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Amir Garrett Enrolls at Bridgton Academy, Will Work Toward Eligibility

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Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv is reporting that St. John’s signee Amir Garrett has enrolled at Bridgton Academy (ME) and will work toward college eligibility, in an attempt to qualify for the second semester and play for St. John’s.

Garrett will join St. John's commit Darrick Wood at Bridgton Academy. (Photo: SI)
“I would say that that’s the plan,” Bridgton coach Whit Lesure told Zagoria. “I know our college counselor was with him today and visited with me quickly.”

After being ruled academically ineligible by the NCAA less than a week ago, Garrett will join St. John’s commit Darrick Wood at the North Bridgton, Maine prep school.

Garrett will remain committed to St. John’s, unlike his former fellow signee JaKarr Sampson, who is returning to Brewster Academy for a post-grad year and will reopen his recruitment.

Recent developments have been in-line with what Garrett’s father, Darrow, told CBSSports.com’s Jeff Goodman last week, saying, “[Amir] will play at St. John’s in December. Mark my words.”

Bridgton Academy is not new to St. John’s, having turned out junior guard Malik Stith, along with St. John’s graduates Paris Horne and Justin Burrell.

With Sampson decommitted and Garrett and Norvel Pelle ineligible, the Red Storm will have eight scholarship players on the active roster to begin the 2011-2012 season. Guard Jamal White, a transfer from Long Island University and former walk-on, was granted an athletic scholarship, following the rulings of ineligibility.

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

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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.

Seven of Steve Lavin's nine newcomers have been cleared by the NCAA, so far. (Photo: Icon/SMI)
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.

The Excellence of Execution

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Less than two days after playing their hearts out on the other side of the country in a 76-71 loss to St. Mary’s, St. John’s returned home to Carnesecca Arena and battled a hot-shooting Columbia team in Steve Lavin’s first home game as head coach. Despite trailing the Lions by four at halftime, the Red Storm hit their best stride coming out of the locker room and held on down the stretch to preserve Lavin’s first victory at the helm of the Johnnies; a 79-66 decision over the Ivy League school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Justin Burrell slammed a thunderous alley oop from teammate Malik Boothe midway through the 2nd half that caused the arena to rise to their feet. (RedStormSports.com)
“We wanted to get this one for Coach Lavin,” said senior Justin Burrell, who despite only scoring two points made an impact by stuffing a Malik Boothe alley-oop into the net to put St. John’s ahead 70-57 late in the second half. Fellow fourth-year player Paris Horne chimed in by saying his team needed the win because “no one wants to start 0-2.” D.J. Kennedy led the Johnnies with 18 points, while Justin Brownlee chipped in with 15 of his own.  For the second consecutive game, Malik Stith and Dwayne Polee reached double figures with 11 and 10, respectively; which earned yet another round of praise from the head man.  “I gave him the Woody Allen line: Half the battle in life is showing up,” said Lavin after the game when asked of Polee’s maturity.

The Red Storm engaged Columbia in a long-distance shootout early on, with Columbia shooting 53% (8-for-15) from beyond the arc in the opening stanza. Dyami Starks managed 15 points (all from long range) for Columbia in the first half, giving Lavin’s team flashbacks to Monday night/Tuesday morning when Clint Steindl was seemingly unstoppable from outside for St. Mary’s. Columbia used their outside trajectory to pull ahead late in the first half, and Lavin placed the blame squarely on his shoulders. “I think I oversubstituted and we lost our rhythm,” said the coach. “I’ll take the fault for us losing that lead.” After being outrebounded 26-17 through the first twenty minutes, St. John’s regrouped in the second half to outhustle the Lions on the glass 24-14 over the final frame.  (41-40 overall)

Even with four Johnnies scoring in double figures and coming back from an early deficit, the night still belonged to Lavin after picking up his first win on the sidelines since 2003 just several hours after wrapping up his 2011 recruiting class with the signing of highly-touted prospect Amir Garrett. “I’ll keep it in the office upstairs,” he remarked after Burrell announced in the postgame press conference that the coach would be presented with the game ball following the final buzzer.

St. John’s (1-1) now prepares for the Great Alaska Shootout, and their first game in that tournament comes next week against Ball State.

The Dom Of New York

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Steve Lavin strikes again.

Five days after D’Angelo Harrison committed to St. John’s, a fourth player has been added to an already impressive 2011 class. Quality Education Academy SF Dom Pointer, another ESPNU top 100 recruit has said yes to the Red Storm.

Dom Pointer at the Kevin Durant Skills Academy. The 6'5 swing will be the stopper for the Red Storm. (Kelly Kline)

Pointer is widely regarded as one of if not the best defender in the entire 2011 class, and is a player who prides himself on the defense he plays.

“I take [guarding the other teams best player] personally,” Pointer told ESPN’s Paul Biancardi. “I need it. I want it. I gotta’ have it.”

The 6’5, 200 lbs Pointer is a versatile forward that can handle the ball as well as play in the paint. Don’t be surprised if you see Pointer playing some point guard and or time at the 2 guard as all this fits his comfort zone.

“I liked the small classroom size and felt comfortable with the coaching staff and players,” said Pointer. “I also like the fact that coach Lavin has been so successful in the past (at UCLA).”

There was tons of speculation within the St. John’s fan base on whether or not Pointer would choose St. John’s. Pointer’s father, Tony Nolan made it very clear he wanted his son to play for the hometown Wolverines.

“My dad’s OK with it,” Pointer said to SNY’s Adam Zagoria. “He said he wanted me [to go to Michigan] but he was good with the decision I made. We’re all together on it.”

Pointer is the 21st ranked SF in the 2011 class according to Rivals. He joins the 12th ranked SF JaKarr Sampson, the 13th ranked SF Moe Harkless and 9th best SG in D’Angelo Harrison.

Although some may say the Lavin is loading up on players on the wings, this all seems like a mighty fine problem to have.

Following the commitment by Harrison last week, ESPN moved St. John’s to the #9 best 2011 class in the country. Today’s updated rankings with the Pointer addition, has the Red Storm ranked 5th.

The ark that Steve Lavin has been talking about building since he got to St. John’s is starting to fill up.

Still waiting in the wings are possible commitments from Amir Garrett, Norvel Pelle and an expected commitment from Nurideen Lindsey.

It’s scary how the 2011 class is starting to shape up for the Red Storm and with many more scholarships available, this is only the beginning.