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WEEKEND BRUNCH: Why Utah transfer Deivon Smith could completely change St. John’s ceiling in 2024-25

So you thought that Kadary Richmond was the only superstar in St. John’s fabled transfer class?

To quote Al Pacino in the movie Donnie Brasco, “Forget about it”!

In addition to the 6-6 Richmond — who led Seton Hall to 25 wins and the Postseason NIT title last season — the Red Storm may have another potential All-Big East caliber guard in Utah transfer Deivon Smith. The duo could emerge as the top backcourt in the conference next season and potentially, one of the top backcourts in all of college basketball.

In four games in last season’s Postseason NIT, the 6-foot Smith — who has cheetah-like speed in the open floor — averaged 18.8 points, 9.5 assists, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.3 steals. He finished the 2024-25 campaign with a whopping five triple-doubles.

“He reminds me of Terry Rozier,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said of Smith in a release when the Red Storm officially announced Smith’s commitment in May. “Total dog who rebounds, creates, and scores.”

Pitino — who coached Rozier at Louisville before he entered the NBA — has always had his best teams when he had quick, ferocious guards who could attack the opposing team’s backcourt. He took the Cards to the Final Four in 2012 and won a national title in 2013 with Peyton Siva and Russ Smith, which was followed by a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2014 and a trip to the Elite Eight in 2015 thanks to a guard core of Chris Jones, Quentin Snider, and Rozier.

Deivon Smith also shot an impressive 40.8 percent from three-point range last season at Utah, which is a big bonus for the Red Storm, who need as many shooters as possible to complement the talented Richmond (15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists), who boasts All-American caliber potential in 2024-25.

Another big thing to keep in mind about this tandem?

Both are entering their fifth season of college basketball, which is something that cannot be taken lightly. Remember: UConn won 37 games and a national title last season with a pair of fifth-year guards in Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer.

The offseason has always been a time for eternal optimism around St. John’s program, but college basketball has always been a game that’s been dominated by elite guard play.

In Smith and Richmond, Pitino should have the best perimeter in the Big East, especially if sophomores Simeon Wilcher (2.8 points) and Brady Dunlap (3.2 points) can augment their overall production.

A year ago, the Red Storm were forced to put together their entire roster on short notice, which in hindsight inhibited the overall ceiling on Pitino’s first season with the program. Despite those limitations, St. John’s still won 20 games and just missed the NCAA Tournament.

On paper, Pitino’s second team in Queens appears to be much more talented than his first.

A big reason for that is Smith, a dynamic guard that as of now, only the true college basketball junkies know about.

It won’t stay that way for long.

On The Side

  • Kansas State transfer Arthur Kaluma visited SMU this week, a source told College Hoops Today. The 6-7 Kaluma averaged 14.4 points and seven rebounds last season.
  • Illinois AD Josh Whitman announced this week that the Illini will play Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day in Kansas City.
  • UCLA returns 64.4 percent of its scoring from last season — the highest percentage among Big Ten teams.
  • The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will meet in Park City, Utah from July 8-11 to discuss the NET and other topics, an NCAA official told College Hoops Today this week.
  • West Virginia’s Darian DeVries will be next week’s guest on the College Hoops Today Podcast.

Leftovers