Maurice Harkless will head to St. John's after spending his senior season at South Kent Prep in Connecticut.
Photo by Lisa Yen
When Steve Lavin was introduced as the new head coach at St. John's in March, he discussed the need to 'protect your backyard' in recruiting.
Tuesday, Lavin tapped in to the New York City talent pool, gaining a commitment from Jamaica's Maurice Harkless.
"It was important for somebody to take the first step and say he believes in what Coach Lavin is doing at St. John's," said Gary Charles, a highly-respected grassroots organizer and director of Harkless' club team, the New York Panthers.
The 6-foot-7, 190-pound small forward is rated the No. 42 overall prospect in MaxPreps.com's 2011 Top 100. Harkless is headed to South Kent School (South Kent, Conn.) for his senior season, but played at Forest Hills (Forest Hills, N.Y.) as a junior.
"With his ability to play a few different positions, he will fit in with whatever style they (St. John's) choose to play," Charles said. "I know they want to get up and down, and that's what kids love to do."
Harkless originally committed to Connecticut last December, but pulled back on that pledge in June after the NCAA revealed it found eight rules violations during a 15-month investigation of Jim Calhoun's program.
