St. John’s is no stranger to finding talent in the portal. Under the guidance of head coach Rick Pitino, the Queens school has been a top destination for many highly touted recruits.
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The NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal opens on Tuesday, meaning in a matter of days, players at the Division 1 level will be able to take their talents to another school of their choosing. This window remains open for 15 days, creating a busy period for any program looking to better their roster.
St. John’s is no stranger to finding talent in the portal. Under the guidance of head coach Rick Pitino, the Queens school has been a top destination for many highly touted recruits.
Bryce Hopkins, Ian Jackson and Ozyiah Sellers are just some of the names that joined the Hall of Fame coach’s Red Storm during this period. However, at least two of those players, among others, will no longer be on the roster next season.
Sadiku Ibine Ayo became the first player to enter his name into the transfer portal. The senior forward is expected to earn another year of eligibility and wants to find more opportunities outside of St. John’s.
Pitino has been at the center of his players entering the transfer portal, with him advocating for Ibine Ayo to join another program. The same could go for freshmen Kelvin Odih, Imran Suljanovic and Casper Pohto, who didn’t receive much playing time this season.
There is potential for Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon to enter the portal. In Jackson’s case, he has expressed interest in entering the NBA draft, but his inconsistent play hasn’t drawn much attention from scouts.
Pitino can retain Jackson if he is willing to spend another season in the Hall of Famer’s system. Sanon is more likely to return after becoming one of Johnnies’ more consistent three-point shooters this season.
There is potential for Dylan Darling, Ruben Prey, and Lefteris Liotopoulos to enter the transfer portal. But Pitino has also shown interest in giving all three players more opportunities in their junior seasons.
Darling and Prey are candidates for the starting five because they played key roles during the NCAA tournament.
Additionally, the starting lineup of St. John’s will look much different with Zuby Ejiofor, Hopkins and Sellers graduating from the program in May. To compensate for their departures, Pitino can focus on bringing in guards and big men to reshape the team.
Finley Bizjack is one of those players that the Red Storm can pursue. He was Big East rival Butler’s leading scorer (17.1 points), but the team went 16-16 and 7-13 in conference play.
His 6-foot-4 frame presents itself as a potential fit for the Johnnies, who have had taller guards on the roster in the past two seasons. His efficient shooting can help the Red Storm improve on their 45.4% from the field last season.
Stefan Vaaks is another Big East player whom St. John’s can express interest in. In his freshman year at Providence, Vaaks was one of its leading scorers, averaging 15.8 points per game while shooting 40.3%.
In his first game against St. John’s, his scoring was a driving force in the Friars’ come-from-behind upset win. His proficient three-point shooting could help take the Johnnies’ offense over the top in that regard.
Flory Bidunga is one of the most talented big men currently looking to transfer from Kansas.
The Red Storm saw firsthand what he could do against their defense during the NCAA tournament, when he scored 12 points against the frontcourt duo of Ejiofor and Hopkins.
However, it will be more difficult to pursue him because head coach Bill Self is returning for another season at Kansas and will try to retain Bidunga.
