Felix Balamou has come a long way in a short period of time.
Just a few weeks ago his name was mentioned as a red-shirt option by St. John’s coach Steve Lavin. Now, he is expected to make his second start Thursday night against South Carolina in the Big East-SEC Challenge at Carnesecca Arena.
Some may be surprised, but Our Savior New American assistant coach Eric Jaklitsch isn’t one of them.
“He’s the type of kid, he’s always proven everybody wrong about him,” Jaklitsch told The Post. “A lot of people didn’t think he was good enough for St. John’s. A lot of people said St. John’s was using him to get [high school teammate] Chris [Obekpa] to come.
“This is the player St. John’s knew they were going [to get], but I don’t know if they expected [him] to do something this fast.”
Balamou was struck with an elbow to the face in Saturday’s 79-68 win over Florida Gulf Coast and reported dizziness afterward. Yet, he has practiced all week.
A gifted 6-foot-4 athlete on the wing from Guinea who attended Our Savior New American on Long Island with Obekpa, he got off to a slow start learning plays and adjusting to the speed of the game. His work in practice convinced Lavin not to red-shirt him, and Balamou eventually forced his way onto the floor.
“He’s had a run of practices and games that have been very impressive,” Lavin said. “His production in games and practices has been at a high level, and [Tuesday] was no departure from the Felix trend of continuing to elevate his play.”
He made his debut against Charleston and has seen his minutes steadily rise. His best performance was an eight-point, three-rebound, two-assist effort in Saturday’s come-from-behind win over Florida Gulf Coast.
Balamou has played a major role in the Red Storm’s last two victories over Florida Gulf Coast and Holy Cross, supplying energy, lockdown perimeter defense and scoring when the opportunity presented itself.
“I told him that even if you go out and only get one minute that you have to make the most out of it,” Obekpa said. “When he got his chance, he was playing well and the coaches allowed him to keep growing.”
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St. John’s has yet to hear from the NCAA regarding the eligibility status of 6-foot-9 forward Orlando Sanchez, Lavin said. … Lavin didn’t seem worried about the conference’s future, despite the defection of Louisville to the ACC in 2014. “We’ll continue to thrive,” the third-year coach said. “The league and schools have what is essential to do what it takes to be great basketball programs.”