Norvel Pelle, the onetime St. John’s signee who is now being compared to Kevin Durant by his brother, visited Iona for two days this week but remains uncommitted.
The 7-foot Pelle visited Iona Monday and Tuesday and would be arguably their most highly touted player ever should he choose the Gaels.
“He’s definitely worked on a lot of skill-sets that we were focusing a lot on film, dribbling the basketball, shooting and playing more like a guard,” Rambo Rasheed, Pelle’s older brother, told SNY.tv Wednesday by phone. “So he looks way more like a guard now. Comparing more him toward a ‘KD’ instead of a ‘KG [Kevin Garnett],’ you know?”
If Pelle were to choose Iona, one league source said, “He would be the best player in MAAC history.”
Rasheed said West Virginia, Arkansas, Fresno State and “a few other schools” were in the mix but no other visits have yet been set.
Still, the Iona visit with head coach Tim Cluess and associate head coach Jared Grasso made an impression.
“We’re still trying to figure out what’s going on after this, but the visit went well,” Rasheed said.
“They said they want him to come in and be the face of Iona as well as possibly being able to get out of here in one year [to the NBA]. He could be, if not the best player in the nation, definitely the top three or top five.”
Rasheed said his brother was on track to becoming academically eligible.
“We’re almost set with everything now,” he said.
Added the MAAC source: “He’s getting there.”
Pelle was one of three St. John’s players declared academically ineligible by the NCAA last fall — Amir Garrett and JaKarr Sampson were the others. Garrett arrived at St. John’s at midseason and Sampson will finally play this fall after spending a postgraduate year at Brewster (N.H.) Academy.
Pelle finally decommitted from St. John’s last November and the source said he “soured” on St. John’s after the NCAA ruling.
Pelle initially turned up at the Phelps School in Malvern, Pa., but didn’t stay there long. He ended up back home in California playing with Rasheed and the Los Angeles-based Buckets Academy AAU program, of which Rasheed is vice president.
“He’s been working very hard trying to get his school work together,” Rasheed said. “And his game is looking great. He’s shooting 3’s, pullups, he’s handling the ball great. He’s a major athlete, so he’s doing a lot of amazing stuff with the basketball.”
IONA ADDS CANTINO
Iona also recently landed a commitment from 6-7, 235-pound wing Chris Cantino of Palm Beach (Fla.) Community College.
“Iona is a perfect place for me on offense,” he said by text. “Coach told me I will be able to play my game and most coaches want to just stick me in the paint. I’m a three man with four skills. I will bring rebounding and scoring inside and out. I’m excited for my opportunity to be a Gael and ready to turn up and go back in the [NCAA] Tournament.”
Cantino also held offers from Cal State-Northridge, South Alabama, Xavier, Rhode Island and Northern Arizona.
Tusker / August 8, 2012
If he looked like 1/4th of KD, he wouldn’t be considering Iona.
Ah AAU gurus.. Norvell and Rambo should be a Head Coach’s dream!!
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guyfawkesnyc / August 8, 2012
If he lands at Iona they will be amazing. MoMo, Armand, Dennis, Laury and Pelle with Ridley, Anderson,and Cantino coming off the bench, Put this kid in Iona’s running offense and he will put up huge numbers.
He had offers from SJU, Arizona, UCONN, California, Kansas, Miami, Oregon, Texas, UCLA, USC, UTEP and Washington coming out of high school. The kid is a stud. It looks like Iona is really trying to recruit with the big boys.
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gman / August 9, 2012
This kid is not KD. Word was he had zero offensive game outside of dunking. He may have worked on it, but still proabably has a long way to go. He would be a huge get for Iona, but I doubt that happens. I doubt the kid makes it on any college campus. It’s August, how does the kid not know if the is going to qualify by now?
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mj3150 / August 9, 2012
this kid still didnt pick a school sheesh
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Chico / August 9, 2012
“would be arguably their most highly touted player ever should he choose the Gaels.”
Not taking anything away from the kid, but Jeff Ruland was one of the top HS players in the country 30 years ago, led Iona to a top 20 national ranking (best ever for the Gaels), and averaged better than 17 ppg and 10 rpg in an NBA career that was cut short by injuries. He was an NBA All-Rookie and NBA All-Star.
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kungpaochicken / August 9, 2012
Nice to see the kid is getting good solid advice from his family. How many times do we need to witness these kids being ruined by their family members before they start to figure it out?
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UofA BJ / August 9, 2012
Dont think it’s family kungpao, some kids just aren’t able to qualify.
Dudes 6 10 but he’s got a bird brain.
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AGinNYC / August 10, 2012
KungPao, I’m laughing so hard right now that it hurts. This kid’s family is THE MAIN REASON he’s in this mess right now. I can tell you for sure that pretty much all of those schools never offered him scholarships because they knew the following: 1. He would never qualify (mainly because his family doesn’t care about education), 2. His handlers have put the ridiculous idea in his head that he’s the next KD but he’s nowhere close. Therefore, he’s likely a low impact one and done at a true high major, 3. HIS FAMILY IS ALL ABOUT GETTING PAID. They’ve had their hands out from the beginning.
I heard the same types of things from people close to several of those programs. Don’t you think that it’s curious that the ‘next KD’ is looking at mid-majors and schools like Fresno St and Arkansas? At least he’s trying to go to college. Shouldn’t he have been draft eligible this year?
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