Overview
- Stanford transfer Oziyah Sellers will handle lead guard duties in the opener with Idaho State’s Dylan Darling backing up, while Dillon Mitchell has worked as a point forward in preseason.
- Zuby Ejiofor is the lone returning starter as St. John’s leans on a transfer class headlined by shooters Joson Sanon, Ian Jackson and Sellers after prioritizing perimeter improvement.
- Rick Pitino described the current approach as a motion-heavy, “pointless offense” with multiple ballhandlers as the group learns to play together.
- An Oct. 25 exhibition at Madison Square Garden ended in a 96-94 overtime loss to No. 7 Michigan, underscoring early chemistry and defensive questions.
- The Red Storm enter with a program-high AP preseason No. 5 ranking and Big East coaches’ favoritism, opening against Quinnipiac before facing No. 15 Alabama, as local coverage predicts mixed results later in the Las Vegas event.