Sadiku Ibine Ayo has become the first transfer portal casualty of St. John’s heartbreaking end in the NCAA Tournament. Rick Pitino’s team went down in the Sweet 16 against the Duke Blue Devils.
Ayo reportedly wants to “weigh his options” before he decides where he wants to play next season. Let’s take a look at three teams that could be the best landing spots for the forward.
Top 3 Landing Spots for St. John Forward Sadiku Ibine Ayo
1) St. John’s
According to Braziller, a reunion between Sadiku Ibine Ayo and St. John’s is a possibility given the forward’s “very close” ties with head coach Rick Pitino.
Pitino and the 6-foot-6 forward met during his freshman year at Iona. Ayo followed the head coach to St. John’s in 2023, but because of a season-ending leg injury, he could only play five games that year.
Over the last couple of years, Ayo has not been able to grow in his role that much with the Red Storm. In the 2025-26 season, Ayo appeared in 30 of the team’s 37 games, averaging under eight minutes per game.
Ayo’s priority is to get more playing time and an expanded role. If he doesn’t find that with the Red Storm, he’d like to go elsewhere.
2) Iona Gaels
Considering Sadiku Ibine Ayo wants more playing time, the school that is most likely to award him that is Iona Gaels, where he started his college basketball journey. Ayo is familiar with the system in Iona and given his experience, he could also see himself as the leader of the group.
In his only season (2022-23) at Iona, he played 25 games (starting four), averaging 2.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.2 assists in 10.4 minutes per game.
3) Syracuse Orange
The Syracuse Orange’s name in this list appears because of their need for experienced wings in the ACC. Here, Ayo could earn good minutes without compromising on the level of the program.
With the Orange, Ayo has the opportunity to play meaningful minutes at a high level.
Apart from the above-mentioned teams, Georgetown Hoyas, VCU Rams and Seton Hall Pirates are some other teams that could ignite interest for the forward in the near future.
Read More News:
Controversy Brewing as Referee Roger Ayers Gets Snubbed From Final Four Crew
Is Tommy Lloyd Leaving Arizona? Wildcats AD Addresses Future Amid Contract Talks
Will Wade’s Roster Budget at LSU Reportedly Revealed as Matt McMahon Learns Fate
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
