Five players return for year two of the Rick Pitino era. Last College basketball betting season, four of whom were a part of the rotation for the Red Storm last season. Most important of all is RJ Luis Jr. (11 ppg, 5 rpg). Luis battled injury in his first year, starting in 10 of the 23 games he played. Luis struggled to shoot the ball last season. Still, if his shot doesn’t get back on track, he provides a lot for the Johnnies on the defensive side of the ball. Specifically, he has impressive length and athleticism.
2024-25 St. John’s Red Storm Basketball Preview
| St. John’s Red Storm | Odds |
|---|---|
| National Championship Odds: | +5000 |
2024-25 St. John’s Red Storm Basketball Outlook
Rick Pitino’s Red Storm fell on the wrong side of the bubble in his first sportsbook year in charge. Now, there’s no doubt that reaching the NCAA Tournament will be the one thing on his mind this season. The Red Storm will combine their core of returners with a handful of experienced transfers and talented freshmen looking for the Big Dance.
Of great concern is that eight players left St. John’s this offseason. A large portion of them played big roles for the Red Storm this offseason. The Red Storm backcourt lost Daniss Jenkins (15 ppg, 4 rpg, 5 apg), Jordan Dingle (12 ppg), Nahiem Alleyne (6 ppg), and Sean Conway (2 ppg). Meanwhile, the front court saw departures from Joel Soriano (14 ppg, 10 rpg), Chris Ledlum (10 ppg, 7 rpg), Glenn Taylor Jr. (4 ppg), and Drissa Traore (2 ppg).
The other returners were all deeper in the rotation last season. But they could make a slightly bigger impact with a full year at St. John’s under their belt. Zuby Ejiofor (4 ppg, 3 rpg) transferred in from Kansas last offseason. He showed his potential in flashes and positively contributed to the offensive glass.
Simeon Wilcher (3 ppg) saw limited minutes as a freshman. But he is a guy we think could break out off the bench for the Red Storm. Wilcher was efficient from the field in his first season and also showed an ability to create for others.
Brady Dunlap (3 ppg) was another NCAABB betting contributor as a freshman. Although he may not have as high of a ceiling as Wilcher, he should still see an increase in minutes as a sophomore. Sadike Ibine Ayo (0 ppg) is the final returner for the Red Storm, appearing in just five games last season after transferring in from Iona.
To replace the outgoing production, Rick Pitino landed commitments from four transfers. Correlate that all four are likely starters for the Red Storm. Starting with the guard duo of Deivon Smith (13 ppg, 6 rpg, 7 apg at Utah) and Kadary Richmond (16 ppg, 7 rpg, 5 apg at Seton Hall). Both Smith and Richmond are primarily seen as point guards. But with the number of different things each of them can do on the court, we don’t see fit being a problem.
St. John’s will be the fourth school for Smith in five seasons. Specifically, he is an experienced guard who finally broke out as a star this past season. To show, he posted five triple-doubles on the year. Including two in the NIT. In turn, Richmond became a staple point of the Seton Hall program throughout the past three seasons.