In a college basketball landscape transformed by the transfer portal, St. John’s has emerged as one of the biggest winners under Rick Pitino’s masterful guidance.
The Hall of Fame coach has assembled a roster packed with high-level talent through strategic portal acquisitions, positioning the Red Storm as a legitimate contender in the upcoming season, according to multiple analysts.
Portal Prizes Position St. John’s Among Elite
Basketball insiders are buzzing about Pitino’s portal haul, with one analyst declaring St. John’s “a huge winner” in the transfer market. The strategic additions of players like Bryce Hopkins, Ian Jackson, Joson Sanon, and Oziyah Sellers have dramatically transformed a team that struggled with shooting last season into one with championship potential.
St. John’s transfer class stands out as one of the most impressive in college basketball.
“I mean, you look at it, the only thing they didn’t get was a true point guard, but Bryce Hopkins um an all league player in the league. They beat out Georgetown for him,” notes prominent analyst Jeff Goodman.
Hopkins brings proven scoring ability (17.0 PPG) and rebounding prowess to the forward position.
The addition of Ian Jackson from UNC provides explosive scoring capability while Joson Sanon “can shoot the hell out of the ball. He’ll play the three.”
Sellers from Stanford further bolsters the perimeter shooting that Pitino sorely lacked in his first season. The final piece came with Dillon Mitchell’s commitment providing crucial frontcourt depth.
Point Guard Question Hangs Over Championship Aspirations
Despite the impressive haul analysts remain divided on St. John’s ceiling due to one critical concern that is point guard play.
“My biggest concern is that they don’t have a point guard right now and they don’t really have all that much depth” argues one skeptic who ranked St. John’s eighth among portal winners despite their impressive additions.
The numbers underscore this concern with one analyst pointing out that Jackson and Sanon “combined for 60 assists and 83 turnovers last year. I mean you got two guys that are supposed to be the ball handlers there that are players that not going to be a ball.” Jackson specifically “had a negative turnover ratio, average less than one assist per game.”
Believers in St. John’s title chances point to one critical advantage, the coaching mastery of Rick Pitino. “Who’s the best coach in the country? Not Dan Hurley. It’s Rick Pitino” argued one analyst confidently. His track record of maximizing talent and adapting to personnel suggests a solution to the point guard dilemma is forthcoming.
Pitino supporters anticipate a secondary point guard addition from the mid-major ranks. “They’re going to end up getting, you know, a guy like a Dylan Darling type, who’s transferring from Idaho State, a good mid-major point guard,” predicted one analyst, expressing confidence in the coaching staff’s ability to complete the roster puzzle.
The complete St. John’s roster features returning standout Zuby Ejiofor anchoring the frontcourt alongside Hopkins at power forward. The perimeter features the shooting talents of Sellers and Sanon, with Jackson potentially sliding between guard positions as needed. Mitchell provides valuable depth at the forward spots.
KEEP READING: 2025 Men’s College Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker
While the point guard situation tempers some expectations many believe Pitino’s genius will unlock this group’s potential. As one analyst summarized
“You have Ian Jackson maybe coming off the bench or whatever, have him at the two, have Sellers at the three or standing at the three, Hopkins at the four, Zubie at the five, Dylan Mitchell coming off the bench. Who’s going to have more talent than that group?”
With a Hall of Fame coach orchestrating this talented ensemble, the national title conversation surrounding St. John’s appears increasingly legitimate.
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