Particle.news
Download on the App Store

St. John's Enters Opener With Overhauled Roster as Pitino Leans on Shooting and Shared Ballhandling

Oziyah Sellers is slated to start at point in a motion-heavy scheme following an offseason reset to address last season’s three-point deficiency.

Overview

  • Only one starter returns in Zuby Ejiofor as Rick Pitino spent the summer teaching his system to integrate a large transfer class.
  • Oziyah Sellers is listed to start at point guard against Quinnipiac with Dylan Darling backing up, while Dillon Mitchell has been used as a point forward.
  • St. John’s targeted perimeter help by adding Joson Sanon, Ian Jackson, and Sellers, three transfers who each shot at least 37% from three last season, after finishing 339th nationally at 30.1%.
  • An exhibition overtime loss to No. 7 Michigan at Madison Square Garden offered an early stress test for a roster still building cohesion.
  • Preseason projections foresee balanced scoring across five players and suggest Darling could close games by mid-January, with predictions of mixed results at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas.