Rick Pitino and the Red Storm were able to land a big fish in the portal on Tuesday after weeks of recruiting potential transfers.
According to the New York Post, St. John’s has earned a commitment from former four-star prospect Vincent Iwuchukwu who chose Queens over Eric Musselman and sunny Southern California despite the Trojans’ attempts to bring him back.
Iwuchukwu is said to have “wowed” Pitino and his staff with his athletic two-way ability during his official visit to campus.
Last season, the 7-foot-1 forward appeared in 31 games (11 starts) and averaged 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds for a 15-18 USC team.
Similar to Bronny James, Iwuchukwu was limited to 14 games in 2022 after suffering a cardiac arrest scare the summer before his freshman year and sustaining an injury to his back.
Now with one of their prized transfers locked in, Pitino and St. John’s will turn their attention to players like North Texas’ Aaron Scott, Longhorns forward Dillon Mitchell and Utah’s Deivon Smith.
The Storm finished 20-13 last year and narrowly missed out on an NCAA Tournament bid after losing to eventual national champion UConn in the Big East semifinal.
St. John’s reportedly has four scholarships left to offer for the upcoming season.