Rick Pitino strikes, landing his first big-time acquisition in the transfer portal.

Meet Donnie Freeman, the Syracuse power forward, who chose St. John’s over Kentucky, first reported by Jeff Goodman of the FieldOf68. Freeman, the highly touted forward chose the Red Storm over the Wildcats mainly due to Pitino. 

Goodman provided this quote: “He wanted a guy that would coach him hard, and wanted someone who had coached pros.”

The perfect place to play, Freeman is an outstanding fit in the Rick Pitino system, recently dropping 16.5 points per contest along with seven rebounds, earning an honorable mention for All-ACC honors. Freeman provides elite offensive versatility, instantly replacing both Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell, potentially joining an elite center. 

Freeman also serves as a versatile defensive forward, capable of guarding multiple positions, giving the Red Storm size at the forward position, with the sophomore standing in at 6-foot-10.

Up next for St. John’s, a visit with top center target Massambe Diop. The Arizona State transfer is set to visit Queens this weekend.

As of right now, the Red Storm have seven total players on their active roster for 2026-27. Former shooting guard Lefteris Liotopoulous announced on instagram he’d be returning to Queens for his junior year, just a week after entering the transfer portal. Pitino and the Johnnies added Quinn Ellis to start at point guard, while also Đorđije Jovanović — both bringing G-League and overseas experience.