Rick Pitino wrestles prized transfer away from Kentucky

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Rick Pitino wrestles prized transfer away from Kentucky

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated Apr 20, 2026 10:14 PM ET

Rick Pitino’s latest revenge against Kentucky happened via the transfer portal rather than the hardwood.

The St. John’s head coach landed prized transfer Donnie Freeman from Syracuse, beating out Mark Pope at Kentucky for his services. The 6’9″ forward had two productive seasons with the Orange, and now adds a versatile scoring option to Pitino’s frontcourt.

BREAKING: St. John’s has landed Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman, source told @thefieldof68.

The 6-9 sophomore forward averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 boards this past season.

Huge pickup for Rick Pitino and the Red Storm – who beat out Mark Pope and Kentucky for Freeman.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 21, 2026

Pitino was reportedly a “huge factor” in Freeman choosing St. John’s over Kentucky. According to college hoops reporter Jeff Goodman, Freeman wanted someone who would “coach him hard” and has experience coaching at the pro level.

Freeman averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds across 23 games for Syracuse last season. He shot 47.4 percent from the floor and 30.2 percent from beyond the arc while averaging close to a steal and an assist per game.

ESPN ranked Freeman 15th in its top 100 rankings of the best men’s basketball players who entered the transfer portal this offseason.

Pitino led St. John’s to the Sweet 16 last season — the furthest the Red Storm has gone in the tournament this century. Freeman steps into a team that is losing its top two scorers, forwards Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins. The tandem accounted for nearly 40 percent of St. John’s scoring.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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