The 6-foot-2 guard from Christ the King High School announced Wednesday that he would stay in New York and play at Fordham, choosing the Rams over Pitt, West Virginia, Wake Forest and Rutgers.

Severe is a huge get for Fordham coach Tom Pecora, whose team finished 7-24, 3-13 in the Atlantic 10 Conference last season.

“Next year I will be playing at Fordham University,” he announced during an emotional press conference at Christ the King.

“And so ends the longest five minutes of his life,” CTK coach Joe Arbitello joked after it took Severe several minutes to compose himself before announcing.

Severe’s announcement follows an 11th-hour meeting Tuesday night with new Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan and an appearance at the school earlier this week by Pitt coach Jamie Dixon.

Rutgers had been recruiting Severe under former coach Mike Rice and Jordan, who needs to add several players to the now-depleted roster, gave it his best chance.

“It was good,” Severe, the reigning New York Mr. Basketball, told SNY.tv Tuesday nigth. “He said he loves me. I could be his first recruit. He seemed like a good guy.”

In the end, Severe, who averaged 21.6 points per game en route to leading the Royals to the New York State Federation championship, opted to be a big fish in a smaller pond by playing in the A-10.

Arbitello recently said Severe’s “basketball IQ and his unselfishness are what sets him apart from some other guys.”

Arbitello, for one, believes Severe could thrive a la Speedy Claxton at a mid-major program like Fordham.

“Speedy went to Hofstra when they were in the America East,” Arbitello said. “They weren’t even in the Colonial. He had a pretty good NBA career, so if you’re good, they’ll find you.

“Maybe playing right away and having some confidence is better than going to a major, major Division 1 school.”

Longtime New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski says Severe is a natural scorer who is beginning to work more on his defense.

“He’s an undersized two guard who in the past was a spot-up 3-point shooter,” he said. “Now he’s so much better playing off the dribble.”

Konchalski added that at the A-10 level, “He can score well enough where he can get on the floor.”

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“He’s leaving because he feels like he needs a new setting,” Dwan said. “He’s just coming off surgery and missing the first six games. He felt it was best to move on. He thanks the coaching staff for giving him the opportunity to flourish as a freshman. But it was time move on.”

Fordham coach Tom Pecora was not immediately available for comment. McMillan had initially pledged to Hofstra, but then followed Pecora to Fordham.

The 5-foot-10 McMillan was averaging 2.7 points in three games.

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NEW YORK

“I don’t think he’s on many people’s radar yet,” said Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. “He’ll need to show himself in the Big East. But what he’s doing is interesting.”

What Obekpa did Saturday night was certainly pretty interesting.

He had 11 blocks, seven points and five rebounds in St. John’s 58-47 victory over Fordham at Madison Square Garden, breaking his own single-game school-record of eight set on opening night Nov. 13.

Listed at 6-foot-9, Obekpa is really closer to 6-7 1/2, St. John’s coach Steve Lavin said after the performance that highlighted a school-record 15-block effort for the Johnnies.

Obekpa entered the night fourth nationally in blocks but will move up the list possibly to as high as No. 2 because he’s now averaging 4.9 through 10 games. Jeff Withey of Kansas leads the nation at 5.7.

“He’s unique,” Lavin said of Obekpa, whom he secured in the spring signing period last year out of Our Savior New American.

“In my 25 years as a coach and broadcaster, I’ve never seen anything quite like Chris because he doesn’t have the 7-foot-1 Tyson Chandler size. But the combination of his basketball intellect and his length and timing is what separates him from anyone I’ve seen.”

Obekpa — and his fellow St. John’s freshmen — had never played at the Garden before, so he said he wanted to make his debut a special one.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” said Obekpa, who also considered DePaul, Providence and UConn. “That’s one of the reasons I came to St. John’s. So when I came I had to bring the best out.”

Obekpa went for five blocks in the first half, swatting shots in the paint despite Fordham coach Tom Pecora’s suggestion that his players not take the ball to Obekpa. Still, the Johnnies trailed 27-24 at the break.

“Obviously, he’s a defensive force,” said Pecora, whose club dropped to 1-8. “We showed tape of him. We said if you bring it to the rim soft, he’s going to go get it. And, you know, he did. We brought it to the rim soft a number of occasions, as we all know with shot-blockers you got to take it right at them and right up their chest, and we gave him great angles to block shots. He is a very talented shot-blocker.”

Obekpa keyed a 34-20 St. John’s second half, firing up his teammates, including JaKarr Sampson, who finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks of his own.

“It just gets us all energized,” SAmpson said of the blocks. “It’s kind of like a dunk but on the defensive end. It makes us all want to be there with him. We definitely needed that in the second half.”

Obekpa went for 20 blocks in high school on at least one occasion with Lavin watching him, and believes he can do the same in college.

“That’s what I’m hoping to do,” he said. “Gradually, but I’ll get there.”

FORDHAM TO GET GASTON BACK

Pecora said he expects senior forward Chris Gaston back Saturday against Princeton.

The 6-7 Gaston has been out with a knee injury and underwent surgery Nov. 16. He was averaging 11.3 points and 8.7 rebounds after averaging 17.1 points and 9.9 boards last season.

“Chris is a catalyst for it [winning] and the timing of his injury was horrible,” Pecora said. “Two games into the year, you plan on playing with him.”

Still, Pecora said his team will “be even better” once Gaston returns because other players have gotten playing time and Gaston has gotten a month off.

“We have to turn this into a positive,” he said. “I beliive we’ll  be a better team later in the year because of his injury. His motor will be even better because he’s had a month off, and I think the young guys will be even better because they’ve had this time.”

Photo: USA Today Sports

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The NCAA was looking into the academic record of the 6-foot-8 Rhoomes, who attended both Cardozo High School in Queens and NIA Prep in Newark.

“Ryan will have an impact on the boards and with his post defense,” Fordham coach Tom Pecora told SNY.tv. “He’s a high-energy guy.”

Rhoomes initially committed to TCU in April 2011 on SNY.tv, but was then one of four NIA Prep players declared academically ineligible by the NCAA that August.

He then chose Fordham in May after taking steps to resolve his academic issues by taking courses online. St. John’s, Rhode Island, Hofstra, Temple, Iona and Seton Hall were also involved.

Fordham opens up at Texas State tonight (Friday) before playing at Pittsburgh Monday in the Preseason NIT.

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Manny Suarez,

Suarez, who runs with the Albany City Rocks AAU program, also held offers from Monmouth, Drexel, Penn State, Long Beach State and others.

“The reason I chose Fordham is I like the campus and the coaching staff is tremendous,” he said. “When I spoke to them they gave me a lot of details about everything. My family and I just felt comfortable.”

Suarez averaged 16 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks last season and says he’s feels comfortable at either forward spot.

“It really doesn’t matter that much to me,” he said. “I’m a power forward that can play as a stretch. [Coach Tom Pecora] told me I’m going to play the perimeter and probably inside.”

Marist coach Tony Romano said Fordham is getting someone with “a great skillset for a 6-10 guy.”

“He can do many things,” he said. “He’s excellent on the perimeter, has a great shooting stroke.  He’s got a lot of range on his shot and can put the ball on the floor. He can really shoot the ball for a 6-10 guy.

“Defensively, He’s a good help defender and a good communicator.

“The Fordham guys are going to have him out playing the three or four spots.”

Suarez is Fordham’s third 2013 commit, following 6-5 SG Jake Fay of Brimmer & May (Mass.) and 6-6 PF Denzel Gregg of St. Thomas More (Conn.).

KIDD TO HOFSTRA, COLEMAN TO NJIT

Hofstra landed a pledge from 6-5 wing Gervelle Kidd of Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy….Tim Coleman, a 6-5 combo forward from St. Anthony, committed to NJIT over Monmouth and Wagner…2014 F Dwayne Morgan has cut his list to Indiana, Missouri, Seton Hall, South Florida, UNLV & Maryland, according to Alex Kline.

Photo: Hudson County Varsity

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“They’ve taken me under their wing,” the 6-foot-7 Gaston told SNY.tv by phone from San Juan. “I hang out with Renaldo [a former Knick] every day. I always ask him questions and stuff. He’s been in the league for a couple years. He’s been like a big brother to me.”

Gaston, a rising senior at Fordham, is one of several American college players trying out for a spot on the Puerto Rico Senior National Team that hopes to compete this summer in the London Olympics. Florida’s Mike Rosario and UConn’s Shabazz Napier are among the others.

“I’m loving being out here,” said Gaston, 23. “I’m just growing up as a person, being in a whole new area, whole new place I’ve never been before. I’m away from the country. I’m away from my family so I’m becoming more of a man.”

Gaston, who was named Second Team All-Atlantic 10 and Second Team All-Met in 2011-12, led Fordham in both scoring and rebounding for the third straight year, averaging 17.1 points and 9.9 rebounds.

He said he hopes to make the Puerto Rico team as a three-man and believes he has a shot.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll get moved to the three,” he said. “I have a good shot of making it at the three.”

Gaston, who played at both St. Anthony and St. Benedict’s before arriving at Fordham, said it’s always been a goal of his to play for Puerto Rico.

“I’ve been going hard every day,” he said. “I’ve been so tired and I’ve been working hard this summer. This is something I always wanted to do since I was young, to play for my country. I think it would be great for my sechool, for my family.”

While he was in Puerto Rico, Fordham extended the contract of head coach Tom Pecora through the 2016-7 season, and Gaston was happy to hear the news.

“That’s awesome,” he said. “The program is moving in the right direction. More kids are going to try to come to our school and try to come to win.

“That’s what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to build a program.”

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Ryan Rhoomes

The 6-foot-9, 237-pound former TCU commit pledged to the Rams on Friday.

“I just chose them because everything felt right,” Rhoomes told SNY.tv. “It’s close to home and I feel they can develop my game.”

Rhoomes was recruited by assistant coach David Duke as well as head coach Tom Pecora.

“I think it might be a nice fit,” Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio said. “He visited the other day, he liked it. David played for me at Cardozo and he always works hard with Cardozo players.”

Naclerio said St. John’s, Rhode Island, Hofstra, Temple, Iona and Seton Hall also called on Rhoomes.

Rhoomes is taking three online courses to qualify and Naclerio said he has finished up two of them and is still working on his math class.

“It’s good for the kid and it’s for Cardozo basketball,” Naclerio said. “It’s another kid that we placed.”

Photo: NY Post

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Nearly 33 years later, the Rams beat No. 22 Harvard, 60-54, Tuesday at Rose Hill Gym.

The Fordham win snapped a 54-game losing streak to ranked opponents stretching back to February 28, 1978 when the Rams knocked off then 18th-ranked Georgetown, 63-59, at Rose Hill.

The win followed a Dec. 29 victory over Georgia Tech and was Fordham’s third in a row and fourth in its last five games. Fordham is now 7-6.

The win closes out the Rams’ non-conference schedule and gives Fordham its first winning non-conference record since the 2006-07 squad went 8-6.

“I’m really happy with how hard we played tonight,” said Fordham head coach Tom Pecora. “There was a stretch in the second half where Harvard started to play a little harder but we called a time out and we regrouped. And Chris did a great job playing within himself, making veteran plays. He’s an automatic double-double.”

With a young team comprised of seven freshmen and four sophomores, the Rams were looking for veteran leadership earlier this year and junior Chris Gaston has stepped up his game, notching his sixth straight double-double and his NCAA-leading eleventh of the year. He finished with 18 points and ten rebounds, shooting 8-for-15 from the field.

Gaston said he switched from his white to his red shoes at halftime because the white ones hurt his feet. He then went out and put up 14 point and six boards in the second half.

“It was the shoes,” he said.

Senior center Kervin Bristol added seven rebounds and two blocks while senior guard Alberto Estwick nailed an early three-pointer to help the Rams stay up with the Crimson early.

Youth was also on display for the Rams with freshman Bryan Smith leading all scorers with 22 points, shooting 5-of-8 from behind the three-point line including a big three with 15 seconds left, while sophomore guard Branden Frazier tied his career-high with eight assists.

“I encourage Bryan to shoot the ball,” said Pecora. “He passes up shots. At times, I don’t think he realizes how good a shooter he is.”

(Release courtesy Fordham Athletics)

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With Fontan set to make his debut Saturday for Southern Cal (6-4) against Taylor and No. 3 Kansas (9-0) at Allen Field House (noon, ESPN), the chatter is running high between the two old friends and former St. Anthony teammates.

“I told him that’s a terrible place for him to come back,” cracked Taylor, Kansas’ junior point guard from Hoboken, N.J.

Said Fontan: “I’ve been calling him telling him how we’re going to beat them and he’s been calling me telling me how they’re going to blow us out.”

Fontan and Taylor were teammates under Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley on the 2008 St. Anthony team that went undefeated, won a mythical national championship and produced six current Division 1 players, including Florida’s Mike Rosario, Pittsburgh’s Travon Woodall and Villanova’s Dominic Cheek.

While most of the hoopla surrounding the game will focus on heralded Kansas freshman Josh Selby, who makes his debut after sitting out an NCAA-mandated nine games for accepting impermissible benefits, Fontan will make his own debut after sitting out a year following his transfer from Fordham.

“I’m real excited,” Fontan, a Paterson, N.J. native, said by phone. “It’s been a year and 13 days since I played in my last college game. I want to finally put the Trojan jersey on and finally get going.”

The 6-foot, 175-pound Fontan made the A-10 All-Rookie team as a freshman in 2009 (15.3 ppg, 4.7 apg) and averaged 15.0 points per game in five games last season at Fordham.

“I haven’t really seen him play in a while and I talk to him almost every day,” said the 6-3 Taylor, who visited Fontan in Los Angeles for a week last May. “I’m excited for him. I’m real excited for him.”

Ironically, neither Taylor nor Fontan ended up at the school to which they first committed out of St. Anthony.

Taylor initially signed a Letter of Intent to play for Marquette and then-coach Tom Crean. But after Crean left to take the Indiana job, Taylor sought his release and Hurley spoke up strongly in his defense.

“This thing of a National Letter of Intent binding a minor is absolutely ridiculous,” Hurley said in April 2008.

Taylor ultimately landed at Kansas, which should be a Final Four contender once Selby arrives.

When Fontan expressed his desire to leave Fordham after his freshman season and again midway through last year because of the uncertain coaching situation (Derrick Whittenburg was fired last December and replaced on an interim basis by Jared Grasso), Hurley did not believe it was a good idea. He thought Fontan should keep his commitment to Fordham, at least through the remainder of the season.

“I think they [Fordham] are on the verge of being much better next year,” Hurley said in April 2009. “He may be rushing the thing. He should give the school another year. The whole world is filled with everybody rushing to do things. Part of growing is battling through situations. My advice was stay one more year.”

Said Taylor: “Coach Hurley really didn’t want him to leave  because when nobody was looking at Jio and nobody was paying attention to him, Fordham stuck by him. And I think Coach Hurley thought Jio should do the same for them.”

By transferring mid-season, Fontan lost a year of eligibility and will only have one and a half years left.

He said he remains in contact with his old friends and teammates at Fordham, and took note when the Tom Pecora-coached Rams recently upset Steve Lavin and St. John’s at Rose Hill Gym.

“I’m happy where I am, but I’m happy for the younger guys [at Fordham],” Fontan said. “[Branden] Frazier is doing a good job. He’s only a freshman and he’s doing really well. Chris [Gaston] has just been Chris. I’m happy for all those guys.”

Still, he sounds refreshed and happy with his decision. He hits the weight room four times a week for an hour at a time, working on both upper and lower body exercises.

“I’ve working a lot harder individually,” Fontan said. “People think I should be resting . I’ve been putting more work in the weight room as the games get closer. I think it’s worked in my favor. When I practice I feel I have more stamina.”

Fontan, the engine who drove St. Anthony’s undefeated team, said head coach Kevin O’Neill told him he would start at shooting guard alongside freshman point guard Maurice Jones.

“Coach said I’ll start from this point on out for the rest of the season,” Fontan said. “I don’t know exactly who’s not going to start. It’s looking mostly likely I’ll be starting at the two and playing some one when Mo comes out the game.”

Whatever the case, Fontan and Taylor could well match up come Saturday. Let the smack talk fly.

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