Sports

Lavin benches St. John’s star Harrison in exhibition win

The problems are piling up for St. John’s, and the season has yet to begin.

On top of the Red Storm waiting on the NCAA to clear junior-college transfers Orlando Sanchez and Marc-Antoine Bourgault for separate eligibility rulings regarding classification and age, coach Steve Lavin last night benched star sophomore D’Angelo Harrison for disciplinary reasons during an 87-37 exhibition rout of Division III Concordia (Ill.) at Carnesecca Arena.

The fiery and passionate Harrison, who also came off the bench in the opener against Sonoma State for similar disciplinary reasons, was in uniform but didn’t see any action. He sat next to assistant Rico Hines, was often the first player off the bench during timeouts and often smiled.

“This was sending a message, like smelling salts,” said Lavin, who declined to offer specifics on Harrison’s benching. “Like taking TV privileges away or getting grounded on a Saturday because you didn’t do your chores. It’s very rudimentary, but I know that the little things makes a difference when you’re trying to build a culture.”

Harrison, a Houston product who spent the summer at the famed John Lucas Camp, entered the season hailed as the young team’s leader. Its returning leading scorer, he’s being asked to move over to point guard until Texas A&M transfer Jamal Branch becomes eligible Dec. 16.

Yet, the second-team All-Big East preseason selection is becoming a question mark — the last thing Lavin and Co. need less than a week before their season opener against Detroit, though Lavin was happy with how Harrison responded to his punishment, and said he will likely play Tuesday’s opener against Detroit.

“He really had the right attitude,” Lavin said. “He’s come back with just what any coach would hope a player would do, which is to say it won’t happen again and I’ll do whatever it takes to get back into the good graces.”

The status of Sanchez and Bourgault is very much up in the air, and the Red Storm came into the season hoping to have a full contingent of players after spending so much time last season shorthanded.

The larger issue, before the sudden roster questions, regarded the team’s youth, with just one senior scholarship player — forward God’sgift Achiuwa, who may red-shirt — six active sophomores and four freshmen. Lavin was counting on the 6-foot-3 Harrison playing beyond his years, particularly after a stellar freshman season in which he garnered all-rookie honors while averaging 16.8 points per game.

“Because he’s in a leadership role, he’s going to be held to a high standard, and those who are given much, much is expected from,” Lavin said. “D’Angelo has demonstrated the ability to be the leader we know he’s capable of being, to channel that fire, that passion in a positive direction. It’s really emotional fuel, how to best utilize his emotional fuel in a productive way, as opposite to it derailing him.”