Zags Blog: St. Joe’s picked up a tough, gritty New York point guard Friday when Shavar Newkirk of Cardinal Hayes pledged to the program.

“I picked St. Joe’s because I created a relationship with the head coach [Phil Martelli],” the 6-foot, 170-pound Newkirk told SNY.tv.

“They extended the reach of communication between my family and Coach Martelli. He felt I would be a great fit for his program and he really wanted me to come to his school. He came to every event and called me every night. I can’t turn down a guy that my best interests.”

Newkirk, Class of 2014, said he also considered Towson, Iona, Iowa State and Providence. He averaged 17 points and 8 assists last team en route to All-City honors.

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