Who are the Biggest Recruits That St. Johns Missed

room112

room112

Well-known member
2023 $upporter
I don't mean to create a redundant thread, but reading the other thread on Louie got me thinking back over the years to our recruiting struggles and some of the recruits we missed out on who could have been game changers. Now, my history doesn't go back as far as some of you guys (I've been rooting for about 15 years), but these names came to mind from the past decade or so who I thought we had a great shot at:

AJ Price
Russell Robinson
Levance Fields
Sylven Landesberg
Corey Fisher
Curtis Kelly

Please feel free to add.
 
That's easy - The biggest miss of all time (both literally and figuratively) ................... Lew Alcindor
 
Kyle Anderson and Born Ready Stephenson. LeBron James(only kidding)
Click to expand...

Did we ever really have a shot on Stephenson?

Also, was wondering if we ever heavily recruited Marbury or Telfair?
 
Kyle Anderson and Born Ready Stephenson. LeBron James(only kidding)
Click to expand...

Did we ever really have a shot on Stephenson?

Also, was wondering if we ever heavily recruited Marbury or Telfair?
Click to expand...

Never in it for Marbury or any of the great NYC points of that era (Kareem Reid, Ed Cota, Shammgod Wells, etc) that we desperately ignored.
 
Remembered Jason Fraser too because I remember booing him when he made his debut at the garden for Villanova. Pretty sure we lost that game.
 
Kyle Anderson and Born Ready Stephenson. LeBron James(only kidding)
Click to expand...

Did we ever really have a shot on Stephenson?

Also, was wondering if we ever heavily recruited Marbury or Telfair?
Click to expand...

Don't know if it's reported in another threat, but Anderson has declared for the NBA draft.
 
Darius miles. Was supposed to play with Omar Cook. Also Lenny Cooke. He was considering us according to the documentary
 
Ditto on Lenny Cooke. It might have changed his life too (might).
Click to expand...

Not the answer to the original question but Ernest Brown as well, same type of recruit like Cooke or Miles (or Norvel) that never quite made it to campus. Brown made it through JC to the draft and got a cup of coffee in the NBA.
 
Apparently Ben Gordon could have been ours, but Jarvis preferred Willie Shaw.

And, of course, Looie reneging on Gary Payton in favor of Marcus Broadnax.
 
Darius miles. Was supposed to play with Omar Cook. Also Lenny Cooke. He was considering us according to the documentary
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken,. both Miles and Cooke gave verbals to St John's
They can't be considered misses - they never played college ball anywhere
 
Apparently Ben Gordon could have been ours, but Jarvis preferred Willie Shaw.

And, of course, Looie reneging on Gary Payton in favor of Marcus Broadnax.
Click to expand...


Actually, Looie took both Broadnax and Elander Lewis (from Albany, NY) when Payton didn't commit within the timeline given to him
 
And it was close btw us and ucla
Click to expand...

I remember reading somewhere that it was not close
Alcindor wanted to get away from NYC
Imagine how the history of college basketball might be very different today had Lew played at St John's
John Wooden probably wouldn't be a legend,.....
 
Remembered Jason Fraser too because I remember booing him when he made his debut at the garden for Villanova. Pretty sure we lost that game.
Click to expand...

There's a kid who had the worst possible luck
He might have been a first round draft choice had he gone to the NBA directly from high school
Seven (or so) operations later, I saw him a few years ago trying to make a living selling team uniforms to school districts on Long Island
A very nice and humble guy, I might add
 
And it was close btw us and ucla
Click to expand...

I remember reading somewhere that it was not close
Alcindor wanted to get away from NYC
Imagine how the history of college basketball might be very different today had Lew played at St John's
John Wooden probably wouldn't be a legend,.....
Click to expand...

Are you sure about that?

Career Record (major schools): 29 Years, 664-162, .804 W-L%
Schools: Indiana State (44-15) and UCLA (620-147)

Conference Champion: 16 Times (Reg. Seas.), 0 Times (Tourn.)

NCAA Tournament: 16 Years (47-10), 12 Final Fours, 10 Championships
NCAA Champion: 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975

I may be mistaken but Alcindor played 67, 68, 69.

Plus, John Wooden wrote my son a very nice birthday card 5 years ago.

The only man inducted into the basketball hall of fame as both a player (Purdue) and coach. And if possible, a much greater man than coach.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top