By Anthony Bosco
Christ the King point guard and St. John's signee Omar Cook has been trying to get East St. Louis basketball phenom Darius Miles to honor his commitment to the Red Storm. But his pleas are apparently falling on deaf ears.
Miles, the all-world forward and McDonald's All-American – along with his friend Cook – seems to be going the way of the NBA, skipping college in favor of a mighty hefty pay check.
And who can blame him really. If I was offered the opportunity to make a couple of million dollars to play basketball or offered a scholarship to do the same, the choice would be clear. There is no NCAA in the pro game, no academic requirements to be met and certainly no lack of cash.
Still, I can understand Cook's side of the argument. Cook will be on the Red Storm next year, most likely in the role of starting point guard, and I'm sure the allure of dishing his precise passes to a player of Miles' caliber is too great a prospect for him at least not to try and sway his friend's opinion toward college.
I had heard a lot about Miles in the past few months, the tall tales of a 6-foot-9 small forward with cat-like quickness and agility and an uncanny natural sense of the game.
I had also read his quotes about wanting to go to St. John's, that he had every intention of honoring his commitment, if only he qualified academically.
But Miles will likely not be eligible as a freshman, having already failed to meet NCAA requirements, though he is taking the ACT one more time in hopes of scoring that elusive 18 – he scored 15 the last time he took it.
It's a real shame for St. John's fans. If Miles does not come, the Red Storm faithful will be missing the chance to watch a player of superior ability up close, a player who seems capable, at least to me, of taking the team to the promised land.
When I sat down in my living room last week to watch the McDonald's High School All-American game, I wanted to see Cook and fellow Queens star Taliek Brown play on a national stage. But I also wanted to take my first look at Miles.
And what a look it was.
In the first half, Miles, playing for the West team against Cook and Brown, was a monster. His sleek 6-foot-9 frame cut through the East defense – what defense there was – with ease, slamming home some majestic dunks with grace and power. He finished with 17 points and was by far the most impressive player on the court.
Comparisons have been made to a lot of players, most often Kevin Garnett, who is about the same size and body type. And that comparison holds true for me.
I don't recall how dominant Garnett was in high school, if he was anything like the Miles I saw, but he made the jump straight to the NBA and has managed to succeed without the benefit of college.
I don't like it when players skip college, but it is their right. I don't think the NBA should have an age requirement or restrict players coming out of high school from declaring for the draft. For while most 18-year-olds will need more seasoning before competing in the pros, some, like Miles, could probably step right in.
But if Miles came to St. John's, oh what a team.
I have already seen Cook and Miles play together as teammates on the USA Men's select 20-and-under team that defeated the International select team, 98-97. Miles had 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the win, while Cook added 14 points and six assists.
Cook and Miles head a talented recruiting class that includes Mohammed Diakte, Alpha Bangura, Abe Keita, Willie Shaw, Kyle Cuffe and Jack Wolfinger, all of whom will make their Red Storm debut next year. Eric King, of Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, will also be coming to St. John's, but will not be eligible this year.
These recruits will join Reggie Jessie, Anthony Glover, Donald Emanuel and Heath Orvis. Though the team will rely heavily on underclassmen, Jessie and Glover provide a lot of experience, while three of the new recruits, Keita, Bangura and Wolfinger, have been at the school for a year already, though they were ineligible because of academic reasons.
Head coach Mike Jarvis and his staff have made no bones about the fact that they would be positively overjoyed if Miles came to Queens. Jarvis and his three assistants all attended the USA 20-and-under select team's win Sunday, surely with the intention of showing just how much they want Miles.
But after the tumultuous year that St. John's has had, I certainly would not be surprised if Miles decided to enter the draft even if he knew he was not a lottery pick and had the grades to qualify.
That is not a slam against St. John's, by the way, but against the NCAA, whose persistent investigation of the program has cast a dark cloud over the campus on Union Turnpike, one that may have lasting effects.
But I can dream, can't I? I would love nothing more than to sit courtside and watch a St. John's team spearheaded by Miles and Cook. But, just as I wanted Erick Barkley to come back for another year, this dream too will likely go unfulfilled.
