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NCAA Basketball: 5 preseason unranked teams that could win it all in 2023-24

By Tristan Freeman

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 21: New St. Johns Red Storm head basketball coach Rick Pitino during a press conference, at Madison Square Garden on March 21, 2023 in New York City. Pitino, who recently coach at Iona, became the first coach to take three different schools to the Final Four and the first coach to win an NCAA Championship at two different schools. (Photo by Porter BInks )
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 21: New St. Johns Red Storm head basketball coach Rick Pitino during a press conference, at Madison Square Garden on March 21, 2023 in New York City. Pitino, who recently coach at Iona, became the first coach to take three different schools to the Final Four and the first coach to win an NCAA Championship at two different schools. (Photo by Porter BInks ) /
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NCAA Basketball St. John’s Red Storm center Joel Soriano Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /

St. John’s Red Storm

The Red Storm is in the same spot as Memphis when it comes to having a ton of new talented pieces that have question marks. The difference though is that Coach Rick Pitino has no questions in regard to his ability to win, taking Iona to the NCAA Tournament last season and having a past national title during his days at Louisville.

The one known piece for St. John’s that’s back Joel Soriano, an All-Big East performer who averaged 15.2 ppg and 11.9 rpg. But the talk is that Kansas transfer Zuby Ejiofor is pushing him for minutes at the center spot. There are plenty of other new projected rotation pieces, including Naheim Allenye (UConn), Glenn Taylor Jr. (Oregon State), and RJ Luis (UMass).

But what’ll determine whether St. John’s is a darkhorse national title contender is the trio of elite mid-major transfers. Daniss Jenkins (Iona), Chris Ledlum (Harvard), and Jordan Dingle (Penn) all averaged at least 15 ppg at their respective stops, including Dingle ranking second in all of NCAA Basketball in scoring at 23.4 ppg.

Next. Preseason top-25 power rankings for 2023-24. dark

Now at the Big East level, it’s hard to assume that those scoring outputs will continue. However, if at least two of them can remain all-league caliber players alongside Soriano, there’s plenty of talent for St. John’s to compete. And considering that Coach Pitino is in charge, the pieces are there for them to make the biggest of splashes this upcoming season.

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