NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team frontcourts heading into 2021-22 season

St. John’s has revamped its entire roster this offseason, with just three players returning from last season’s roster. One of them is a star in Julian Champagnie, who led the team with 19.8 ppg and 7.4 rpg on 47% shooting and 38% from three-point range.

The Big East Most Improved Player of the Year was effective in literally every game for the Red Storm. Champagnie reached double figures in each and every game, including a career-high 33 points and 10 rebounds in a game against Creighton. Had Colin Gillespie not decided to return for Villanova, the Red Storm star forward would’ve been the preseason favorite for Big East Player of the Year.

Champagnie won’t have to do all the rebounding this time around, as St. John’s brings in a true center in Joel Soriano. In 14 games as a sophomore for Fordham, the 6’11 center averaged 10.4 ppg and 9.2 rpg. The competition wasn’t the greatest but Soriano did have double-doubles against the likes of Tre Mitchell and Osun Osunniyi in A-10 play. He’s a needed big body and if he can provide some defense and rebounding, St. John’s will be better for it.

There’s also Aaron Wheeler, a former top-100 prospect from Purdue that transferred over this offseason after being left out of the rotation in favor of smaller lineups. He’s a versatile athlete with potential and in his defense, was playing behind an All-American caliber talent in Trevion Williams.

The bodies the Red Storm has even outside of Champagnie have a high ceiling if things can work out. A breakout performance from Wheeler along with continued excellence from Champagnie could be the difference between being on the bubble or safely into the NCAA Tournament field.