WAY TO MOE: Former St. John’s star Moe Harkless took a break from his NBA job with the Magic (inset) to visit his old campus yesterday, and likes what he has seen from the Johnnies this season. (Neil Miller; Paul J. Bereswill)
Frank Sinatra may have had a few regrets. Moe Harkless, not so much.
The former St. John’s star forward yesterday gave an unequivocal “No” when asked if he regretted leaving college after one season for the NBA. Harkless played a career-high 34 minutes and scored a career-high 16 points in the Magic’s 97-77 loss to the Nets on Monday night, but his pro career began with him not leaving the bench in Orlando’s first three games.
At St. John’s, where the regal 6-foot-8 small forward won Big East Rookie of the Year last season, Harkless was the man. In Orlando, he has carried a bag of balls.
“You always look back and think, ‘What if?’ ’’ he said. “ ‘What if I would have came back or what if I waited another year?’ But I think I made the right decision. And I think I’m in a good position right now, and with hard work I’ll be able to get it better and definitely have a good career.’’
Harkless and the Magic face the Knicks tonight at the Garden, but the Queens native showed he has not forgotten his roots as he attended the Red Storm’s practice yesterday in Carnesecca Arena, where St. John’s (13-7, 5-3 Big East) will play host to DePaul (11-10, 1-5) tonight. Harkless said he has watched most of the Johnnies’ games and has been following them on Twitter.
“They are getting better,’’ Harkless said. “Sometimes I sit there and face palm [out of frustration], but they have gotten better every game. They’ve won four straight and guys keep playing better. The best days for them are yet to come.”
St. John’s — tied for third in the Big East — edged the Blue Demons 71-62 on Jan. 19. St. John’s blew all but three points of a 17-point second-half lead to hold on for the win, and expect DePaul to come in like Chicago gangsters.
“We went to their house and disgraced them,’’ said forward Chris Obekpa. “We won. They want to come back here and do the same thing. Prove a point. I know they’re coming at full force.’’
Had Harkless, the regal 6-foot-8 small forward, returned, the Johnnies would be a legitimate contender to make an NCAA Tournament run. But the NBA dream began to come into focus after his 30-point, 13-rebound game in a loss at Duke last January.
He was the 15th player taken, originally by the 76ers, who traded him to the Magic in the three-way deal that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers. Harkless averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 assists in 36.1 minutes last season. This season he’s averaging 4.1 points and 3.3 boards in 16.2 minutes.
“I think that’s probably the toughest part of the transition,’’ he said. “It’s because of the fact you go from being ‘the guy’ to being another guy trying to find a role, trying to find an identity. You’ve just got to be ready whenever your coach calls your number. You go out there and do all the little things, because that’s what’s really going to get you on the court early.’’
Harkless smiled when asked if he ever thought about what St. John’s — which has yet to face the teeth of its Big East schedule — could be this season with him, 6-foot-8 JaKarr Sampson, 6-foot-9 Obekpa and shooting guard D’Angelo Harrison all on the court.
“When I’m watching, I just imagine myself on the court, what I would have done,’’ he said.
This is what Harkless did do in his one season: He made St. John’s an attractive destination for top metro area prep stars. As Sinatra would say, Harkless did it his way.