St. John’s Red Storm

2023-24 Result: 20-13 (11-9 Big East)

Key Additions

Deivon Smith (Utah)

Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall)

Aaron Scott (North Texas)

Jaiden Glover

Vincent Iwuchukwu (USC)

Rick Pitino is hopeful for a more successful season in his second year in the Big Apple. St. John’s came up just short of a tournament appearance last season but lost too many costly close games including one against Marquette and one against Seton Hall that would have been huge for their resume. Pitino was very active in the portal, but also lost several guys including their three leading scorers and Chris Ledlum, who was their 5th leading scorer. However, he brought in Deivon Smith from Utah and Kadary Richmond from conference rival Seton Hall to fill in the backcourt. Coach Pitino then brought in Aaron Scott and 7 ‘1 Vincent Iwuchukwu to bolster the frontcourt. On top of all that, he added 4-star freshman Jaiden Glover, who likely will not play a huge role this season but bodes well for the future of recruiting for the Red Storm.

Joel Soriano was a force on the glass and in the blocked shots category for St. John’s last season. He averaged nearly 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, so with him gone, they will rely on Iwuchukwu to hold down the frontcourt. He comes over from USC, where he was not asked to play very much, so he will need to take a huge leap as a junior to give the Johnnies what they need. Aaron Scott showed what he could do in the first round of the NIT against LSU before laying an egg against eventual champion Seton Hall in the second round. Scott should provide some stability as a versatile forward. The biggest addition for the defense is Kadary Richmond. He averaged over 2 steals per game last year at Seton Hall and has the versatility and size to guard four positions. RJ Luis Jr. and Deivon Smith will be important pieces of the backcourt, especially with the lack of depth and inexperience of the frontcourt. For Pitino’s squad to reach its ceiling defensively, they need to lean on the guards to contain the ball and Iwuchukwu to take a massive leap in increased minutes this season.

Offensively, St. John’s will look a little bit different than last season. They won’t have Joel Soriano to lean on on the interior, and unless Iwuchukwu improved a lot in the offseason, they will not have the same production from him. They will play a much more perimeter-oriented game this season led by Deivon Smith, Kadary Richmond, and RJ Luis. The most glaring defect of the game of those three is the lack of long-range shooting from Richmond and Luis. Smith will be great for them, but Richmond and Luis will be more slashers and drivers, along with Aaron Scott. Expect sophomore Simeon Wilcher to make a big leap this season, as he shot it very efficiently in limited minutes as a freshman and the door has opened for him to play as the first guard off the bench. There will definitely be scenarios where he is playing over one of the other guards because he has it going. St. John’s will be led by their guards and play at a fast pace offensively looking to get out in transition, but I’m still not sure if this is the collection of guys to get it done for Pitino.

While many think that St. John’s will be in a position to make the NCAA Tournament, it seems like that would be a good season for them. There is a lot of uncertainty in the frontcourt and not enough shooting in the backcourt unless Wilcher really takes off of the bench. Pitino will coach the guys up and have them in a position to make the tournament because of their defense, but they are further away than most people think.