By ADAM ZAGORIA
The portal recruitment for St. John’s is heating up.
Rick Pitino’s team will host Princeton transfer point guard Xaivian Lee and Stanford transfer guard Oziyah Sellers beginning Friday, while North Carolina transfer guard and Bronx, NY native Ian Jackson is set to visit Monday, per sources.
North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson will visit @StJohnsBBall on Monday, per source
Jackson attended Cardinal Hayes, the Alma mater of Jamal Mashburn, who played for Rick Pitino at Kentucky https://t.co/woMcZnnlrl
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 10, 2025
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Cincinnati transfer forward Dillon Mitchell will also visit this weekend, he told ZAGSBLOG.
The 6-foot-5 Sellers has both declared for the NBA Draft and entered the portal.
He averaged 13.7 ppg while shooting 45% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. He also averaged 2.8 rpg with 1.3 apg. Sellers scored a season-high 27 points in a win over Florida State and had five 20-point games including Stanford’s ACC Tournament loss to Louisville and the NIT first-round win over Cal State Northridge. He was held to single digits only seven times.
“We need two guards,” Pitino said at the Final Four. “We got to bring in two guards, but we need a point guard.”
The 6-5 Jackson, a Bronx, N.Y. native who is more of a wing, averaged 11.9 points and 2.7 rebounds as a freshman with the Tar Heels.
Pitino scouted Jackson at Cardinal Hayes in The Bronx — Jamal Mashburn’s alma mater — after he first got the St. John’s job. But Jackson reiterated his commitment to North Carolina at the time.
“The rumors are not true,” Jackson said to 247Sports. “Coach Pitino is at St. John’s and is a Hall of Fame coach, but my plan is to stay at North Carolina. I’m 100% committed.”
Jackson even predicted he would help lead the Tar Heels to an NCAA championship in 2025.
“I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen,” Jackson said on Shake Squad Media’s “Captain Jack: The Ian Jackson Experience” docuseries “I’m going to go UNC. We’re going to win a natty. And I’m out of there. That’s the plan. Natty first. Remember, I called it.”
Now he’s in the portal and is also drawing attention from Kentucky and Arkansas, among others.
The 6-8 Mitchell averaged 9.9 points and 6.9 rebounds last season at Cincinnati after spending two seasons at Texas, and would help solidify the St. John’s frontcourt.
The 6-4 Lee averaged 16.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg and 5.5 apg. Florida is the other leading suitor, and Gators sophomore Thomas Haugh played high school ball with Lee for one year at Perkiomen (PA).
St. John’s has already landed Providence transfer forward Bryce Hopkins, a potential All-Big East First-Team selection, and Arizona State transfer Joson Sanon, a 6-5 guard with pro potential.
“Joson has gift for scoring and he makes it look effortless,” ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla told ZAGSBLOG. “Rick Pitino and St. John’s are going to polish up his game en route to his NBA future one day.”
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