Roger Rubin: Rick Pitino already excited about St. John's roster — and there's still room for more
St. John's head coach Rick Pitino celebrates a 67-65 victory against the Kansas Jayhawks in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 22 in San Diego. Credit: Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey
It again has been a college basketball offseason dominated with news about standouts hitting the transfer portal and high-profile programs’ efforts to reload their rosters. But this time it has come with something of a lesson, courtesy of St. John’s and coach Rick Pitino: Just because landing a player doesn’t create waves across the nation doesn’t mean it didn’t make a big splash.
Compared with their recent offseasons — and with so many other high majors during this offseason — the Red Storm have built a new roster somewhat quietly. But Pitino summoned the collective media Monday for a news conference to let everyone know he’s very enthusiastic about the St. John’s team he and his staff have assembled for the 2026-27 season.
For two months, the cognoscenti have suggested the Red Storm’s roster-building has been underwhelming, likely because they know little of the foreign professionals who will suit up for St. John’s.
Pitino, however, is thrilled about 6-5 point guard Quinn Ellis, 6-7 swingman Djordije Jovanovic, 6-8 combo forward Babacar Sane and 7-1 Lazar Stojkovic.
In a 34-minute Zoom, he spoke publicly for the first time about the roster, the infusion of foreign players and a teamwide commitment to the program’s work-ethic culture. His optimism was clear when he said, “We’re coming off back-to-back championships in the Big East and we want to go for a three-peat” and “We’ve got size, we’ve got ability, we’ve got a great schedule, and certainly it’s going to be another great year for St. John’s basketball.”
But he also pointed out that while he believes the current roster is capable of winning another conference title, it still has two open roster spots and that “if we want to add to this roster and even make it better, we could be in the hunt once again [to be] a top 10 basketball team.”
A player who put his name in the NCAA transfer portal and then declared for the NBA Draft could pull out and be a huge addition. St. John’s has been linked to two who could return to college: sharpshooting Milan Momcilovic of Iowa State and explosively athletic Tounde Yessoufou of Baylor.
The Hall of Fame coach’s positivity was there for virtually every returning player and new acquisition — including Monday’s commitment from Mercer transfer guard Kyle Cuffe Jr., whose dad played for the Red Storm’s 2002 NCAA Tournament team — but he sounded especially high on the presumptive starting backcourt of British point guard Ellis and Ian Jackson, who stunned Pitino by staying at St. John’s and will play shooting guard full-time.
Jackson’s 2025-26 season was a tough one, with late glimpses of brilliance. He struggled with the transition from his natural position to point guard, lost the gig to Dylan Darling and ended up averaging 9.4 points in 18.3 minutes.
He appeared a certainty to transfer, and Pitino said he told Jackson he wouldn’t blame him if he did, but instead he “went against the grain” instead of just leaving “for the highest bidder elsewhere,” the coach said.
“He showed great loyalty to me and St. John’s and I am totally committed to making sure that Ian Jackson fulfills his personal dreams,” Pitino said. “He is highly motivated and I . . . think he’s going to be a leader.”
The 6-5 Ellis has been a starting point guard in the EuroLeague. Pitino envisions him being one of the best at his position in the conference, if not the country.
“You never know, but if he’s not a star, I’ll be very disappointed,” Pitino said. “He’s a great playmaker, great passer, terrific size, good shooter, and he’s going to come into his own because the ball is going to be in his hands. He’s going to make people better.”
The Red Storm’s biggest strength last season was the play of the undersized starting frontcourt of Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell, who all were at last week’s NBA Draft Combine. Pitino suggested that lack of size hurt St. John’s in the NCAA Tournament and sought to address it.
He has with a presumptive starting front line of 6-11 center Ruben Prey, 6-10 Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman at power forward and Sane or Jovanovic — or that last big acquisition — at small forward, plus Stojkovic and 6-11 freshman Theo Edema off the bench.
“It’s quite explosive . . . with great size,” Pitino said.
He also suggested that he had leaned into older players and those who have played overseas professionally because “experience is a key factor,” he said. “When you look at Michigan and you look at UConn last year, experience does matter.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
