.

    “Josh is here too, he’s actually a pretty cool guy,” Johnson said. “I don’t have any grudges against him….He’s a pretty cool guy.”

    A Brooklyn native and former star at St. Patrick in New Jersey and Montverde (FL) Academy under coach Kevin Boyle, Johnson is currently projected by DraftExpress.com to go No. 44 to the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Draft.

    Recruiting, St. John's

    A70G0181_large_400x400Italian guard Federico Mussini is on the brink of a decision that will either bring him to a college in the United States or keep him with is club team in Italy.

    The 6-foot-1 scoring point guard told SNY.tv he will decide between St. John’s, Gonzaga and Italian club Reggio Emilia in the “next few days.”

    One industry source said he believes Mussini will land at St. John’s.

    Mussini missed his team’s current playoff series with a left foot injury.

    Mussini visited St. John’s in April following the Nike Hoop Summit, where he had 9 points and 3 assists when the World team beat the U.S. team., 103-101, in Portland, Ore., thanks to 30 points from Jamal Murray.

    “Really good!!” Mussini said after the visit. “I liked the atmosphere of the college. For me [it] was the first time in an American college.”

    Articles, Recruiting

    Nick Richards has added offers from Kentucky, Indiana, SMU and VCU, sources told SNY.tv.

    The 6-foot-10 2017 big man from Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick and Expressions Elite recently added offers from Syracuse, Kansas and UCLA.

    Kentucky, in particular, has done well with St. Pat’s products, landing both Dakari Johnson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist out of the program formerly coached by Kevin Boyle, now the Montverde (FL) Academy coach.

    “I am happy for Nick who now has another option among the top programs in the nation,” St. Pat’s coach Chris Chavannes told SNY.tv of the Kentucky offer. “However, with the current state of college basketball, the Kentucky offer attests to Nick’s status as one of the more talented players in the country. Nick appears to be taking that skill development “jump” between sophomore and junior year that the program’s most elite players have made in the past, such as Al Harrington, Mike Kidd-Gilchrist and, even though he plays a different position, Kyrie Irving. If he continues to work very hard this summer, there is no reason that he cannot potentially join that elite group in the future.”

    Articles, NBA Draft, Syracuse

    rakeemchristmasBy JOSH NEWMAN

    EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Former Syracuse big man Rakeem Christmas is getting a long look from a host of teams with just two weeks to go until the NBA Draft.

    Christmas was here at PNY Center to work out for the Nets on Wednesday morning, marking his 11th NBA visit. Sources told SNY.tv on Wednesday afternoon that Christmas has six more workouts to go. He will visit the Utah Jazz on Sunday, Denver Nuggets on Monday, Houston Rockets on June 17, Washington Wizards on June 18, Cleveland Cavaliers on June 22 and Chicago Bulls on June 23.

    His workout for the Nets with a group that included Ohio State’s Shannon Scott and Eastern Washington’s Tyler Harvey, the nation’s leading scorer last season, came only after a traveling nightmare. Christmas worked out for the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, then had his flight to New Jersey canceled. He wound up staying the night in what he termed a ‘bad’ Memphis motel, but it all worked out.

    “We were out here battling, we were working hard and going at it,” Christmas said. “I’ve been doing good, just playing my heart out, just doing the things I’ve been doing and I just need to keep playing aggressive.”

    Articles

    4_3610273Dikembe Dixson, a 6-foot-7 1/2, 185-pound 2015 small forward from Mingo Central (W.V.), committed to UIC on Wednesday morning.

    Dixson also considered DePaul, but chose the Flames because of his relationship with head coach Steve McClain and assistant Ronald Coleman, sources said.

    “I will be a scorer and playmaker,” he told SNY.tv. “I will help my team get open looks and make it to the Dance.”

    Dixson averaged 21.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game at Mingo Central for coach Brad Napier.

    “They made him feel very needed,” Napier told SNY.tv of UIC. “He said a lot of programs made me feel like they want me, but they made me feel like they need me to be successful. That was a big selling point for him. And it’s close to home [Freeport, IL] where he’s originally from.

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