Josh Roberts, the 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from Montverde (FL) Academy, signed his National Letter of Intent with St. John’s on Wednesday.
“We are thrilled to welcome Josh to our basketball program,” said Head Coach Chris Mullin. “Josh is a versatile big man who brings toughness and a tremendous work ethic to the court. We believe he has the potential to make an immediate impact for us next season.”
At Montverde Academy, Roberts is a member of the Prep National Team, a program that has produced several NBA prospects in recent years, playing for head coach Kevin Boyle Jr. Among the list of distinguished Montverde basketball alumni are Ben Simmons, the top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and D’Angelo Russell, the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Roberts has risen as high as No. 42 for his position by national recruiting services after a breakout campaign competing for Southern Stampede on the Nike EYBL circuit last season. One of the top defensive players in the EYBL, Roberts averaged 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks to go with a 6.1 scoring average in 16 appearances.
Prior to attending Montverde Academy, Roberts previously starred as a two-sport athlete at Charles Henderson High School in Troy, Ala. On the hardwood, Roberts helped lead Charles Henderson to only its second winning season in the last 12 years, while also shining on the football field as a wide receiver for the Trojans.
Roberts will bolster the Red Storm roster next season as he makes his debut along with highly rated transfers Sedee Keita and Mikey Dixon along with current freshman Boubacar Diakite, who is redshirting this season.
St. John’s remains in the mix for Louisiana combo guard Greg Williams and California power forward Jordan Brown in the 2018 class. Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter And Like ZAGS on Facebook