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 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 scored 20 or more in eight games.

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!"

In Pitino’s second year, St. John’s had one of its best seasons ever. The Red Storm went 31-5 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, R.I.

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