QUEENS, NY — When St. John’s Ian Jackson graces the court of Carnesecca Arena this coming Saturday afternoon as the No. 5 ranked Red Storm faces Towson in an exhibition game, the six-five sophomore guard will feel right at home.
“I’m a homegrown kid so I love it,” Jackson said at St. John’s Media Day this past Thursday in Queens. “For me, it’s been amazing to have my trainers, family, and support here. Just being back home is an amazing feeling, I love New York.”
Nicknamed “Captain Jack,” Jackson grew up in the Bronx, NY, and played high school ball at Cardinal Hayes High School and later at Our Saviour Lutheran, earning McDonald’s All-American honors to become a consensus five-star high school recruit, ranked seventh in ESPN’s Top 100 for the class of 2024.
And before transferring to St. John’s this past April, he had the opportunity to spend his freshman year in Chapel Hill at North Carolina University, averaging 11.9 points per game as a Tar Heel across 36 contests with a 45.6% shooting clip, 39.5% from three point land and 72.3% at the free throw line.
“I feel like last year helped me this year,” Jackson explained. “I just understand a bit more in terms of basketball, coaches and understanding the game. I’m more mature. I’ve seen more. I’ve experienced more.”
With that instilled in him as learning lessons, longtime-winning head coach Rick Pitino, leading the Red Storm to a 31-5 overall record in the 2024-2025 campaign, which tied for the most wins in St. John’s program history in a given season, was “really concerned in the beginning of the summer” on if coming home would be “too much for Ian to handle.”
Over the summer, Rick Pitino was concerned about Ian Jackson’s adjustment of transferring from North Carolina to St. John’s due to the high expectations and being back home in New York – Image Credit: St. John’s Men’s Basketball
Yet over the course of off-season work together during the summer, leading into the tail-end of September and first three weeks of October, Jackson proved to be “a sponge” as Pitino put it.
“(Ian) without question, is the most improved basketball player, he’s gone from the 10th or 11th man to one of the top three on our team, and I’m really happy for him that he’s evolved,” the 73-year-old Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer said of Jackson.
“He’s in the offices after practice with coach (Steve Masiello) and coach (Bob Walsh) looking at film and asking ‘where can I get better?’”
Zuby Ejiofor, the senior star big man of the Red Storm, consistently described as a “sponge” by the coaching staff of St. John’s dating back to his first season in Queens (2023-2024) after transferring from Kansas, provided his first impressions of Jackson:
“Just a guy who is ready to work and a guy who gets it done on both sides of the ball. Coach P (Pitino) harps on how he’s progressed from the first day he’s been here up to this point. I really can’t wait to see what he does this year, especially coming off of his freshman year, being a great shooter as well. I’m really excited to see what happens for him.”
(L) Zuby Ejiofor and (R) Ian Jackson during St. John’s Media Day earlier this week at Carnesecca Arena – Image Credit: Robert Rizzo/Latino Sports
Bryce Hopkins, a graduate Red Storm forward in a similar scenario compared to Jackson, becoming a Johnnie after transferring from Providence in March, believes the hometown love for his teammate will play a major role this season in the Big Apple:
“Playing for your hometown team is going to be amazing for him, just feeling that love from where you grew up is going to be great and definitely make an impact.”
Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content
Instagram: @latinosportsoficial
Facebook: Latino Sports
Twitter: @latinosports
