The St. John’s basketball program was hit with its first piece of adversity last week when standout Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman underwent surgery for a torn Achilles that he suffered during a workout at the end of June and now it’s time for Rick Pitino to figure out how he will deal with the loss.
Pitino could still look to add someone to his roster via the international prospect route, something the Johnnies did quite often during the spring, but there also could be more on the plate of several players already on the team.
St. John’s was already expecting major contributions from returning guard Ian Jackson as well as incoming additions Quinn Ellis and Tounde Yessoufou but not only will there be more on their shoulders but the expectations of those around them are rising too.
The player that might be directly impacted the most by the loss of Donnie Freeman is 6-foot-7 wing Babacar Sane. The Senegalese standout could slide into the expected slot of Freeman in the starting lineup and give the Johnnies the same type of athleticism and versatility.
Sane has been playing with Senegal in the FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers, which resumed play last week, and has averaged 13.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 steals over three games while shooting 50-percent from the floor (16-for-32) yet 26.3-percent (5-for-19) from 3-point range.
If St. John’s can get consistent 3-point shooting from Babacar Sane, he could be the perfect two-way fit for Rick Pitino this season.
As Sane rises up the Red Storm’s depth chart, as does Djordje Jovanovic.
Jovanovic enters Queens as another veteran, international player whose experience can list him as a 3-and-D type player. Like Sane, the Montenegro native also played in a FIBA World Cup European Qualifier last week and went for 12 points and four rebounds on 4-of-6 shooting.
Jovanovic is one of the biggest question marks on the St. John’s roster who is expected to play a role on this team as he arrives on campus. If he can provide a scoring punch off the bench along with stable defense, he could be a solution to figuring out the frontcourt rotation.
Lastly, a player that St. John’s will be reliant upon regardless of the Donnie Freeman injury is Ruben Prey, but his development becomes much more important with Freeman sidelined.
Prey is slotted to fill the role vacated by Zuby Ejiofor and be that dominant force in the paint that the Red Storm have enjoyed for the last two seasons. The Johnnies added a pair of freshmen centers for depth this offseason, Theo Edema and Lazar Stojkovic, but it was Freeman that could have played spot minutes at center in place of Prey.
Now, the spotlight will be even larger on Ruben Prey, entering his junior season, with many around the program, conference, and country expecting him to be one of the most improved players in the league.
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