St. John’s gets verbal commit from 2018 forward Josh Roberts

Per Scout.com, Josh Roberts has committed to St. John’s basketball.

Roberts, a 6’9” forward originally from Alabama but now playing for Montverde Academy, is the first commit of the 2018 recruiting cycle from the freshman ranks, though transfers Mikey Dixon from Qunnipiac and Sedee Keita from South Carolina will also be new to the court next season after their mandated redshirt years. Boubacar Diakite, who enrolled this fall, will also see the court for the first time.

Josh Roberts visited last weekend, his first visit despite some interest from South Carolina, Clemson, Auburn, Troy and others. Roberts is a bouncy big man working to raise his profile after a solid summer with the Southern Stampede AAU program.

The Scout.com article notes his coach as saying:

I think they are very excited about his upside and his athletic ability,” Underwood said. “Josh really just started playing basketball a few years ago.”

Roberts played football in Alabama as well.

With Bashir Ahmed and Amar Alibegovic departing the program after this season, St. John’s has at least two more scholarships to use following Josh Roberts commitment.

Luther Muhammed, a four-star guard from New Jersey, is a top choice, but he is visiting Ohio State and has plans to see the University of Virginia and Xavier as well.

The Red Storm are also looking at UNLV transfer Dwayne Morgan, who is leaving UNLV after some issues off the court and graduating after the fall. Morgan was formerly a five-star recruit. He will visit at the end of the month.

Roberts will not be a player who demands a lot of low post touches, but will be the kind of player who can play off of dynamic guards like Shamorie Ponds.