St. John’s Basketball Season Preview 2024-25: Top games, significant players to watch, predictions, and more
St. John’s endured an up-and-down 2023-24 college basketball season, highlighted by a six-game winning streak between the tail end of the regular season and the first round of the Big East Tournament. However, they weren’t chosen to compete in the NCAA Tournament and declined an invite to the NIT to set their sights on the upcoming season
Rick Pitino and his men are back with a vengeance, picking two highly-rated guards available in the transfer portal and acquiring one of the Top 20 shooting guards in the freshman class. Here’s a closer look into St. John’s upcoming season from its biggest games to what’s in store for the team in this year’s campaign.
St. John’s biggest games in the 2024-25 season
St. John’s will have a challenging schedule for the 2024-25 season, as it faces a mix of local rivals and national powers. They’ll open the season with a home game against Fordham on November 4 at the Carnesecca Arena.
Two weeks later, they head to the Madison Square Garden to face New Mexico in a father-son encounter. The elder Pitino faces his son and Lobos’ head coach Richard Pitino. This will be the fourth time the Pitinos will clash on the sidelines as the former Boston University, Providence Kentucky, Louisville and Iona mentor holds a 2-1 lead against his son in their head-to-head.The Red Storm will head to the Bahamas on Nov. 21 to take part in the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship. Other teams competing in the event are Baylor, Virginia and Tennessee. The Johnnies will remain in the Bahamas on Nov. 24 to clash with Georgia.
St. John’s concludes its non-conference schedule with a four-game homestand against Harvard, Big 12 team Kansas State, Bryant and Delaware at the Carnesecca Arena.The Big East has yet to unveil its regular season schedule but they are set to face defending back-to-back champions UConn and 2024 NCAA Tournament participants Creighton and Marquette at least once.
Key St. John’s players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season
St. John’s had snapped up one of the best transfer portal hauls in recent history. Four of them are capable of leading one team to a winning season and yet they’re in one team under a legendary coach. Here are the three players that are expected to bring excitement to Red Storm fans this coming season.
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#1. Deivon SmithDeivon Smith (Image Source: IMAGN)
Deivon Smith (Image Source: IMAGN)
Deivon Smith is coming off a stellar season with Utah, where he averaged 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists. The six-foot Smith excelled in his lone season with the Utes, recording five triple-doubles, the most by any player in Pac-12 history.
He recorded two of his triple-doubles during Utah’s run in the NIT to become the first player in the last two decades to record multiple triple-doubles in the same postseason tournament.
#2. Kadary RichmondKadary Richmond (Image Source: IMAGN)
Kadary Richmond (Image Source: IMAGN)
Brooklyn native Kadary Richmond was the key player in Seton Hall’s run in the 2024 NIT. He posted averages of 15.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game in 35 games. The six-foot-six combo guard scored 21 points and 13 rebounds in the Pirates’ NIT championship win over Indiana State, 79-77.
Richmond was named in the first team of the 2024 All-Big East team and is expected to form a fearsome backcourt combination with Deivon Smith and Simeon Wilcher in St. John’s.
#3. Aaron ScottSt. John’s has acquired North Texas transfer Aaron Scott, who is coming off a spectacular 2023-24 season with the Mean Green, where he averaged 11.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 1.8 apg. The 6-foot-7 forward is expected to give additional firepower in the wing position and help Smith and Richmond on the offensive end.
Scott made a key block in the final seconds of North Texas’ 2023 NIT semifinal win over Wisconsin and tallied 14 points and seven rebounds in the championship clash against UAB.
St. John’s predictions for the 2024-25 season
St. John’s is a serious contender in the Big East due to their transfer portal acquisitions, ranked fourth-best in the nation as per 247 Sports. With Rick Pitino at the helm, this 13-man strong lineup could win 24 or 25 games in the regular season and is a contender in the Big East Tournament.
It could eventually receive an invite to the NCAA Tournament where it could compete with the best schools in the nation. An Elite Eight finish will be an achievement for St. John’s this season but it depends on how Pitino uses his experience and wisdom to motivate his players to move forward.
