Babacar Sane's Legal Win Can Change Outlook for St. John's Basketball

What does a recent legal win for Babacar Sane mean for St. John's basketball?

Dec 20, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; NBA G League Ignite guard Babacar Sane (4) reacts during the first half against the Motor City Cruise at Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY Sports

The St. John’s Red Storm are coming off a good season and will be looking to build on it this coming campaign. However, there are numerous questions surrounding the program and who will actually be able to play this season. 

Since Rick Pitino has joined St. John's has become one of the best basketball programs in the country and he deserves a ton of credit for the turnaround. 

In the last two years, the Red Storm have been able to win the Big East, and they have also eclipsed the 30-win mark. In the NCAA Tournament last year, St. John’s made it to the Sweet 16, but were ultimately taken out by the Duke Blue Devils. 

They certainly had a grip on their positioning coming into March Madness, and with how well they performed against Duke, they proved that they were indeed one of the better teams in the country. 

Now, following a busy offseason working the transfer portal, there are some uncertainties for St. John’s regarding their roster. Fortunately, they did recently get some good news surrounding Babacar Sane, who won a temporary restraining order to make him eligible. 

Legal Win for Sane Changes Outlook for St. John’s 

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Sane getting some good news from the courts and now being eligible until a later hearing in October, it is a big step in the right direction for both him and St. John’s. 

The eligibility situation in college sports has become a bit of a mess, and at this point, it’s hard to predict what the Red Storm roster could look like in their first game. However, Sane getting a win is important right now, and that’s all the team could have asked for. 

At 6’7” and 230lbs, he is slated to bring a lot of size and athleticism to the frontcourt of St. John’s this coming season. Sane can bring a lot to the table from a rebounding perspective for the team with his size, but he can also stretch the floor a bit offensively. 

Overall, even though he might not be a starter for St. John’s depending on the eligibility situation surrounding Keyshawn Hall, he could be a significant contributor off the bench. 

Hopefully, the legal battles get handled in favor of the Red Storm. If this team is at full strength for the start of the season, it could be the most talented group that Rick Pitino has had.