St. John’s Basketball Upside Hinges on Eligibility Rulings

What is the worst-case outlook of the St. John's Red Storm heading into the 2026-27 season?

Mar 19, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino speaks at a press conference ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. John’s Red Storm had a lot of talent and production that had to be replaced this offseason from a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 last season.

Zuby Ejiofor was drafted in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. Dylan Darling, Joson Sanon and Oziyah Sellers were among the rotation players to hit the transfer portal. Dillon Mitchell exhausted his eligibility, leaving St. John’s with two returning rotation players: Ian Jackson and Ruben Prey.

That is a great duo to rebuild a roster around, and there are some very talented players who are joining them. Tounde Yesseffou, a five-star transfer from the Baylor Bears, is a new go-to weapon offensively. Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Avery Brown bring experience as fifth-year players from the Mercer Bears and Columbia Lions.

Alas, eligibility rulings are going to determine just how much upside this group has. Keyshawn Hall and Reed Bailey are looking for fifth years of eligibility. Babacar Sane currently has a temporary restraining order and is hoping to become eligible despite previously signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Utah Jazz in the NBA. Quinn Ellis is as hyped an international prospect as there has been in years.

St. John's has wide range of projections

Auburn Tigers forward Keyshawn Hall (7) dunks the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Wofford Terriers at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala. on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Auburn Tigers defeated Wofford Terriers 93-62. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Having any of those players in the lineup will drastically change the Red Storm’s outlook. However, if any of them are deemed ineligible for the 2026-27 season, it will lower the team’s ceiling.

“Without the aforementioned quartet in eligibility limbo, the roster looks incredibly unproven, particularly since Pitino leaned heavily into the international market last offseason. There's a gap between the Johnnies and preseason Big East favorite UConn if they aren't eligible,” wrote Jeff Borzello of ESPN.

Along with the aforementioned players looking to gain eligibility, St. John’s also suffered a brutal loss to injury. Donnie Freeman, a transfer from the Syracuse Orange, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury during an offseason workout.

That is a lot of talent that head coach Rick Pitino may have to replace that he was expecting to have in the rotation heading into the season. If the transfers and international players are deemed ineligible, the Red Storm could turn to four-star recruit Theo Edema or Zsombor Maronka to handle roles in the lineup.

Jackson, Prey and Yesseffou are an excellent trio to build around. Cuffe and Brown are experienced players who can certainly be solid complementary role players. But depth and experience will be a real concern if those players aren’t deemed eligible.

With exhibition games starting in a few weeks, time is running out for Pitino to put contingency plans in place to add more talent to the roster.