St. John’s basketball commit transfers to local powerhouse for senior year

A St. John’s basketball duo could be teaming up in Queens a year early. 

Major news hit the wire for the St. John’s basketball program on Monday afternoon and it has nothing to do with any current player or coach on the Red Storm roster.

Joe Arbitello, head coach at local high school basketball powerhouse Christ the King (NY), announced that Brandon Gardner will be playing in Queens for the program for his senior season.

Gardner recently committed to St. John’s and became the highest-ranked prospect to commit to the school under head coach Mike Anderson.

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The 6-foot-7 forward picked the Johnnies over Auburn, LSU, and Georgetown and most recently played for Word Of God Christian Academy (NC) where he was ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of North Carolina, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Brandon Gardner is also listed as the No. 70 player in the Class of 2023 and the No. 14 power forward in the class.

Pending a massive update to its recruiting rankings, Gardner will also be the No. 1 ranked player in the state of New York after his transfer becomes official on 247Sports.

St. John’s basketball hoping it lands package deal after transfer

St. John’s is hoping that Brandon Gardner‘s transfer to Christ the King will help them land Brandon Williams, a rising senior on the Royals’ roster.

Williams announced his finalists of St. John’s, UCLA, Oklahoma State, Illinois, and UConn, however, it seems like the battle is already brewing between the Red Storm and Bruins.

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The 6-foot-8 forward visited Queens in early June while he will be taking a visit to Los Angeles in early August with a commitment expected prior to the end of the summer.

Brandon Williams is also ranked as a four-star recruit but is currently listed by 247Sports as the No. 136 player in the Class of 2023, No. 28 power forward, and No. 2 player in the state of New York.

St. John’s and its fans are hoping to get a preview of what could come to Carneseca Arena in the 2023-24 season at Christ the King this winter.