Rick Pitino, St. John's land Tennessee transfer Chris Ledlum to cap huge summer
It's one of the main takeaways in this college basketball offseason: St. John's University is back on the map and should not be taken lightly.
As we head into the back half of July, Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino has garnered another recruiting win for the Red Storm, completing the Johnnies' roster by landing transfer forward Chris Ledlum.
The rising senior, who started the offseason as a Harvard transfer after playing three seasons for the Crimson, is now bound for New York after originally committing to Tennessee to play for Rick Barnes. A change of heart by Ledlum, a Brooklyn native, lead him back closer to home to complete his college career.
Averaging 18.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this past season, Ledlum is regarded as a tough, physical rebounder who can cause matchup issues with his 6-foot-6, 225-pound frame. With Ledlum adding his rebounding prowess to the frontcourt alongside fifth-year senior Joel Soriano, who was second in the NCAA with 25 double-doubles last year, St. John’s recent weakness on the glass should be a thing of the past.
"He was the highest level talent and athlete in our league last year in my opinion," one Ivy League head coach told FOX Sports when asked about Ledlum. "He’s not a good rebounder — he’s an outstanding rebounder with huge hands. Anything he gets his hands on, he’s keeping. Honestly, he’d make a lot of money as an NFL tight end someday, but he can be a big-time pro in hoops as well. He’s super versatile offensively. The defense needs some work, but he can guard on the ball."
While Pitino has highlighted the offseason with the portal additions of standout guards like reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Jordan Dingle, UMass transfer RJ Luis, UConn transfer Nahiem Alleyne and others, there was concern that Soriano would have to shoulder most of the load inside. That's what makes the addition of Ledlum a great fit and a statement move by the Johnnies late in the game this offseason. He will presumably be the team's starting power forward.
Landing Ledlum marks a second consecutive splash for the 70-year-old Pitino, who reeled in the highest-ranked St. John's freshman in a decade with North Carolina decommit Simeon Wilcher, a 6-foot-4 combo guard who ranks 34th in the 247 Sports national composite rankings for the recruiting class of 2023.
Like Ledlum, Wilcher also has elected to stay home, as he hails from Plainfield, N.J., where he led Roselle Catholic to back-to-back state championships.
There was a consensus that Pitino, who went from Iona in New Rochelle to a Big East program starving for success, would get the Red Storm back on the map. The Johnnies, who call Madison Square Garden home, have not shined under the bright lights of New York in some time, dropping to a state of irrelevance. St. John's has not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2000.
There is no question that St. John's was in position to be a top-25 team and contend for an NCAA Tournament berth with Pitino in charge — even before the addition of Ledlum. For a team that's been structured to fit modern-day basketball with spacing and multiple perimeter threats, the one missing piece has now been filled with the Tennessee transfer.
As Pitino has said, patience isn't a thing in New York. He wasted no time originally recruiting Ledlum before he went to Tennessee, visiting the then-Harvard transfer at his house less than a week on the job at St. John's.
On Wednesday, Pitino and his staff earned their reward and sent one final reminder that come November, the Big East could be looking at a new-and-improved St. John's program.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter at @John_Fanta.
