PRO FORM-A
Johnnies’ Ponds piques NBA’s interest
So much has changed in three weeks for St. John’s. A lost season has gained traction, creating hopes of a potential postseason berth of some kind.
But even more has changed for Shamorie Ponds, the sophomore who has been as good as any guard in the country in that span, playing so well NBA teams are taking notice of his exploits.
“A couple of guys that I’ve seen from the [West Coast] have asked me what’s the deal with Ponds,” one northeast NBA scout said. “People are paying attention to what he’s doing.” It’s hard not to. Over the past five games, the highly skilled 6-foot-1 southpaw from Brooklyn is averaging 32 points per game. He’s led St. John’s to four straight wins, including stunning upsets of No. 3 Villanova and fifth-ranked Duke. The Big East leader in scoring (21.6) and steals (2.5), he set an on-campus St. John’s record with 44 points in the Feb. 10 victory over Marquette, and is coming of a career-high 10-assist performance in a road win over DePaul.
“He has no fear — no fear of the opponent, no fear of the moment, no fear of his surroundings,” said the scout, who was at the Duke game, when Ponds exploded for 33 points.
When asked if his size is a deterrent, the scout said: “What position is [6-1 Clippers guard] Lou Williams? He’s a guy that comes in and scores the ball.”
Another scout also raved about Ponds’ electric scoring ability, his explosion off the dribble, and called him one of the best “quicktwitch athletes” in the country. Those comments come on the heels of high praise from some of the best coaches in the country, from Villanova’s Jay Wright to Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. Marquette’s Steve Wojciechowski said Ponds “is a pro.”
The question, naturally, is when does the 19-year-old Ponds actually go pro. When asked by The Post’s Steve Serby about his plans, he said it would be a “family decision.”
“I don’t really have a percentage if I’ll be back,” Ponds said. “You never know what could happen. Like anything could happen.”
His father, Shawn, made similar comments in a phone interview with The Post, saying his son “probably might” test the NBA draft waters. The growing feeling of the coaching staff, according to sources, is Ponds will explore his options. But that doesn’t mean he’s making the jump after this season. The plan is to meet with coach Chris Mullin, and go from there.
“I don’t really know [anything right now],” Shawn Ponds said. “We’ll sit down at the end of the year and make a decision.”
Both scouts believe Ponds should wait, get stronger and gain more experience. The second scout said Ponds needs to improve his playmaking skills and offensive efficiency — he’s shooting just 42 percent this year and 26 percent from 3point range, though those numbers are climbing — to prove he can be a point guard at the next level. The talent evaluator said he isn’t on his team’s radar for this year. Most mock drafts list him in the 2019 class.
“If he’s out of his mind right now, he has to stay out of his mind for the next month, and there still will be an equal amount of people who won’t believe it,” the first scout said. “He’s going to have to reprove it in someone’s gym [in workouts].”
This recent run has intrigued scouts and brought him national attention, but could also persuade Ponds he is better served staying in school.
With several of the top teams in the league set to lose key players, St. John’s and Ponds would be set up to move up. The Red Storm are poised to lose only senior wing Bashir Ahmed, while adding several significant pieces.
Ponds has the chance to be the face of a throwback season in Queens if all goes right. If he returns he would also be positioned as a potential All-American and the Big East Preseason Player of the Year.
“You got to remember, when you’re winning more people got their eye on you,” Shawn Ponds said. “Coming back could be a really good thing.”