Jaiden Glover didn’t have to think long about the question: What was the deciding factor in your decision to pick St. John’s?
“Rick Pitino,” the 6-foot-5, consensus top-60 prospect told The Post.
Glover verbally committed to St. John’s in mid-September, picking the Johnnies over the likes of St. Joseph’s, Seton Hall, Creighton, Illinois, Villanova and Providence. On Thursday, he made it official, signing his National Letter of Intent.
Pitino and his staff made Glover a priority shortly after taking over in March, and he made his decision following an official visit to the Queens school in September. Glover knows it will be challenging playing for Pitino — he’s heard from close friend and current freshman Simeon Wilcher about the Hall of Fame coach’s notoriously difficult workouts and demanding expectations. But Glover’s goal is to one day play in the NBA, and he couldn’t think of anyone better to help get him there than Pitino.
“The amount of knowledge he has, his experience as a coach, the connections he has in the NBA, it will help me a lot,” Glover said. “His résumé, him being a legend, him having players at my position in the NBA, and telling me stories of how they got there, the hard work they put in. … He teaches you the basics of how to work hard.”
Signing his letter was a major moment for the Jersey City native who grew up in Brooklyn and attends The Patrick School (N.J.). He is set to become the first member of his family to play Division I basketball and could wind up as the first person from his family to graduate from college.
“It’s a great feeling, it’s the first step. Many more to come from my family,” Glover said. He added: “I’m blessed, happy to be in this position. … It’s amazing. I get to stay home, be close to my family.”
Glover is a major addition for Pitino’s program, a skilled wing who can really shoot it from deep and has the length and athleticism to be a strong defender. He is an on-the-rise prospect, emerging only recently as a top-100 player in his class.
“He can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim better than you would think,” said Jay Gomes, the publisher of NJHoops.com and the premier prep talent evaluator in the state. “He’s not just a shooter, but that is his strength at this point. He’s also a pretty good passer. He was an under-the-radar guy, wasn’t overhyped as a young kid, but he kept getting better and better.”
Glover is the jewel of Pitino’s 2024 recruiting class, a group that also includes four-star center Khaman Maker and Greek sharpshooting guard Lefteris Liotopoulos. Like Glover, Liotopoulos has signed his National Letter of Intent. The 7-foot Maker, known for his rim-protecting skill set, is expected to do so before the end of the early signing period next Wednesday.
St. John’s isn’t done with this class yet. It is hosting five-star guard VJ Edgecombe of Long Island Lutheran on an official visit starting on Saturday. Edgecombe, a consensus top-10 prospect in the country, is coming off a visit to Duke. He will be in attendance with his family for Monday’s game against Michigan at the Garden. He would be the highest-rated prospect to pick St. John’s in the rankings era. Edgecombe has also taken official visits to Florida, Kentucky and Baylor.