God'sgift Achiuwa - PF - Erie Community College - Nigeria, Africa - ST. JOHN'S

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sju89tr

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UCLA has put together a fine class as well and are still in the mix for Daniels

FWIW Darcy's story on the signing is on the front page of ESPN.com in the top news section right now.  Mostly because they find his name so unique no doubt but any PR is good PR.

FWIW Darcy's story on the signing is on the front page of ESPN.com in the top news section right now.  Mostly because they find his name so unique no doubt but any PR is good PR.

1. ESPN New York has increased St. John's exposure tremendously
2. Lavin has increased ESPN's awareness of St. John's 10 fold
Follow Johnny Jungle on Twitter at @Johnny_Jungle

 :2funny: Some of the comments you read on ESPN.com & CBS.com, and other sites by fans of other teams, after this story about St. John's latest recruit, are hysterical. Some are implying that Lavin and STJ are up to shady and unfair practices. Their coaches can't land a class of 9 great recruits, so Lavin is up to something. ;D :2funny:

Now there's also a story on Deadspin, again brought about by the name.  They want to know who's name is better, God's Gift or recent Wake Forest football commit Godspower Offor.

Moose

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FWIW Darcy's story on the signing is on the front page of ESPN.com in the top news section right now.  Mostly because they find his name so unique no doubt but any PR is good PR.

Does Darcy's story talk of WHY he has the name?
Remember who broke the Slice news

FWIW Darcy's story on the signing is on the front page of ESPN.com in the top news section right now.  Mostly because they find his name so unique no doubt but any PR is good PR.

Does Darcy's story talk of WHY he has the name?

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/How-junior-college-star-God-s-Gift-Achiuwa-got-h?urn=ncaab-253762
Follow Johnny Jungle on Twitter at @Johnny_Jungle

DFF6

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Now if we could start making UCLA unhappy......................

Cuse is on the top of my list for making unhappy.  With Lav & co., it's time we reclaim the distinction as THE NY college bball team and shut up those annoyingly arrogant orange fans.

Moose

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FWIW Darcy's story on the signing is on the front page of ESPN.com in the top news section right now.  Mostly because they find his name so unique no doubt but any PR is good PR.

Does Darcy's story talk of WHY he has the name?

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/How-junior-college-star-God-s-Gift-Achiuwa-got-h?urn=ncaab-253762

I knew why all along :)

I'm wondering if his story is helping the public understand instead of jumping to conclusions.
Remember who broke the Slice news

What a great Class,  thank god I found this site on time thanks Johnny.

Remember some old song as a kid that had lyrics kinda like this: "Something tells me I'm (substitute Lav's) into something good."

Pure denial...Some cannot believe that having a vision, and having yourself and staff that can implement it, in the best city in the country, isn't enough to draw in some terrific young men to come on board the Ark...I guess they're not wide eyed dreamers like we've become    ;)

:2funny: Some of the comments you read on ESPN.com & CBS.com, and other sites by fans of other teams, after this story about St. John's latest recruit, are hysterical. Some are implying that Lavin and STJ are up to shady and unfair practices. Their coaches can't land a class of 9 great recruits, so Lavin is up to something. ;D :2funny:

Moose - funniest thing I saw on the boards was: "I thought God's Gift is playing in Miami?"   :2funny: lmao - That is a good zing...

FWIW Darcy's story on the signing is on the front page of ESPN.com in the top news section right now.  Mostly because they find his name so unique no doubt but any PR is good PR.

Does Darcy's story talk of WHY he has the name?

St. John's coach Steve Lavin has to hope his newest recruit is as impressive on the basketball court as his name.

God's Gift Achiuwa -- a 6-foot-9 power forward and first-team juco All-American from Erie (N.Y.) Community College -- is the ninth player to commit to the Red Storm for next season. St. John's has the No. 3-ranked recruiting class, according to ESPN Insider's top 25.

The Nigerian native, whose father is a minister, chose St. John's over Washington and Cincinnati.

Read More:
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/ncb/news/story?id=6443546
When you're a kid from New York and you do it in New York, that lasts forever!

How is his last name pronounced?

I believe the announcer for the JUCO game I saw pronounced it   Ah-choo-wah
When you're a kid from New York and you do it in New York, that lasts forever!

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/colleges/other-local-colleges/article406838.ece

Opportunity brought God's Gift Achiuwa from his home in Port Harcourt, River States, Nigeria, to Buffalo to play junior college basketball. And that's what will take him to New York City next year to continue his education and athletic career with St. John's.

Achiuwa made his announcement Thursday at the Flickinger Athletic Center, where he spent the last two years starring for the Erie Community College Kats.

The 6-foot-9 forward wanted to compete in the Big East on one of the biggest stages in college basketball.
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"He doesn't want to be a big fish in a small pond," Nwora said. "He wants to be a big fish with the other big fish and then dog it out to find a way to stand out."

------

"He put in a lot of work in the offseason and got his body where it is now. He has a pro body," Nwora said. "I think he outworked everybody. That's one thing with him — he's going to be a workhorse. They're going to really value his work ethic. Win or lose, he's going to stand out.

"He wants to be the first on the court. He wants to be the fastest. As big as he is, he wins most of our sprints in practice. A guy his size, he can defend one through five. "
When you're a kid from New York and you do it in New York, that lasts forever!

Moose

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http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/colleges/other-local-colleges/article406838.ece

Opportunity brought God's Gift Achiuwa from his home in Port Harcourt, River States, Nigeria, to Buffalo to play junior college basketball. And that's what will take him to New York City next year to continue his education and athletic career with St. John's.

Achiuwa made his announcement Thursday at the Flickinger Athletic Center, where he spent the last two years starring for the Erie Community College Kats.

The 6-foot-9 forward wanted to compete in the Big East on one of the biggest stages in college basketball.
--------
"He doesn't want to be a big fish in a small pond," Nwora said. "He wants to be a big fish with the other big fish and then dog it out to find a way to stand out."

------

"He put in a lot of work in the offseason and got his body where it is now. He has a pro body," Nwora said. "I think he outworked everybody. That's one thing with him — he's going to be a workhorse. They're going to really value his work ethic. Win or lose, he's going to stand out.

"He wants to be the first on the court. He wants to be the fastest. As big as he is, he wins most of our sprints in practice. A guy his size, he can defend one through five. "

His coach has a 2nd career in PR
Remember who broke the Slice news

kjd01067

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A guy his size, "he can defend one through five. "

Have to love the Coach's enthusiasm but come on he isn't going to be able to guard a point guard in the Big East lol
« Last Edit: April 29, 2011, 09:00:52 AM by kjd01067 »

MCNPA

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A guy his size, "he can defend one through five. "

Have to love the Coach's enthusiasm but come on he isn't going to be able to guard a point guard in the Big East lol

No he can't guard a quick PG, but he is a lot quicker than I first suspected.  Doesn't move like a PF. 

derk

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Remember some old song as a kid that had lyrics kinda like this: "Something tells me I'm (substitute Lav's) into something good."

Pure denial...Some cannot believe that having a vision, and having yourself and staff that can implement it, in the best city in the country, isn't enough to draw in some terrific young men to come on board the Ark...I guess they're not wide eyed dreamers like we've become    ;)

:2funny: Some of the comments you read on ESPN.com & CBS.com, and other sites by fans of other teams, after this story about St. John's latest recruit, are hysterical. Some are implying that Lavin and STJ are up to shady and unfair practices. Their coaches can't land a class of 9 great recruits, so Lavin is up to something. ;D :2funny:


It's all about expectations and past history. Just goes to show how far we'd fallen in the eyes of the college ball cognescenti that we couldn't possibly have risen from the dead so soon and with such impact. To the rest of the doubters - bite me.

Very nice 1/2 page write up in todays print edition of Newsday.
Content rehashed what we've read already-
 but just the fact that's a big article not a small blurb

http://www.newsday.com/sports/st-john-s-signs-juco-star-god-s-gift-achiuwa-1.2844943

St. John's signs JUCO star God's Gift Achiuwa
Published: April 28, 2011 3:13 PM
By The Associated Press   

NEW YORK - (AP) -- St. John's has signed JUCO All-America God's Gift Achiuwa, adding the Nigerian to a class that includes six players rated in the top 100 prospects by many recruiting services.

Red Storm coach Steve Lavin announced Thursday that the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Achiuwa had signed a letter of intent to become the ninth member of the 2011-12 recruiting class.

Molloy '71