Package deal rule could threaten eligibility of St. John’s recruit

The NCAA's new legislation prohibiting package deals in recruiting may wind up hurting St. John's twice.

First the Johnnies appear to have lost a chance to land Arizona transfer MoMo Jones because he played for St. John's director of basketball operations Moe Hicks for two years at Rice High School in New York. Now comes word from ESPN.com's Andy Katz that the school is looking into whether highly touted signee Maurice Harkless will be eligible to play next season.

Hicks previously served in an administrative capacity for one of Harkless' AAU programs, the New York Gauchos. The 6-foot-8 forward played the majority of his games with the New York Panthers, but did play in a pair of tournaments with the Gauchos.

St. John's is confident Harkless will be eligible because Hicks did not serve in a coaching role for the Gauchos at that time. The new rule states that from two years before a basketball player is expected to enroll in college to two years after his actual enrollment, a school cannot employ "an individual associated with the prospective student-athlete in any athletics department noncoaching staff position."

If the NCAA were to rule that the connection between Hicks and Harkless is impermissible, it would be a damaging blow to a St. John's recruiting class ranked as high as third in the nation. Not only is Harkless considered one of the top 50 recruits in the Class of 2011, his potential success at St. John's would be a message to other top New York City prospects that they too can stay home.

At the moment this story appears to only be cause for mild alarm for St. John's fans. But when a prospect's eligibility is in the hands of the ever-unpredictable NCAA, it's always reason for concern.

Missi Pyle Jessica Alba Kylie Bax Diora Baird Laura Prepon