By Laura Amato
He’s in a New York State of mind.
The St. John’s men’s basketball team officially announced it signed former Quinnipiac star Mikey Dixon to the roster last week. Dixon was the first to break the news of the transfer April 11 with a Twitter post, but the Red Storm made the move final April 19.
“I feel that it is time for me to take the next step in my journey,” Dixon posted. “With that being said, I am deciding to continue my basketball career at St. John’s University.”
Dixon – a 6-foot-2-inch guard – was the 2017 MAAC rookie of the year last season, averaging 16.5 points per game, but was left searching for a brand-new start with a brand-new program after Quinnipiac fired head coach Tom Moore at the end of the season.
Under NCAA transfer rules, Dixon will be required to sit out one full academic year. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
“Our staff looks forward to working with Mikey,” Red Storm coach Chris Mullin said in a statement released by the program. “Mikey has a good offensive skill set, he can score at a high level and comes with Division I experience. We believe Mikey will be a good fit for our program and style of play.”
Dixon started 20 of 31 games with the Bobcats as a freshman and notched double-digit performances in 26 matchups. He broke the 20-point mark in 10 different games and chipped in 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and drained 60 shots from behind the arc.
Of course, that kind of production is nothing new for Dixon.
The 2016 Delaware State Player of the Year as a high school senior, Dixon averaged 27.1 points per game in his final year at the Sanford School, leading the team to a state championship as well.
Now, he’s ready to bring the same kind of production to the Red Storm backcourt, even if he has to wait a year to get back into the game.
“I felt like St. John’s was the best opportunity for me, on and off the court,” Dixon said in a statement. “I am excited to play for Coach Mullin and the rest of the coaching staff.”
Dixon also fielded interest from Cincinnati, Nevada, George Washington, La Salle and San Diego.
The addition of Dixon wasn’t the only recent change to the St. John’s roster in the last few days.
Richard Freudenberg – who wore Mullin’s retired jersey after battling his coach in a game of preseason HORSE – announced that he signed a professional contract in Europe, joining the Freeport Skyliners. The German squad inked Freudenberg for a multi-year deal after he appeared in 26 games with the Red Storm last year, averaging 9.3 minutes last season.
“I am grateful to my teammates and coaches at St. John’s for making this experience a good one,” said Freudenberg in an earlier statement. “It has always been a goal of mine to play basketball professionally and I believe I am ready to take the next step in my career back in Europe.”
