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The St. John's Red Storm, ranked 13th in the preseason polls, are set to open their fourth campaign under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino with a dramatically reshaped roster. After posting a 30-7 record and an 18-2 mark in Big East play last season, the Johnnies advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. Now, they will integrate 11 new players hailing from 10 different countries, marking a significant international shift for the program.
Roster Overhaul and Key Additions
For the second consecutive offseason, St. John's has secured the top-rated transfer class according to 247Sports. Among the headliners is sophomore guard Tounde Yessoufou, who set Baylor's freshman scoring record with 605 points (17.8 per game) last season while also contributing 5.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals per contest. Junior guard Ian Jackson returns after averaging 9.4 points in 18.3 minutes per game and shooting 90% from the free-throw line. Both Yessoufou and Jackson were named to the preseason All-Big East first team.
Graduate forward Keyshawn Hall, who averaged 19.3 points and 7.1 rebounds at Auburn last season, adds firepower to the frontcourt. Highly touted point guard Quinn Ellis, a native of England, arrives to orchestrate Pitino's offense after a standout stint with Olimpia Milano in Italy.
Departures and Replacements
The Red Storm must replace all three frontcourt starters from last season—Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins—all of whom were selected within the first 49 picks of the NBA draft. Guards Oziyah Sellers (SMU), Joson Sanon (West Virginia), and Dylan Darling (Grand Canyon) have also departed. To fill the void, St. John's has brought in Babacar Sane, a 6-foot-7 forward who played in Germany last season after three years in the G League, and 6-foot-10 forward Reed Bailey, who averaged 8.3 points with Indiana last season. However, junior forward Donnie Freeman, a transfer from Syracuse expected to make a significant impact, will miss the entire season after tearing his right Achilles tendon during summer workouts.
Schedule Highlights
St. John's opens the season on Monday night against Monmouth at Carnesecca Arena on campus. The team renews an old Big East rivalry against Syracuse on Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden. Over Thanksgiving, the Red Storm will face either No. 11 Louisville or No. 19 Texas Tech in Las Vegas. Other marquee matchups include a home game against No. 5 Arizona on Dec. 5 at MSG, a road trip to No. 20 Alabama on Dec. 12 in Birmingham, and two showdowns with No. 4 UConn: Jan. 29 at The Garden and March 2 in Hartford to close the regular season.
Facts and Figures
Pitino is entering his 39th season as a college head coach and ranks third in Division I history with 915 career wins on the court, trailing only Mike Krzyzewski (1,202) and Jim Boeheim (1,116). Over the past two years, St. John's has compiled a 42-4 record against Big East competition, becoming the first team in league history to win back-to-back outright regular-season and tournament titles. The Red Storm are scheduled for 13 regular-season home games at Madison Square Garden, their most since the 1950-51 season, and will play all conference home games at MSG for the first time.
Originally reported by nbcsports.