By Zach Braziller
Chris Mullin and Shamorie Ponds Photo: Paul J. Bereswill; Anthony J. Causi
College basketball’s early signing period began on Wednesday with a flurry of activity and will continue through this coming Wednesday. Though the impact of these players likely will not be known for a few years, how they fare likely will shape the local landscape in the near future.
Below is a look at how teams in our area did:
St. John’s
Signing: G Shamorie Ponds, Thomas Jefferson
Analysis: Chris Mullin followed through on his mission statement by landing arguably the best New York City high school player in Ponds, a slick lead guard with limitless range who is ranked in the top 50 by most scouting services. He could help them right now. St. John’s did whiff on five-star guard Mustapha Heron, who chose Auburn, but remains in great position to land two crucial pieces in the spring — forward Richard Freudenberg of Germany and Bronx wing Bashir Ahmed, one of the top junior college prospects in the country. Also possible: Top 10 prospects Thon Maker and Rawle Alkins, though the competition will be stiff.
Seton Hall
Signing: G Myles Powell, South Kent (Conn.)
Analysis: The rapidly improving New Jersey native and top-100, four-star recruit brings exactly what this Pirates team could use: shooting. Coach Kevin Willard continues to do well locally, and with just one open scholarship remaining, Seton Hall can be patient in finding the right piece in the spring — preferably a big man.
Rutgers
Signings: None
Analysis: The momentum Eddie Jordan hoped to build off of his quality 2015 recruiting class has stalled. Top 100 guard Kwe Parker de-committed, and the Scarlet Knights won’t have any early signees, a bad sign for a program needing to upgrade its talent level in the Big Ten. Ahmed was another top target, but Rutgers doesn’t seem to be in the mix at the moment. With three open scholarships for next year, Jordan will need a big spring.
Iona
Signings: G Kai Mitchell, St. Thomas More (Conn.); F Jalen McGaughy, Midland College (Texas); G E.J. Crawford, St. Thomas Moore (Conn.); F Jan Svandrlik, Indian Hills (Iowa)
Analysis: The heavy MAAC favorite is reloading again, bringing in an impressive four-man haul headed by the 6-foot-5 Crawford, an explosive scorer some in the program think can follow in the footsteps of under-recruited Iona stars Sean Armand and A.J English. The 6-foot-7 Svandrlik is a stretch four, a lights-out 3-point shooter, and the 6-foot-6 Mitchell is a matchup problem, strong enough to play inside and too quick for forwards to stick with on the perimeter.
Hofstra
Signing: G Elijah Pemberton, Cheshire Academy (Conn.)
Analysis: Pemberton, one of the top players in the elite New England Prep School Athletic League (NEPSAC), will join a young backcourt featuring current freshmen Desure Buie and Justin Wright-Foreman next year. The Pride, though, will need to be active in the spring to fill out the frontcourt, as it graduates three key senior contributors: Ameen Tanksley, Malik Nichols and Denton Koon.
Fordham
Signing: G Will Tavares, Monroe College (JUCO)
Analysis: The 6-foot-6 shot-making wing should add scoring punch and help replace graduating star Mandell Thomas. Otherwise, it was a quiet fall for Fordham, though that was expected with just one open scholarship and new coach Jeff Neubauer still assessing his program’s needs.
Manhattan
Signing: G Nehemiah Mack, Mount Zion Prep (Md.)
Analysis: A potential replacement for senior guard Rashawn Stores, the 6-foot-1 Mack sounds like he was made for Manhattan: Defensive-minded and tough. Talented, too, he was a two-time first-team Pennsylvania Class AAA all-state selection before leaving Susquehanna Township this fall.
Stony Brook
Signings: G Michael Almonacy, Brentwood (L.I.); G/F Andrew Garcia, The Master’s School (Conn.)
Analysis: The duo will have large shoes to fill, attempting to help eventually replace current stars, seniors Carson Puriefoy and Jameel Warney. Almonacy is the reigning Suffolk County Player of the Year who led Brentwood to back-to-back Long Island Class AA titles and drew interest from the likes of Penn State, Stanford and Davidson. The versatile 6-foot-5 Garcia, a Harlem native, averaged 18.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a junior, which gives us some insight into why his teammates call him “Buckets.”
