St. John’s had been missing out on elite New York City recruits for more than a decade. As the Red Storm spiraled from strength to scandal under former coach Mike Jarvis and then to irrelevance under Norm Roberts, the very best of the five boroughs stopped considering it. Instead they departed for established programs and the guarantee of trips to the NCAA Tournament.
The cycle was broken when Steve Lavin landed Moe Harkless last fall to be the first player in what could prove to be the Johnnies’ best recruiting class ever. And the 6-8 freshman from South Jamaica, Queens and St. John’s best city recruit since Ron Artest — vows it’s going to stay that way.
“It could lead to a lot of city kids choosing St. John’s again,” said Harkless, a Daily News All-City selection from Forest Hills High, who played his senior season at South Kent (Conn.) to improve against other elite national prospects. “When I was at Forest Hills, St. John’s had no buzz and got overlooked. Now the buzz is back, and a lot of good city players seek me out for advice.”
Read more:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/st-john-basketball-jumpin-thanks-top-recruit-moe-harkless-queens-article-1.972712#ixzz1crtdc92P