Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Los Angeles senior wing Dwayne Polee Jr. sent in his National Letter of Intent to St. John’s and head coach Steve Lavin had high praise for his first recruit since taking over the Big East program.
“I am elated to announce that Dwayne Polee Jr. has chosen to become a student-athlete at St. John’s,” Lavin said. “Dwayne is from Westchester High School, one of the elite programs in the nation, whose graduates include Billy Knight and Trevor Ariza, who was my last recruit at UCLA. Dwayne is our first recruit here at St. John’s, which really brings things full-circle.
“Coached by Ed Azzam, Dwayne is well-schooled in fundamentals and in the ways of winning games. He is also a great competitor with an insatiable drive to improve his superior athletic gifts. The University, our coaching staff, our players and our fans share my enthusiasm and join me in welcoming this truly outstanding basketball player to our program.”
Polee Jr., a 6-7, 190-pound high-flying athlete from two-time defending California state champion Westchester, was named the Los Angeles City Section Player of the Year after helping the Comets to a 32-3 record and their second-straight Division I title.
A top 30 prospect according to recruiting services, Polee Jr. averaged 20.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game as a senior in 2009-10.
He chose the Johnnies over Georgia and Oregon.
“I am so excited to be coming to St. John’s, and I am really excited to help make The Garden an exciting place to be again,” Polee Jr said. “Coach Lavin was very straightforward with me throughout the process, and I believe that he and the staff at St. John’s can really make me the best player I can be.”
A long, dynamic athlete with outstanding leaping ability, Polee Jr. is a tremendous talent on both the offensive and defensive end. The small forward/power forward is an excellent shot blocker, runs the floor with tenacity and has an uncanny ability to finish around the rim.
As a senior at Westchester this past season, he displayed an offensive arsenal of floaters, mid-range jumpers, dunks and layups. With a near-40 inch vertical leap, he has actually been lauded as “high school basketball’s best dunker” in several publications.
“St. John’s is getting a great player and a great person in Dwayne. He is one of the best athletes I have ever coached,” said Azzam, who has mentored Ariza, Knight, Hassan Adams, Brandon Bowman and Ashanti Cook, among others, over his 31-year career. “Dwayne has excellent offensive skills and athleticism, but the best thing may be that he is still developing. In his next couple of years as a collegian, I believe he has a chance to be an All-American.”
(Photo courtesy Rivals.com)Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Los Angeles senior wing Dwayne Polee Jr. sent in his National Letter of Intent to St. John’s and head coach Steve Lavin had high praise for his first recruit since taking over the Big East program.
“I am elated to announce that Dwayne Polee Jr. has chosen to become a student-athlete at St. John’s,” Lavin said. “Dwayne is from Westchester High School, one of the elite programs in the nation, whose graduates include Billy Knight and Trevor Ariza, who was my last recruit at UCLA. Dwayne is our first recruit here at St. John’s, which really brings things full-circle.
“Coached by Ed Azzam, Dwayne is well-schooled in fundamentals and in the ways of winning games. He is also a great competitor with an insatiable drive to improve his superior athletic gifts. The University, our coaching staff, our players and our fans share my enthusiasm and join me in welcoming this truly outstanding basketball player to our program.”
Polee Jr., a 6-7, 190-pound high-flying athlete from two-time defending California state champion Westchester, was named the Los Angeles City Section Player of the Year after helping the Comets to a 32-3 record and their second-straight Division I title.
A top 30 prospect according to recruiting services, Polee Jr. averaged 20.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game as a senior in 2009-10.
He chose the Johnnies over Georgia and Oregon.
“I am so excited to be coming to St. John’s, and I am really excited to help make The Garden an exciting place to be again,” Polee Jr said. “Coach Lavin was very straightforward with me throughout the process, and I believe that he and the staff at St. John’s can really make me the best player I can be.”
A long, dynamic athlete with outstanding leaping ability, Polee Jr. is a tremendous talent on both the offensive and defensive end. The small forward/power forward is an excellent shot blocker, runs the floor with tenacity and has an uncanny ability to finish around the rim.
As a senior at Westchester this past season, he displayed an offensive arsenal of floaters, mid-range jumpers, dunks and layups. With a near-40 inch vertical leap, he has actually been lauded as “high school basketball’s best dunker” in several publications.
“St. John’s is getting a great player and a great person in Dwayne. He is one of the best athletes I have ever coached,” said Azzam, who has mentored Ariza, Knight, Hassan Adams, Brandon Bowman and Ashanti Cook, among others, over his 31-year career. “Dwayne has excellent offensive skills and athleticism, but the best thing may be that he is still developing. In his next couple of years as a collegian, I believe he has a chance to be an All-American.”
(Photo courtesy Rivals.com)
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.
