Keyshawn Hall's Eligibility Update is Not Good News for St. John's Basketball

The recent update regarding Keyshawn Hall's eligibility is not good news for the St. John's Red Storm.

Auburn Tigers guard Keyshawn Hall (7) goes up for a basket against Illinois State Redbirds forward Brandon Lieb (12) on Thursday, April 2, 2026, during an NIT semifinals matchup at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The St. John’s Red Storm are getting set for the start of the college basketball season in a little over a month, and the team will be hoping to build on a couple of very successful campaigns. 

Over the last two years under Rick Pitino, there has been some excellent growth for St. John’s. This is a team that, in back-to-back years, has been able to win at least 30 games and has also won the Big East Tournament the last two seasons as well. 

In the NCAA Tournament, they saw some improvements from being in the Round of 32 to the Sweet 16 over that span as well. Furthermore, they nearly were able to advance to the Elite 8 after giving the Duke Blue Devils a big run for their money. 

Now, with a lot of work done in the transfer portal once again, there are some eligibility concerns with some of the players they are trying to have on the team. The situation has become a mess for not only St. John’s but teams across the country. 

Recent news from Ohio was far from encouraging for Keyshawn Hall and St. John’s, with the talented forward remaining ineligible. 

What’s Next?

The NCAA continues to hold serve — this time again in Ohio.

This means that the following key players remain ineligible:

Filip Borovicanin (Xavier)
MJ Collins (Cincinnati)
Javon Bennett (Gonzaga)
Keyshawn Hall (St. John’s) https://t.co/2KgS0F2W1H

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 15, 2026

With the NCAA holding steady in Ohio, it will be interesting to see what the plan will be. Perhaps St. John’s will try in the New York courts for Hall, who is a player that they are going to be relying on. 

The injury to Donnie Freeman left a major void for the program, and it was one that Hall figured to be able to fill. Last year with the Auburn Tigers, the forward was sensational on the offensive end. 

Hall was one of the better players in the SEC last year, averaging 19.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. The forward was able to be very efficient from the field, shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. 

If he is able to play, he is the caliber of player that will completely change the outlook for the team. Hall has the ability to be the best offensive player on a lot of teams in the country, and St. John’s is one of them. 

With Hall not having luck in Ohio, it will be interesting to see what the next step is for him and a lot of other players. If he remains ineligible, it would be a major blow for the ceiling of St. John’s