With Shamorie Ponds announcing his decision to turn pro, he leaves behind a great legacy and many memorable moments with St. John’s.
It came as no surprise to anyone when St. John’s point guard Shamorie Ponds announced he was turning professional and entering the NBA Draft. In his three seasons with the Red Storm, Ponds gave fans many of great memories and he was at least able to make the NCAA Tournament in his final season.
Ponds ended his career in Queens fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,870 points. In his junior season, he was more of a playmaker, focusing on involving his teammates in the offense. His assists per game went up from 4.7 in 2017-18 to 5.1 this past season. Plus, he averaged more than two steals per game in each of his three years.
However, the one lasting memory that fans will have of the Brooklyn native is his ability to take over a game with instant offense. He was willing to take a shot from anywhere on the court and he would have the ability to get to the free throw line at will. Ponds had no fear.
While St. John’s did not have a great season last year, Ponds brought about instant memories that fans will have for a lifetime. On Feb. 10, 2018, he had 44 points against Marquette, which broke a record for the most points scored in a game by a Red Storm player at Carnesecca Arena.
In addition to that great performance against the Golden Eagles, he had 33 points at Madison Square Garden against Duke on Feb. 3 and 26 points the following game at Villanova when they upset the number one team in the country. It showed that on the biggest stage, Ponds was one of those players that you can count on to deliver when the lights shone the brightest.
Even in a down season for the program that year, Ponds was must-see TV each and every game. He put St. John’s back on the map with his game and it will be interesting to see if he gets selected in the second round of the draft when June rolls around.
While this may be a sad day in terms of what Chris Mullin’s team might look like next season, today should also be a day of celebration. Fans should remember Ponds for being a player who gave his all for three seasons. He may not have the winning record that the great players of the past did, but he brought St. John’s back to the Big Dance and made his own memories. That’s all a fan can ask for.
For St. John’s, the main question going forward is going to be whether or not Mustapha Heron decides to stay and act as the second playmaker along with LJ Figueroa. But, that is a different story for a different day.
Right now, it is all about Ponds and enjoying the moments that he gave St. John’s over the course of his career and for times, taking over the headlines in New York City.