The St. John's basketball team had an outstanding regular season as they won the Big East title and made the NCAA Tournament as a two-seed. The Red Storm unfortunately went down in the round of 32 against 10-seed Arkansas, but Rick Pitino is clearly building something special in the Big Apple. Pitino is already working toward a better finish next season as he landed a commitment from Arizona State transfer guard Joson Sanon on Wednesday.

“NEWS: Arizona State transfer Joson Sanon — a five-star recruit in 2024 — has committed to St. John's, he told ESPN,” Jonathan Givony said in a post. “Early portal score for Rick Pitino and the Big East champions.”

Joson Sanon likes what he has seen from Rick Pitino, and he is bought into the culture of the Red Storm.

“Coach Pitino believes in me and my potential and what he can do for me,” Sanon said, according to an article from ESPN. “He preaches working hard, and I want to show him I'm the hardest working player that's ever played for him. The way Coach P teaches defense is something I want to invest my time into.”

Sanon's agent, Derek Malloy, played a big role in making this transfer happen. He knew that Sanon had a big opportunity in front of him.

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“New York City, Madison Square Garden, Rick Pitino. If we weren't the first to take it, I'd envy the person who did,” Malloy said.

Sanon has played just one season of college basketball, as he was a freshman at Arizona State this past season. He ended up starting in nine games for the Sun Devils, and he finished the season averaging in double figures with 11.9 points per game. Sanon also averaged 3.4 rebounds per game and 1.0 assists per game. He shot 42.2% from the floor and he had a nice touch from deep as he shot the the three ball at a 36.9% clip.

Rick Pitino and St. John's had a great season as they finished 31-5 overall and 18-2 in Big East play. They took care of business against Omaha in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but the upset loss to Arkansas ended the Red Storm's season. It wasn't the finish that Pitino and his crew were hoping for, but this season was still a huge step in the right direction.

The future is bright for this St. John's basketball team, and next year should be another memorable one for the program. Joson Sanon will likely be a key member of that team.