:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/10862349/20120229_jel_al6_543.0.jpg)
It's been an active day in college basketball, with other players choosing to transfer or move on to the professional ranks. The end-of-season tumult did not escape Union and Utopia.
6'6" swingman Amir Garrett will transfer from St. John's, stating via Twitter that he plans to wind up at another program in the fall.
After a long thought out process of speaking with my family, I will be leaving St. John's basketball program!
— amir garrett (@Amir_Garrett) April 3, 2013
It was a well thought out decision that didn't just pop up out of nowhere. St. John's will always have a special place in my heart.
— amir garrett (@Amir_Garrett) April 3, 2013
Los Angeles native (and Nevada-schooled, for a time) Garrett averaged 5.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in 2012-13.
St. John's, expecting to have a full roster next season, loses a player who was split between baseball - drafted by the Cincinnati Reds as a left-hander with a blazing fastball - and college basketball with St. John's. While Garrett says he will transfer to another program, rumors indicate that he will give a very long look to year-round baseball, where he has shown promise in the low minors of the Reds (even warranting a blurb in Baseball Prospectus' Annual this year).
As of now I'm playing baseball, but I plan on being at another programin the fall.
— amir garrett (@Amir_Garrett) April 3, 2013
With more players in the rotation, Garrett saw less playing time for the Red Storm, dropping from 27 minutes per game to 20 minutes per game this season. His shooting improved, but he remained a raw player on the hardwood - possibly due to the time spent honing his baseball craft.
At times, he was the team's best offensive rebounder, and provided a semblance of a slashing, scoring post player at the rim, and that presence will be missed by Steve Lavin's squad.
On the wings, Garrett's departure also means one less defender and rebounder... but it means more time for the likes of Max Hooper and Marc-Antoine Bourgault, along with any new players brought into the program.
St. John's has kept their eyes on Philadelphia scoring guard phenom Rysheed Jordan, whose college decision comes on April 15th. He is down to Temple, UCLA, and St. John's. Garrett's decision frees a spot for Jordan, or any of the other talents who have gotten a release from their current NCAA programs.