Basketball season, just like football season, never really ends. After the holiday weekend, here are some basketball nuggets around the Big East.
- St. John's, Cincinnati, and Washington are the three finalists for wonderfully named God's Gift Achiuwa. Achiuwa is a 6'9 power forward out of Erie (NY) Community College. He is one of the last big recruits in the class of 2011. He will announce his decision this week.
- Adam Zagoria also notes that UConn freshman Jeremy Lamb, who at least hinted he might test the NBA waters, has now confirmed that he will return for his sophomore season.
- The Big East had five future players participate in the Kentucky Derby Festival Classic on Friday. Louisville signees Zach Price, Chane Behanan, and Angel Nunez joined St. John's signee D'Angelo Harrison and Seton Hall signee Aaron Cosby. You can watch a few highlights of the game below. All five signees played extensive minutes and Cosby won the game's halftime three point shooting contest.
- Rick Pitino is close to filling the two open assistant coaching positions on his staff. Louisville has already announced that his son, Richard Pitino, Jr., will be joining the staff. The rumored candidates list is long, but the favorites appear to be VCU's Will Wade, New Mexico assistant Wyking Jones, and possibly Kevin Keatts, the head coach at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia.
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Jon Rothstein announced on Twitter today that UConn will play in the first ever "Battle for Atlantis" next season. The tournament will be held in the Bahamas from 11/23-11/27.
- Rothstein also announced that Villanova will play in the Phillips 76 classic in Anaheim next season. The tournament will be held 11/24-11/27 and will also feature Western Kentucky, VCU, Purdue, and LSU among others.