Barring an unexpected, last-minute change of heart, power forward God’s Gift Achiuwa, one of the last elite recruits remaining in this year’s class, will commit to St. John’s Thursday, multiple sources told The Post.
Achiuwa, a 6-8, 235-pound who was a National Junior College Athletic Association star at Erie Community College, will hold a 1 p.m. news conference at the school.
He’s expected to choose the St. John’s over Cincinnati and Washington.
It’s a key commitment for the Red Storm, which has one of the nation’s top recruiting class coming in next season, deep with wing players but lacking in post players. Achiuwa, who averaged 22.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, lives in the paint.
It was a two-school race between St. John’s and Cincinnati until Washington got in late. The Bearcats, who are a real force in recruiting, and the Red Storm, were the first two BCS-caliber schools to begin recruiting the Nigerian.
But Cincinnati has no available scholarships, meaning Achiuwa would have to wait to learn if a recruit didn’t qualify academically. Washington simply hasn’t had the same time invested in Achiuwa as St. John’s has.
A source said Achiuwa didn’t want to prolong the recruiting process any longer and felt strongly about his relationship with the St. John’s coaching staff. He also likee Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin and his staff, but the Bearcats already signed 6-10 center Cheik Mbodji of Grayson County Community College in Texas.
With Achiuwa in the fold, the Red Storm staff will turn all of its attention toward another talented post player, 6-8 Jamari Traylor of Chicago, who is at IMG Academy in Florida. Traylor is teammates at IMG with St. John’s recruit Phil Greene, which should work in the Red Storm’s favor.