Rumble In The Garden
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St. John’s forward Babacar Sane remains eligible through Players Era Festival after second hearing goes undecided
St. John’s forward Babacar Sane remains eligible to play after a second Queens Supreme Court hearing ends without a decision on his NCAA lawsuit. A temporary restraining order lets him suit up for the upcoming non‑conference game against Syracuse on Sunday and the Players Era Festival later this month, where the Red Storm face Oregon, Texas Tech or Louisville, and possibly two more teams. The case hinges on Sane’s 2024 Exhibit‑10 contract with the Utah Jazz, which he never attended training camp for. Sane, a former G‑League and European pro who debuted with five points against Monmouth, is expected back versus Colgate on Nov. 11.
St. John’s men’s basketball blasts Iona in lights-out offensive showcase
St. John’s Red Storm explode for a 104-65 victory over Iona in their season‑opening home game at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 8, 2026. The team shoots 55.2% overall and 46.4% from three, with five players in double figures and a 22‑assist, four‑turnover performance. Transfer forward Toundi Yessoufou leads with 23 points, seven rebounds and three steals, while Ian Jackson adds 17 points and three early threes. A relentless press forces 15 first‑half turnovers, fueling a 54‑23 halftime lead that swells to 42 points before reserves close the game. St. John’s (2‑0) next faces Colgate at Carnesecca Arena on Nov. 11.
Game thread: St. John’s men’s basketball vs. Iona
St. John’s (1-0) hosts Iona (2-0) Sunday at Madison Square Garden in a non‑conference showdown. The Red Storm, ranked No. 13, lead the all‑time series 8‑3 and are 97% favored to win, with KenPom predicting an 83‑62 victory. No injury updates are noted. Coach Rick Pitino expects freshman Theo Edema to debut and stay in the rotation, while former captain Sadiku Ibine Ayo returns to MSG. The game streams on Peacock with commentary from Jake Knapp and Tarik Turner, and radio on 880 AM ESPN New York. Follow live updates via @rumbleSBN on X or the Bluesky account.
St. John’s men’s basketball vs. Iona game preview: Scouting, keys, and prediction
St. John’s opens its Madison Square Garden slate on Sunday at 12 p.m. against Iona, a matchup steeped in Rick Pitino history—he coached the Gaels from 2020‑23. The Red Storm, 8‑3 all‑time vs. Iona and fresh off a 91‑64 win last season, rely on transfer guard Keyshawn Hall, who dropped 26 points in the season opener, and freshman center Theo Edema, who could finally debut. Iona, 2‑0, rides the hot hand of transfer guard Kevon Vanderhorst (18.5 pts, 60.9% shooting) and former Red Storm captain Sadiku Ibine Ayo, now a starter for the Gaels. The preview breaks down scoring keys, defensive outlooks, and a prediction for the 12 p.m. Peacock broadcast.
St. John’s welcomes back former captain Sadiku Ibine Ayo in Sunday’s game versus Iona
St. John’s will face Iona on Sunday at Madison Square Garden as former two‑time captain Sadiku Ibine Ayo returns to his alma mater. Coach Rick Pitino, who recruited Ayo from Iona to St. John’s in 2023, hails the forward’s leadership, noting his role in the Red Storm’s back‑to‑back Big East titles despite modest on‑court stats. Ayo left after a sophomore‑year injury to seek more minutes at Iona, where he has started the first two games, scoring 10 points and grabbing five rebounds against NJIT after a scoreless debut versus Vermont. The reunion adds emotional weight to the non‑conference matchup.
Freshman Theo Edema making strong first impression on St. John’s men’s basketball
Freshman center Theo Edema (23) is already making an impact on St. John’s men’s basketball. The 6‑foot‑11 Nigerian, who arrived this summer, impressed in preseason, notably with four offensive rebounds in a second‑half surge against Texas. Coach Rick Pitino likens Edema’s competitive, upbeat attitude to former captain Zuby Ejiofor’s early years and expects him to join the rotation after a strategic scratch in the Monmouth opener. Edema is set to make his collegiate debut versus Iona on Sunday at 12 p.m. on Peacock, bringing energy, strong post play, and a willingness to learn.
Ruben Prey adjusting to new center role with St. John’s men’s basketball
Ruben Prey steps into the starting center role for St. John’s after Zuby Ejiofor’s departure, marking his first real time in the paint. The former understudy, who thrived as an outside scorer alongside Ejiofor and Dillon Mitchell, posted a modest 2 points and 4 rebounds in the season opener against Monmouth. Coach Rick Pitino praises Prey’s practice intensity and believes he can improve rebounding and shot‑blocking as the team heads to its first road game at the Thanksgiving‑week Players’ Era Festival in Las Vegas, where he’ll face bigs like Arizona’s Motijeus Krivas and UConn’s Najai Hines.
St. John’s men’s basketball lands program’s highest-ranked recruit Malachi Jordan
St. John’s men's basketball lands its highest‑ranked recruit ever as five‑star small forward Malachi Jordan commits to the Red Storm. Rated the No. 20 prospect and sixth‑best small forward in the 2027 class by 247Sports, Jordan chose St. John’s over offers from Vanderbilt, Kansas, Tennessee, USC and Washington. The 6‑foot‑7, 225‑lb Nashville native boasts a 6‑foot‑11 wingspan, explosive vertical and versatile scoring, though scouts note he can be inefficient when off‑rhythm. Jordan will join a roster set to lose guards Ian Jackson and Tounde Yessoufou to the NBA and senior players Keyshawn Hall, Quinn Ellis and Reed Bailey, while the program eyes four‑star power forward Godson Okokoh next weekend.
St. John’s men’s basketball rolls Monmouth in choppy season opener
St. John’s rolled past Monmouth 78‑63 in its 13th straight season‑opening win on Nov. 2, 2026, but offensive rust lingered. Keyshawn Hall led with 26 points and nine rebounds, while junior guard Ian Jackson sparked a second‑half surge with 13 points and three triples. Freshman Quinn Ellis debuted with 8 points, five assists and five steals. Coach Rick Pitino warned the team “stood around” and needs better ball movement, as the Red Storm shot just 35% overall. They aim to tighten up for the Nov. 8 showdown with Iona at MSG.
Game thread: St. John’s men’s basketball vs. Monmouth
The season‑opening showdown pits No. 13 St. John's Red Storm against the Monmouth Hawks on Monday, Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m. in Queens' Carnesecca Arena, streamed on ESPN+. St. John's enters the game unbeaten in four past meetings, including an 88‑83 win in 2021, and KenPom gives them an 87‑65 edge with a 98% win probability. Key notes: five‑star recruit Malachi Jordan ranks the program among his top three, four‑star prospect Godson Okokoh visits this weekend, and three Red Storm players land on the Naismith preseason watch lists. Fans get a chance to win back‑to‑back Big East champion pennants, while injury updates list Kyle Cuffe, Jr. as a questionable. Follow live updates on @rumbleSBN and the SB Nation app.
Join us for the 2026-27 St. John’s basketball season on the SB Nation app
The post celebrates St. John's head coach Rick Pitino’s 67‑65 win over Kansas in the 2026 NCAA tournament and uses the moment to promote the new SB Nation app for college basketball fans. Launched two months ago, the app (iOS and Android) lets users comment, read feeds, and join real‑time game chats with faster loading and notification features. It highlights record‑breaking daily comment activity and offers a streamlined front‑page view for traditional readers. The team urges fans to download the app to enjoy live reactions to every crossover, alley‑oop, and block during the 2026‑27 season.
St. John’s men’s basketball vs. Monmouth game preview: Scouting, keys, and prediction
St. John’s opens its 2026‑27 season on Monday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+ against Monmouth, flaunting a 12‑game opening‑night streak and a 27.3‑point average win margin under Rick Pitino. Keyshawn Hall, fresh from a 19.0 ppg showing in scrimmages, is cleared to play and could become a Big East POY contender, while junior guard Ian Jackson looks poised for a breakout after improving his shooting to 51.3% in recent exhibitions. Point guard Quinn Ellis boasts a 16‑to‑1 assist‑to‑turnover ratio, likely vying for the league’s assist lead. Monmouth, fresh from a 19‑15 campaign and ranking 27th nationally in forced turnovers, relies on sophomore forward Stefanos Spartalis (10.7 ppg, 5.1 reb) to lead a reshaped roster after losing four top scorers to the transfer portal. The matchup pits a dominant Red Storm against a defensively‑solid Hawks seeking their first NCAA bid since 2006.
St. John’s men’s basketball planning recruiting visit for four-star recruit Godson Okokoh
Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm shifts focus from the transfer portal to high‑school recruiting, scheduling a campus visit for four‑star Canadian forward Godson Okokoh on Nov. 6‑7. Ranked No. 111 by 247Sports, the 6‑ft‑8 Ottawa native—who logged a standout Overtime Elite season with Bella Vista Prep’s City Reapers, shined at the Nike EYBL Scholastic and Under Armour circuits, and helped Canada win the FIBA U‑18 AmeriCup gold—has also visited West Virginia and fields offers from Kansas, Ohio State, USC and others. Okokoh follows five‑star Malachi Jordan’s recent trip as St. John’s prepares for its season opener vs. Monmouth on Nov. 2.
St. John’s men’s basketball wrangles Texas in encouraging exhibition finale
St. John’s capped its preseason with an 87‑74 wire‑to‑wire win over No. 7 Texas at Madison Square Garden, showing it can compete with elite teams. Guard Tounde Yessoufou led the charge with 23 points, five assists and five steals, while Ian Jackson added 18 points and three triples and Keyshawn Hall posted a game‑high 24. The Red Storm forced ten Texas turnovers in the first half and built a 49‑31 halftime lead, eventually stretching the margin to 22 before easing off. Coach Rick Pitino praised the "quantum leap" and the team now turns its focus to the season opener against Monmouth on Nov. 2.
Exhibition game thread: St. John’s men’s basketball vs. Texas
St. John’s (No. 13) faces a final preseason test against No. 7 Texas at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, 12 p.m. The Red Storm, fresh off a 104‑99 exhibition win over Rutgers, rely on guard Quinn Ellis, who nearly posted a triple‑double and offers size‑defensive versatility against Texas’s frontcourt. Concerns linger over St. John’s 22% three‑point shooting and rebounding, with center Ruben Prey still silent on the glass. Texas brings a 7‑foot center, Matas Vokietaitis (15.6 ppg), and freshman Malachi Jordan will attend the game. The all‑time series is tied 1‑1, last decided by a 77‑76 Texas win in 2006. The matchup airs on MSG Network and ESPN+.
Five-star high school recruit Malachi Jordan to visit St. John’s this weekend
St. John’s will host five‑star small forward Malachi Jordan, the No. 19 overall and #6 small forward in the 2027 class, for a weekend recruiting visit. Jordan, a 6‑foot‑7 wing from Nashville with a 6‑foot‑11+ wingspan, will tour campus Friday and attend the Red Storm’s exhibition against Texas at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. The visit follows interest from Alabama, USC, Kansas and others, and he holds offers from UConn, Ohio State and more. If he signs, Jordan would be the highest‑ranked high‑school commit of the Rick Pitino era at St. John’s.
St. John’s fifth-year forward Reed Bailey wins injunction in California eligibility case
St. John’s forward Reed Bailey secures an injunction in the California Glancy v. NCAA case, clearing him to play in the 2026‑27 season after a court ruling on October 14. The decision, part of a broader eligibility battle for the class of 2022, is likely to be appealed by the NCAA. Bailey joins teammates Babacar Sane and Keyshawn Hall, who hold temporary restraining orders, while point guard Quinn Ellis recently received NCAA clearance. The 6‑foot‑10 transfer, who posted 18.8 points per game at Davidson and later averaged 8.3 at Indiana, now contributes off the bench, averaging 6.5 points and 4 rebounds in early scrimmages. The Red Storm, ranked 13th, wrap up preseason with an exhibition against No. 7 Texas on Oct. 25, streamed on ESPN+.
Five St. John’s men’s basketball alumni make NBA opening day rosters
Five St. John’s men’s basketball alumni land spots on NBA opening‑day rosters, giving the Red Storm its strongest NBA presence in decades. First‑round pick Zuby Ejiofor (23rd overall, Atlanta Hawks) joins rookie teammates Dillon Mitchell (40th, Boston Celtics) and Bryce Hopkins (49th, Denver Nuggets) – the first trio of St. John’s selected in the same draft era. Veteran Julian Champagnie starts his fifth season with the San Antonio Spurs after a career‑best 11.1 points and a franchise‑record 11 threes in a single game, signing a three‑year, $45 million deal. Undrafted Daniss Jenkins secures a two‑year, $8 million standard contract with the Detroit Pistons after clutch playoff performances. The article highlights contracts, draft history, and the alumni’s expected roles for the 2026‑27 season.
St. John’s men’s basketball enters at No. 13 in AP Top 25 preseason poll
St. John’s men’s basketball opens the 2026‑27 season ranked No. 13 in the AP preseason poll, the first back‑to‑back preseason ranking since the early ’90s. Fresh off a Sweet 16 run and a No. 5 preseason spot last year, the Red Storm boast the nation’s top transfer class, including Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou and Auburn’s Keyshawn Hall, plus international talent like Quinn Ellis. They’ve already notched a 29‑point win over Drexel and a quadruple‑OT thriller versus Rutgers, and face at least four ranked foes—including UConn, Louisville/Texas Tech, Arizona and Alabama—before ending preseason play against No. 7 Texas on Oct. 25.
St. John’s men’s basketball overcomes 20-point deficit, beats Rutgers in wild quadruple overtime exhibition
St. John’s men’s basketball rallied from a 20‑point halftime hole to beat Rutgers 104‑99 in a historic four‑overtime exhibition at Madison Square Garden. Rutgers led 46‑28 at the break, but a 30‑6 second‑half surge sparked by Ian Jackson and Keyshawn Hall (each finished with 24 points, Hall added 14 rebounds) flipped the tide. Senior point guard Quinn Ellis logged 13 points, nine assists and just one turnover in a marathon 56‑minute performance, while the Johnnies hit a perfect 8‑of‑8 from the line in the final overtime. The win sets up a preseason finale versus Texas on Oct. 25.
Exhibition game thread: St. John’s men’s basketball vs. Rutgers
After an 81-52 blowout of Drexel in their preseason opener Wednesday night, the Red Storm are back in exhibition action against Rutgers at the World’s Most Famous Arena. The Scarlet Knights are coming off a narrow 77-75 defeat to Villanova in their first preseason game last Sunday, October 11, in which they played without their […]
New look St. John’s men’s basketball stifles Drexel in preseason opener
Wednesday’s contest against Drexel looked every part like a mid-October exhibition, yet St. John’s came away with plenty to be excited about ahead of the new season. Touting ten newcomers on their fully eligible roster (for now), the Red Storm showcased their athleticism in an 81-52 blowout win over the Dragons, holding them to 25.8% […]
Exhibition game thread: St. John’s men’s basketball vs. Drexel
There is no doubt this was the most overwhelmingly chaotic offseason that St. John’s has ever seen. Not only was there the usual transfer portal mayhem, but there was a devastating injury to key addition Donnie Freeman that ended his season before it began, international signings galore—a couple of whom couldn’t join the program—multiple fifth-year […]
Standout point guard Quinn Ellis ruled eligible to play for St. John’s by NCAA
Just moments after a New York court ruled that Keyshawn Hall’s temporary restraining order will remain in place, Rick Pitino and the Red Storm received even more good news, this time in another eligibility battle. Multiple reports say the NCAA ruled former EuroLeague point guard Quinn Ellis eligible to play for St. John’s in the […]
St. John’s men’s basketball announces tip-off times and broadcast information for 2026-27 season
The Red Storm revealed the tip-off times and broadcast information for nearly all of its 2026-27 men’s basketball games earlier this week. The athletics department has not yet announced broadcast information or tip-off times for its matchup against Alabama on Saturday, December 12, or any of its Players Era Festival games, though ESPN will broadcast […]
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