Transfers

BIG EAST BASKETBALL WIRE — MAY 19, 2011

A look around the BIG EAST basketball conference with some of this mornings latest headlines from newspapers around the country…as well as our own sources:

The BIG EAST/SEC Challenge is expanding to 12 games this season and match-ups are starting to be leaked. The NY Post has learned one match-up will have St. John’s meeting Kentucky next season. The game will feature two of the top recruiting classes of incoming freshmen in the country.

According to the Post, the game will be played in early December at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats, under John Calipari, will bring in the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class. St. John’s brings in the nation’s No. 3-ranked class, headlined by Queens forward Maurice Harkless, Texas guard D’Angelo Harrison and Juco center God’s Gift Achiuwa.
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The Post’s Lenn Robbins also reported this morning that Arizona guard Lamont “MoMo” Jones of Harlem, will transfer to St. John’s and could be eligible to play this upcoming season pending the application of an NCAA hardship waiver.

As a sophomore for the Wildcats last season, Jones averaged 9.7 points a game and 2.4 assists in 26 minutes a game as Sean Miller’s club reached the Elite 8 before losing to Connecticut.
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The Hoop Group has announced the field for their 2011 Philly Classic, which will be headlined by the BIG EAST’s Pittsburgh Panthers. Other teams participating include: La Salle, Penn, James Madison, Robert Morris, and Rider.
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New Providence coach Ed Cooley is working hard on the recruiting trail. New Hampton Prep’s Zach Auguste took an unofficial visit to get a closer look at the Friar campus earlier this week.
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West Virginia sophomore Dalton Pepper has left the program. The guard averaged nearly 4 points a game last season. Most reports have Pepper returning closer to his Pennsbury (PA) roots to attend Temple.
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Georgetown head coach John Thompson III has added former Hoya big man Othella Harrington to his coaching staff. Harrington played at Georgetown from 1992-1996 and spent 12 seasons in the NBA. Harrington is a native of Jackson, Miss.
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While Connecticut Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun basks in the glory of his third national championship, questions of his future remain. Calhoun Could Make Decision on Future in June (The Sporting News) but is preparing as if he will be coaching the Huskies next year. The 69-year old has battled several health issues in recent seasons and will use a 10-day family vacation in June to get away from the game for a little bit and reflect on his future.
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With Lamont Jones’ impending transfer to St. John’s, it will likely remove the Red Storm from the mix for NC State transfer Ryan Harrow who was expected to visit the program before making a decision. Harrow is also considering Kentucky, Louisville, Georgia and Texas – all of which he has visited. Expect a decision very soon.
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Anthony Crater, who has run into his share of difficulties since transferring to South Florida from Ohio State, has been kicked off the team by Stan Heath for a violation of team rules.
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BIG EAST SPRING COMINGS & GOINGS

Connecticut:
–Junior point guard Kemba Walker declared for the NBA Draft. Walker is expected to be a lottery selection in June’s draft.

DePaul:
–Big forward Donnavan Kirk will be eligible after the first semester during the 2011-2012 season. Kirk enrolled at DePaul last January after transferring from Miami.
–Point guard Michael Bizoukas has another year of eligibility remaining, but he will not return to DePaul for the 2011-2012 season.

Georgetown:
–Sophomore G/F Hollis Thompson declared for the NBA Draft. Thompson, who is not expected to be drafted should he remain in the draft, can still withdraw from the draft and return to the Hoyas for his junior season.
–Sophomore guard Vee Sanford announced he was leaving the program and pursuing a transfer this spring.

Louisville:
–Junior center Terrence Jennings declared for the NBA Draft. Jennings, a second round-to-undrafted prospect, can return for his senior season if he withdraws from the draft prior to the May 8th deadline.

Marquette:
–6’7 forward Jamil Wilson will be eligible for the Golden Eagles after sitting out the 2010-2011 season as a transfer student from Oregon.

Notre Dame:
–Junior forward Carleton Scott declared for the NBA Draft. Although listed as a senior last season, Scott has another season of eligibility and can return to the Irish next season if he withdraws from the draft prior to the May 8th deadline. Scott is not expected to be drafted at this time if he were to stay in the draft.

Pittsburgh:
–Junior guard Ashton Gibbs declared for the NBA Draft. Gibbs has not signed with an agent. Projected as a 2nd round-to-undrafted prospect, Gibbs can still withdraw from the draft by the May 8th deadline and return for his senior season.
–Sophomore forward J.J. Richardson announced he will leave the program this spring and transfer somewhere closer to home.

Providence:
–The Friars fired head coach Keno Davis following the season. Former Boston College assistant and recent Fairfield University head coach Ed Cooley was hired as his replacement. Cooley is a Providence (RI) native.

Seton Hall:
–Freshman forward Anali Okoloji announced he was leaving the program and will seek a transfer this sprint.

South Florida:
–Junior forward Augustis Gilchrist declared for the NBA Draft. Gilchrist, projected as a second round-to-undrafted prospect has not signed with an agent and can return to USF if he withdraws his name from the draft prior to the May 8th deadline.
–Sophomore guard Mike Burwell was released from his scholarship and will transfer to another program. Burwell averaged 1.7 PPG last season.
–Junior point guard Shedrick Haynes left the program. Haynes played sparingly in his one season with the Bulls, averaging 1.1 PPG.
–The Bulls will receive the services of 6’7 forward Victor Rudd, who sat out the 2010-2011 season after transferring from Arizona State.

West Virginia:
–Junior forward Kevin Jones declared for the NBA Draft. Jones, a second round-to-undrafted prospect, can return to WVU for his senior season if he withdraws from the draft prior to the May 8th deadline.
–Forward Dan Jennings officially was granted his release from scholarship and will transfer this spring.

We will update the spring recruiting signings tomorrow night…

ENIEL POLYNICE DISCUSSES SETON HALL TRANSFER

by ALEX SCHWARTZ

1 Last Chance 2 Dance was important factor in Polynice’s decision to join Big East program over other options

by Alex Schwartz

Seton Hall added a vital addition for the upcoming season when Ole Miss transfer Eniel Polynice signed with the Pirates. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound wing/guard had originally declared for the NBA Draft but opted to instead continue his basketball career at another school. He will have one year of eligibility left and will be able to play immediately, as he has already graduated.

“I just thought going to Seton Hall was the right fit and I thought the program was real good so I was interested in it,” Polynice said.

Asked how he decided on the Big East school, Polynice remarked, “The coaching staff was great, the area was great, and I just fell in love with everything at Seton Hall and I just wanted it to be my new home.”

Polynice, who averaged 8.8 points and 3.9 assists in 24.9 minutes per game last year, had a number of programs on his trail.

“There were a lot of schools, I just wanted to go where the best fit was, where me and my family thought was the right fit, and that was Seton Hall.”

Polynice said that he chose to leave Ole Miss for his final year of eligibility to pursue a graduate program that the school did not have. He will be in a strategic communications program at Seton Hall.

While he just signed his papers today and is not exactly sure of the process, Polynice does not anticipate that there will be any issue with him suiting up and playing for the Pirates this year.

“I don’t think [there will] be any issues at all because I have my degree and I still have another year to play basketball,” Polynice said. “I should be okay, I already graduated and I’m trying to pursue grad school and play basketball for another year.”

On what he brings to the table for Seton Hall and new Head Coach Kevin Willard, Polynice said, “Hopefully just come over and be a playmaker and help the team win games and hopefully we can get to the NCAA Tournament.”

Polynice will be one of a handful of seniors on the SHU roster and discussed how his experience will help him lead in the locker room.

“My leadership, I’m just gonna bring just [the mindset of] a very tough player that wants to win, all about wins, just wanna get to the NCAA Tournament.”

“I just wanna say thank you to the coaching staff at Seton Hall Hall for giving me a chance,” Polynice added before getting off the phone.

As thankful as Eniel Polynice is about the staff giving him a chance, Willard and Co. are likely equally as thankful to have a chance to coach him.

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/30/2010)

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Once again there are plenty of comings and going in the Big East…but most of the news today centers around the announcement of two incoming transfers to the programs at Seton Hall and Marquette. SHU adds a player likely available this season for one year and MU adds a former prep All-American that will have to sit out one seasona and have three years of eligibility left.

Elsewhere, Rutgers continues to bring in talent for unofficial visits and one NYC star guard is in the midst of a trio of Big East trips this week. 2010 prospect Chris Hill hopes to be fully eligibile by the end of summer for the fall and is in the midst of his own trio of Big East visits. New Depaul coach Oliver Purnell seems to be doing what it takes to make progress in the local talent base of Chicago. Highly touted 2011 big man Anthony Davis narrows his list and Louisville adds three coaches to their staff, one of which will be tasked with landing players of Davis’ stature as they battle in-state rival UK on the recruiting front. Also a story below on incoming UConn guard Shabazz Napier and his road to becoming a 2010 recruit for the Huskies.

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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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/28/2010)

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There are plenty of comings and goings around the Big East from the last couple days to get caught up on. Rutgers has a player transfer from the program and a 2011 commitment from Fred Hill’s tenure re-open his recruitment. On the other hand, Mike Rice has been quite busy hosting a bunch of unofficial visitors from the NYC area and those visits continue today. Also, the Scarlet Knights have an in on a possible transfer that would be immediately eligible to help next season in a position of dire need for RU.

Speaking of immediately eligible transfers, Louisville looks to have added one that will give their perimeter offense a boost. The Cards and Providence also have made staff additions. Seton Hall picks up a verbal commitment from a 2011 guard prospect. Cincinnati hopes for a big season from Yancy Gates and in preparation of Pitt’s 2010-2011 season, the Panthers get an early start to the campaign with an overseas trip ready to begin in a month. The Panthers also got good news with two recruits being eligible to enroll and make the trip with the Panthers. Pitt also had a player leave their program in the alst week as well.

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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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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YOUSSOUPHA MBAO LEAVING MARQUETTE AFTER ONE SEASON

story originally appeared at www.GoMarquette.com

Milwaukee – Freshman center Youssoupha Mbao of the Marquette University men’s basketball team has announced that he will leave the team and continue his collegiate career at another institution.

“We want to thank `Yous’ for his contributions to the program last season and wish him the best of luck in the future,” head coach Buzz Williams said. “We are disappointed that he has decided to continue his playing career elsewhere, but will support him through the transition process.”

Mbao appeared in 10 games off the bench in his lone season with the Golden Eagles, averaging 0.1 points and 0.7 rebounds in an average of six minutes per contest. The Dakar, Senegal, native missed a majority of the campaign with knee and ankle injuries and made his final appearance of the year against Providence (Jan. 17).

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OMARI LAWRENCE LEAVING ST. JOHN’S AFTER ONE SEASON

story originally appeared at www.RedStormSports.com

QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John’s head men’s basketball coach Steve Lavin announced that freshman swingman Omari Lawrence (Bronx, N.Y./South Kent (Conn.) plans to transfer to another institution this offseason.

“We wish Omari all the best,” said Lavin. “He is a talented player with a bright future, and he leaves St. John’s University in good academic standing.”

Lawrence played in 25-of-33 games as a rookie in 2009-10, averaging 2.5 points per contest and 1.5 rebounds in 9.3 minutes. He connected on 34.7 percent of his field goals (25-of-72), 33.3 percent of his 3-point attempts (4-of-12) and 34.8 percent of his free throws (8-of-23).

Lawrence’s best performance of his freshman season came on Jan. 23 against Villanova, when he scored eight points on 4-of-6 field goals in 14 minutes, and added two rebounds, an assist and a steal.

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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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ROSARIO TO TRANSFER; KOSHWAL TO NBA DRAFT

A couple Big East programs took significant hits to their chamces of improving in 2010-2011 with the announcement of players leaving school. Below are the official news releases from Rutgers and DePaul:

ROSARIO TO LEAVE RUTGERS

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 14, 2010) – Rutgers University sophomore guard Mike Rosario (Jersey City, N.J.) has informed the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics of his intent to transfer and he has been granted a conditional release.

Rosario played in 32 games (30 starts) during the 2009-10 season and averaged 16.7 points and 3.9 rebounds-per-contest. As a freshman in 2008-09, he played in 32 games (30 starts) and averaged 16.2 points and 3.5 rebounds-per-game.

News release courtesy of scarletknights.com
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MAC KOSHWAL ENTERS NAME IN 2010 NBA DRAFT

CHICAGO – DePaul University announced today that junior Mac Koshwal has entered his name in the 2010 NBA Draft and will not return to the program. The forward/center went through the NBA Draft evaluation process following the 2008-09 season and is not eligible to return to school.

“We’re sorry that we won’t have the opportunity to work with Mac during his senior season and see him finish his career at DePaul with his degree,” said head coach Oliver Purnell. “We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

In 81 career games over three seasons, Koshwal averaged 12.6 points and 9.3 rebounds while starting 76 times. He totaled 27 double-doubles and 58 career games in double-figures. Koshwal also gathered at least 10 rebounds in 37 career games including a career-high 22 rebounds against Creighton on Dec. 23, 2008.

Koshwal is ranked among DePaul’s all-time leaders in rebounding average (10th – 9.3 rpg), total rebounds (11th – 750), field goal percentage (12th – .522), steals (23rd – 114 steals) and career scoring (44th – 1,019 pts.). In the final game of the regular-season against St. John’s this season, he became the 46th player in program history with 1,000 career points.

During his junior season, Koshwal was just one of three BIG EAST players to average a double-double with 16.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Jamine Peterson of Providence (19.6 ppg/10.2 rpg) and Seton Hall’s Herb Pope (11.5 ppg/10.7 rpg) also averaged at least 10 points and 10 boards throughout the season. He totaled 16 games in double-figures and 11 double-doubles and finished the season strong averaging 20.6 points and 10.6 rebounds over the final seven games of the season.

The 2010 NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 24 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

News release courtesy of www.depaulbluedemons.com
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GREG ECHENIQUE TRANSFERRING FROM RUTGERS

The Associated Press

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers center Greg Echenique is transferring.

The Big East Conference school announced Friday that the sophomore from Venezuela informed the school of his intent to transfer and that he has been granted a conditional release.

Echenique started seven games before his season ended last month when he had surgery to repair a detached retina. He averaged 12.6 points and 7.7 rebounds, while shooting 61 percent from the field with 16 blocks.

Coach Fred Hill said, “Gregory has been a valuable member of our program. We are appreciative of his contributions at Rutgers and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
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NBE Blogger’s Take:
This is a huge blow to Fred Hill’s program. Echenique was supposed to be a building block in their quest to become competitive in the conference. Athletic director Tim Pernetti recently announced a plan to raise money to upgrade the RAC. With the continued decline of interest in the men’s basketball program as the losses pile up and the additional player attrition, he might find willing donors harder to come by.

Georgetown Junior Nikita Mescheriakov to Transfer

Report courtest of GUHOYAS.com

WASHINGTON – Georgetown University Head Men’s Basketball Coach John Thompson III announced on Tuesday morning that junior Nikita Mescheriakov (Minsk, Belarus/St. John’s Prospect Hall [Md.]) will transfer to another institution at the conclusion of the semester.

“Nikita expressed the interest to transfer to a school where he knows he will get more playing time than he feels he will get here,” Thompson said. “We wish him the best in his future endeavors and appreciate his hard work.”

Mescheriakov appeared in seven games this season, averaging 0.9 points and 0.3 rebounds.

A 6-7 forward, Mescheriakov appeared in 23 games during the 2008-09 season, starting the final nine games. He averaged 2.7 points and 1.5 rebounds per game, scoring a career-high 11 points in a win at Villanova.

In 30 career games, he averaged 2.3 points and 1.2 rebounds, connecting on 33.3 percent of his shots.
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Mescheriakov becomes the seventh Georgetown player to transfer in the last five years joining Omar Wattad, Vernon Macklin, Jeremiah Rivers, Octavius Spann, Marc Egerson and Josh Thornton. The latest departure leaves the Hoyas with just nine scholarship players on their 2009-2010 roster with just over a week until the open conference play on New Year’s Eve aganst St. John’s.

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JERONNE MAYMON DEPARTS MARQUETTE AFTER ONE SEMESTER

Story courtesy of GoMarquette.com

Milwaukee – Marquette University men’s basketball freshman Jeronne Maymon has decided to leave the program, effective immediately, head coach Buzz Williams announced Monday evening.

“We want to thank Jeronne for his contributions to the program while he was here and wish him the best of luck in the future,” Williams said.

Maymon, a two-time state player of the year at Madison Memorial High School, appeared in nine games off the bench for Marquette in 2009-10. He averaged 4.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from the free throw line.

2009-2010 BIG EAST PREVIEWS: IMPACT TRANSFERS

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This could be an unprecedented season in the Big East in terms of transfer students making an impact on the conference standings. There will be nine teams counting on 11 eligible transfers this season to make an impact on their line-ups. The transfers range from the sub 6-foot point guards to the near 7-foot big men and everywhere in between, filling holes throughout the league.

All in all, we count 11 players as impact transfers this season, the number would certainly have been 12 if not for the preseason injury to Scott Martin of Notre Dame, who was scheduled to undergo surgery yesterday to repair a torn ACL. The transfer from Purdue was a projected starter for the Irish this season, but his return to the court will have to wait another season.

Here are the new names in the conference via a Division 1-A transfer that fans need to know in 2009-2010:

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (8/26/2009)

With a Rick Pitino press conference at Louisville slated for 3 PM, I put together some Big East News & Notes quickly ahead of it. Jeff Goodman runs down some of the nation’s impact transfers for 2009-2010 and there is plenty of Big East-related tidbits among his 20 transfers that will have the biggest impact this coming season. Also, WVU has released their non-conference schedule and it is very solid.

As for recruiting, there is quite a bit of interest in 2011 Michael Carter-Williams along with the Providence Friar staff being very busy hosting some of the top prospects in New England.

Check these out in the links below…

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BUSY WEEK AT MARQUETTE

Two freshman cleared, one 2010 verbal commit and one player leaves MU

In news first reported by our good friend Alex Schwartz at Northstar Basketball, Brett Roseboro is Leaving Marquette before even starting the fall semester of his freshman season. It appears Roseboro had a falling out with the Marquette coach staff.

“Without question”, Quakertown (PA) assistant coach Toomey Anderson told Schwartz when asked if Roseboro would get a release. “They don’t want him. They said, ‘you’re not going to play here.’ . . . Brett’s not going to get minutes at Marquette.”

Roseboro was a late recruiting addition to the 2009 class assembled by Buzz Williams. Several Big East schools began showing interest in the face-up four man after an impressive fall showing in NYC’s IS8 League and a good senior season at Quakertown High School. Roseboro signed with MU in April, but after spending the summer session on campus, it looks like a quick parting of ways has occurred.

In other Marquette news, a pair of Roseboro’s would-be classmates, Junior Cadougan and Youssoupha Mbao have been ruled academically eligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Word that Cadougan Cleared (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) the NCAA eligibility center this week was welcomed news as the freshman is expected to challenge for the vacated point guard position and replace Dominic James who graduated last spring. The news came less than a week after it was announced that Mbao Cleared (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) as well.

Mbao, a 7-foot-2, 215-pounder from Dakar, Senegal, was another late period signee for Buzz Williams. Mbao’s journey began in his native Senegal, then took him to Spain before finally ending at Stoneridge Prep in Tarzana, Calif. in June, when he graduated and the clearinghouse began to work on his case, as International students are often a tough trail to follow for the NCAA. Mbao was brought to tears when news of the NCAA’s decision was relayed to him.

In between the news of Mbao and Cadougan clearing, Williams and the Marquette coaching staff closed the deal on a 2010 recruit with a verbal commitment from Jamail Jones, a 6-foot-6 1/2-inch, 205-pound guard from Stone Mountain (GA).

MU Snares 2010-’11 Commit (Journal-Sentinel), their third, joining guard Aaron Bowen and JUCO forward Monterale Clark, as verbal commits in the class of 2010. Oklahoma, Xavier and Mississippi State were also considered by Jones.

By our count, the verbal commitment from Jones and the departure of Roseboro leaves MU with an open scholarship for the 2010 class. One possibility for the open ‘ship is 6-foot-10 Lawrence (MA) Central Catholic PF Carson Desrosiers, who told NBE earlier this week he is setting up official visits with Marquette, Arizona State and Wake Forest.

Another possibility for MU looks to be KC Ross-Miller, a 6-foot-1 point guard out of God’s Academy in Texas. The former Kentucky verbal commitment is expected to make an unofficial visit to Marquette this week according to Michael Duncan’s ONPSS Twitter feed. Ross-Miller, who has offers from South Florida, Marquette, Texas A&M, Alabama, Oklahoma State, DePaul and Cincinnati, is also visiting Mick Cronin’s program at UC this weekend and is expected to visit Ohio State this coming week as well, Duncan reports via KC’s father, Tim Miller, who is the coach at God’s Academy.

For more on MU, we had our Marquette Summer Report published earlier this week. We will also follow-up on these breaking stories and recruiting developments in the near future here at the NBE Basketball Report.

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (8/14/2009)

Another Friday is upon us and it has been a week where Rick Pitino and his off-court troubles have dominated the news around the Big East and today his issues dominate our Big East News & Notes. The fallout is yet to be determined, but damage has definitely been done to his reputation and that of others. Some of the latest stories and reactions have been linked below.

Also, recruiting updates on Tobias Harris and Marquis Teague are included within the Pitino coverage and there are also recruiting updates on Jayvaughn Pinkston and the UConn recruiting visits planned for this week. Elsewhere, a couple looks at the 2009-2010 Big East for readers to check out and more info on new Pitt Panther Chase Adams, a look at the Marquette rebuilding process with Buzz Williams and St. John’s looks to get an early start on an important season for their head coach…

Read all about these in the links below!
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The total fallout for Rick Pitino and the Louisville program amid the public sex scandal with Karen Cunigan Sypher has yet to be determined. With an extorion trial in the future, who knows what other details or ‘stories’ will be coming to light. For now, the media outlets across the web are having a feeding frenzy with the sordid affair. Here are some of the latest articles and columns from around the worldwide web…

- The Hartford Courant’s Mike Anthony has a ‘Rick Pitino’ blog post where he posts the Pitino press conference statement in full. He also has the statements from the UL athletic director and school president.

- The USA Today has a notebook on the Pitino affair as a Louisville Student Group Wants Pitino Dismissed.

- Currently, Recruits are Not Abandoning Pitino in Wake of Scandal (AP Story in Chicago Tribune), but the road could get tougher. All four incoming players for 2009-2010 have been taking classes at UL this summer and currently committed players are sticking with their pledges, according to facebook messages. We will see how future recruiting continues as FoxSports.com’s Jeff Goodman believes that the Pitino Sex Scandal is Bound to Affect Recruiting.

- Shawn Teague, former Pitino player with Boston University and father of top Louisville guard target in the class fo 2011 Marquis Teague told the Louisville Courier-Journal that he and his family have No ‘Qualms with Pitino’ as the younger Teague is considering Louisville, Indiana, Wake Forest, Kentucky, Ohio State and Purdue.

However, once considered a commitment for UL at anytime when the summer began, the recruiting process of the Indianapolis (IN) Pike star continues to go longer and longer…maybe it is a coincidence, but the Pitino rumors began to swirl and stories leak out about the time many were expecting Marquis to pull the trigger earlier this summer.

- Another elite recruit, this one in the class of 2010, Tobias Harris recently talked to Dime Magazine about the Pitino situations. Like others are saying publicly as well, this Louisville Recruit is Not Swayed by the Pitino Drama and plans to welcome the UL coach to his home for an in-house visit September 12th.

Other schools coming by for visits include Kentucky on 9/9, the 10th is Georgia Tech, the 11th is Notre Dame, the 12th is Syracuse, Connecticut and Louisville, the 13th is St. John’s and Tennessee, the 14th is Oklahoma, the 15th is West Virginia, the 16th is Maryland and the 17th is Rutgers, according to Tobias in the Dime article.

Harris was also expected to be a participant in the Syracuse elite camp at the end of this month, but he expressed doubt that he will attend in the article.

- Another USA Today article wonders How Can Pitino Continue at Louisville?

- AP sports columnist Tim Dahlberg weighs in that Lots Can Be Learned from Sordid Pitino Affair.

- And, finally, here is Ray Mernagh’s take on it for NBE: Bell of the BE-ast: Pitino Edition.

We are also looking for the Big East fans thoughts, feelings and observations on the Pitino story, and anything else Big East related. E-mail the NBE Sports Network at nbeblog@hotmail.com and we will post fan reaction in a future mailbag! Keep it clean and respectable, include name and location, and you just might have your voice seen and heard by our audience, which ranges between 30,000 and 40,000 unique visitors a month….
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One to more Big East News & Notes…

The Hartford Courant also had a brief update on the Connecticut recruiting visits of Josh Selby, Jeremy Lamb and Rod Odom as Selby Visits Thursday, Lamb Visits Friday and Odom Sometime Soon.
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Jayvaughn Pinkston has proven time and time again on the AAU and NYC high school scene to be one tough customer on the basketball court. Despite a game predicated more on power than skill at 6-foot-6, Pinkston will likely have a very big impact on the college game early and often in his career at the next level. The NYC product is being recruited by St. John’s, Marquette, Arizona, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Villanova, Tennessee and Miami. Recently, Pinkston Gets the Ball Rolling With ‘Nova and Tennessee Visits on the recruiting trail. Pinkston said he’d be visiting Marquette later this summer and had no plans to announce his college choice.
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While NBE has been meandering through out Big East Summer Reports by team, a few other websites have some brief, early preseason looks at the 16 teams around the conference. The Hartford Courant takes a look at the 2009-10 Big East with some nice pictures from all 16 teams. CBSSports.com also has Offseason Observations of the Big East and the 16 teams.
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Here is more, this time fromt he Baltimore Sun’s Recruiting Report, on late 2009-2010 Pittsburgh addition Chase Adams as the Baltimore Native Heads to Pitt for his final season of college eligibility. The former Baltimore Stars AAU product will reunite with another former Baltimore Star in fellow Panther senior Jermaine Dixon.
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Jeff Goodman spent some time recently with Marquette head coach Buzz Williams and staff and got to catch up with some of the new faces around the Golden Eagle program as Marquette Rebuilds with an Anonymous Group (FoxSports.com) as the Buzz Williams’ era begins in earnest this season.
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St. John’s will attempt to get a head start in a very important season for head coach Norm Roberts and his program as St. John’s Will be Playing Preseason Games in Canada (The East Coast Bias) over Labor Day weekend. These trips offer an early bonding experience for the players and the staff to put the players through 10 practices prior to the trip.

BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (7/15/2009)

It has been a hectic and (sometimes) crazy past week and a half with the NCAA live evaluation period having the college coaches hit the recruiting trail in droves. NBE put every effort into being in as many places and bringing our readers every resource at our disposal to keep up with the action. Hope you enjoyed the live coverage…there is plenty more ahead wrapping up the 10-day period that was, so stay tuned.

We have neglected a little bit of our regular Big East coverage, so here is a News and Notes update from around the league. Some is old news, some might be new to you as the country has been fixated on the recruiting coverage of the last 10 days.

Of course, there is also some additional recruiting notes and stories on players that we have gathered from the last week or so as well linked below. A little something for just about everyone that follows the Big East…

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/9/2009)

Here are the news and notes as the Big East players in the NBA draft that have not hired agents are heading towards the home stretch to make their final decisions. There are updates on Scottie Reynolds, Luke Harangody and Ater Majok for fans to check out. Also, roster attrition at West Virginia and Connecticut is in the news to day as well.

Also, updates on South Florida, an article on future St. John’s forward Justin Brownlee and an injury update and specialty camp update from Marquette, which hosted several top recruits from the 2011 and 2010 classes in the region, and beyond. Also, for your recruiting lists fix, Alex Schwartz has the goods from the recent Rasual Butler All-City Classic in Philly from last week.

Read on below for these updates…

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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/5/2009)

Another Friday afternoon is upon us! We have some good stuff planned from the weekend as we will have our write-up from the Frankie Williams Celebrity event from last night in Greenburgh (NY) where future Big East-er Dante Taylor was mighty impressive before Lance Stephenson stole the show after his fashionably late entrance. Also last night was the Rasual Butler All-City Classic in Philly and we will have some items from that excellent event as well as stories on a rising NYC youngster and Ray Mernagh’s column on the state of college basketball recruiting…

To whet the appetite this afternoon, there are stories on Tyrone Garland’s recruitment, a recruiting visit on tap for Derrick Williams, a feature on Mike Rosario, some coaching staff updates, a player transferring out of the Big East, a visit ahead for Davontay Grace, a Dante Cunningham NBA update and a look at Bobby Gonzalez and the direction of SHU.

Check it all out below…

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