St. John's lands highest-rated high school recruit under Rick Pitino

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Nov 3, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

NEW YORK — Rick Pitino has landed his highest-rated high school recruit since taking over at St. John’s, earning a commitment Tuesday from 2027 senior Malachi Jordan.

Jordan, a 6-7 forward from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Prolific Prep, is a top-25 prospect in ESPN and 247Sports’ Class of 2027 rankings.

“I’m a Johnnie,” Jordan said in a video announcement.

Pitino has largely built his rosters through the transfer portal during his four seasons at St. John’s, including assembling what 247Sports ranked as the best transfer class in the country this year.

Backup center Theo Edema is the only freshman whom St. John’s signed out of high school on this season’s roster.

But Pitino acknowledged last week that St. John’s could increase its emphasis on high-school recruiting moving forward amid the ever-changing college sports landscape.

“St. John’s is much different than when I coached at Kentucky or Louisville. It’s a much different place, recruiting-wise, so we have built this roster based on what St. John’s is all about,” Pitino said.

“But I think everything’s going to change, NCAA-wise, and [we are] looking at the high-school ranks much more right now. I can see us taking three players from the high-school ranks next year.”

In September, the U.S. Senate voted to approve the Protect College Sports Act, which would limit student-athletes to one free transfer. Currently, there is no penalty for transferring more than once. The bill has moved to the House of Representatives.

Jordan, who also considered Kansas and Vanderbilt, is Pitino’s first commitment from the Class of 2027.

“Coach Pitino has a rich history of developing players,” Jordan told ESPN. “The only promise he made was that he’d help me reach my full potential. He is true to his word, and I felt like his coaching and character would help get me to the next level.”