Following a busy offseason, the St. John's Red Storm were back in action for their first exhibition game of the 2026-27 campaign. Even though it went right down to the wire, they got some positive news recently about the eligibility of some players. In their first exhibition game, there was a full complement of players.
Coming off a solid season last year in which they were able to win their second Big East Title in a row and made it to the Sweet 16, expectations are high for St. John's this season. Due to the uncertainty regarding the eligibility of some key players, what this team could ultimately be has been an interesting question. However, the recent good news about players like Quinn Ellis and Keyshawn Hall has made the sky the limit for the team.
In the first half, the Johnnies got off to a bit of a slow start, as expected. However, they got going after that and started to come together. Babacar Sane looked really impressive and led the team with 12 points at the half.
The talented forward has some excellent size and athleticism at the position, and was also able to knock down a couple of three-pointers.
Furthermore, Quinn Ellis very much looked in control of the offense with four assists to go along with four rebounds. Good guard play is going to help take St. John's to the next level, and he didn't have a turnover in the first half.
What was a little disappointing to see in the first half was some of the struggles for Ian Jackson. The junior is an X-Factor for St. John's, but he went a disappointing 0-for-6 from the field in the first half.
St. John's Has Pleothra of Talent
After a poor first half, it was good to see Jackson get things back on track. The talented guard let the game come to him, and he was able to score in double figures for St. John's.
While Sane might have been a little careless with the ball, he was the most impressive player for the team. Getting the start over Keyshawn Hall, Sane was able to score just about a point per minute played in this game.
Overall, it was an easy win for St. John's as expected. There will certainly be some things to work on, as they turned the ball over too much and also didn't shoot particularly well from beyond the arc. However, that is what these games are for.The 81-52 win has started the Johnnies on the right foot, and they will be back in action soon.
Next up for St. John's will be another exhibition on Sunday against Rutgers at Madison Square Garden.
Today's best reads
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- Sky is the Limit for St. John's Basketball Following Positive Eligibility News
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/st-johns as St. John's Basketball Showcases Talented Roster in Win Over Drexel .