St. John's lands Ian Jackson from North Carolina
Ian Jackson of the North Carolina Tar Heels on January 4, 2025. Credit: Getty Images/Michael Reaves
Ian Jackson is coming home to New York and St. John’s looks like it will be all the better for it.
Jackson, a 6-4 guard who just completed his freshman season playing for North Carolina, committed to join the Red Storm on Monday. He is the latest addition to what’s become a very formidable roster for the 2025-26 season.
With Jackson joining Arizona State transfer Joson Sanon, Stanford transfer Oziyah Sellers, Providence transfer Bryce Hopkins, St. John’s has a consensus Top 5 transfer class coming in.
The Red Storm has been culling the transfer portal seeking to replace point guards Kadary Richmond and Deivon Smith, who both have exhausted their eligibility. Though Jackson wasn’t the primary ball handler with the Tar Heels, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino envisions him in that role.
“We had Big shoes to fill at the point,” Pitino wrote in a social media post. “Kadary and Deivon were awesome. The ball is now in the hands of our next great point [guard]. Let's Go Ian!!!”
Jackson played three seasons at Cardinal Hayes High in the Bronx before spending his senior season at Our Savior Lutheran in the Bronx, after which he was selected as a McDonald’s All-American. He is considered to be on an arc that will take him to the NBA. Entering Monday, he was considered one of the two best uncommitted players in the NCAA transfer portal.
When the St. John’s team was honored April 9 at Citi Field before a Mets game, Pitino described him to Newsday as “an elite talent.”
As a freshman, Jackson averaged 11.9 points and shot 40% on three-point attempts in 24 minutes per game as UNC squeaked into the NCAA Tournament and then won a First Four game over San Diego State before falling to Ole Miss in the first round.
Jackson was one of the five prospective St. John’s commits that came for a visit over a four-day span, April 11-14, and the second one to decide to join the Red Storm.
Sellers, a 6-5 guard, committed to the Storm last week. Cincinnati forward Dillon Mitchell and blue chip point guard Acaden Lewis have not announced their decisions. Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee last week announced that he was choosing national champion Florida over St. John’s and Kansas.
Sellers and Jackson are keys to addressing St. John’s biggest deficiency last season — outside shooting — as both make 40% on threes. The Red Storm shot 30% as a team last season and went 2-for-22 on the arc when they lost to Arkansas in an NCAA Tournament second-round game.
St. John had some involvement in Jackson's recruiting out of high school. In the end he chose the Tar Heels, reportedly over Kentucky and Arkansas.
The Storm has four remaining spots on the roster they can fill. One is anticipated to go to Austrian Imran Suljanovic, who visited the campus last month and who Pitino saw on a recent trip to Europe.
College players will be able to put their names in the transfer portal through Tuesday night.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
