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Drake gets a big lift from Kurt Alexander

2012-02-12T22:31:00.000-08:00

Kurt Alexander

With tonight's win Drake moves to 14-12 on the season and 7-8 in MVC play, tied for fifth place with Northern Iowa and Evansville. The Purple Aces fall to 12-13, 7-8 in conference play. Senior Kurt Alexander grabbed a career-high six rebounds, topping his previous high of 5 vs. Wichita State in three overtimes in Jan. 28, 2012. He scored in double figures (16) for the ninth time this season and matched his career high for field-goal attempts (11; vs. Bradley, 1/10/12).

Kurt Alexander is a solid and versatile senior guard playing his second season for the Bulldogs after transferring from Iowa Central Community College. The former first-team National Junior College Division II All-American (2009-10) competes for playing time at either guard position. Kurt had his season best 21 points, including three three-pointers against Northern Iowa (1/22) and played season-high 29 minutes and had a career-high four assists, along with 10 points, in win over Iowa State (11/15).

Bona's Nicholson has a 20-20 experience

2012-02-12T22:13:00.000-08:00

OLEAN — Andrew Nicholson had reporters scrambling for their media guides Saturday afternoon.
After his 21-point, 23-rebound performance in St. Bonaventure's 69-48 victory over Duquesne at the Reilly Center, the hunt was on to find out the last time a Bonnie had put up a 20-20 night. The answer: none other than Bob Lanier — more than 40 years ago — a 34-point, 27-rebound game against Loyola (Md.) on Dec. 22, 1967.

"They're an undersized team, so I used it to my advantage," said the 6-foot-9 Nicholson, whose previous career high for boards in a game was 15, as a sophomore in 2009. Nicholson's 23 rebounds were just one off the single-game high in Division I this season, 24 by UAB's Cameron Moore.

Led by Nicholson, Bona controlled the glass all afternoon, out rebounding the Dukes, 48-26. The Bonnies pulled down 21 offensive rebounds, leading to 22 second-chance points.
"We dominated physically," Bona coach Mark Schmidt said. "We were bigger and stronger and we needed to take advantage of it.

Andrew Nicholson - Mark Mallvile Buffalo News

"The emphasis was to guard them in the half-court and rebound. We couldn't have done those two things better, especially in the second half."

Duquesne shot just 28 percent (7 of 25) from the field after halftime, finishing 27 points below its season average of 75. The Dukes thrive on the transition game, but got just 10 fast-break points because they couldn't grab any rebounds and get started the other way.

"We forced too many shots. We didn't make any extra passes and we had been doing good with that all year, being able to play small and make the extra pass," Dukes coach Ron Everhart said. "I thought [Nicholson] and [Da'Quan] Cook negated that very effectively."

Duquesne's two leading scorers, guards Sean Johnson and B.J. Monteiro, entered the game averaging 30 combined points per game. The pair was held to just 11 on 4-of-15 shooting.

The result was an outcome that was never seriously in doubt after the first couple of minutes. Duquesne jumped out to its biggest lead of five points, 7-2, on a three-pointer by Jerry Jones just two minutes into the game. Bona responded by making a quick substitution, bringing Chris Johnson in for Demitrius Conger.
The move was a double stroke of genius by Schmidt: Chris Johnson scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half, while Conger got the wake-up call and came back into the game hungry. When he got back in, he was immediately more aggressive and finished with nine points and eight rebounds, seven of them on the offensive end. "[With] players coming off the bench, it doesn't always have to be the points, but they have to be productive," Schmidt said. "In this case, Chris was productive offensively. He did a terrific job."

"You get confidence from putting the time in [in practice], and I've been putting the time in," Johnson said.
The Bonnies took their first lead, 14-13, on an offensive rebound and dunk by Nicholson with 12:04 left in the first half. They would not trail again.

Conger's baseline drive and emphatic two-handed slam with 3:41 left in the first half was part of a 12-4 run that stretched the Bonnies' lead to 15, 40-25.

Other than a 9-0 spurt spanning the end of the first half and the start of the second that pulled the Dukes within 40-34. Duquesne didn't mount much of a fight against a team it had beaten by 14 on its home floor last month.

That's life in the Reilly Center, though, for the opposition. The Bonnies (13-9 overall, 6-4 A-10) are now 9-1 on Bob Lanier Court and 5-0 against A-10 opponents. They've won those games by an average of 19.6 points per game.

"You look at the scores [around the nation]. Who wins most of the time? It's the home team. It's a huge difference," Schmidt said.

The Bonnies get to stay home for their next two, including what's shaping up to be the Bonnies' biggest game of the season Wednesday night when Temple visits.
Saturday's win moved Bona into fifth place in the conference, a game out of the coveted top four. Those teams get an automatic bye into the Atlantic 10 Tournament quarterfinals next month in Atlantic City, N.J.

Story Courtesy of Jay Skurski - News Sports Reporter

Canada's Nirra Fields selected as McDonald's All-American

2012-02-10T03:55:00.000-08:00

Nirra Fields, future bruin, is now the first Canadian women to be selected to the McDonald’s All-American.

Nirra Feilds

Nirra Fields, a 5-9 guard, averaged 26.5 points per game at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va. last season. She transferred to Mater Dei High School last summer after Los Angeles Lakers' head coach Mike Brown and his wife Carolyn became her legal guardians. Fields is originally from Canada and has played internationally for her country.

In the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships, she averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. In the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championships, she scored 17 points in a game versus the United States. She is ranked as the No. 11 prospect in the 2012 class by ESPN HoopGurlz and the No. 3 guard.

Kevin Pangos torches (16) Saint Mary's (highlights included)

2012-02-10T02:55:00.000-08:00

Kevin Pango (Jed Conklin - AP Photo)

Kevin Pangos has been at his best against two of Gonzaga’s biggest rivals. The freshman guard buried five 3-pointers and scored 27 points, his highest point total since torching Washington State for 33 points in an early season win, to guide Gonzaga to a 73-59 West Coast Conference men’s basketball victory over No. 16 Saint Mary’s in front of a noisy sell-out crowd of 6,000 Thursday at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Pangos was 5 of 6 from long distance – the lone miss coming with 25 seconds remaining. Pangos and fellow freshman guard Gary Bell Jr. came up with several key field goals as Gonzaga pulled away in the final 10 minutes to avenge a 21-point loss to the Gaels last month.

“I don’t know what else you can say about them,” GU coach Mark Few said. “They’re probably not freshmen anymore with as many minutes as they’re playing. The neat thing is they’re both really confident kids and have big wills and hearts. And they’re not afraid.”

Pangos suffered through a cold-shooting spell before finding his touch in Saturday’s win against Pepperdine. He regained his form the old-fashioned way: Hours inside the MAC, working on his shot.

“I’ve been getting in the gym a lot this week, putting in extra time and getting a better feel for the basketball that I didn’t have a couple weeks ago,” Pangos said. “I put the time in and I was confident.”

With GU leading 49-47 in a tense, back-and-forth contest, Robert Sacre hit a jump hook and Pangos followed with a high-arching bank shot over a defender. After SMC’s Rob Jones scored on a putback, Pangos drilled a 3 from the corner, then drove baseline and fed Bell, who connected on a 3-pointers just before the shot clock expired.

Gonzaga led 59-49, but Pangos wasn’t through. He hit another 3, holding his follow-through for a couple of seconds, as the Bulldogs went in front 62-51 with 6:10 left.

“We just didn’t get the job done in a couple of areas,” Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett said. “We did a good job of taking care of the ball and giving ourselves a chance for about 30 minutes and then Pangos hit some shots that separated the game. “Those two things: Pangos played exceptional and they pounded us on the boards.

“Coach was harping on us about rebounding,” Sacre said. SMC center Brad “Waldow kicked our butts down there. We were hungry to get back at them because we didn’t show them our real game.”

Sacre, fellow Canadian, had 12 points and nine rebounds.

Anthony Bennett selected as McDonalds All-American

2012-02-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

Anthony Bennett

Anthony Bennett continues a rich tradition of Canadian-bred McDonald's All Americans from Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV), including current and former Texas Longhorns Myck Kabongo, Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph.

Every year, it never fails, the McDonald's All-American Game hauls in the most elite players in the senior class. With 21 of its 24 players in the top 30 of the ESPNU 100, this year's game is sure to be must-see TV when East and West clash on March 28 (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) at the United Center in Chicago.

Here's a look at how the rosters break down.

EAST TEAM

Name	School	Position	College
Kyle Anderson	St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)	SF	UCLA
DaJuan Coleman	Jamesville-Dewitt (DeWitt, N.Y.)	C	Syracuse
Kris Dunn	New London (New London, Conn.)	PG	Providence
Perry Ellis	Wichita Heights (Wichita, Kan.)	PF	Kansas
Shaq Goodwin	Southwest DeKalb (Decatur, Ga.)	PF	Memphis
Gary Harris	Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.)	SG	Michigan State
Amile Jefferson	Friends' Central (Wynnewood, Pa.)	PF	Undecided
Tyler Lewis	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	PG	N.C. State
Tony Parker	Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.)	PF	Undecided
Alex Poythress	Northeast (Clarksville, Tenn.)	SF	Kentucky
Rodney Purvis	Upper Room Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.)	SG	N.C. State
T.J. Warren	Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.)	SF	N.C. State

WEST TEAM

Name	School	Position	College
Brandon Ashley	Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)	PF	Arizona
Isaiah Austin	Grace Prep (Arlington, Texas)	C	Baylor
Anthony Bennett	Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)	PF	Undecided
Yogi Ferrell	Park Tudor (Indianapolis)	PG	Indiana
Archie Goodwin	Sylvan Hills (Sherwood, Ark.)	SG	Kentucky
Grant Jerrett	La Verne Lutheran (La Verne, Calif.)	PF	Arizona
Shabazz Muhammad	Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)	SF	Undecided
Marcus Paige	Linn-Mar (Marion, Iowa)	PG	North Carolina
Devonta Pollard	Kemper County (De Kalb, Miss.)	PF	Undecided
Cameron Ridley	Bush (Fort Bend, Texas)	C	Texas
Marcus Smart	Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas)	SG	Oklahoma State
Rasheed Sulaimon	Strake Jesuit (Houston)	SG	Duke

Andrew Nicholson 24 points vs UMass not enough

2012-02-09T03:40:00.000-08:00

Andrew Nicholson

The Bonnies, at one point, led by 10 points in the first half. However, a 14-0 run to open the second half put the Minutemen ahead for good. After a layup by Andrew Nicholson -- who led St. Bonaventure with 24 points with 8:41 to go, the Bonnies crept within 54-51. However, UMass built a 17-2 run that gave the Minutemen their largest lead of the game, 18 points, with just under four minutes left in the game. Final score 76-67 UMass coming on top. Nicholson finished with 24 points, 9 rebounds, 3 block shots and was efficient 11 of 17 from the floor.

Nicholson is the clear leader for the Bonnies, as the All-American candidate has earned several All-Conference awards, including a First Team Atlantic 10 selection last year. He leads the team with 15 ppg and seven rebounds and stands within the top ten in the conference in field goal percentage and blocked shots. Junior forward Demetrius Conger is second on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rbg). The two forwards have helped St. Bonaventure move all the way to the top in rebounding margin at +4 per game. Outside of their strength on the boards, the Bonnies pride themselves on their defense (63.3 points allowed per game-second in the A10) and free throw shooting (75.7 percent-leads A10).

Kris Joseph career night vs Georgetown (Video Highlights)

2012-02-09T02:31:00.000-08:00

Syracuse and Georgetown staged another battle for the ages on Wednesday night in front of 27,820 fans at the Carrier Dome. In the end, Syracuse’s Kris Joseph added his name to the list of Orange greats like Pearl Washington, Derrick Coleman, Billy Owens and Lawrence Moten who came up big against the Hoyas.

Kris Joseph - Courtesy of Dennis Nett

Joseph, who played at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington D.C. and narrowed his list of colleges to Syracuse and Georgetown, scored a career-high 29 points to lead the Orange to a 64-61 overtime victory.

“It’s the last game I’ll ever play against Georgetown, assuming we don’t play them in the Big East Tournament,” Joseph said. “So it was good. I feel like I came out on top in this rivalry.”

The Dome crowd stayed at full roar for most of the second half and all of the overtime period as the Orange and Hoyas traded big shots and big plays. Neither team led by more than six at anytime during the game.

It was the 10th overtime game between the two rivals since the start of the Big East Conference in 1980. Syracuse had won six of the first nine overtime games.

Joseph’s 3-pointer with 26 seconds left in overtime provided the winning points for the Orange. Joseph went 6-for-11 from 3-point range, setting a career-high for made 3-pointers.

“For some reason, they left me open,” Joseph said. “Maybe they didn’t see the last four or five go in. I was open for the shot and I knocked it down.”

The No. 2 Orange improved to 24-1 overall and 11-1 in the Big East. Georgetown, which is ranked No. 12, fell to 18-5 for the year and 8-4 in the Big East.

The win gave SU coach Jim Boeheim his 880th career coaching victory, moving him past former North Carolina coach Dean Smith for third on the NCAA’s Division I list.

Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski is the all-time leader with 920 wins and former Indiana coach Bob Knight is second with 902 wins. Knight was on hand Wednesday as he partnered with Brent Musberger on ESPN’s broadcast.

Boeheim has the most wins of any coach who spent his entire career at one school.

However, Boeheim was clearly not happy with his team following the victory. Georgetown had dominated the glass at both ends of the court, out-rebounding the Orange 52-35.

“A disaster for us,” Boeheim called the Orange’s rebounding performance.

The Orange survived its poor rebounding with a stellar defensive effort. Syracuse forced 15 Georgetown turnovers and scored 20 points off those miscues. Syracuse held Georgetown, which ranks second in the Big East in field-goal shooting, to 33 percent shooting from the field. In the second half and overtime, the Hoyas made just eight out of 30 shots.

“The only reason we won this game,” Boeheim said, “is we hit a couple key shots late and our defense was good late.”

Syracuse center Fab Melo scored 11 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked six shots. Melo hit double-figures for the third straight game.

But Joseph, who broke out of a recent shooting slump, saved the Orange. He had not made a 3-pointer in SU’s last three games, going 0-for-8 during the stretch.

“The last couple games I wasn’t making them, but I felt like I was shooting it pretty well,” Joseph said. “The mechanics were the same. They just weren’t falling.”

Joseph had not made more than one 3-pointer in the last seven games. He was 3-for-27 from outside the arc since a 4-for-4 outing against Marquette on Jan. 7.

“Yesterday is the first day I can remember in a long time that he made a couple shots in practice,” Boeheim said. “I was hoping that would be a good sign.”

In regulation, Joseph’s 3-pointer with 4:37 remaining gave Syracuse a 54-48 lead. He made one out of two free throws with 3:55 left in the game for a 55-51 advantage, but the Orange failed to score for the rest of the game.

Melo prevented the Hoyas from taking the lead, blocking Henry Sims’ jumper with 29 seconds left to give Syracuse the final possession.

But the Orange didn’t get a good shot. Scoop Jardine drove into the lane and flung the ball back to Dion Waiters, whose last-second shot was off-target from the moment it left his hand.

Syracuse made just three shots in the overtime. Joseph made two of them. Early in the frame he scored on a tough drive to the basket, tying the game at 57-apiece.

Then he stepped up to hit the game-winner in the final minute.

“He’s been there all year for us,” Jardine said. “He made the big shots down the stretch that we needed. Kris has always been steady with his 14, 15 points every game. That’s why he’s our leading scorer. That’s why he’s our go-to guy. That’s why he stepped up today.”

Courtesy of Mike Waters / The Post Standard

Basketball helps Ryerson University coach Sue Stewart weather the storm after accident

2012-02-08T15:26:00.000-08:00


Sue Stewart - Courtesy of J. Thompson/National Post

TORONTO — Almost everyone on the bench was standing as the final desperate shot went up with 1.5 seconds showing on the clock. What began as another quiet night inside the gym was ending with the jolt of a possible upset. Sue Stewart remained seated.

She has spent the better part of seven years fighting to regain her footing. And as the last shot of the game began its descent, the 42-year-old assistant coach remained on her chair, third to the left of the head coach, who was on his feet. The ball fell awkwardly at the intersection of rim and backboard, missing the net and giving the Ryerson University women’s basketball team a 66-65 win over the nationally ranked University of Toronto.

Stewart pumped her fist, slowly. “Oh, you haven’t seen nothing yet,” she said afterward, traces of a smile forming. “Right now, because of my situation, I was just sitting still. But anybody who knows me will tell you that I am very animated, because basketball is all of me.”

Stewart was named Canada’s best female university player in 1992, the year after helping Laurentian University defend its national title. Basketball took her to the Atlanta Summer Olympics in 1996, but as she was beginning the transition into coaching a few years later, basketball was taken from her.
In 2005, she slipped and hit her head in a hotel shower, which led to another fall at home and a trip to the hospital. Stewart had badly damaged her brain stem, and what began as a general feeling of illness spiraled quickly into slurred speech, a coma and last rites being delivered at her bedside.

Stewart struggles to recall the medical specifics of those early days — “you need to speak to my mom” — but she wages daily war with the consequences. She lives with her family in Mississauga, Ont., because she needs help commuting around the region. She still has trouble with her left leg, her balance, her speech, her left hand and her vision.

Courtesy of J. Thompson/National Post

But basketball has come back. Stewart declined an offer to join Ryerson three years ago because she felt she was not far enough along in her recovery, but she accepted this season. She is on a one-year contract as a part-time coach and recruiter for a young staff at an underdog school.

“There will be challenges for her,” Ryerson athletics director Ivan Joseph said. “There are some physical challenges, absolutely … and she’ll have to decide and figure out how she’s going to accommodate them. But I think the upside of what her experience and credentials are, I don’t think there’s any reason that she can’t overcome them.”

Stewart cannot drive, in part because of damage that limited movement in her eyes. On Saturday, the day after the win over the U of T, Stewart was going to make a scouting trip to Sheridan College in Oakville, Ont., which meant a long taxi ride was in her immediate future.

She maintains more control of things on the court. Stewart often works out with players outside of regular practice hours, in a one-on-one setting in the gym. She counsels them on working within the offence, on technique and on her experiences of playing professionally in Europe. Fifth-year guard Ashley MacDonald scored 15 points against Ryerson’s crosstown rival and was, despite standing 5-foot-3, a driving force in the late stages of the game. She had lunch with Stewart a week before the game.

“I definitely know it’s been a struggle,” MacDonald said. “It must be hard for her to come back and see … if I was her, I’d just want to play, play and play all the time. I can see where it’d be very hard. Coming back, she’s very into it. She loves it. You can see the passion.”

Stewart can still pass the ball around, too, although players have to be mindful to bounce their passes back, because direct passes still move too quickly for her to handle. Stewart still cannot ride a regular bicycle because of her balance issues, so she works hard on an elliptical trainer at the gym. She is looking for a personal trainer.To see her walk across the floor, Stewart’s limp betrays the gait of a middle-aged player injured in a weekend game of pickup, and not of someone who had to learn how to sign their own name all over again in their thirties.

“A lot of people see me in the mall and say, ‘Oh, did you hurt your ankle?’” she said with a chuckle. “And I have to say to them, ‘No, it’s more neurological.’ I have neurological issues that will get better in time.”
She emphasized “will.”

“That’s what I’ve been told,” she said. “So I just have to weather the storm and deal with what comes my way.”

The storm rolled across unexpectedly. Stewart was a student at Malone College (now Malone University) in Canton, Ohio, when she drove out of town to coach a girls travel team. She had almost finished her studies, and arrived at her hotel two weeks after the out-of-country medical insurance provided through the school had expired.
The team lost its first game on the Saturday, and Stewart gave the teenaged girls a pep talk back at the hotel. She went to her room for a shower and a nap before the second game, but slipped and hit her head in the shower. The showerheads were short, and she was not. She felt a sharp pain, but thought nothing of it.
She woke up to what she heard as a faint noise. It was a parent hammering on the door of her room, telling her the second game was about to start. Stewart felt awful. She vomited profusely before the game, but cleaned herself off and coached. Her team won but did not advance any further into the tournament.
Stewart felt embarrassed when she vomited again during the post-game meal at a nearby restaurant. She traveled with a bucket in the back of the bus on the ride back to her car before driving herself home to

Canton. She stumbled into her house, and went to sleep. She began slurring badly. She ordered food, but had no energy to get to the door to pay the deliveryman, so she went without. She dragged herself into the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror, to see what was wrong. She fell again. It was a bad fall. Worse than the first. Stewart cracked the back of her head on the soap dish in the bathtub.

“She called me and she told me, ‘Mom, I just took the whole shower curtain down,’” her mother, Nona, said. “And I’m laughing at her — I said, ‘What happened? Did you put a dent in the tub?’ — I didn’t know how serious this was.”

The slurring got worse. A roommate called for an ambulance. Stewart’s parents made the drive to Ohio. The news was grim.

“She wasn’t able to even move her eyeballs, that’s how bad it was,” Nona Stewart said. “The brain stem is irreparable. It’s a very delicate part of the brain. And she damaged it twice. ”Doctors sedated Stewart, who slipped into a coma. She received last rites.“The nurses told me, ‘This is exactly what the doctors expect, that she would just sleep and that would be the end of her,’” her mother said. “They’d kind of given up on her.”

Her daughter, the former Olympian, awoke. It cost US$10,000 to fly Stewart from Canton to a hospital closer to home in Mississauga, and the family’s medical bill was reportedly as high as US$100,000. Fundraisers covered most of that expense. Nona Stewart has forgotten the precise total.

“The first word she said was, ‘Mama,’ ” Nona said. “She was just like a newborn baby. She had to be taught all over again, like a baby growing up.”

A Friday night in February was another sign of how many steps Stewart has made back to her goal of regaining 100% of what she lost. She spent most of the night scribbling into a notebook on her lap, carefully charting where each shot was taken, and which ones were good, and which ones were bad.
She sat on a bench outside the gym after the win, accepting smiles and high-fives from passing players. A campus newspaper profiled her two days earlier, and there were still copies on a nearby newsstand heralding her on the front page: “Susan Stewart’s journey back to basketball.”

“To be out here in this environment again, it’s been a challenge — it has not been easy — but I think what helped me through all of this is the 12 women who play for Ryerson,” Sue Stewart said. “And being around this environment again has helped me to take my mind off of my situation and put it on basketball again.”

“Her smile is coming back,” her mother said. “I can see that.”

Courtesy of Sean Fitz-Gerald
National Post

Tristan Thompson selected to Rising Star Challenge

2012-02-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

Tristan Thompson

Forward Tristan Thompson has been selected to participate in the 2012 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge to be held on Friday, Feb. 24 in Orlando during NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, the NBA announced today. The participants in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot.

Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, has played in 18 games for the Cavs this season, averaging 7.1 points on .458 shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 17.3 minutes per game. Among all rookies, he currently ranks first in the league in offensive rebounds (1.9), third in blocks (1.1) and sixth in total rebounds (4.7) per game.
He came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points and pulled down a career-high nine rebounds (five offensive) in 24 minutes against the Bobcats on Jan. 3. His five offensive rebounds were, at the time, the most by a rookie this season and his nine total rebounds were, at the time, tied for the rookie-high. Thompson also scored a career-high tying 16 points on 6-7 (.857) shooting and added five rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench against Atlanta on Jan. 21.

Irving and Thompson become the first pair of Cavaliers rookies to participate in the rookie challenge since 2003 when Carlos Boozer and Dajuan Wagner represented Cleveland. They also become the first Cavaliers to be selected to the rookie challenge since 2008 when Daniel Gibson won MVP honors as a sophomore in the game.

This year, a new format is being implemented to a game that has historically featured NBA rookies facing off against sophomores. For the first time, rookies and sophomores will be mixed together on teams.
TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal will serve as the general managers of the two opposing teams - TEAM CHUCK and TEAM SHAQ - each with nine man rosters, drafted from the aforementioned pool.

Steve Nash. Celebrates his 38th birthday with the game winner

2012-02-08T02:35:00.000-08:00

Steve Nash winning lay-up

MILWAUKEE - What a way for Steve Nash to celebrate his 38th birthday. It wasn't a bad homecoming for Michael Redd, either. Nash hit a driving layup to give Phoenix the lead with five seconds left and Redd scored 14 points in his first game against his former team as the Suns beat the Milwaukee Bucks 107-105 on Tuesday.

The Canadian star dribbled near halfcourt for several seconds before making his move, hoping to create a chance to take the last shot — but not wanting to run out of time, either.

"You don't want to go too late, in case you don't get anything," Nash said.

Nash finished finished with 18 points and 11 assists. The Suns led 67-50 at halftime, but blew their lead in the second half and needed Nash to rally them at the end.

"It was a great first half — and a gut-check second half," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. With the game tied at 98, Jennings hit a three-pointer with 3:11 left — his first points of the game, on only his second shot. "I just didn't have the shots I usually have," Jennings said. "That's about it."

Dudley hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to one, then Nash hit a three-pointer for a 103-101 lead with 2:05 left. Gooden scored on a driving layup to tie it, but Gortat hit a jumper. Ilyasova was fouled on the other end and hit a pair of free throws to tie it again.

The Suns called timeout with just over 20 seconds left, and Nash dribbled near halfcourt for several seconds before slicing through the Bucks' defense and scoring to give Phoenix the lead. The Bucks couldn't get a shot off on their final possession.

"It was pretty much fun to watch," Nash said. "Mike obviously had a huge career here. Trying to be back playing is amazing. For him to come back to Milwaukee under all the things he had to face with his injuries and put on a show like that in the first was exciting for all of us on the bench."

Colangelo on drafting hometown talent

2012-02-08T02:11:00.000-08:00

Myck Kabongo

Bryan Colangelo has lived in Toronto six years as Raptors president and general manager. Raised in Phoenix, schooled at Cornell, he has started the application process to become a Canadian citizen. He gets national pride and how it connects to the only NBA team in a country with six time zones and a reach from the Pacific to the Atlantic to the Arctic.

Having a player from Canada on the team from Canada, in a prominent role for the long term, would be a big deal. Toronto's own Jamaal Magloire is there now, but with limited duty as a short-timer at age 33. And as much as the skies would open to thousand-mile rainbows and dancing unicorns if Steve Nash, the Nashional Hero, signed on, it would still be a relatively brief visit. Nash is 38. This is about younger players.

The Raptors are in building mode at the same moment the country suddenly has an uncommonly high profile in the Draft, with Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph going in the first round last year and Myck Kabongo a possibility for the same in 2012 (if he leaves Texas). Gonzaga senior Robert Sacre is a potential second rounder. Kentucky's Greg Wiltjer, from Portland but the son of as Canadian basketball Olympian, is also on the radar.

This intersection of time and place has lined up perfectly. The Raptors could not have envisioned picking in the lottery two years in a row. And it just so happens that Canadian prospects are grouped together in a small window of the Draft. Toronto had the fifth choice last season, right in Thompson territory, before the high-energy power forward went fourth to the Cavaliers. The Raptors also have been point-guard shopping just as Joseph begins his pro career and Kabongo closes in on his NBA moment.

"Having a hometown kid come back home," Thompson said, "it's almost like the Derrick Rose effect times two."

But a Canadian -- from Ontario or elsewhere -- on the Raptors would be way more than Chicago following its hometown hero with the Bulls. A Canadian-born player suiting up for Toronto would be something that was followed by an entire basketball nation.

Kyle Wiltjer

"I'd be lying if I said there wasn't pressure," Thompson, from the Toronto suburb of Brampton, said of local fans wanting it to happen. "I think it is pressure."

Thompson was considered in the weeks leading to the Draft before it was decided that he was a duplication for Ed Davis, the lottery pick the year before. But Thompson would not have been the choice even if he was still on the board. The Raptors took Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas, with the understanding he would be spending another year in Europe, and would have decided among another center (Bismack Biyombo) or point guards Kemba Walker or Brandon Knight if Valanciunas was gone. The local product was not an option.

The Raptors tried to acquire another selection later in the first round to draft Toronto native Joseph. No deal was completed, though. Joseph went 29th to the Spurs.

"I think clearly it could affect business to some degree on a positive note," Colangelo said. "But there's no telling. It just all depends on who that individual is. It comes down to a case-by-case basis. I think that we are making basketball decisions. If there's a component that moves the ticker, if you will, or moves the dial from a financial standpoint, you hope that it's the wins that you produce as a basketball team, not the ability for someone local to push ticket sales. Winning does push ticket sales. That's the ultimate end goal, to win basketball games."

"If an individual that did grow up down the street or was part of the Canadian basketball program or a local player of interest and had a chance to facilitate winning, that's what would drive that decision. There may be pressure from the outside world, being fans, media, but as normally is the case, you make decisions that are best for the organization and best for the franchise and you have to sometimes make unpopular decisions."

Last June, they had a shot, and the Raptors could have a chance in the next two years, possibly, to bring home a homegrown talent. The chances have been growing, and so have the stakes. National pride.

Courtesy of Scott Howard-Cooper NBA.com

What does Junior Cadougan rank 41st in the Nation?

2012-02-07T02:39:00.000-08:00

Junior Cadougan

Marquette used one of its better second halves of basketball of the season to fuel a comeback for an 89-76 win over DePaul Monday night.

Even in the 17-point loss to Notre Dame, PG Junior Cadougan racked up 12 points and five assists with just two turnovers. Cadougan’s assist rate is now the 41st best in the nation and he owns the fourth best assist/turnover ratio in the Big East. Junior guard Junior Cadougan filled up the stat sheet, finishing with 10 points, eight assists and four rebounds in 32 minutes.

“Junior controls the whole game,” Wilson said. “Without Junior, a lot of the things we do wouldn’t be possible. The things Junior does to contribute, handling the ball, penetrating, getting people to help so you can get an open look. It’s huge.”

Myck Kabongo steals the deal

2012-02-07T02:08:00.000-08:00

Myck Kabongo

Texas won the last scheduled game against rival Texas A&M, 70-68, at one of the Big 12’s loudest venues, Reed Arena, on Monday night. The Longhorns hadn’t won a game away from Austin since beating UCLA, 69-59, in California on Dec. 3. It was the Longhorns’ best conference win and their second victory in a row.

The Longhorns were in a similar situation in the final minutes against Mizzou last Monday. UT failed to get a stop against the Tigers and lost. But this time, freshman point guard Myck Kabongo stole an errant pass with 25 seconds left and found Brown down the court. Longhorns win it 70-68. Myck finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in 38 minutes.

“It was a big play for everybody,” Brown said. “We knew they were going to run an isolation play. We did a great job with help from defense. Myck came up with a big steal. That’s what you have to do to close out big games.”

“I thought Myck was terrific tonight,” Barnes said. “In some ways, he maybe played as well as he’s played all year.”

The Longhorns will need to win another close game like this — and maybe one on the road — at some point this season if they want to earn an invitation to the NCAA Tournament for the 14th straight year. But they finally showed it can be done.

Huntington Prep coming to Canada

2012-02-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

‘They are a major Goliath in this one and we are definitely the David — without the slingshot'

Sir Allan MacNab

The Sir Allan MacNab Lions are more than just slight underdogs for an upcoming international boys basketball exhibition game in Hamilton.

Here's how coach Dwayne Washington assesses the Saturday, Feb. 18 contest against Huntington Prep of West Virginia.
“They are a major Goliath in this one, and we are definitely the David … probably minus the slingshot,” he said before Friday's practice.

“We're looking at this as a learning experience. It's going to be beneficial for our whole team. It's a treat for us.”

Game time at MacNab is 5 p.m.
While defending champion MacNab rates as one of the best senior teams in the Hamilton-Wentworth Interscholastic Athletic Council, it's up against an impressive American opponent. Huntington Prep is currently ranked the fifth-best high school team in U.S. All of their players are NCAA Division I prospects, including five Canadians on the roster.

But the most dynamic Huntington Prep player of the bunch is 6-foot-7 small forward Andrew Wiggins, of Toronto. He's currently ranked the No. 1 sophomore in the U.S. by ESPN. Canada Basketball, on its website, says: “Andrew is one of the best prospects, not only coming out of Canada, but North America. He is ranked the best overall basketball recruit for his class in 2014 by ESPN.

“This isn't a surprise. When he played for Canada on the 2010 U17 Cadet Team, he was only 15 years old. He, along with Kevin Pangos and Anthony Bennett, helped Canada claim a bronze medal in the tournament. Andrew's best game in the competition was against the USA team (the eventual champions), where he scored 20 points, notched five rebounds and blocked two shots.”

MacNab will also be facing 7-foot-3, 290-pound centre Tanveer Bhullar, of Toronto, along with his Canadian classmates Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Negus Webster-Chan and 6-foot-10 Stefan Jankovic.

“I know the coach (Rob Fulford) and several of the players on their team,” said Washington, who coaches U-PLAY Canada travelling teams in the summer, and has worked with the CIA Bounce organization, of Brampton, (home base of some Huntington players) in the past.
“Andrew is a phenom. And he's Canadian, which is a bonus.”

The MacNab lineup includes a player who has also attracted the attention of Canada Basketball. He's Nolan Narain, the 6-foot-8, 205-pound Grade 9 student who plays for the MacNab senior squad. Narain is a product of R.A. Riddell Elementary School, where McMaster Marauders coach Amos Connolly used to direct the sport academy's basketball program.

“Nolan had the opportunity to play junior in high school, but based on his experience with the provincial team, he decided to make the jump to the senior level,” Washington said. “He's done a very good job for us. Nolan's coachable and has a lot of potential. He's very passionate, driven and hungry. I think he made a very good decision. I was hesitant at first, but it has worked out.”

According to Washington, a core group of players came to MacNab a few years ago and are starting to
blossom.

“When I first came to the school, a group of kids who are mostly in Grade 11 now, decided to come. They are doing very well. Nolan came as a result of the program being established by those guys.”
The current roster also includes Jordane Tello, Jon Ortiz, Daniel Dzierzawski, Nick Burke, O.J. Watson,

Francis Kiapway, Ryan Hare, Connor Crocker, Justin Vaughan, Andrew Boatnag.
The Lions are 8-1 in league play, tied with the Westmount Wildcats for first place in the Western Conference standings, entering the final game of the regular schedule. It's a showdown against the Wildcats, Monday at 3:30 p.m. at Westmount.

“Our core guys are all back for two more years after this,” Washington said. “We want to be provincial contenders by the time these guys are on their way out. Our goal this year is to qualify for Quad A OFSSA.”

One of the members of the 2010-11 Lions basketball team — 6-foot-7 Daryl Waud — helped the World Team defeat the United States 35-29 in football at the recent U-19 International Bowl in Austin, Tex. It's the first time an American squad has ever lost an international football game at the junior or senior level.
Normally a lineman, Waud also caught a pass from quarterback Will Finch, of Burlington, who completed 11 of 14 aerial attempts for 169 yards and two touchdowns.

Courtesy of Larry Moko of ThesSpec

Ottawa to host OFSAA Championships 2012

2012-02-05T22:29:00.000-08:00

March Madness comes to Ottawa as the city plays host to the best high school boys basketball teams in Ontario. The three-day tournament features 18 high school teams, 27 games and will crown a provincial champion.

Ottawa has only twice hosted the top tier OFSAA event, in 1981 and 1997. his is the first time the national capital has hosted the AAAA since its inception in 2002. The AAA division includes high schools with the province's largest student populations.

The tournament is expected to showcase some of the top high school players in Canada. This same event has seen many former basketball greats such as Leo Rautins, Jay Triano and Jamaal Magloire perform on the OFSAA stage. Tournament co-convener Richard Sutton is anticipating a fantastic three days.

"We're thrilled to be hosting this elite championship event," Sutton said. "Basketball fans will be in for a real treat with the caliber which will be on display."

The preliminary action tips off on Monday, March 5, at four sites: Mother Teresa, Longfields-Davidson Heights, Ridgement and Hillcrest, and continues on March 6.

The tournament culminates with semi-finals, and the final at Carleton University on March 7. For all the championship details and updates, visit www.ofsaa.on.ca/boys-aaaa-basketball.

Bakovic highest scoring player in Canadian university basketball history

2012-02-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

Boris Bakovic

An East York native, who was a three-time basketball MVP when he went to East York Collegiate, has gone on to become the highest scoring player in Canadian university basketball history.

Boris Bakovic, who is playing his fifth and final year of eligibility for the University of Calgary Dinos after playing his first four years close to home for the Ryerson Rams, accomplished the feat when he contributed 32 points in a pair of key back-to-back wins — 67-66 and 79-64 — over the Alberta Golden Bears.
The record-breaking shot was a three-pointer in the 67-66 win on Jan. 27.

He ended up with 24 points in that game not to mention, according to the team’s website report, “two significant consecutive shot blocks in the final minute to preserve the tight one-point lead for the Dinos.”
He since added 21 and 22 points in back-to-back wins over the Manitoba Bisons Thursday and Friday as the record total has hit 2,242 points.

That eclipsed the mark of 2,182 set by Andrew Spagrud of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, also over a five-year career (2003-08).

Bakovic, who took a year off before deciding to finish out his fifth and final year of Canadian university eligibility in Calgary this season, left Ryerson University as its all-time top scorer (with 2,068 points) and second, all time, in the Ontario conference.

In the last three of those years in Ontario he also finished as the top scorer in the country with 526, 600 and 576 points.

It’s a milestone he definitely won’t reach this season, however, as an injury, that was initially thought to be season-ending, kept him out of the first half of the season (he has come back to play in nine of his team’s 17 games).

He would be just as happy too reach another milestone, however: the playoffs.

Calgary’s 87-79 win over Manitoba on Friday tied the Bisons for the fourth and final playoff spot in the western conference. The Dinos have two games left and hold the tiebreaking advantage over the Bisons.

(1) Father Henry Carr Champions of the Forest City Shotout (highlights)

2012-02-05T21:59:00.000-08:00

Dane Smith career night vs undefeated Murray State

2012-02-05T04:20:00.000-08:00

Dane Smith

The University of Tennessee at Martin men’s basketball team gave No. 9 Murray State all it wanted tonight, but the Racers escaped with a 65-58 victory in front of 4,700 fans at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center.

Senior Dane Smith enjoyed his best career game this evening for the Skyhawks (3-22, 0-12 Ohio Valley Conference), recording his second career double-double with a career-best 24 points and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes of play. The 11 rebounds were just one shy of his career-high of 12 at Tennessee on Dec. 29, 2010.

“Dane was just playing hard, competing and doing all the little things – which is who Dane is,” James said. “He’s a fill-in-the-blanks guy and we definitely saw that tonight.”

“Games come down to about four or five possessions,” James said. “There were about five possessions tonight that our guys just couldn’t score. We got stops when we needed to – we just couldn’t score and that hurt. That was the deciding factor at the end of the day.”

Smith got the Skyhawks going to start the second half, pouring in eight of the team’s first 12 points to help slice their deficit to 41-36 with 14:12 remaining. However, Murray State scored eight consecutive points to go ahead 49-36 with 11:15 to go.

UT Martin kept fighting, clawing within seven points off a Smith layup with 8:08 left to play. Seven straight points by Smith – capped off with an old-fashioned three-point play at the 4:30 mark – inched the Skyhawks within six at 55-49.

A layup by Long on Murray State’s next possession stretched the Racer lead to eight, but Corderio Maclin came up with a big bucket at the 4:05 mark to make the score 57-51. The Skyhawk defense would hold Murray State without a field goal for a stretch of 3:31, but four free throws in that span resulted in a 10-point lead for the Racers with 48 seconds left.

A Smith three-pointer from the left side with four seconds left capped off his career evening and provide the final score of 65-58.

Melvin Ejim and the Cyclones

2012-02-05T03:37:00.000-08:00

AMES, Iowa- Melvin Ejim emerged as one of the best small forwards in the country while playing for one of the best prep schools in the nation last year. The Cyclone freshman, who has been a key contributor for ISU, played at perennial power Brewster Academy (N.H.), helping them to a 34-4 overall mark and a national prep school championship in 2010. Ejim (6-6, 215) is familiar with success. Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Ejim wanted to play for the best, so he hooked up at Brewster and competed with a number of high-level Division I prospects. That didn’t stop him from earning individual honors. Ejim was named New Hampshire’s Gatorade Player of the Year, given annually to the state’s top player. Melvin Ejim is currently averaging 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Tough lose for Keaton Cole and Harouna Mutombo

2012-02-05T03:14:00.000-08:00

Keaton Cole

CULLOWHEE — Midway through the second half, Western Carolina seemed poised to deliver a knockout blow to Georgia Southern.

The Catamounts had clawed back from as many as nine points down, started matching the Eagles’ energy and had a 52-46 lead with 10:50 to go.

That’s when Georgia Southern took its intensity to a level WCU was unable to match, and the Eagles survived some tense moments down the stretch to earn a 68-65 victory in front of 1,607 fans at the Ramsey Center on Saturday.

“We thought we were in pretty good position (with that 52-46 lead),” WCU coach Larry Hunter said. “They came in and scored two dunks and another basket, scored on three straight possessions, and we had four ugly possessions where we didn’t get a look. We’ve done that before, and it kinda crept in again. Then it became a see-saw battle.”

Harouna Mutombo

After the teams exchanged the lead 17 times — including 11 times over the final 10 minutes, WCU’s Preston Ross got off a last-second 3-point attempt that hit the rim then bounced away, and the Cats lost for the fifth time in six games.

“Georgia Southern brought it today,” said WCU senior Keaton Cole, who knocked down 5 of 9 3-pointers and had a team-high 17 points.

“Hats off to them. They battled. They gave us pressure on the ball, and they killed us on the rebounds. We’ve got to take this game and put it behind us.”

Redshirt-senior Harouna Mutombo added 16 points.

Courtesy of Tyler Norris Goode

Pangos, Sacre lift No. 24 Gonzaga over Pepperdine

2012-02-05T03:01:00.000-08:00

Robert Sacre

MALIBU, Calif.—Kevin Pangos and Robert Sacre each scored 15 points, helping No. 24 Gonzaga beat Pepperdine 72-60 on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs' 15-point lead shrunk to two points midway through the second half before they held on to win their 22nd straight in the series. Guy Landry Edi scored 13 points and Elias Harris added nine for Gonzaga (18-4, 8-2 West Coast Conference), which broke out of a 3-point shooting slump to go 7 of 16 from beyond the arc.

Corbin Moore had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Joshua Lowry added 11 points for Pepperdine (8-15, 2-10), which lost for the 10th time in 11 games.

The Waves trailed by 14 when their shots from the outside started to fall. Nikolas Skouen connected on back-to-back 3-pointers and Joshua Lowry later hit a 3 during a 12-0 run that got Pepperdine within 44-42.

Pangos stopped the drought with a 3 from the top of the key. After Sam Dower hit a jumper for Gonzaga, Jordan Baker missed two free throws. Pangos answered on the other end with a jumper to make it 54-48.

The Bulldogs entered having shot just 4 of 30 on 3-pointers over their previous two games.

Pepperdine leading scorer Taylor Darby was held to just six points on 2-of-6 shooting. He didn't score his first points of the game until he was fouled while making a jumper with 3:59 to play.

The Bulldogs wasted little time building a double-digit lead in the opening minutes. They hit five of their first six shots and all three 3-pointers.

Pangos, Gary Bell and Edi all connected from distance as Gonzaga went ahead 17-5. The Bulldogs then turned to a full-court press that kept the Waves off balance.

Despite suddenly going cold from the outside, the Bulldogs were able to keep building the lead. Harris had a short hook in the lane, Sacre made two free throws and Mathis Moenninghoff made an acrobatic put back during a 6-0 run that put his team up 31-18.

Pepperdine, which went 16 1/2 minutes without a free throw to start the game, shot 30 percent in the first half. Gonzaga led 35-21 at the break.

Huntington Prep beats Upper Room Christian

2012-02-05T02:38:00.000-08:00

Stefan Jankovic

CHESAPEAKE -- Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford used the final six minutes of Friday night's win over Christian Faith to remind his starters that playing time was a privilege, not a necessity.
The Express got the message loud and clear in time for Saturday night's contest where they earned a hard-fought 78-67 win over Upper Room Christian (N.C.) in the Tri-State Hoops Classic.

"The point was proven by sitting them out yesterday," Fulford said. "They came out with a different mindset and got things accomplished tonight."

Huntington Prep's Andrew Wiggins did his normal damage against the smaller Upper Room lineup, finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds to counteract Upper Room Christian leader Rodney Purvis, the heralded North Carolina State signee who finished with 25 points.

The difference was in the play of Stefan Jankovic and Negus Webster-Chan, who made up for their sluggish outings on Friday.

Jankovic was replaced in the lineup by Herve Aholode on Saturday, but came off the bench ready to play. The 6-10 sharpshooter scored 11 of his 13 points in the second quarter while hitting three 3-pointers to help the Express push the lead to 41-28 at the break.

"He's our best shooter and he has to shoot the ball," Fulford said. "He hit some big threes and gave us a shot of energy."

While Jankovic got his offense back in gear, Webster-Chan took it upon himself to slow down Purvis in the second half. Webster-Chan's defense was exceptional on the evening. In addition to contributing nine points and several steals, he had a sequence in the first half in which he blocked two straight offensive opportunities at the rim before switching his focus to Purvis and not allowing Upper Room's leader any open looks.

"Negus is a stat-filler, and he did a good job of picking back up where he left off over the last few games," Fulford said. "His defense was exceptional and he got in there and rebounded the ball. That's what he does when he's playing well."

With a decided height advantage, Huntington Prep used its size advantage to go to work down low against the Eagles.

Wiggins scored many of his 26 points at the rim while Elijah Macon added 15 points.

Courtesy of GRANT TRAYLOR

The Herald-Dispatch

Jamar Ergas Poster via (Video)

2012-02-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

Jamar Ergas, Montverde (Fla.) Montverde Academy

Khem Birch to join UNLV Rebels

2012-02-04T05:47:00.000-08:00

By Matt Youmans
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Khem Birch

UNLV coach Dave Rice is in the running for several high-profile basketball recruits, including two of the nation's top 10 high school players.

But the first McDonald's All-American to sign with Rice is a player who was nowhere on the Rebels' radar a month ago. Khem Birch, a 6-foot-9-inch forward, started six games this season as a freshman at Pittsburgh. He announced plans to transfer on Dec. 15 and said Monday he wants to finish his career at UNLV.

"We are excited to have him in the program," Rice said after Birch signed a scholarship agreement. "After getting to know him, it's obvious he is committed to working hard and developing his game. One of the things he is most excited about is our up-tempo style of play."

Birch, who chose the Rebels over Florida, averaged 4.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots in 10 games for the Panthers. He was just the third freshman to start during Jamie Dixon's nine years as Pittsburgh's coach.

The UNLV staff had no connection to Birch before he decided to transfer. He expressed interest to the Rebels' coaches, visited campus over the weekend and attended Saturday's practice.
Rice said Birch will enroll in school Jan. 17 and begin practicing next week. He must sit out two semesters before becoming eligible as a sophomore during the 2012-13 season.

The last McDonald's All-Americans to play for UNLV were Elmore Spencer (1990-92) and Larry Johnson (1989-91). Spencer and Johnson played in the 1987 game. Birch had 15 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks in last year's McDonald's game.

Rice called Birch a "dominant defender" who has the athletic ability and versatility to play the post and run the floor in transition.

Birch, who is from Canada and attended Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., was ranked by Rivals.com as the nation's No. 9 recruit out of high school.

The Rebels remain in the hunt for Findlay Prep stars Anthony Bennett and Winston Shepard. Rivals.com ranks Bennett No. Could this be a Canadian connection in the making?

Andrew Wiggin shines with Calipari in the house to watch (video)

2012-01-31T02:42:00.000-08:00

Andrew Wiggins put on a show for the Coach Calipari at the 2012 Dunk 4 Diabetes Shootout. Wiggins finished as the MVP of the game with 19 points, 9 rebounds and two blocks. Huntington Prep defeated St Edwards behind the performance of Andrew Wiggins and Xavier Rathan Mayes.