St. John’s Basketball Has Best Team in Country Upside

The ceiling for the St. John's Red Storm is incredibly high entering the season.

Nov 20, 2025; Queens, New York, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Ruben Prey (17) is greeted by guards Ian Jackson (11) and Lefteris Liotopoulos (31) in the second half against the Bucknell Bison at Carnesecca Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There may not be a team in the country that has as wide-ranging potential outcomes as the St. John’s Red Storm men’s basketball team.

After winning 30 games last season and taking the Big East crown for the second consecutive year, head coach Rick Pitino loaded up again in the transfer portal. However, this time, things aren’t as straightforward as in the past.

Several players are currently ineligible, awaiting rulings to see if they are going to be able to suit up. Quinn Ellis and Babacar Sane are international players awaiting clearance, while Keshawn Hall and Reed Bailey are attempting to get clearance for a fifth year of eligibility under the five-in-five rule. Donnie Freeman suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the offseason.

Should they all be cleared, it comes as no surprise that Myron Medcalf of ESPN has projected such a high ceiling for the team. A 36-win season and a third consecutive Big East championship is the ceiling that he has projected for the team, along with winning the national championship.

St. John's can be title contender this season

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino reacts 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: Amber Searls-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That is how much these eligibility decisions will matter. St. John’s has a lot of talent on the roster and will once again compete with the UConn Huskies, even if all of their new players aren’t deemed eligible.

Ian Jackson and Ruben Prey are the most impactful returning players, the only ones who appeared in at least 30 games and averaged double-digit minutes per game. Lefteris Liotopoulos is also back after playing in 30 games last season.

Joining them in the lineup will be Tounde Yesseffou, a transfer from the Baylor Bears who withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft to play collegiately with the Red Storm. He has Big East Player of the Year upside after averaging 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game last season.

Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Avery Brown, transfers from the Mercer Bears and Columbia Lions, will also be part of the rotation. Theo Adema is a four-star high school recruit as well and was added to the mix.

While certainly a solid core, the eligibility of Ellis, Sane, Hall and Bailey is what makes this team’s ceiling so high. If all four of them are allowed to suit up, this is arguably the best team that Pitino has ever assembled in Queens.

The mix of talent and high-level experience would give them a great shot at advancing to the Final Four for the first time since 1985, when Lou Carneseca was on the sidelines and Chris Mullin was leading the team on the court.