It might be the biggest weekend of the St. John’s basketball offseason and one that could dictate the expectations for the Johnnies next season.
The Red Storm will host Arizona State center Massamba Diop on a visit beginning Friday in hopes of landing the 7-foot-1 freshman to be its anchor and replacement for departing superstar Zuby Ejiofor.
Diop has been linked to the Red Storm for weeks and is also considering Gonzaga after visiting the campus of the Bulldogs last weekend. He averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game last season with the Sun Devils while shooting 56.9-percent from the field.
Some have projected him to be a potential first round pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.
After its season ended, head coach Rick Pitino told fans in a video that his coaching staff was “looking strongly” at 7-foot centers because the remaining teams in the Elite 8 had at least one major rim protector, something the Johnnies didn’t have.
Since entering the portal, Massamba Diop, who turned 21 years old in January, was considered one of the Top 10 players to transfer and one of the three best centers, which all have been linked to St. John’s.
The Red Storm hoped to get Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga on a visit, but he committed to Louisville on his first official visit and the program hosted Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam, who remains uncommitted.
St. John’s got a commitment from Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman earlier this week, ripping him away from Kentucky’s grasp, without him visiting the campus and have been very active in the international market by landing British point guard Quinn Ellis, Montenegro native Djordije Jovanovic, and Serbian 7-footer Lazar Stojkovic.
The Red Storm will return guards Ian Jackson and Lefteris Liotopolous as well as forward Ruben Prey next season.
Yet the presence of Massamba Diop, a native of Senegal, could catapult the Johnnies into the favorite to win its third straight Big East championship as well as a Final Four contender.
It will take a lot to get a commitment this weekend and could surely turn into a bidding war between the St. John’s and Gonzaga but make no mistake about it, Massamba Diop is one of the most important transfers to visit the Red Storm in Rick Pitino’s tenure as its head coach and will be treated as such by the coaching staff.
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