Pitino, St. John’s land ESPN 100 recruit Dunlap

ESPN 100 wing Brady Dunlap committed to St. John’s on Tuesday, giving Rick Pitino his first high school recruit since taking over as he continues to overhaul the Red Storm’s roster.

Dunlap chose St. John’s over a final list that also included North Carolina, Villanova, Penn State and Nebraska.

“I was sold on his player development and his résumé,” Dunlap told ESPN. “When you look at his track record, he has won everywhere he’s been and his players have really improved into all-league players, such as Luke Hancock, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Siva and many more.”

“The visit was unreal,” he added. “It was a difference-maker. I had a great time.”

Pitino took over at St. John’s in March after the Red Storm fired Mike Anderson following four seasons at the helm. The Hall of Fame coach had spent the previous three seasons at Iona, going to a pair of NCAA tournaments.

Pitino, who is from New York, aims to resurrect the St. John’s program, looking to flip the roster quickly.

Dunlap is the first high school recruit in a deep newcomer group that already includes six transfers. Pitino brought three players — Daniss Jenkins, Quinn Slazinski and Cruz Davis — with him from Iona, also adding UConn’s Nahiem Alleyne, VMI’s Sean Conway and Oregon State’s Glenn Taylor Jr., who committed to the Red Storm on Monday night.

“[Associate head] Coach Steve Masiello called me the day after they got the job,” Dunlap said. “Coach Rick Pitino spoke with me and my family after that. They’ve been recruiting me ever since.”

Joel Soriano, who earned second-team All-Big East honors this past season after averaging 15.2 points and 11.9 rebounds, is the lone returnee who played significant minutes last season. Eight players have entered the transfer portal.

St. John’s remains in the mix for top-10 recruit Mackenzie Mgbako, who decommitted from Duke last month.

A 6-foot-7 wing from Harvard-Westlake High School (California), Dunlap is ranked No. 86 in the ESPN 100. He helped lead Harvard-Westlake to the Open Division state championship in California.

What makes Dunlap special is his shot-making and terrific positional size on the wing. His shooting range is deep and accurate because of his shot mechanics and shot preparation, both of which have been well-drilled over the years. Dunlap reads the floor and the defense.

Against a hard closeout, he will shot-fake and bounce into the midrange when needed. He spots up off the ball effectively, moving without the ball and cutting off screens. His drive game and vertical ability show he has the ability to finish in space.

“My dad and I talked with a lot of people about Coach Pitino,” Dunlap said. “Everyone said the same thing. It will be the hardest thing I might ever do, but at the end you [become] your best and more. I believe Coach Pitino will help me become the best person and player I can be. I will do the work because that’s what I want.”