St. John’s coach Rick Pitino pulls off personal best with superstar recruiting win

© Amber Searls-Imagn ImagesSt. John’s coach Rick Pitino pulls off personal best with superstar recruiting win appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.St. John’s basketball made a run to the Sweet 16 in 2026 and looks to advance further this season. The Red Storm are in a good spot to improve this year. St. John’s brought back Ruben Prey after making an impact in the NCAA tournament.Now, Rick Pitino is getting another win, as he has landed a top-25 recruit on the College Basketball Recruiting trail, per Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi of ESPN.Malachi Jordan has comitted to St. John’s. Jordan is the program’s highest-ranked recruit since Pitino took over as the head coach, and the highest since Rysheed Jordan picked the Red Storm in 2013.Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)“Coach Pitino has a rich history of developing players,” Malachi Jordan said. “The only promise he made was that he’d help me reach my full potential. He is true to his word, and I felt like his coaching and character would help get me to the next level.”USC, Kansas, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee were all in on Jordan, and Jordan visited each of them over the summer. St. John’s joined the recruitment process late in the game, offering Jordan a scholarship and setting him up for a visit.“When I went to the practices, they were very intense,” Jordan added. “And that’s what I expected. I know that when Coach Pitino yells, he’s doing what’s best for the player and the team. I was watching film with the team at the hotel, and afterward they were going to the exhibition game against Texas. My mother asked him how he felt, and he said he was nervous. That shows you how much he cares and how passionate he is.”Jordan is a 6-foot-6 wing player out of Prolific Prep in Florida. He is ranked the number 21 recruit overall and the fifth-best small forward.St. John’s has won the Big East each of the last two seasons after not winning the conference since the early 1990’s under Lou Carnesecca. The Red Storm have also gone to the tournament each of the past two seasons. It is the first time they have gone to the tournament two straight seasons since 1999 and 2000.St. John’s is a projected top-15 team this year and is 1-0 already after a win over Monmouth. They will return to the court on Sunday against Iona.Related: NAIA squad knock’s off one of the top HBCU teams in the nationRelated: UCLA coach Mick Cronin takes jab at NCAA after upsetting Arizona to start season