St. John’s Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Red Storm

St. John’s Basketball is under new court management this season and Rick Pitino looks to prove he still belongs in college basketball. Pitino had been with the Iona Gaels, and he led them to the NCAA Tournament 2 times in 3 years there. The Red Storm hired Pitino and he essentially transformed the roster in the offseason losing nearly all of the previous players but bringing in 10 new players. Pitino will be returning to coach in the Big East where he hasn’t coached since 2013 with Louisville.

St. Johns in recent years have not been very good to say the least. The Red storm have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2019, where the made the first four but were defeated (if you can even count that as a tournament appearance). The last time they made it to the field of 68 was in 2015 where they made it to the second. The last time St. Johns made it to the second weekend of the tournament was in 1999. The last time St. Johns won in the second weekend of the tourney players like Ron Artest and Anthony Glover were playing college basketball. St. Johns needed a revamp and Pitino seems to have all the pieces essential to at least being good in 2023-24.

Pitino put together a top 30 class with a top ten transfer class, bringing in 8 transfers and 2 new signed recruits. If he can get this team to play coherently together they will be a solid team in the Big East this coming season. St Johns isn’t necessarily a storied program but it does have some history, and this season they look to get back to a more winning formula.

Here’s a look at the roster, schedule, and overall outlook for the St. John’s Red Storm in the 2023-24 college basketball season.