Harkless Cleared For Freshman Season At St. John's: Report

The governing board of the NCAA has cleared former basketball standout Marice Harkless to play his freshman season at St. John’s University, the New York Post reports.

Head coach Steve Lavin recruited Harkless as a hometown player for the Red Storm squad, but his eligibility was up in the air for the upcoming season because of a new and obscure rule about playing for a school that employees a previous coach at the high school level.

"For a while I was nervous because it was taking so long,’’ Harkless said to the paper in an interview. “I'm glad it's over with."

Harkless, a 6-foot-6 forward, was recruited in part because his performance off the court was as impressive as his performance on.

“It feels good,” he added. “Now I can focus on just getting ready and I don't have to worry about anything. I just can't wait to get in there and officially get in school."

Lavin’s recruiting class for the Queens school was ranked as the third in the nation this past year. Last March, , and with the strong recruiting class, the team could have a better season this year.