Rick Pitino Heaps Praise on St. John’s Basketball Star

A St. John's Red Storm player has caught the eye of Rick Pitino this offseason.

St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino talks to guard Ian Jackson (11) during the second half of their game Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. St. John’s beat Marquette 76-70. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The St. John’s Red Storm men’s basketball team is going to have a lot of new faces on the court this season.

Just as has been the case virtually every year with Rick Pitino at the helm as head coach, the Red Storm have done incredibly well in the transfer portal. St. John’s added Tounde Yessoufou, a five-star transfer from the Baylor Bears, along with Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Avery Brown from the Mercer Bears and Columbia Lions as well.

The team is hoping Keyshawn Hall, a transfer from the Auburn Tigers, and Reed Bailey, a transfer from the Indiana Hoosiers, will be granted fifth years of eligibility under the near 5-in-5 rules. They are also waiting on rulings for Babacar Sane and Quinn Ellis, two international players.

However, there are two players from last season’s rotation returning: Ian Jackson and Ruben Prey. Prey, who debuted with the Portugal national team, has drawn praise, and now it is Jackson’s turn to receive some.

Rick Pitino heaps praise on Ian Jackson

Mar 14, 2026; New York, NY, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Ian Jackson (11) following the men's Big East Conference Tournament Championship against the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Only this time, it was from his own head coach, as Pitino took to X to share a very encouraging update on how Jackson has progressed in his development this offseason.

“So excited about the early play of Ian Jackson. Really learning how to be great the right way. Going to be one of the best players in the nation!” the head coach wrote, setting the bar high for his returning guard.

One of the top players in the Class of 2024, Jackson was a five-star recruit who committed to the North Carolina Tar Heels to begin his collegiate career. The only players who were ranked ahead of him were Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecomb and Tre Johnson.

All five of those players were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft in the top six, with Flagg first, Harper second, Edgecomb third, Bailey fifth and Johnson sixth. Another top-10 player in that class, Donnie Freeman, is now with St. John’s as well after transferring from the Syracuse Orange, but suffered a season-ending Achilles injury over the summer.

So excited about the early play of Ian Jackson. Really learning how to be great the right way. Going to be one of the best players in the nation!

— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) September 15, 2026

Jackson is preparing for his third collegiate season while some of the players in his class are going to be entering their second season in the NBA, but he could be joining them in the professional ranks in the near future if Pitino’s assessment of him comes true on the court during the season.

The Bronx native is in line for a much bigger role in Year 2 under Pitino than he had in Year 1, when he fluctuated between being in the starting five and coming off the bench. He averaged 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.8 steals in 18.3 minutes per game.

To receive consistent playing time under Pitino, players have to get after it on the defensive end and be willing to do the little things to help a team win. It sounds like Jackson has bought into that, and in the 2026-27 campaign he will start to realize the immense potential that landed him a top-10 ranking in the Class of 2024.

Playing alongside a natural point guard such as Ellis will help elevate his game to another level, along with being more comfortable in the system Pitino is running.