Per Adam Zagoria, St. John's has a second shooter to go along with yesterday's verbal commit, Marco Bourgault.
"I've committed to St. John's" -- Max Hooper
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 23, 2012
Max Hooper, a 6'6" transfer from Harvard, will have 3 years of eligibility left after his transfer year; he won't be available to play until the 2013-14 season. Hooper will serve as a shooting specialist. Scouting reports indicate that he's not a great athlete and isn't blessed with foot speed. Hooper is, however, blessed with a quick release and a lot of skill.
Hooper was rumored to be visiting campus this weekend as Orlando Sanchez and Bourgault were on their official visits. To Adam Zagoria, he mentions bonding with the players - including the new commits - and making smart plays along with his shooting. Hooper is already friends with JaKarr Sampson from their time together at Brewster Academy; and he met a number of the current St. John's players while at the IS8 Tournament in Queens last summer.
In his words:
It is going to rain 3's when the Red Storm come to town.
— Max Hooper (@maxthehooper) April 23, 2012
Hooper can hit shots in bunches, and with new commit Marco Bourgault, provides another sweet-shooting look for a team that was near the bottom of the NCAA in three-pointers attempted and three-point shooting percentage. With more talented shooters and an experienced team, Max could fit in nicely on the wing, leaving room for talented slashers like Sir`Dominic Pointer and JaKarr Sampson to get isolation opportunities in the halfcourt offense.
Center Phil Nolan and wing Darrick Wood are slated to visit the St. John's campus this weekend; high level guard Josiah Turner is also in the mix, as is center Michael Chandler.
Hooper's commitment leaves two scholarships left. It is possible that an incoming freshman could attend prep school for a year to improve his game to accommodate three commits.
Highlight videos from the Rumble's Introduction to Max Hooper post below.
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