Rick Pitino finally got his guy, landing a commitment from former UNC basketball guard Ian Jackson.
St. John's heavily pursued Jackson out of high school, even trying to make a push to flip the five-star guard's commitment to North Carolina. The change of heart didn't happen then, but a year later, Jackson finds himself ready to return to his home state to continue his college basketball career.
Shortly after the news of Jackson's commitment surfaced, Pitino took to social media to express how happy he was to have the Bronx, New York native on board. In his post (made on X), Pitino provided a rather shocking bit of news that took us all by surprise:
Ian Jackson is expected to play the point guard position for St. John's.
We had Big shoes to fill at the point. Kadary and Deivon were awesome . The ball is now in the hands of our next great point. Let's Go Ian!!!
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) April 21, 2025
Jackson was primarily used as an off-ball guard during his lone season with the UNC basketball program, as the likes of Elliot Cadeau and RJ Davis were responsible for ball-handling duties for the Tar Heels.
Let's face it: Jackson's usage at North Carolina didn't necessarily fit to his strengths, as there were occasions where he played on the wing (or even, in some cases, played alongside four guards in a very small, untraditional lineup). The St. John's staff must see some potential in Jackson at the point guard position, as this decision was one that both sides needed to be on the same page for.
The question we all should be asking is this: if Jackson was willing to play the point guard position, why didn't the UNC basketball program give him an opportunity to handle the basketball more?
Losing Jackson is frustrating in itself: We all expected him to be a one-and-done, but not to this extent. Seeing that St. John's is willing to put so much faith in him to be their primary point guard makes the situation even worse, as it would be even more brutal to watch Jackson thrive in this role while playing for another team.