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St. John's finally lands a big one
Kadary Richmond will play for Rick Pitino. But can the Johnnies' backcourt hit any perimeter shots? Plus, Arizona makes a big addition, an NIL-focused tourney takes shape, and projecting the best fits for remaining portal players.
Sean Paul
May 08, 2024
What a day for the Pitinos. One Pitino inked a new contract and the other saw the ink dry from one of the elite players in the portal.
Let's get to the news.
1. That’s a formidable St. John’s backcourt
St. John’s missed on some of the transfer portal’s big men, such as Norchad Omier and Cliff Omoruyi, but guards?
The Johnnies got guards.
A day after adding Utah transfer Deivon Smith, St. John’s added perhaps the best player in the portal in Seton Hall guard Kadary Richmond. The 6-6 senior averaged 15.7 ppg, 7 rpg and 5.1 apg this season. To say St. John’s coach Rick Pitino loves Richmond’s game would be an understatement.
Secondly, Kadary Richmond is a player I admired so much in the Big East. He’s a great jump shot away from playing for the Knicks. Awesome talent and we are so excited to have him. Sim, Deivon, and now Kadary, along with our young talents, is a dream backcourt. Let's Go Johnnies!
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino)
May 7, 2024
Can Richmond and Smith co-exist with only one basketball?
Both are ball-dominant players with triple-double potential in every game. The two are very dynamic in different ways — Smith is only 6-foot and has game-altering speed, while Richmond is built like an NFL linebacker.
The biggest concern is shooting. Smith shot 40% from beyond the arc on 2.5 attempts per game, a career-high and a career outlier as he’s never shot better than 28%. Smith’s often looking to accelerate to the basket, and typically isn’t looking to shoot. The same goes for Richmond, who shot 27% from deep on 63 attempts.
Teams will dare the Johnnies' new back-court to shoot the ball from 3. Can the two make opposing defenses pay, or will it be a season-long struggle?
I’m betting on the two figuring things out. If you can add two of the best guards in the portal, you do it and don’t ask questions. You figure out the fit later, and I trust Pitino to figure it out.
2. Arizona keeps pace with top of 12 + more transfer news
We’ve discussed the top of the Big 12 a bunch. Kansas, Houston, Baylor and Iowa State should all be preseason Top 10 teams because of their talent and roster mix.
Well, league newcomer Arizona isn’t far behind, especially after its newest addition.