CBB Rank 2025: No. 4, St. John’s Basketball

After a historic second season in Queens, Rick Pitino looks to run it back with another national championship-contending roster for St. John’s basketball.

The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: St. John’s basketball.

Last year was a magical ride for St. John’s, who finished with 31 wins, tied for the most in school history. However, it ended in the round of 32, as John Calipari and Arkansas held the Johnnies to 66 points. Rick Pitino also benched RJ Luis down the stretch, which became a big topic of conversation.

But now, Luis, Kadary Richmond, and most of last year’s key pieces are gone, forcing Pitino to go back to the transfer portal. Luckily, when your name is Rick Pitino, recruiting isn’t as difficult, and on paper, St. John’s looks ready to run it back.

A starting backcourt that features UNC transfer Ian Jackson and Arizona State transfer Joson Sanon is primed to be arguably the best in the Big East. Both players averaged double-digits in points as freshmen, and with coach Pitino, could both take massive jumps as second-year college players.

The Red Storm should have pretty good size, with Dillon Mitchell, Bryce Hopkins, and Zuby Ejifor rounding out the starting lineup. Ejifor could be the best player in the conference after he was second on St. John’s in scoring last year. Mitchell was a key contributor for Cincinnati. And Hopkins? Though he’s had injuries throughout his career, he’s a scorer and a rebounder and can be one of the best players in the conference if healthy.

Off the bench is where St. John’s can really wear teams down. Oziyah Sellers put up over 13 PPG at Stanford last year, and Dylan Darling averaged nearly 20 points and 6 assists for Idaho State. St. John’s will virtually never have a good guard not on the floor.

After that, the talent dips down, but there are a few international players with good outlooks, and guys like Ruben Prey, who played sparingly last year, but could be ready for a bigger role this season.

Plus, with Rick Pitino coaching, a great team on paper should almost always reach its maximum potential.

Head coach: Rick Pitino (3rd season at St. John’s, 38th season overall)

2024-25 record: 31-5 (18-2)

2025 postseason finish: Lost to Arkansas (75-66) in second round of NCAA Tournament

Notable departures: 

• RJ Luis (18.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.4 SPG)
• Kadary Richmond (12.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.0 SPG)
• Aaron Scott (8.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.4 SPG)
• Simeon Wilcher (8.0 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.1 SPG)
• Deivon Smith (9.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 35.2 3P%)
• Vincent Iwuchukwu (2.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.1 APG, 54.2 FG%)

Notable non-conference games: 

• vs. Alabama (Nov. 8)
• vs. Iowa State (Nov. 24) – Players Era Championship
• vs. Baylor (Nov. 25) – Players Era Championship
• Players Era Championship (Nov. 26-27)
• vs. Ole Miss (Dec. 6)
• vs. Kentucky (Dec. 20) – Atlanta, GA

Projected Rotation

PG: Ian Jackson (6-5, 195, So.)

2024-25 stats: 11.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.9 APG, 39.5 3P% (North Carolina)

SG: Joson Sanon (6-5, 200, So.)

2024-25 stats: 11.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.0 APG, 36.9 3P% (Arizona State)

SF: Bryce Hopkins (6-7, 225, Gr.-Sr.)

2024-25 stats: 17.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 40.0 3P%, 3 GP (Providence)

2023-24 stats: 15.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 14 GP (Providence)

PF: Dillon Mitchell (6-8, 210, Sr.)

2024-25 stats: 9.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 61.4 FG% (Cincinnati)

C: Zuby Ejiofor (6-9, 245, Sr.)

2024-25 stats: 14.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.4 BPG, 57.7 FG%

6: Oziyah Sellers (6-5, 190, Sr.)

2024-25 stats: 13.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 40.1 3P% (Stanford)

7: Dylan Darling (6-1, 175, Rs.-Jr.)

2024-25 stats: 19.8 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.4 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 35.6 3P% (Idaho State)

8: Ruben Prey (6-11, 230, So.)

2024-25 stats: 1.6 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 0.3 APG, 7.7 MPG

9: Sadiku Ibine Ayo (6-6, 215, Sr.)

2024-25 stats: 1.9 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.3 APG, 34.5 FG%, 8.0 MPG

10: Lefteris Liotopoulos (6-4, 195, So.)

2024-25 stats: 1.4 PPG, 0.5 RPG, 0.3 APG, 33.3 FG%, 4.8 MPG

11: Kelvin Odih (6-4, 215, Fr.)

247Sports Composite #67-ranked recruit

12: Fotis Konstantinidis (6-2, 180, Fr.)

International recruit from Greece

13: Imran Suljanovic (6-8, 210, Fr.)

International recruit from Austria

14: Handje Tamba (6-11, 240, Gr.-Sr.)

2023-24 stats: 1.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 0.0 APG, 55.2 FG%, 8.3 MPG (Weber State)

*Played NAIA in 2024-25

St. John’s basketball team MVP: Zuby Ejiofor

Ejiofor has to be one of the most fun players to watch in college basketball. At 6-foot-9, 245 pounds, you first look at his physicality, but you soon learn he’s much more than that.

Ejiofor arguably runs the floor better than any player in college basketball at his size, can take defenders off the dribble from the three-point line in, and has some dazzling paint moves. While he plays strong inside, it’s also a blend of finesse that makes him nearly impossible to handle for a full game.

With no more RJ Luis, Ejiofor is the CLEAR scorer on a team with plenty of other options. St. John’s won’t need to force-feed him, but expect Zuby to take over anyway.

St. John’s basketball make-or-break player: Ian Jackson

I can’t wait to see what Jackson becomes with the coaching of Rick Pitino. He showed some outstanding potential as a frosh at UNC, averaging almost 12 PPG in just under 24 minutes per contest. Jackson shot the ball very well from deep, but only averaged a touch under one assist per game.

This year, St. John’s will rely on him and Darling to run the point, so Jackson will need to become a playmaker. He can do that as a scorer, but now his passing will need to be showcased.

Rick Pitino has a long history of coaching great guards, and Jackson could be one of his last and best examples.

Key analytic: 3P%

St. John’s was top 10 in the country in so many different parts of the game – field goal attempts, two-point attempts, rebounds, offensive rebounds, and top 25 in others. But one of the worst parts of their game was shooting from distance, where the Red Storm only connected on 30.1% of their shots.

But this season? Pitino made sure to add some three-point threats. Jackson, Sanon, Hopkins, Sellers, and Darling ALL shot over 35% from deep last year.

Now, I’m not saying the Red Storm are going to chuck up threes all game long – they still have a physically imposing team. But now, that’s an added threat, and a reason to believe they won’t be an early out in the NCAA Tournament this time around.

St. John’s basketball 2025-26 projections

Projected conference finish: 1st in the Big East

Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Final Four exit