Babacar Sane Shows He Could Be a Star for St. John's Basketball

The St. John's Red Storm might have a star emerging in Babacar Sane.

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 kicked off their 2026-27 campaign with an exhibition win over Drexel. It was a lopsided game as expected, but one player in particular really looked impressive. 

Despite a lot of questions about the eligibility of some key players over the last several months and weeks, St. John’s recently received some good news on that front, and this team was able to showcase the talent that they have. 

This Red Storm team has been viewed as arguably the most talented in the four years that Rick Pitino has been the coach, and Wednesday night certainly showcased why. 

Pitino was able to add a lot of talent both from overseas and in the transfer portal to help take St. John’s to the next level. This is a team that is coming off a Sweet 16 appearance, but this season, the goals will be much higher. 

One player who was able to showcase what he can do in his debut with the team was Babacar Sane. 

Sane Could Be a Star 

The steal ➡️ the score 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pJ3KHknhK5

— St. John's Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) October 14, 2026

While there were certainly some good performances by players on the Red Storm, Sane was the player that stood out. On Wednesday, it was Sane who got the start at the four spot over Keyshawn Hall. It will be interesting to see if that will be the plan for Pitino going forward. Both Sane and Hall are long and athletic, and St. John’s will certainly feature lineups with both of them playing minutes together. 

In the win, Sane totaled 17 points on five-for-10 shooting from the field and also went three-for-four from beyond the arc. Someone his size being able to step outside and space the floor is going to be a major luxury for the St. John’s offense. 

Furthermore, while he led the team in points, he also was able to lead them in rebounds as well with eight. While there was a lot to like about his performance, he will have to clean up the turnovers a bit. He had a team-high five in that category, and the squad as a whole has to be better protecting the ball. 

Overall, Sane looks like he has the potential to challenge players like Hall and Tounde Yessoufou for being the top scorer on the roster. There is a lot to like about his game, and he is going to be a major matchup problem for most opponents.