St. John’s men’s basketball roster and season developments

The St. John’s Red Storm men’s basketball team has addressed key roster availability ahead of the 2026-27 season. In mid-October, players Keyshawn Hall and Quinn Ellis secured eligibility to play. Hall obtained a ruling from a Queens Supreme Court judge against an NCAA attempt to lift a temporary restraining order, allowing him to seek a fifth year of eligibility. Concurrently, the NCAA declared Ellis eligible following a reinstatement process regarding his prior professional play in the Euro League.

As the team enters the regular season, they have seen a rise in national standing, moving to No. 13 in the rankings following a 78-63 victory over Monmouth in their season opener. In that debut, Keyshawn Hall recorded 26 points and nine rebounds, while Quinn Ellis contributed eight points, seven assists, five rebounds, and five steals. Other notable contributors in the opener included Ian Jackson with 13 points and Tounde Yessoufou with 12 points.

Head coach Rick Pitino has noted the increasing competitiveness of the Big East, citing improvements in programs such as Xavier, Georgetown, Providence, and Creighton. While the team focuses on frontcourt depth, Ruben Prey has been playing out of his natural power forward position to cover the center spot. The roster continues to feature perimeter talent including Jackson, Yessoufou, and Ellis as the team aims to maintain dominance in a conference that includes highly ranked programs like UConn and Marquette.