Since Rick Pitino took over as head coach of the St. John's Red Storm, he has done a lot of work with the roster year after year.
Given the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics, Pitino knows that for his teams to succeed, they need to have some experienced, high-level players to win. That is why they have done so much work in the transfer portal, bringing in guys who have already experienced a level of success at the collegiate level.
However, there is still a need to keep guys in the program for multiple seasons. Ian Jackson and Ruben Prey are great examples of that on this season's roster as holdovers from last season's Sweet 16 squad.
The Red Storm have been fortunate enough to find a lot of success bringing in transfers. However, it isn't the only way to build a roster, and having some high-end younger talent would certainly help.
UConn adds another five-star prospect to Class of 2027
In that regard, they are falling far behind their biggest rivals in the Big East, the UConn Huskies. Their head coach, Dan Hurley, hasn't made as many splashy additions in the transfer portal, but he has consistently landed blue-chip prospects, with the latest being Jordan Page.
A five-star prospect from IMG Academy, he is the No. 12-ranked player in the Class of 2027, per Rivals. He is the No. 2-ranked shooting guard, one of the most dynamic backcourt players among this year's senior group of high schoolers.
A North Carolina native, UConn was able to secure a commitment from the talented guard over the North Carolina Tar Heels. It was a simple sell from Hurley that intrigued Page to commit to playing in Storrs to begin his collegiate career.
"What [Dan Hurley] said to me was: hats and rings," Page said on NBA TV, via Sam Calhoun of UConn Report (subscription required). "[They] got lottery picks and the rings; they win championships. So I would love to be in a winning culture, for sure."
NEWS: 5 prospect Jordan Page has committed to UConn, he announced.
The 6-5 guard is ranked a top-15 prospect nationally. pic.twitter.com/2xt6jPCnSX
– The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) October 4, 2026
There isn't a lie in what the Huskies head coach said. UConn consistently has one of the best men's basketball teams in the country, and they pump out NBA talent on a yearly basis. It is a very intriguing selling point for high schoolers, and Page is joining what will be a very talented squad.
The IMG Academy product is the second five-star player for the Huskies in the Class of 2027, joining NaVorro Bowman Jr., who is the No. 11-ranked player in the class.
Pitino and St. John's are going to have their work cut out for them to match the level of talent UConn is adding to the program.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/st-johns as St. John's Basketball Falling Behind UConn With Jordan Page Commit.