Setback For St. John's As Highly Touted Shooting Guard Recruit Chooses LSU

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New St. John's head coach Chris Mullin has made recruiting his top priority, but there are some things that are just beyond his control.

Since taking over the program at the beginning of April, Mullin has been scrambling on the recruiting front as he tries to replenish a roster that may return just one impact player from the team that made the NCAA Tournament this past season.

With seniors D'Angelo Harrison and Sir'Dominic Pointer likely thinking NBA, Phil Greene IV and Jamal Branch having used up their eligibility and sophomore Rysheed Jordan unsure if he will stay in school, Mullin might only have Chris Obekpa back next season.

That's why losing a recruit like Brandon Sampson is painful.

A high-scoring shooting guard from Madison Prep in Louisiana, Sampson had initially committed to St. John's, having been wooed by Steve Lavin. However, when Lavin and St. John's mutually agreed to part ways following the Red Storm's loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Sampson re-opened his recruiting, the Daily News reported.

Mullin and his staff tried to salvage the situation, visiting with Sampson over the weekend, but he ended up announcing during a Monday press conference that he would be attending LSU this fall, the newspaper reported.

Mullin, who recently hired top recruiter Matt Abdelmassih as an assistant, told WFAN's Boomer and Carton last week that he wants to make St. John's the destination for all of New York City's best high school players.