On the heels of a compelling freshman campaign, Arizona State transfer Joson Sanon has committed to St. John’s, per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
NBA Draft Prospect Joson Sanon Transfers To St. John’s
As could be expected, the chance to play for Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino was a huge factor in Sanon’s decision, according to LIFT SPORTS agent Derek Malloy. Pitino, universally one of the greatest college coaches of all-time, has the fifth-most wins (885) in NCAAM history.
In 2024-25, Pitino’s second season at St. John’s, the Red Storm went 31-5. It’s the first time that the team 31 games in a single season since 1985-86, when they were coached by Lou Carnesecca. They earned their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2018-19, when they went 21-13 under Chris Mullin, a Hall of Fame NBA player.
Joson Sanon commits to St. John’s less than 24 hours after entering the transfer portal. I asked his agent Derek Malloy about the quick decision.
“New York City, Madison Square Garden, Rick Pitino. If we weren’t the first to take it, I’d envy the person who did,” Malloy said. https://t.co/i4EMWSrXdQ pic.twitter.com/Mo9Svv4SNv
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 26, 2025
To that point, Arizona State went just 13-19 in 2024-25. In fact, in four of the last five seasons, they finished with a sub-.500 record. Though Sun Devils head coach has a winning record (168-150) at the program, his win career win percentage (.553) pales in comparison to Pitino’s (.740).
Furthermore, Hurley has only coached one future NBA player: Miami Heat guard Josh Christopher, a late first-round pick in 2021. Pitino has officially coached 30 future NBA players, including NBA All-Stars like Donovan Mitchell and Antoine Walker.
If Sanon’s goal is to make to the best basketball league in the world, Pitino likely gives him a better chance.
Joson Sanon Scouting Report
The son of Haitian immigrants, Sanon is a promising NBA Draft prospect.
Indeed, he was seen as a first-rounder in the upcoming draft cycle. Averaging 11.9 points per game on 36.9 percent shooting from 3, he could be a special shot-maker at 6-foot-5. He’s more than capable of getting the ball in the basket, whether it’s off-the-dribble, in transition, spotting-up, off of screens.
Yet, he’s also fond of scoring from the midrange, where he’s actually quite effective. In 2024-25, he converted 45 percent of his field goals from the right elbow. When he moved further down towards the right baseline, he converted 48 percent of his field goals.
Joson Sanon brings much-needed shot-making prowess to St. John’s, days after an NCAA Tournament exit at the hands of No. 10 seed Arkansas in a 2/22 3-point shooting performance. The 19-year old wing is a dynamic off the dribble shooter. https://t.co/i4EMWSrXdQ pic.twitter.com/7GqcNeMWs3
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 26, 2025
His average athleticism has limited him though. Offensively, his first step isn’t elite, though it’s enough for him to get past less agile defenders. On top of that, he’s not a great finisher around the rim.
Defensively, Sanon doesn’t really catch people’s eyes either. He may be aware of this, mentioning Pitino’s ability to coach him up at that end after his St. John’s commitment was announced.
Joson Sanon, a dynamic scoring guard, former 5 star prospect who shot 37% from 3 this season said this about committing to St. John’s to @DraftExpress #sjubb pic.twitter.com/wl1ClHI0yP
— Dave (@Davee_8) March 26, 2025
Adding strength could be a way to counteract his lack of explosiveness on both ends. In fact, former Sun Devils star James Harden is an average athlete in terms of speed and burst but he excels when going downhill because of his insane strength. Lu Dort, who also played for Arizona State, relies heavily on his strength to wall off would-be scorers.
