Dele Coker Commits to St. Johns
Ayodele Coker, a 6’11 center from South Kent School by way of Nigeria, was one of the best available five men left on the board in the national recruiting class of 2007. Now he is pledged to join Head Coach Norm Roberts and his St. John’s program in the Fall of next year. Coach Roberts and his staff were able to beat out the likes of Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Florida, and a host of others to secure the services of the #4 ranked player in New England. Coker’s commitment is a huge one for St. John’s not just because of his current ability but because he still hasn’t come close to realizing his potential.
Coker possesses an incredibly impressive combination of size, strength, athleticism, and agility. His game is highlighted by his ability to block shots, rebound the ball, and finish strong above the rim on just about anyone. This summer as he played with the Albany City Rocks he showed flashes of brilliance with much improved footwork on the block, a softer touch on his shot, and a better understanding for how to score with his back to the basket. Coker currently is ranked as high as #81 in the class of 2007 by scout.com but if you consider that he has only been playing the game for a few years and his steep learning curve in that time, his potential impact at St. John’s by the end of the year could be huge.
At St. John’s Coker will join former South Kent teammate Rob Thomas and should have an opportunity to compete for a starting position right away with 6’10 senior Lamont Hamilton and 6’10 senior Aaron Spears both set to graduate this year.
Coker and his South Kent team will kick off their season in Jeff Goodman’s National Prep Tip Off Tournament to be held November 17-19 at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts.