St. John's beats UCLA to snap 4-game losing streak

D'Angelo Harrison scored 22 points and Phil Greene made a huge rebound with 6.5 seconds to play but it was Sir' Dominic Pointer's crowd-pleasing dunk that set the tone as St. John's defeated UCLA 66-63 on Saturday  at Madison Square Garden.

Pointer's dunk with 13:16 left seem to invigorate the Red Storm and got the home crowd into the game.

"Climbing the imaginary ladder" as CBS announcer Ian Eagle called Pointer's jam.

St. John's (11-16) snapped a four game losing streak and the win might be called sweet revenge for last year's loss at UCLA.  The California school was Red Storm head coach Steve Lavin's former team.




Lavin, who is still recovering from prostate cancer, watched the game from a suite high above the Garden floor.

In an interview with CBS, the smiling Lavin said he is taking the recovery "week-to-week and is still focusing on recruiting."

"I come in to watch films with the players," he said.  "I will be back next year."

The head coach discussed his long absences from the team and said,"We try to have a meal with them every week and get them to spend time with my wife.  She's more inspiring than I am in terms of their spirits."

Lavin coached UCLA for seven seasons and took them to the NCAA tournament six times.  He took over at St. John's last year and led the team to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002.

UCLA (15-12) had too many turnovers and couldn't keep up with St. John's athleticism. 

Pointer finished the game with 13 points and seven rebounds while Moe Harkless had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Johnnies.

Linsanity seems to have rubbed off on the Red Storm.  They Sir-tainly looked like a better team today.

Dion Waiters' Breakaway Dunk Brings Down Madison Square Garden House

Syracuse's Dion Waiters' tremendous open court breakaway dunk was the exclamation point on a 95-70 rout of St. John's at Madison Square Garden Saturday afternoon.

Waiters followed up one crowd-pleasing Orange dunk after another by stuffing the ball through the rim with his right hand over his head while the St. John's defenders could only watch and admire.

The sophomore guard then glared at the roaring crowd of 19,979 before heading back on defense as his teammates rejoiced.

The Red Storm were manhandled all afternoon on their supposed home court.  The Garden stands seemed to have been flooded by orange and anyone in red seemed shell shocked during the Syracuse onslaught.

 After Waiters powerful slam gave 'Cuse a 70-46 lead, cheers of "Let's Go Orange" filled the arena with 9:16 left in the game.

Second-ranked Syracuse (23-1, 10-1) was just too physical for the younger,  undermanned and smaller St. John's (10-13, 4-7) team.

The win gave Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim his 879th win tying him with Dean Smith on the all-time victories list.

The Red Storm got off to a 5-0 lead and hung tough with the much bigger Orangemen but couldn't keep up with the deeper and taller visitors.

Syracuse took control of the game with about eight minutes to go and lead by as much as 59-31 after a dunk by seven-footer Fab Melo with 13 minutes remaining in the Big East match-up.

Melo—back from a three-game academic suspension— finished the game with a career high 14 points.

The home-town Johnnies fans are probably saying " 'Cuse me Waiters, there seems to be some fly in my hoop."

St. John's New "Wonder Five" Defeats West Virginia

St. John's sent five freshman out for the opening tip-off last night against West Virginia and never looked back in a 78-62 victory at Madison Square Garden.

It is believed to be the first time the university began a game with  five freshman since their 1927-28 team which later become known as the "Wonder Five."

Head coach Steve Lavin may have been watching his team from an luxury suite a few tiers above the action below— while recuperating from prostate cancer surgery— but it was his suggestion to assistant coach Mike Dunlap to start the five frosh.


"It's a lineup that coach Lavin has talked about in our staff meetings," said Dunlap.  "He just said 'When you feel it, do it' and I felt it today."

The five freshman— part of last year's highly anticipated recruiting class— put together one of the Red Storm's most complete games of the season and ended a four-game losing streak.

 

St. John's fans have been waiting all season to see some evidence of what is considered the greatest incoming class in the school's history.  Last night, they saw some harbingers of things (now woefully lacking) hopefully to come— defense and finishing.

While Lavin's suggestion worked brilliantly on Wednesday night, the team lacks height and is still only seven men deep.  Only Malik Stith has a full Big East season under his belt and actually knows how brutal the Big East schedule can be.

Last night there were more than a few groans after the Mountaineers (15-6, 6-3) went on a 13-2 run to trim the Storm's lead to 68-59 with less than three minutes left.  Even with a lead, there is still doubt in the hearts of Storm fans.

Amir Garrett, Phil Greene, Moe Harkless, D'Angelo Harrison and Sir' Dominic Pointer showed their poise and led a St. John's (9-11, 3-6) team that shot better (.484 FG) and finally closed out the game— especially after the blown ten-point second half lead against Villanova on Saturday still fresh in their minds.

A blocked shot by God's Gift Achiuwa into the hands of Phil Greene, who raced down court to make the score 73-59 with 2:15 left, turned the groans into victory cheers.

If any one can understand the virtue of patience and preach it to his young team through example, it's Lavin.

The coach isn't sure when he will return to the bench— it could be next season— but is still recruiting and recuperating.

"I'll definitely be back on the sidelines, but I have to be mindful of the doctor's advice about doing what's best for my health," he said.  "I am doing a disservice to our current team and to our program if I don't make the prudent choices for my health."

Even West Virginia coach Bob Huggins was asked about starting five freshmen and compared it to Michigan's famed squad which beat his Cincinnati team in the NCAA semifinals.

"In 1992, I saw the Fab Five and I didn't like that much," Huggins said.  "I didn't like this much more.  They are talented guys."

Just a reminder to the new "Wonder Five." The original group went on a 24-game win streak two years later.

St. John's Loses Ugly In Front Of Lavin And His Beautiful Wife

Steve Lavin—who had missed the last nine games recovering from prostate cancer surgery— took a place high above the court and watched his St. John's team get thoroughly beaten by Louisville, 73-58, last night at Madison Square Garden.

If the sight of his struggling team in front of the Red Storm head coach wasn't very good, at least he could look sideways and see his beautiful wife Mary Ann Jarou.

While the St. John's (7-7, 1-2) team— one of the youngest in the country— goes through growing pains, it is an encouraging sign to see the second-year coach getting closer to court side.

Lavin spoke to the team during the pre-game shootaround and told them to play "scrappy."

Too bad the players didn't hear the first letter "S" and what Lavin saw on the court last night was ready for the litter box.

The Red Storm players shot 14% (on 5-of-35 FG shooting) and went almost 10 full minutes without a score in the first half.

They were 1-for-27 during a stretch and looked totally out of sync with each other.

Louisville ( 13-2, 1-2) used a zone defense to frustrate the Red Storm— who have six first-year players in their seven-man rotation.

The second half was a little better and, after running off six straight points, got to within, 51-39, with 8:36 left in the game.  The rally was short lived and the Cardinals defense manhandled the home team for the rest of the game.

The Red Storm team looked totally demoralized  and there was little that Lavin— sitting nine levels up—could do.

"[They are] Young guys that aren't one-and-done type guys and you have to develop them," said Louisville head coach Rick Pitino.  "They're going to mentally lose faith.  They have some very good young players, but when things don't fall, it can get complicated."

Lavin knows his return to the bench might take some time.  He said he was tired after coaching back-to-back games in November and knew he wasn't feeling right and will now let nature take its course.

"I'll be going back on the road to recruit Thursday so this was an opportunity on the calender to attend a game and support the team," Lavin said through a spokesperson. "I will  continue a modified schedule with duties that include being at practices, recruiting the 2012 class and attending certain games.

If the Storm keep playing like last night, I would would recommend bringing your actress wife— the view will be better.

Lavin Watches St. John's Outlast Fordham, 56-50, From Florida Gym

St. John's used only five players in the first half and added another for the second as the short-handed Red Storm defeated Fordham, 56-50,  at the Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden Saturday afternoon.

Steve Lavin missed his fifth game in a row while he recovers from prostate cancer surgery.  The St. John's head coach was at a high school tournament in Florida where he is recruiting and texted to Associated Press after the win.

"Big W!  For a number of reasons!" Lavin texted.  "Our first Garden victory... payoff of the work put in in the past week...puts wind in the sails and bounce in the kid's steps... chance to go into Christmas on an uptick."

Speaking of wind, the St. John's (5-5) squad is lucky they didn't run out of it.  It was the team's first game since Nurideen Lindsay transferred.  Three academically-ineligible players leaves them with a six-man rotation.  Malik Stith sat out the first half for an academics violation, but played the second half and contributed a key steal.

Freshman forward Moe Harkless had 13 points and 16 rebounds.  It was his third straight double-double and it helped the Red Storm snap a three-game losing streak but not before the team huffed-and-puffed their way to victory.

"Once you get that second wind, I could keep playing for another 40 minutes, probably" joked Harkless.

Harkless was one of four Red Storm starters who did play the full 40 minutes.

Fordham (4-6) came back in the second half after St. John's appeared to take control by running off an 18-0 spurt that started in the first half and carried over to the second.  The flurry of points gave them a comfortable 42-26 lead with 16:53 to play.

The Rams almost took a page from last year's comeback from a 21-point deficit to beat the Johnnies 84-81.

Fordham got to within three points, 53-50, with 1:56 to play and had a chance to tie the game after the Storm's D'Angelo Harrison blew a jumper.  An 3-point air ball by the Rams' Bryan Smith  sealed their fate after St. John's made 3-of-4 free-throws in the final 26 seconds.

St. John's assistant coach Mike Dunlap— who is filling in for the recuperating Lavin— knows his young team is going to need all the stamina it can muster until the rigorous Big East schedule starts and the three ineligible players can return to the roster.

"They had the momentum and they were making shots," said Dunlap.  "In the first half we were fresher and able to transition and to get to their zone before they set it up, especially the last 2:30 of the first half."

St. John's Young Guns Begin Era With Impressive Win

The most anticipated St. John's basketball team in over a decade took to the floor at Carnesecca Arena and brought in a new era of pride after beating C.W. Post 110-80 last night in an exhibition game.   The Red Storm looked pretty impressive considering three of their 10 scholarship players weren't playing due to academic ineligibility.

The highly-rated recruiting class is filled with so much young talent, it's hard to say—after one game— who to deserves the most praise.

Every one of these players have their eyes on one day playing professionally but there is a sense that—for now— they know how to share the wealth.  Six players finished the game scoring in double figures.

What the St. John's team lacks in size, they make up with incredible athletic skills.  The rangy, young talent—wait until their bodies fill out—can run the floor with the best of them.

St. John's head coach Steve Lavin—who missed the game while recovering from prostate surgery—has assembled an unrelenting offensive machine.  When— and if— JaKarr Sampson, Norvell Pelle and Amir Garrettt return around Christmas time, Lavin might have more gifts than he can open.

Speaking of gifts, God's Gift Achiuwa (21 points, nine rebounds) looks like a real bruiser.  The muscular 6-foot-eight power-forward can run baseline to baseline like a guard and is a defensive and offensive match-up nightmare under the basket.  Achiuwa looked like a man among boys and started the game with 10 points in the first seven minutes.

Swing forward Moe Harkless (14 points, 14 rebounds), the highest rated New York high school player since Ron Artest to play for St. John's, is a high-flying board hoarder, while Nurideen Lindsay (16 points, 7 assists) can take the shot as well as dish them out.

The rest of the team just put on a scoring clinic and exploded for a 36-point lead at one time in the second half.

Combo guard Phil Greene (20 points, 4-of-6 3-pointers) looked like the floor leader and was joined in the backcourt by shooting guard D'Angelo Harrison (20 points, 4 assists).

While C.W. Post is no UConn, it still took advantage of the Red Storm's deficiencies on defense.  Mike Dunlap, who took over at the helm for the recovering Lavin, wasn't oblivious to the problem.

"We're a new unit and were trying to figure out who we were," said the interim coach.  "We know we need to do a better job on the defensive end."

The team speed and athleticism will only go so far when St. John's starts banging bodies with the giants of the Big East.  The smaller C.W. Post team battled to a 36-36 tie on the boards and that won't lead to wins in January and February.

St. John's gave up too many easy shots while C.W. Post's All-American Stefan Bonneau scored a game high 28 points and was 5-of-9 from the 3-point arc.

In their debut, St. John's fouled the Pioneers early and often and looked slow in transition during the first half.  Call it opening night jitters.  The inexperienced—but talented— Red Storm made it apparent that they were playing for the first time together and their game appeared skittish but effortless. 

What St. John's lacked in first-half D, they made up with a second-half O.  The 110 point total was the most points scored by the Red Storm since 115 vs. Niagara on Jan. 4 1999 and, as a team,  finished the game shooting 65.8% (50-for-76).  They also doled out 24 assists and forced 19 turnovers.

It's too early to put a label on this Red Storm team but, if last night was any indication, there are a lot of stars in the making and they are going to be a fun bunch to watch.

Last season, Lavin's first year in Queens,  St. John's surprised everyone by making the NCAA tournament for the first time since the last McRib.  He did it with a veteran bunch of over-achieving seniors.

This year, Lavin comes in with his team, the third-rated recruiting class in the nation and high hopes on the St. John's campus.  The Big East coaches picked the Red Storm to finish 12th in the league.  Last night, the young Storm looked a lot better than that.

St. John's 2011-12 Recruiting Class Takes Hit; Sampson, Garrett & Pelle Ineligible

St. John's University's Top-3 nationally-ranked basketball class just got knocked down a few spots.  Incoming 2011-12 recruits JaKarr Sampson, Norvel Pelle and Amir Garrett have yet to be approved by the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse and will not be eligible to play during the fall semester.

Head coach Steve Lavin announced Thursday that the three student-athletes-- one-third of his lauded nine top freshmen recruits-- are unable to qualify for the 2011 fall semester.

They won't be enrolled for this semester and remain "under review" by the NCAA committee.  They were expected to have received clearance by the NCAA by this time.

The university is in its third week of classes and will work with the NCAA to review the three cases for possible enrollment in spring 2012.

Lavin said, "We are hopeful Amir, Norvell and JaKarr will be able to join us on the court this winter and in the classroom when the spring 2012 semester begins."

All three are consulting with their families and reviewing their options.  There is a good chance they could still be approved and be on the court in late December after the fall semester ends.  The team would have played 10 games by then.

These aren't just any incoming freshmen.

Garrett is from California but played for Findlay prep in Henderson, Nev..  The 6-foot-6, 190 pound offensive threat was rated as high as the 68th best over-all player in the country and  the #15 power-forward.  The left-handed pitcher was the 22nd-round  pick of the Cincinnati Reds and signed a minor league contract in the off-season.

Pelle was a standout power-forward from Los Angeles and he was rated the #2 center in the country.  The 6-foot-10, 200 pounder is a shot-blocking machine.

Sampson is a 6-8 swingman who starred in Akron at St. Vincent's-St. Mary's--  LeBron James high school-- before transferring. He was rated as high as the #11 combo-forward in the country.

Lavin will begin his second year with the Red Storm after rejuvenating the sinking program last season.  After taking the team to its first NCAA tournament since 2002, he announced he was battling prostate cancer.

St. John's Gets NCAA Tournament Bid Much To LSU's Chagrin

The chances for an NCAA Tournament bid didn't look good for the St. John's men's baseball team after losing to Seton Hall in the Big East championship game on Sunday, but the Red Storm were given one of the final at-large berths to make the field of 64 for the fourth time in five years.  National power LSU cried that the selection of St. John's is a farce and says the NCAA should take a look at how they select the 64 team field.

LSU (36-20) is claiming that they play in a tougher conference and should have been picked over the Johnnies.  St. John's (35-20) finished second in both the Big East regular season standings and championship series.  It is arguably the best team in the northeast.

For the record, LSU finished 9th in the SEC and didn't make their own conference tournament finals.

The Tigers are screaming that their #23 RPI and 12-3 finish entitles the team to be picked ahead of the Red Storm, who go into the NCAA's with a respectable #54 RPI.

"I would say that this year, as a committee, we didn't use RPI as the hammer that maybe it was in previous years," said Tim Weiser, the chairman of the 10-member NCAA Selection Committee.

If LSU wants to find a culprit, the school should look at some of the automatic-bids awarded to winners of conference championships.



New Mexico (20-39) and UALR (24-32) won their respective conference title games (Mountain West and Sun Belt) and will be coasting into this year's tournament field. 

St. John's is a second place team in the Big East conference.  It's hard to argue with all the the RPI's and the fact that seven SEC teams were selected to the tournament that LSU doesn't have a case, but don't blame St. John's.

Sure, Big East baseball will probably never be compared to the SEC, but other factors in St. John's success should be taken into consideration.

For one thing, LSU is a ninth place team. They should know only Big East basketball gets nine or more teams into a tournament. 

Secondly, the Red Storm play in colder weather.  They don't see a home field game until mid-March after they've played about a dozen games on the road.  By seasons end, St. John's has played nearly two-thirds of their games on the road.
 
"The debate is a consistent one: How do you measure a second-place team versus, for example, a ninth-place team?," said Weiser.  " We've got a divided group in that regard."

While LSU sulks, St. John's rejoices about it's # 3 seed in the regional hosted by top-seed Virginia.

"It felt pretty good," said St. John's head coach Ed Blankmeyer.  "It made it a lot easier to enjoy the rest of [the selection show]...It was exciting for me, and I felt very happy for the players."

The Red Storm is no NCAA interloper.  This will be the 33rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament for St. John's--the eighth most by any school.

Last year, St. John's was also in the same bracket as #1 Virginia and beat them in the first game before losing the rematch with the Super Regionals within their grasp.

This year the Red Storm will face # 2 seed East Carolina on Friday before tangling with #1 Virginia and #4 Navy over the weekend.

For now, put all the conspiracy theories to rest.

Polee To Leave St. John's; 2011-12 Team Has No Returning Starters

The youngest men's basketball team in St. John's University's history just got a little more youthful after sophomore forward Dwayne Polee II, the only returning starter from last year's NCAA Tournament team, decided to return to Los Angeles to be closer to his family.

This is the first stumbling block for Steve Lavin's Red Storm after a wild ride into the NCAA's and  completing the most highly-touted incoming class in the school's history.  It also takes away the team's most experienced player.

Family health issues are the reason for Polee's proposed transfer and apparently involve his mother.   Polee released a statement which read," Right now I feel it is best to be close to my family and help us get through a health issue."

 Polee, the 2010 Los Angeles High School Player of the Year, did not specify the illness or the seriousness of it.

No one could be more understanding about family illnesses than Lavin.  His father battled prostate cancer two decades ago and the head coach himself is currently going through a radical treatment to beat the same disease Lavin himself was diagnosed with at the beginning of last season.  He withheld his illness from the public until the season was over.

"Dwayne is an outstanding individual with a bright future," said Lavin.  "He has been a valued member of our basketball family.  He leaves St. John's University in good standing and we wish him well."

The loss of Polee, who started 27 0f 33 games last season,  leaves St. John's with one returning player, reserve-guard Malik Stith, and a lot of heralded, but green, college freshmen.

Lavin has his work cut out for 2011-12.  He brings in a nine-man recruiting class which is the #2 rated group by Rivals.com.  The head coach was counting on Polee to be the veteran leader and guiding force to one of the youngest men's NCAA basketball squads in over 100 years.  The transition of going from an experienced Big East team to a group of highly anticipated newbies just got harder without the stability of a Polee on the court.

The 6-foot-7 Polee could play next season if the NCAA regards his situation a hardship transfer.  If Polee doesn't sit out next year, he could possibly be going to San Diego State, UCLA or UC-Santa Barbara.  Polee originally planned on attending USC before their head coach Tim Floyd was replaced.

St. John's To Face Kentucky in Big East/SEC Challenge

Two of the winning est college basketball programs will hook-up next season when St. John's faces Kentucky in the Big East/SEC Challenge.  The game will be played at Rupp Arena in early December.

The Big East/SEC Challenge, which was expanded last year, will pit the Red Storm-- with the nation's #2 rated recruiting class--against a tournament-tested Wildcats squad which lost 56-55 to Connecticut in the 2011 Final Four semi-finals.

Both schools have two of the most storied programs in college basketball history.  Kentucky is the all-time NCAA men's basketball wins leader with 2052 victories and a .760 winning percentage, while St. John's is #7 on the list with 1724 wins and a .658 percentage.

Next season, St. John's will field it's youngest team in 104 years and one of the youngest in NCAA history.  Nine freshmen will be on the roster of the 2011-12 team after four senior starters from last year's team completed their eligibility.

Last year, the senior-heavy Johnnies compiled a 21-12 record and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. 

Head coach Steve Lavin, who is battling prostate cancer, hasn't let the disease hinder his piling up of top players.  Yesterday it was announced that Arizona guard Lamont "MoMo" Jones will transfer to St. John's and could be eligible to play next season under NCAA hardship rules.

MoMo, the  Harlem product, will join the rest of the highly-touted Red Storm class including God's Gift Achiuwa, Sir' Dominic Pointer and Nurideen Lindsay--and all will be potential nominees for the 2012 All-Name team.

Kentucky will be without Brandon Knight, their star guard, who opted for the NBA.  The Wildcats will be led by Queens, NY guard Doran Lamb and a squad of experienced players.

Lavin vs. John Calipari, call it the Big East/SEC Hair Gel Challenge.

Steve Lavin Announces New Strategy to Beat Cancer at Yankee Stadium

St. John's basketball head coach Steve Lavin, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer last fall and kept it a secret during the Red Storm's surprising run to the NCAA Tournament last season, has found a new approach to beat the Big C without surgery or radiation treatment.

Lavin told reporters attending a "Coaches vs. Cancer" pre-game ceremony at Yankee Stadium last night that the new, less traditional, treatment is called active surveillance and consists of tracking the size and growth of the cancer.

The Red Storm coach might be one of the first public figures to use the radically new technique to battle prostate cancer.



Last night, the 46 year-old Lavin spoke for the first time in public about his treatment options since April, when he first announced that he had the disease.

Lavin said doctors will closely monitor his PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels and Gleason Grading System, which measures the the size of the growth. If both levels remain low, more invasive treatment, like surgery and radiation, can be avoided.

"I just learned about it [the treatment] on Monday," said Lavin. "In addition to the precise monitoring and regular checkups, it's implementing a plan of exercise, healthier eating--lots of broccoli--weight loss."

It's been quite a year as new head coach for St. John's. Lavin, who returned to coaching after a seven year absence, led the Red Storm to it's first NCAA bid in nine years and just finished a filling out top-rated recruiting class for 2011.

Lavin kept his diagnosis of cancer a secret throughout the season after doctors told the coach he could delay his choice of treatment. Lavin called it "an informative and instructive experience."

"The doctors I was working with were confident if I wanted to tackle this in the spring or summer, there wouldn't be any risk or danger to my health," said Lavin.

Lavin, who spoke with urologists in New York and California before meeting with a radiologist on Monday, also contacted his friends Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker for their input. Both men have already beat cancer themselves. Boeheim was coaching eight days after his surgery.

The coach has noticeably slimmed down since the end of the basketball season and attributes it to walking and yoga.

When asked about his re action to being told he had prostate cancer, Lavin replied, "Initially it's disbelief, then it's curiosity in terms of what's next, now what."

Lavin remains optimistic and is inspired by the fact that his father fought the same battle nearly two decades ago.

"Having a team of great doctors naturally helps, and having a father who had prostate cancer at 61 years old and is now 80 helps somewhat," said Lavin.

Lavin hopes his public profile can throw some light on the misconceptions and significant advancements in cancer treatments. On the field at Yankee Stadium last night, Lavin's message beamed like one stadium's brightest floods overhead.

"This is special on a number of fronts," said Lavin "A group of people that share the passion for fighting the good fight and being the champion of a great cause, which is find a cure for cancer."

God's Gift Answers St. John's Prayers

St. John's basketball coach Steve Lavin announced today that God's Gift Achiuwa signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Red Storm in 2011-12.  The bruising post-player chose the Johnnies over Cincinnati and Washington.

This is the second big acquisition by Lavin during the spring signing period.  Last week Phil Greene, a sought-after guard from Chicago, signed with St. John's too.

The 6 foot-nine, 240 pound Achiuwa is a 2011 JUCO First Team All-American from Erie Community College.  He led the team to a 28-4 record and averaged 22.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.  He also shot 56% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the three-point line.

Besides having to live up to one of the great names in college basketball, Achiuwa will be playing under the New York media's spotlight.   Just picture the tabloid's back page headlines. The Nigerian minister's son seems ready for the attention.

"I am excited to come to St. John's and New York City," he said.  "They are a running team and that's what I like, fast paced basketball."

Achiuwa joins eight other top-rated recruits who have already signed with the Red Storm for 2011-12.  Standing out on St. John's No. 2 rated recruiting class (by ESPN and Rivals.com) may not be easy but, the Nigerian may be the most imposing body on a team that is already fast and big.

Lavin thinks heaven is the limit for his new signee.  "He's an ideal fit for our baseline-to-baseline attacking style of play," the head coach said.

Lavin, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer, continues to show no sign of letting it slow him down.  He inherited ten seniors in his first season as head coach of St. John's last year and lead the team to a 21-12 record and it's first NCAA tournament in nine years. The 2011-12 team will be Lavin's own team and it looks like it's ready for the rough-and-tumble Big East.

You might think the Red Storm have completed their stockpile of blue-chippers for next year but, the scary thing is, they still have two scholarship places left on the roster.

Steve Lavin Signs Chicago Prize; Could God's Gift Be Next?

The St. John's basketball team continues to pile up key recruits and, yesterday, acquired an important cog in next year's squad by signing guard Phil Greene of Chicago.  Head coach Steve Lavin will now focus on  going after 6-foot-8 power forward/center God's Gift Achiuwa from Erie Community College and Jamari Traylor, another big man from Chicago.

Greene joins eight other blue-chip players who have signed a letter-of-intent with the Red Storm in 2011-12.   There are three remaining scholarships left on the roster.

Greene is a vital pick-up for St. John's; who are loaded with front-line players.  The 6-foot-2 guard, who is enrolled at IMG Academy in Florida, would play an important role in bolstering the team's backcourt.  His IMG teammate, 6-foot-8 Traylor is a bulky post player.  Traylor and Achiuwa would give the Red Storm one of the most fearsome front-lines in the physical Big East Conference.

Lavin continues to collect great players in his first wave of recruiting.  His class of 2011-12 already boasts six freshmen ranked in the top-100 by most recruiting services.  St. John's recruiting class is currently ranked the # 2 by rivals.com and ESPN.

Yesterday, St. John's lost a key recruit when forward Dwight Meikle from Long Island was granted his release.  The previous signing of three other forwards would have probably meant fewer minutes to Meikle anyway.

Achiuwa will visit St. John's this weekend.  The Nigerian minister's son has already visited Cincinnati and Washington.  Kentucky is also interested.  Achiuwa could be a huge difference maker to whichever team lands the big man.

Lavin, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer before last season, doesn't seem to be slowing down. He secretly battled the disease throughout last season when he lead the Red Storm to a 21-12 record and it's first NCAA Tournament spot in nine years.