By Collegehoopsnet.com

July 15th, 2005

College Basketball: Week in Review

The CHN Week in Review is a compilation of the most important college basketball press releases, which we haven't used as individual articles during the week.  In this week's Week in Review: Justin Cerasoli transfers to Ole Miss, a UCLA freshman has successful surgery, a St John's player performs overseas, five UK Wildcats are playing in the NBA Summer League, and the Colorado Classic takes shape.

***

Oxford, MS – Ole Miss head basketball coach Rod Barnes announced Monday that Justin Cerasoli has elected to transfer to Ole Miss from Seton Hall.

Due to NCAA transfer rules, the 6-foot-5, 180-pound guard can start practicing with the team in the fall but is ineligible for the 2005-06 season. Cerasoli may begin playing in the 2006-07 campaign with three years of eligibility remaining.

“Justin is a very knowledgeable point guard, who plays with a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” Barnes said. “At 6-5, he gives us good size in the backcourt and the ability to do a lot of different things. It’s going to be great to work with him for a year as we’ve done with Dwayne Curtis. With Justin joining the recruiting class we have coming in, we feel have completed the future of our team at every position, and we’re very excited.”

Cerasoli played in 26 games as a freshman for the Pirates in 2004-05, earning the starting nod 10 times. The Chicago native turned in averages of 6.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, and dropped in 15 points against nationally-ranked Pitt on the road and 16 against Notre Dame with 5 boards and 4 assists. He also tallied 10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals against then-defending national champion UConn.

Out of West Aurora High School, Cerasoli was ranked No. 29 nationally in the 2004-05 freshman class by Athlon and No. 50 by Lindy’s. Over his junior and senior seasons, West Aurora compiled a 55-5 record and finished third at the 2004 state championships.

Cerasoli was selected to the EA Sports Roundball Classic, featuring many of the nation’s top talent, and was named co-MVP of the Gymrats Midnight Madness East-West All-America game in Voorhees, NJ, prior to his senior year.

***

Queens, NY  --  St. John’s freshman basketball player Tomas Jasiulionis (Richmond, VA) was selected to play for his native Lithuania in the European Under-20 Basketball Championships, which are being held in Moscow.  The championships began on Friday, July 8 and run through Sunday, July 17.

Jasiulionis, a 6-11, 240-pound center from Trinity Episcopal High School, has appeared in three games during the championships for Lithuania.  The team has won three-straight games to open the tournament, beating Italy (109-77), Belarus (97-49) and the Czech Republic (101-57).  They are slated to play three more games – against France, Serbia & Montenegro and then against Latvia.

The freshman has played 38 minutes for the team, averaging 0.7 points and 1.7 rebounds.  In the team’s opening win, he scored two points to go with one rebound and one assist in 18 minutes.  Against Belarus, he had one rebound and one block and he had three rebounds and a blocked shot in the win over the Czech Republic.

Jasiulionis is one of four incoming student-athletes for the Red Storm men’s basketball team, joined by Ricky Torres (Bronx, NY). Anthony Mason, Jr. (Memphis, TN) and Aaron Spears (Chicago, IL).

***

Lexington, KY – Five former Kentucky basketball players are on NBA rosters for summer league action around the country. Among the players are 2005 UK graduate Chuck Hayes, who is playing with Houston, and Gerald Fitch, a 2004 senior who is averaging over 16 points a game for Washington.

Other players include Kelenna Azubuike, who left UK after his junior season this spring and has been added to the Cleveland Cavaliers summer roster, and Cliff Hawkins, who spent the last year playing in the CBA, but has been picked up by New Jersey for the summer.

Erik Daniels, who played as a free agent with Sacramento last season, is getting some extra playing time this summer on the Kings league squad. Daniels had 14 points as his Kings upended Hawkins’ Nets,

71-60, Saturday. Daniels is averaging 10.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg in summer league play so far.

Fitch, who played in Croatia and the Ukraine last year, was picked up by the Wizards for the second straight summer and is averaging 16.3 ppg and 4.0 rpg in three games.

Four of the five former Cats are with teams playing in the Reebok Vegas Summer League in Las Vegas, which runs through Friday, July 15. Hayes, who joins the Rockets summer league team hoping for a spot on the squad as a free agent, reported to training camp last Friday. The Rockets will open summer league action on Friday, July 15 at the Minnesota Summer League in Minneapolis.

***

Los Angeles, CA - UCLA freshman Alfred Aboya had a successful right knee arthroscopic procedure late Monday afternoon at the UCLA/Santa Monica Medical Center. The hour-long surgery was performed by Bruin team physician Dr. Gerald Finerman.  

Loose bodies (cartilage) were removed from Aboya's right knee.  The rehabilitation time is approximately four-to-six weeks, making him ready for the start of practice on Friday, Oct. 14. Aboya has been on campus attending summer school, which started Monday, June 27.  

From Yaounde, Cameroon, the 6-8, 242-pound Aboya attended the Tilton, NH Prep Academy. Last season as a senior, Aboya led Tilton to its second consecutive New Hampshire Class B State Championship appearance and an 18-11 record. Averaging 18.0 points and 12.0 rebounds a game,  Aboya is the Rivals.com No. 20 power forward in the U. S. and overall, Hoopmaster.com No. 81 and Rivals.com No. 83 player in the U. S. As a junior in 2003-04, he led Tilton to the New Hampshire Class B State title and averaged 22.0 points and 12.0 rebounds a game.    

"When Alfred arrived on campus for the start of summer school, he also began working out and playing in games," Bruin head coach Ben Howland said. "It became apparent that his right knee was giving him trouble (swelling).  Our medical staff then determined that Alfred needed the exploratory arthrosopic procedure.  We wanted to have it done now, so Alfred would be ready for the start of practice (Oct. 14)."

Aboya is one of five new incoming Bruin freshmen, all considered last season to be among the top 100 prep standouts in North America. Joining Aboya are - 6-0, 155-pound point guard Darren Collison (Etiwanda HS/Rancho Cucamonga, CA); 6-7, 215-pound forward/guard Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (Montverde Academy/Montverde, FL), who is also from Cameroon; 6-5, 205-pound guard/forward Michael Roll (Aliso Niguel HS/Aliso Viejo, CA) and 6-8 230-pound forward Ryan Wright (Loyola Catholic HS/Mississauga, Ontario, Canada).

***