Mike Anderson threw a strike, then landed his first commitment. All by shortly after noon.
The new St. John’s coach had a good start to his Thursday, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Mets-Reds game and then picking up a commitment from John McGriff of Maryland, the three-star point guard told The Post.
The 5-foot-9 McGriff heard from Anderson shortly after he took the job and was offered a scholarship during his unofficial visit to the Queens school Tuesday. He was a priority, with the program in need of a point guard with Shamorie Ponds going pro and one-time junior college recruit Cam Mack signing with Nebraska.
“I chose St. John’s University because it was family based and I felt I was at home when I went down there,” McGriff told The Post in a phone interview. “I saw how Coach Mike Anderson and Coach TJ [Cleveland] were trying to get the best out of their kids. They’re talking about working hard. Them just coming in and me being a freshman, that works best for my situation.
“Right now they told me they want me to come in and play big minutes. They need a point guard bad. I felt like that was the best opportunity.”
McGriff said he also was being recruited by Northwestern, UNLV, Minnesota and Michigan. After performing well with Team Thrill during the spring live period last weekend, he heard from a lot of schools. But he didn’t feel a need to look elsewhere after the St. John’s visit.
He was greeted warmly by the players in the program, who told him he was needed. Most of all, though, Anderson won him over.
“When I talked to Coach Anderson, he was big on having a lot of heart,” McGriff said. “Me having a chip on my shoulders, everything I’ve been through, that’s who I am. I’m ready to come in and ready to compete and play.”
One college coach familiar with McGriff described him as a tough defender who’s quick, plays fast and is “tough as s–t.” The coach was unsure of how effective he would be playing major minutes in the Big East as a freshman, feeling he would be better suited to a limited role initially.
“This late, though, I like it,” the coach said.
In talking to reporters before throwing out the first pitch, Anderson stressed the importance of finding players who will work well in his frenetic, pressing system. McGriff seems to fit that mold.
“They know I’m going to defend,” he said. “I feel like I can affect the game more than scoring.”
Redshirt sophomore forward Sedee Keita has entered the transfer portal, he told The Post. He hasn’t ruled out a return, but wants to weigh his options.
“Most likely moving on,” said the 6-foot-9 Keita, who averaged 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in a limited role this year.
He is the third player to announce his intentions to potentially transfer since coach Chris Mullin stepped down on April 9, joining Bryan Trimble Jr. and L.J. Figueroa. Figueroa, who could still be back, has visited Western Kentucky. Trimble, meanwhile, has yet to find a new home.
There were high hopes for Keita, a South Carolina transfer who was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. But after sitting out last year, a knee injury in November set him back — he missed six weeks following arthroscopic surgery — and he also was suspended for the regular-season finale at Xavier after failing to “fulfill team responsibilities.”