Steve Lavin’s Big Recruiting Problem at St. John’s

St. John’s has hit the point in the rebuilding of their program where a major problem arises.

The Red Storm made it through the doldrums of the mid-2000s and reaped the rewards of their patience with a berth in the NCAA Tournament this past season, which has translated into a top-ranked recruiting class for next year.

What’s the problem, then?

There are now a lot of young, talented players that want to play for St. John’s and head coach Steve Lavin.

Obviously, it is a great problem to have, and one that programs strive to have. Lavin and his staff, with help from the immense opportunities with exposure and playing time that St. John’s has to offer, have courted some of the top talent in the country, nine of whom will be wearing Red Storm red and white next season.

And that last part, above, is the most important. Not only has this coaching staff gone after the best talent in the country, but they have closed the deal as well.

In the past, names like Kemba Walker, Lance Stephenson, and Sylven Landesberg have made their way across the Red Storm radar, before ending up at UConn, Cincinnati, and Virginia, respectively.

This year, Lavin has gotten the signature of nearly every top-tier recruit for whom St. John’s was on the trail. The Red Storm went into the ring with schools like Maryland and Arizona to get Maurice Harkless, with Louisville and Tennesse to get Jakarr Sampson, and with Michigan and West Virginia to get Sir’Dominic Pointer. St. John’s has reestablished itself as a national recruiting powerhouse and the time has come to face its new set of “problems”.

Following the signing of God’s Gift Achiuwa on April 29th, the Red Storm have six ESPNU Top 100 recruits and two highly-rated junior college transfers, but things may not be done for this season. Even with this nine-man class in his pocket, transfers and late signings are in full swing, and St. John’s is popping up on a number of lists.

Former NC State point guard Ryan Harrow has expressed interest in the Red Storm and has a full slate of official visits before making his decision. Along with St. John’s, he is taking trips to Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, and Louisville.

Daouda Soumaoro, an unsigned senior from Our Savior (NY), is an athletic, 6‘9” post player who can play either position on the block. At 215 pounds, he has more bulk than either Jakarr Sampson or Norvel Pelle, who would compete for minutes with Soumaoro, were he to sign.

In addition to being a teammate of 2012 St. John’s commit Jevon Thomas, Soumaoro is from Mali. Were he to sign with St. John’s, it would further the Red Storm’s recent history of recruiting African prospects, including graduating senior Dele Coker and the above-mentioned God’s Gift Achiuwa, both hailing from Nigeria.

And, most recently, rumors have circulated that Arizona rising-junior point guard Lamont “MoMo” Jones, who announced he is leaving the Wildcats, is interested in St. John’s. Multiple sources say he may also be seeking a waiver to exempt him from the rule that makes Division I transfers sit out for one season. Were he granted the waiver and signed with the Red Storm, the Harlem native could be active immediately and be part of the 2011-2012 team.

This is where the interesting scenarios begin to shake out for the Red Storm. With nine players signed, plus Dwayne Polee II and Malik Stith, St. John’s has two remaining scholarships. One, presumably, is reserved for highly-touted 2012 PG commit Jevon Thomas, but what is to be done with the other?

Talent is flooding in, but there are decisions to be made at St. John’s. As is clear, it is a wonderful problem for a program to have, with too much interested talent and not enough room.

With the nature of the NBA Draft, it is not out of the question that, out of this class of nine newcomers for the Red Storm, one or more could leave after one season. Guard Nurideen Lindsey was projected to be a second round pick in this year’s draft, had he skipped St. John’s and gone to the NBA out of Redlands Community College (OK).

On the horizon for St. John’s in 2012 is Thomas, mentioned above, along with strong interest from highly ranked forwards Kyle Anderson and Ricardo Gathers, both ranked in the Top 30 for their class by ESPNU.

So, how will Coach Lavin and the staff balance the scholarship scale?

Considering the point guard situation at the moment, with Stith, incoming freshman Phil Greene, and Lindsey, a decision by Harrow or Jones to transfer to St. John’s would create quite a log jam. There has been speculation as to whether Stith would transfer, but all indications are that he is staying. Lindsey is more of a scorer than a true point guard, but he and freshman D’Angelo Harrison appear to be the starting backcourt, going into next year.

Where would another transfer fit, especially Jones? Harrow would have to sit out a year, which could perhaps give enough time for the situation to shake out, until you remember Jevon Thomas’ commitment for 2012.

In addition, adding Soumaoro would give the Red Storm a great deal of length to swing around down low, with then five players 6’7”+ to play at the power forward and center spots (Pelle, Polee II, Sampson, Achiuwa, and Soumaoro). That would mean increased competition and depth, but reduced minutes for all.

Will St. John’s cash in on the interest this year, or wait for the talent that could come down the line?

Ricardo Gathers, mentioned above, is a 6’7”, 240 pound physical anomaly from LaPlace, Louisiana. He has incredible athleticism and finishes at the basket with authority. He took an official visit to St. John’s a few weeks ago, and is considering the Red Storm, along with schools like Texas, LSU, Ohio State, and Arizona.

Kyle Anderson, a local product from St. Anthony (NJ), is a very unique, skilled, and smooth forward who creates matchup problems with his length and size. At 6’7”, 210 pounds, with good ball-skills and a polished mid-range game, he could be another prize that St. John’s waits on in hopes of reeling him in to Queens. The Red Storm are on his short list, which also includes Seton Hall, Arizona, and UCLA.

In what direction will they head? Whichever way it ends up, this St. John’s program has gone from losing out on big-time prospects, to being the one snatching them away from other schools.

It is all part of the cycle of college basketball elites and underachievers and Steve Lavin has the Red Storm on their way to the peak of that cycle right now.