St. John's Basketball Has Wide-Ranging Floor and Ceiling

The St. John's Red Storm are heading into the 2026-27 men's college basketball season with a few question marks on their roster.

Eligibility concerns are going to exist when they start the season against the Monmouth Hawks. Forward Babacar Sane will have his next hearing on Nov. 9 after two regular season games, and Keyshawn Hall still doesn't have a final determination about his eligibility.

That uncertainty is why the Red Storm have such wide-ranging possibilities for how their season will unfold. Evan Miyakawa did 10,000 season simulations, and St. John's is among the most volatile teams in men's basketball. The uncertainty about eligible players was baked into the simulations, which is as big a reason as any for the outcomes.

The preseason No. 8 team in the rankings Miyakawa uses, St. John's, is one of eight teams that have a ceiling of being the No. 1-ranked team in the country. Joining them in that regard are the Florida Gators, Duke Blue Devils, Illinois Fighting Illini, Arizona Wildcats, UConn Huskies, Kansas Jayhawks and Gonzaga Bulldogs.

St. John's has best team in the country upside

On the median, the Red Storm finish a little lower than their preseason ranking, coming in at No. 12. Fans will certainly like that outcome more than the floor, which has St. John's finishing at No. 41.

That floor finish as the worst-case outcome for the program almost certainly includes some of the players fighting for eligibility not being allowed to play. Losing Sane or Hall would be a massive blow to the team's depth at the power forward spot.

Luckily, that is the deepest position on the team. Another fifth-year player, Reed Bailey, plays power forward. In an ideal world, Ruben Prey would also be playing power forward, but he is taking one for the team and starting at center.

As the season moves along, that could change if Theo Edema can emerge as a reliable producer. A freshman who reclassified to the Class of 2026, he has some developing to do before he is ready for the rigors of college basketball, but he has the size and frame to get the job done.

It all starts tomorrow
: https://t.co/2wImDBw4Xj#RedStorm | @SullivanPapainpic.twitter.com/aMsSpgUsiW

- St. John's Men's Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) November 1, 2026

Enough of the worst-case scenario talk. Fans want to get excited about their team, and the No. 1 finish is certainly within reach given how much talent head coach Rick Pitino is going to have at his disposal.

Point guard Quinn Ellis is a potential star in the making, as he was recognized as such by being named to the Preseason Bob Cousy Award Watch List. Tounde Yessoufou is on the Preseason Julius Irving Award Watch List, and Hall made the cut for the Preseason Karl Malone Watch List.

Not in the award watch list group but an integral part of the team's success will be Ian Jackson, who is in Year 2 with St. John's. He is poised for a big season, receiving plenty of praise from Pitino.

Once the eligibility concerns are ironed out and focus turns entirely to the hardwood, the Red Storm will emerge as one of the best teams in the country.

Today's best reads

• St. John's Basketball Will Need Rick Pitino To Work Magic To Reach Ceiling
• St. John's Basketball Passes Litmus Test Against Texas Longhorns
• Ruben Prey Stepping up for St. John's Basketball in Frontcourt
• Theo Edema Can Develop Into Major Contributor for St. John's Basketball
• Predicting Quinn Ellis' Stats in 2026-27 for St. John's Basketball

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/st-johns as St. John's Basketball Has Wide-Ranging Floor and Ceiling.