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AM Rumble: recruiting season, Gaffney, Cockburn, a ticked off turtle

Plus the Hoyas had a good recruiting week, doggone it

Chris Mullin at Big East Media Day
Chris Mullin at Big East Media Day
Wendell Cruz

For openers: this turtle does NOT appreciate the undersea paparazzi.

Don’t laugh, this is of interest: Purdue’s Nojel Eastern is declaring for the draft after a freshman year where he averaged three points and three rebounds.

No, he is not hiring an agent.

But what he is doing is getting some feedback on his game. And as a 6’6”, 220 pound player, a likely tweener who apparently has point guard skills. With that many options for a hoops future, it’s laudable that he’s going out and trying to get some input on what’s intriguing about his game and what he can work on.

Summer hoopin’: St. John’s signee Marcellus Earlington is playing at the IS8 Spring Classic next to Villanova signee Jahvon Quinerly and Rutgers signee Ron Harper, Jr. he scored 19 points in one game as his team enjoyed two blowouts. Per NYC Hoops (Rivals), he will be in action again on May 12th for two games (11:15 AM and 1:45 PM).

Second team all-Louisiana: Greg Williams Jr. was named the the USA Today Louisiana Basketball Second Team.

Burning recruit love: 2019 recruit Kofi Cockburn is up to #38 in Rivals’ rankings, and getting some serious love from major programs. Today, St. John’s, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Ohio State and Connecticut will be in to see Cockburn, the 6’10”, 300 pound big man from Queens.

Cockburn tells Rivals that he has been working on his weight and shape.

“My work ethic is improved. I’m getting in the gym and working on my skill a lot more. I’ve changed the way my body carries the weight by eating better and running more.”

The Johnnies are hoping to land the massive big man they have been searching for since Chris Mullin took over the program.

Other recruits in Rivals’ rankings: Bryan Antoine is #7; Precious Achiuwa is #8; Scottie Lewis is #9; Jalen Lecque is #13; Aidan Igiehon is #33; Lester Quinones is #81; Kahlil Whitney is #82; Trey McGowens is #87; Jaime Jaquez is #105; Joe Girard is #125; Karim Coulibaly is #136.

By the way... Joe Girard gets a visit from Villanova. Trey McGowens is visiting Minnesota.

St. John’s rolled deep for Gaffney. Chris Mullin joined Matt Abdelmassih and Greg St. Jean, who they have been high on (despite Gaffney being curiously missing from the Rivals 150).

Want to feel a little jealous? Georgetown has landed coveted transfer Omar Yurtseven, who was thought to be a one-and-done player at North Carolina State. Two years later, he will sit out a season and head to “the Hilltop” to play for the ultimate in big men, Patrick Ewing.

The Hoyas also have landed a top-100 point guard in James Akinjo and talented mixtape dunker and point guard Mac McClung, along with forwards Josh LeBlanc and Grayson Carter.

Solid foundational haul for the Hoyas.