The suspension was handed down in March 2013 and it shocked many: D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s leading scorer and de-facto leader would not be allowed to participate with the basketball program for the rest of the season, and would have to earn his way back onto the team during the summer.

And he worked. First with John Lucas at the former-NBA guard’s summer camp where he dealt with anger management and then with his teammates when he returned.

“He grew up a lot,” senior guard Phil Greene said. At first it was tough for him. He was going through what all freshmen go through, but once he went to Lucas he got his head together and he came back a totally different person.

“Focused, locked-in and he became a better leader.”

A little less than two years after committing to stay at the school and earn his spot back, Harrison is playing to help his team reach its first NCAA tournament since 2011. St. John’s (5-1) is going up against Syracuse (5-2) on Saturday in a former Big East matchup in the Carrier Dome.

It’s part of the process that began when Harrison rejoined the team in August 2013. Then-teammate JaKarr Sampson said it was like he was a new person.

“He takes the team out to eat,” said Greene, noting Harrison’s leadership goes beyond the court. “Not too many players or people do that. He looks out. It’s really like a family.”

Harrison was averaging 17.8 points when his sophomore season ended. This year, he’s averaging 17.5, he eclipsed 1,700 points for his career Tuesday against Niagara and is ranked third in total points scored in Division I among active players.

He, along with Greene, Sir’Dominic Pointer and others came into the program in 2011 and had to learn to grow up quickly. There was only one scholarship sophomore on the team after 10 seniors graduated that spring, and SJU started all freshmen.

Three years later, all three remain.

“Dom, Phil, they did a good job of sticking with me as well,” Harrison said. “Don’t forget I came here when I was 17 years old. I’ve had to grow up a lot. Now I’m 21.”

In last week’s NIT Season Tip-Off at Madison Square Garden, Harrison scored 19 points and had nine rebounds with six steals in a win against Minnesota and then followed it up with 15 points and five rebounds in a loss against then-No. 10 Gonzaga.

The fire that was part of Harrison’s game during his freshman and sophomore years hasn’t gone anywhere in the season-plus since his return.

Against Minnesota on Nov. 26th with the Red Storm up a basket with less than three minutes remaining, he fell into cheerleaders on the baseline while saving a ball from going out of bounds.

He got back up, ran to the corner behind the 3-point line where he was left unmanned, received a pass, fired a shot that went in as he took a hit from Gophers center Elliot Elliason for the foul. He jumped up and shouted to the rafters.

“I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” Harrison said referring to his point-scoring prowess that currently places him at No. 9 in St. John’s history. “Credit them because I can’t score 1,700 points by myself. I might score 10, but not 1,700. They do a good job of finding me.”

Published on December 4, 2014 at 12:10 am