North Carolina guard Ian Jackson transfers to St. John's to play in hometown for Rick Pitino

North Carolina guard Ian Jackson is transferring to St. John's and returning to his hometown to play for Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, the Red Storm announced on Monday.

A highly touted recruit from the Bronx, Jackson averaged 11.9 points last season while shooting 45.6% overall and 39.5% on 3-pointers. He became the first Tar Heels freshman to score 23 or more points in four consecutive games, and he finished with at least 20 points eight times.

North Carolina went 23-14 overall and tied for fourth in the ACC at 13-7. The Tar Heels beat San Diego State in the First Four, then got knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by Mississippi.

St. John's was looking for backcourt help with Kadary Richmond and Deivon Smith having used up their eligibility.

“We had big shoes to fill at the point,” Pitino said in a statement. “Kadary and Deivon were awesome. The ball is now in the hands of our next great point (guard). Let’s go Ian!”

St. John's had one of its best seasons in Pitino's second year at the helm. The Red Storm went 31-5, matching a school record for wins, and finished first in the Big East at 18-2 before winning the conference tournament. They earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament that was their best in 25 years, and beat Omaha before losing to Pitino's old nemesis John Calipari and Arkansas in Providence, Rhode Island.

Jackson played three seasons at Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx before transferring to Our Saviour Lutheran for his senior year of high school. He played in the 2024 McDonald's All-American game.

He joins former Stanford guard Oziyah Sellers, Arizona State guard Joson Sanon and Providence forward Bryce Hopkins as notable players who have transferred to St. John's this offseason.

Red Storm forward Brady Dunlap, who missed most of his sophomore season because of injuries, transferred to Saint Louis.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball