By ADAM ZAGORIA
Rick Pitino has his scoring guard.
Penn transfer and Ivy League Player of the Year Jordan Dingle, a native of Valley Stream, N.Y., has committed to St. John’s as a graduate transfer.
“Really excited to have Jordan Dingle joining the Red Storm,” said Pitino. “His goals are plain and simple. As a loyal New Yorker, help bring back St. John’s to basketball royalty, and then become a [NBA] First Round draft choice. I’m all in on making that happen.”
“Here’s all you need to know about Jordan Dingle,” said ESPN analyst and former St. John’s coach Fran Fraschilla. “He averaged 30 points against four Big 5 opponents this year. He can score against anybody. It will not surprise me if he is First Team Big East.”
Jeff Borzello of ESPN first reported the Dingle commitment.
The 6-foot-3 guard was testing the NBA Draft waters and worked out for the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. He has until May 31 to withdraw from the draft.
Dingle averaged 23.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season at Penn.
“Really just the opportunity to play for a coach such as Rick Pitino and then going back home, being able to play in the Garden for a coach who’s had so much success at so many different places at so many difference levels,” Dingle told the NY Post.
“I’m really excited to learn from a mind who has been around the game of basketball as much as he has and understands it as much as he has.
Dingle praised Pitino’s player development with guards.
“He’s done an amazing job with player development, especially with guards,” Dingle told the Post. “Just two to name obviously, Donovan Mitchell and Terry Rozier. The way that he coaches his teams, the pace that his team plays is a fast pace, which is similar to the NBA. It would be a great way to prepare me for the next level.
“I’m really excited about it. Everybody wants to play the game at the highest level against the best competition, against the best coaches. The Big East is full of talent and great coaching. It would be great, not only for me to showcase my skills, but for the team next year to show how great of a program we really are. Bring St. John’s back to its glory days.”
Dana Dingle, Jordan’s father, played on John Calipari’s 1996 UMass Final Four team and coaches with the NY Lightning, on the Nike EYBL circuit.
St. John’s has now added nine transfers under Pitino, including four from his former school Iona, along with incoming freshman wing Brady Dunlap.
“Getting 10 players is one of the more difficult things I’ve ever seen,” Pitino said
Current @StJohnsBBall roster, including 9 transfers:
Daniss Jenkins (Iona)
Jordan Dingle (Penn)
Nahiem Alleyne (UConn)
Cruz Davis (Iona)
Sean Conway (VMI)
RJ Luis (UMass)
Glen Taylor(Oregon St)
Quinn Slazinski (Iona)
Sadiku Ayo (Iona)
Joel Soriano
Drissa Triore
Brady Dunlap pic.twitter.com/3gTpfixbwu— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 12, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Big man Joel Soriano returns from last year’s team, along with forward Drissa Traore.
“Without a question you can win right away [with transfers],” Pitino said at his opening news conference. “I think Pittsburgh has shown that right away. I think Missouri has shown that right away. I need guys who can shoot the basketball, not get fatigued, get after it defensively. We’re probably going to have to bring in 6-8 players for this basketball team and that’s going to take a lot of work.”
The Dingle commitment arrives on the same day five-star wing Mackenzie Mgbako, who visited St. John’s, will announce later in the day for Kansas or Indiana.
St. John’s has one scholarship left to use and is searching for a big man. Potential targets include Zuby Ejiofor, who visits this weekend, Ernest Udeh and NC State transfer Isaiah Miranda.
USA Today
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