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Nick Rutherford bids heartfelt farewell to St. John’s basketball program

By Michael Szabo

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 17: Nick Rutherford #24 of the St. John's basketball team handles the ball on offense against the Xavier Musketeers at Madison Square Garden on February 17, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 17: Nick Rutherford #24 of the St. John's basketball team handles the ball on offense against the Xavier Musketeers at Madison Square Garden on February 17, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
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St. John’s basketball graduate transfer Nick Rutherford said goodbye to the program after one season in Queens. 

In a Twitter post on Wednesday, St. John’s graduate transfer Nick Rutherford said goodbye to Red Storm fans, players, and the coaching staff after spending one season with the program.

The former Monmouth University star thanked everyone involved with the school for all their support throughout the season as he graduates after his final collegiate season this past year.

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Rutherford ended the regular season on a high note scoring a career-high 19 points, three rebounds, and six assists against Marquette at Madison Square Garden on his Senior Day.

Overall, the 6-foot-3 point guard averaged 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, but  more importantly he posted 1.8 steals per contest, which was second on the team and third best in the Big East.

While he only had a few notable games in double figures, he was most known for his impact on the defensive end throughout last season.

Rutherford quickly became a fan favorite because of his aggressive, bull-dog style of defense, and his heart, hustle, and tremendous effort earned praise and respect amongst Red Storm fans.

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The way he resonated with fans in just one season is something you don’t see that often, and he always put everything he had out on the floor each and every game, creating turnovers and disrupting the play of the opposing team.

While it was always known that Nick Rutherford was a good defender coming into last season, nobody expected that he would become the face of Mike Anderson’s defensive system this past year.

As the season went on his defensive impact grew and at times he would take on the challenge of defending the opposing team’s best player, like Big East Player of the Year Myles Powell or All-American Markus Howard.

The influence that he had on this team with his leadership will help the Red Storm long term especially with the continued development of Greg Williams Jr., Julian Champagnie, and Marcellus Earlington, among others.

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This past season year was critical for those crop of younger players  in order to gain experience as they will now be the faces of the program for the years to come and have the upper hand in the amount of success the Red Storm will have next season.

St. John’s will miss the intensity that Nick Rutherford brought last season and wish him all the best in his future endeavors as he intends to take the next steps in pursuing a professional basketball career.