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A new layer of intensity was added to an Old Big East rivalry on Sunday night. Nahiem Alleyne announced he will make a rare intra-conference transfer, moving from UConn to St. John's.
After spending his first three years of his college career at Virginia Tech, in which the 6-foot-4 lockdown guard helped the Hokies reach the NCAA tournament twice, Alleyne took his 3-and-D talents to Storrs for his senior year. Despite a diminished role and a regressed three-point jumper, Alleyne's veteran leadership and vice grip defense aided UConn in winning their fifth national championship.
Despite transferring to a heated rival, there is some sense in this move for Alleyne. A change in scenery could help Alleyne return to form as a three-point threat, as he shot 38.7% from three on 395 attempts at Virginia Tech. His championship experience, clothesline-like wingspan, and instinctual defensive play is a great fit for Rick Pitino and his press-heavy system.
Alleyne's departure coincides with a changing of the guard at UConn, with program face Adama Sanogo declaring for the NBA draft earlier this week. Andre Jackson and Tristen Newton are still deciding on whether to follow Sanogo or use their final years of eligibility. If both decide to stay, then UConn will be one scholarship over the limit.
Next season, Alleyne will be the fourth Red Storm player to already have four years of college hoops experience, joining Joel Soriano, Daniss Jenkins, and Sean Conway. At this time, St. John's has seven open scholarships left and they have multiple visits lined up in the coming weeks for players like Harvard transfer Chris Ledlum and 4-star recruit Brady Dunlap. There simply aren't enough players to prognosticate on how St. John's will perform in Rick Pitino's inaugural season in Queens just yet, but you can already conclude that Nahiem Alleyne will be a major pickup for the Red Storm next season.
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