Rick Pitino’s St. John’s 2025-26 season came to an untimely end after they were defeated in the Sweet 16 by the Duke Blue Devils. They were supposed to make a deep run in the March Madness, but now they need to turn their attention towards the ongoing transfer portal.
Several top stars have entered the portal this season. Pitino needs to convince them, bring aboard and address his roster’s needs. Here’s a look at three stars which we believe could do well in St. John’s.
Top 3 Players St. John’s Red Storm Needs to Target
1. Flory Bidunga (Kansas)
Kansas Jayhawks center Flory Bidunga has entered the transfer portal and is reportedly seeking $5 million in NIL valuation. CBS Sports has already reported that a return to Jayhawks is no longer a possibility and though he could get picked in the NBA draft, the financial remuneration is not expected to be great. Therefore, more likely than not, Bidunga is staying back for one more year.
The center averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game last season and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Bidunga satisfies St. John’s portal needs, which are a rim protector and rebounding anchor.
2. Rowan Brumbaugh (Tulane)
The combo guard knows how to score and make plays. He can run the offense as a point guard or could complement the existing point guard with his shooting from the wings.
Pitino’s system values the position, which has surprisingly been troublesome for the program over the past few seasons. If they bring on Brumbaugh, the guard could stabilize the offense and complement scorers like Dylan Darling and Ian Jackson.
3. KJ Perry (BYU)
Perry is another combo guard in this list and he is a former No. 1 JUCO recruit. He is explosive and can play multiple positions on the floor.
Last season, he enrolled midyear and redshirted the second half of the season. Perry chose BYU over offers from Kansas, Oregon, TCU, SMU, NC State, Cincinnati, Cal, and Arizona State.
With multiple years left in his eligibility, Pitino has a decision to make for this player since he has high upside but is also largely untested in college basketball.
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