Top-25 senior Malachi Jordan commits to St. John's men's hoops - ESPN

Top-25 senior Malachi Jordan has committed to St. John's, he told ESPN on Tuesday, giving Rick Pitino his highest-ranked recruit since taking over the Red Storm.

Jordan is also the program's first top-25 recruit since Rysheed Jordan picked St. John's back in 2013.

«Coach Pitino has a rich history of developing players,» Malachi Jordan told ESPN. «The only promise he made was that he'd help me reach my full potential. He is true to his word, and I felt like his coaching and character would help get me to the next level.»

St. John's was a late arrival to Jordan's recruitment. Coming out of the summer, he set visits to USC, Kansas, Vanderbilt and Tennessee, with a battle developing between the Commodores and Jayhawks. Just a few weeks ago, however, Pitino and the Red Storm extended a scholarship offer and set up a visit for two weekends ago.

«When I went to the practices, they were very intense,» Jordan said. «And that's what I expected. I know that when Coach Pitino yells, he's doing what's best for the player and the team.»

«I was watching film with the team at the hotel, and afterward they were going to the exhibition game against Texas,» he added. «My mother asked him how he felt, and he said he was nervous. That shows you how much he cares and how passionate he is.»

A 6-foot-6 wing from Tennessee who attends Prolific Prep (Florida), Jordan is ranked No. 21 overall in the SC Next 100 and the No. 5 small forward in the class. He averaged 10.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer with the Arizona Unity program, showing high-level flashes with three straight 20-point games in April. He represented USA Basketball at the FIBA Men's U18 AmeriCup, averaging 4.8 points en route to