Omari Lawrence

Manhattan to Manhattan: Omari Lawrence Looks for Success at Kansas State

May 11, 2011 by Daniel Martin 9 Comments

When former St. John’s swingman Omari Lawrence looks around and takes a moment to absorb the landscape that surrounds Concordia, Kansas, he is reminded that he is far from the brick buildings and concrete streets of his hometown, the Bronx.

“Things in Kansas are slow and quiet. It’s mostly farmland,” said Lawrence. “I’m usually either at school, working on my game, or studying.”

Here in Kansas, there is no rumble of subway trains underfoot or corner stores on every block. The state has no major professional sports teams from the four major sports and is bisected by Interstate 70, which runs from Missouri in the east to Colorado in the west. The entire state of Kansas has a population of 2.8 million, roughly one third the population of New York City alone.

Omari Lawrence will continue his road back to Division I basketball next year at Kansas State. (Photo: Icon/SMI)

This city kid, born and raised, has officially traded the playgrounds of New York City for the fields of eastern Kansas, but the goal is still the same: play high-major Division I basketball.

Lawrence starred at St. Raymond’s (NY) his junior year of high school, averaging 18.2 points per game before transferring to South Kent (CT) for his senior season.

In the summer before his senior year, Lawrence tore his labrum at an NBA Top 100 camp, causing him to miss the summer AAU circuit and a few games that coming season. While rehabbing the shoulder, he gained some unwanted weight and scouts argued he had lost the explosiveness that made him so effective at St. Raymond’s.

The lefty still garnered high-major interest from schools such as UConn, Louisville, and Xavier, but committed to play for former St. John’s coach Norm Roberts in August, 2008. He was part of a four-man class that also included current graduating seniors Dwight Hardy, Justin Brownlee, and now-rising junior Malik Stith.

At the time, Roberts was praised for keeping highly-touted talent in New York City, and the Hardy-Lawrence combination became the face of a new era. Perhaps this was the moment when St. John’s would surge back as a major recruiting force in the tri-state area.

“I chose St. John’s because of the coaching staff,” Lawrence said, looking back on his recruitment. “They made me feel like family. Plus, I wanted to stay close to home.”

But, his freshman season in Queens was not without struggles.

Playing just over nine minutes per game, Lawrence averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds off the bench for the Red Storm. The pace of the college game was difficult for him, at times, and he still had not shed the extra pounds he put on following his shoulder injury, listed at 215 pounds.

“Transitioning from high school to college is a big step,” he said. “I’ve learned that nothing is given to you. You have to work hard every day and continuously get better.”

After Norm Roberts was dismissed following the 2009-2010 season, Lawrence was at a crossroads. He and Roberts were close, saying that they always had “open lines of communication” and were always clear with each other.

“When he left, my family and I wanted a new change of environment for me,” said Lawrence.

Lawrence said he talked with Steve Lavin a few times after he was hired as the new head coach at St. John’s, but the lure of starting over somewhere new was too strong. He filed his papers to transfer in May, 2010.

Once back on the market, Kansas State and head coach Frank Martin were the first to reach out to Lawrence.

“I liked the honesty coach had with me. [He told me] I would have to come there and really work hard and earn everything I receive,” Lawrence said.

Xavier was once again in the mix, along with Southern California, but he ultimately signed to play with the first school to court him, and was headed to play for the Wildcats.

Lawrence spent this past season at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kansas, working on his game and hitting the books. “My coach out here has been able to train me hard every day and get me ready for Kansas State,” he said.

And the hard work is paying off.

The high school weight gain is officially off. Lawrence has slimmed down to 200 pounds and is toned up, becoming visibly more muscular and athletic. He is looking to recapture the explosiveness and scoring ability he had before the shoulder injury set him back.

Wildcats head coach Frank Martin is known as an enforcer who expects a lot from his players, and the hard-working Lawrence hopes to fit in well. He joins a program that has traditionally recruited New York talent, including graduating senior Curtis Kelly, who found success after transferring from UConn in 2008.

“They need a slasher and, if I work hard, everything will work out,” Lawrence said.

With an increase in minutes from the time he saw at St. John’s, the Bronx native will more readily adjust to the pace of Division I ball and could flourish at Kansas State. His muscular frame, paired with his new-found explosiveness, will benefit him on the offensive end when he attacks the basket. He is still working to polish a consistent mid-range game, but is looking forward to working with the Kansas State staff to grow as a player.

“The community welcomed me with open arms here and never made me feel like an outcast. I’m just thankful Kansas State is giving me a second chance.” -Omari Lawrence

At St. John’s, he was strongest on the defensive end and that will translate well for next season. His hustle cannot be underestimated and, just like on the offensive end, his new physical shape will help him excel.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect coming out here, but I’m happy with my decision,” said Lawrence of deciding to go to school in the Midwest. “The community welcomed me with open arms here and never made me feel like an outcast. I’m just thankful Kansas State is giving me a second chance.”

When Lawrence takes the floor next year in Wildcat purple and silver, it will still be in a Manhattan, just a much smaller, skyscraper-free Kansas version. He continues to build his support network of family and friends, who he credits for having helped him cope with his big transition. Among them is good friend and graduating St. John’s guard Dwight Hardy, a fellow Bronx native who spent time at junior college as well in his career.

“[Hardy] told me that this is just a new start for me,” Lawrence said.

And, as grand as the change seems, that is exactly how the former Johnny is looking at it: “just a new start.”

What Should Lavin Do?

June 10, 2010 by WSJU Guys Leave a Comment

Norm Roberts left the program with a huge scholarship imbalance on the roster. When Omari Lawrence transferred out of the program it opened the door for potentially others to walk out as well. In the newest column on JohnnyJungle.com “Over the Airwaves” the opinions of WSJU Radio personalities Dan Martin and Timmy Dzeladini-Dimas will be on display on a hot topics of debate regarding St. John’s Basketball. The first assignment is what to do about the scholarship imbalance? Should anyone else transfer? Lets take a look at what they have to say.

At this point, I don’t expect St. John’s to push any more scholarship players out.Iif they were to let someone go, it would most likely be forward Rob Thomas. The Johnnies are crowded down low. They have five capable guys, though none of them can really take over a game. With Sean Evans, Justin Burrell, Justin Brownlee, and Dele Coker, Thomas seems to be the odd man out when it comes to rotation and playing time. Thomas is probably, the least “impact” of these guys, being that he is more of a “grind-it-out” player. He’ll get garbage points off rebounds, but he doesn’t demand any attention on the block. With this same lack of offensive production at the point, Coach Lavin cannot afford to have two offensive holes on the floor at the same time. He is one of the hardest working guys on the team who has overcome such adversity, but nagging injuries and inability to keep his weight absolutely in check have kept him down.

3166371377_7e973d78f9_o — Quincy Roberts the forgotten Johnny. Can he get back to form? Get minutes?

Especially if Remi Barry is brought in, Thomas’ minutes could be cut to virtually nothing because Barry is an inch taller, with more athleticism and the ability to step out and shoot the jumper. If this perfect storm comes to be, look for Thomas to be on the bench for a good deal of the 2010-2011 season.

After averaging 5 points per game his freshman year, Roberts played in four games this past season before being red-shirted. With guys like Polee and, perhaps, Barry coming in, players who would fill the same role as Roberts did, his minutes should be significantly cut. A coach brings guys in by selling a system and how that guy would fit into that system. Lavin clearly wants to use the speed and athleticism of Polee to run all game this year. In my mind, that’s not something Roberts can do.

Another point of interest on the Johnnies roster is Malik Stith. Averaging just over a single point and assist per game in eleven minutes his freshman year, he was essentially a carbon copy of starting point guard Malik Boothe. They share the same set of skills (distributor, ball-handler) and weaknesses (lack of ability to consistently get to the basket, weak outside game). To win in the Big East, you can’t have this kind of passiveness running the point. That’s why, I imagine, Stith’s heart was beating quickly when news surfaced that St. John’s was pursuing New York-born gem Doron Lamb, who has since committed to college basketball One-And-Done goliath Kentucky. Though Lamb was technically a shooting guard, he would have been more than capable of running the point.

With all of this said, it makes no sense to clean house entirely and bring in brand new recruits. Granted, there is better talent out there than what exists right now, but Lavin needs to remember that nine scholarships will open up after this season, giving him nearly free reign as to what direction he takes this program. That is why it makes sense to keep these kids around. If Malik Stith ends up being the 11th guy on your roster, you’ve got to have a pretty good team. You cannot discount the talent that exists. Every player has an upside that needs to be developed, that which I think was absent under Norm Roberts.

Dan Martin
St. John’s 2013
@Dan_MartinWSJU

I feel if Malik Stith is used properly, he can be a solid contributor off the bench. Last year, he really struggled at times to play his position but he showed also that he can get to the basket, draw fouls or create on the move at times. With playing time, he needs to be productive because if he wants to play in 2011; when Boothe leaves next year there is no guarantee that Stith gets the green light to be the starting point guard.

Quincy Roberts missed all of last season with a concussion. People questioned if he would transfer last year and that proved to be no. I don’t think he will transfer now and if I’m Lavin I don’t think I’d be trying to move players. Not the right image. He has to show he can be better then ex-coach Norm Roberts was with the players Norm had.

lavin-baron — Steve Lavin instructing his phenom point guard Baron Davis at UCLA.

Even if these players do decide to leave, Lavin needs to hold those scholarships until next year. If Doron Lamb, the Brooklyn Native point guard, was still deciding and we had this option then I’d say go after him. But he isn’t, and there really aren’t any top point guards left with Brandon Knight also signing with The Kentucky Wildcats. The field is a bit dry now that the top talents have signed to their respective schools. Right now all signs show that both players will remain with the school so unless Lavin pushes them out, which I doubt he will, they will be Johnnies next year.

I think the player with more to gain or lose of the two is Stith. Lavin will look to recruit point guards, like one of his first recruits with UCLA, Baron Davis. If Stith can be a spark plug for this team off the bench with Hardy, Polee, Roberts this team can go far. Lavin will give him a lot of playing time so he needs to take what he gets and makes sure he seizes the opportunity.

With nine seniors on this team you have a bunch of veteran leadership that knows how to play the college game. Barry and Polee can ease their development for the first year and be the faces of this team next year when the starters graduate. Lavin can groom his new players the way he wants and then next year get kids that are semi developed for the college game and won’t need too much grooming. Lavin is a showman and right now his opening act is looking as good as it could be if not great in the short amount of time and little amount of moving room he has. Next year though, will be the intro to a long act.

Timmy Dzeladini-Dimas
St. John’s 2013
@TimmyD_WSJU

Omari and Out

May 16, 2010 by Dave Krupinski Leave a Comment

It’s been talked about, it’s been rumored, and we hoped it was solved. Omari Lawrence wasn’t happy with his playing time last season and didn’t click with coach Norm Roberts.

After Norm Roberts departure everyone exhaled thinking all the problems were over however Lawrence made mention on his facebook account last week that he was done with St. John’s in a day.

We chalked that up meaning that he was done with his finals. He was leaving schools for summer. He finished his freshman year however this wasn’t the case.

“I’m done with the Big East my boii” Lawrence tweeted. “It will be public Monday”

With the recruitment of Remi Barry we knew someone had to go but no St. John’s fan wanted it to be Omari Lawrence. We wish him the best of luck and hope he finds what he is looking for both athletically and academically.

2010 Position Review: SG

May 14, 2010 by Pico Dulce Leave a Comment

The first of a series of five looks at the Red Storm’s players, position-by-position.

At times this season, Dwight Hardy looked like the savior, come down from community college to shoot that round thing from distance into the orange hoop – just like St. John’s fans have seen other teams do on television. Hardy was a glorious sight in yet another season of errant shots and scrums for offensive rebounds, an impact Junior College player. And throughout the season, fans complained about how Hardy was used, that he couldn’t get his shots off without having plays run for him.

Meanwhile, Ol’ Faithful Paris Horne was trying to get to the hoop, shooting his standstill jumper from the corners, playing decent defense, and playing like he always has – a very good athlete with hops but also with creative limitations. Some fans would say Dwight Hardy should have started more games, since he was a far superior offensive option. And those same people say the stats will bear that idea out.

Those people are wrong. (Somewhat.) The stats don’t tell that tale.

Paris Horne was actually a better scorer in Big East play (see table below of non-conference, conference, and overall shooting numbers). He had his problems – discussed below – but perhaps experience overcame whatever was ailing him (be it physical or mental with his change in role). In Big East play, he increased his efficiency inside the arc and came back from a rough early-season slump from beyond the arc to once again be a solid 3-point shooting threat.

Meanwhile, Dwight Hardy – perhaps being a point of emphasis for opponents as St. John’s One True Threat from outside – saw his percentages drop like a stone. The shooting inside the arc went from surprisingly solid for a slim guard to a struggle (48.9% to 37% in conference play). And his three-point shooting – his calling card – also struggled. He wasn’t an Avery Patterson-level liability (Patterson shot 29% in Big East play while in the red and white), but 35% is a far cry from nearly 42% outside the arc.

The Big East defenses slowed down Green Light Dwight.

[table id=116 /]

D-Buckets

To this observer, Hardy needed to have more screens set for him, set plays to free him for a shot with a passer delivering the ball on time. But in the Red Storm offense, he who has the ball gets to drive for the shot. It worked at times. And as we know, it failed at others.

But it’s not as if Hardy was cheated for shots; he has his moves to free himself off the dribble, he got shots when the Red Storm was struggling. Despite common complaints, the offense did look for him to get hot fast and put that round thing in the hoop thing like on TV. Hardy gets to the line on occasion, and can hit his free throws credibly (certainly better than his teammates). Hardy doesn’t provide much else – a few defensive rebounds, the ability to bring the ball up in a pinch, a few steals, a few assists.

But this is not just about Hardy. Hardy and Horne often traded time on the court. And Hardy’s ability to get shots off was valuable; but his sometime-deficiency in keeping his opponent in front of him was a negative. That said, Horne had defensive troubles from time to time. Horne needs to shoot off of the catch, preferably standing still; his shot off the dribble is okay, but nothing to depend on.

Paris (not Hilton)

Paris’ improvement on the season brought him closer to the solid role player he was his sophomore year. But what seemed like a conference play blip in his free throw shooting in 2008-09 has become a problem. Paris shot 61.7% from the line in Big East regular season play that year, much lower than his overall percentage of 67.8%. Then last year, Paris stayed just over 50% from the line. That’s Sean Evans territory. No one should be in Sean Evans territory. Moreover, that’s a bizarre number for a decent shooter; usually, poor free throw shooters are poor outside shooters. And Paris is not poor from outside.

Could the problem come down to rhythm and repetition? Horne didn’t have 3-6 nights, he had 1-2 games, 0-1 games, 3-5 games. He doesn’t draw fouls quite enough to get comfortable going to the line and knocking them down in game situations. I’m not saying he shouldn’t be ready to hit any free throw at any time, but sometimes, free throw shooting problems are mental along with mechanical.

As A Position

Horne and Hardy are statistically similar (holding shot attempts constant). Medium turnover guards who hand off the occasional assist, grab a couple of rebounds, could stand to get to the free throw line more. Dwight Hardy comes in the game ready to shoot, gets a few more steals, works from outside in, and can handle the ball. Horne rebounds and passes better, blocks a shot once in a while, and is a better defender.

Next Year: Both will be competing for playing time. If the offense is more wide open, both bring skills to the table; Horne as an open court dunker with defensive skills, and Hardy as a deadly spot-up shooter. I believe Hardy will get off better shots – if his teammates find him. If he can get a little stronger, work harder to get open, and improve his defensive ability, he will be a force. One hopes that the lull in his shooting is simply a result of a poorly-functioning offense, and not an inability to get shots off against quality defenses.

And if Horne can improve his quickness/ strength slightly and find ways of turning his drives into fouls and his dunk attempts into highlight-reel flushes, his athleticism will be put to good use. Paris plays within his means, and can be an excellent complementary player in his senior year. The free throw shooting needs improvement, but overall, we know what we will get from Paris.

[table id=118 /] [table id=120 /]

[table id=117 /] [table id=119 /]

Transplanted New Yorker and now Midwesterner Peter a/k/a Pico writes for the East Coast Bias and the Church of Bracketology and for Johnny Jungle, doing the Calm Before the Storm posts. Pico is also on Twitter, @ECoastBias.