St. John’s Basketball Will Need Rick Pitino To Work Magic To Reach Ceiling

St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino is going to need to be counted on for the team to reach its ceiling.

Oct 25, 2026; New York, NY, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. John’s Red Storm are a team that a lot of people are keeping an eye on entering the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season.

There is a lot of talent on this roster, and if they are able to have everyone eligible, their depth is going to be a strength. St. John’s has the kind of talent to win a national title, but head coach Rick Pitino has some work to do.

He has spoken at length about the development some of the players on his team have to do. Babacar Sane is someone who has incredible upside, but Pitino has said he still needs to learn how to play basketball the right way.

Sane is far from the only player who has work to do individually on the Red Storm roster. It is going to take some time for everything to gel, given how many new faces there are on the team, which puts the onus on Pitino.

Rick Pitino's defenisve acumen will be tested

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

For possibly the first time in his tenure as head coach, offense isn’t going to be an issue. St. John’s may not be the best 3-point shooting team, but they are going to be incredibly hard to slow down on that end of the floor.

Quinn Ellis is as good a floor general as there is in the nation, coming over from Olimpia Milano to take over as the starting point guard. He is surrounded by an abundance of talent, including Ian Jackson, Tounde Yessoufou, Keyshawn Hall and Ruben Prey in the starting lineup alone.

Keeping downhill, relentless attackers such as Jackson and Yessoufou in check is going to be a tall task for any opponent. However, there are questions about the Red Storm defense as well, which is where Pitino is going to have to work his magic.

Throughout his coaching career, Pitino has been known for his work on that end of the floor. It takes some time to get his players operating at the necessary level, but the scheme and game plan are always on point.

Last season, St. John’s was 11th in the country in adjusted efficiency on defense. The season prior, they were second best in the nation, a major improvement from being 57th in Pitino’s first season at the helm.

If the veteran head coach can mold this team in a similar fashion as he did the last two seasons, the Red Storm are going to be incredibly dangerous. Given his ability to get the most out of a team on defense, combined with how naturally talented this group is on offense, it is a recipe for success.