Rick Pitino Heaps Praise on Scoring Prowess of St. John’s Basketball Star

A St. John's Red Storm player drew a lot of praise from head coach Rick Pitino.

Nov 2, 2026; Queens, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino yells out instructions in the first half against the Monmouth Hawks at Carnesecca Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. John’s Red Storm got the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season off on the right foot, beating the Monmouth Hawks 78-63 at Carnesecca Arena.

St. John’s put together a dominant first half, going into the break up 45-29, before cruising to the finish line in a game they led by as many as 21 points. It wasn’t a perfect game by the Red Storm, but a win is a win, and at the end of the day, that is what matters most.

Head coach Rick Pitino will certainly have his guys focused on certain areas of the game when returning to practice, such as 3-point shooting. The team was 6-of-20 from long range for 30%, a number that will have to improve for this squad to reach its ceiling.

One of the players who connected on a 3-pointer was power forward Keyshawn Hall, who looks to be emerging as the team’s No. 1 option offensively. After leading St. John’s in scoring in three exhibitions against the Drexel Dragons, Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Texas Longhorns, he did so again in the regular season opener with 26 points.

Keyshawn Hall dominated Monmouth for St. John's

Nov 2, 2026; Queens, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Keyshawn Hall (7) gestures after making a three point shot in the first half against the Monmouth Hawks at Carnesecca Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pitino was very impressed by what he saw from the Auburn Tigers transfer, praising the work he did on the offensive end. He overwhelmed Monmouth’s frontcourt players with his blend of size and athleticism, scoring in a multitude of ways.

“Keyshawn is a scorer and he gets it. You look at how he scored, getting the ball in the low post, getting an offensive rebound, moving, setting a screen. He gets it,” Pitino said about Hall via Afterburn, presented by Sullivan Papain, on X.

The Hawks had no answer for the high-scoring forward. Hall poured in 26 points, shooting 9-of-16 from the field, making one of his three 3-point attempts. He had several and-ones and made it count when he was sent to the charity stripe, making all seven of his attempts.

Keyshawn gets it. @SullivanPapain | #RedStorm pic.twitter.com/iGpgTJmMzT

— St. John's Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) November 3, 2026

Hall was one of three Red Storm players to score in double figures, joined by Ian Jackson, who had 15 points, and Tounde Yessoufou, who had 12 off the bench.

The Auburn transfer also pulled down nine rebounds, three of which were on the offensive glass, as Pitino noted. He is going to be important to the team’s success on the boards because they don’t have a traditional center in the lineup, with Ruben Prey as the starter in the middle.

That is likely part of the reason Pitino started Zsombor Maronka instead of Yessofou, looking to get a little more size in the starting five. Regardless of who starts alongside Prey, Hall has a great chance to lead the team in scoring and rebounding this season, given his tireless effort around the basket.