St. John's Red Storm News

College Basketball Catchup: JuJu Watkins Shows Off, UConn Rebounds Behind Strong

JuJu Watkins looks like her best self after injury, Sarah Strong didn't let UConn lose a second time, a 40-point game and more from Sunday's...

11 HOURS AGO • FOX SPORTS

College Basketball Catchup: JuJu Watkins Shows Off, UConn Rebounds Behind Strong

Yessoufou scores 23 points as No. 13 St. John's overwhelms Iona 104-65 in MSG season debut

Tounde Yessoufou scored 23 points and No. 13 St. John’s overwhelmed Iona on both ends in a 104-65 victory in the Red Storm's season debut at Madison Square Garden

1 DAY AGO • Associated Press

Keyshawn Hall scores 26 points in impressive debut as No. 13 St. John's beats Monmouth 78-63

Keyshawn Hall made his first six shots and scored 26 points in an impressive debut, leading No. 13 St. John’s to a 78-63 victory over Monmouth in the season opener for both teams

NOVEMBER 3 • Associated Press

Tounde Yessoufou - Tallies 12 off bench Yessoufou had 12 points (3-8 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-6 FT), five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block across 22 minutes off the bench in Monday's 78-63 victory over Monmouth.

Impact Yessoufou was surprisingly absent from the starting lineup, as coach Rick Pitino strayed from his exhibition play alignment and granted Zsombor Maronka the starting nod. Maronka ended up getting held scoreless in just 14 minutes of action, while Yessoufou was the team's leading reserve and saw more minutes than any other bench player. It's unclear why the prized portal acquisition didn't get the start, but Yessoufou looks to still be a prime contributor regardless of starter status. The next chance to get a peek at St. John's alignment will be Sunday when the Red Storm host Iona.

NOVEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

Keyshawn Hall - Puts up 26 in opener Hall had 26 points (9-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-7 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and two steals across 33 minutes in Monday's 78-63 victory over Monmouth.

Impact Hall got off to a hot start and never looked back, ultimately leading the Red Storm in both scoring and field-goal attempts on the evening. With his eligibility seemingly no longer in question, Hall appears in line to take on a central role for Rick Pitino in the 2026-27 season, rewarding any fantasy managers who gambled on a draft-day discount.

NOVEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

Kyle Cuffe Jr. - Briefly appears in opener Cuffe (undisclosed) was held scoreless and logged one assist across three minutes off the bench in Monday's 78-63 victory over Monmouth.

Impact Cuffe is a fifth-year senior coming off his best collegiate season (7.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg) in 2025-26 with Mercer, but minutes were always going to be tough to come by on a talent-rich St. John's roster this season. Monday's brief appearance implies any injury concerns that limited him in exhibition play are now in the past, though it appears he may be limited to depth role this season.

NOVEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

Tounde Yessoufou - Not starting in opener Yessoufou is not in the starting lineup for Monday's season opener against Monmouth.

Impact Yessoufou will play from the bench as the Johnnies open up the season. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 17.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game across 34 contests with Baylor last season. He should still be a major contributor to the Red Storm's success this campaign.

NOVEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

Keyshawn Hall - Impresses during exhibition Hall (not injury related) logged 24 points (8-13 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 8-9 FT), three rebounds and one assist across 22 minutes during Sunday's preseason win over Texas.

Impact Back in September, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports correctly reported that a few student-athletes who appealed for eligibility in Ohio were deemed ineligible. But since then, all the players Rothstein aforementioned have become eligible with a follow-up appeal, and St. John's using Hall appears to confirm that he is also available moving forward. In that scenario, Hall will provide the Red Storm a top-tier option in their frontcourt. Last season, he averaged 19.3 points and 7.0 rebounds across his 36 games and starts for Auburn.

OCTOBER 26 • ROTOWIRE

Reed Bailey - Granted eligibility Bailey (not injury related) has been granted temporary eligibility ahead of the 2026-27 season, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports.

Impact Bailey is one of several players who received temporary eligibility to play in the 2026-27 season, but with less than two weeks before the campaign starts, the NCAA could still appeal the decision. Bailey is expected to be a reliable contributor for St. John's after a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 8.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game with Indiana.

OCTOBER 20 • ROTOWIRE

Kyle Cuffe Jr. - DNP in exhibition Cuffe (undisclosed) did not play during Wednesday's exhibition matchup against Drexel, per Kenneth Teape of SI.com.

Impact Cuffe was ruled out prior to the contest due to an undisclosed injury, as he did not warm up with the team in pregame. The 6-foot-1 senior joined St. John's in the offseason following a single seaosn with Mercer, where he averaged 7.3 points in 16.4 minutes per game across 31 contests a year ago. His next opportunity to get on the court will come in an exhibition game against Rutgers on Sunday.

OCTOBER 15 • ROTOWIRE

Casper Pohto - Available for preseason Pohto (hip) appears to be available for St. John's preseason schedule, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post.

Impact St. John's preseason schedule begins Wednesday, and Braziller mentioned that all members of the Red Storm's entire roster would be available then. It includes Pohto, indicating that he can mark his return from a hip injury that sidelined him for most of his 2025-26 season. For it, he played six games, averaging 4.5 minutes per matchup.

OCTOBER 13 • ROTOWIRE

College Basketball Rankings: Florida, Duke Highlight Men's Preseason Top 25

FOX Sports' Casey Jacobsen shares his men's college basketball preseason top 25 rankings.

OCTOBER 12 • FOX SPORTS

College Basketball Rankings: Florida, Duke Highlight Men's Preseason Top 25

UConn Huskies, Silas Demary Jr. Top Big East Preseason Polls

UConn has been picked to win the Big East by the league’s coaches with defending champion St. John’s the second choice.

OCTOBER 1 • FOX SPORTS

UConn Huskies, Silas Demary Jr. Top Big East Preseason Polls

Keyshawn Hall - Remains ineligible Hall remains ineligible for 2026-27 season, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Impact Hall is still not cleared to return to basketball after the Ohio Court of Appeals denied an emergency motion to vacate the NCAA's stay. The 6-foot-7 forward's chances of suiting up for St. John's are slimming down, though a path to playing could open up depending on ongoing legal battles. Last season with Auburn, he started all 36 games and averaged 19.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists across 33.6 minutes per game.

SEPTEMBER 15 • ROTOWIRE

Keyshawn Hall - Commits to St. John's Hall has committed to St. John's for the 2026-27 season, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports.

Impact Hall was granted a preliminary injunction in Ohio in July, and he'll use that extra year of eligibility to play for one of the contenders in the Big East. Hall should see regular playing time in this upcoming season after an impressive 2025-26 campaign in which he averaged 19.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists while earning Third-Team All-SEC honors for Auburn.

AUGUST 25 • ROTOWIRE

Reed Bailey - Lands at St. John's Bailey will transfer to St. John's, per The Field of 68.

Impact Bailey hit the portal with a "do not contact" tag, and sure enough, less than an hour after his entry he's reportedly signed with the Johnnies. The 6-10 forward is coming off a solid season in which he primarily came off the bench for the Hoosiers, averaging 8.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

AUGUST 18 • ROTOWIRE

St. John's forward Donnie Freeman to miss next season following surgery on Achilles tendon

St. John’s forward Donnie Freeman will miss next season with an Achilles injury after getting hurt during a workout this week

JULY 2 • Associated Press

Donnie Freeman - Suffers Achilles injury Freeman suffered a non-contact Achilles injury in an offseason workout and will now miss the entire 2026-27 season after undergoing surgery, per Rick Pitino's official "X" page.

Impact Freeman was a big offseason get for the Johnnies after coming over from Syracuse. The 6-9 transfer averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game after making 21 starts this past season. Freeman will now shift focus to recovering in time for the 2027-28 campaign.

JULY 1 • ROTOWIRE

Zuby Ejiofor could not find the words after his final game in his college career 💔

JUNE 9 • FOX SPORTS

The Big Ten HAS to win March Madness

JUNE 9 • FOX SPORTS

College Basketball Rankings: St. John's Storms Into Top 10, Kentucky Enters Top 25

With the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline in the rearview mirror, FOX Sports' Casey Jacobsen shares his updated men's college basketball rankin...

JUNE 5 • FOX SPORTS

College Basketball Rankings: St. John's Storms Into Top 10, Kentucky Enters Top 25

Lefteris Liotopoulos - Remains with St. John's Lefteris has decided to stay with St. John's for the 2026-27 season, per The Field of 68.

Impact Lefteris tested the transfer portal but will remain with the Red Storm. The 6-foot-5 guard came off the bench in 30 appearance in the 2025-26 season and averaged 2.9 points across 7.8 minutes per game. Lefteris will have two years of eligibility with St. John's.

MAY 29 • ROTOWIRE

Who Stayed? Who Left? And How It Shapes The 2026-27 College Basketball Season

Who is set to head back to college, who will move on to the pros, and how will their decisions alter the landscape of college basketball nex...

MAY 28 • FOX SPORTS

Who Stayed? Who Left? And How It Shapes The 2026-27 College Basketball Season

Tounde Yessoufou - Withdraws from draft Yessoufou has withdrawn from the NBA Draft and will play for St. John's for the 2026-27 season, per Shams Charania of ESPN.

Impact Yessoufou will withdraw from the upcoming NBA Draft after declaring in early April. The 6-foot-5 guard announced his decision to join St. John's from the portal following a dynamic freshman season with Baylor in which he averaged 17.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game across 34 contests.

MAY 28 • ROTOWIRE

Tounde Yessoufou - Committing to St. John's Yessoufour has committed to St. John's for the 2026-27 season, according PortalUpdates.

Impact The 6-foot-5 freshman guard started all 34 games played for the Bears, averaging 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Yessoufou should be a reliable option in the backcourt for St. John's, given his scoring prowess.

MAY 27 • ROTOWIRE

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College Basketball Catchup: JuJu Watkins Shows Off, UConn Rebounds Behind Strong

Yessoufou scores 23 points as No. 13 St. John's overwhelms Iona 104-65 in MSG season debut

Keyshawn Hall scores 26 points in impressive debut as No. 13 St. John's beats Monmouth 78-63

College Basketball Rankings: Florida, Duke Highlight Men's Preseason Top 25

UConn Huskies, Silas Demary Jr. Top Big East Preseason Polls

St. John's forward Donnie Freeman to miss next season following surgery on Achilles tendon

Zuby Ejiofor could not find the words after his final game in his college career 💔

The Big Ten HAS to win March Madness

College Basketball Rankings: St. John's Storms Into Top 10, Kentucky Enters Top 25

Who Stayed? Who Left? And How It Shapes The 2026-27 College Basketball Season