Former Seton Hall guard Kadary Richmond, the No. 1 player in the transfer portal, has committed to St. John's and coach Rick Pitino, he told ESPN on Tuesday.
“They were big on life after basketball and player development,” Richmond said. “That caught my attention, the way they kept it real from day one. They will allow me to show my ability and become a better basketball player and person. I would like to make it deep into the NCAA tournament and eventually win a national championship. I'm ready to get to work and see what Coach Pitino has in store.”
Richmond visited Oklahoma over the weekend and said he was also considering Syracuse, Miami and USC, but the opportunity for the Brooklyn native to stay close to home and play for Pitino was too much to pass up.
“Seeing what [Knicks star] “Jalen Brunson is playing for New York City right now, winning in New York is a big deal,” Richmond said. “I want to be a part of that.”
Richmond, a 6-foot-6 point guard, immediately jumped to No. 1 in ESPN's transfer rankings upon entering the portal in late April. He earned first-team All-Big East honors after averaging 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists and leading Seton Hall to an NIT championship. He had 20-plus points nine times in Big East games, including a triple-double against Creighton, when he finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. In three games against Pitino and St. John's last season, Richmond averaged 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
Richmond was fantastic in the postseason, scoring 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists in the NIT title game against Indiana State. He averaged 13.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in five NIT games.
After spending one season at Syracuse in 2020-21, Richmond transferred to Seton Hall. He started 85 games over three years, but his real breakout season didn't come until last season. Richmond showed flashes of this level of production during the final stretch of his 2022-23 season with the Pirates, averaging 12.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists over his final eight healthy games before suffering a right knee injury. back.
“I will always thank the coaching staff at Seton Hall for giving me the freedom to put myself in this position,” Richmond said. “I wish you the best.”
Richmond is the second major addition to St. John's portal in as many days, after Deivon Smith committed to transfer from Utah on Monday. Smith, a 6-foot point guard, averaged 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists last season, ranking sixth nationally in the latter category. He also shot nearly 41% from 3-point range.
A Richmond and Smith defense should be among the best in the country, combining two elite playmakers who can score in contrasting ways. It could be Pitino's best guard duo since Peyton Siva and Russ Smith led Louisville to the national championship in 2013.
“I like the additions we've created,” Richmond said. “Deivon Smith is also about winning and making winning plays. RJ Luis is someone I've played against, he's a competitor. Same goes for Vincent Iwuchukwu. The pieces are aligning. I like the vision that's been put together.”
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analysis service used by the NBA, NCAA and international teams.
