St. John’s Signs Three to National Letters of Intent

QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John's Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Anderson announced on Friday the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2021-22 academic year.

Rafael Pinzon and Drissa Traore, a pair of local teammates from Long Island Lutheran, will be joined by Kansas City's O'mar Stanley in Anderson's second full recruiting class in Queens.

"Rafael, Drissa and O'mar are all very excited about being Johnnies," said Anderson. "They are high character individuals who bring a mentality of toughness to the court."

Pinzon, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, helped lead LuHi to an outstanding season in 2019-20, as the Crusaders logged a 22-3 record against a nationally competitive schedule and earned a no. 1 ranking in New York State from MaxPreps. A four-star recruit according to ESPN and the no. 2 recruit in New York according to 247 Sports, Pinzon averaged 10.9 points per game as a senior.

"We're very excited to add Rafael to our roster," said Anderson. "He's been a proven scorer at every level, whether that's at an elite high school level, high-level AAU or in international play. He's really the total package in terms of talent and ability."

In addition to his success at the high school level, Pinzon also has extensive experience playing for his native Puerto Rico on the international stage. At the 2019 Centrobasket U17 Championship, Pinzon averaged 16.2 points per game, including a 28-point showing in the semifinals against the Dominican Republic, as Puerto Rico took home a silver medal. In the championship game against Mexico, Pinzon he added 13 points, six boards and four assists.

Pinzon played for the New York Jayhawks on the AAU circuit.

Traore has also played a big role in LuHi's success alongside Pinzon. The no. 7 recruit in New York State according to 247Sports, Traore chipped in 6.3 points per game for the Crusaders as a junior and was one of the team's leading rebounders with several double-digit efforts on the glass. As a sophomore in 2019, Traore averaged 5.9 points per contest on a LuHi squad that won a New York State Federation Title.

"Drissa is a tough, physical forward that will only get better as he matures and his game continues to develop," said Anderson. "He's been an important part of winning teams his entire life and understands what it takes to be a winner. We expect big things out of Drissa at St. John's."

On the AAU circuit, Traore, a Harlem native, played with PSA Cardinals, a powerhouse program based out of the Bronx.

Heading into the 2020-21 season, MaxPreps has LuHi listed as the no. 26 team in the nation.

Rounding out the Red Storm's three-man recruiting class for the early signing period is Stanley, another big body inside that is known for his energy, physicality and ability to rebound the ball. Standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing 240 pounds, Stanley has been a solid producer for Link Year Prep in Branson, Mo., where he is currently taking a postgrad year and averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds per game.

"Recruiting is a lot about fit and O'mar is a perfect fit for what we're looking to build here at St. John's," said Anderson. "He can score, play defense, rebound and, most importantly, he has a relentless motor. I think O'mar can become a special basketball player."

Prior to Link Year, Stanley played for Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kan., where he was named to the Class 6A All-State Second Team by the Topeka Capital-Journal as a senior.

St. John's University Athletics

St. John’s Signs Three to National Letters of Intent

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