It’s only been a few days since Rick Pitino left his job at Iona and took over St. Johns, hoping to restore the program to its glory days. It didn’t take long for rumors to swirl on social media that Pitino was after some big in-city recruits, including UNC commit Ian Jackson.
The five-star recruit has been committed since January, helping UNC build the top class in 2024 so far. Should UNC fans be worried about Pitino trying to flip the commit to stay home and play for St. Johns? Maybe not now, but Pitino is going to try.
Per Adam Zagoria, Pitino is expected to visit Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx next week, the school Jackson plays for:
Rick Pitino and the @StJohnsBBall staff are expected next week at @CardinalHayes, which features Class of 2024 5-star guard and UNC commit Ian Jackson
Hayes is the alma mater of former @KentuckyMBB star Jamal Mashburn pic.twitter.com/tdrRdpYElk
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) March 23, 2023
That’s not great news for North Carolina, but it’s also something that is expected. Pitino is going to pursue the top players in the state of New York and try to get them to stay in-state and play for St. Johns. That includes Jackson.
The five-star is still committed to North Carolina and will get Pitino’s best pitch. It’s something to monitor as the months go by.
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