BY ROGER RUBIN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Friday, May 2nd 2008, 6:55 PM
St. John's may make a move to shore up recruiting within the city by hiring Oswald Cross, the former coach at highly successful Our Saviour Lutheran High in the Bronx, to an administrative position.
Cross recently was dismissed from OSL under bizarre circumstances. He created a program so successful that school administrators could not financially support it. He currently is working in a part-time capacity with the AAU Long Island Panthers and also has a full-time job in a different field.
Cross could be very important to St.John's. He coached Justin Burrell, the Red Storm's 6-7 star freshman who is said to be considering a transfer.He is also a counselor to Kevin Parrom, a junior forward out of St. Raymond in the Bronx.
At St. John's, 10 of the first 22 players to whom SJU coach Norm Roberts offered scholarships have left. Roberts made a vow that the Red Storm would not let its top players leave without a fight. Hiring Cross may give him some leverage in that fight.
Burrell, who is arguably St. John's top returning talent, could be influenced by the departures of other players.