The National Championship -- and the 2025-26 season -- is in the books after Michigan’s win over UConn.
The iconic One Shining Moment ended at 12:01a.m. ET, one minute after the transfer portal officially opened, unintentionally signifying the start of a completely new madness in college basketball – the offseason.
Hundreds of players already announced their intentions to transfer, a number that will climb into the thousands and beyond when the portal closes on the night of April 21 as Rick Pitino and the St. John’s coaching staff have already started working on what will be a very busy offseason for the Red Storm.
St. John’s is losing its superstar frontcourt of Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins as well as starting guard Oziyah Sellers. It will likely lose other players to the portal as well.
Yet there are questions for Pitino and his staff to answer as things get hectic over the next two months and it starts up front.
How will St. John’s replace its front court?
Zuby Ejiofor is departing Queens as St. John’s most accomplished player since Chris Mullin and Walter Berry. He is impossible to replace with just one player but so is the production of Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell.
Hopkins, in the postseason, was one of the best players in the sport. He looked healthy, explosive, and aggressive while finding his 3-point shot. Mitchell was instrumental all season in the Red Storm’s success as a menace on the defensive end of the floor and playmaker on offense.
It feels impossible for St. John’s to have a frontcourt that is as productive as its trio this season unless Rick Pitino swings for the fences in the portal, but he needs players that will be versatile, strong rebounders, and defensively sound.
The bigs were the biggest strenght for the Red Storm and whoever is brought in to replace them will have massive shoes to fill.
The point guard situation must get fixed
Point guard was the position that was boom-or-bust for St. John’s all season and it is surely high on the priority list for the Red Stom this month.
After unsuccessfully trying to make Ian Jackson a point guard, Dylan Darling saved the Johnnies countless times this season and proved to be one of its most important players in conference play.
Yet Darling has limitations with his size and it’s an area that St. John’s will be looking to strengthen in the portal.
After passing on several options last offseason, there will be no shortage of point guards available for Rick Pitino to pick from in the portal and potentially utilize two ball handlers, including Dylan Darling, next season. It's a system that has worked for some of Pitino's best teams and one that feels needed in Queens.
Who will be retained?
It’s the biggest question that every fan wants to know – which players will return?
Well, Red Storm captain Sadiku Ibine Ayo will explore his options in the transfer portal with the idea of landing with a program that could give him more playing time.
Dylan Darling, Ruben Prey, and Kelvin Odih all appear trending towards returning for the 2026-27 season while there is some doubt about Lefteris Liotopoulos’ junior campaign.
The bigger names still have question marks, specifically Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon. Earlier in the season Rick Pitino mentioned that he thinks Jackson would at least test the waters of the NBA Draft and then see what his future holds although he is not projected to be selected. There have been transfer rumors circualting around the New York City native but nothing has been soldified.
Sanon, who Pitino said he welcome back, struggled in his first season with the Johnnies but saw gradual improvements throughout the season. He mentioned during the Big East Tournament that he would welcome a return for his junior year but still has not formally made a decision on what his next step will be.
Once St. John’s gets its clarity on those two players it can fully attack its offseason and survey where it needs to add more talent to its roster.