Rysheed Jordan talks about picking St. John's

RYSHEED JORDAN won't be playing college basketball maybe a mile east of his North Philly home.

Instead, the Roberts Vaux High superguard announced via Twitter just before 9 a.m. Thursday that he's headed for St. John's.

Temple, St. John's and UCLA were the members of his Final Three.

"I wanted to go [to Temple] since I was little," Jordan said Thursday afternoon by cellphone. "Coach [Fran] Dunphy did a great job recruiting me. Came to my practices and mostly all my games. It's just that now, seeing as I'm older, I don't want to be in Philly for college. If Temple was somewhere else, I'd be going. But it's so close to my house . . . I don't know. It'd be like I'd be playing in my backyard."

Jordan talked about how he was getting buried by Temple supporters on social media.

"It's crazy," Jordan said. "The Temple people are really coming at me. I expected it. I was prepared for it. It's not bothering me. I did know how much they wanted me, so I figured this was gonna happen."

Jordan's first tweet on the matter, at @sheedjordan, read, "I'M A JOHNNIE!!!!!" That was followed shortly thereafter by "NEW YORK HERE I COME!!!!" and "RED STORM BABY!!!!"

About St. John's, Jordan said during the phone call: "I love St. John's style of play. That they go up and down and have guys who can block shots and rebound to get things started. I feel I can be the piece of the puzzle they've been missing."

About St. John's coach Steve Lavin, Jordan said: "I love the man as a person, and the way he coaches. After I learned all I could about him, I kept in touch with a couple of players I met on my visit, and they both kept saying great things about him."

Jordan said that once Ben Howland got fired at UCLA last month, after the Bruins' ouster in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, "things died out with them."

Vaux coach Jamie Ross originally had said Wednesday that Jordan, aside from Twitter, would be unavailable for comment until a ceremony next Wednesday at the school.

"He labored over this for a couple months," Ross said. "I feel St. John's is a good fit for him socially, academically and athletically.

"We all love what 'Dunph' has done, and what kind of kids he has in his program. But 'Sheed just feels he needs to get out of our city. To see something different. But it's good that he'll still be close enough to get home when he has to."