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.
St. John’s coach Chris Mullin landed his second commitment of the week on Friday when Malik Ellison, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Burlington (N.J.) Life Center Academy, chose the Red Storm.
Ellison visited St. John’s on Tuesday, the same day that former Pittsburgh small forward Durand Johnsonwas on campus and Johnson then committed on Wednesday.
“The main thing was opportunity, to go in there and make an immediate impact,” Ellison told SNY.tv by phone when asked why he chose St. John’s.
Ellison also considered Rutgers, South Carolina and Minnesota. His addition is a nice boost for St. John’s after they missed out on shooting guard Brandon Sampson (LSU) and forward Cheick Diallo (Kansas).
Ellison described himself as a smart player. “They’re getting a player that’s smart, plays hard and just a winner,” he said.
St. John’s needs depth in the backcourt, with point guard Rysheed Jordan the only proven guard returning.
“Getting involved with [Ellison] late, he’s a good player whose best days lie ahead,” longtime New York recruiting analyst Tom Konchalski told SNY.tv. “If he continues to work hard, he can be a good player for them. He’s young physically and he’s only going to get better.”
Ellison suffered a broken tibia last summer and did not return to action until December. “But because of that, that slowed his recruiting,” Konchalski said. “Once he was healthy and he got his athleticism back, he’s a 100 percent now. And in fact his athleticism is a lot better than it was a year ago. He played well up at the Hoophall up in Springfield and people liked him up there.
“He’s young physically and he’s just getting better and better. Obviously, he has impeccable athletic DNA. ‘Never Nervous Pervis’ [Ellison] was the MVP of the 1986 Final Four for Louisville when they beat Duke in the final.”
For Ellison, getting a chance to play for Mullin sealed the deal. “[He’s] one of the greatest of all time,” Ellison said. “It’s just a dream come true. Just a great opportunity.”
St. John’s still remains involved with Florida transfer Elijah Carter, who has many suitors; Italian guard Federico Mussini, who recently told SNY.tv that St. John’s and Gonzaga were recruiting him the hardest; and Chicago point guard Marcus LoVett, who has yet to take any official visits.
St. John’s is also involved for Greek 7-footer Georgios Papagiannis, who could decide by June.
They will now have 11 players on scholarship for 2015-16 with two to give.
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.
St. John’s coach Chris Mullin landed his second commitment of the week on Friday when Malik Ellison, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Burlington (N.J.) Life Center Academy, chose the Red Storm.
Ellison visited St. John’s on Tuesday, the same day that former Pittsburgh small forward Durand Johnson was on campus and Johnson then committed on Wednesday.
“The main thing was opportunity, to go in there and make an immediate impact,” Ellison told SNY.tv by phone when asked why he chose St. John’s.
Ellison also considered Rutgers, South Carolina and Minnesota. His addition is a nice boost for St. John’s after they missed out on shooting guard Brandon Sampson (LSU) and forward Cheick Diallo (Kansas).
Ellison described himself as a smart player. “They’re getting a player that’s smart, plays hard and just a winner,” he said.
St. John’s needs depth in the backcourt, with point guard Rysheed Jordan the only proven guard returning.
“Getting involved with [Ellison] late, he’s a good player whose best days lie ahead,” longtime New York recruiting analyst Tom Konchalski told SNY.tv. “If he continues to work hard, he can be a good player for them. He’s young physically and he’s only going to get better.”
Ellison suffered a broken tibia last summer and did not return to action until December. “But because of that, that slowed his recruiting,” Konchalski said. “Once he was healthy and he got his athleticism back, he’s a 100 percent now. And in fact his athleticism is a lot better than it was a year ago. He played well up at the Hoophall up in Springfield and people liked him up there.
“He’s young physically and he’s just getting better and better. Obviously, he has impeccable athletic DNA. ‘Never Nervous Pervis’ [Ellison] was the MVP of the 1986 Final Four for Louisville when they beat Duke in the final.”
For Ellison, getting a chance to play for Mullin sealed the deal. “[He’s] one of the greatest of all time,” Ellison said. “It’s just a dream come true. Just a great opportunity.”
St. John’s still remains involved with Florida transfer Elijah Carter, who has many suitors; Italian guard Federico Mussini, who recently told SNY.tv that St. John’s and Gonzaga were recruiting him the hardest; and Chicago point guard Marcus LoVett, who has yet to take any official visits.
St. John’s is also involved for Greek 7-footer Georgios Papagiannis, who could decide by June.
They will now have 11 players on scholarship for 2015-16 with two to give.
