St. John’s is expected to announce Monday that freshman guard Omari Lawrence will transfer.
The 6-foot-4, 209-pound Lawrence Tweeted to a friend May 14, “I’m done in the big east my boii.”
The news was first reported by Johnnyjungle.com.
Reached by text, Lawrence declined to elaborate.
“I’m not doing any interviews,” he texted.
A Bronx, N.Y. native, Lawrence averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds last season in 25 games with the Red Storm.
Six weeks after collapsing with a torn
John Calipari continues to draw elite talent from South Florida.
A month after getting a commitment from 6-3 point guard Brandon Knight, Calipari scored a verbal Saturday from 6-11 power forward Eloy Vargas of Miami Dade College during a Saturday visit.
“I am looking forward to playing for Coach Cal, and have him develop my game and help me get to the next level,” Vargas told the Orlando Sun Sentinel.
Vargas initially committed to Florida out of Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage, where he played alongside current Florida guard Kenny Boynton.
He played one season at Florida and then ended up at Miami Dade after suffering ankle problems.
Did Delonte West's affair with Gloria James
Emmanuel Negedu, a 6-7, 220-pound sophomore forward originally from Nigeria, has landed at New Mexico.
“Yes, Emmanuel has committed to New Mexico,” Brewster (N.H.) Academy coach Jason Smith wrote by text. “He hasn’t signed [scholarship] papers yet. He will on Monday.”
Negedu, the 2008 New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year, also visited Indiana.
He sat out last season at Tennessee after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest on Sept. 28, 2009 and having a sub-pectoral internal cardiac defibrillator (ICD) implanted in his chest on Oct. 6. Negedu remained on full scholarship, attended practices and traveled with the team.
One of the hottest names in recruiting right now is Kyle Cain.
The 6-foot-7 Cain is a multi-faceted forward who pulled out of his commitment to Rhode Island and is now considering West Virginia, Arizona State, Alabama and Illinois.
He’s headed on a visit to West Virginia this weekend.
“Yeah, I’m going to West Virginia this Sunday and Monday,” Cain said Friday by phone.
Cain likes West Virginia because head coach Bob Huggins has churned out a slew of NBA-caliber forwards, including Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler from last year’s Final Four team.
Fresh off his visit to Rutgers this week, 6-8 forward Cleveland Melvin could be making a decision in the coming days.
“He will sit down with his mom and family members and ponder a decision,” said Anthony Lewis, Melvin’s coach with the Cecil Kirk AAU program. “He’s gotta get it right.”
Lewis said Melvin is still considering Rutgers, DePaul, Seton Hall and Marshall although Seton Hall is no longer actively recruiting him.
Lewis said he wasn’t aware of that.
Melvin, who initially committed to UConn, enjoyed the Rutgers visit, which he took along with fellow Baltimore native Antoine Myers,a 6-3 point guard.
