Smart money on Johnnies;
“@ReggieRankin:
Springfield Gardens (N.Y.) Pope John XXIII | PF | 6-9/190 | ESPN 60 Rank: No. 19
Last week's BlueChipBattles rank: Unranked
Who wants him? St. John's, Cincinnati and UNLV.
Front-runner: The smart money should be on St. John's as Steve Lavin has been hard to beat for recruits in his backyard recently.
Dark Horse: Cincinnati isn't the hometown choice nor does it have the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas, but it's done a better job recruiting him than anyone in the country.
@FinkelsteinNERR with the buzz: Lawrence confirmed his final three schools while also weighing some of the biggest selling points of each option to ESPN recently. Meanwhile, he is hoping to make his season debut on the court after suffering an injury over the summer.
Best fit: He's a high-level athlete who could find a role in any system but what sets him apart, when healthy, is the improved skill set to score the ball from all three ranges. In order to be best utilized at the next level, he'll work mismatches by posting up, playing off the high post and shooting 3s.
Lawrence on his recruitment: "I'm going to take an official to St. John's soon. Then, after the visit, we'll take a little time to sit down and see what each school has to offer. We'll go from there."
RecruitingNation ranks Lawrence's recruitment as the No. 10 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.