St. John’s is in need of guards the year after next and dynamic Oregon transfer Dominic Artis is in need of a new home and fresh start.
It would seem like a perfect fit, but not without risk attached.
Artis, a 6-foot-1, San Francisco product who began an official visit to St. John’s on Friday, is only available because he was dismissed from the Oregon basketball program along with teammates Brandon Austin and Damyean Dotson after they were accused, but not charged because of a lack of evidence according to the Lane County District Attorney’s office, in a March 8 sexual assault case at off-campus housing.
“Through all this, I think he’ll bounce back. He’s a good kid,” said Mark Olivier, Artis’ AAU coach with the Oakland Soldiers. “With me, I never had a problem [with Dominic].”
The lurid details of the incident, released in a police report, included a woman alleging that she had been sexually assaulted by all three Oregon players multiple times.The DA told reporters that everyone involved agreed sex took place multiple times one night in early March, but interviews with witnesses and the three basketball players contradicted the woman’s statements that she objected to the sex acts and was too drunk to offer consent.
St. John’s will graduate guards D’Angelo Harrison and Phil Greene IV following the coming season, and point guard Rysheed Jordan is expected to be headed to the NBA, creating a mammoth gap in the backcourt.
Sources said St. John’s higher-ups would have to sign off on bringing in Artis, who would have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2014-15 season, before an official scholarship offer can be made. The school is doing its due diligence into Artis’ off-court troubles, such as studying the police report.
St. John’s staff is confident the incident was an anomaly, sources said, based on Artis’ stellar history in the classroom and speaking to his previous coaches. Though Olivier said Artis doesn’t have any other visits scheduled at the moment, sources said he plans to take two or three more, and make a decision by mid-July.
Artis is among a number of guards St. John’s is focusing on for its 2015 class. Others include Brandon Sampson of Baton Rouge, La., and point guard Isaiah Briscoe of Roselle (N.J.) Catholic. A source said landing Artis wouldn’t preclude St. John’s from landing Briscoe, one of the highest-ranked guards in the country, who is also being recruited by a number of elite programs, such as Syracuse, Louisville and Arizona, in addition to locals Seton Hall and Rutgers.
Lavin recruited Artis out of Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, but the talented point guard picking Oregon. Following an impressive freshman season, Artis was suspended for the first nine games of his sophomore year for selling shoes provided by the school. He never quite got on track, averaging 4.1 points and 2.2 assists per game as the Ducks reached the NCAA Tournament.
Lavin goes back with several of Artis’ coaches, such as Olivier, who thinks the two would be an ideal fit.
“Dominic really took to him. They’ve talked about a lot of things,” Olivier said. “That’s a guy that really cares. It’s not just about basketball.
“Like I told Dominic, you open up to people. He’s a kid, he make a mistake. Be straightforward, which he has been.”
♦ Tottenville forward Nakye Sanders and Iona Prep point guard Ty Jerome, both rising juniors with New Heights’ AAU program, took an unofficial visit to Rutgers together on Thursday.
♦ Guard Tyus Battle of Gill St. Bernard’s in Gladstone, NJ, one of the top soon-to-be junior prospects in the country, landed scholarship offers from Louisville (Monday) and Kentucky (Tuesday) during unofficial visits.
♦ Christ the King guard Rawle Alkins who recently finished a standout sophomore season, landed scholarship offers this week from Indiana and NC State.
♦ Queens forward Travis Atson landed scholarship offers from Fairfield, Santa Barbara and UT-Arlington this week, and also announced he is leaving Christ the King, will attend prep powerhouse South Kent (Conn.), and reclassify into the class of 2016.
♦ Cardozo star guard Rashond Salnave added a scholarship offer from Dayton on Monday.
♦ J.R. Lynch, a graduate of Hudson Catholic in Jersey City, will do a post-graduate year at St. Andrews School in Delaware and picked up his first Division I scholarship offer on Tuesday, from Sacred Heart.