Quinn Ellis might not be the most talented player on the St. John’s basketball roster, and he might not end up being the best player on the team either, but through two preseason games he’s already shown that he is trending towards being the most valuable.
Ellis logged over 56 minutes in the Red Storm’s quadruple overtime exhibition victory over Rutgers on Sunday and netted 13 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, four blocks, and only one turnover.
In total, he’s played 83:06 through two preseason games and committed just three turnovers, averaging one per 27.6 minutes.
“He has played terrific,” Rick Pitino said of Ellis following the game on Sunday.
“I think [Quinn] Ellis is the guy on the basketball team that’s fundamentally sound, knows how to play, and he’s a well-conditioned athlete.”
Ellis was cleared by the NCAA nearly two weeks ago and it was the biggest win for St. John’s, who has three other players – Babacar Sane, Keyshawn Hall, and Reed Bailey – that are hoping to be fully cleared by the legal system after being denied eligibility by the NCAA.
So far, all three players have temporary restraining orders that allow them to be on the court for the Johnnies.
But as Rick Pitino learned the news that he didn’t have to go to court for Ellis, he had the biggest smile in the world. He knew how important Quinn Ellis would be for his team and it has shown when the Red Storm have been on the court.
Avery Brown, a backup point guard that transferred into St. John’s from Columbia, did not get off the bench against Rutgers nor did Casper Pohto, a sophomore guard who was injured for the majority of last season despite playing sparingly when he was healthy.
Throughout the preseason Rick Pitino has said Ian Jackson is the team’s backup point guard, a position that he did not transition well to last year but must potentially play out of need for the Johnnies this year.
Keyshawn Hall has also spent time with the ball in his hands through two exhibitions when Ellis has not been on the floor, but it’s clear that whenever the former EuroLeague guard is on the court, Pitino demands that he has the ball.
Quinn Ellis and No. 13 St. John’s will close its preseason on Sunday afternoon (12:00 p.m. ET, MSG Network and ESPN+) inside Madison Square Garden against No. 7 Texas.
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