Keith Thomas of Westchester Community College enjoyed his visit to St. John’s and now has several more coming up, but the Johnnies appear to be positioned well for the 6-foot-8 forward.
Thomas will visit South Florida Wednesday-Thursday and then head to Miami May 1-2. He will have one official remaining after that and may trip to Arizona. He has also been to Loyola Chicago.
“He enjoyed it, he thinks [head coach Steve] Lavin was a genius on a lot of stuff,” WCC coach Tyrone Mushatt told SNY.tv.
Lavin surely pitched the appeal of playing in New York and at Madison Square Garden, which struck a chord.
“That’s heavy for a young man,” Mushatt said. “My whole thing was, St. John’s is St. John’s, it always will be.”
Mushatt said New York is “not a college town,” but that it stands in stark comparison to his other options.
The staff at South Florida “just got down there so that’s a totally different situation,” he said of head coach Orlando Antigua.
“He went to Chicago, they’re trying to get to s certain status. St. John’s is almost the standout, due to circumstances. Miami has gotten involved. If he visits Arizona, that will be something he’s never seen before. They’re trying to square [a visit] away.”
Mushatt said it’s unclear when Thomas might visit Arizona at this point.
“He has one more [visit], the whole thing is, when can he do it?” Mushatt asked.
Wherever he lands, Mushatt believes Thomas — who averaged 15.3 points and 15.7 rebounds — can play in the Big East, Pac-12 or the ACC.
“He sticks to what he does well,” he said. “He’s not a kid tries to do stuff he can’t do. That’s what makes him so good. Rebounding is just a natural thing for him. He can score as well too, but he’s OK passing the ball. His thing is, as long as we’re winning, I’m OK, I’m going to do my part.”
McLEAN VISITING OKLAHOMA
WCC point guard Giovanni McLean, who averaged 16.8 points and 7.4 assists, trips to Oklahoma on Wednesday morning.
“They’re going to offer him on the visit.” Mushatt said. “I spoke to Lon Kruger and they have his transcripts and everything.”
The 6-1 McLean has also visited Texas State and is also being recruited by new Tulsa coach Frank Haith and Quinnipiac. He may or may not visit Quinnipiac.
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