The deadline for players to enter the NBA draft has passed, the spring signing period is over. We have officially reached the dead period for college basketball. But before forgetting about the sport until the fall, let’s take a look at what the local teams did to improve their chances next year and beyond:
St. John’s
The narrative dramatically changed a little over a week ago. After a few months of whiffing on big men, the Johnnies landed a prize in highly rated Bronx wing Sidney Wilson, beating out UConn and Texas. Wilson, a gifted athlete known for his leaping prowess and finishing ability, will be given the opportunity to contribute immediately for the thin St. John’s front line. The failure to add significant size could haunt the improved Red Storm this year, but don’t forget the addition of MAAC Rookie of the Year Mikey Dixon, who transferred from Quinnipiac. He is a potent scorer who should thrive in coach Chris Mullin’s up-tempo system after sitting out next season.
Grade: B
Seton Hall
Nobody had a better spring than Seton Hall. While everyone will be fixated on the return of Angel Delgado, coach Kevin Willard and Co. were already in an enviable spot because of the additions of three-star forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, a sharpshooting 6-foot-11 prospect originally from the nation of Georgia, and JUCO center Romaro Gill, a 7-foot shot blocker. But the key to this group could be Long Island’s Jordan Walker, a four-star point guard who, while raw, is a tenacious on-ball defender and adept at penetrating. Rather than wait on blue-chipper Trevon Duval, who signed with Duke as expected, Seton Hall got its point guard of the future in Walker, who led The Patrick School (N.J.) to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions.
Grade: A-
Rutgers
Peter Kiss will not help next season, because the Quinnipiac wing has to sit out per transfer rules, but landing the versatile 6-foot-5 playmaker was the best get of the Steve Pikiell era. I have been critical in this space of Rutgers’ recruiting, but Pikiell had a strong spring. Not only did he land Kiss, but he nabbed a potential sleeper in three-star Californian Myles Johnson, a beefy 6-9 forward with a wingspan of more than 7 feet who could help immediately at the defensive end and on the glass.
Grade: B
Manhattan
A loaded roster only got strengthened in the spring with the addition of quality centers Warren Williams (St. Benedict’s Prep) and Pauly Paulicap (Harcum JUCO), and Bayonne HS (N.J.) sharpshooter Patrick Strzala. Coach Steve Masiello thinks Strzala can make a similar impact as Shane Richards, a key part of the 2014 and 2015 NCAA teams.
Grade: B+
Iona
They don’t rebuild in New Rochelle; they reload with skilled athletes made for coach Tim Cluess’s speed-ball system. A pair of graduate transfers, Zach Lewis (UMass) and TK Edogi (Tulsa), will bolster next year’s team on the perimeter and in the paint, respectively, but the big get was sit-out transfer Isaiah Still of Robert Morris. A big playmaking guard who averaged 15.7 points per game last year, he has all the makings of the next big star at Iona.
Grade: B
Hofstra
The Pride had a few glaring holes on their roster, holes it thinks it filled with the additions of JUCO point guard Kenny Wormley and graduate transfer wing Joel Angus of Southeast Missouri State. The 6-foot-4 Wormley, who previously spent one season at Siena, will be counted on heavily at the point, particularly with the status of Desure Buie uncertain coming off major knee surgery and last year’s starter Deron Powers having graduated.
Grade: B-
Fordham
The Rams were hit hard by the transfer market, losing lead guard Antwoine Anderson (UConn) and Christian Sengfelder (Boise State), but they’re confident they found able replacements in high-scoring JUCO guard Tre Evans and St. Peter’s transfer guard Antwon Portley. Portley, however, will not be eligible this year, and Fordham is still expecting to add two pieces to round out the weakened roster.
Grade: C+
Columbia
Look out for potential starter Tai Bibbs, a one-time Drake signee from Chicago. The 6-foot-3 guard is a potent scorer, averaging 26 points per game his senior year. Coach Jim Engles also added a potentially significant depth piece in New York City guard Jake Klores of the powerhouse New York Rens AAU program.
Grade: B-
Senior wing C.J. Kelly of Queens HS of Teaching verbally committed to Norfolk State last week.
St. John’s extended a scholarship offer to freshman wing Nate Tabor of Our Savior New American (L.I.).
Iona Prep junior forward Souleymane Koureissi picked up a scholarship offer from South Florida on Thursday and Minnesota on Wednesday.
Bronx forward Precious Achiuwa of St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.) picked up a scholarship offer from Mississippi State on Saturday.