Harrison Says St. John’s on ESPNU

All black everything has been a phrase coined by hip-hop superstar Jay-Z and it’s become quite the fad in New York.

The number 44 prospect on the ESPNU 100 was dressed in all black, with a black and silver tie, maybe a sign of things to come? D’Angelo Harrison, a shooting guard from John Foster Dulles High in Texas was excited but also told ESPNU Recruiting Insider host Lowell Galindo that he was nervous about making his decision.

Harrison was down to four schools; Baylor, Oklahoma State, Marquette and St. Johns and made his choice on ESPNU at 5:25pm which can be viewed here.

“I’m going to take it all the way to New York and play for St. John’s,” Harrison said.

After Harrison verbally committed to coach Lavin and the Red Storm he put on a New York hat with a smile as big as the state of Texas.

“After speaking with coach Lavin and the staff, I feel it is a place where we will play a fast tempo yet be well coached,” said Harrison.

Listed as the #9 SG in the 2011 class by Rivals, Harrison is the first true shooting guard for St. John’s in 2011.

“Coach Lavin is a very straight up guy and he had a plan for how I would fit. Plus, he told me what I needed to hear and not what I wanted to hear,” said Harrison. “Coach Lavin was very successful at UCLA and has coached many players who [went on to play in the NBA]. His staff was also a big part of my decision with all of their NBA experience.”

Texas is over 1500 miles away from New York but that wasn’t an issue for this pure scorer. “Location really doesn’t matter to me,” Harrison said. “I want to go play for somewhere I can be one of the top guys on the team and I think that’s where I’m going to be able to play.”

Harrison joins an already stellar 2011 class, which features 6-8 JaKarr Sampson of Brewster (N.H.) Academy and 6-7 Maurice Harkless of South Kent. ESPN recruiting has already updated its rankings and St. John’s now is listed as having the 9th best class for 2011.

What’s next for St. John’s? Well JohnnyJungle.com’s very own Dave Krupinski has said that Nurideen Lindsey will choose St. John’s in the near future.

But that’s not all. October 15th is Midnight Madness for St. John’s, which will be host to a handful of potential future Red Storm players. Confirmed to be in attendance is Our Savior New American PG Jevon Thomas, Gill St. Bernard PG Jaron Sina, Nia Prep SG Kelvin Amayo, St. Raymond SG Nkeruwem Okoro and possibly others.

Coach Lavin isn’t finished on the recruiting trail yet though, with 7 scholarships still available for 2011. Dom Pointer, Norvel Pelle, Amir Garrett are all big name recruits who St. John’s is after.

The tide is turning in Queens and it seems like for the first time in far to long players are excited about the direction St. John’s is headed.