The Rick Pitino era continues to evolve at St. John’s as the Red Storm undergo significant roster changes following their impressive 31-5 season. Despite winning both the Big East regular season and tournament titles, their second-round NCAA Tournament exit has prompted an aggressive retooling strategy.
This approach positions them to compete with top programs for high-profile players, as Pitino focuses on transfer portal additions rather than high school recruits for the 2025-26 season.
Players Leaving St. Johns (Transfer Portal)
RJ Luis Jr. (Forward, Junior)
The Big East Player of the Year and Big East Tournament MVP has entered the transfer portal while also declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft. Luis averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game but struggled in the NCAA Tournament loss to Arkansas with 3 for 17 shooting.
Brady Dunlap (Wing, Sophomore)
The 6’7″ former four-star recruit entered the portal on March 31, 2025. Dunlap averaged 5.7 points per game in a limited role. His injury history likely contributed to his decision to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Simeon Wilcher (Guard, Sophomore)
Wilcher entered the transfer portal on April 18, 2025, after two years with St. John’s. The sophomore guard averaged 8.0 points per game last season. His departure comes as a surprise after he previously indicated his desire to stay with the program.
Khaman Maker (Forward)
The 7’2″ freshman from South Sudan entered the transfer portal on April 17, 2025. Maker played limited minutes during his debut season, showcasing his defensive abilities, which made him Defensive Player of the Year in The Grind Session’s Duel in the Desert and a standout at Nike EYBL Peach Jam.
Jaiden Glover (Wing)
The 6’4″ four-star recruit from The Patrick School in New Jersey entered the transfer portal on April 15, 2025. Glover’s freshman season was cut short by torn wrist tendons in February. He averaged 2.2 points in 6.4 minutes per game, shooting 34.7% overall and 33.3% from three. With interest from Gonzaga, Kentucky, and others, Glover has three years of eligibility remaining.
Players Joining St. Johns (Transfer Portal)
Joson Sanon (Guard, Freshman, from Arizona State)
Committing on March 26, the 6’5″ former five-star recruit averaged 11.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and shot 36.9% from three at ASU. Sanon peaked late, averaging 18.8 points over his final five games, and chose St. John’s without visiting other schools.
Bryce Hopkins (Forward, Junior, from Providence)
Hopkins committed in early April after earning All-Big East honors in his sophomore ye,ar when he averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 reboundsHowever, heHe played only three games in 2024-25 due to a knee injury following an ACL tear.
Oziyah Sellers (Guard, Senior, from Stanford)
Sellers committed to St. John’s on April 16, 2025 bringing his excellent three point shooting to the Red Storm. The senior guard averaged 13.7 points per game last season at Stanford and will bolster St. John’s offensive capabilities.
Players Leaving St. John’s (Non-Transfer Portal)
Kadary Richmond (Guard, Senior)
Richmond has graduated and exhausted his eligibility. As a captain and preseason All-Big East selection, he averaged 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, leaving a significant void in leadership and backcourt production.
Deivon Smith (Guard, Senior)
Smith has graduated and used all his eligibility. The versatile guard made significant contributions during his time at St. John’s, bringing valuable experience from his previous programs.
Aaron Scott (Guard, Senior)
Scott has graduated after playing all 36 games in the 2024-25 season. He averaged 81% from the free throw line with a season high 21 points against Villanova while providing defensive grit and wing scoring.
Potential Future Additions
St. John’s continues aggressive recruiting efforts with Ian Jackson, a North Carolina transfer and Bronx native, emerging as the frontrunner to commit. Jackson visited April 13-14 and appears to have a strong connection with Pitino. With the transfer portal closing on April 22, expect more movement in the coming days.
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The Transfer Portal’s Impact on St. John’s
The departures of Richmond, Smith and Scott leave significant gaps after their 30+ game contributions last season. Meanwhile incoming transfers Sanon and Hopkins bring much needed scoring and shot making ability that St. John’s desperately lacked during their NCAA Tournament loss where they shot just 28% from the floor.
With Pitino aggressively targeting additional scorers like Lee, Jackson, Sellers, and Mitchell, St. John’s is positioned to defend their Big East titles. If they successfully integrate these new pieces to complement returning players like Ejiofor and Wilcher, the Red Storm could make a deeper tournament run in the 2025-26 season.
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