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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.
  • Cal:SmithHarry Giles, the No. 1-rated player in the Class of 2016, got a visit Tuesday from Kentucky coach John Calipari while UNC coach Roy Williams and Kansas coach Bill Self are due into Oak Hill (VA) Academy on Wednesday.

    Oak Hill coach Steve Smith Tweeted this picture of himself and Calipari on Tuesday.

    Smith also said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Wake Forest head coach Danny Manning were in to see Giles last Wednesday.

    Calipari visited Edrice “Bam” Adebayo on Tuesday following his Hall of Fame induction over the weekend.

    The 6-foot-10 Giles will begin his official visits this weekend by going to Wake Forest Sept. 19. He then hits North Carolina on Sept. 25, Kansas on Oct. 10, Kentucky on Oct. 16 for Big Blue Madness and Duke on Oct. 31.

    ARDSLEY, NY - May 23: Under Armour Association session three at the House of Sports in Ardsley New York. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Under Armour)

    John Calipari visited Bam Adebayo on Monday. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Under Armour)

    A couple of interesting visits took place in North Carolina on Monday.

    Kentucky coach John Calipari visited Bam Adebayo at High Point (N.C.) Christian Academy.

    “His message was pretty simple,” High Point Christian coach Brandon Clifford said. “Mainly about how he and UK could get Bam to where he ultimately wants to be. That along with the types of things that come with being a part of the Kentucky program.”

    Kentucky recently offered the 6-foot-10 power forward, and Adebayo told SNY.tv last month in New York that he might visit Kentucky. No visit date has been set.

    “I think I probably will,” he said.

    Adebayo averaged 14.2 points and 10.6 rebounds for Team Loaded North Carolina on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit this season.

    4_3726094Udoka Azubuike, a 6-foot-10 center from Jacksonville (FL) Potter’s House Christian, will take an official visit to Kansas with his parents this weekend, his brother told SNY.tv.

    Azubuike is the No. 3 center in the Class of 2016, according to 247Sports.com.

    “The only visit we have planned right now is this weekend to Kansas,” Harry Coxsome told SNY.tv.

    “The offense that they run, they do run it through their big men. And we’re just overall intrigued by [head coach] Bill Self and [assistant] Norm Roberts. We’ve had numerous conversations with Coach Self and Coach Roberts, so we feel like that is a definite great staff, not to say we’re going to commit or anything, just to say that we definitely think highly of Kansas.”

    QuateBuffalo and head coach Nate Oats landed a commitment on Monday from Quate McKinzie, a 6-foot-7, 205 power forward from Harrells Christian Academy (N.C.).

    McKinzie is rated the 40th power forward in the nation by ESPN and the No. 11 player in North Carolina.

    McKinzie also considered UNC-Wilmington  and Temple, but cancelled the Temple visit.

    Oats and assistant Donyell Marshall made McKinzie a priority in July and then brought him up for a visit last weekend. He is their first commit for 2016.

    “He really likes Coach Marshall and Coach Oats,” McKinzie’s head coach Clayton Hall, told SNY.tv. “They also followed him everywhere this summer. He really enjoyed his visit and was impressed with the campus and the team. He and his mom were also very impressed with the academic side of the university.”

    Kobi Simmons UAKobi Simmons has now completed his official visits, but has not set a date for his announcement.

    The 6-foot-5 lead guard is coming off a weekend official to Ohio State after visiting Kentucky and UNLV. Georgia is also in the mix.

    “”He was so surprised with UNLV, he loved it,” Demond Stephens, the player’s father, told Bill Landis of Northeast Ohio Media Group. “He loved Ohio State, he’s been in love with them forever. Kentucky is Kentucky, who doesn’t love that? There’s no rush, you don’t have to tell anybody a date. If you wake up tomorrow and say this is it, or if you wake up Oct. 3 and say this is it. I don’t want him setting a date because that can make you make a decision that may not be natural.”

    CO1LMudWsAEXqeCNEW YORKNovak Djokovic never faced the tremendous pressure that Serena Williams coped with this year as she pursued the first tennis Grand Slam in more than a quarter century.

    But in the end, it turns out that Djokovic had a more successful 2015 than Serena did.

    With his 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win over Roger Federer in front of a highly charged pro-Federer crowd in the US Open final, Djokovic captured his third Major title of the year and 10th of his career.

    If not for a loss to Federer’s Swiss countryman Stan Wawrinka in the Roland Garros final, Djokovic would own the Grand Slam for 2015.

    “Serena had way more pressure” because of what she was trying to accomplish,” John McEnroe said on ESPN.

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