December 2016 | Page 13 of 23 | Zagsblog
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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.
  • (AP) – LAWRENCE, Kan. — Authorities have dismissed a battery charge against Kansas forward Carlton Bragg and instead charged the woman who accused him of shoving her into a stairwell.

    Bragg, a 20-year-old sophomore, was suspended indefinitely from the Kansas basketball team after he was arrested Friday but has now been reinstated.

    The Douglas County district attorney’s office said Wednesday in a release that the charge was dismissed after law enforcement officials reviewed surveillance video.

    That video showed that before a man “forcefully” shoved a woman away from him and caused her to fall backward into an ascending staircase, the woman shoved, slapped and struck the man and put her hands around his neck.

    By MATT WHITFIELD

    HYATTSVILLE, Md. — A Class of 2018 small forward who plays for perennial power Fairfax (VA) Paul VI, Brandon Slater is garnering interest from numerous high-major programs.

    Slater is solid inside the paint whether he’s driving in traffic to the hoop or grabbing a rebound.  He also is a good athlete with a good handle. He was impressive on Saturday at the National High School Hoops Festival at DeMatha Catholic and drew praise from college coaches in the crowd as he had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in Paul VI’s 72-56 win over Pebblebrook.

    “I’m a tough, gritty player that’s kind of unselfish,” he said. “Sometimes they yell at me to shoot the ball more. I like to pass a lot. I like to get my teammates involved. I just like to bring the energy.”

    By PETE IACOBELLI

    (AP) — Suspended South Carolina guard Sindarius Thornwell was arrested for possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended license last May, according to an incident report from the Cayce Department of Public Safety.

    Thornwell was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center and paid a fine, according to the department.

    Thornwell, the Gamecocks’ leading scorer and rebounder over their first six games, was suspended indefinitely by coach Frank Martin on Dec. 4 for violating athletic department policy. Martin has said he will not detail Thornwell’s transgression, calling it a “mental mistake.”

    The Post and Courier of Charleston first reported Thornwell’s arrest.

    A team spokeswoman said Tuesday nothing had changed with Thornwell’s suspension and would not say if the arrest figured into the discipline.

    The 16th-ranked Gamecocks (8-1) lost 67-64 to Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.

    Thornwell, from Lancaster, was seen making an aggressive lane change while driving in Cayce not far from campus on May 22, according to the report. The officer who stopped Thornwell said he found his driving privileges in South Carolina were suspended for two failure to pay traffic offenses.

    The officer said in the report he detected the odor of marijuana in the car and uncovered “two blunts.”

    Martin said last week that Thornwell would return to the court, but did not say when. He has continued to practice and travel with the team.

    Thornwell had averaged 18.7 points and 6.7 rebounds this season, helping South Carolina to victories over then No. 25 Michigan and No. 18 Syracuse in a four-day stretch last month. The Gamecocks rose to 16th this week in the Top 25 for their highest ranking in 18 years.

    By MATT WHITFIELD

    HYATTSVILLE, Md. —  Silvio De Sousa exploded onto the scene as a freshman at Montverde (FL) Academy and turned many heads.

    Now, two years later De Sousa is having another great season — at Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy.

    The 6-foot-9 De Sousa is a physical power forward reminiscent physically of Derrick Favors. He is solid inside the paint but needs to work on his jump shot. He is far from a finished product, but with his size and strength he has explosive potential.

    “So far  it’s been pretty good at IMG…..I think I had my best year my freshman year at Montverde but so far I’m having a great junior year at IMG,” he said last weekend at the National High School Hoops Festival at DeMatha Catholic. “It’s been pretty good. I have a lot more time to work on my stuff, so I’m liking it.”

    De Sousa said he moved to the U.S. from Angola in January 2015. He has been playing basketball since he was 9. Physically, he is a man among boys on the court but he still has a few things to work on for the next level.

    NEW YORK — Nick Richards and Quade Green both attended Kentucky’s win over Michigan State in the Champions Classic last month at Madison Square Garden.

    Four days after that game, the 6-foot Green committed to Kentucky over Syracuse, giving the Wildcats their point guard for the 2017-18 season and perhaps beyond.

    Richards’ immediate reaction when he heard the news?

    “Right away, I thought national championship, to be honest with you,” a smiling Richards told me Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, where he watched Seton Hall edge No. 16 South Carolina, 67-64, in the Under Armour Reunion.

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