Seton Hall star Kadary Richmond is leaving the Pirates but staying in the Big East.
Richmond told ESPN on Tuesday that he has committed to transfer to St. John’s to play under coach Rick Pitino for his fifth and final college season.
Richmond is a 6'6" guard who led Seton Hall in scoring, rebounding and assists last season, averaging 15.7 points, 7.0 boards and 5.1 assists for a Pirates team that went 25–12 and won the NIT. He is a New York City native who played at South Shore High School in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, about 10 miles from the St. John’s campus.
”They were big on life after basketball and player development,” Richmond told ESPN of his decision to join the Johnnies. “That stood out to me, the way they kept it real from day one. They are going to allow me to showcase my ability and become a better basketball player and person. I'd like to make a long run deep into the NCAA tournament and eventually win a national championship. I'm ready to get to work and see what Coach Pitino has in store.”
St. John’s went 20–13 in Pitino’s first season in charge and was controversially left out of the NCAA tournament. The Red Storm lost several top players to graduation, including point guard Daniss Jenkins and big man Joel Soriano, but landed another talented transfer guard on Monday in Utah’s Deivon Smith. Vince Iwuchukwu, a 7-footer from USC, and North Texas swingman Aaron Scott have also transferred to St. John’s. Two other starters from las season, Chris Ledlum and Jordan Dingle, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA last month seeking to be granted a fifth year of college eligibility.
