College Basketball: Previewing Opening Weekend's Alabama-St John's Matchup

We are less than two weeks away from the start of college basketball season, and with that is a preseason No. 5 ranking for St John's and a preseason No. 15 ranking for Alabama. Let's take a look at who to watch for on each team.

St John's

Mar 12, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats forward Dillon Mitchell (23) dunks during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Rick Pitino enters his third season as St John's head coach and this upcoming season may feature the most talented roster he's had yet when leading the Red Storm. Let's start with the two talented sophomore transfers in Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon. Jackson is a 6-foot-5 guard who played at UNC last season, and averaged 11.9 points per game while shooting 39.5% from three on 152 total attempts. While Jackson was inconsistent last season and is known as more of a shot hunter than a pass-first player, he's a skilled guard who's able to get downhill both in transition and in the halfcourt and could reach another level of his game with increased playmaking this season (only seven assist percentage last season).

Sanon is another 6-foot-5 sophomore guard who played at Arizona State last season. He also averaged 11.9 points per game last season and shot 36.9% from beyond the arc (122 attempts). Similarly, Sanon can hunt shots at times and finished with only a 7.8 assist percentage last season. While both guards put up solid three-point numbers, it should be noted that Jackson and Sanon shot 72% and 71% from the free throw line, respectively, so monitoring their perimeter shooting this season will be important. The two guards are talented players who were both top-25 in the 2025 high school recruiting class, and both they have an opportunity to hear their names called in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Five other players to monitor are 6-foot-5 senior guard Oziyah Sellers, 6-foot-11 sophomore big man Ruben Prey, 6-foot-7 graduate student Bryce Hopkins, 6-foot-8 senior forward Dillon Mitchell, and 6-foot-9 senior Zuby Ejiofor.

Sellers averaged 13.7 points, 1.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and one stock per game at Stanford last season while shooting 60.6% at the rim (94 attempts), 39.9% on non-rim twos (138 attempts), 40.1% from beyond the arc, and 89.7% from the free throw line -- really impressive shooting numbers all around.

Prey didn't see a ton of run for St John's last season (only appeared in 17.5% of St John's minutes last season), but was pretty noticeable when on the floor. He moves well for 6-foot-11 and 230 pounds but has a slight tendency to foul when on the floor. If he gets increased minutes this season, he could be someone who enters draft conversations next June. The Lisbon, Portugal native has had a handful of impressive showings in international play.

Bryce Hopkins is a natural scoring forward, having averaged 15.8 points per game the past three seasons at Providence. He unfortunately got injured after three games last season with the Friars, and looks to return to being an impactful rebounder and one of the better scorers in college basketball this season.

Dillon Mitchell is arguably the most interesting player on this St John's team, and will have a legitimate opportunity to prove what he's capable of defensively on this Rick Pitino-coached squad. He's 6-foot-7, 205 pounds, and moves extremely well for his size laterally. Additionally, offensively he figures to have a role in some NBA lineups as a pure play-finisher, as he's one of the best vertical athletes in college basketball.

Improving his passing (so he can be utilized in dribble handoff sets more) or improving his range (29.4% from beyond the arc on 34 attempts last season and a career 48.5% free throw shooter on 200 attempts) would solidify his place on an NBA roster next fall.

Lastly, we have Zuby Ejiofor, who averaged 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Red Storm last season. He's one of the most impactful rebounders in the country -- especially on the offensive glass -- and can offer some rim protection at times as well. He'll continue to be an important component of this impressive St John's team.

Alabama

Mar 4, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Hurricanes guard Jalil Bethea (3) drives past Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Lance Terry (0) in the first half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Crimson Tide have seven players to monitor this upcoming season, starting with Labaron Philon Jr. The sophomore returner was very likely to hear his name called in the 2025 NBA Draft had he stayed in, but the uncertainty regarding whether he'd be a first round pick and receive a guaranteed contract likely led to him returning to college and receiving a competitive NIL deal.

Philon is a 6-foot-4 guard who averaged 10.6 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals this past season. He's known for his feel for the game, his scoring ability, and his solid on-ball defense. Look for Philon to potentially be a first round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Another player to monitor for Nate Oates' team is sophomore guard Jalil Bethea, who played his freshman season at Miami. He's a 6-foot-5 guard who was known for his shotmaking ability coming out of high school. While Bethea didn't have the best freshman season, it was a tough showing all-around for Miami last season -- finishing 3-17 last season in a competitive ACC. He'll have an opportunity to showcase why he was a top-ten prospect in the 2025 high school class this upcoming season.

Other players to monitor for Alabama include 6-foot-1 junior guard Aden Holloway, 6-foot-10 sophomore Aiden Sherrell, and a handful of freshmen with potential -- including 6-foot-8 London Jemison, 6-foot-5 Davion Hannah, and 6-foot-7 Amari Allen.