St. John's is no longer building their roster like a traditional college basketball program. Rick Pitino has made that crystal clear this offseason.
The Red Storm continued their aggressive international recruiting push Tuesday by landing Senegalese forward Babacar Sane, a physically gifted former NBA G League player who most recently competed in Germany’s top professional basketball league.
At first glance, Sane’s addition looks like another solid frontcourt pickup for a St. John’s team that badly needed size and athleticism after missing out on Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop.
But zoom out a little further, and the commitment says something much bigger about what Pitino is trying to build in Queens.
This is not a normal roster construction strategy anymore. It is an international, pro-heavy experiment that could either make St. John’s one of the most dangerous teams in the Big East Conference or one of the sport’s most fascinating chemistry tests.
Babacar Sane fits exactly what Rick Pitino wants
Everything about Sane screams “Pitino player.”
He is long, explosive, experienced and physically mature.
The 6-foot-8 forward has already spent time in the NBA G League system with Ignite, the Salt Lake City Stars and the Iowa Wolves before continuing his development overseas. Last season in Germany, Sane averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.
But the numbers are only part of the appeal.
Multiple reports surrounding the commitment focused heavily on Sane’s athleticism and physical tools. One NBA scout reportedly described him as someone who “should be playing in the NBA” based purely on his frame and movement ability.
That upside is exactly why Pitino keeps targeting older, more developed international players instead of relying entirely on traditional high school recruiting.
College basketball has changed dramatically in the NIL and transfer portal era. Veteran players now matter more than long-term development projects, especially for coaches trying to win immediately.
Pitino understands that better than almost anyone.
St. John’s roster suddenly looks completely different from a year ago
This offseason has become a total philosophical shift for the Red Storm.
St. John’s has already added British point guard Quinn Ellis, Montenegro native Djordije Jovanovic, Serbian center Lazar Stojkovic and Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman, one of the better forwards available in the transfer portal.
Now Sane joins the mix as another experienced, versatile athlete capable of defending multiple positions and thriving in transition.
The result is a roster that increasingly resembles a professional-style international blend more than a traditional college lineup.
And honestly, that may be exactly where the sport is heading.
The days of patiently developing freshmen over multiple years are disappearing quickly at the high-major level. Programs are now searching globally for ready-made contributors with professional experience and physical maturity.
Pitino appears fully committed to operating in that world.
The biggest question still has not been solved
Even after landing Sane, St. John’s still has one obvious concern entering the 2026-27 season.
The Red Storm need a true center.
Missing on Massamba Diop was significant because the roster still lacks proven interior size capable of anchoring the paint consistently in Big East play. Sane helps the frontcourt tremendously as an athletic forward, but he does not completely solve the issue inside.
That makes the next few roster spots critical.
The good news for St. John’s is that the overall talent level and athletic ceiling of this group continue rising with every addition. Freeman and Sane already project as one of the more versatile forward pairings in the conference, especially in transition-heavy lineups.
And if Pitino can still land a legitimate interior presence, expectations around this team are going to climb quickly.
St. John’s is becoming one of college basketball’s most intriguing experiments
There may not be another roster in the country being assembled quite like this one.
St. John’s is blending international prospects, former professionals, G League experience and high-major transfers into one massive offseason rebuild. It feels ambitious, unconventional and very modern all at once.
More importantly, it feels intentional.
Pitino is not just collecting talent randomly. He is prioritizing age, athleticism, physical strength and basketball experience over traditional recruiting rankings.
That approach may not look like old-school college basketball, but old-school college basketball barely exists anymore.
And if this experiment works, St. John’s may end up ahead of the curve instead of simply taking risks.
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