Charleston Classic Update comes from ESPN's Andy Katz, confirming Murray State's inclusion and a second change:

Murray State went for the sure thing and decided to play in the Charleston (S.C.) Classic over being in a Kansas State NIT Season Tip-Off pod that wouldn’t guarantee a trip to New York for the semifinals. The Racers complete the eight-team field in the Charleston tourney, scheduled for Nov. 15-18, with Baylor, Boston College, Charleston, Colorado, Dayton, St. John’s and Auburn.

This looks to be a very solid field for St. John's to participate in.

The Charleston Classic is hosted by the Southern Conference (the College of Charleston is a member) and ESPN. Murray State returns five seniors and is a good addition. Auburn, under Tony Barbee, have struggled in the SEC. The team has lost six players since last season.

Baylor and Murray State should be favorites, with Colorado and the St. John's Red Storm as the competitive upstarts.

St. John's expects to be far more competitive this season. Along with the return of head coach Steve Lavin, the team returns 73% of the team's minutes and 69% of the scoring, while bringing in talented players for depth. Facing off against another creative and talented squad will sharpen the team's tools or weapons and better prepare them for the rigors and challenges of Big East play.

Last season's Charleston Classic final featured Northwestern and Seton Hall, with the Pirates losing to the Wildcats in a thriller.

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St. John's will travel to Brooklyn to face longtime local rival St. Francis Terriers on December 15th, per the NY Post. And a bonus for the Brooklyn and Manhattan fans - the game will be played in the Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets' new Arena in the Atlantic Center/ Downtown Brooklyn, as part of a tripleheader called Brooklyn Hoops.

The other games will be Michigan vs West Virginia and Princeton vs. Fordham.

In the past ten years, the Red Storm have gone 6-1 against the Terriers of Brooklyn, losing only in 2004 on the night Alumni Hall was renamed Carnesecca Arena.

Former St. John's assistant coach Glenn Braica has a chance to play a marquee opponent in a semi-home setting, though one would think the site would be deemed neutral for ticketing purposes. Current St. John's head coach Steve Lavin gets a chance to take the show on the road and see how the Johnnies draw in Brooklyn; with a deep history in New York City, the Barclays Center's location allows the Red Storm to better cultivate Brooklyn fans.

The Barclays center has been making moves to fill its nights with basketball, with the LIU Blackbirds calling the arena a second home, non-conference December matchups, and the Atlantic 10 Tournament all scheduled to be hosted at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic. And a second session of Brooklyn Hoops will feature Seton Hall vs Long Island and Manhattan College vs. South Carolina.

The Red Storm, coming off of a 13-19 season, hope to rebound with sophomore improvements from the core of their roster and help from the incoming recruits. St. Francis was 15-15 overall, with a 12-6 record in the Northeast Conference.

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Assistant Coach Mike Dunlap has often popped up on the coaching radars for college teams, including Colorado State this year. The veteran NCAA and NBA coach - with a national championship to his credit at Division II Metro State - has a lot of respect in NBA circles.

So much so that he will get a look at the Charlotte Bobcats head coaching gig.

...Bobcats will interview Mike Dunlap, associate head coach at St. John's U, & Cleveland Cavs assistant Nate Tibbetts next week, sources say

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) May 8, 2012

The Bobcats search has an expansive feel, with the team looking at coaches from well known head coaches like Nate McMillan and well-known assistants like Mike Malone, to well-known ex-players (Patrick Ewing, Brian Shaw), and now former assistant coaches like Mike Dunlap.

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St. John's former standout forward Justin Burrell continues to earn publicity for his MVP award in the Basketball Japan League, helping the Yokohama B-Corsairs to a 31-21 record in their first year of existence. The bouncy Burrell, the Big East's Sixth Man of the Year as a senior in 2011, has his sights set at coming stateside.

In the Times Herald-Record, he calls the NBA his "ultimate goal" and wants to win a championship and MVP in his league.

Burrell credits St. John's coach Steve Lavin for helping him reach his potential:

"I just wanted to get better, to improve. I always had a high skill set. I just had some injuries and setbacks at St. John's. Coach Steve Lavin really helped me last year, he taught me different things, showed me my potential. I just went from there."

Red Storm fans know that Burrell seemed to struggle with confidence and consistency in his sophomore and junior years. His senior year saw an increase in his aggressiveness - the aggressiveness he had as a passionate freshman with few offensive options around him. But he remained a good defensive rebounder, learned to be a strong defender in the post, and used his athleticism to give some opposing players fits.

The Rumble hopes Burrell continues to reach his potential - he could fit as a versatile dirty-work forward if he can rebound at a high level. Next year's NBA summer leagues will likely see a man on a mission to prove he belongs.

[see: our recap of Justin Burrell's St. John's Red Storm career]

*read more of the article for Burrell's comments and how much he enjoys Japan's culture.

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St. John's has had a news-heavy week, with a number of verbal commits, the heating up of Coach Steve Lavin's recruiting, a new coach for the women's basketball team, and the NBA debut for former Johnnie star D.J. Kennedy.

The men's basketball team hopes for more good recruiting news, with official visits from Philip Nolan, Darrick Wood, San Francisco transfer Justin Raffington, and possibly Arizona guard Josiah Turner.

More, below the fold.

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Next year's Charleston Classic - where the St. John's team will play from November 15-18th - is shapring up to be one of the more intriguing tournaments of the 2012-13 season.

A tournament is only as good as the competition. The Charleston Classic has selected some intriguing teams for seven of the eight tournament spots, with the eighth team still "To Be Determined".

The Murray State Racers - undefeated until February and a six-seed in this year's NCAA Tournament - want in.

From ESPN:

Murray State coach Steve Prohm said he is desperately seeking a tournament for next season and is attempting to get into the Charleston Classic.

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The last image of D.J. Kennedy that any Red Storm fan has is him clutching his knee during the Big East Tournament in 2011 after tearing his ACL against Syracuse.

The newest image of D.J. Kennedy that any Red Storm fan should have is of him moving perfectly well on the court. but this time he isn't wearing a St. John's jersey. Instead, his coach is Byron Scott, he's wearing the #12, and D.J. is wearing a jersey of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.

Kennedy was called up from the D-League 4 days ago where he had played the entire season with the New York Knicks D-League affiliate, The Erie Bay Hawks. He started all 44 games he played in, averaging 15.7 points per game to go with 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

Same old do-it-all D.J., filled with skill and versatility.

Last night Kennedy made his pro debut as the Cavs took on the Washington Wizards scoring 12 points (5-for-6 shooting), grabbing 6 boards, dishing out 3 assists to go along with 2 steals in 31 minutes of play in a loss to the Washington Wizards.

[BOX SCORE]

Yes, it's the same old D.J. Kennedy that St. John's fans have come to know and love and who was an instrumental piece to the revival of the program just a year ago. The same D.J. who led the Johnnies through four challenging years.

A year after missing the NCAA Tournament with a knee injury, Kennedy is suiting up for an NBA team and living out his dream.

Congratulations to D.J. Kennedy for his continued success - and hoping for more to follow with a developing Cavs squad. And here's hoping Moe Harkless joins him in the NBA next year.

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St. John's recruiting |

Just because the NBA dream is delayed doesn't make it any less sweet.

D.J. Kennedy, the glue of the 2008-2011 Red Storm teams, has been signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the rest of the season. His season with the NBA Developmental League's Erie Bayhawks ended in a first-round knockout at the hands of the Austin Toros, but Kennedy was a swiss army knife for the team. Kennedy averaged 14.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 42.0 minutes in the playoffs.

On the season, Kennedy averaged 15.7 ppg/ 7.3 rpg/ 4.4 apg on the season, 44.7% on field goals, 37.8% from the three, 81.6% on 206 free throw attempts.

Kennedy will wear the number 12, and with the Cavaliers at 21-41, he is likely to see time on the court.

Kennedy returned from a knee injury in the 2011 Big East Tournament to make a D-League roster and earn a starting spot. Before the injury, he was on NBA radars as a second-round pick. We discussed why after last season:

D.J. Kennedy comes up in John Hollinger's [pre- 2011 NBA Draft] draft player rater at number 55... draft analysts have always loved D.J. Kennedy's combination of athleticism and size. He's not the greatest athlete, the burliest player, or the tallest, but he can play the guard position with enough strength and athleticism to get by.

Kennedy has been a very good open jump shooter from the perimeter. He draws fouls and plays a smart floor game, passing decently from his position. His man-to-man defense has been solid, and by basic defensive stats - steals, blocks, and defensive rebounds - Kennedy makes a hard-nosed impact.

Good luck to the "Hitman", and if you have a chance to watch him on Monday against the Spurs, let us know how he does. (We'll be checking with the Cleveland Cavaliers site Fear The Sword as well.)

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