Big East Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2024-25 season

3. St. John's Red Storm

In year two of Rick Pitino, St. John’s was expected to have a very loud off-season after being just short of an NCAA Tournament appearance. But up until their most recent move, there had not been as much noise from Queens as you would expect out of them. However, their more recent move has moved them from the middle of the pack, all the way up into the upper tier of this conference.

Big East betrayal is now afoot with Seton Hall star Kadary Richmond taking the South Orange train up to New York to join this program. The dynamic combo guard was going to become a game-changer with any roster, and now it happens to be the Johnnies. Deivon Smith, Aaron Scott, and big man Vincent Iwuchukwu are all impact players who add to this big splash. 

Just when you thought St. John’s was not going to do much, they got their star, and there are still some talented players on this roster in terms of returnees. They lose seniors to the NBA, so the youth will have to step up, regardless,  including Jaiden Glover, a four-star recruit they went out and got from The Patrick School. 

Pitino-led teams will find a way to be competitive like they have been throughout his tenure, and their pockets are deep enough to go get some talent. But will these players take the money whether they like Pitino or not? This clearly worked for Richmond, but the threat of them clashing at some point could throw a wrench in their ranking.