Below are some highlights from today’s Hoop Group Tip-Off Classic at Seton Hall. I’m told the following coaches / schools were on hand to watch the action: Bob Huggins and Billy Hahn of West Virginia, Fred Hill and Jim Carr of Rutgers, David Cox of Georgetown, Scott Adubato and Dermon Player of Seton Hall, Jared [...]

Casiem Drummond has no shortage of options for where to go after Villanova.
Drummond’s high school coach, Nick Mariniello of Bloomfield Tech, says he has fielded a slew of calls on the 6-foot-10, 275-pound big man from East Orange.
“I’ve gotten calls from at least 20-25 schools,” Mariniello said. “MAAC, Conference USA, America East, Atlantic 10.”
Schools interested [...]

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 [...]

NEW YORK - The Siena Saints aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this season.
A year after throttling SEC power Vanderbilt by 21 points in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the Saints were unanimously chosen by the league’s coaches to win the MAAC again in 2008-09.

Freddie Riley, a 6-foot-6, 180-pound shooting guard from Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy, committed to UMass Saturday after developing a strong relationship with first-year coach Derek Kellogg.
A native of Ocala, Fla., Riley also considered Baylor, South Florida and Marquette.
“I committed because of the relationship with the coach that I developed,” Riley said. “He was [...]

To look at the Iona men’s basketball roster is to see a Who’s Who of the top high school programs in the New York-New Jersey area. Under second-year coach Kevin Willard, the roster is dotted with players from New Jersey powerhouses St. Benedict’s Prep, St. Patrick, Don Bosco and Bloomfield Tech, as well as New [...]

Steve Sauers, the Director of Basketball Operations at Seton Hall, is leaving the program to become an assistant coach at Iona under Kevin Willard.
“It’s an incredible opportunity professionally,” Sauers, 41, said Monday by phone. “These past two years have been great working at Seton Hall for Bobby Gonzalez. I’ll certainly miss the school but this [...]

 
Iona landed another quality area player when it signed St. Patrick guard Jermel Jenkins, the backcourt mate of North Carolina-bound junior guard Dexter Strickland.
 
 
A 5-foot-10 point guard, Jenkins averaged 14 points and seven assists last season when the Celtics finished 25-5 record and were ranked No. 10 nationally under head coach Kevin  Boyle (above).
 
 
A quick, [...]