Rick Pitino sends clear message as St. John's secures Ian Jackson commitment

After a breakout season, Rick Pitino and the St. John's Red Storm are not laying back, and added Ian Jackson through the transfer portal on Monday.

As the former North Carolina Tar Heels guard makes his way to New York City, Pitino praised the player and set the expectations he will face for the upcoming season.

"We had big shoes to fill at the point (guard position). Kadary (Richmond) and Deivon (Smith) were awesome. The ball is now in the hands of our next great point (guard). Let's go Ian!" Rick Pitino said per The New York Times' Adam Zagoria.

Kadary Richmond finished the year with 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and two steals per game. Deivon Smith chipped in with 9.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. They played a key role in the Red Storm winning the 2025 Big East championship, first since 1992.

Ian Jackson is coming off a season in which he averaged 11.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. He was second in scoring for a disappointing North Carolina squad that controversially made the NCAA Tournament.

The Bronx native will be back in his hometown, as he played high school ball at Cardinal Hayes before transferring to Saviour Lutheran ahead of his senior season.

Jackson is the fourth player transferring into Rick Pitino's squad this spring, following 4-star transfers Oziyah Sellers (Stanford), Joson Sanon (Arizona State), and Bryce Hopkins (Providence).

The Red Storm had one of its best seasons ever, winning the Big East regular season and tournament titles while earning a No.2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, St. John's was the first second-seeded team eliminated from the tourney, falling 75-66 against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Rick Pitino has another hole to fill in the backcourt

While Ian Jackson's arrival will fill a huge void as a point guard, the St. John's Red Storm still has work to do building the roster. On Friday, guard Simeon Wilcher entered the transfer portal after two seasons in New York.

Wilcher averaged eight points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists for the Red Storm. He also started 25 games for Rick Pitino's team last season. He joins RJ Luis, Khaman Maker, Jaiden Blover, and Brady Dunlap in the portal.

Luis was the team's leading scorer with 18.2 points per game, while adding 7.2 rebounds. Even though he was named Big East Player of the Year during the season, he sat out the final few minutes of St. John's second-round loss to Arkansas and entered the portal.