RED STORM HOST ELITE LOCAL TALENTS

June 19, 2008

In the last couple weeks, both Lance Stephenson (class of 2009) and Tobias Harris (class of 2010) have made unofficial vists to Queens to check out St. John's and visit with coach Norm Roberts.

“Tobias…came away very impressed with what coach Norm Roberts is doing at St.John’s,” according to his father, Torrel Harris Sr. “Tobias stated to me it looks like coach Roberts is really trying his best to get St. John’s back to the elite level,” Mr. Harris informed the NBE Basketball Report in the story about the Tobias Harris Tour Stop at St. John's.

“It seems like Coach Roberts has a great plan for his young team to improve each day in order for St. John’s University to get to that next level,” Mr. Harris remarked.

The stop at St. John’s and the trip to WVU is all part of a Busy Summer for Harris that has also included the stop at Virginia, an earlier stop at Kansas and, at least, planned upcoming trips to Indiana, Louisville, Marquette, Rutgers, Maryland, Florida, Connecticut, Arizona, Memphis and Syracuse.

As for the visit from Stephenson, he made it clear after words that St. John's is a viable option to land him. It is no secret he is close to his father, Lance Sr., who has also coached his son in several AAU events with the Raising Champions squad. Staying close to home for the Lincoln HS star could become a real option as the recruitment moves along.

“Oh yeah, I was really looking at St. John’s, Stephenson commented in anarticle posted at the NBE Basketball Report. “I think I can bring New York back [to prominence], so I’m really looking at that right now.”

Stephenson told Alex Schwartz yesterday his top schools are ”USC, St. John’s, Kansas, UCLA, and Tennessee.”

But, before St. John’s fans get too excited, the process is not nearly over yet. “I don’t have a leader right now,” Stephenson cautioned.

Even schools like North Carolina, Kentucky, Memphis and Indiana are not ready to be ruled out according to Lance, “I’m still looking at the schools, but I’m more focused on the other [first five] schools, then I’m going to focus on the others.”