Angelo Chol's Not Interested

But at least we're going after the big fish.
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[tweet]http://twitter.com/ang3lochol/status/15274807480[/tweet]

I like the tenacity and hustle from our coaching staff.  I understand Chol, as he recently narrowed down his list of schools (whose probably been recruiting him for a year-to-two years) and probably wanna just focus on those particular schools.

I also think this kind of tenacity and hustle is gonna pay off, as some kids are gonna allow us to get in.....  Whether, it's late or not.  Keep it up, Lavin and staff!

I thought I heard or read from some that he is really raw.

I thought I heard or read from some that he is really raw.

I've heard that he's shown some offensive capabilities of late and isn't, as raw as some may think.  Granted, he's still 'rough around the edges,' per se'.

I also hear he doesn't "bring it" or play with consistency, but still is supposedly a solid pickup.

Someone whose opinion I trust thinks New Jersey's Hubert offers everything Chol does.

What other big men in the area are as good as (or nearly good as) Hubert?

The toughest recruiting challenge is going to be finding Big East-ready big men, I think.  But we don't know who's out there internationally who could qualify, or in JUCO either.

Someone whose opinion I trust thinks New Jersey's Hubert offers everything Chol does.

They're both raw

What other big men in the area are as good as (or nearly good as) Hubert?

The toughest recruiting challenge is going to be finding Big East-ready big men, I think.  But we don't know who's out there internationally who could qualify, or in JUCO either.

There aren't a lot.
There just aren't a lot of quality bigs nationally in 2011. So, by the time the pecking order gets down to STJ (as it is currently viewed as), you're looking at scraps.

Katenda is raw. Derrick Randall in 2011. If Lavin wants to go for a plodding C from Southern California, Kyle Caudill is still open and looking. John Manning of VA is mechanical and has bad hands, but he's a big, skinny body to fill out a roster. He could play at a lower-rung high-major school.

Drummond, Birch, and Tarcewski in 2012 are all getting recruited at the highest level.

2012 looks like a banner class for bigs. Too bad St. John's doesn't have a JUCO or two coming in this year to graduate then. 

2012 looks like a banner class for bigs. Too bad St. John's doesn't have a JUCO or two coming in this year to graduate then. 

The problem is a lot of the quality bigs are already closing in on their final five to ten schools. If Lavin plays above board, the rebuilding may take a while, but at least there's a reason for optimism, where there was none with Roberts.

I'd take a look at Kevin Johnson, a 6'9" 240 lb center from San Fernando Valley. He goes to the same school as Larry Drew II and Jordan Farmar.

Calipari (potentially) leaving would cause an enormous amount of dominoes to fall, as would Calhoun getting hit.

The problem is a lot of the quality bigs are already closing in on their final five to ten schools. If Lavin plays above board, the rebuilding may take a while, but at least there's a reason for optimism, where there was none with Roberts.

What I figure is that Lavin will bring in some combination of passable big men and foreign players (if he gets a good tip on one or more).  To me, if St. John's is decent in the Big East and has a shot at the NCAAs for a couple of years, it's so much better than what the fans have seen in... a really long time.

Six or seven schools seem to get big-time centers whenever they please, and the rest, as stated above, fight for the scraps. And until we start winning, we may not even get the top-notch scraps. Just give me a 6'9", 230 guy who can keep up down the floor and has some semblance of basketball IQ and I'll stay happy until we land the big fish. I do expect a top point guard two seasons from now, though.

Not The Sleaveless Guy: Do you know anything about Reggie Murphy, Polee's team's center? I know Minnesota is looking at him. On paper he seems like he'd be a worthwhile project if Barry doesn't land here.

Six or seven schools seem to get big-time centers whenever they please, and the rest, as stated above, fight for the scraps. And until we start winning, we may not even get the top-notch scraps. Just give me a 6'9", 230 guy who can keep up down the floor and has some semblance of basketball IQ and I'll stay happy until we land the big fish. I do expect a top point guard two seasons from now, though.

Not The Sleaveless Guy: Do you know anything about Reggie Murphy, Polee's team's center? I know Minnesota is looking at him. On paper he seems like he'd be a worthwhile project if Barry doesn't land here.

No, I don't. I spoke to an assistant at Taft and another at LB Poly, two of the better programs in the area, and both thought Polee was by far their best player, but Polee still has problems knocking down both the mid-range and the three-point shot. They both felt he'd have to play the three at STJ. Neither heard if Polee's dad is planning on moving to NY.

I saw Kyle Caudill play last night and he was the only player calling to be taken out. He's lost weight, but he was winded at the 9 minute mark with essentially running time. His camp coach, who's a nice guy, was shocked at his condition and told him to just fight through it to the ten minute mark.