Rysheed Jordan to announce decision April 11th, down to St. John's, UCLA, Temple

St. John's could be just one piece away from making the necessary next step. In just a few days, the Red Storm will find out if Rysheed Jordan could be that potential answer.

Jordan, the highly-talented point guard out of Philadelphia, has pushed up the announcement date for his commitment to April 11th (next Thursday). He will choose between St. John's, UCLA, and Temple.

According to ESPN's national rankings, Jordan is considered the 22nd-best recruit in all of the 2013 class and 5th among incoming point guards.

St. John's has been in the running for the potential "program changer" for quite some time, and was considered to be a leader along with Temple just a few months ago. Steve Lavin and assistant Tony Chiles went to watch Jordan play on numerous occasions during this past season.

Temple's campus is located just east of where Jordan lives, becoming a home away from home for the guard during his high school years. The Owls experienced a close third round loss to top-seeded Indiana in this year's NCAA Tournament, and seem to be a serious destination for the home-grown Jordan.

UCLA is also still a possibility for Jordan, despite experiencing a regime shift last week by firing head coach Ben Howland and hiring Steve Alford. And of course, Lavin's recruiting acumen makes the Red Storm as much of a player as anyone.

With Jordan, as he does with any recruit, Lavin is utilizing his greatest recruiting resource. All he has to do is to get the Philly kid to look around.

"How bright it [gets] at night," Jordan mentioned, reflecting on his impression of New York City while visiting St. John's. "It's bright at, like, 4 o'clock in the morning. In Philly, everybody's asleep. In New York, that's when everybody first starts coming out."

If the sleepless and exciting nature of the city doesn't draw Jordan to the Johnnies, perhaps his potential fit with the program might. After an 8-10 showing in the Big East this season, the Red Storm is charged for advancement in 2013-14 as it plans to bring back D`Angelo Harrison and welcome Orlando Sanchez as well as sharp-shooter Max Hooper - all in the brand new Big East.

Rysheed Jordan is Steve Lavin's biggest target for next season. Will Lavin's ability to close the deal make the difference? Or will Jordan elect to stay home or go west?

Answer, in six days.