Young Johnnies come to brief against Pitt

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS 73, ST JOHN'S RED STORM 59

St. John saw its season come to an abrupt Tuesday to garden. From the looks of things only a few minutes later in the locker room Red Storm, he started the next season already.

Pittsburgh put the final punctuation of the season seeded 12° Johnnies handing them a loss of 73 59 first round of the Big East tournament. Coach Steve Lavin, still recuperating from 6 October prostate cancer surgery, watched from a luxury box at the garden as s. John blew a first half lead 26-20 and the Panthers pulled away in the second half. Unlike other times he did, Lavin has decided to go to the locker room after the game and deal with his team 13-19.

PHOTO: PITT, SETON HALL, UCONN, NOVA'S MOVE TO SECOND ROUND

He called it the "beginning of transition" for next season, on his return to margin (assistant-coach Mike Dunlap made gameday coaching in his absence) and sometimes better all Johnnies believe lie ahead after a season filled with adversity. The storm not only coped with Lavin and his premature return of four games for November that set him back, but also with recruits not qualifying and a couple of teammates leaving with a rotating roster of six players recruited scholarship.

But before John's can go to better times, there is the question of whether Moe Harkless will be returned or leave for the NBA. Harkless was the lone standout for the Johnnies against Pitt (17-15) with 25 points and 9 rebounds. And shortly after the game received the Big East Rookie of the Year award to an advertisement than any of his teammates insisted on attending.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Harkless said. "I'm going to sit down and talk to coaches as well as talking about it with my family and my teammates and they'll come up with a conclusion".

There is a great deal to assess, beginning with NBA Scouts as a 6-8 freshman, who had to play the power forward position and prospered each evening against older players with more developed for average 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds. One NBA scout at Tuesday's game Harkless said appeared to be a first round pick on his team. But the draft class is loaded because many players stayed in the school last summer rather than risk being drafted during the NBA lockout. "I can't say whether he's a lottery pick if he stays another year," said the Scouts. "It is possible if one considers as his body and the game could develop."

Another thing is the talented Harkless will weigh that next season St. John's team will have. There are six returning players and playmaker branch Jamal, a Texas A M & which transfer was considered a Top 75 prospect by most national recruiting web sites and services. Lavin has recruitment "to achieve another great class to participate in this one", and the storm is the first mix JaKarr Sampson great men and Chris Obekpa.

"I think we start in the Top 25 if the same people come back and (with) what we did this year," said D'angelo Harrison, who finished as top scorer of the Johnnies in 17.0 points after an effort by 12 points, 10-rebound when he shot an abysmal 4 to 18. "We did see glimpses to be great, and I feel like if we continue to stick with it, get stronger, get wiser ... we will be a really, really good team next year.

"Moe is about to take the best decision for him and his family. I am with him, whatever he chooses, but I love for him to come back. "

News Update