Norvel Pelle is expected to sign a Letter of Intent with St. John’s during the early signing period, but won’t arrive on campus until 2012, his current coach told SNY.tv.
“Norvel will be a 2012,” Phelps (Pa.) School coach Brian Shanahan said by text.
The 6-foot-10 Pelle was one of three St. John’s commits declared academically ineligible by the NCAA in September.
Amir Garrett, a 6-6 wing, is currently at Bridgton (Maine) Academy and may be able to enroll at St. John’s in December after signing during this period.
JaKarr Sampson, a 6-8 forward, is at Brewster (N.H.) Academy and re-opened his recruitment. His AAU coach, Don Anderson, told SNY.tv “St John’s is one of the schools that he’s considering.” Sampson will likely enroll in college in 2012, Anderson said.
Garrett tweeted that he and Pelle were working on getting Sampson to join them at St. John’s: “me and novel gone be there, we working hard to get jakarr back with us!!”
Darrick Wood, a 2012 shooting guard now at Bridgton, has verbally committed to St. John’s for 2012 and is expected to sign during the early signing period.
As reported here Tuesday night, Ricardo Gathers, a 6-7 2012 forward from Louisiana, decommitted from St. John’s Tuesday and will sign in the spring.
He tweeted Wednesday: “St. Johns is still the top choice on my list. Issues beyond my control have nothing to do with my decisions.”
If only Garrett joins St. John’s this year, they would have nine scholarship players, instead of the eight they currently have, at the semester break.
The Johnnies, who play Lehigh tonight in the 2K Sports Classic, still have games against Arizona, Texas A&M or Mississippi State and Kentucky before the end of the first semester.
Head coach Steve Lavin returned to practice Tuesday, but there is no timetable on his return to the sidelines.
