St. John’s coach Steve Lavin is leaving on a jet plane for California. He hopes to return with a commitment from Los Angeles prep star Dwayne Polee Jr.
Polee Jr. visited St. John’s over the weekend with his mother and left New York with a strong desire to sign with the Red Storm, a source told The Post.
Because the Red Storm joined the recruiting process late after the hiring of Lavin, the former UCLA coach, the source said Polee’s parents, Yolanda and Dwayne Polee Sr., want to make sure their son is not simply experiencing infatuation with the Big Apple.
Polee was given a tour of the Garden, had lunch in Central Park and dined at a Harlem restaurant. Having starred at Westchester High in L.A., Polee is a city kid who immediately felt comfortable in the environment.
The 6-foot-7 forward, who averaged 21 points and nine rebounds as a senior in leading Westchester to the state title, has off-the-charts leaping ability. He also is looking at Georgia, UTEP and UNLV, all of which have had time to develop relationships with the family.
But the opportunity to play in the nation’s top conference — the Big East — and to play in the world’s largest media market — New York — has left a strong impression on Polee Jr. He would be Lavin’s first recruit, and would set a high bar.
Lavin continued to fill out his staff yesterday, hiring former Golden State Warriors assistant coach Rico Hines, who played for Lavin at UCLA from 1997-2002. Hines, who worked in player development, gives Lavin an assistant who has NBA experience in developing individual player skills and can recruit the West Coast and Baltimore-Washington area, where Hines has ties.
Lavin also is expected to announce the hiring of Rice coach Mo Hicks. Hicks and Tony Chiles, Lavin’s first hire, should make St. John’s a player in the recruitment of any elite player in the city.