Mustapha Heron’s much-anticipated St. John’s debut won’t come until it counts.
The acclaimed Auburn transfer missed Thursday night’s exhibition game in Queens against Division II Maryville after suffering a concussion during Monday’s practice, and his status for the season opener Tuesday against Loyola-Maryland is uncertain.
Heron is currently in concussion protocol, but however long the 6-foot-5 wing is sidelined, he knows his wait to return to the court could have been far longer.
After leading Auburn to a share of the SEC championship last season — averaging 16.4 points on 43.9 percent shooting along with 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals — the Connecticut native opted to transfer to be closer to his mother, Thalia, who is ill.
When Heron chose to transfer to St. John’s, he didn’t know if he’d be able to play this season. But after months of uncertainty, he was granted a legislative relief waiver by the NCAA. It immediately gave the Red Storm one of the most sought-after transfers in the country, altering the expectations of a program that has posted three straight losing seasons and has gone nearly two decades without an NCAA Tournament win.
“He’s a really gifted offensive player,” coach Chris Mullin said recently. “He is a great shooter who’s fundamentally sound. He can play one-on-one and he can play in the post. He’s very strong defensively. He can defend out on the perimeter and down in the post. He also has great experience. … He had two great years at Auburn. He played a lot of minutes and a lot of great games against good teams. That experience is invaluable and you can’t teach that.”
The talent has been evident since before Heron became a five-star recruit in high school. Now, he is a preseason candidate for the Jerry West Award, given to the country’s best shooting guard.
“I’m trying to do everything at a higher level, scoring the ball, defending, making plays at a higher level,” Heron said recently. “I’m trying to make myself a better playmaker and get other guys the ball more.“I think by just being a winning basketball player, making winning plays on both sides of the floor, everything else will take care of itself. I plan to bring intensity, energy, grit and play hard.”
Carnesecca Arena will have to wait to see what Heron looks like as a player and how well his game fits alongside Shamorie Ponds, last season’s leading scorer in the Big East.
But teammates who have been watching Heron for the past few months are confident that he will be the piece the program needed.
“I think we got a great addition in Mustapha,” forward Marvin Clark said. “Since the day he first arrived on campus, it’s felt like he’s been here for as long as we have. He’s going to come right in a make a difference for this team. … We’ve grown as a group and we’re ready to get this team to the next level, which hopefully is the NCAA Tournament.”
