Ruben Prey Wisely Seen as Potential Breakout Star for St. John's Basketball

The St. John’s Red Storm will be getting set for the start of the season soon, and expectations will be high for the program.

Since arriving at St. John’s, Rick Pitino has been able to change the culture in a major way. After a winning first season and just missing the NCAA Tournament, Pitino and the program really started to take off the following year.

In his second season, he was able to reach the 30-win plateau and St. John’s made the NCAA Tournament. While they might have been eliminated a bit earlier than they would have liked, making the tournament is an accomplishment in itself.

Last year, the team took yet another step forward. With their second Big East Title in as many years, St. John’s was once again able to reach the 30-win mark. This time, they advanced to the Sweet 16 and gave the Duke Blue Devils a run for their money.

Now, while the team has a ton of eligibility concerns that will have to be sorted out, this is a team that has the potential to be the best one under Pitino so far in his tenure.

Regardless of who may or may not be on the team, one player that could be poised for a breakout year is center Ruben Prey. Recently, Dick Vitale wrote about Prey being a player who can accomplish that.

Prey Set For Big Year

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Rubén Prey (17) shoots the ball on Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) 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: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Prey hasn’t had a massive role for St. John’s the last two years, he is set for a big role this coming year. The big man has played well in some overseas play, and that has raised his expectations for the coming year. St. John's has brought in a lot of talent in the transfer portal since Pitino has taken over, but Prey will be entering year three with the program.

A lot will depend on who is able to play alongside him, but Prey getting some more minutes could result in him easily having a breakout season.

At 6’11”, he can stretch the floor and hit three-pointers, as shown in the Sweet 16 game against Duke. For someone of his size to be able to do that, it will provide the team with a lot of flexibility on the offensive end of the court. Furthermore, he is also a good rebounder.

As St. John’s hopes to take yet another step forward and push toward an Elite 8 or Final Four, having players like Prey develop will certainly help make that become a reality.

Add us as a preferred source on Google