Friday, January 25, 2013
Frontrunner for Lawrence?
By Matt Giles
According to the folks at ESPN Recruiting, Jermaine Lawrence is one of the top unsigned players left in the 2013 class. The forward, who had been suffering from a wrist injury, has cut his list to three programs: UNLV, Cincinnati, and St. John's. Dave Telep, Paul Biancardi, Reggie Rankin, and Adam Finkelstein all believe the forward will ultimately commit to the Red Storm, but there are still those who think Cincinnati is currently the favorite in his recruitment. If he does become a Bearcat, assistant Darren Savino deserves a plethora of credit; the former Rutgers assistant has been Cincy's link to the NYC-area over the past few years, and was crucial in the commitments of Jermaine Sanders and Shaquille Thomas.
However, we have to wonder if Lawrence will leave the Big Apple. Lawrence recently took the court for the first time in his senior season, and both Tony Chiles and Steve Lavin trekked to New Jersey to watch Lawrence in action (per Seve Cousins of Zagsblog.com). The SJU coaching staff has clearly made Lawrence -- along with Rysheed Jordan and Khadeen Carrington (in the 2014 class) -- a recruiting priority. While some believe Mick Cronin and his staff have the advantage, Lawrence -- like Chris Obekpa -- could very well play his home games at the Carnesecca Arena next season.
"Consistency. We rated him aggressively early, knowing what he could become as this unfolds. Now he has to go out and deliver consistent performances to the level of his ability."
