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St. John's main targets update - lots of guards! Plus Amar Alibegovic update

St. John's is focused on guards. And the Bosnian recruit might be coming after all.

By Norman Rose
John Alber

In case you were wondering about St. John's target list, the Johnnies are looking at Isaiah Briscoe, Cheick Diallo, Brandon Sampson, Tyler Dorsey, Malik Beasley and Dupree McBrayer in 2015.

In our conversation on Twitter today, we know that the Johnnies are casting, in a sense, a wide net in terms of guards. Getting all of them would be... highly, highly unlikely.

For sure, that group has a number of talented guards, and Steve Lavin loves guards. But it is hard to imagine a roster with that many explosive scorers, even if Isaiah Briscoe (for example) decides he wants to come in as a scoring point guard in the mold of Rysheed Jordan.

After all, that's the theory that leads St. John's to feel that Lavin and crew are in good shape for Isaiah Briscoe - Arizona, the supposed other leader, took a commitment from Allonzo Trier, another high-level guard.

Having more than two ball-dominant scoring guards in a recruiting class is like having two top-line first basemen (in the national league) or quarterbacks or cars - it's nice, especially in the case of accidents, but there's not really an everyday use for both at the same time.

Much more likely is some combination of two of Briscoe, Dorsey, Beasley, Sampson - and more realistically, only one of those. All of those guards are coveted by major programs that can also offer big minutes for the players as freshmen.

St. John's expects to lose the four main guards who will be on the floor next year - D`Angelo Harrison, Rysheed Jordan (who could decide to return), Phil Greene IV and Jamal Branch.

Interestingly, Nakye Sanders is not on that list  of St. John's targets - but he is pondering a reclassification to 2016.

Zagsblog reports the Red Storm are looking to sign at least two players in the fall and three or more in the spring.

St. John's is also looking at Junior College players Tanksley Efianayi, aggressive forward Deshawn Freeman and guard Andre Spight.

The Bosnian Bomber is still in play

Amar Alibegovic will pay an official visit to St. John's on August 10.

Lavin went to see Alibegovic during the evaluation period in July, and was rumored to have a commitment. That was not true, it seems, but one must assume St. John's would not give up the time of the head coach and best recruiting closer if there wasn't a strong possibility of Amar Alibegovic choosing to come to the United States to play the college game - as his father did at Oregon State.

Will he commit? If so will he be eligible for 2014-15 to help the Red Storm get over the NCAA Tournament cut line?

Next Up In St. John's basketball recruiting