Ian Jackson Signs With Rick Pitino, St. John's After UNC Exit in CBB Transfer Portal

Former North Carolina guard Ian Jackson signed with St. John's in the transfer portal, he announced in an Instagram post Monday.

Jackson is a Bronx native and went to high school in New York.

He was listed as the No. 4 shooting guard and No. 8 prospect in the country as part of the 2024 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Jackson received an offer from St. John's as a prospect, but he never visited the school and ultimately committed to North Carolina.

In his lone season with the Tar Heels, he averaged 11.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Jackson shot 45.6 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from three-point territory while connecting on 72.3 percent of his free throws.

Still, North Carolina suffered a disappointing first-round exit in the 2025 NCAA tournament before he chose to enter the portal on April 7.

There appeared to be momentum toward a move to St. John's prior to the announcement, with 247Sports' Travis Branham reporting on April 8 that the Red Storm were the "team to beat" for his services.

The Johnnies thrived under head coach Rick Pitino during the 2024-25 season, ending the year with a 31-5 record. They won the Big East regular-season title as well as the conference tournament.

Jackson will look to help make up for the absence of RJ Luis, who averaged a team-high 18.2 points per game for St. John's last season. Luis declared for the draft and entered the portal at the conclusion of the year.

As the Red Storm attempt to defend their Big East title, they made a big splash in the transfer portal on Monday.