April 2011 Basketball Wiretap

Agent Says Cavaliers Are Irving's Top Priority

May 31, 2011 7:42 PM

There's a chance Duke point guard Kyrie Irving's pre-draft tour might consist of one stop.

"Our priority is Cleveland," agent Jeff Wechsler said from his office in Florida on Tuesday.

Irving, 19, might work out only for the Cavaliers. Don't expect him to work out with any other players.

"For my safety, I'm not going to work out with anyone else," he said at the NBA draft combine in Chicago on May 20.


Bob Finnan/News-Herald

Tags: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers, Duke Blue Devils, Atlantic Coast Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Top Recruit Kevin Ware Signs With Louisville

May 31, 2011 5:54 PM

Kevin Ware, a former signee with Tennessee and commitment to Central Florida, picked U of L over Georgia and committed after making a visit this weekend.

“He always had an interest in Louisville but I think he just needed to take his visit so he could actually make a decision for himself,” Mack told The Courier-Journal on Monday night. “He got to Louisville, met the coaches and the players and had a real comfort level with them and he already knew Rick Pitino was a great coach. He just felt like Louisville was the best fit for him.”

The 6-foot-4 Ware, who played in the Kentucky Derby Festival Classic last month, is ranked as the No 70 prospect in the Class of 2011 by Rivals.com and checks in at No. 99 in the Scout.com rankings.

Jody Demling/Louisville Courier-Journal

Tags: Kevin Ware, Louisville Cardinals, Southeastern Conference, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Leonard Compares Himself To Worthy

May 31, 2011 10:10 AM

Kawhi Leonard is one of 30 potential draft prospects -- including Maryland sophomore Jordan Williams – training in Las Vegas with Joe Abunassar at Impact Basketball.

He has been working hard on improving his ballhandling and his jumper by finding the proper balance on his release and landing.

“I want to do a lot of things on the court. I just want to be a complete basketball player. Dribble, pass, shoot, be a leader, play defense, block shots, steals. I’m trying to do it all,” Leonard said. “I think my comparison would be like to one of the throwback type of players. James Worthy, versatile, could do a lot of stuff on the court.”

Michael Lee/Washington Post

Tags: Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State Aztecs, Mountain West Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Penn State Passes On Larry Brown

May 30, 2011 5:55 PM

Forced to scramble to find a new head coach after Ed DeChellis abruptly left for Navy, Penn State reportedly called Larry Brown on Thursday.

According to the Patriot-News, Penn State athletic director Tim Curley reached out to Brown, but told him the school was looking for a candidate with more recent college coaching experience.

“I'd be interested (in Penn State),” Brown told the Patriot-News' David Jones. “But I don't really feel like there's much interest (from Curley) in me.”

Sporting News

Tags: Penn State Nittany Lions, Big Ten Conference, NCAA, NBA

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Damon Stoudemire Hired As Memphis Tigers Assistant Coach

May 30, 2011 5:54 PM

Josh Pastner is hiring former NBA Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire as an assistant on the Memphis staff.

A formal announcement is expected soon.

Stoudamire, 37, played at Arizona like Pastner and has been an assistant with the Memphis Grizzlies since 2009.

He spent 13 seasons as a player in the NBA and will join Jack Murphy on the Tigers staff.

Gary Parrish/CBSSports.com

Tags: Memphis Tigers, Conference USA, NCAA

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Humbled Selby Eager To Prove He Belongs In NBA

May 28, 2011 2:29 PM

Former Kansas University combo guard Josh Selby, who worked out for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday and Indiana Pacers on Thursday, has taken a humble, low-key approach into a month’s worth of individual drills with NBA teams.

“The biggest thing I need to show is I deserve to be here like everyone else,” Selby told nba.com after Thursday’s workout with Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson, Villanova’s Corey Fisher, Richmond’s Justin Harper, Michigan’s Darius Morris and Georgetown’s Chris Wright in Indianapolis.

“People were questioning me because of what happened at Kansas. I need to show what happened at Kansas wasn’t the real me. I was going through things, of course the injury (to foot) and suspension (nine games to start season). I’m just trying to showcase my game.”

Selby, who averaged 7.9 points, 2.2 assists and 2.2 rebounds a game during his freshman season, is completely healthy now. He showed that by recording an amazing vertical leap of 42 inches at last week’s NBA combine.

Gary Bedore/Lawrence Journal World

Tags: Josh Selby, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Kansas Jayhawks, Big 12 Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Markieff Morris Says Derrick Williams 'Not As Good As Advertised'

May 27, 2011 5:19 PM

Derrick Williams has a high opinion of his talents, and Kyrie Irving even said, “his transition to the NBA game will be easy.”

But Kansas forward Markieff Morris wasn’t completely sold on Williams, who had 27 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Kansas last season. “I didn’t think he was as good as advertised,” Morris said. “He got the benefit of the calls from the ref and we had to guard him different. He definitely had a good game against us, because we couldn’t guard him how we wanted to guard him, and that’s what happened.”

So when he hears that Williams is a lock to go in the top two, Morris said, “It’s still surprises me. What he did to Duke, he wouldn’t do that to me or my brother [Marcus]. I’m dead serious. He wouldn’t. At all. He’s good. But if we was to work out, I would go at him and I would be able to stop him more than people would expect, you know what I mean.”

Michael Lee/Washington Post

Tags: Markieff Morris, Derrick Williams, Kansas Jayhawks, Arizona Wildcats, Big 12 Conference, Pacific-12 Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Tristan Thompson Signs With Leon Rose

May 27, 2011 12:35 AM

Tristan Thompson will be represented by Leon Rose of Creative Artists Agency, whose clients include LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

Thompson averaged 16.7 points and 10 rebounds per 40 minutes pace adjusted in his lone season at Texas.

He is projected as a lottery pick in this year's draft.

Toronto Sun

Tags: Tristan Thompson, Texas Longhorns, Big 12 Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Perry Jones Aims To Be No. 1 Pick In 2012 Draft

May 27, 2011 12:29 AM

Baylor coach Scott Drew is anticipating Perry Jones could make a freshman-to-sophomore leap like Blake Griffin did at Oklahoma. If that occurs, who knows, maybe Jones will go even higher in the 2012 draft than he would've in 2011.

For what it's worth, Jones said he wants to go No. 1.

"All the potential is there,'' Drew said. "He has to work on being aggressive and consistent. Some people think he takes a back seat or coasts. He has to keep his motor at a high level. I know his perimeter game will keep improving like Derrick Williams' did [at Arizona]."

As for Jones, he will be in the gym most of the summer.

"Somebody tweeted me that I could be top eight in the draft,'' he said. "I tweeted back, 'I want to be No. 1.' That's where the hard work and dedication come in.''

Andy Katz/ESPN.com

Tags: Perry Jones, Baylor Bears, Big 12 Conference, NCAA, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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NCAA Approves Charge Circle

May 26, 2011 3:59 PM

The NCAA has approved adding an arc three feet from the basket, inside which a defender cannot take a charge.

The organization said Thursday its Playing Rules Oversight Panel had approved several recommended rules changes for college basketball during a conference call Monday.

The women’s 3-point line will move back a foot to 20 feet, 9 inches next season, the same distance the men have used since 2008-09. In both the men’s and women’s games, the terminology for fouls will be changed to match the NBA. Intentional fouls will now be called Flagrant 1 and flagrant fouls will be called Flagrant 2.

Associated Press

Tags: NCAA

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NCAA Academic Progress Rate Improves Three Points

Sporting News

Heat Consulted Krzyzewski About Bosh's Defensive Acumen

Tom Haberstroh/ESPN.com

Texas' Thompson Embraces Possibility Of Playing For Hometown Raptors

Chris Tomasson/Star-Ledger

Calipari: Kanter Worthy Of No. 1 Pick

Jerry Tipton/Lexington Herald-Leader

Knight Thinks He Can Have Similar Impact As Wall, Rose

Chris Tomasson/Miami Herald

UConn Will Lose Two Scholarships Due To Low Academic Progress Rating

Neill Ostrout/Connecticut Post

Burks Likens Himself To McGrady

Charlotte Observer

Self Denies Criticizing Selby's Athleticism

Jeff Eisenberg/Yahoo! Sports

Kanter Declines Pre-Draft Interviews With Jazz, Raptors, Bucks

Ben Golliver/CBSSports.com

Irving, Williams Measure At 10 Percent Body Fat

Rick Bonnell/Charlotte Observer

Williams Does Not See Himself As Power Forward

Jerry Zgoda/Minneapolis Star Tribune

Burks Drawing Interest Of Bucks

Charles F. Gardner/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Fredette Intrigued By Knicks' Style Of Play

Marc Berman/New York Post

Kanter Hopes To Be Drafted By Wizards

Michael Lee/Washington Post

Irving Denies Being Recruited By LRMR

Mary Schmitt Boyer/Plain Dealer

Derrick Williams Thinks He Can Replace LeBron In Cleveland

Greg Esposito/ArizonaSports.com

Tar Heels, Wildcats Odds-On-Favorites To Win 2012 Title

Tim Gardner/USA TODAY

KU's Self Can't See Himself Coaching In NBA

Gary Bedore/Lawrence Journal World

Maya Moore Becomes First Female Player To Sign With Jordan Brand

Associated Press

LeBron's Marketing Firm Tried To Sign Kyrie Irving

Adrian Wojnarowski/Yahoo! Sports