St. John’s Basketball Rightfully a Borderline Top 10 Team in Bilas Index

Jay Bilas is high on the St. John's Red Storm and they aren't near their ceiling yet.

Jay Bilas in the KFC Yum Center before the Louisville versus Kentucky game. November 11, 2025 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The St. John’s Red Storm put together a solid performance against the Monmouth Hawks in their first game of the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season, winning 78-63.

It wasn’t a perfect performance by the Red Storm, but there was a lot to like about what was done on the court. Offensively, this team has the kind of firepower that will mask mistakes on the other end and provide them with a high floor.

What will determine if this squad reaches its ceiling is how they perform on the defensive end. Head coach Rick Pitino lost a lot of talent from last season’s Sweet 16 team, but replenished as he always does in the offseason via the transfer portal.

That ability to continually restock the roster is why Jay Bilas holds St. John’s in such high regard in The Bilas Index, which ranks the top 65 teams in men’s college basketball. In the latest rankings heading into the season, he has the Red Storm at No. 11, but knows this team is capable of moving up once they find a rhythm.

St. John's held in high regard in The Bilas Index

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

“Rick Pitino lost a ton of talent from last season's Big East championship team, but despite that, the Johnnies have another team that can make noise nationally…But the development of the frontcourt will determine the ceiling for this team,” Bilas wrote.

The game against Monmouth was a good preview of what could come on the defensive end. St. John’s was flying around on that end, recording 14 steals and forcing 18 turnovers overall.

The Red Storm held Monmouth to 42.9% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. That 3-point shooting percentage is something that head coach Rick Pitino would assuredly like to see come down, but his team is a work in progress on that end of the floor.

There are a lot of new faces on the roster, and it will take time for the team to develop chemistry and cohesion. Pitino has an incredible track record when it comes to developing teams defensively, which will be key to this team reaching its potential.

First of many 🔥#RedStorm pic.twitter.com/F3XJ0xVrkQ

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

Offensively, the Red Storm are going to be hard to slow down, led by Keyshawn Hall, Tounde Yessoufou and Ian Jackson. That trio is going to be hard to stop on any given night, especially with point guard Quinn Ellis bringing it all together as an elite floor general.

The frontcourt development that Bilas mentioned will put a lot of attention on freshman Theo Edema. After reclassifying from the Class of 2027, he is working diligently to get his body physically ready for college basketball, especially from a conditioning standpoint.

But the potential for him to be a force on the interior is present. His emergence will be key because right now, St. John’s is lacking a natural center in the rotation; Ruben Prey is holding that role currently, but Pitino has conceded there will be struggles because he is naturally a power forward.

On top of all that, don’t forget about Babacar Sane. He has a hearing set for Nov. 9 about his eligibility. If he is cleared and can focus solely on developing on the court, the Red Storm have another impactful forward waiting in the wings to burst onto the scene.