Big East Basketball: Early grades for each teams 2023 offseason moves

8. St. John’s Red Storm – Grade: B+

The hire of Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino to replace Mike Anderson is nearly good enough to get an “A” grade. But the first few weeks of the offseason were a bit underwhelming, not able to bring a pair of key former Iona players (Nelly Junior Joseph and Walter Clayton) with him and not landing any stars, though Naheim Alleyne just won a national title at UConn.

But the past 10 days have been great for the Red Storm. UMass freshman guard RJ Luis and Oregon State wing Glenn Taylor are two capable starting players, while top-100 wing Brady Dunlap is a quality late addition from the 2023 class. With Joel Soriano still around and Daniss Jenkins likely being eligible, you’re seeing a roster that can compete in the Big East.

7. Seton Hall Pirates – Grade: D+

The Pirates lost a ton of talent this offseason via the portal, with just Kadary Richmond and Al-Amir Dawes being the key pieces back. They did land St. John’s wing Dylan Addae-Wusu, who fits Coach Shaheen Holloway’s style.

But Seton Hall only has a couple of other additions in center transfers, Jaden Bediako and former Austin Peay big man, Elijah Hutchins-Everett. He averaged 11 ppg at the ASUN level but Hutchins-Everett is someone that could struggle in the Big East. Although they did recently land top-60 freshman guard Isaiah Coleman to bolster the offense, I have little faith that the frontcourt will make them competitive.