Key Challenges St. John’s Faces for the Upcoming Season
St. John’s season ended with an 80-75 loss to No. 1 seed Duke in the NCAA East Regional semifinal on Friday night. Several veteran contributors — Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins, Dillon Mitchell and Oziyah Sellers — have exhausted their eligibility. The NCAA transfer portal opens in the second week of April, and the program faces important decisions.
Ian Jackson’s future
Ian Jackson left North Carolina to join St. John’s as a transfer. The 6-foot-5 guard arrived as the most eye-catching of six transfers this past year.
Rick Pitino attempted to convert him from shooting guard to point guard. Jackson started 19 of 37 games and averaged 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18.3 minutes per game.
He committed 1.4 turnovers per game and did not start any of the final 10 contests. His minutes fell to 14.3 per game in that stretch.
Whether Jackson enters the transfer portal depends on role clarity, alignment with Pitino, and financial considerations.
Setting the 2026-27 schedule
Pitino assembled a demanding non-conference slate to prepare the team for the postseason. Many of the high-profile games came before the roster had fully gelled.
Those early losses helped place St. John’s on course for a No. 5 seed. The team still entered Selection Sunday having won 19 of its previous 20 games and captured both the Big East regular-season and tournament titles.
The current non-conference plan includes at least three games at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, with the possibility of five. A matchup with Alabama in Birmingham is also scheduled.
Madison Square Garden plans to expand the program’s high-profile slate. Two of the three permitted exhibition games will likely be played there.
Staff must decide whether to keep six high-majors and five mid-majors in non-conference play. They also must weigh a late January or February marquee non-conference game. Pitino is wary of losing one of the two open Big East weekend slots.
Replacing Zuby Ejiofor
Zuby Ejiofor led St. John’s in points, rebounds, assists and blocked shots this season. He was also a clear locker-room leader and standard-bearer for effort.
Coaches and fansRecognize that no single incoming player can easily replicate all his contributions. Finding a mix of talent and leadership will be a priority.
Who returns?
Pitino has identified several players he expects back. He said Ruben Prey deserves a starting role next season.
Joson Sanon is described as fully committed to returning. Dylan Darling is in contention to serve as the next team captain.
Lefteris Liotopoulos remains popular with fans and draws praise for his shooting. Sadiku Ibine Ayo has been a consistent presence alongside Pitino.
Among freshmen, coaches like swingman Kelvin Odih and see point guard Casper Pohto as a developmental piece. Imran Suljanovic, a 6-foot-7 wing, missed the season after knee surgery.
Guard play and roster priorities
Guard play was a recurring problem this year. In the loss to Duke, the team’s guard group went 4-for-21 from three-point range.
St. John’s did not adequately replace Kadary Richmond or Deivon Smith from the 2024-25 team. That shortfall forced forward Dillon Mitchell into much of the ballhandling.
Adding elite guards ranks among the program’s highest priorities for the upcoming season. Guard play often determines postseason success.
The offseason will be intense. Decisions on transfers, returns and recruiting will shape how St. John’s addresses these key challenges during the upcoming season.
Roger Rubin returned to Filmogaz.com in 2018 after two decades at another news outlet. He has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011 and has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
