Last season, I was immensely disappointed that the St. John’s Red Storm were left out of the NCAA Tournament. This was a team that ranked inside the top 25 of KenPom’s ratings, and they didn’t get the chance to show how good they were and make a run. I don’t blame them for denying their invitation to the NIT, as they deserved much better than that.
Head coach Rick Pitino is back for his second season at the helm. There was a controversy last year when he called out his team for a lack of toughness in a loss to Seton Hall. After that viral moment, the team went on a huge run and was playing extremely well. They nearly beat the eventual National Champion UConn Huskies in the Big East semifinal game, losing 95-90 in what was one of the closest games that the Huskies played all year. Now, they are even better than they were last year.
Despite Pitino calling out the transfer portal, he sure did use it to great success, bringing in the two best backcourt transfers available. Deivon Smith comes in from Utah, who averaged 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists, as well as shooting a fantastic 40.8% from deep for the Utes. He’s also a great defender, and is all around one of the most underrated guards in the country. This will be his fourth college and fifth collegiate season, having played for Mississippi State and Georgia Tech as well.
In addition to that huge addition, Pitino also added guard Kadary Richmond from Seton Hall, who helped lead the Pirates to the NIT championship. He was an All-Big East first team player in 2023, averaging 15.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He’s as clutch as they come and thrives in huge situations.
These two make one of the best backcourts in the country, with two guards who can not only score and distribute, but also play very good defense that you know Pitino will require from his players. I also can’t forget Simeon Wilcher, the talented sophomore who will also contribute to this backcourt. They are loaded with depth and explosiveness there.
RJ Lewis is back and finally healthy, and he looked good in a recent charity exhibition match against Towson. Aaron Scott is an interesting player out of North Texas who is another two-way guy and has been excellent defensively.
I am a bit concerned about their play in the paint, with Joel Soriano gone and Zuby Ejiofor taking over. He averaged just 4.0 points per game last season backing up Soriano, but he also was a menace against Towson in that exhibition game, putting up 27 points and 13 rebounds. If he can play like that, my goodness, the Red Storm might not have a weakness. Of course, we can’t read too much into that one game, but Towson isn’t some pushover.
This is a team that should have made the tournament last year, and now they are even better. St. John’s is loaded with talent, is well coached, and is a veteran team. I expect them to seriously compete this season, and 50/1 odds at BetMGM is a bet I already have in.
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