Last Year: 18-15; Eighth (7-13) in the Big East Conference, No Postseason
Head Coach: Rick Pitino (First Year; previously had gone 64-22 in three seasons at Iona, with two NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Daniss Jenkins – 6’4″, 180 – Senior (5th) |
| SG Jordan Dingle – 6’3″, 196 – Senior (5th) |
| SF Glenn Taylor, Jr – 6’6″, 205 – Junior |
| PF Chris Ledlum – 6’6″, 225 – Senior (5th) |
| C Joel Soriano – 6’11”, 255 – Senior (5th) |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Daniss Jenkins: 15.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.4 spg – 36.1% 3FG @ Iona
Jordan Dingle: 23.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.1 spg – 35.6% 3FG @ Penn
Glenn Taylor: 11.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.2 apg, 0.6 spg – 43.1% FG @ Oregon State
Chris Ledlum: 18.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.8 spg, 1.1 bpg – 47.3% FG @ Harvard
Joel Soriano: 15.2 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.4 bpg – 56.3% FG
Experienced Reserves
| G Nahiem Alleyne – 6’4″, 200 – Senior (5th) |
| F/C Zuby Ejiofor – 6’9″, 237 – Sophomore |
| W RJ Luis – 6’7″, 196 – Sophomore |
| G Sean Conway – 6’4″, 200 – Senior (5th) |
| F Drissa Traoré – 6’8″, 215 – Sophomore |
| G Cruz Davis – 6’3″, 172 – Sophomore |
| F Sadiku Ibine Ayo – 6’6″, 205 – Sophomore |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Nahiem Alleyne: 5.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.5 spg – 36.2% FG @ UConn
Zuby Ejiofor: 1.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.6 bpg – 65.0% FG @ Kansas
RJ Luis: 11.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.1 spg – 45.5% FG @ UMass
Sean Conway: 12.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.9 spg – 37.8% 3FG @ VMI
Drissa Traoré: 0.6 ppg, 0.7 rpg – 40.0% FG in 14 games played
Cruz Davis: 6.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.7 spg – 41.9% FG @ Iona
Sadiku Ibine Ayo: 2.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.4 spg, 0.2 bpg – 38.5% FG @ Iona
Freshmen
| G Simeon Wilcher – 6’4″, 180 – Freshman – Consensus Top 50 recruit |
| W Brady Dunlap – 6’7″, 190 – Freshman – Consensus Top 200 recruit |
It’s tough in the Big East.
Even with very talented teams and successful, experienced head coaches, St. John’s has mostly been treading water for the past two decades. Obviously, after the most recent attempt by Mike Anderson to get the Red Storm back into contention, something significant had to be done.
So St. John’s called up one of the most iconic coaches in the modern history of basketball, and the rest shall be history.
More things could be said about Rick Pitino than could be said about nearly any college basketball coach. Known far and wide for his innovation, passion, quotability, wry humor and the many shades of his character, Pitino has never failed to be slick in the pursuit of wins. Now, five-years-plus removed from his greatest fall, Pitino is back, where so much of his career has been defined, in New York, New York. And Pitino, one of the great showmen and win-accumulators in the history of the sport, is preparing for the comeback of comebacks.
When Pitino signed up to coach the Johnnies, the roster was in tremendous flux, and after he came aboard, the roster changed even more as he found the best fits and highest-quality depth. One thing Pitino knew he had in his back pocket, though, was Joel Soriano: one of the best post players in all of college basketball. Despite the lure of the Transfer Portal, Soriano listened to Pitino’s plan for him next year, and reaffirmed his commitment to St. John’s. While he may not score as many points this time around, Soriano hopes to win like never before. “He showed me his passion, his energy for the game. He told me he’s not going to put me in any position I don’t deserve,”Soriano told the New York Post about his first impressions of Pitino. “It’s going to be hard, but it’s going to be one of the greatest years of my life.” Soriano, a native of the Dominican Republic who grew up in New York, came to St. John’s from Fordham. There, he had begun to break out during the Covid-affected 2020-21 season, and the following spring, transferred up a couple of rungs to the Big East.
After a year to get settled in, Soriano absolutely exploded last winter. He arrived on the All-Big East team and won the league’s Most Improved Player award while leading the Red Storm in points and blocks, and the whole conference in rebounds – by more than three boards per game. Soriano was simply outstanding, and now will be playing alongside some of the most talented players in the country. He also led the Big East in offensive boards, was third in free throw attempts and player efficiency rating, and hit the fourth-most foul shots. A classic center who has great hands and a soft touch to go with the top-notch size and strength necessary to finish through Big East contact, Soriano can just about carry his team from the post. He may not rain down triples like some modern bigs, but Soriano is plenty capable of knocking down shots from the elbow against a zone or pulling his defenders (there are often more than one) away from the rim with a turnaround jumper.
Pitino, never one to miss a chance to sell a player on their NBA potential or his ability to get them there, has intimated that Soriano should drop in some three’s for the scouts in attendance this winter. Given the rate at which he stepped to the free throw line a year ago, Pitino has got to enjoy the solid 73% he’s made at the stripe in each of his years with the Red Storm. Soriano is not hyper-athletic, but he makes up for it at both ends with his smarts, clean footwork, great length and physical strength. Some spindlier bigs will block a shot, but Soriano has a way of both protecting the rim and delivering contact in such a way that his opponents remember the cumulative effect when getting out of bed the next morning. In his final college season, Soriano won’t be sneaking up on anyone. He’s arrived as a superstar, and the Johnnies are going to feature their big man no matter how many stars surround him.
With one rock-solid pillar in place up front, Pitino needed a serious, bucket-getting perimeter threat to match. Fortunately for St. John’s, Jordan Dingle – whose father, Dana, started 107 games at UMass and went to a Final Four in 1996 – happened to be in the Portal. When Pitino reeled Dingle the Younger into the Red Storm, doody became non-fictitious when discussing expectations for the Johnnies this season. Dingle won just about every accolade a player could win in the Ivy League; in three seasons, he was first named Freshman of the Year, then all-conference, and, after his third season, was named not just All-Ivy but league Player of the Year. Now, with Antoine Davis having exhausted his eligibility at Detroit Mercy, Dingle heads into his fourth year – and Pitino’s lineup – carrying the highest returning scoring average in all of college basketball. Dingle scored an absurd 1,537 points in his three years at Penn, and the Quakers only played 25, 28 and 30 games in those three seasons. He may not yet be the most efficient player to ever dribble a basketball, but Dingle had to by and large carry the Quakers in each of his seasons in Philadelphia. Now, with other stars around him to help out, Dingle should finally have the luxury of being more selective. And with foes unable to double and triple-team him, Dingle may become more dangerous than ever.
A guy who can truly score from anywhere inside of halfcourt, Dingle’s jumper is a true weapon
A guy who can truly score from anywhere inside of halfcourt, Dingle’s jumper is a true weapon, and he has the quickness, awareness and fluidity to go to it whenever he wants. The Valley Stream, NY, native is also outstanding off the bounce. Dingle possesses the excellent foot speed and quickness to leave defenders in his wake, and the tenacity and strength to score among the trees when he wiggles and slashes to the basket. So outstanding from all three scoring levels was Dingle last season that he knocked down 61% of his 134 attempts at the rim, 50% of every other 2FG he attempted (125 of them), and 36% from distance – oh, and he cashed in a league-leading 143 free throws, good for 86% of the league-leading 167 attempts he earned. “Really excited to have Jordan Dingle joining the (Red Storm),” Pitino said upon Dingle’s pledge to return home. “His goals are plain and simple. As a loyal New Yorker – help bring back St. John’s to basketball royalty. Then become a first-round draft choice. I’m all in on making that happen.” With goals clearly in mind, Dingle is ready to step onto one of the biggest stages in the sport and steal the show.
With the hope that Dingle and Soriano will go together like a hot dog and Papaya drink, Pitino sought out a point guard to help keep everything cooking. Daniss Jenkins helped to run the offense aggressively and assertively at Pitino’s previous stepping stone in New Rochelle; he’ll do. “Daniss Jenkins is a lightning quick guard who is a tremendous leader on and off the court,” Pitino said when Jenkins joined him at St. John’s. “He is someone we will rely on heavily to lead us into next season.” After beginning his career at Pacific, Jenkins spent a year in junior college before joining up with Pitino for the first time. In his one year at Iona, though, Jenkins made quite an impression. He led the Gaels – and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – in assists and finished third in the league in points and steals. So multi-skilled and athletic is Jenkins that, as a 6’4″ guard, he also ranked 15th in the conference in defensive rebounds and 16th in blocks. Despite shooting 63% around the basket as he averaged 12+ points three years ago at Pacific, Jenkins fell to 39% up close last year. For such an effective dribble-drive guard as Jenkins has been, that number must be an aberration, and Jenkins will look for a course-correction this winter. Overall, the type of all-around ability Jenkins brings should translate well to any league in America, and should offer balance to any lineup. With so many moving parts, Pitino expects Jenkins to be an extension of his mind on the floor, and to keep up the great work.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 76.3 – Possessions Per Game (4th) |
| 75.2 – Opponent Points Per Game (294th) |
| 5.8 – Made 3FG Per Game (322nd) |
| 8.4 – Opponent Made 3FG Per Game (312th) |
| 33.0% – Offensive Rebound Percentage (19th) |
Pitino, ever ahead of the curve in as many ways as possible, is focusing on playing a more European style of offense as he takes up the task of remolding the Red Storm. As such, he needs floor-spacing shooters and perimeter-savvy forwards who are comfortable with the ball in their hands. Chris Ledlum was a leading contender to beat out Dingle for the Ivy League’s most prestigious honors last year, and like Dingle, he chose to transfer up to the high major realm. Unfortunately for Tennessee, the school to which Ledlum initially committed, the former Harvard star didn’t feel as though all of his needs were being met in Knoxville. Fortunately for St. John’s, Ledlum picked his talents up and took them to New York. Now, Pitino believes he has just the right forward for his new offense. Ledlum can function in a 4-out scheme due to his considerable perimeter skills, and the Brooklyn product is burly enough when he sets up in the paint to have racked up 14 double-doubles the last two years. Ledlum doesn’t have all that much time for the mid-range; he likes to do his damage at the rim or from deep. Of the 419 shots he tried last season, just 51 of them didn’t come from three or within arm’s reach of the hoop. A serious volume scorer, Ledlum made 60% of his tries at the rim, but hit just 32% of all his other attempts and 64% of his free throws. Once again like Dingle, Ledlum will get to be a bit more choosy this year, and that means that Pitino will be expecting smart, efficient play if Ledlum wants prime minutes.
There are so many options on the wing for Pitino that it’s probably a good thing he’s such a veteran roster and minutes manager; a less experienced coach might be hopelessly spoilt for choice. Glenn Taylor, Jr, spent his first two years in Corvallis, where he was first named to the Pac 12 All-Freshman team and then last season, scored almost 12 points per game. While not yet an accomplished deep threat, Taylor can really score the ball any other way. With great length and a quick first step, he’s adept at getting his defender on their heels and flashing through the lane. There, he shot 55% at the rim last year and earned five trips to the foul line per game, hitting 80% of his tries. While Taylor doesn’t often soar above the rim, he’s a great and crafty passer and confident ballhandler. “Glenn has been an extremely effective basketball player in the Pac-12,” Pitino says of Taylor. “He puts it on the floor, gets to the foul line where he shoots 80 percent, and he’s extremely quick and athletic. Glenn fits perfect for our style of play.” With Dingle capable of finding an open teammate and Jenkins at the point, Taylor should help to keep the ball humming around the floor and add a nice post-passing touch with Soriano when he heads for the lane.
When Ledlum needs a rest, the Red Storm can go real long and quick at the wings spots. Taylor paired with RJ Luis will accomplish the feat. A sophomore from Miami, Luis was named to the Atlantic 10’s All-Freshman team last year after leading UMass in points for the season. A long, rangy player who loves to slash in from the wing and attack the rim, where he did his best work as a freshman. Luis shot 61% around the rim, per Barttorvik, but his percentage fell off to 35% on all other attempts. Luis made 79% at the foul line – where he will eat well for the entirety of his career – though, so Luis has real, projectable potential to grow quickly as a scorer. His new coach can’t wait to help Luis develop. “RJ is a multidimensional player who can play three positions,” Pitino says of the sophomore. “We are excited to have RJ in our program. He has an incredible desire to reach his potential and we will do everything possible to make that happen.” Luis didn’t sign with UMass until late in the recruiting period last year, as his recruitment was slow to pick up steam at the higher levels. Once he showed what he can do and then hit the Portal, more than a dozen high major schools came a-calling. A problem for the people he guards due to his length and quickness, Luis will rise quickly as his jumper improves, and is in line for a key role this year.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| N – Dayton / LSU – November 17 |
| @ West Virginia – December 1 |
| vs Michigan – November 13 |
| N – North Texas – November 16 |
| vs Boston College – December 10 |
If Pitino wants to go big and big, he can do that, too. Zuby Ejiofor spent his freshman season at Kansas, but didn’t play a great deal and decided this summer to head East. Ejiofor is a physical presence inside, and relentless on the glass. He’s impressed Pitino tremendously in practices, already – not an easy guy to impress. “Very few players I’ve coached have the ability to bring it every single day,” Pitino told the New York Post this fall. “From the day he arrived, he has not had a bad day just from an effort standpoint. I just think he laces them up and he goes full bore.” A good post-up scorer who can finish above the rim and should pile up plenty of putback attempts, Ejiofor has also honed his jumper. A Top 50 prospect just a year ago, Ejiofor is going to force his way onto the court in all sorts of ways as a sophomore.
To add further quality depth up front, Pitino kept Drissa Traoré from last year’s roster. A local prospect from Harlem, NY, Traoré is another good-sized youngster who is willing to work as hard in the paint as Pitino demands. Traoré didn’t play much last year, and knew that competition for minutes was not going to get any easier, but he’s stayed on to fight for a role anyway. Sadiku Ibine Ayo was a reserve forward for Iona and Pitino last winter, and journeyed into the Red Storm with his coach this spring. He’s smaller than Traoré, but quicker – and no less a hard worker. The sophomore from Ghana saw action in 25 games for the Gaels last season, and it will be be a challenge for Ayo to replicate that role.
What’s the going rate for a thousand point scorer coming off a championship season? Despite a solid year as the 6th man for the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies, Nahiem Alleyne wanted more. So Pitino pried him away to conference foe St. John’s, and now Alleyne will figure prominently into the equation in New York. “Nahiem is a veteran coming off a national championship,” said Pitino. “He has had great success at both Virginia Tech and Connecticut, and he is a wonderful addition to our roster. Nahiem has strong fundamentals at both ends of the floor.” Alleyne started 84 career games in Blacksburg before heading to Storrs, and owned a 9.7 scoring average and 39% mark from downtown. While he didn’t play as many minutes for the Huskies, it was certainly fun cutting down all of those nets. Alleyne is a steady ballhandler who can set up his teammates when the defense suggests he ought to, and he’s just as competent off the bounce as he is launching from deep. An excellent defender – Pitino has always demanded defensive effort from his guys – Alleyne can cover wings and guards, and should be useful in nearly any situation. Alleyne has never made as many as 40% of his shots overall for a full season, and will be another guy looking to have his most efficient season yet – though Alleyne is an 82% career shooter at the foul stripe and has hit 86% the past two years. Having chosen to use his extra season, Alleyne is hoping for the perfect blend of personal opportunity and winning, and believes he’s found it with the Red Storm.
Having started 85 career games at Virginia Military Institute, veteran wing Sean Conway won’t be surprised by much in the Big East. A proven scorer who is as crafty at the hoop as he is smooth away from it, Conway adds a steady hand and dangerous shooter to the rotation. “Sean is an outstanding shooter and understands how to play in the EuroLeague offenses that we have installed,” says Conway’s new coach. “He moves well without the ball, he is a good passer, and he really understands how to play the game the right way.” It will be different coming off of the bench, but Pitino and his staff are hoping that Conway’s experience and clever play in the lane can influence the younger guys with whom he plays. Conway likely won’t command the same minutes on average as some of Pitino’s more professionally projectable youngsters, but he will bring an even 200 made triples and 37% career rate from distance onto the floor when St. John’s needs him.
Cruz Davis is another guy who has followed Pitino from Iona, and slots in as a backup point guard. There, Pitino hopes that the athletic Cruz will continue his development among the established stars. A wiry and quick guard who can create off the bounce and defends aggressively. He started seven of the 24 games he played as a freshman after a year at prestigious hoops factory Huntington Prep in West Virginia. “Cruz is an elite athlete who is long and very active defensively,” says the coach Davis has followed. “He is an extremely quick left hander with outstanding potential and upside.” Davis might not see as many minutes in the Big East as he would have at Iona this year, but hopes to turn the experience he gains this winter into success in the future.
Simeon Wilcher, a Top 50 recruit, had pledged to North Carolina initially, but this spring decided that in fact, he would rather start his career with the Red Storm. Long, bouncy and quick, Wilcher has tremendous skills which should be ready to play immediately. He likes to put it on the deck and use his shifty and aggressive dribble-drive ability to get to the rim. Wilcher will create looks for his buddies along the way, and can finish despite contact. There won’t be many minutes left on the wing with all of the veterans having had their turns, but Brady Dunlap might be too good to keep off of the floor. The team’s only other incoming freshman, Dunlap has great length and an outside shot that’s ready for the high majors. “I have been hearing about Coach Pitino throughout my whole life,” Dunlap told 247Sports upon his commitment. “My dad coached against him in the ACC. He is a Hall of Famer. My goal is to get better and win a lot of games. He has the resume of winning a lot of games.”
With one of the most loaded rosters of any team in America, St. John’s is poised to return – consistently, finally, hopefully – to their winning ways of yore. Pitino knows that it’s a big challenge to pull off a quick turnaround in as tough a league as any on the continent, but he didn’t take this job to screw around. “I am more passionate today than I was when I was 30 because my window’s closing. Let’s face it, I’m 71. I signed a six-year contract, and I’m hoping I can finish it,” he told Adam Zagoria this summer.
“If I could get to the point where we have 12-13 kids with a high motor, then we’re gonna win,” Pitino continued. Fortunately for Pitino, he’s well on his way towards accumulating a team full of players who bring it like they want to shock the world.
It’s fitting that this rebuilding project is underway in the city of cities. Where else to properly grab the spotlight and write the tale you would choose? It may be tough in the Big East, but it’s also going to be tough to play the Johnnies this year.
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