Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball: Analyzing early 2019 recruiting classes

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 27: A Villanova Wildcats basketball goes through the net during warmups prior to the game against the Seton Hall Pirates at the Wells Fargo Center on January 27, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 27: A Villanova Wildcats basketball goes through the net during warmups prior to the game against the Seton Hall Pirates at the Wells Fargo Center on January 27, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 7: Coach Mullin of St. John’s looks on. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 7: Coach Mullin of St. John’s looks on. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

10. St. John’s Red Storm

National Ranking: No. 145

Due to the fact that St. John’s has not received a commitment from an incoming freshman yet (only JUCOs make up the ranking), they are sitting at the bottom of the conference rankings. With that said, though, that does not mean that head coach Chris Mullin has sat back and done nothing during this recruiting season. In fact, he has already landed several newcomers to the program in the form of the transfer market.

To lead things off, the Red Storm have already landed a couple of JUCO transfers. Cameron Mack, a 6-foot-3 guard, is the first of these and he is currently ranked at No. 21 in the JUCO category. Mack is an excellent playmaker who can score in a variety of ways. He is averaging 19.1 points (.460/.338/.626), 5.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game so far this season. The other JUCO transfer committed to SJU is Valdir Manuel, a 6-foot-10 big ranked at No. 11. He is averaging 13.6 points (.544/.150/.625), 10.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game this season. These two make up the entirety of the recruiting class for 247Sports at the moment.

Outside of the JUCO ranks, it is also important to mention some of the other transfers joining the program. 6-foot-9 power forward Ian Steere will be playing his first minutes for the team next season (likely in December) after sitting out all but one game this season. Originally a member of the NC State Wolfpack, Steere scored four points in five minutes during his only collegiate action. Out of high school, he was touted as a three-star recruit ranked at No. 140 in his class.

Additionally, St. John’s has another transfer that will see his first minutes with the team next season in David Caraher. After sitting out this entire season, the 6-foot-6 wing will be eligible right away in 2019-20. He is coming over from Houston Baptist, where he averaged 16.2 points (.455/.364/.736), 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game as a freshman. He can do a little bit of everything on the court and will likely see some minutes with Marvin Clark graduating.

Furthermore, let’s not forget about former Mississippi State guard Eli Wright, who is also joining the team. Wright was never a high-volume scorer in his two seasons with the Bulldogs but he does bring some in-game experience that will help the Red Storm. He averaged 13+ minutes per game in each of his two seasons with Mississippi State and will be eligible from the jump in 2019-20 as he is sitting out this season.

Although this class does not feature any incoming freshmen for next year, St. John’s once again has done a nice job on the transfer market. Assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih simply knows how to get it done. The Red Storm are a lock for the NCAA Tournament this season and this level of incoming talent could allow them to repeat that feat, especially if Shamorie Ponds elects to return to school for his senior season.

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