New St. John’s coach Chris Mullin has landed his first player.
Tennessee transfer Tariq Owens, a 6-foot-10 power forward from Baltimore Mount Zion Prep, will transfer to St. John’s, his father and AAU coach confirmed to SNY.tv.
He also considered Cincinnati, George Washington and several Big Ten schools.
“It came down to family,” Renard Owens said. “I’m from Queens and my grandmother is sick in a nursing home. Tariq is real close to her. She’s his great-grandmother. So he has to get to see here and spend some time with her. That was the determining factor, being close to family.
“He also has the opportunity to be part of rebuilding St. John’s with one of St. John’s great players and an NBA Hall of Famer. It seemed like the best fit all the way around.”
A source said Owens will sit the year and get three years of eligibility beginning in 2016.
“He can benefit from having a redshirt year to build his body and really get stronger,” his father said. “He will be a beast after a year of strength and weight training.”
With the return of 6-9 Chris Obekpa, St. John’s will have a big in the fold to defend the paint and block shots next year.
Owens averaged 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds under former coach Donnie Tyndall.
“Tariq is a stretch 4,” his father Renard previously told SNY.tv. “He is very mobile and can defend positions 3-5 and can shoot the jumper 15-18 feet. There’s a huge upside for him.”
St. John’s is also looking to meet with uncommitted 2015 prospects Brandon Sampson and Cheick Diallo during the upcoming contact period April 17-22. Sampson is a former St. John’s commit.
