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And now, we bid adieu to Max Hooper.
Sophomore guard Max Hooper has been given permission to explore transfer opportunities. We wish Max all the best! #SJUBB
— StJohnsBasketball (@StJohnsBBall) March 26, 2014
Thank you to all the #SJUBB fans who supported us this season. It was quite a ride! The future is bright without a doubt.
— Max Hooper (@maxthehooper) March 19, 2014
Hooper, who transferred from Harvard and roomed with JaKarr Sampson in prep school, will have to sit out another year before playing again - good move if he's simply planning on learning from a coach how to be a coach, but a curious move if he's looking to maximize playing time.
UPDATE.
Brewster alum @maxthehooper has requested & received his release from St. John's. However, he is GRADUATING in May- 2 yrs eligibility left.
— Jason Smith (@BrewsterHoops) March 27, 2014
The three-point specialist logged 225 minutes - or 221 more than he earned at Harvard in 2011-12 - and shot 40% from beyond the three-point arc.
Despite a warm shooting hand - and his being given a scholarship for that skill - he topped 10 minutes in nine of St. John's 33 games, and earned eight Did Not Play designations in the box scores.
He averaged 3.2 points per game, and took 62 of his 63 shots from beyond the arc.
St. John's now has five open scholarships - the three graduates, JaKarr Sampson, who is pursuing professional opportunities, and now Hooper's.
St. John's now has holes in the frontcourt, with only Chris Obekpa currently listed as returning in the post, and a slew of guards. Steve Lavin says that he wants to play a faster, guard-oriented style with the players he has.
The staff will need to unearth some late-season stars to fill out the roster for next year with size and shooting on a team that struggled badly to score from outside the arc. Despite shooting 34%, the Johnnies only took 24% of his shots beyond the arc. The Red Storm scored 20% of their points from outside the arc, 341st in the nation (there are 351 teams in Division I).
What are your favorite Max Hooper memories?