June 2017 | Page 18 of 22 | 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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    • Kentucky, USA Basketball

    Seven USA Basketball gold medalists, including four members of the 2016 USA U18 National Team that qualified USA Basketball for the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup for Men, headline 28 of the nation’s top 19-and-unders who have accepted invitations to attend the 2017 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Cup Team training camp June 18-25 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Invitations were issued by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee. Athletes eligible for this team must be 19 years old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1998) and U.S. citizens.

    “We’re excited about the players who have accepted our invitation to attend the USA Men’s U19 training camp,” said Purdue University head coach Matt Painter, chair of the selection committee. “We have an outstanding group of players, some of whom have prior USA Basketball experience, some with outstanding collegiate experience and some of the best high school players in America. It will be very competitive in tryouts to make the 12-person U19 team.”

    As the 2013 and 2015 FIBA U19 World Champion, the United States will look for a third-consecutive gold medal at the July 1-9 event in Cairo, Egypt.

    Breaking News, Coaching moves, Creighton

    Creighton coach Greg McDermott informed Ohio State he won’t become their new coach, as ZAGSBLOG reported Thursday.

    McDermott, 52, met Wednesday with Ohio State officials and was offered the job to replace Thad Matta, ESPN reported.

    McDermott later confirmed that he will remain at Creighton.

    “I have been privileged to be the Athletic Director at Creighton University for the past 23 years, and in those years we have had only two men’s basketball coaches,” said Creighton Director of Athletics Bruce Rasmussen.  “Dana Altman and Greg McDermott are outstanding coaches who recruit, retain, develop and graduate young men who also have properly represented the mission of Creighton University.  I am thankful for the time and friendship I have shared with both of them, and look forward to many more years with Coach McDermott at Creighton.”

    Recruiting, St. John's

    Bryan Trimble, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound shooting guard from Sunrise Christian (KS), has signed with St. John’s after committing last Wednesday.

    A consensus three-star prospect, Trimble is the No. 6 rated recruit from Missouri in this year’s class. Trimble attended Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., where he averaged 14 points and two rebounds as a senior in 2015-16 playing for head coach Luke Barnwell. One of the team’s top outside shooters, Trimble converted 45 percent of his 3-point attempts during that campaign and helped Sunrise Christian Academy to a 27-8 overall record.

    “Bryan is an explosive athlete who can thrive in our program because of his relentless work ethic,” said St. John’s head coach Chris Mullin. “He is a versatile player with great character who we believe can make an immediate impact next season. We are thrilled to welcome Bryan to our basketball program.”

    Knicks, NBA Draft, Nets

    Damyean Dotson, the former Oregon and Houston guard who was the MVP of the Portsmouth Invitational, worked out for the Knicks on Tuesday and the Nets on Wednesday.

    Dotson, who averaged 17.4 points and 6.9 rebounds last season at Houston, is considered a prototypical “3-and-D” guy. He was ranked eighth nationally with 3.38 made three-pointers per game and shot 44.3 percent from behind the arc.

    “I’m a ‘3-and-D’ guy, two guard, just doing the little things,” he told DraftExpress.com after a recent workout in L.A. “Playing hard. diving on the floor, getting the loose balls, rebounding on both ends, getting my teammates involved and being the hardest worker on the court. Maybe it’s five minutes or 10 minutes, or whatever it is, just playing as hard as I can and come off and get that win.

    Breaking News, North Carolina

    By AARON BEARD

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Pittsburgh has released guard Cameron Johnson to play immediately at North Carolina as a graduate transfer.

    Johnson’s father, former Pitt player Gil Johnson, said the school notified the family Thursday that it has removed any restrictions for his son to play next year for the reigning national Tar Heels. Pittsburgh had cited an internal policy in trying to require the 6-foot-8 Johnson to sit out a year if he went to another Atlantic Coast Conference school instead of playing right away with two seasons of eligibility.

    “It’s been a frustrating couple of months,” Gil Johnson told The Associated Press on Thursday afternoon. “But I’m a true believer in generally people end up doing the right things more times than not, especially by a young man who has given the university everything he could over the past three years. So I was prayerful that Pitt would do the right thing and allow him to pursue his dreams.”

    Pitt issued a statement confirming Johnson’s release and wishing him “the very best as he pursues his graduate degree.”

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