Seton Hall Commit Isaiah Whitehead Takes Small Shot at St. John’s

Mandatory Credit: Andrew Fielding-USA TODAY Sports

When Isaiah Whitehead chose the Seton Hall Pirates over the St. John’s Red Storm, many assumed it was for the most obvious reason. You know, that the Pirates hired his high school coach and the Johnnies wouldn’t even make Tiny Morton an offer. What ever the reason, however, it happened. Seton Hall’s gain was the Red Storm’s loss and it was time for all to move on. Well, so we thought.

Whitehead was at the Sharette Dixon Classic charity game. It was there that he decided to drop some (factless) knowledge on our craniums. Here are some of the excerpts (H/T NY Daily News):

"“Really nobody in New York City goes to St. John’s unless you love the city,” Whitehead said. “I do (love the city), but when it’s time to leave, it’s time to leave.”"

Nobody who lives in NYC plays for St. John’s? If that were true, someone better tell the slew of players on the current roster who call New York home. He could have meant “top-recruits” like himself, however. But to be fair, that too would be untrue — as Moe Harkless (a once tippy-top recruit) is from Queens and chose the Red Storm just a few years ago.

Whitehead was apparently more than happy to point out that he has gotten little flack from choosing Seton Hall over the Johnnies. The way it was put, though, is rather surprising. Acting as if no one cares because St. John’s isn’t that big of a deal in New York. Which really furthers the theory that Whitehead doesn’t actually understand St. John’s, New York or how this recruiting thing works.

I am not sure if Whitehead wanted it to be a bigger deal that he chose a program that wasn’t his “hometown” school, but most people who root for the Red Storm or are affiliated with the school prefers players who want to be there because they want to be there — not because their friend got hired as an assistant coach.

At the end of the day, it feels (the quotes can possibly be out of context or said in jest, but unlikely) Whitehead felt it necessary to take a shot at the Johnnies before joining the Pirates next season. Time will tell how it works out for him, Seton Hall and the Red Storm, but it’s just not a good look to take unprovoked attacks at a program that recruited you.

I mean, if it wasn’t a big deal to begin with since “nobody in New York City goes to St. John’s unless you love the city.”

Which he says he does, but still felt the need to poke at the Red Storm and let us know none of this is a big deal to the city because he said so. Except when he wants to talk about it. Because other than these comments, not many still cared enough to gibber-jabber about Whitehead choosing Seton Hall over the Johnnies.

It could be, honestly, that maybe Whitehead isn’t that big of a deal and, you know, everything else he is talking about (NYC recruiting, Seton Hall, St. John’s)  is. But hey, screw semantics — that kid speaks for the city and the city’s recruits.

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This guy, Twitter @JosephNardone