Mercer transfer Kyle Cuffe Jr. follows father’s footsteps, commits to St. John’s basketball
The younger Cuffe will finish his college career at the same program his father represented in the early aughts.
SPARTANBURG, SC - JANUARY 24: Mercer Bears guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. (5) during a college basketball game between the Mercer Bears and the Wofford Terriers on January 24, 2026 at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, S,C, (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Like father, like son. It took more than a few years, but after venturing between three different teams, Kyle Cuffe, Jr.
is coming back home to play for his father’s alma mater. Cuffe committed to St. John’s for his final season of college basketball, following stints at Kansas, Syracuse, and Mercer.
The news was first reported by CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz . The Cuffes will become the third father-son duo to play for the Red Storm, and the first this century, joining Gerry and Tom Calabrese and Neil and “Fuzzy” Levane. St.
John’s pursued Cuffe when he was a four-star high school recruit in the class of 2021, but the 6-foot-2 guard from Harlem opted to play for Kansas. Cuffe redshirted as a freshman during Kansas’ national championship season in 2021-22, then was teammates with Zuby Ejiofor in the 2022-23 season, before he suffered a right knee injury that ended his year after two games. He transferred to Syracuse for the 2024-25 campaign and averaged 5.