Rick Pitino is back in the Big East after being named the next head coach of St. John’s for the upcoming season. After a successful 2022-23 with Iona, Pitino will bring standout guard Daniss Jenkins with him. Jenkins is a rising senior who can bring instant success to the program.
We discuss how he fits with the Red Storm in this edition of Transfer Portal Profiles.
Career at Iona
Jenkins made an immediate impact during his lone season in New Rochelle. The Pacific transfer took the reins of the backcourt with teammate Walter Clayton Jr. and helped the Gaels to yet another pair of MAAC regular-season and Tournament titles. Individually, he found his way to the All-MAAC Second Team. Although he wasn’t with the program for long, Jenkins will be remembered as one of the best players on a dominant Iona squad.
Scouting Report
The rising senior can do a little of everything on the court. He is a good, not great, scorer at all three levels with elite vision, dishing out 4.9 assists per game. Jenkins keeps defenses honest when he finds any level of penetration, using his length to either finish at the rim or kick it out to an open teammate.
Jenkins has the potential to compete at the high-major level going forward, but he’ll need to work on his shooting to become an All-Conference level player in the Big East. Shooting 41.8 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc isn’t a total eyesore, but it can improve. If he can raise each of those by four percent in 2023-24, he has the potential to become one of the top guards in college basketball.
The Fit
It can’t get much better than following your legendary head coach to a high-major program after spending three seasons at the mid-major level. St. John’s has been home to plenty of talented guards over the past decade, and Jenkins should be no different. Pitino will know how to utilize him in the offensive end and get him into sets that match his strengths. Their familiarity should make this a seamless transition for Jenkins and Pitino.
Check out some of our other Transfer Portal Profiles: Kerr Kriisa, West Virginia | LJ Cryer, Houston | Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
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