RealGM Basketball Wiretap

Krzyzewski Plans To Utilize Jabari Parker Like LeBron

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:47 EDT

Mike Krzyzewski gave Jabari Parker an idea of how he plans to utilize him when the two spoke during the star forward's recruitment.

"[We're going to] mirror some of the things we've done on the Olympic team," Krzyzewski promised.

Krzyzewski plans to apply what he learned from coaching LeBron James to how he can coach Parker.

Parker is listed as a small forward, but the Duke freshman-to-be is too versatile to be defined by one position.

Smart, Gordon Headline USA's U19 Roster

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:15:18 EDT

USA Basketball has announced its 2013 U19 World Championship roster, which will be held in Prague.

Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova
Bryce Alford, UCLA
Brandon Ashley, Arizona
Robert Carter, Georgia Tech
Damyean Dotson, Oregon
Kris Dunnn, Providence
Javan Felix, Texas
Michael Frazier, Florida
Marcus Georges-Hunt, Georgia Tech
Shaq Goodwin, Memphis
Aaron Gordon, Arizona
Jerami Grant, Syracuse
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville
Ronade' Hollis-Jefferson, Arizona
Jahlil Okafor, undecided
Rodney Purvis, UConn
James Robinson, Pitt
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State
Jarnell Stokes, Tennessee
Rasheed Sulaimon, Duke
Devin Thomas, Wake Forest
Mike Tobey, Virginia
Nigel Williams-Goss, Washington
Justise Winslow, undecided 

Krzyzewski To Remain Head Coach Of USA Basketball

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:40:24 EDT

Mike Krzyzewski has decided to remain as head coach of USA Basketball through the 2016 Olympics in Rio, according to a source.

A formal announcement is expected by the end of the week.

Krzyzewski has a 62-1 record with USA Basketball.

Jerry Colangelo has stayed confident since the end of the 2012 Olympics that he could persuade Krzyzewski to return. 

Tarik Black Chooses To Transfer To Kansas

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:12:54 EDT

Tarik Black has decided to transfer to Kansas.

Black also was considering Duke and Oregon before choosing the Jayhawks.

Black will be eligible to play immediately after graduating this year.

Kansas lost all three starters from their frontcourt, giving Black the opportunity to have a huge impact.

Kansas Sold Wiggins On Filling McLemore's Spot

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:36:57 EDT

Kansas was initially considered a longshot to receive a commitment from Andrew Wiggins, even internally.

Wiggins visited the campus for Senior Night on March 4, where the Jayhawks also honored likely one-and-done redshirt freshman Ben McLemore.

“We always thought that our sell to him was, ‘You could step right in here and fill in and do exactly what Ben was doing last year, at even a different level,’” Kurtis Townsend said. “I think it was a pretty good sell for him.”

Bill Self thought Wiggins' visit improved their odds in landing him.

“After he left here, I felt like we were in the game and had a shot,” Self said.

Krzyzewski Reconsidering Return To USA Basketball Through 2016

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:37:45 EDT

Mike Krzyzewski is now giving serious consideration to remaining as head coach of USA Basketball through the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

"There's a chance," Krzyzewski said. "That's correct."

Krzyzewski had said for eight months that he's not returning to his position with USA Basketball, but a final decision has yet to be reached.

Jerry Colangelo said Saturday he and Krzyzewski have been discussing his return "in installments."

"I think it's very close to being resolved," Colangelo said. "That's all I can say for sure."

Krzyzewski has a 62-1 since 2005, a run that includes gold medal Olympic victories in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. 

Tyus Jones Receives 3 Of 6 Votes From ESPN Experts On Who To Build College Team Around

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:37:20 EDT

With Andrew Wiggins committing to Kansas this week, several of ESPN's writers that follow high school basketball recruiting offered their opinion on who they would choose to build a team around.

Tyus Jones, the No. 2 overall recruit for 2014 and an excellent point guard, was selected by Paul Biancardi, Adam Finkelstein and John Stovall. 

"Point guards make the world go 'round, and Jones is the best in high school right now," wrote Stovall. "Not only can he make plays for himself, he also elevates the games of all of his teammates. Jones is the closest thing you will find to Chris Paul on the amateur level."

Dave Telep selected Harry Giles, a freshman forward out of North Carolina, who has an advanced inside/outside game at 6-9.

Reggie Rankin picked Andrew Harrison, who is a point guard commit for Kentucky.

Joel Francisco selected Wiggins.

Evan Gordon Transfers To Indiana

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:11:49 EDT

Evan Gordon has committed to Indiana, transferring from Arizona State.

Gordon, younger brother of Eric Gordon, will be eligible to play immediately.

“There’s nothing like an Indiana kid playing for IU,” Gordon said. “Coach (Tom) Crean has that program rocking and rolling.”

Gordon began his college career at Liberty for two seasons before transferring to Arizona State. Gordon averaged 10.1 points per game last season for the Sun Devils.

“It’s kind of crazy how I ended up back here (at Indiana),” said Gordon. “When I left Liberty the reason was to play on a bigger stage and it was a better opportunity to do that. This chance at IU just kind of came about and was hard to turn down.”

Andrew Wiggins Commits To Kansas

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:07:40 EDT

Andrew Wiggins has committed to Kansas

Wiggins also considered Florida State, Kentucky and North Carolina.

“I just followed my heart,” Wiggins said to Grant Taylor of the Herald-Dispatch. “Kansas had my heart so that’s where I wanted to go.”

Wiggins, a native of Toronto, is widely thought to be the best high school prospect since LeBron James.

Florida State and Kentucky were considered the favorites to land Wiggins, but his father said that it came down to the Jayhawks and Seminoles.

Wiggins didn't reach a final decision on Kansas until the weekend.

“Obviously, everyone in Jayhawk-land is overwhelmed and excited today,” Bill Self said. “This was a pleasant surprise because we never had an idea which way he was leading. Andrew did this the exact way he said he was going to. He played his cards very close to his vest, as did his mother and father.”

Eddie Jordan Uninterested In Ever Returning To NBA As Head Coach

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:58:07 EDT

Eddie Jordan was hired as head coach of Rutgers this offseason, an opportunity he prefers rather than returning to the NBA in a top job.

“After my last few experiences, I did not want to be a head coach in the NBA,” Jordan said.

Jordan led the Washington Wizards to the playoffs in every season between 2005 and 2008. Jordan even coached the Eastern Conference All-Stars in 2007 when the Wizards had the best record in the conference. 

Jordan was fired by the Wizards at the beginning of the 08-09 season after a 1-10 start, and was hired the next season by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jordan most recently was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers after being hired by Mike Brown.

Andrew Wiggins To Make College Decision On Tuesday

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:34:02 EDT

Andrew Wiggins will sign his letter of intent on Tuesday at approximately 12:15 PM EST.

Wiggins will choose between Florida State, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina.

Unlike many prominent high school players, Wiggins will not make a televised announcement.

"He does not want to have a press conference signing," Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford said in a text message. "He wants it private to just his classmates, family and friends."

Wiggins has often been called the best prospect since LeBron James.

Both of Wiggins' parents attended Florida State and the Seminoles are considered the favorite. Kentucky is also in the running due to Wiggins' relationship with John Calipari.

"I have no clue where he's going or leaning, so I'm not much help here," Fulford said.

Mark Madsen To Become Head Coach Of D-Fenders

Sat, 11 May 2013 20:35:24 EDT

Mark Madsen is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League, according to sources.

Madsen recently completed his first season as an assistant coach at Stanford.

Madsen was previously an assistant coach for the Utah Flash for the D-League for two seasons.

Reggie Theus coached the D-Fenders last season and left for Cal State Northridge.

Kentucky To Use Depth To Play Faster

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:04:12 EDT

John Calipari's incredibly deep recruiting class will give Kentucky a physically stronger frontcourt than he has in past seasons.

"We're going to be much stronger physically at all positions,'' said Calipari. "Our post presence will be there with Dakari Johnson and Marcus Lee. He's a lot like Nerlens in terms of blocking shots and going after balls. He's bouncy with great energy, but he's not as big. Willie is coming back with one thought in mind: He wants to do something on the basketball court and in the tournament. He's got something to prove to himself. He's got a great frame of mind. He understands he's got to do it and do something different.''

Calipari will have more options with putting together lineups than he ever has before while at Kentucky.

"There will be a lot of teams ahead of us, but we'll be deeper and the bench will be a great friend of mine,'' said Calipari. "I'll be able to play like we played at Memphis. We'll be pressing and getting after people because we have more people. We're going to have competition.''

Nerlens Noel 'Ahead Of Schedule' In Rehab From ACL Surgery

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:00:56 EDT

Nerlens Noel underwent surgery on his ACL on Feb. 12 in a procedure performed by Dr. James Andrews.

"There is a trust level when the NBA talks to Dr. Andrews," John Calipari said. "Jon Hood had his surgery here [in Kentucky] and it all went well. But we didn't want the NBA to have any questions. He's going to be fine. He's ahead of schedule. When you have a season-ending injury, you want the NBA teams to feel that he's as good as new.''

IMG Academy Considering New Models For Developing 7-Footers

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:37:14 EDT

IMG Academy in Florida is attempting to develop seven foot basketball players similar to what they have done in tennis.

Two of their basketball big men are Meng Xiang Yu from China and Satnam Singh from India. Meng is 7-foot-2 and Singh is 7-foot-0, while both are 17 years old.

"What do you do with these big kids at these sizes at these young ages?" asks Nate Vander Sluis, IMG's national varsity team coach. "How do you develop them from a basketball standpoint and from a physical standpoint? Developing a 7-2 Chinese kid is not the same as trying to develop a 6-foot, 16-year-old kid. Those two muscle groups are two different things given how much growth they have already had."

Because both the AAU system and International professional leagues demand a lot of games, many big men are chronically hurt before they hit 20 or soon thereafter.

"I think it's learning from mistakes," says Dan Barto, the head skills trainer at IMG. "Think about a triathlon runner or a marathon runner. You don't go out and run 26 miles, you run 10 one day and 18 another. It's the same thing here. We are taking our time."

Mike Moser Transfers To Oregon

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:23:40 EDT

Mike Moser has decided to transfer to Oregon.

Moser also considered Gonzaga and Washington.

Moser can play immediately for the Ducks since he graduated from UNLV.

Anthony Bennett Out Four Months With Torn Rotator Cuff

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:40:52 EDT

Anthony Bennett will miss four months due to shoulder surgery.

Bennett tore the rotator cuff in his left shoulder.

Bennett complained of pain in his left shoulder in February, but it wasn't deemed serious.

Bennett's draft status as a probable top-10 pick isn't likely be impacted.

“You always would prefer a guy is healthy, works out for you and can play in summer league," one GM told ESPN. "However, I don't think in this case that it will really matter. We got a good feel for his game. He's one of the most NBA-ready prospects in the draft. I wouldn't blink taking him in the top five as long as the surgery is successful."

Krzyzewski Praises Thibodeau For Developing Culture Of 'Tough Character' With Bulls

Sat, 04 May 2013 22:44:07 EDT

Mike Krzyzewski believes the culture Tom Thibodeau has created with the Chicago Bulls is the reason the team is able to persevere through so many injuries.

"I think Thibodeau is one of the great coaches in basketball," Krzyzewski said. "He's developed a culture of tough character.”

Instead of collapsing from the absence of Derrick Rose and other key role players, the Bulls continue to win.

"I know Carlos [Boozer] obviously really well, I've coached him, I coached Luol [Deng], those kids ... they just have great character,” Krzyzewski said. “And the Bulls are a blue-collar team in a blue-collar town, and I think it's one of the great stories right now in the NBA, what the Bulls are doing.

"I think they have a philosophy that they don't talk about being sick all year. They don't talk about being hurt all year, so when the moment of truth comes in the playoffs, they're already accustomed to a certain way of living."

Andre Roberson Left Colorado To Develop Game Quicker For NBA

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:10:41 EDT

Andre Roberson left Colorado a year early so he could develop his game quicker for the NBA, his father said Wednesday.

John Roberson, who played 12 years professionally overseas, shed light on his son’s decision.

“For him, it was just development and where he saw he'd be developing more,” John said from his home in San Antonio. "You look at all the different dynamics. You have what he'd be doing in Colorado versus the NBA. We felt it best for him to forgo his senior year."

John Roberson didn't feel Colorado developed his son to play in the NBA.

"That's the struggle he was fighting," John said. "Was it more about Dre and fulfilling his dream or more about getting wins?

"I think it has to go both ways. If you're going to develop him, develop him. Don't just take the point of view of, 'We need Dre so we can have a Final Four team or a top-10 team.' Now, if you look at it that way, it's selfish as opposed to (Andre) being selfish."

Roberson is currently projected as a second-round pick in this June's draft.

John Taylor Signs With Agent, Declares For Draft

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:08:25 EDT

John Taylor has signed with agent Brian Brundage and will declare himself eligible for the NBA draft.

Taylor, a 6-foot-1 and 175 pound guard, may be a longshot to get drafted.

"He needs to put on 15 to 20 pounds of muscle weight because he has a small body frame that he's had all of his life. We need to beef him up into an NBA body," Brundage said. "I know this isn't an easy task and he's going to get discounted by scouts because of his weight.

"Coming out of Fresno, it's a great place, great school and great program but it's not a D-I school and not well-known, and that's the uphill battle we're prepared to climb."

Taylor drew a few scouts this past season at Fresno State, where he averaged a school-record 27.5 points per game.

"He scores," Fresno Pacific coach Chris Wright said. "I think some people will be interested in him. Not too many players score 28 points per game at any level."

Tim Hardaway Jr. Signs With Agent Mark Bartelstein

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:12:04 EDT

Tim Hardaway Jr. has signed with Priority Sports & Entertainment and will be represented by Mark Bartelstein.

Bartelstein is the father of former Michigan guard Josh Bartelstein, who was a teammate of Hardaway's for the past three seasons.

Josh Bartelstein helped counsel Hardaway, Trey Burke, Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary on their draft decisions.

"I'm in a really special position because of my dad," Josh said. "I've listened to my dad talk on the phone to a ton of guys, telling them to go back to school or telling them to go out.

"I can answer questions for them."

List Of 77 Early Entry Candidates For 2013 NBA Draft

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:18:23 EDT

The 2013 NBA Draft has 77 early entry candidates, with 46 players from United States' colleges and 31 internatinoal players.

Players have the right to withdraw no later than June 17 ahead of the June 27 draft in Brooklyn.

College Players
Steven Adams, Pitt
C.J. Aiken, St. Joseph's
Anthony Bennett, UNLV
Vander Blue, Marquette,
Lorenzo Brown, N.C. State
Reggie Bullock, North Carolina
Trey Burke, Michigan
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia
Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse
Adrien Coleman, Bethune-Cookman
Allen Crabbe, Cal
Deweyne Dedmon, USC
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville
Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State
Archie Goodwin, Kentucky
Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan
Grant Jerrett, Arizona
Christian Kabongo, New Mexico State
Myck Kabongo, Texas
Shane Larkin, Miami
Ricky Ledo, Providence
Alex Len, Maryland
C.J. Leslie, N.C. State
Nurideen Lindsey, Rider
Amath M'Baye, Oklahoma
Ray McCallum, Detroit
Ben McLemore, Kansas
Tony Mitchell, North Texas
Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky
Victor Oladipo, Indiana
Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
Norvel Pelle, Los Angeles College Prep
Otto Porter Jr., Georgetown
Marshawn Powell, Arkansas
Phil Pressey, Missouri
Andre Robertson, Colorado
Joshua Simmons, Spartanburg Methodist (JC)
Trevis Simpson, UNC-Greensboro
Tony Snell, New Mexico
Tahj Tate, Delaware State
John Taylor, Fresno Pacific
Adonis Thompson, Memphis
Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State
B.J. Young, Arkansas
Cody Zeller, Indiana

International Players
Alejandro Abrines, Barcelona 
Giannis Adetokunbo, Filathlitikos
Francois Affia Ambadiang, Geoplin Slovan
Nemanja Besovic, Partizan
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Partizan
Matias Bortolin, Arkadia,
Linos Chrysikopoulos, PAOK
Laszlo Dobos, Zaragoza
Dorde Drenovac, Biancoblu
Viktor Gaddefors, Oknoplast Bologna
Rudy Gobert, Cholet
Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Boulogne
Livio Jean-Charles, ASVEL
Sergey Karasev, Triumph
Louis Laveyrie, Paris-Levallois
Raul Neto, Lagun Aro GBC
Philipp Neumann, Brose Baskets
Lucas Riva Nogueira, Estudiantes
Alexandre Paranhos, Flamengo
Artem Pustovyi, Khimik
Bogdan Radosavljevic, Bayern Munich
Marko Ramljak, Zadar
Dario Saric, Cibona
Dennis Schroder, New York Phantoms
Strahinja Stojacic, Smederevo
Walter Tavares, Gran Canaria
Daniel Theis, Ratiopharm
Janis Timma, Ventspils
Marko Todorovic, Barcelona
Axel Toupane, Strasbourg
Adin Vrabac, Spars Sarajevo 

Jarnell Stokes Staying At Tennessee For Junior Season

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:58:23 EDT

Jarnell Stokes has decided to stay at Tennessee for his junior season.

Stokes was considered a probable second round pick had he declared.

Stokes projects as an undersized power forward on the NBA level.

Stokes averaged 12.4 points and 9.6 rebounds in his sophomore season.

Ray McCallum Declares For Draft

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:56:04 EDT

Ray McCallum has decided to enter the 2013 NBA Draft. 

McCallum averaged 13.5 points, 4.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game in his junior season at Detroit.

McCallum averaged 18.7 points per game as a freshman.

Andre Roberson Delays Announcement On NBA Decision

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:41:59 EDT

Andre Roberson canceled a Friday press conference at which he was scheduled to announce whether he would enter the NBA draft.

The deadline is 10 p.m. Sunday for non-seniors to declare for the draft.

"It's a big decision, an emotional decision," Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. "Especially for Andre, when you want something (professional career) so much and you're also at a place (CU) that is so special to him, you're torn.

"Andre sees the benefits and risks of both, and he's weighing those benefits and risks. At the end of the day, he'll do what's best for him."

Shane Larkin To Enter NBA Draft

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:40:26 EDT

Shane Larkin plans to enter the NBA draft and skip his final two seasons at Miami.

Larkin is considered the third-best point guard in the draft class behind Michigan's Trey Burke and Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams.

Larkin led the Hurricanes to the ACC regular season title and the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

Willie Cauley-Stein Wants To Expand Skillset, Return To Kentucky With 'Dominating Mindset'

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:53:36 EDT

Willie Cauley-Stein has been working to expand his skillset as he prepares for his second season at Kentucky.

"(I want to) become more of an all-around basketball player, a guy that can step out, shoot threes, hit the 15-footer, take people off the dribble," Cauley-Stein said. "Just become more of a complete dude, not just a guy that's going to sit in the paint. That's not the way that I wanted to play coming in, it just ended up being like that."

The 7-foot, 244 pound Cauley-Stein requested evaluations from the NBA draft advisory committee after a freshman season in which he averaged 8.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

"I heard anywhere from (picks) eight to 10, 15 to 20, 22 to 25," Cauley-Stein said. "And you're like, 'That's the whole dang scale. That's everywhere.'"

Cauley-Stein plans to bring a different attitude to practice when Kentucky begins its workouts in October.

"I kind of got like a dominating mindset going into this next year," Cauley-Stein said. "I want to be the best in everything I do. Before it was kind of like, 'Eh, I'll come in here and try to do.' This time I want to come in here and do it. I don't want to try to do it."

Doug McDermott Opts To Return For Senior Season At Creighton

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:27:14 EDT

Doug McDermott will return to Creighton for his senior season.

McDermott explored the option of departing early for the NBA draft, but ultimately decided that returning to school was in his best interests.

Based on evaluations he received from the draft advisory committee, McDermott said, “There was no doubt in my mind that I would have been a first-round pick.''

McDermott's father, Creighton coach Greg McDermott, recommended his son go pro.

“He knew my dream is to play in the NBA, and he just felt that this was too good of an opportunity to pass up,'' Doug said. “But the way I look at it, if I can play in the NBA, I can play there the next year just as well as I can next year.

“I feel there are things I can work on. I feel I can still improve my draft stock by playing in the Big East. There are a lot of areas that I can get better at, and I just felt I'd be more comfortable doing it here in Omaha.''

Russ Smith Staying At Louisville For Senior Season

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:39:43 EDT

Russ Smith has decided to remain at Louisville for his senior season, postponing the beginning of his NBA career.

Smith had been strongly declaring for the 2013 NBA Draft.

"I love these guys and this team, and I don't want to leave them right now," Smith said at the news conference.

"I never really got an official goodbye -- and that stuck with me. I wanted to do Senior Night."

Smith nearly transferred from Louisville after his freshman season, but helped lead the Cardinals to the 2013 National Championship.

Smith was considered a likely second round pick had he declared.

"The pros of staying were so much better than the pros of leaving," he said. "What was crazy, the pros for me leaving were very immature. You have to put the work in to get better, you have to do this and you have do that, those are all challenges and we both felt I'd be running away from getting better and maturing as a player if I just left. I have new goals and new challenges, and I'll reach them."

Wiggins Cancels Home Visits With North Carolina, Kansas, Florida State

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:22:38 EDT

Andrew Wiggins has canceled hime visits he had scheduled this week with Kansas, North Carolina and Florida State.

Wiggins is also considering committing to Kentucky.

Wiggins had 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists in Saturday's Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. Wiggins remains in Portland due to travel problems and still plans on speaking with coaches from those schools on the phone.

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Thu, 23 May 2013 22:17:03 EDT

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