Mullin lands JC player; Arizona St. hires Hurley
CHRIS MULLIN’S first St. John’s team has its first new player. Darien Williams, a 6-8 junior college shooting guard, has committed to the Red Storm and will likely sign in the coming week.
The Williams commitment comes just a day after Tennessee freshman Tariq Owens said he would transfer to St. John’s. Williams can play this coming season while Owens is required by NCAA transfer rules to sit out a season.
Williams had committed to Iowa State last November after then-Cyclones assistant coach and current Johnnies assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih was the point person in recruiting him. Over the weekend, Iowa State released him from his commitment so he could make the move to St. John’s.
He did not play this season at City College of San Francisco after undergoing surgeries on both shoulders. In 2013-14 at Iowa Western, he averaged 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds and made 37 three-pointers on 41% shooting beyond the arc.
Before committing to the Cyclones, Williams had scholarship offers from Louisville, Nebraska, USC and Kansas State.
HURLEY TO TAKE OVER SUN DEVILS: Arizona State has hired Bobby Hurley as its basketball coach.
Hurley, 43, spent the past two years as the head coach at Buffalo, where he led the Bulls to 23 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth this past season.
He replaces Herb Sendek, who was fired on March 24 after nine seasons.
Hurley has an extensive basketball background, playing for father Bob Hurley Sr. in Jersey City and four years at Duke. A point guard, he led the Blue Devils to national championships in 1991 and 1992 and was an All-American in 1993.
Hurley spent five years in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, but had his career cut short by life-threatening injuries suffered in a car accident.