Report: St. John’s Amir Garrett and Norvel Pelle Still Awaiting NCAA Clearance

Jeff Goodman of CBS is reporting that incoming St. John’s freshmen Norvel Pelle and Amir Garrett are still awaiting academic clearance from the NCAA.

As part of a larger piece on players around the country who are still awaiting clearance, Goodman says that Pelle and Garrett finished summer classes last week.

Questions arose over the summer about Pelle’s eligibility and the possibility of taking a prep year, which were refuted. He enrolled in summer classes at Rise Academy in Philadelphia to work toward eligibility.

Amir Garrett had an eventful summer for reasons that lie outside the basketball court.

Aside from taking classes at Rise Academy to gain eligibility, Garrett signed to play baseball with the Cincinnati Reds.

“We are hopeful that all of our incoming men’s basketball student-athletes will meet their NCAA eligibility requirements and will be able to join us on campus very soon,” Senior Associate Athletics Director for Communications at St. John’s Mark Fratto told JohnnyJungle.com.

Pelle is one of two true big men slated to play for the Red Storm in 2011-2012, along with junior college transfer God’sgift Achiuwa. The lanky, 6’10” California product is an athletic shotblocker who can finish above the rim.

Garrett is another California product, by way of Findlay Prep in Nevada. The high-flying forward finished as a Top 75 recruit who head coach Steve Lavin has called a “special talent” and “an ideal fit for the [St. John’s] system of play.”

The seven other newcomers from St. John’s Class of 2011 have been cleared by the NCAA. With summer classes having ended for Garrett and Pelle just over a week ago, an NCAA ruling is expected in the coming weeks.