Busting Brackets
Fansided

St. John’s Basketball: Projected depth chart and rotation minutes for 2023-24 season

By Tristan Freeman

Nov 21, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm center Joel Soriano (11) celebrates after scoring in the first half against the Temple Owls at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm center Joel Soriano (11) celebrates after scoring in the first half against the Temple Owls at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Kansas freshman forward Zuby Ejiofor
Kansas freshman forward Zuby Ejiofor /

Center

Projected starter: Joel Soriano (30 mpg)

Reserve: Zuby Ejiofor (10 mpg)

On a team filled with question marks, the one guarantee is Soriano, last season’s Big East Most Improved Player and star of St. John’s Basketball. He led the team with 15.2 ppg and 11.9 rpg, including 21 points and 19 rebounds against Niagara and 21 points and 16 rebounds versus DePaul.

He was able to produce at a high level despite having mediocre shooting around him. If some of these guards are as good as advertised, Soriano could have an All-American kind of season. And if the team is good enough, the big man could be the Big East Basketball Player of the Year.

The Red Storm has found his backup in Ejiofor, a former top-40 prospect and transfer from Kansas. He was limited to just a few minutes a game off the bench as a freshman but projects to be a sound rim runner that can replace Soriano as the team’s starting center after next season.

Next. 15 teams that still need roster help for 2023-24. dark

There has been some talk about Ejiofor playing some at the four-spot and if Slazinski struggles, there’s a real possibility for that to happen. But he’s still not proven as a D-I center so it’s hard to envision him being part of a two-big lineup that would once again have no spacing on offense. Still, can anyone in the Big East have a better combined 40 mpg pair next season than them?