Top-25 senior Jordan becomes Pitino's highest-ranked recruit at St. John's — SkimNews
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- Malachi Jordan committed to St. John's on Tuesday, becoming Rick Pitino's highest-ranked recruit since he took over in 2023 and the program's first top-25 recruit since Rysheed Jordan chose St. John's in 2013.
- St. John's extended Jordan a scholarship offer just a few weeks before his commitment, after he had set visits to USC, Kansas, Vanderbilt and Tennessee and a battle developed between Vanderbilt and Kansas.
- St. John's received its first commitment in the 2027 class and its first ranked commitment since Jaiden Glover committed in 2024.
- SC Next 100 ranked Jordan No. 21 overall and fifth among small forwards in his class, while the 6-foot-6 Prolific Prep wing from Tennessee has a 6-foot-11 wingspan.
- Jordan averaged 10.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists with Arizona Unity on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer, and had three straight 20-point games in April.
- Jordan represented USA Basketball at the FIBA Men's U18 AmeriCup, averaging 4.8 points en route to a silver medal, and averaged 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in the recent Border League event.
- Rick Pitino has not been an overly active high-school recruiter since taking over at St. John's in 2023, preferring to rely more heavily on the transfer portal and international markets.
Why it matters: St. John's lands a top-25 wing and its first 2027-class commitment, while Pitino secures the highest-ranked recruit of his St. John's tenure. The commitment also contrasts with his stated reliance on the transfer portal and international markets, adding a major high-school prospect to a program whose previous top-25 pledge came in 2013.
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