The Isaiah Whitehead sweepstakes has reached its final lap.
The Lincoln High School phenom will announce his college decision at the Coney Island school Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard, a consensus five-star recruit ranked 12th in the nation by Scout.com, will pick from among St. John’s, Seton Hall, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Indiana. Whitehead will take an unofficial visit to St. John’s Wednesday night. He visited Seton Hall last weekend and Indiana the final weekend in August.
“We told everybody he was going to make his decision before the season started, so this is the right time,” said James Barrett, Whitehead’s AAU coach. “I think they’re all great schools. It’s pretty much a decision at a school where he fits the most.”
The highest-rated New York City prospect since Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson, another Lincoln star, Whitehead is a potential McDonald’s All-American.
Quiet and humble, Whitehead was viewed as leaning toward Syracuse, before the Orange took another guard, Kaleb Joseph of Cushion Academy. St. John’s was one of the first schools to offer him a scholarship, back in the spring of his freshman year, and recruited him until the summer, when they seemed to back off.
The Red Storm recently got back involved and scored a ninth-inning visit. They could pair Whitehead with prized freshman point guard Rysheed Jordan Philadelphia, which would give the Red Storm a star-studded backcourt, and offer him the opportunity to play his home games at Madison Square Garden — where he led Lincoln to a city title last March.
“[Wednesday’s] visit is definitely going to be important,” Barrett said. “St. John’s is a great option. [Head coach Steve] Lavin lets his guards really play. It’s one of the first times we’re getting to go to St. John’s, see the team and watch them workout. This will be a good experience.”
Seton Hall has enjoyed a huge recruiting season, having landed top 50 forward Angel Delgado of the Dominican Republic and Huntington Prep (West Va.) and Brooklyn combo guard Khadeen Carrington, a close friend of Whitehead’s.
Minnesota has recruited him hard, led by assistant coach Kimani Young, a local product with endless city connections from his days as the AAU director of powerhouse New Heights. Pittsburgh, also, has been among his most ardent suitors, with local recruiting ace Barry Rohrssen leading the charge. After highly ranked shooting guard James Blackmon de-committed in early August, Indiana pursued Whitehead and hosted him in Bloomington, Ind.