It looks like the first big eligibility hurdle for the Red Storm has been cleared.
Zach Braziller reports on Twitter that sources tell the New York Post that Maurice Harkless is cleared to play for the Red Storm. Harkless, who committed in front of Madison Square Garden back in September, was being investigated by the NCAA for a possible connection to current assistant coach, and former Gauchos administrator Moe Hicks.
Recent NCAA rules changes (11.4.2 in the handbook) would mean that if Hicks was considered to be "associated" with Harkless, St. John's couldn't recruit Harkless for two years. More on the specifics from this site and from the NY Post.
A 6'7 forward from Forest Hills High School and the South Kent School, Moe Harkless is a high level athlete with a lot of athletic ability and basketball IQ. Originally committed to the University of Connecticut, Harkless represents the first top New York City player to stay and play for Steve Lavin's version of the Red Storm. Harkless played with JaKarr Sampson, Sir'Dominic Pointer, and D'Angelo Harrison in the IS8 tournament, a glimpse of the coming storm.
Sir'Dominic Pointer is already on campus, so his eligibility should be fine. But there are still eligibility issues for the Red Storm, as reported earlier in the summer. Jakarr Sampson says he's enrolling in August, Nurideen Lindsey has junior college classes to finish and Norvel Pelle and Amir Garrett are taking high school classes in Philadelphia... so this isn't the last bit of nail-biting about the future Johnnies' eligibility.