What did you do on your Christmas vacation?
Go skiing? Jump a flight down to the Caribbean? Take in a Broadway show? Open some presents?
St. John’s star guard D’Angelo Harrison passed through security at the Texas State Penitentiary in Lovelady, Texas, to visit his brother DeAndre, who is serving 10 years for his role in a drug deal gone wrong that resulted in a murder.
“The last letter I got from him was Sunday, last Sunday, he was just saying, ‘Keep focused,’ ’’ D’Angelo said yesterday after he led St. John’s to a 71-67 triumph over Seton Hall at the Garden. “Because he can’t call right now. Something happened. He’s on lockdown. Something happened.’’
DeAndre Harrison, who will turn 22 next month, is living vicariously through his younger brother, D’Angelo, 19, which means he is living proud.
D’Angelo scored 24 points in the Red Storm’s win, giving him 940 for his career. At his current pace he would become the 48th member of the St. John’s 1,000-point club on Feb. 6, when the Red Storm host Connecticut at the Garden.
That would be Harrison’s 55th game in a St. John’s jersey, which means he would have gotten there faster than the best player to ever wear the red and white — Chris Mullin.
“We talk smack to each other, about who could shoot better,’’ Harrison said of his brother. “I’ll be like, ‘You can’t shoot better than me.’ He’s like, ‘You can’t shoot better than me.’ I say, ‘Let’s do it.’ ’’
It is the kind of love smack D’Angelo and DeAndre exchanged all the time growing up in Missouri City, Texas.
As The Post reported exclusively last February, the Harrison brothers were as close as twins, sharing the same goofy sense of humor and the same NBA dream.
DeAndre was enrolled in San Jacinto Junior College, the same school former Red Storm star Walter Berry attended before coming home to St. John’s. But DeAndre also wanted to live the life, and that almost resulted in a life behind bars.
DeAndre was sentenced in May of last year to eight years in prison after pleading to aggravated assaulted with a deadly weapon. With good behavior he’s eligible for parole in May 2015. D’Angelo intends to make sure someone will be waiting when he gets out.
“I talk to him almost every day, I email at least and he’ll write back,’’ said Harrison, who hasn’t spoken about his brother’s ordeal since last year. “A letter takes like two, three days. We keep in contact as much as we can.
“It’s like a dollar and nine cents to buy stamps so I make sure it’s as long [a letter] as possible and tell him everything.’’
D’Angelo told DeAndre he had some difficult days last February when he went public with his brother’s story.
He told him it was tough when coach Steve Lavin was forced to miss last season recovering from prostrate cancer surgery.
And he told him before yesterday’s game the 1,000-point mark was in sight. D’Angelo was hoping to hear from DeAndre last night.
“It will probably mean more to my family than me, my brother, especially my brother,’’ said D’Angelo.
D’Angelo is one of the most intriguing players ever to wear a St. John’s jersey. He’s part the volatile Ron Artest, part the sweet-shooting Mullin and part himself.
When the Johnnies were still waking up in the first half of their noon start yesterday, Harrison’s block and steal that led to him drawing a foul had him exhorting the Garden crowd. Very Artest.
He ended the first half by draining a 3-pointer to give St. John’s a 38-33 lead. And his jumper over Kyle Smith with 1:30 left was his biggest basket. He made four free throws in the final 25 seconds to clinch the game. Very Mullin.
For the first time this season, Harrison was asked the NBA question.
“I’m just worried about this year, right now,’’ he said. “I want to make the tournament. Everybody’s stock will go up if we make the tournament and win games. So that’s all everybody’s worried about right now.’’
Harrison almost surely needs another year of college ball unless he’s bound for overseas ball. There’s no rush.
DeAndre will be waiting to celebrate his younger brother’s success, just as D’Angelo is waiting for his older brother’s freedom.