Edema to St. John’s in ‘26
Last night at 6pm EST, Theo Edema announced his commitment to join Rick Pitino at St. John's for the upcoming season while surrounded by his Team New England coaches & teammates at the PRO16 Session in Tulsa.
"First and foremost, I want to thank my friends and family, everyone from Nigeria, my teammates, my late coach, Coach Alex, Coach Alex Moore, everyone that has pushed me, my family, my mom, my dad, my siblings for always being there for me and pushing me and helping me throughout my journey.
And also to the guy who saw me on the day I was working out from school, Mr. Andy, I appreciate you for being part of my journey. Also, I got these very, really close people. These are my family here. I also wanted to appreciate Team New England, Coach Greg, Coach Z, everyone, the coaching staff, Coach D, everybody, appreciate y'all. It's been a really good journey being here today, all the way from Nigeria, going through all the rain… like through the storm, being there for me and helping me. I really want to say thank you to everybody.
To my guys at Cushing Academy, I appreciate y'all. Coach Corms, Coach Fabian, Coach T, all my teammates, you know I love y'all and everyone else that has pushed me in one way or the other that have helped me, or impacted my life. I really want to say thank you.
To the coaches, everyone, who recruited me through my recruitment process, I really appreciate y'all reaching out, texting me and pushing me, trying to make me a better person.
Right now, I also want to give God all the glory because without him, I wouldn't be able to be here. I wouldn't be able to achieve my goal and… I really give God the glory.
With that being said, I'll be making my commitment to… St. John's."
In the summer of 2023, Edema moved to the United States from Delta State, Nigeria, to pursue his dream of playing basketball at the highest level. Since making the transition, he's become a staple in New England with his standout play, but also his personable and kind approach off the court.
In watching Theo from his arrival to now, the strides he has made are not only noticeable but truly impressive. While learning the game, he was able to really embrace the grind in the gym and in the weight room to get to where he currently is. Team New England's video from last night is a great recap of the rapid improvement he's made in just about three years.
From the start, the ceiling to his game has been evident, and right now, he's still just scratching the surface.
In three years at Cushing, Edema has helped Cushing finish second (23-24) and first (24-25 & 25-26), in AA regular season play, while taking home the hardware this past March, and winning the Class AA title. At the national level, he earned National Prep All-American Second Team honors while being a staple in the league as part of a dynamic duo with Syracuse-bound point guard, Ryan Moesch.
Theo was immediately named to the national rankings for the class of 2027 upon their initial release back in 2024, and for good reason. He is one of the most physically imposing presences you will find. Standing right at the seven-foot mark, Edema is an elite rim-runner who can throw down lobs with force, protect the basket, and haul in boards in bunches. He's extremely athletic and has worked on and developed his body over the years to get to where he is today.
With his work ethic and skill set, Edema will be a big name to watch develop under Rick Pitino in New York moving forward.
Theo Edema
Ryan Moesch