St. John’s may get a big boost in 2013 — literally.
There is a chance the Red Storm could get center Orlando Sanchez cleared by the NCAA in the coming weeks, The Post has learned.
Sanchez, a 6-foot-9, 214-pound rebounder and shot blocker, has been awaiting word on his age eligibility. Because of a difficult family upbringing in the Dominican Republic which included financial hardship, Sanchez, 24, graduated from high school at an advanced age.
He received his associates degree from Monroe College but the NCAA needs documentation he experienced “financial hardship beyond an individual’s control” to clear him. The Post has learned St. John’s is in the process of securing important documentation for Sanchez’s case file with the NCAA.
“St. John’s continues to work in a diligent manner with the NCAA to submit documentation in Orlando Sanchez’s case,’’ Mark Fratto, St. John’s director of communications, told The Post.
Once the NCAA has all the documentation, it usually takes seven-to-10 days for it to make a decision. But because the NCAA recently has cleared several high-profile cases, there is hope Sanchez’s ruling could come sooner than later.
The NCAA recently completed the cases of UCLA’s Shabazz Muhammad and Myck Kabongo of Texas, both of whom violated NCAA rules on amateurism. Sanchez’s case is nothing like those two; he is not accused of having received any improper benefits; rather, his case centers exclusively on his age.
If the Johnnies can get Sanchez on the court, he could address their glaring rebounding weakness. The Red Storm, who begin Big East Conference play tonight at Villanova, are being outrebounded by almost four boards per game (36.2-40.1).
Sanchez averaged 8.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.3 blocked shots per game at Monroe. The prospect of teaming him alongside freshman Chris Obekpa, who leads the nation in blocked shots with 64, could make the Red Storm a much more formidable team inside.
The Johnnies have four Big East games in a 10-day period. If the NCAA clears Sanchez, it is possible he could appear during the Red Storm’s January homestand. With four home games coming up at the Garden, that’s not a bad place to make a debut.