Mussini to leave SJU, go pro in native Italy

It has been anything but a quiet spring for St. John’s. The pattern continued Tuesday, when the school announced sophomore guard Federico Mussini has decided to return home to Italy to play professionally for club team Reggio Emilia.

It may not take too long to replace the Italian sharpshooter, who averaged 7.9 points and shot 42 percent from 3-point range last year. Senior guard Bryan Trimble, a three-star recruit who recently was let out of National Letter of Intent by Florida State, began an official visit to the Queens school Monday.

A source said the Johnnies are “exploring potential options” with the 6-foot-3 Trimble, who comes from the same Kansas City-based AAU program, Mokan Elite, as Red Storm forward Marvin Clark Jr., the Michigan State transfer who will be eligible next season.

Since the season ended, St. John’s has seen Malik Ellison, Darien Williams, Richard Freudenberg and now Mussini leave, while adding four-star Bronx wing Sidney Wilson and transfers Mikey Dixon (Quinnipiac) and Sedee Keita (South Carolina). Transfers Clark and Justin Simon (Arizona) also will be eligible after sitting out last season.

The Mussini news didn’t come as a surprise to the coaching staff, sources said. He communicated with coach Chris Mullin and company throughout the process.

“It was a pleasure to coach Federico for the last two years,” Mullin said in a statement. “He represented our program well both on and off the court. Federico is a terrific person and a model teammate with a bright future ahead.”

St. John’s is prepared to enter the season with three scholarship guards in Marcus LoVett Jr., Shamorie Ponds and Simon.

Mussini’s absence opens up a second scholarship for the upcoming season. It is unclear if St. John’s will fill both, or either, of them.