Pitino Finishes Off Restoration Of St. John's With Brooklyn Native

 

St. John's Head Coach Rick Pitino at a recent practice. @StJohnsBBall.

St. John's Head Coach Rick Pitino has done a masterful job this offseason remaking the Red Storm's roster into one of the best teams in the country. He finished it off by adding Chris Ledlum, a Brooklyn native who's a graduate transfer from Harvard, the school made official on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-6 forward was a unanimous First Team All-Ivy League selection last season, when he averaged 18.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. The 527 points he put up were the fifth-highest single-season total in Harvard history. He led the Ivy League in rebounding and finished second in the conference in scoring and steals. 

Ludlum started in 27 of his 28 appearances, and he scored in double figures in all but two games. He scored a career-high 35 points on 12-17 shooting, along with 13 rebounds and six steals, at Cornell on February 18. He earned First Team NABC All-District (District 13) and USBWA All-District I recognition. He also being was credited for his contributions on the court and in the classroom with the College Sports Communicators Second Team Academic All-America honor.

Pitino said in a statement, "We are excited to have Chris Ledlum [join our program]. He gives us another experienced front court player. We were a little thin at that spot ans this reinforces what we need to have a complete roster."

Ludlum played three seasons for the Crimson, and appeared in 70 games, while averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. In all, he scored 955 points, with 470 rebounds, and racked up 16 double-doubles.