Originally from the Bronx, and renowned as a deep shooter, 6'2" guard from the Bronx Dwight Hardy signs with St. John's. he went from JFK HS to Indian Hills Community College - hat tip to Zagsblog for breaking the news.
I had heard a rumor about this and actually hoped it wasn't true.
While the team could use a deep shooter, the team does NOT need another player who will graduate in 2011; if the roster and signees stay intact, 2011 will open with 2 juniors and 2 sophomores (Phil Wait has been declared a sophomore by the NCAA), and 9 spots to fill. We all saw how 7-8 newcomers in the Big East is not a good idea for a team hoping to be competitive.
(photo from Ottumwa Courier)
Additionally, there are 3 guards coming on board to a team that has 4 other players who play guard - Malik Boothe, Paris Horne, TyShwan Edmondson, Quincy Roberts, and DJ Kennedy. Kennedy and Roberts may become part of the forward rotation in the future, leaving:
PG: Boothe, Stith, Edmondson
SG: Lawrence, Horne, Hardy
If Lawrence is supposed to be a good defender and a touted recruit, he'll get his minutes. Boothe and Stith will as well. How will Hardy hit his rhythm? What will the versatile Horne do? Will Edmondson see the court? Unless there are some innovative 3 guard lineups in the offing... I don't see it.
And not to say that the roster issues won't shake out, with good depth on the bench. And between a shooter and Lawrence, there should be some firepower for next season. But this roster begs the question, again, about 2011.
Will there be that many impact freshmen and junior college players who want to suit up for the Red Storm? Perhaps a player will redshirt this or next year to create roster balance?
Here's hoping that the roster issues do shake out, especially if a sophomore or two turns out to still not be able to find the basket with the ball.
This is the kind of player that St. John's needs to maintain spacing; but it would be nice if he was going to be a freshman or sophomore when he hit campus.