The world of recruiting changes quickly and just months after Rick Pitino said that the St. John’s basketball team would not be taking any high school players for the 2025-26 season, one of the best recruits in the country is currently on a visit in Queens.
Acaden Lewis, a 4-star guard from Sidwell Friends (D.C.), announced his decommitment from Kentucky last week. He picked the Wildcats over North Carolina, Duke, and UConn but other suitors have emerged in the last week.
Villanova, Maryland, and Georgetown have been pursuing the 6-foot-1 guard but the Red Storm have made a surprise appearance in his recruitment after he posted on social media Sunday night and Monday morning chronicling his journey to New York.
Ranked as the No. 30 recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings, Acaden Lewis was not named to the McDonald’s All-American Game or the Nike Hoops Summit.
Acaden Lewis, a 5-star guard who recently decommitted from Kentucky, is visiting St. John’s #SJUBB pic.twitter.com/OhPj36WJGo
— Kevin Connelly (@KevinConnelly24) April 14, 2025
“Lewis is a lefty lead guard who is extremely talented with the ball. He has soft hands and natural touch that are the foundation of a very advanced skill-set,” Adam Finkelstein, the Director of Scouting for 247Sports, said in his scouting report of the dynamic guard.
“His handle is tight, he’s a lay-up maker with both hands, and he has soft floaters and tough pull-ups alike in the mid-range area.”
St. John’s has been busy this weekend, hosting Princeton’s Xaivian Lee, North Carolina’s Ian Jackson, Stanford’s Oziyah Sellers, and Cincinnati’s Dillon Mitchell on visits but has not landed a commitment yet.
Lee, shortly after his visit in New York ended, announced he would be traveling immediately for a visit to Kansas, making the Red Storm’s pursuit that much more difficult.
The Johnnies landed two commitments weeks ago from Arizona State wing Joson Sanon and Providence forward Bryce Hopkins.
“There isn’t much Lewis can’t do with the ball in his hands, but the area where he’s shown the most growth is in becoming a true lead guard and making those around him better,” Finkelstein continued.
“He still has a high-volume approach with the ball in his hands and is generally more focused on throwing assists than he is otherwise moving the ball, but his floor vision and delivery both impressed this year as he finished in the top three in the EYBL in assists.”
If Acaden Lewis lands at St. John’s he would become the highest graded player in the recruiting service’s history to commit to the school.