The official start of the college basketball season is still nearly two months away but the first official practice for teams begin on Monday, September 21 and Rick Pitino loves what he has been seeing from Ian Jackson during St. John’s basketball workouts.
Jackson opted to return to the Red Storm this offseason, trusting the plan Pitino has for him after the Hall of Famer admitted he made a mistake trying to make him into a point guard last season.
“So excited about the early play of Ian Jackson,” Pitino posted on social media. “Really learning how to be great the right way. Going to be one of the best players in the nation!”
Jackson averaged 9.4 points per game last season in his first year with the Johnnies following his transfer from North Carolina. The Bronx native shot 34.3-percent from 3-point range and 40.9-percent from the floor.
So excited about the early play of Ian Jackson. Really learning how to be great the right way. Going to be one of the best players in the nation!
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) September 15, 2026
Entering the season, he is one of two key players that St. John’s returned – joining Ruben Prey – as the roster still has questions about who will be eligible in early November. Auburn and Indiana transfers Keyshawn Hall and Reed Bailey, respectively, are hunting for a fifth year of eligibility while Senegalese forward Babacar Sane will have a hearing on October 1 about his status for the upcoming season after the NCAA deemed in ineligible.
Sane received a temporary restraining order from the Queens Supreme Court that would currently give him the ability to play. Hall is also in the midst of his legal battle searching for another year while Bailey was granted a restraining order in a California court case.
British point guard Quinn Ellis is still waiting for a ruling from the NCAA on his status after spending time in the EuroLeague.
Regardless, Ian Jackson will be a mainstay in the St. John’s rotation this season and will be relied upon, next to Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou, to be one of the team’s leading scorers.
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