Junior college basketball players have never had it better. Big-time recruiters everywhere are scrambling for quick-fix juco talent like never before.
“Since Bobby (Knight) recruited two, it’s like the Pope giving his blessing. Everybody’s saying, ‘Let’s do it,'” said Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs, who brought in five juco players to Kansas’ three.
Signing juco talent has, in fact, become fashionable as, say, a Lou Carnesecca sweater. Which brings us to the subject of St. John’s.
The 63-year-old Carnesecca will start Michael Porter and Greg “Boo” Harvey, both products of San Jacinto, Texas, Juco in his backcourt, against Kansas tonight.
Tipoff is 8:10 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse. It’ll be telecast live on the USA Network (cable channel 20).
The 6-1 Porter and the 5-11 Harvey, who combined to 30 points and 12 assists last year for San Jac, follow in the footsteps of former St. John’s standouts Walter Berry and Billy Goodwin – also San Jacinto products.
“A lot of those kids never matured in high school,” Carnesecca says of juco players. “Then comes the moment of truth. All of a sudden, bang, ‘If I had done my work, I would be in a four-year school.’ Going to junior college gave them an opportunity to qualify themselves. Thank God we have them.”
It didn’t take long for the former juco backcourt duo to impress St. John’s fans. They combined for 27 points in last week’s season-opening 105-60 win over Harvard. And each scored 20 points in Wednesday’s 82-60 victory over Farleigh Dickinson.
Sandwiched was an 88-85 win over Loyola of California, in which senior forward Shelton Jones stole the show with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
“It’s going to be fun playing against them,” said Kansas’ Otis Livingston, a transfer from El Camino JC in Torrance, Calif. “They were touted as the best backcourt in junior college basketball. Both signed letters of intent right out of high school. Harvey signed with Syracuse and Porter with Virginia Tech.”
San Jacinto fell in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA tournament last March to arch-rival Midland, Texas. Midland, led by KU transfer Lincoln Minor and Oklahoma transfer Mookie Blaylock, busted San Jac’s record 71-game winning streak.
Now, interestingly enough, the St. John’s juco pair has a chance to stop one of KU’s most impressive feats.
The Jayhawks upped their homecourt winning streak to a Big Eight record 49 games on Tuesday, clubbing Pomona Pitzer 94-38.
“I was glad to be part of a record-breaking night,” said Livingston. “It wouldn’t be right to lose the streak right after breaking it.”
The Redmen appear primed to give Kansas a real run. Jones, a 6-9 senior who averaged 14.6 points last year, scored 21 versus Harvard and 14 against Farleigh Dickinson.
Other returning Redmen of note inlcude 6-11 senior center Marco Baldi and 6-5 junior forward Matt Brust. Prop 48 casualty Jayson Williams, a 6-9 sophomore, scored 22 in the opener and appears ready to contribute.
One factor in Saturday’s game might be fatigue.
St. John’s, which has yet to make a road trip, last played on Wednesday night. KU, meanwhile, 68-63 road winners over Western Carolina Thursday, are in the midst of a rough swing that’s included trips to both Hawaii and North Carolina.
Notes
Keith Harris hit two free throws at :00 last year in KU’s 62-60 win over the Redmen at Madison Square Garden. Now a sophomore, Harris may or may not play tonight. He remains suspended for undisclosed reasons.