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NBCSN announces 2017-18 Atlantic 10 schedule

By Terrence PayneSep 14, 2017, 8:30 PM EDT
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On Thursday evening, the NBC Sports Network announced the more than 30 Atlantic 10 games the network will air during the 2017-18 season.

The full schedule includes three regular-season women’s games, as well as second round and quarterfinals coverage of the Atlantic 10 Tournament, which will take place at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. beginning on March 8. A10 games can also be streamed on NBCSports.com as well as the NBC Sports app.

The first game of the season to be aired on NBCSN will be a Big 5 clash between Temple and La Salle.

Here’s NBCSN’s full schedule:

Sunday, Nov. 26: Temple at La Salle, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 9: Penn at Dayton, 3 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 16: Georgia at UMass, 3 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 23: Wagner at Dayton, 3 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 30: Fordham at VCU, 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 30: UMass at St. Bonaventure, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 30: Davidson at Richmond, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 6: UMass at Dayton, noon
Saturday, Jan. 6: VCU at La Salle, 2 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 7: Davidson at George Mason, noon
Wednesday, Jan. 10: Richmond at Saint Joseph’s (women’s), noon
Saturday, Jan. 13: La Salle at Duquesne, 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 13: Saint Louis at George Mason, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 13: George Washington at Richmond, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 14: Davidson at Fordham, 3 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 14: Saint Joseph’s at UMass, 5 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 20: George Washington at VCU, 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 20: La Salle at Richmond, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 20: George Mason at Duquesne, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 27: Duquesne at Rhode Island, noon
Saturday, Jan. 27: UMass at Fordham, 2 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 28: George Washington at St. Bonaventure, noon
Sunday, Jan. 28: Richmond at Davidson, 2 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 28: St. Bonaventure at Duquesne (women’s), 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 31: Fordham at Saint Louis (women’s), noon
Saturday, Feb. 3: George Mason at Richmond, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday,: Feb. 3: Duquesne at St. Bonaventure, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 3: George Washington at Dayton, 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 8: Atlantic 10 Championship Second Round (four games)
Friday, March 9: Atlantic 10 Championship Quarterfinals (four games)

UConn’s eight newcomers already competing for playing time

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By Terrence PayneSep 14, 2017, 8:00 PM EDT
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STORRS, Conn. (AP) — The competition to earn playing time is already in high gear at UConn, where eight newcomers have joined the Huskies.

So far, it’s been just pickup games, limited workouts with coaches and on Thursday, their first media session.

But 6-foot-9 freshman forward Josh Carlton says everyone knows they have a chance at playing time and everyone is looking to impress.

The roster includes just two players who saw significant action during last year’s 16-17 campaign — guards Jalen Adams and Christian Vital.

Two others, Terry Larrier and Alterique Gilbert are back after sitting out most of the season with injuries.

There are four freshmen — forwards Carlton, Tyler Polley, Sidney Wilson and Isaiah Whaley. They join junior college transfers Eric Cobb and Kwintin Williams and graduate transfers Antwoine Anderson and David Onuorah.

Wilson, who transferred from St. John’s after summer school, is seeking an NCAA waiver to play this season.

Utah signs guard Devante Doutrive, plans to redshirt

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By Terrence PayneSep 14, 2017, 7:00 PM EDT
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah has signed shooting guard Devante Doutrive to a letter of intent. He plans to redshirt during the 2017-18 season.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pounder from Woodland Hills, California, averaged 22.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.7 steals and won a state title at Birmingham High School last season.

Doutrive was ranked a four-star prospect by Scout and ESPN. Scout reported he received offers from Oregon, Arizona State, Gonzaga and UTEP.

Utah lost four of its top six scorers from the 2016-17 season. Kyle Kuzma was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers No. 27 overall in the NBA Draft and Lorenzo Bonam graduated. Devon Daniels and JoJo Zamora both left the program.

The Utes open the season by hosting Prairie View A&M on Nov. 10.

Virginia Tech’s Khadim Sy leaves program

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By Terrence PayneSep 14, 2017, 6:00 PM EDT
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Virginia Tech lost a piece to its frontline on Thursday, as the program announced that sophomore forward Khadim Sy had left the program.

“We are genuinely grateful for the fifteen months Khadim was part of our program, and all he contributed on and off the floor,” Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams said in a statement. “I will be watching the rest of his career unfold, and wish him only great things.”

Originally considered a three-star prospect by Rivals, the 6-foot-10 Sy picked the Hokies over Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Miami, and Purdue. In his lone season in Blacksburg, he started in 28 of 32 games, averaging 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game.

Sy’s departure leaves Virginia Tech’s front court in an even more precarious situation entering the 2017-18 season. Zach LeDay, the team’s top scorer and rebounder from a season ago, has graduated. Chris Clarke is coming off a torn ACL he suffered in February. Ty Outlaw suffered an ACL tear of his own less than two months ago. Kerry Blackshear Jr. returns after missing all of this past season in order to recover from a foot injury.

The only other forwards on Virginia Tech’s roster are freshman P.J. Horne and 6-foot-10 Nick Fullard, who sat out last season after transferring from a Division II program.

Since late July, Buzz Williams has lost two returning starters. The Hokies still have a strong backcourt led by the veteran trio of Ahmed Hill, Justin Robinson, and Justin Bibbs. Even with a healthy Clarke and a healthy Blackshear, depth up front is a serious concern for the Hokies

Virginia Tech opens its season on Nov. 10 against Detroit Mercy.

Cincinnati lands 2018 point guard

By Terrence PayneSep 14, 2017, 4:51 PM EDT
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Cincinnati kicked off its Class of 2018 with a verbal pledge from a point guard from the west coast.

Logan Johnson, the brother of Miami Heat guard Tyler Johnson, announced his commitment to the Bearcats on Twitter on Thursday afternoon.

The 6-foot-2 floor general had taken an official visit to campus at the beginning of this month. He had scheduled official visits to Saint Mary’s and UC Santa Barbara for later this month. He held nearly a dozen offers from west coast programs, including several from the Mountain West schools.

Johnson is listed as the No. 130 overall recruit in the class, according to Rivals. While Rivals lists him as a three-star prospect, Scout rates him as a four-star recruit. According to Rivals’ National Basketball Analyst Eric Bossi, Johnson’s stock rose following strong play during the July live recruiting period.

Although, his most notable performance came during April when he and his Tyler Johnson Elite team got the better of LaMelo Ball and the Big Ballers.

When Johnson reaches campus in the fall of 2018, he’ll one of three point guards on the roster, playing behind transfer Cane Broome and Justin Jenifer. Both will exhaust their eligibility at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season.

The 2017 Great Alaska Shootout will be the event’s last

(Photo Courtesy of Sam Wasson)
By Terrence PayneAug 24, 2017, 7:43 PM EDT
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The longest running regular season college basketball tournament will no longer hold that title at the end of this year.

The Great Alaska Shootout announced on Thursday that 2017 will be the final year of the event.

“The Shootout has been an iconic event at [University of Alaska Anchorage] for 40 years, but unfortunately we cannot sustain our funding of this tournament in the current budget climate,” UAA chancellor Sam Gingerich said in a statement. “We are grateful for the enthusiastic support we’ve received over the years from our community, fans, volunteers, civic and business leaders and donors.”

Once one of the premier tournaments in college basketball, the Great Alaska Shootout had powerhouse programs such as Kentucky, North Carolina, Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Syracuse, and Louisville, among others, all claiming championships in Anchorage.

There has been an increase in the number early season college basketball tournaments in recent years, one of the most notable being the Battle 4 Atlantis. With a major television deal and located in the Bahamas, the Battle 4 Atlantis has landed some of the top college basketball teams annually since its inception in 2011. Tournaments in Las Vegas and tropical locations have also popped up as of late. Even the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has adapted and expanded its early season presence in college basketball. From 1979 to 2005, Springfield was home to an annual college basketball game that featured some of the top talent in the country. Today, the Hall of Fame sponsors several different tournaments in the northeast, Miami, and Los Angeles.

In an arms race, the Great Alaska Shootout had lost the luster it once had.

The 2017 GCI Great Alaska Shootout will begin on Nov. 21 at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. Cal Poly, College of Charleston, Central Michigan, Sam Houston State, Idaho, Santa Clara, CSU Bakersfield and Alaska Anchorage make up the final field.