Kadary Richmond transfers from Seton Hall to St. John's - ESPN

Former Seton Hall guard Kadary Richmond, the No. 1 player in the transfer portal, has committed to St. John's and coach Rick Pitino, he told ESPN on Tuesday.

«They were big on life after basketball and player development,» Richmond said. «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.»

Richmond visited Oklahoma over the weekend and said he also considered Syracuse, Miami and USC, but a chance for the Brooklyn native to stay close to home and play for Pitino was too much to pass up.

«Seeing what [Knicks star] Jalen Brunson is doing for New York City right now, winning in New York is a big thing,» Richmond said. «I want to be a part of that.»

A 6-foot-6 point guard, Richmond immediately moved to No. 1 in ESPN's transfer rankings upon his entrance into the portal in late April. He earned first-team All-Big East honors after averaging 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists and leading Seton Hall to an NIT championship. He had 20-plus points nine times in Big East play, including a triple-double against Creighton, when he finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. In three games against Pitino and St. John's this past season, Richmond averaged 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists.

Richmond was terrific in the postseason, posting 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists in the NIT title game against Indiana State. He averaged 13.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in five NIT games.

After spending one season at Syracuse in 2020-21,