St. John’s has discovered its level guard.
North Carolina guard Ian Jackson, a former five-star prospect from the Bronx, is transferring to St. John’s within the newest main addition to Rick Pitino’s group.
Jackson introduced his choice Monday with an Instagram put up displaying him carrying a St. John’s jersey.
“Back where it started,” Jackson wrote.
Jackson averaged 11.9 factors per recreation and shot 39.5% on 3-point makes an attempt as a freshman at UNC final season.
Whereas the explosive 6-4 guard just isn’t a standard flooring basic, Pitino urged Jackson will change outgoing seniors Kadary Richmond and Deivon Smith at level guard.
“We had Big shoes to fill at the point,” Pitino wrote on social media. “Kadary and Deivon were awesome. The ball is now in the hands of our next great point. Let’s Go Ian!!”
Jackson performed high-school basketball at Our Savior Lutheran within the Bronx. He began 12 of his 36 appearances at UNC and earned ACC All-Freshman honors.
The 20-year-old Jackson is the fourth vital switch to decide on St. John’s this offseason, following guard Joson Sanon from Arizona State; ahead Bryce Hopkins from Windfall; and guard Oziyah Sellers from Stanford.
All 4 may begin for St. John’s, with returning energy ahead Zuby Ejiofor — an All-Massive East First Workforce choice and the convention’s Most Improved Participant — rounding out an skilled and proficient lineup.
Jackson, Sanon and Sellers add three achieved shooters to a St. John’s group that completed final within the Massive East – and 339th amongst Division I colleges — by taking pictures 30.1% from 3-point vary final season.
“We need shooting as much as anything,” Pitino stated this month, earlier than he added Sellers and Jackson.
“Houston and us, we were the two best defensive teams, but it’s the offensive teams that really go far in the [NCAA] Tournament. You have to have a great offense, and we were not a great offensive basketball team this year.”
St. John’s is dropping final season’s main scorer, RJ Luis Jr., who declared for the NBA Draft and entered the switch portal. The do-it-all Richmond averaged 12.4 factors, 6.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists per recreation, whereas the speedy Smith averaged 9.3 factors and was among the many Purple Storm’s finest on-ball defenders.
Jackson’s arrival comes three days after combo guard Simeon Wilcher, who began 25 video games for St. John’s as a sophomore, entered the switch portal.
St. John’s is about to enter the 2025-26 season with lofty expectations after it went 31-5 and received the Massive East’s common season and convention match championships in its second 12 months below Pitino.
The addition of Jackson solely raises these expectations.
