St. John's basketball makes first major splash in transfer portal, lands Deivon Smith

Rick Pitino has made another addition to the St. John's basketball roster in Utah point guard Deivon Smith.

Smith announced his commitment to the Red Storm on Monday afternoon.

It's the first major splash the Johnnies have made this offseason after landing North Texas wing Aaron Scott and USC center Vince Iwuchukwu, both of who could project to come off the bench next season.

Not Smith, however, he should be in the starting lineup on opening night for St. John's after averaging a career-high 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 40.8-percent shooting from 3-point range.

His year in Queens will be his fourth different school, beginning his career at Mississippi State for a season before spending two years at Georgia Tech prior becoming a Utah Ute.

Smith, due to being a player who transferred more than once, did not play against St. John's in the Charleston Classic. He made his debut with the Utes on December 16, and still recorded five triple-doubles this season.

Deivon Smith was named as an honorable mention on the All-Pac-12 Team and became the conference's all-time leader in triple-doubles while being second all-time in the NCAA for most triple-doubles in a season.

Smith had two triple-doubles in the NIT and scored a career-high 28 points in the NIT semifinal on 6-of-6 shooting from 3-point range.

The addition of the 6-foot guard does not end St. John's pursuit of Seton Hall transfer Kadary Richmond, who is still sorting through his options. The Johnnies are also awaiting on a decision from the lawsuit involving Jordan Dingle against the NCAA, wanting an extra year of eligibility since the Ivy League opted out of the 2020-21 season.

Simeon Wilcher, a rising sophomore, is also expected to be a major part of the Red Storm's plans next season.