St. John’s Basketball Make Interesting Decision With One Captain

The St. John's Red Storm made one interesting choice with one of their captains.

Oct 1, 2026; New York, NY, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino speaks at 2026 Big East Media Day at Marriott Marquis. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. John’s Red Storm have begun preparations for the 2026-27 season, and head coach Rick Pitino recently revealed who will be part of the leadership group for the team, including the team captains.

Two players have been selected. One of them, Ian Jackson, makes plenty of sense. He is one of the few returning players from last season’s squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 and is entering Year 2 under Pitino.

Jackson has drawn a lot of praise for the work he has done this offseason, torching his teammates in practice. His head coach believes he is going to be one of the best players in the country this season.

Last season, Jackson averaged 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.8 steals in only 18.3 minutes per game. Expect those numbers to increase as he takes on a much bigger workload as one of the leaders on the team.

Red Storm surprisingly name Babacar Sane a captain

Dec 20, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; NBA G League Ignite guard Babacar Sane (4) reacts during the first half against the Motor City Cruise at Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

He will be joined by one of his teammates in a surprising announcement. Along with Jackson, the Red Storm are going to have Babacar Sane as another captain.

Learning that Sane will be a captain will certainly raise some eyebrows. He has a temporary restraining order that has made him eligible for the upcoming season, but he has a hearing that will be a major step in determining if he can actually play in games with St. John’s.

His participation in professional leagues is the sticking point. He played in the NBA G League with the G League Ignite, Salt Lake City Stars and Iowa Wolves. Sane also signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Utah Jazz in 2024, which is the real sticking point.

Congrats to this year’s Captains: Ian Jackson and Babacar Sane.

— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) October 3, 2026

There has also been NBA Summer League participation in the last two years, but there are players with similar professional experience as Sane who have gained eligibility, including some G League Ignite teammates.

His court injunction hearing is set for Oct. 5, with the TRO enabling him to be eligible and participate in practice with the team. Getting him eligible is a big deal for St. John’s because he is supposed to be a major piece of their frontcourt rotation, potentially as a starting power forward.

Along with Sane, the team is still waiting on eligibility rulings for forward Keyshawn Hall, who is seeking a fifth year of eligibility, and point guard Quinn Ellis, who is an international player looking to be cleared. Fifth-year forward Reed Bailey is eligible because of a California ruling.