St. John’s Signee Maurice Harkless Cleared to Play By NCAA

According to Zach Braziller of the New York Post, incoming St. John’s forward Maurice Harkless has been cleared by the NCAA to play for the Red Storm.

The NCAA had been reviewing the 6’6” forward’s possible connection with St. John’s Director of Basketball Operations Moe Hicks, after questions were raised about Harkless’ two-tournament stint with the New York Gauchos AAU program.

Moe Hicks served in an administrative role with the Gauchos program, never coaching Harkless, which led the NCAA to rule there was no violation of Bylaw 11.4.2, a regulation that bars institutions from hiring “an individual associated with the prospective student-athlete in any athletics department non-coaching staff position” for at least two years.

Harkless, a Queens native, was the first to commit to play for head coach Steve Lavin from the Class of 2011. Following his commitment, a flood of eight others signed-on to St. John’s, giving them the 3rd-ranked class in the nation, according to ESPN.