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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (7/23/2009)

Yesterday was a travel day for NBE as we are now positioned in Las Vegas and in Orlando for the action on the AAU circuit as the second July open evaluation period for Division 1-A coaches began yesterday. There are a few notes on the opening day of action from Vegas below, including recruiting updates on Terrence Jones and Joe Jackson. Also, some recruiting notes from Adam Zagoria on some New Jersey prospects as well as some news and notes from around the Big East on a variety of issues, including Lance Stephenson arriving on campus, scheduling notes and a couple past Big East greats are in the news…

Read all about these, and more, in a very bust News and Notes section…also, stay tuned for updates from Vegas and Orlando, they will be coming fast and furious later today and tomorrow…

Don’t forget, follow NBE on twitter (we are getting better with those udpates): http://twitter.com/nbeblogger

The official word has come from the NCAA and Big East on Anthony Mason Jr. and it is good news for St. John’s as Mason Jr. Gets Another Season With St. John’s (NY Post) as he received a medical hardship from the Big East conference and will be granted another year of eligibility.

The official announcement was made by the university on Wednesday. Mason Jr. was averaging 14 points per in the Red Storm’s first three games last season before an MRI exam revealed a torn peroneal tendon in his right foot suffered during an 82-70 loss to Boston College. Mason Jr. was sidelined for the remainder of his senior season.

Another reason for optimism next season with the Redstorm is that, Scoring in bunches, SJU’s Dwight Hardy impresses (FiveBoroSports.com) this summer at Orchard Beach.
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There are a couple news items out of the Syracuse program this morning. The first one has Gerry McNamara coming back to the Orange program as McNamara Will Join the Syracuse Coaching Staff (Syracuse Post-Standard) as a Graduate Assistant for the Orange. He’s been in town this summer conducting camps at Onondaga Community College and will begin graduate courses in the fall.

Also, former Duke point guard and current SU football quarterback Greg Paulus could join the hoops team after the football season ends as a student manager. One has to think a one-two combination in the backcourt of G-Mac and Paulus matched-up with incoming freshman Brandon Triche will be a great learning experience for their heir apparent of the SU point guard position.

Also, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim will return as Mike Krzyzewski’s USA Basketball assistant coach (Post-Standard). Over the course of 2010-2012, USA Men’s National Teams will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship (Aug. 28-Sept. 12 in Turkey); if necessary the 2011 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD); and if the USA qualifies, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games (July 26-Aug. 12 in London, England).
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He is on campus, still not talking to the media, but Cincinnati will have plenty of attention on them with their late addition of Lance Stephenson to their 2009-2010 projected roster. UC is Banking on Stephenson (Cincinnati Enquirer) to take the Bearcats’ level of play and confidence up a few notches this season.
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Here is a good article on Villanova and coach Jay Wright as, following a Final Four last season, With Wright at the Helm ‘Nova is Soaring High, from Adam Zagoria at Sny.tv.
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Connecticut just announced an agreement to play Tennessee in a home and home for men’s basketball. The announcement prompted a few thoughts on UConn Scheduling from Mike Anthony of the Hartford Courant.

Also around the UConn program, the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce’s role model of the year was recently honored and former Husky Caron Butler received the award. Butler credits UConn and coach Jim Calhoun (Hartford Courant) in an emotional speech, recalling his journey from troubled youth and teen to UConn and the NBA, with just as much success off the court.
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Speaking of scheduling, USF announces men’s basketball nonconference schedule (Tampa Tribune) for the 2009-2010 season. South Florida looks to improve upon last year’s 9-22 season with the return of Dominique Jones, having Augustus Gilchrist for the full season, the addition of Jarrid Famous and mid-year transfer Anthony Crater, who came over from Ohio State. Crater had to sit out one season as a transfer and becomes eligible after the first semester. He will miss USF’s first eight games.

The Bulls will play three games in the Charleston Classic in South Carolina. The rest of the field: Davidson, LaSalle, Miami, North Carolina Wilmington, Penn State, South Carolina and Tulane. They also host Virginia for their home opener and play two games in Las Vegas (San Francisco and San Diego) December 19th and 20th.
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Yet another scheduling note, this one in regards to Georgetown, who will meet Washington in Anaheim in December as the Huskies are to Play Georgetown in the Wooden Classic (Seattle Times) next season.
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Action in Vegas got underway yesterday as most of the country’s top head coaches made one of the four AAU tournaments out west their first stop of the second July Open Evaluation period. Frank Burlison of the Press-Telegram was at the Henderson International School yesterday where Terrence Jones of I-5 Elite was putting on a show in front of numerous big name college head coaches, including Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh. At the recent Peach Jam, where Jones also excelled, the 6-foot-9 Oregon native told NBE that Georgetown and Marquette were among the schools recruiting him.

Yesterday. Jones had his full package on display as he scored 23 points, showed his shot-blocking, ball-handling and passing ability, as well as range beyond the three-point range as Jones Makes His Case as ‘Best in the West’ (Press-Telegram). Burlison mentions that Washington, Arizona, Oklahoma, Florida, Connecticut and Maryland are among those, apparently, in the hunt for his services.

The LA Times also mentioned Dixon being in Vegas as Jamie Dixon is Looking for a Few Good Players in the same gym as current USC coach Kevin O’Neill. Dixon reportedly turned down a couple overtures from USC to replace Tim Floyd, which led to the Trojans hiring O’Neill.
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Adam Zagoria has a recruiting update on St. Peter’s (NJ) Prep forward Ronald Roberts, a 6-foot-7 class of 2010 prospect. Roberts is Hearing from Schools (ZagsBlog) such as Indiana, Providence, Rutgers, St. Joe’s, Penn State, Villanova, Notre Dame and Maryland.

“I want to take a visit to Indiana, Providence and St. Joe’s,” Roberst was quoted by ZagsBlog. “I want to go over to Penn State.”
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Zags also updates readers on Derrick Randall, a 6-foot-9 rising junior out of Paterson (NJ) Catholic High School in his Player Profile: 2011 Derrick Randall (ZagsBlog). The NJ Playaz member said he is hearing from DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Providence, Villanova, VCU and Virginia Tech. He told Zags that Rutgers is showing him the most attention.
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Dan Wlken of the Memphis Commercial Appeal has an update from Vegas on 5’11 White Station (TN) High School point guard Joe Jackson, who Josh Pastner, the new Memphis head coach, is pursuing aggressively against the top schools from the bigger conferences. Pastner is Relentless in Pursuit of Jackson, Even in Vegas (Commercial-Appeal). The competition is stiff as Jackson, in additon to Memphis and Kentucky, quickly rattled off Tennessee, Kansas and Connecticut and added Syracuse, Texas, Marquette and Indiana when asked for his list yesterday, according to the article.
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Not directly related to the Big East, but Zags does a nice job bringing the issue of Agents Creeping into College Basketball into the reader’s awareness. It definitely seems to be a very fast growing trend…

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