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Amir Garrett Signs to Play Baseball With Cincinnati Reds, Will Still Play for St. John’s

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For a time, it looked as though St. John’s signee Amir Garrett would have to choose whether his pursuit of a professional athletic career would take place on the hardwood or on the baseball diamond. But, with the stroke of a pen Monday night, the 6’6″ hard-throwing/high-flying lefty made it official that he would be a member of both the Cincinnati Reds organization and the St. John’s Red Storm.

Garrett will become a two-sport athlete, one at the collegiate level, one at the professional level.
The deal was signed just hours before the MLB deadline, worth a total of $1 million dollars, paid out over five years. It is in compliance with NCAA rules, allowing him to begin and continue his collegiate basketball career, with a clause that hands the expenses of Garrett’s schooling over to the Reds. Despite that, Garrett will still count toward St. John’s limit of 13 scholarship players.

“I consider this a great opportunity, because not everyone gets to play two sports they love,” said Garrett in a press release. “I am excited to play in the Reds’ organization, but definitely excited to play at St. John’s. I’ll be able to handle business on campus during the school year, and then for Cincinnati.”

Garrett was chosen by the Reds in the 22nd Round of the MLB Draft in June, based mostly on potential. Though he had not played in a live game in nearly a year, scouts took a liking to his fastball, which reportedly topped out at 96-miles-per-hour. With the general scarcity of left-handers who can hit those kinds of numbers on the radar gun, the Reds have placed a $1 million bet that there is much more packed in that long left arm.

On the court, Garrett has become somewhat of an internet sensation with his impressive highlight-reel dunks and online mixtapes. Starring at Findlay Prep (NV), the 6’6″ swingman is ranked 96th in the final ESPN rankings for the Class of 2011, the 22nd best player at his position. He averaged 12.5 points and 5.7 rebounds for Findlay last season on a team that produced four Division I prospects. Garrett will face off against one of those four, Nick Johnson, when St. John’s takes on Arizona in the 2K Sports Classic in November.

“We have encouraged Amir to continue working to develop into the best basketball and baseball player he is capable of becoming,” said St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin. “His talent, competitive nature and determination has allowed him to have the opportunity to pursue his goals of competing at the highest level of two sports.”

St. John’s Recruiting Targets In ESPN, Scout Top 100 for Class of 2012: Part I

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ESPN.com and Scout.com have released their updated rankings for the Class of 2012, following the July live period. JohnnyJungle.com takes a look at where recruiting targets landed on the two lists.

Kyle Anderson
St. Anthony’s (NJ) | 6’9″, 215lb G/F | Fairview, NJ
ESPN: #6 Overall | Scout.com: # 5 Overall

(Photo: NJ.com)
Anderson is the highest-rated prospect that St. John’s has pursued in the Steve Lavin era and the #1 priority in the Class of 2012. He is one of the most unique players in the country, a 6’9″ point guard/forward who can create a match-up problem at four different positions.

Despite his slowed pace at both ends of the floor, something that has earned him the nickname “Slo-Mo,” he has learned how to be effective at that speed. He rarely turns the ball over and many defenders have to adjust to guarding a player who approaches the game in such a controlled, calculated manner.

His impressively long arms make him an asset in a zone defense, where he can cover a lot of space, blocking shots and tipping passes.

Two other Big East schools remain with St. John’s in Anderson’s Top 5, Seton Hall and Georgetown, along with UCLA and Florida. He says he will make his decision on September 20th, the date of his 18th birthday.

Amile Jefferson
Friend’s Central (PA) | 6’7″, 180lb | Philadelphia, PA
ESPN: #25 Overall | Scout: #21 Overall

(Photo: Dave Krupinski/Johnny Jungle)
JohnnyJungle.com was the first to report that St. John’s is in the mix for this 6’7″ forward from Philadelphia.

Jefferson has slipped a few spots in the rankings in the past few months, but he is still regarded as one of the most versatile forwards in this class.

With his size and length, he has a similar build to current Red Storm forwards Maurice Harkless, Jakarr Sampson, and Norvel Pelle. This has been the type of player Steve Lavin has pursued and, so far, successfully signed, in his time with St. John’s.

Some have wondered how far his range stretches, moving out toward the perimeter, but one thing is undeniable: Jefferson is a smart basketball player. His high basketball IQ dictates when he takes the ball to the basket, works in the post, or pulls up in the mid-range. Much like Harkless and Sampson, Jefferson would fit well into Lavin’s zone and full-court press sets on defense.

Jefferson was recently quotes by VUHoops.com as saying, “NC State, Villanova, and St. John’s are recruiting me hard.”

Ricardo Gathers
Riverside Academy (LA) | 6’7″, 240lb F | Laplace, LA
Verbal Commitment | ESPN: #31 Overall | Scout: #35

(Photo: 5in60.com)
After Jevon Thomas’ decommitment in late July, Steve Lavin stood with no verbal commitments for 2012. But, less than a week later, man-child Ricardo Gathers pledged his name to the Red Storm.

With his size, Gathers is a force in the paint and a complement to wiry forwards like the above-mentioned Harkless, Sampson, and Pelle. He has broad shoulders and is a willing and able rebounder with the ability to step out into the mid-range, as well as work with his back to the basket.

What he may lack in height, he makes up for in bulk, which will allow him to move down to play the power forward position at the Big East level.

He chose St. John’s over a number of high-major schools, including LSU, Kansas, Arizona, Syracuse, and Texas.

Red Storm to Take On St. Mary’s College (MD) in November Exhibition

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On November 1st, the world will get a preliminary glance at the new-look Red Storm, as they take on St. Mary’s College (MD) in an exhibition game at Carnesecca Arena.

Steve Lavin leads his young St. John's team against Division III St. Mary's (MD) on November 3rd. (Photo: Icon/SMI Select)
Though small, with just over 1,000 total students enrolled at the college, St. Mary’s is a blossoming Division III program. The Seahawks finished 25-6 last season, making it to the Elite 8 of the Division III Tournament.

Head coach Chris Harney, who is entering his seventh season with St. Mary’s, has a career record of 116-54, including three Sweet 16 appearances. Under his watch, the program has won 20+ games for three straight seasons, the first time in school history.

This will be the first public test for the Red Storm, who, as a group, will be the youngest team in the program’s 104-year history. Coach Steve Lavin will be entering his second season as the head man in Queens, after leading his senior-laden team to the NCAA Tournament in 2010-2011.

The exhibition brings the official start to a grueling non-conference schedule for St. John’s, with games set on the road against Kentucky, Duke, and Detroit, as well as games at Madison Square Garden against Arizona and the winner of Mississippi State and Texas A&M, as part of the 2K Sports Classic.

Ricardo Gathers Commits to St. John’s

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According to Paul Biancardi of ESPN, 2012 forward Ricardo Gathers of La Place Riverside (LA) has committed to play for Steve Lavin and St. John’s.

Gathers named the coaching staff and playing in New York City as the main reasons he committed to St. John's. (Photo: Recruiting Spotlight)
The 6’7”, 240-pound Gathers chose the Red Storm over LSU, Syracuse, Texas, and Arizona.

“I picked St. John’s because of the coaching staff and I liked the way Coach Lavin communicated with me throughout the process,” Gathers told ESPN. “A year ago, he was recruitng me and I didn’t think much of it, until I saw them play on television and how much success they were having.”

Gathers is a physical specimen with a willingness to rebound and draw contact in the post. He appears to be the powerful forward complement to the finesse length of others at his position, including Maurice Harkless, Jakarr Sampson, and Amir Garrett.

A report by Adam Zagoria earlier in the summer raised the possibility of Gathers enrolling this fall, but little has been mentioned since that initial report.

Check back to JohnnyJungle.com for any breaking or developing news.

Source: St. John’s Now In the Mix for Amile Jefferson

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A source tells JohnnyJungle.com that St. John’s is now in the mix for highly-rated Philadelphia forward Amile Jefferson.

Jefferson, at 6’7”, 180 pounds, is an impressively versatile prospect, ranked 26th overall in the Class of 2012 by ESPN.

St. John's is the latest Big East school to have its eye on Amile Jefferson. (Photo: Dave Krupinski/Hoop Group)
According to the source, connections with incoming JUCO point guard Nurideen Lindsey and Red Storm target Kyle Anderson of St. Anthony’s (NJ) have made the Red Storm a possible destination for Jefferson.

The Philadelphia-born Lindsey is a close friend of the Jefferson family through the close-knit basketball network in the city. Jefferson’s Friend’s Central (PA) is less than two miles away from Lindsey’s alma mater, Overbrook (PA).

Kyle Anderson, who has developed a friendship with Jefferson through AAU competition, is a Top 10 prospect in the Class of 2012. St. John’s has made his final list of five schools, along with Seton Hall, Georgetown, Florida, and UCLA. He will announce his decision on his 18th birthday, September 20th.

Jefferson fits the mold of players Steve Lavin has recruited thus far in his tenure at St. John’s: a long, lanky combo forward who can play in the mid-range or in the post. What makes his skill set even more dangerous is his basketball intelligence, knowing when to work a defender on the perimeter, when to work in the paint, and when to take him to the basket, off the dribble.

Defensively, he could be another lengthy, agile piece of a full-court press at either the small forward or power forward position.

If the Red Storm were able to land both Anderson and Jefferson, they would be bringing in two of the most unique players in the country at their respective positions.

A number of Big East schools have been in the hunt for Jefferson, including Villanova, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia, and Georgetown, along with out-of-conference schools including Wake Forest, Temple, and NC State.