High profile transfer does not include St. John’s basketball in final list

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 15: Jose Perez #5 of the Gardner-Webb Runnin Bulldogs reacts after a three-point shot against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on November 15, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 77-61. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 15: Jose Perez #5 of the Gardner-Webb Runnin Bulldogs reacts after a three-point shot against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on November 15, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 77-61. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

One of the reaming high profile transfers did not include the St. John’s basketball program in his final list of schools.

As the dust begins to settle on college basketball transfers, the St. John’s Red Storm was not included in the final five schools for Gardner-Webb transfer Jose Perez.

Perez is one of the top remaining transfers in the transfer portal and on Sunday afternoon the Bronx native dwindled his long list of suitors down to five.

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Zach Braziller of the New York Post reported earlier in Perez’s recruitment that St. John’s had reached out to the 6-foot-5 sophomore although it raised some red flags with the Red Storm faithful as the Johnnies currently do not have any open scholarships left on its roster.

Mike Anderson and his staff await the NBA Draft decision from junior wing LJ Figueroa as he will determine whether St. John’s fills its 13 scholarship slots or if one will become available should he pursue a professional career.

Jose Perez has narrowed his choices to Memphis, Illinois, Georgia Tech, Marquette, and Iowa State.

The rising junior will have to sit out of the 2020-21 season because of NCAA transfer rules but will still have two years remaining of eligibility.

Perez averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on 34.0 percent shooting from the field in his sophomore year at Gardner-Webb.

https://twitter.com/showout_zayy15/status/1256969768155914243?s=20

Despite the void in a scholarship available St. John’s has also been in contact with Monmouth graduate transfer Ray Salnave, who would be immediately eligible.

ALSO READ: St. John’s ranked too low in way-too-early Big East rankings

The Red Storm have already landed 6-foot-8 George Washington transfer Arnaldo Toro in addition to a high-profile recruiting class and returning as many as eight players from a season ago.

ALSO READ: St. John’s coaching staff reaches out to familiar grad transfer

St. John’s finished the season at 17-15 (5-13 Big East) and was leading No. 1 seed Creighton by three at halftime of the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals before the season was canceled due to COVID-19.