Shamorie Ponds is the future of St. John’s Basketball. The 6’1” point guard, who is considered by many to be one of the top guards in the Class of 2016, is already be called the centerpiece of the new regime under Head Coach, Chris Mullin. Coming from Brooklyn, Ponds is already being called a hometown hero and he is very intent on proving that he made the right decision, saying, “They are gonna put me in a position to succeed. They just made me feel comfortable, feel like I’m at home.”

 

In fact, Ponds will be at home. Born on June 29, 1998, in Rochester, NY, St. John’s is practically home for him, but despite this, making his decision was far from an easy feat. “It was fun and stressful, a little bit of both. There were times when I felt overwhelmed, but it was a learning process.” Said Ponds.

Helping him through the process was his family. First introduced to the game by his father, there is no doubt that family has played a huge role in Ponds’ success throughout his basketball career and once the recruiting process came along, they were sure to keep Ponds’ best interest in mind, as he said,”They just basically told me, ‘Do what’s best for me, not for everybody else. Even though we care, do what’s best for you.’”

 

Having completed the recruiting process, Ponds is focused on ending his high school career on a good note. “For the rest of the season, I want to finish off strong with a city and state championship.” Explained Senior from Thomas Jefferson High School(Brooklyn, NY).

Winning the Brooklyn City championship, along with a New York State Championship would be icing on the cake for a great high school career. Ponds has already been awarded many accolades, but what he considers being his greatest accomplishment is being able to play in the Under Armour Elite 24, a game that features 24 of the top high school basketball players in the nation which coincidentally takes place in Brooklyn, New York: “It was incredible. I’ve wanted to play in that game since I was young and it was great.” Said Ponds on his experience.

 

While it is clear that Ponds has had plenty of accomplishments during his high school career, it hasn’t been a walk in the park. “I’ve had to face a lot of injuries.” Ponds continued. “There have a lot of stressful nights, but the main thing is that I got through it.”

He’s done more than just get through it, he has excelled. He is currently ranked by ESPN as being the #36 prospect in the Class of 2016, but Ponds doesn’t worry about the ranking, saying, “I just try to zone it out and not worry about it.”

Ponds’ ability to overcome the challenges he’s faced are sure to help him when he begins his collegiate career at St. John’s. Playing in the Big East Conference, Ponds will be going up against some of the best talent in college baseball and he realizes that he needs to work hard if he wants to continue his prior success next year. “ I need to get better at everything to compete at the next level.” Said Ponds.

 

As college awaits at St. John’s, Shamorie Ponds is bound to be one of the top talents in the Big East conference next year. As one of the best point guards in the Class of 2016, Shamorie Ponds should be on everyone’s radar this year as we near the end of the 2016 high school basketball season and as he nears his beginnings at St. John’s.