Quinn Ellis Exciting St. John’s Basketball Fans at Pre-Qualifiers

St. John's Red Storm recruit Quinn Ellis has looked excellent for Great Britain this summer.

Feb 6, 2026; New York, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm fans arrive early prior to the game against the UConn Huskies at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If things go right for the St. John’s Red Storm over the next few weeks, the 2026-27 men’s basketball season is going to be an exciting one.

The back-to-back Big East regular season and conference tournament champions reloaded their roster again in the offseason, resulting in the No. 1-ranked transfer portal class in the country. However, there are some complications when it comes to players' eligibility.

Keshawn Hall, a transfer from the Auburn Tigers, has not yet been cleared after he played with the Miami Heat this summer. The Red Storm are waiting to hear about Bailey Reed as well. One player who isn’t a fifth-year senior but will have some eligibility hurdles to get through is Quinn Ellis.

A 23-year-old, he is hoping to be cleared by the NCAA and become the new starting point guard for head coach Rick Pitino. Fans are certainly hoping he is able to play, and he has been giving them a preview of what is to come if he is allowed to suit up for the program.

Quinn Ellis shines for Great Britain in international competition

Nov 25, 2023; Queens, New York, USA; A Nike basketball with the St. John's Red Storm logo at Carnesecca Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Ellis has been playing for Great Britain in the FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers. They recently played two games, and he looked great in both contests.

In the first game of the pre-qualifiers, Great Britain took on Switzerland in a game they won 110-75. They led by as many as 40 points in the game, with Switzerland leading for only 34 seconds.

Ellis was a major factor in the dominant victory, stuffing the stat sheet in only 26 minutes of action. He scored nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from the foul line, adding seven rebounds and seven assists.

St. John’s point guard Quinn Ellis stuffed the stat sheet with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in Great Britain’s win over Switzerland in the @EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers. #SJUBB pic.twitter.com/ia7q3XVaTM

— Tom Ballato (@thenextprospect) August 27, 2026

Arguably the most impressive part of the performance was that he didn’t commit a single turnover while recording three steals. He had a plus/minus of +11 and had the best efficiency rating on the team with a +22.

In the second game, Great Britain took on Slovakia. It was another dominant performance by the Brits, who won 97-72 and held the lead for 38:08.

Ellis had another solid all-around game, scoring nine points again on 4-of-7 from the field and 1-of-2 from the charity stripe. He wasn’t as good at protecting the ball this time around, committing four turnovers, but he did grab four rebounds to go along with two assists.

St. John's point guard Quinn Ellis contributed 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 24 minutes as Great Britain picked up the victory over the Slovak Republic in the FIBA EuroBasket Pre-Qualifiers. #FIBAWC #SJUBB pic.twitter.com/1Paqliy7Hf

— Tom Ballato (@thenextprospect) August 30, 2026

Despite his production slipping slightly, Ellis still contributed to winning with a plus/minus of +11 and an efficiency of +7.

Overall, it was a great showing for the talented point guard, who provided St. John’s fans with a glimpse of what is to come this fall should he be deemed eligible.