St. John's signs JUCO star God's Gift Achiuwa

St. John's has signed JUCO All-America God's Gift Achiuwa, adding the Nigerian to a class that includes six players rated in the top 100 prospects by many recruiting services.

Red Storm coach Steve Lavin announced Thursday that the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Achiuwa had signed a letter of intent to become the ninth member of the 2011-12 recruiting class.

Achiuwa led Erie Community College to a 28-4 record in 2010-11 and a fourth-place finish in the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament. He ranked ninth in the NJCAA in scoring (22.3), 10th in rebounding (11.7) and 17th in blocks (2.2). He shot 56.0 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from 3-point range.

Achiuwa and his five siblings all have names reflecting the religious beliefs of their father, a minister.