St. John's basketball, Rick Pitino lose key rotation player to transfer portal amid shakeup

Rick Pitino and the St. John’s basketball team lost guard Simeon Wilcher to the college basketball transfer portal in a surprising move on Friday. Wilcher has had a couple of promising seasons with the Red Storm, and he was especially impressive this past year. Wilcher didn’t get a lot of playing time as a freshman, but he averaged 8.0 points per game this season while starting in 25 games for the Red Storm. Now, he is looking for a new home in the transfer portal.

“Simeon Wilcher has entered the transfer portal It’s the first true surprise departure from St. John’s roster this offseason but its other additions in the backcourt played a major role in the decision #SJUBB,” broadcaster Kevin Connelly reported.

Simeon Wilcher should get a lot of attention in the transfer portal as he was a significant contributor on a St. John’s basketball team that won the Big East and earned a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Wilcher was successful at St. John’s, and he was also a highly rated recruit out of high school. He was the No. 34 overall player and a four-star in the 2023 recruiting class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. Wilcher was the No. 7 combo guard in the class and the No. 4 player in the state of New Jersey. He attended Roselle Catholic High School in Roselle, New Jersey, and he committed to St. John’s out of high school.

This is a bit of a surprising move to see after Wilcher’s sophomore year, but these kinds of things happen often in the transfer portal era. Rick Pitino has been in the game for a long time, and he has adjusted well to this new era. Talent is going to leave in the portal, and talent is going to be brought in as well.

Pitino and the St. John’s basketball team are an attractive option for transfers as he has quickly revitalized the program. This year’s early exit in the NCAA Tournament was unfortunate, but it was still a successful year, and the future of the program looks bright. Transfers want to be a part of a program like that.