CBB Rank 2024: No. 93, St. Joe’s Basketball

While there is plenty to love about the 2024-25 installment of St. Joe’s basketball, the return of Reynolds and Brown gives them arguably the best backcourt in the conference, and arguably the country. Add in Rutgers transfer Derek Simpson to the mix and you have a ridiculous three-headed monster, something A-10 teams are not used to going against.

Billy Lange aced the transfer portal, bringing in Justice Ajogbor from Princeton. That should allow Rasheer Fleming to play at power forward, giving the Hawks a fierce tandem inside to pair alongside a trio of guards.

Off the bench, Lange has a few options. Anthony Finkley and Shawn Simmons II can both play guard and forward, allowing Lange to adopt multiple lineups. Both players got in games sparingly as freshmen, but Finkley started in a dozen of them, so seeing how they return as sophomores will also be critical to the ceiling of St. Joe’s basketball.

Of course, we could see Brown come off the bench like he did quite a few times last year, but the trio of he, Reynolds, and Simpson is too fun to ignore.

Lange came into last season on the hot seat, but finally got his first winning record in five seasons at St. Joseph’s. Now, he’s turning the Hawks into a serious contender in the A-10.

Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.

Head coach: Billy Lange (6th season at St. Joe’s, 13th season overall)

2023-24 record: 21-14 (9-9)

2024 postseason finish: Lost to Seton Hall (75-72) in first round of NIT

Notable departures: 

• Lynn Greer III (10.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 SPG)
• Cameron Brown (11.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 36.8 3P%)
• Christ Essandoko (8.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.1 BPG)
• Kacper Klaczek (4.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.0 APG)

Notable non-conference games: 

• vs. Villanova (Nov. 12)
• Legends Classic vs. Syracuse, Texas, or Texas Tech (Nov. 21)
• Legends Classic vs. Syracuse, Texas, or Texas Tech (Nov. 22)
• vs. Princeton (Dec. 3)
• Big Five Classic (Dec. 7)
• vs. College of Charleston (Dec. 10)
• vs. Virginia Tech (Dec. 21)

Projected Rotation

PG: Xzayvier Brown (6-2, 170, So.)

2023-24 stats: 12.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 40.4 3P%

SG: Derek Simpson (6-3, 165, Jr.)

2023-24 stats: 8.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 30.5 FG% (Rutgers)

SF: Erik Reynolds II (6-2, 190, Sr.)

2023-24 stats: 17.3 PPG, 2.7 APG, 2.7 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 38.0 3P%

PF: Rasheer Fleming (6-9, 235, Jr.)

2023-24 stats: 10.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 0.8 APG, 1.5 BPG

C: Justice Ajogbor (6-10, 255, Gr.-Sr.)

2023-24 stats: 8.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 2.9 BPG, 54.9 FG% (Harvard)

6: Anthony Finkley (6-6, 240, So.)

2023-24 stats: 2.3 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.9 APG

7: Shawn Simmons II (6-6, 205, So.)

2023-24 stats: 1.4 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.2 APG

8: Steven Solano (6-11, 270, Fr.)

247Sports Composite #244 ranked recruit

9: Khaafiq Myers (5-10, 150, Fr.)

247Sports Composite unranked recruit

St. Joe’s Basketball team MVP: Erik Reynolds II

Reynolds is one of the most offensively gifted players in the country and should keep St. Joe’s basketball on the map in 2024-25.  He has chances at multiple program records, only trailing Jameer Nelson by fewer than 500 points for the all-time scoring crown. Reynolds dropped 648 as a sophomore and 606 as a junior, so as long as he stays healthy, he should shatter Nelson’s mark of 2,094 points.

But records aren’t the only things Reynolds should be concerned about. He has a chance to give the Hawks their first NCAA Tournament win since 2016. Last year was baby steps. St. Joe’s hit the 20-win mark for the first time since that 2016 season. But 2024-25 has a chance to be very special and Reynolds holds the key to it all.

St. Joe’s Basketball make-or-break player: Rasheer Fleming

How good can Rasheer Fleming be? As a sophomore, he shot well over 50% from the field, led the Hawks in rebounds and blocks per game, and finished fifth on the team in points per game. Two of the scorers ahead of him are not on next year’s team, so Fleming looks to be the third option behind Reynolds and Brown.

However, his numbers could skyrocket. Ajogbor’s presence should allow Fleming to succeed at power forward. While he’s a tough rebounder, he can stretch the floor offensively. Ajogbor’s presence would lift some of the rebounding pressure off Fleming’s shoulders and let him play at his more natural position.

He’s a high-flying athlete who can knock down the triple and could break out onto the national scene in just a few months.

Key analytic: BPG

While three-point shooting is by far the identity of this team, the number of shots they could block is worth talking about. Fleming and Ajogbor combined for 4.4 last season, which would have ranked around 50th as a team. Of course, there’s about 5-7 other rotation players that will add to that amount. There’s a chance that St. Joe’s basketball becomes a top ten shot blocking team in the country next season.

For a team that will be known by its backcourt and scoring prowess, the paint defense they have the potential to be is remarkable.

St. Joe’s Basketball 2024-25 projections

Projected conference finish: 5th in Atlantic-10

Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 32