St. John’s, Rick Pitino land a difference-maker in Kadary Richmond

Kadary Richmond will still be lighting up the Big East next season — but wearing red instead of blue.

In one of the biggest offseason transfer portal moves of the cycle, the 6-foot-6 Brooklyn native made a move on Tuesday that had been rumored to be coming for awhile, as the Seton Hall transfer announced he was heading across the Hudson River to suit up for Rick Pitino and St. John’s for his final season of college basketball.

[2024 college basketball transfer portal tracker]

Coming off an All-Big East First team season in which he led the Pirates to their first NIT title since 1953, Richmond’s move boosts momentum for the Red Storm, who added another star guard in Utah transfer Deivon Smith on Monday. Getting the Seton Hall transfer gives the Johnnies one of the nation’s most gifted backcourts.

Richmond is one of college basketball’s most unique talents, averaging 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game with an efficiency that stands in a special class. According to EvanMiya’s analytics system, Seton Hall was a completely different team with him on the floor — eight points per 100 possessions better offensively and 12 points per 100 possessions better defensively (+20 PP100 overall).

“Kadary is a consistent jump shot away from being an NBA player,” Pitino told FOX Sports over the phone on Tuesday afternoon. “He is such a unique player, very unique. I haven’t seen too many like him in my career. We obviously played against him and tried to stop him, but that was difficult. He can beat you off the bounce, has a terrific passing ability, and what we’re going to work on is improving that spot-up jump shot. But he has all of the pieces to be a great, great player.”

What does Richmond’s move mean?

A year after ex-Providence legend Ed Cooley left the Friars for Georgetown, this is a move that doesn’t produce nearly as much vitriol because it’s a player, but it does produce major buzz around the rivalry between Seton Hall and St. John’s, who have met 112 times in their history, including three games against each other this past season — Richmond and the Pirates swept the regular season series before the Red Storm took their Big East Tournament quarterfinal matchup. Richmond’s move certainly won’t lead to Shaheen Holloway and Pitino sharing a hug at Big East meetings in Florida in two weeks, but they won’t be alone in that. The conference…