
Prudential Stadium erupted every time Kadary Richmond touched the ball during a Jan. 18 meeting between St. John’s and the Seton Hall Pirates.
Richmond is used to a thunderous reception in this arena, but the Seton Hall faithful berated the former Pirate with a sea of boos and vitriol all night. This homecoming for Richmond resulted in a convincing 79-51 win for his new team, much in part to his 12 points, five rebounds and six assists.
“It was nice to come back and get a win, despite all the boos,” Richmond said after the game. “I think I carved out a very nice career here and I appreciate them [Seton Hall].”
Since defeating the ghost of his former team, Richmond has become one of the best players in the nation.
Following St. John’s dismantling of Seton Hall, Richmond has averaged 18.6 points, seven rebounds and 4.6 assists in three games. He has elevated his game to the level of national recognition, with Sports Illustrated saying that his recent play “should be drawing attention from NBA teams,” in the 2025 NBA draft.
With two commanding performances against budding Big East opponents Xavier and Providence, Richmond showed that under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, he can deliver in the biggest moments.
The Johnnies’ first game as the No. 20 ranked team in the country was nearly their last as Xavier had St. John’s on the ropes. Richmond concluded what has become St. John’s routine 10-point second-half comeback with four clutch points in the final three minutes of regulation, including the game-tying layup that sent the game to overtime.
But in a tale of dramatic foreshadowing, Richmond could have ended the game before the extra quarter. The ball was plucked out of his hands as he drove into the lane with less than three seconds left, a costly mistake.
Despite the late turnover, St. John’s held on in overtime to secure a 79-71 win. Richmond’s 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists made his staggering 44 minutes of playing time worth it. This performance was his self-appointed “best game in a St. John’s uniform,” for the time being.
After a 25-point win over Georgetown, the Red Storm returned to New York to host the Providence Friars which proved to be the most climatic game of the season.
St. John’s 18-point second-half collapse set the stage for a thrilling finale in the Garden. In an eerily similar play to his crunch-time turnover, Richmond was given a one-on-one opportunity against Providence’s Jayden Pierre on the final possession of a tied game.
Richmond sized up Pierre and with help from a Zuby Ejiofor screen, he found himself alone at the free throw line where he effortlessly drained a game-winning jump shot with three seconds left to take down Providence.
“My coaches and teammates believed in me to give me the ball at the end of the game,” he humbly said. “We executed the play and I made a big-time shot.”
Richmond’s late-game heroics provided closure to an overall phenomenal performance, his 24 points are his most as a Johnnie and his eight rebounds and eight assists were instrumental in earning the team this win.
Richmond’s all-around game has been invaluable to the now No. 12 ranked Red Storm, but his recent dominant scoring outbursts have lifted the team to incredible heights.
The former big-ticket transfer landing has proven to be worth the hype and if he can continue this tremendous play, then a bid for Big East Player of the Year seems possible as well as a deep run in the NCAA tournament.