By ADAM ZAGORIA
St. John’s got some good news ahead of a series of home visits with several Class of 2019 stars.
David Caraher, the 6-6 wing from Houston Baptist, committed during his official to campus on Saturday after averaging 16.2 points and 7.2 rebounds last season. He will sit the 2018-19 season and then have three years of eligibility.
Excited to announce my commitment to Coach Chris Mullin and staff at St John’s University! ?⚪️ #RedStorm pic.twitter.com/ZV1VPqwx7X
— David Caraher (@CaraherDavid30) April 14, 2018
A Third Team All-Southland Conference honoree, Caraher finished fifth in the league in scoring and seventh in rebounding during his rookie campaign. Caraher’s scoring average last season ranked 12th among Division I freshmen and was the highest in the Southland Conference for a rookie in over a decade.
“David is a well-rounded player with Division I experience who we believe is a good fit for our program,” said head coach Chris Mullin. “He is a high-character person with a tremendous work ethic on and off the court. Our staff is excited to get to work with David.”
Caraher scored in double figures 23 times and reached the 20-point plateau on 10 occasions in 2017-18. He twice exploded for 30 points, once against University of Texas at San Antonio in December and again a month later against McNeese. Caraher also finished second on the team with 56 threes and shot 73.6 percent at the free-throw line.
During Southland Conference play, Caraher upped his scoring to 18.1 points per game, the fourth highest average in the league. In addition, he finished fifth in the conference with 7.6 rebounds per contest in league action.
“Coach Mullin is the definition of a player’s coach. To have the opportunity to play for him and his staff at St. John’s University is something I could not pass up,” said Caraher. “It is an honor to represent New York’s team and play for St. John’s passionate fan base. This is a dream come true.”
Meantime, the staff is focused on the Class of 2019 and the next few days will be critical in that plan.
Head coach Chris Mullin and his staff had home visits on Sunday with Team Rio stars Scottie Lewis and Jalen Gaffney.
Lewis is in the midst of a series of meetings with a Who’s Who of college coaches, including Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and Kentucky’s John Calipari on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Florida’s Mike White and Villanova’s Jay Wright are due in this week, while Memphis’ Penny Hardaway had to reschedule. Meantime, Notre Dame and Florida are also involved for Gaffney.
“For us it has been about the relationship, which is mutual,” AD Gaffney, Jalen’s father, told ZAGSBLOG Sunday evening. “They have been following and watching Jalen since the ninth grade. They have seen his growth and we have seen theirs. Chris is a very humble, likable and relatable coach.”
On Monday, St. John’s will also meet with 6-10 Team Rio big man Aidan Igiehon. Oregon, Louisville, Stanford and USC are also involved.
On Tuesday, St. John’s is due to meet with 6-6 Roselle (N.J.) Catholic wing Kahlil Whitney, who also meets with Syracuse Wednesday.
Meantime, with big men Tariq Owens (Texas Tech) and Kassoum Yakwe (undecided) on the way out, St. Johns’ remains involved for transfers.
On Sunday, St. John’s also met with Robert Morris transfer Dachon Burke, a 6-4 sophomore from Orange, N.J., who averaged 17.6 points and 5.8 rebounds last season. Burke has meetings coming with this week Pittsburgh (Tuesday), Nebraska (Wednesday) and Marquette (Thursday).
