The Red Storm are losing one of the few remaining players to play in Pitino’s first season
St. John’s was dealt a shocking blow on Friday afternoon. Sophomore guard Simeon Wilcher entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports.
Hailing from Plainfield, New Jersey as the 34th-ranked recruit in the 2023 high school class according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings, Wilcher committed to St. John’s after requesting a release from his national letter of intent with North Carolina, becoming one of the first high school signings during Rick Pitino’s tenure in Queens.
The Roselle Catholic product seldom played in his freshman year, averaging 2.8 points and 9.1 minutes per game in 28 games played, then he became an important contributor during his sophomore year. This season, Wilcher averaged 8.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 36 games played and 25 starts but struggled with finding consistent production as he shot 40.7% overall and 29.7% from three.
Wilcher’s portal entry marks the third Red Storm departure this week and the fifth overall this offseason. On Tuesday, freshmen Jaiden Glover and Khaman Maker declared for the transfer portal. R.J. Luis Jr. entered his name into the portal and the NBA Draft process, and Brady Dunlap recently committed to Saint Louis.
St. John’s has eight scholarship players for the 2025-26 season, and Rick Pitino prioritized adding guards even before Wilcher departed. North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson and top-40 high school prospect Acaden Lewis recently visited campus and have yet to decide on their commitments. Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee was also on campus for a visit, but he committed to Florida earlier this week.