Playing its first game since losing Anthony Mason Jr. for the season to a foot injury, St. John’s routed Howard 79-44 behind a combined 46 points from sophomores D.J. Kennedy, Paris Horne and Justin Burrell.
“I play the starting role just like I play coming off the bench, I just keep the energy up and go [...]

ESPN is running 23 straight hours of college hoops to kick off the season. Here are some quick news and notes from the world of college hoops.
**Tyler Hansbrough won’t play in Tuesday night’s tilt against Kentucky (9 p.m., ESPN) because of his injured shin. The game features the two winningest teams in college basketball history.
“Last [...]

Here’s are a few links and notes on local schools St. John’s, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Iona and Fordham with tomorrow’s tipoffs looming…
**I wrote a feature for SNY on Anthony Mason Jr. and his relationship with his “best friend,” his mother Monica Bryant. Check it out here.
**Rutgers sophomore guard Corey Chandler will be dressed and available [...]

Check out our interview with three of the top players in North Jersey who are signing in the early signing period: Tamir Jackson of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, who is headed to Rice; Lance Brown out of Paterson Catholic, who committed to Fordham; and Karon Abraham of Paterson Eastside, who will play at Robert [...]

Georgetown gave Louisville a real scare on Saturday.
No, not the Hoyas.
This was NAIA power Georgetown (Ky.) College pushing the No. 3 team in the nation before falling 74-67 in an exhibition game in Louisville broadcast on SNY.
Samardo Samuels, the 6-9 freshman out of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark pictured above left, scored 20 points for [...]

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Seton Hall may not yet have any commits from the Class of 2009, but one 2010 prospect lists the Pirates as his favorite.
Paterson Catholic junior point guard Jayon James says Seton Hall is at the top of his list.
“They’ve been recruiting me since going into my freshman year,” the 6-foot-5, 225-pound [...]

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Derrick Williams has just begun his career at St. Anthony and he isn’t complaining about legendary coach Bob Hurley’s discipline just yet.
“It’s worth it,” he said. “I like the team and everybody on the coaching staff.”
At 6-foot-7, 255 pounds, Williams is built like a defensive end. In fact, he played that [...]

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — in a Philly-dominated weekend that had already seen the Phillies win Game 3 of the World Series and the Eagles emerge victorious at home, it seemed only fitting that three groups of high school basketball players would continue the trend.
The Philly seniors, juniors and sophomores swept their counterparts from Jersey in [...]

Chris Gaston got about three hours of sleep on Saturday night and then had one of the best games of his life Sunday morning.
After waking up at 4:15 Sunday, Gaston made a five-hour drive from the New Hampton (N.H.) school to Queens with New Hampton head coach Pete Hutchins.
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound Gaston then scored 26 [...]

Fordham had a busy weekend on the recruiting front. Lance Brown of Paterson Catholic, a 6-foot-3 senior wing who has committed to the Rams for 2009, 6-6 junior Derrick Williams of St. Anthony, 6-4 sophomore Ashcraf Yacoubou of Long Island Lutheran, who is a Top 30 player and says he holds an offer from Memphis, [...]