LEAGUE HIM: Shamorie Ponds is an NBA level talent
Brooklyn's Finest is super slept on
From the minute Ponds burst on the scene as a freshman snagging the JV city chip, he's been on NYC's radar as the next guy up. When an Isaiah Whitehead led Lincoln squad seemed unbeatable back in 2014, it was Ponds who dethroned them. In 2016, he cemented his status in NYC folklore when he went on to take the city and the state title, and shortly after bring his talents to Queens at St John's. Needless to say, hoops fans in New York have been hip to Ponds' smooth game from the jump. Outside of the city though, you'd be hard pressed to hear someone murmur his name when talking about NBA draft prospects. In fact, the Brooklyn guard isn't on any of the major NBA mock draft boards. Quite frankly, we're sick of it. Shamorie Ponds is the most underrated player in the country and deserves some serious NBA looks this spring.
"Hoops fans in New York have been hip to Ponds' smooth game from the jump."
While his decision to go to St Johns was applauded by New Yorkers, it would've been nice if it caused some kind of domino effect that resulted in other high caliber players joining him in the city. Winning undoubtedly brings exposure and when Sid Wilson originally committed to St Johns, we just knew that the Red Storm was BACK. Unfortunately, this feeling was short lived as Wilson de-committed shortly after, leaving the Johnnies scrambling right before the season. The result has been another mediocre season which showed flashes early, but ultimately has resulted in an 0-6 Big East start. However, it isn't too late to turn things around, and with big name teams such as the Duke Blue Devils on the schedule, Ponds will have plenty of opportunities to torch high level players.
So far, Shamorie has done his part in showing that he is a pro. His sweet jumper has somehow extended its range, and when it's not falling, he finds ways to contribute in other facets of the game. Last night against number one Nova for example, Ponds couldn't find his three ball, but still ended up with 37 points, a valiant effort that almost ended with a St Johns victory. His ability to score on all three levels has been his calling card, and his uncanny defensive skills are quite underrated. If St Johns can somehow string together some wins and make some noise in the Big East tournament, Ponds may be recognized for the assassin that he is. Similar to how a successful year team wise led to Isaiah Whitehead's national recognition, the same can happen for Ponds. Until then, we'll enjoy him cooking up in Queens on the regular.