ANNOUNCEMENT: St. John’s coach Rick Pitino SENDS CLEAR MESSAGE TO St. John’s CONCERNING…

Kadary Richmond, a Syracuse basketball player, is allegedly considering attending St. John’s.

On Tuesday, former Syracuse basketball player Kadary Richmond committed to St. John’s and head coach Rick Pitino, who was an assistant at Syracuse several decades ago, according to media reports.

Richmond has decided to stay in the Big East Conference, transferring from Seton Hall to St. John’s. However, a report on Tuesday suggested that he had been considering a return to Syracuse.

BREAKING: Former Seton Hall star Kadary Richmond, the No. 1 player to enter the portal this spring, has committed to St. John’s, he told me and @DraftExpress. First-team All-Big East guard. Second major commitment for the Red Storm in as many days.

STORY: https://t.co/2cvJpNPTjU pic.twitter.com/ySPeGgCY5Y

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) May 7, 2024
Zach Braziller of the New York Post reported that Richmond, a 6-foot-6, 205-pound senior guard who entered the transfer portal in late April, “visited St. John’s twice, right after entering the portal on April 26, and again Monday and Tuesday of this week. He tripped to Oklahoma over the weekend. Illinois, Syracuse and West Virginia were among his other suitors. He considered taking other visits, but after his trip to Queens on Monday, Richmond was set on his new home.”

Kadary Richmond picked St. John’s over Oklahoma, Syracuse, Miami, USC and Illinois. Was considering taking more visits, but after spending more time with Rick Pitino and co. the last two days, he was set on his decision, he tells me. #sjubb

— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) May 7, 2024
In a post on X, Braziller noted that Richmond chose St. John’s “over Oklahoma, Syracuse, Miami, USC and Illinois.”

Richmond’s recent recruitment has been a hot topic among Syracuse fans on social media and in chat rooms. Many fans hoped Richmond would return to Syracuse for his final season of college basketball.

As of Tuesday night, Syracuse has 10 scholarship players for the 2024-25 season, including five guards, and three open scholarships. Sophomore Judah Mintz, the starting point guard from 2023-24, is heading to the NBA Draft.

This offseason, Syracuse coaches have shown interest in various transfer guards. Recently, four-star transfer Jaquan Carlos, a junior point guard from Hofstra, committed to Syracuse.

It’s uncertain if Carlos will be the starting point guard in 2024-25. However, it’s clear why Syracuse pursued Richmond, who is rated four stars, No. 1 nationwide, and No. 1 at point guard in national transfer rankings by 247Sports.

Richmond, from Brooklyn, N.Y., led Seton Hall to a 25-12 overall record and the NIT championship last season. As a senior in 2023-24, he averaged 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 80.7 percent from the free-throw line, according to ESPN.

Kadary Richmond is also now the first player ever to have played for St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Syracuse. https://t.co/W4jxjazLQi

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 7, 2024
It’s unclear how seriously Richmond considered returning to Syracuse, but it seems there was contact between him and the ‘Cuse staff.

Another factor might have been name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities. While Syracuse aims to stay competitive with its NIL offers, what St. John’s might have offered Richmond could have been too high for Syracuse or other suitors to match. This is speculative but worth noting.

While it would have been great to see Kadary in a Syracuse uniform in 2024-25, it wasn’t meant to be. He will now be part of a strong St. John’s backcourt for the upcoming season.