Big East coaches are bullish on St. John’s big transfer additions.
In the league’s preseason awards that was released ahead of media day Wednesday, Kadary Richmond was selected to the first team and Deivon Smith was part of the second team.
The 6-foot-6 Richmond looked ready for the coming season in the Johnnies’ come-from-behind exhibition victory over No. 25 Rutgers last week, producing nine points, nine rebounds and six assists. St. John’s outscored Rutgers by 20 points when Richmond was on the floor.
The spotlight will be squarely on the elite guard from Brooklyn after he transferred from one local to the other, leaving Seton Hall for St. John’s.
The 6-foot Smith, meanwhile, has been slowed this preseason by shoulder and hamstring injuries. However, he was also a key part of the win, impressing in the final minutes with his on-ball defense and playmaking abilities. He was second in the nation in triple-doubles last year (four) while at Utah.
The duo were the lone Johnnies to be honored.
St. John’s was picked to finish fifth in the Big East – which is where last year’s NCAA Tournament snub finished.
Two-time defending national champion Connecticut was picked to win the league, followed by Creighton, Xavier and Marquette. St. John’s trailed Xavier in the poll by 12 points and Marquette by just four.
Providence was picked sixth, Villanova seventh, Butler eighth and Georgetown ninth.
Seton Hall, which lost two players, Richmond and Dre Davis (Ole Miss), to the transfer portal, came in 10th with DePaul bringing up the rear, an annual tradition.
Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner was selected as the preseason player of the Year. Kalkbrenner and Richmond were joined on the first team by UConn wing Alex Karaban, Marquette guard Kam Jones, Villanova forward Eric Dixon and Providence wing Bryce Hopkins.
The second team was composed of Smith, Butler duo Pierre Brooks and Jahmyl Telfort and Xavier tandem Zach Freemantle and Dayvion McKnight.