Jermaine Lawrence is coming home. The Queens forward just wishes it were under better circumstances.
Lawrence, who received his release to transfer from Cincinnati on Monday, was stunned when his mother Marcia broke the tragic news that his father Bobby Lawrence has been battling cancer for the past year, the reason the family took so few trips to Ohio this past season.
Immediately, he was determined to come home.
“If it’s something that serious my parents have to hide it from me, it’s that serious for me to come home and support them,” Lawrence told The Post. “I really enjoyed Cincinnati. It was a cool place. It was something I had to do — not just for me, but my family.”
One local program — either Iona, Manhattan or Hofstra — will benefit greatly from this hardship. The family plans to file a waiver so Lawrence can play immediately.
Out of Pope John XIII High School (Sparta, N.J.), Lawrence was a consensus top 25 prospect, a versatile 6-foot-9 forward who could play inside and out and held scholarship offers from the likes of Kansas, Syracuse and UCLA.
One college coach familiar with Lawrence said he will make an immediate impact at one of the three mid-major schools, describing his addition as “huge.”
“He’s a guy that would help offensively and defensively,” the coach said. “He can spread the floor and he can post up.”
Lawrence picked Cincinnati over St. John’s and UNLV, but averaged just 2.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 26 games. A toe injury set him back, just as an injured wrist limited him to 11 games his senior year of high school.
“It’s been frustrating, but I don’t dwell on injuries anymore,” Lawrence said. “I’m healthy now. I want to move on from that, get better as a player, get back to how I used to be.”
Lawrence visited Hofstra on Wednesday, Iona on Thursday and plans to see Manhattan next week before making his decision. He described both visits as productive, informative and enjoyable. He will sit down with his family, go over the positives and negatives each program offers after seeing Manhattan, before making the call.
His mother emphasized academics and a team that not only wants her son, but needs him, and said going through the process again makes it easier.
St. John’s seemed to hold an edge, since it was the lone high-profile program involved and made his final three out of high school, but both parties agreed it wasn’t the right fit after early dialogue.
Lawrence isn’t fixated on exposure or nationally televised games. He’s looking for the best situation, the coaching staff he feels the most comfortable with, He wants a place where immediate playing time is available and where he can truly develop. Hofstra, in particular, impressed him.
“Going down a level doesn’t bother me,” said Lawrence, who is majoring in communications and sports management. “If I’m as a good a player as I am and people think I am, someone will find me.”
Most importantly, he will be back home, around his family and his ill father.
“I’m really excited about the future, being back in New York,” Lawrence said.
The present for Iona, Manhattan or Hofstra will receive a significant upgrade as well.
- New Heights and Iona Prep rising junior point guard Ty Jerome, who has a slew of mid-major scholarship offers, took an official visit to George Washington on Thursday. His New Heights teammate, forward Nakye Sanders of Tottenville High, visited Drexel on Tuesday.
- Mike Bourke, a shooting guard from New Heights and The Hun School (Princeton, N.J.), committed to Division II New Haven last week. He had interest from a host of Division 1 schools, including an offer from North Carolina-Central, but picked New Haven because of the combination of an opportunity to play right away and an excellent academic institution.
- Maine transfer Xavier Pollard of The Bronx committed to Kent State on Thursday.
- Rutgers transfer Jerome Seagears committed to UNLV on Wednesday.
- Iona landed transfer Jeylani Dublin, a Brooklyn forward from Longwood who averaged 10.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season, on Tuesday.
- Former St. Anthony of Jersey City guard Hallice Cooke, an Oregon State transfer who has visited Iowa State and St. Joseph’s, will be at Dayton this weekend.
- Queens forward Malik Nichols of South Plains (Texas) JUCO signed with Hofstra on Tuesday.