3 St. John's freshmen ineligible for fall
Head coach Steve Lavin of the St. John's Red Storm talks to his players during a timeout against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament. (March 17, 2011) Credit: Getty Images
Three prospective freshmen basketball players at St. John's are not eligible for the fall semester under academic guidelines established by the NCAA, the university announced Thursday. Forwards Amir Garrett, Norvel Pelle and JaKarr Sampson will miss the first 10 games, but St. John's believes the three could be enrolled in time for the Red Storm's 18-game Big East schedule, which starts in January.
"We are hopeful that Amir, Norvel and JaKarr will be able to join us on the court this winter,'' coach Steve Lavin said in a statement. Athletic director Chris Monasch, who is working with the NCAA, added, "The university has been proactive and diligent in assisting in the reviews for each of our incoming men's basketball student-athletes. We will continue to review what avenue the student-athletes may have to achieve their initial eligibility.''
The three players are part of what has been ranked the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation behind Kentucky and Duke. Sampson, who attended St. Vincent's-St. Mary's in Akron, where LeBron James played, was rated the 32nd-ranked player coming out of high school, while Pelle, from Compton, Calif., was No. 77 and Garrett No. 99. Garrett, from Los Angeles, was also drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 22nd round of the Major League Baseball draft.
The three players could also elect to gain their eligibility elsewhere. St. John's, which finished 21-12 last season and made the NCAA Tournament, returns just one experienced player, reserve guard Malik Stith.
