Top-25 senior Malachi Jordan has committed to St. John's, he told ESPN on Tuesday, giving Rick Pitino his highest-ranked recruit since taking over the Red Storm.
Jordan is also the program's first top-25 recruit since Rysheed Jordan picked St. John's back in 2013.
"Coach Pitino has a rich history of developing players," Malachi Jordan told ESPN. "The only promise he made was that he'd help me reach my full potential. He is true to his word, and I felt like his coaching and character would help get me to the next level."
St. John's was a late arrival to Jordan's recruitment. Coming out of the summer, he set visits to USC, Kansas, Vanderbilt and Tennessee, with a battle developing between the Commodores and Jayhawks. Just a few weeks ago, however, Pitino and the Red Storm extended a scholarship offer and set up a visit for two weekends ago.
"When I went to the practices, they were very intense," Jordan said. "And that's what I expected. I know that when Coach Pitino yells, he's doing what's best for the player and the team."
"I was watching film with the team at the hotel, and afterward they were going to the exhibition game against Texas," he added. "My mother asked him how he felt, and he said he was nervous. That shows you how much he cares and how passionate he is."
A 6-foot-6 wing from Tennessee who attends Prolific Prep (Florida), Jordan is ranked No. 21 overall in the SC Next 100 and the No. 5 small forward in the class. He averaged 10.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer with the Arizona Unity program, showing high-level flashes with three straight 20-point games in April. He represented USA Basketball at the FIBA Men's U18 AmeriCup, averaging 4.8 points en route to a silver medal, and posted 8.
Jordan is gifted with elite athletic ability; he has explosive vertical bounce, straight-line speed and natural scoring talent, and he's an underrated defender. He drives with force and physicality and finishes extremely well. He's a streaky jumpshooter, particularly from 3-point range, but he can still be a primary scoring threat. When Jordan is in rhythm and his shot selection is solid, his percentage is well above-average. He's shown to be a very active rebounder and a great shot-blocker for his size, possessing a 6-foot-11 wingspan.
Defensively, Jordan is a true multi-positional defender, as he can get down and stay in front of quick point guards, body up post players and also block shots in the paint. He averaged 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in the recent Border League event.
Pitino hasn't been an overly active high school recruiter since taking over at St. John's in 2023, preferring to rely more heavily on the transfer portal and international markets. Jordan is the Red Storm's first commitment in the 2027 class, and their first ranked commitment since Jaiden Glover committed in 2024.