St. Bonaventure Recruiting

2012 NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — DAY TWO

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By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The second day of the National Prep School Invitational featured nine games with tips starting bright and early at 9 AM. Things started off a bit slowly with the first couple of early morning games featuring sluggish, turnover prone play. Then at 1:30 PM everything changed when Notre Dame Prep took the floor against Canarias Basketball Academy. That’s when a 7 foot monster put his stamp on this tournament and in doing so earned top billing for the day from me.

Top Performer of the Day:

Steven Adams (Notre Dame Prep 2012) – committed to Pittsburgh – Adams was great in his team’s game on Thursday and nearly earned the top spot in my recap. He was noticeably better on Friday. Adams is a massive human being standing 7 foot, 240 pounds. Unlike most people his size though; he is an excellent athlete showing lateral quickness and powerful burst off the floor. Every time he got within five feet of the rim on Friday the back board was in jeopardy of being torn down. Adams dunks with such power whether he has time to set himself or has to go up quickly on an offensive rebound. The scary thing about the big kiwi is that he’s only scratching the surface of his massive potential. He still doesn’t understand the consistent aggression and energy that he can play with and the impact it will have on his game. Adams shows it in flashes and has incredible success every time he does but once a coach makes him realize that’s needed every play his impact will be off the charts. I don’t think I’m overstating it when I say that Steven Adams belongs in the discussion with the newly re-classified Nerlens Noel and Shabazz Muhammad for top player in the 2012 class.
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2012 NATIONAL PREP SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — DAY ONE

By Brian Bosworth, National Recruiting Analyst

The National Prep School Invitational kicked off Thursday morning at a new venue of Rhode Island College after a number of years at the University of Rhode Island. The shift was made due to new NCAA rules not allowing tournaments of this nature to take place in Division-I gyms but the always well run event didn’t miss a beat. Eight games filled the schedule on Thursday with the nation’s No. 1 team Brewster Academy facing off against St. John’s Northwest Military Academy in the headliner. Two players faced off head to head in that matchup and they share top billing today after fantastic performances.

Co-Headliners of the Day:

Jakarr Sampson (Brewster Academy 2012) – Sampson played as well as I’ve ever seen from him in Brewster’s victory this afternoon. He has always been potent using a couple dribbles to attack the rim and showcase his absurd athleticism. Today, Sampson punished defenders for playing off him by consistently knocking down mid range jumpers from 12-18 feet. When that shot is falling he becomes basically unguardable because combined with his driving ability leaves defenders to pick their poison. On top of all his impressive offense, Sampson was the catalyst for Brewster defensively playing the top of their full court press. His length and quickness caused turnover after turnover often leading to rim shaking dunks. Undefeated Brewster was frankly in a bit of trouble before going to the press and letting Sampson wreck havoc. He made it obvious why he is one of the most sought after uncommitted players remaining in the 2012 class.

Aaron Ross (St. John’s Northwest Military Academy 2012) – A onetime Arkansas commit, Ross played like one of the nation’s bet forwards against the loaded frontline of Brewster. He tallied 30 points and 9 rebounds by mixing 3 point shots (3-7) with hard drives to the basket. Ross has the quickness to take his man out on the perimeter but also the strength to go to work on the low block. This combination gave Brewster fits all day as they tried various defenders to slow down the big man. Only Jakarr Sampson had any success but even he gave up his share of hoops against Ross. Finding balance between inside and outside will always be important for Ross as he doesn’t want to hunt jumpers and ignore his physical advantages. He also needs to be more committed defensively and will have to define a roll on that end. He is a little bit between a 3 and a 4 right now but needs to be a 4 defensively in my mind. Regardless of position he’s a beast and showed that off today.

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A-10 Action: Duquesne 80 UMASS 69

T.J. McConnell has played in 51 career games at Duquesne and maybe it’s the consistency of those 51 games that makes it seem as if the sophomore guard has played in 100 and is a senior. McConnell scored 15 points, dished out 6 assists, collected 4 rebounds and upped his career larceny total to 148 with 4 steals in the Dukes 80-69 win over UMASS.

That stat line is pretty much standard for McConnell in the fifteen or so times I’ve watched him play over the last year and a half. McConnell only scores in the teens generally because he isn’t selfish enough. Once he realizes that it’s best for his team that he pull up for his patented 15-footer off the dribble 6-8 times a game the Dukes will be that much better….because T.J. McConnell just does not miss that shot. But tonight, with help from his small-ball-turnover-producing mates, the Dukes were plenty good enough (they forced the Minutemen into 29 miscues) to beat a team that’s gotten some pub for their stronger than expected start.

UMASS came into the game 14-4 and 3-1 in A-10 play. It leaves Pittsburgh with an identity crisis. For all the turnovers and missed three-pointers (they were a non-robust 5-20 from deep) the Minutemen still might have won this game handily if they just understood one basic premise: a size advantage in the post should be utilized until the other team does something to take it away. Sean Carter, the 6’9″ post for UMASS — not the rapper — was 6-7 from the field in 38 minutes. Carter has averaged 13.7 points per game in his last three outings coming into tonight while hitting 17 of his 22 shots. Again, UMASS jacked it from three twenty times while Carter couldn’t bee stopped whenever he got the ball on the block (and he only had 2 of their 29 turnovers). Carter stood in the lane with his hand up with 6’2″ and 6’5″ guys on his hip for much of the night, yet rarely got a touch.

6’8″ junior Terrell Vinson was 5-7 from the floor but his lack of opportunities are best explained by his foul trouble — the kid from Baltimore (and one-time Loyola Marymount commit) only played 14 minutes. Maxie Esho goes 6’8″ as well and he was 3-5 in 22 minutes. But it was on the perimeter where Duquesne won this game and also where UMASS lost it. Michael Talley frustrated the incredibly talented Chaz Williams into an 8 point and 7 turnover night — Talley got help from Eric Evans and McConnell but the son of the one-time Michigan Mr. Basketball winner was the guy who got in Williams’ head early ans stayed there all night. Williams eventually fouled out in frustration by clocking Talley across the chin with a shot that would certainly get you arrested on pedestrian streets (even in Williams’ Brooklyn). Everhart was especially pleased that his decision to go small at halftime worked out so well.

“We like the game to go fast and it did,” said Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart. “We decided at halftime to play ‘small ball.’ Early in the second half it backfired on us, but our kids stayed with it and consequently we were able to beat a really good basketball team tonight.”

Sean Johnson was highly effective and efficient for the Dukes. The junior from Christ the King high school in Queens finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Johnson went bananas from deep (4-5) and did his best to make the rebounding deficit respectable for the Dukes (UMASS held a 48-32 edge). Jesse Morgan joined Williams in the chase to lead his team in turnovers, eventually nipping his back-court mate with 8 on the night. B.J. Monteiro led the Dukes with 23 points and came away with 3 extremely well-timed blocks during the game. Monteiro and Johnson were often the guys on Carter’s backside in the post — maybe they wouldn’t have scored so many points had they been forced to defend him on more than 7 possessions.

Huge win for Ron Everhart’s team in what was a great all around team effort.

A-10 Notables

Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
The best big that nobody knows about, Nicholson has been putting up numbers for a few years now. This past week he averaged 25 points, 10 boards and 3.5 blocks in two games highlighted by a monster 30 point, 13 rebound and six block game against Dayton. The line went a long way toward handing Dayton its first league loss 81-73 and marked just the third 30+10+5 game in the nation over the last two seasons.

Chris Braswell, Charlotte
Caught the talented Braswell’s act in November at Wright State so I wasn’t surprised to see him post a career high 31 points at UMASS. Braswell is a big that can stretch the defense (he was 3-5 from deep) and plays with a strut in his game that’s fun to watch. Athletic and talented offensive player.

RECRUITING UPDATE: ISAIAH WATKINS OF ST. BENEDICT’S PREP

Isaiah Watkins has seen his game grow tremendously in the past year and his recruitment has followed the same growth curve. The Class of 2013, 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward should be expected to see a continued increase in attention as he gets ready to hit the season with St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark (NJ), one of the most high-profile prep programs in the country. Watkins was drawn to the Gray Bees program, where he will play for coach Mark Taylor, for the opportunity to improve every day and play against the toughest competition possible at the prep level. Even with a daunting schedule ahead for the Newark school, Watkins has set his sights very high for the season.

“I’m really looking forward to playing in big games against the top teams in the nation,” Watkins told NBE over the weekend of what he is most looking forward to this season. “I want to help St. Benedict’s achieve something great, collectively I [want] us to become the top ranked team in [the] nation this year.”

Watkins is certainly willing to put his individual accomplishments to the side and do what it takes to help the Gray Bees win. The native Canadian seems to understand that winning will take care of everything when it comes to exposure and the importance of playing for a winning program in the eyes of college recruiters.
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BOSWORTH: SUNDAY’S NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE BREAKDOWN

By Brian Bosworth, National Scouting Analyst

The National Prep Showcase was back in full swing on Sunday with top teams like Brewster Academy, New Hampton Prep, and the Tilton School all in action. While the rosters of most prep schools in this event are dominated by seniors and post-graduate players it was a pair of underclassmen that stole the show on Sunday.

Co-Headliners of the Day:

Nerlens Noel (Tilton School 2013) – With college coaches such as John Calipari (Kentucky), Steve Lavin (St. John’s), and Ed Cooley (Providence) on hand to watch him play Noel put on quite a show Sunday night. Having already established himself as the premier defensive big man in America during the summer with BABC, Nerlens showcased an expanding offensive game that brings his upside to a new level. He played on the wing for much of the first half and repeatedly used a deadly right to left crossover to attack the rim and finish with his left hand. Despite being right handed he seems to prefer using his left to finish around the basket and did so with startling efficiency in this game. If Noel can continue to develop his offensive skills to complement his defensive brilliance he will give Jabari Parker a serious challenge for the spot of #1 overall player in the class of 2013.
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LAS VEGAS AAU DAY 1 NOTEBOOK: JABARI PARKER SHINES, KRIS DUNN SPARKLES & MORE

By Raphielle Johnson

When a who’s who of the college coaching profession is on hand a show is expected. And 2013 prospect Jabari Parker provided that and then some in Mac Irvin Fire’s win over Worldwide Renegades in the evening session of the Las Vegas Fab 48 at Bishop Gorman. Parker showed off his vast array of skills in front of the likes of Dave Rose (BYU), Oliver Purnell (DePaul), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Bruce Weber (Illinois), Buzz Williams (Marquette) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State) among others.

Also playing well in the win for Mac Irvin were 2012 forward Steve Taylor and 2012 guards Aaric Armstead and Derrick Randolph. Taylor won’t be graded on the same level as Parker but make no mistake about it, the young man is skilled. Taylor showed off the ability to step out and attack the rim, doing a solid job of playing with contact and knocking down mid-range shots. Randolph, while he looks shorter than his listed height of 5’9”, is the kind of winning player that all successful teams tend to have.

Randolph was highly competitive at both ends of the floor, setting up teammates for easy baskets on quick drives to the basket and disrupting the Renegades defensively. Armstead may not have had the impact scoring-wise that some of the other players had, but he did the little things especially on the defensive end. And 2013 DePaul commit Billy Garrett Jr. proved to be a tough matchup due to his crafty handle and ability to knock down a variety of shots.
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HOOP GROUP ELITE TEAM CAMP FINAL RECAP & RECRUITING NOTES

By Alex Schwartz

READING, Pa. — Featuring over 60 high schools from seven different states, The Hoop Group Elite Team Camp drew numerous Division I coaches to Albright College. At least half of Big East was represented there Sunday, the second and final day of the camp.

Head coaches from both of New Jersey’s Big East programs, Rutgers and Seton Hall, were in attendance along with at least one assistant. NBE Basketball Report also spotted or was informed that assistants from Cincinnati, DePaul, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Villanova and West Virginia were in Reading.

Amongst the attractions for the Big East schools were Kyle Anderson ’12, Nate Britt ’13, Reggie Cameron ’13, Hallice Cooke ’13, Will Ferguson ’13, Shep Garner ’14, Amile Jefferson ’12, Kris Jenkins ’13, Ja’Quan Newton ’14, Villanova-commit Daniel Ochefu ’12, Stanford Robinson ’13, Terrence Samuel ’13, Shamiek Sheppard ’13, Kavon Stewart ’13, Mike Young ’13, and more.
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NATIONAL PREP SHOWCASE: DAY ONE

by JEFF BORZELLO

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – College basketball has its 24-hour marathon; high school has the National Prep Showcase. Featuring 23 of the best prep school teams in the country, the National Prep Showcase is the official start to the high school basketball season. The teams gather at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn. for three jam-packed days of games. There will be well over 100 Division-I recruits throughout the weekend, so it is a great spot for college coaches to get a look at recently-signed recruits or uncommitted prospects.

The day started out with an uneventful Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) win over Fork Union Military Academy (Va.), 80-73. Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) held on in the second game to beat Fishburne Military Academy (Va.), 75-66. Westwind Prep (Ariz.) and Bridgton Academy (Maine) had a back-and-forth battle, with Westwind pulling it out, 84-78. The best game of the day was Hargrave Military Academy (Va.) and South Kent (Conn.), a high-scoring and entertaining affair that Hargrave won 115-105. After that was St. Thomas More’s easy win over Lee Academy, 82-57, followed by Princeton Day Academy (Md.) defeating Winchendon (Mass.), 67-63. The final game of the day kept everyone entertained, as NIA Prep (N.J.) knocked off Maine Central Institute in overtime after Shaq Thomas hit a jumper at the buzzer to tie the game.

Here is a look at some of the top players, and recruiting notes, from day one:

Evan Cummins, 2012, Northfield Mount Hermon: Cummins has consistently gotten better over the last few months, and it continued today. He runs the floor well and has good hands for a big man. He can finish at the rim and is also able to kncok down mid-range jump shots. Cummins struggled a bit to finish in some instances, but overall he demonstrated a versatile offensive game and justified the increased recruiting attention he is receiving (detailed below).

Aaron Cosby, 2011, Northfield Mount Hermon: The Seton Hall-signee is much more aggressive than he was a year ago. He looked for his shot more often today, driving past his defender into the lane for leaners and lay-ups. Cosby also knocked down outside shots consistently and was able to make shots over defenders. He had a few nice passes and led the fast break effectively. He does need to protect the ball better on his drives, though; he had the ball batted away or stripped while he was in the air several times. Cosby finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual membership to read more detailed scouting reports and the latest recruiting notes gathered on Day One of the National Prep Showcase. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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MERNAGH: ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK

Things are still going strong in Orlando as the 16-U AAU National Championships have their quarterfinal match-ups set for Thursday afternoon:

BABC Sophs vs. Southern Kings Gold
Rising Stars Gold vs. Southern Select
All-Ohio Red vs. Boo Williams 16′s
Arkansas Wings vs. TM Daniels Q6 AS

Also, bracket play in the 17-U classification gets underway as pool play is completing tonight.

Ray Mernagh runs through some of the players that he has gotten a good look at in his first couple days in Orlando below…

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more of our coverage from Orlando as Ray takes a look at players such as Donny Hale (Purdue commit), Jaylen Bond (Pitt commit), Andrew Nicholas (former Rutgers commit), Kadeem Jack, Omar Calhoun, Aaron Thomas, Shaq Boga and more with some recruiting tidbits and observations added. Also, any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage is available to subscribers.

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RUMBLE IN THE BRONX: THE FINAL RUNDOWN

BY JEFF BORZELLO

BRONX, N.Y. – As the weekend wound down at Fordham University in the 2010 Rumble in the Bronx, several surprises occurred across the bracket in the playoffs. The top AAU team in the country, the NJ Playaz, suffered an upset at the hands of New Heights in the quarterfinals, while East Coast Elite, a team from Delaware, was rolling through the bracket. The New England Playaz and New York Gauchos also dropped surprising match-ups in the quarterfinals. In the U-16 division, no New York teams ended up reaching the championship game, as a loaded BABC team would take on the PA Playaz and its one-man show of Ryan Arcidiacono in the finals. Despite most of the top talent not appearing in the semifinals and finals, the Rumble in the Bronx did not lack for excitement.

Domonique Bull, 2012, BABC: Bull, one of the top New England guard prospects in the class of 2012, is built like his last name would indicate. He is very strong with the ball and has improved his athleticism and quickness since last summer. Bull can get into the lane with the bounce and distribute it to open teammates for easy baskets. He rarely plays out of control, and remains calm under pressure. He did not turn the ball over much, and was highly effective.

Bull, who passed up the NIKE Hoop Jamboree to attend the Rumble in the Bronx, is receiving interest from Western Kentucky, Miami (Fl.), Providence, Florida and more. He likes Miami (Fl.) a lot, and will attend the Elite Camps of both Florida and Wisconsin.
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You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more on NBE’s Rumble in the Bronx coverage from Saturday, and any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage.

The Final Rundown content below includes Jeff Borzello’s ranking of the top 15 Rumble performers from the class of 2011 and the top eight from the class of 2012. Also, like the Bull update, there are player evals and/or recruiting updates on Nerlens Noel, Malcolm Gilbert, Ryan Arcidiacono, Jermaine Sander, Travon Allen, Jaylen Bond, A.J. Mathews, Maurice Harkless and MORE…

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK FOR MID-MAY

Over the course of the last few weeks the staff and contributors to NBE have been out on the road checking on some of the biggest events of the spring AAU season. Through the travels and in between we have accumulated quite a notebook in recent weeks of recruiting updates and it is time to clear out that notebook with a recruiting list frenzy of some of the players we have seen and talked to on the AAU trail.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership and read the latest on Trashon Burrell, Tavon Sledge, Derrick Randall, Cecil Kirk trio of Antoine Meyers, Durand Johnson and Antoine Allen who is transerring from Miami, Eugene McCrory and Justin Miller, as well as any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage.

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SOUTHERN JAM FEST PLAYER REVIEW & RECRUITING NOTES (PART III)

BY JEFF BORZELLO

HAMPTON, Va. – The Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Va. is quickly becoming the place to be for AAU events in the spring. It hosted the first leg of the Nike EYBL a few weeks ago, and then hosted the Southern Jam Fest, run by the Hoop Group, this past weekend. While not as loaded as the EYBL, the Jam Fest featured several of the top AAU teams in the mid-Atlantic region, with teams also coming from various states throughout the country (and Canada). In Part I of our Review (found HERE), we took a look at some of the key players with Team Loaded, Boo Williams, Grassroots Canada and more, while in Part II of our coverage (found HERE), we broke down the always talented DC Assault program. Here is the third installment of our look at some of the top players, and their college recruitment, from the weekend with the CP3 All-Stars program as well as Westchester Hawks, Team NJABC and more.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more of our coverage from the 2010 Souther Jam Fest, as well as any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage.

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BALTIMORE ELITE INVITATIONAL NOTEBOOK

Myles Mack, Khem Birch & Ricardo Ledo show the goods to be landing at the high-major level in the future

by RON BAILEY

May 12, 2010 – Last weekend’s Baltimore Elite Invitational heated up the Washington-Baltimore AAU landscape, as talented players from as far north as Canada traveled to Chantilly, VA’s Hoop Magic Sports Academy, and were joined by travel teams hailing from parts south as deep as North Carolina. The Eastern Seaboard was in full effect.

With organizations such as Nike Baltimore Elite, Team Takeover, Canada Takeover, Team Final, Team Philly, Expressions and a host of others, BIG EAST recruited athletes like Desmond Hubert, Rakeem Christmas, James Robinson, Mikael Hopkins, Tyrone Johnson and Kyle Anderson were in abundance.

Future Class of 2011 Syracuse student-athlete Trevor Cooney laced ‘em up, as did younger standouts being recruited like Jerami Grant (Georgetown, Oklahoma State, others), and BeeJay Anya (Georgetown, Maryland, others).

In an effort to supply NBE Basketball Report readers with up-to-date information not widely available, three players are featured below; Khem Birch, Myles Mack and Ricardo Ledo. The last pair have been known to be BIG EAST targets for awhile. The first may mildly surprise recruitniks. All have a strong chance of landing in the B-EAST.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more on Birch, Ledo and Mack as they go into detail about their recruiting and games with Ron Bailey (also some exclusive audio content as well), as well as any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage.

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SOUTHERN JAM FEST REVIEW: DC ASSAULT EDITION

BY JEFF BORZELLO

HAMPTON, Va. – The Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Va. is quickly becoming the place to be for AAU events in the spring. It hosted the first leg of the Nike EYBL a few weeks ago, and then hosted the Southern Jam Fest, run by the Hoop Group, this past weekend. While not as loaded as the EYBL, the Jam Fest featured several of the top AAU teams in the mid-Atlantic region, with teams also coming from various states throughout the country (and Canada). In our Part I of our Review (found HERE), we took a look at some of the key players with Team Loaded, Boo Williams, Grassroots Canada and more. Here is the second installment – and the D.C. Assault edition – of our look at some of the top players from the weekend.

You can log-in or sign up for NBE Premium access by SUBSCRIBING (HERE) for as low as $2.08 a month with our annual introductory membership to read more on players such as Quinn Cook, Jordan Goodman, Eugene McCrory and more from one of the nation’s top AAU programs, as well as any of our Premium Content Articles & Event Coverage.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (5/10/2010)

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We try and catch up with the regular news of the day around the Big East and basketball recruiting. The weekend usually provides an influx of columns on conference expansion and realignment, and this past weekend was no different. Also some recruiting notes on Kadeem Jack, Branden Dawson, Remi Dibo and a C-USA transfer that could find his way closer to home in the Big East.

Also, commencement and graduation parties might not be a place where many perceive Bob Huggins to be this time of year, but since landing at WVU it has been on his calendar more than many might want to believe. Jim Calhoun signed a new contract last week and is looking forward to the future. One player from last season will not be joining him for the ride and a local newspaper takes issue with his 25% pay increase based on the last 12 months. Also an interview is linked with one of NBE’s top 50 All-Time Big East players.

Read on below for all of the latest News & Notes around the Big East basketball conference. Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring.

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