The St. John's Red Storm 2012 recruiting class is finally taking shape.
On Sunday afternoon, SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria reported that both Orlando Sanchez and Marco Bourgault have commited to St. John's. Sanchez and Bourgault have been teammates for two seasons at Monroe College in New Rochelle, and visited the Queens campus this weekend.
Sanchez (6'8"), originally from the Dominican Republic, provides the undersized Johnnies with a much-needed interior presence both offensively and defensively. He is capable of contributing significantly as a rebounder and shot-blocker - two aspects in which Steve Lavin's young group certainly needs help. (See also: Orlando Sanchez Rumble profile)
The forward has unbounded athleticism and runs the floor exceptionally well. As we mentioned earlier in March, he has the capability of running the floor with deceptive speed. Sanchez, whose game and body type actually bears some resemblance to Moe Harkless, will serve as a nice complement to God`sgift Achiuwa in the paint.
"Coaches like his versatility," Monroe head coach Jeff Brustad said of Sanchez. "He's got a high level ability to defend. He blocks shots, he rebounds, and he's an athlete who can run the floor."
Bourgault, a 6'6" sharpshooter from France, is more versatile than most may think. Though he is known for his perimeter game, Bourgault can beat defenders off the dribble and either pull up in mid-range or attack the basket. He is noted for having a noticeably high "basketball IQ." (See also: Marco Bourgault Rumble profile).
Bourgault has experienced knee injuries in his past, which kept him from playing at Montana when he initially committed there. Now healthy, the French guard is a worthy offensive threat and can serve as a secondary ball handler alongside Jamal Branch and Phil Greene. His role with the Red Storm will primarily be to do something about the team's putrid 28.3 percentage from behind the arc.
Sanchez will have two years of eligibility at St. John's, while Bourgault will have three. Aside from Achiuwa (one year), the rest of the roster has three years remaining.
Sanchez and Bourgault will join Branch, JaKarr Sampson, and Felix Balamou as newcomers come the season's commencement in October. The spring signing period, which started on April 11th, will continue until mid-May.
The Rumble will have more on this story in the coming days and weeks.
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