It’s that time of year when we discuss possible impact players in new systems. As one of the best stories last season, St. John’s is looking to reemerge as a true contender in the Big East. And to many’s surprise, that blueprint doesn’t look much different.
Hence, Rick Pitino’s favorite weapon in college basketball, the transfer portal.
St. John’s has defined the usefulness of the transfer portal, showing its effectiveness in translation to winning. The Red Storm jumped from a 20-13 record in 2024 to a 31-5 record last year, cementing itself as a Big East powerhouse.
After acquiring RJ Luis from UMass, Zuby Ejiofor from Kansas, and Kadary Richmond from Seton Hall, the Johnnies ascended to the number one team in the Big East. Rick Pitino took part in one of the most successful seasons in St. John’s history, turning Luis, Ejiofor, and Richmond into All-Big East players. RJ Luis took honors in being named the Big East Player of the Year.
All of this amounted to an unforeseen second-round exit in March Madness to Coach Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks. However, the path appears much the same as it was last year. Retool and rebuild. So, what does St. John’s have to work with?
Last season was not brought to a fitting finish. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The well-documented benching of star RJ Luis in Red Storm’s final game led to a falling out where Luis ultimately declared for the NBA Draft. Additionally, St. John’s lost Kadary Richmond to the NBA Draft.
Luckily, Rick Pitino will still own the rights to Zuby Ejiofor, who averaged 14.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. Retaining Ejiofor’s versatility and paint presence was a major win for the Johnnies, but there was a much-needed hole to fill in the backcourt.
In February, Pitino took to a press conference to exclaim his personal belief in recruiting vs. the transfer portal–stating all you need to know about the approach that St. John’s is taking now and in the future.
“Well, we are not recruiting any high school basketball players,” Pitino said. “Not this year. We have already recruited [Ruben, Lefty, Khaman], and we are building from that. This year, we are not even looking at a high school basketball player.”
A pretty upfront statement. Just months later, Pitino backed his previous statement on Fox’s “The Herd.”
“We're an urban school; we're a computer school; we play in Madison Square Garden as our home court: How can we maximize our potential by embracing the NIL and the transfer portal? We went away from high school basketball players, although we have taken one or two to develop, but by and large we've gone after older players."
Those younger players happen to be Lefterious Liotopoulos (Lefty), Ruben Prey, and Khaman Maker–the only true freshmen on the team. Since Pitino stated St. John’s is looking to develop “one or two” younger players, there is a possibility one of these guys may redshirt.
With Maker standing at 7’1” and Prey at 6’10”, the Johnnies' frontcourt is very much rounded out. Lefty Liotopoulos will be featured in a crowded backcourt where Pitino really targeted transfers.
St. John’s added multiple big names, including former North Carolina forward Ian Jackson and former Providence guard Bryce Hopkins. These were the headliners, as both Jackson and Hopkins provide significant star power and versatility in the backcourt. Jackson averaged 11.9 points on nearly 40% three-point shooting, while Hopkins averaged 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds on exactly 40% three-point shooting.
Among the other transfers are former Arizona State guard Joson Sanon, former Cincinnati guard Dillion Mitchell, former Stanford guard Oziyah Sellers, and former Idaho State guard Dylan Darling.
All of these guys are pure scorers who add volume shooting, which perfectly fits the missing piece to St. John’s puzzle. Three-point shooting.
Pitino’s formula has already proven it can win in the Big East. Now, it’s whether that can withstand past the first weekend of March Madness.