Although St. John's did not have the success in the NCAA Tournament that many thought they would thanks to a second-round loss to John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks, the Red Storm had a remarkable season as Big East regular-season and tournament champions.
The loss of RJ Luis Jr., the team's leading scorer in 2024-25, as well as Kadary Richmond and Aaron Scott takes away three of the program's top five scorers from last season. While that might seem like a big deal at first, one recent addition to the lineup bolsters one of the best portal classes in the entire country — and should have Rick Pitino and company feeling excited about next season.
Ian Jackson, who averaged 11.9 PPG as a freshman at North Carolina last season, announced his decision to transfer to St. John's on April 21, per B/R Hoops. Jackson was the second-leading scorer on that Tar Heels team, only behind veteran RJ Davis. This decision puts Jackson close to home as a New Yorker and adds to an already stacked lineup for the Red Storm. ESPN's Jeff Borzello has them as the third-ranked team in his early Top 25 for next season, only trailing Purdue and Houston.
Projected St. John's starting lineup after adding Ian Jackson
Player | Position |
|---|---|
Ian Jackson | Point guard |
Joson Sanon | Shooting guard |
Oziyah Sellers | Guard/Forward |
Bryce Hopkins | Small forward |
Zuby Ejiofor | Forward/Center |
Like any other lineup around the country, nothing is official at this point as transfers and incoming recruits make their decisions. With that said, that seems like a solid starting five, given what St. John's lost from the 2024-25 season.
In addition to Jackson, transfers Joson Sanon and Oziyah Sellers give the Red Storm a balanced backcourt for next season. Sanon averaged 11.9 PPG at Arizona State while the Stanford transfer Sellers put up 13.7 PPG. After spending his first two seasons at USC, Sellers transferred to Stanford and started every game for the Cardinal while shooting 40.1% from behind the arc.
The frontcourt appears to be equally as strong. Bryce Hopkins, who began his collegiate career with Kentucky before transferring to Providence, stays in the Big East with the Red Storm. Hopkins started every game his sophomore season for the Friars, but suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the 2023-24 season that kept him out until this past December. After playing just three games, in which he averaged a career-high 17 PPG, Hopkins suffered a bone bruise and did not play any more after that. The return of Zuby Ejiofor is a major boost under the basket: He averaged 14.7 PPG and 8.1 RPG last season and shot an impressive 57.7% from the floor.
On Tuesday, the Red Storm added 6-foot-11 Handje Tamba, who played at the NAIA level last season after starting his career at Tennessee. Four-star recruit Kelvin Odih, who originally picked West Virginia over Rutgers and Louisville, committed to the Red Storm on Wednesday and gives St. John's another wing player in the rotation.
Despite the key departures, St. John's is still in a good position after a successful 2024-25 season that ultimately ended with disappointment in the NCAA Tournament. It is hard to argue with the success the Red Storm have had in the portal, which should keep them in national championship conversation and in position to build off a strong campaign last season.