There is no doubt this was the most overwhelmingly chaotic offseason that St. John’s has ever seen. Not only was there the usual transfer portal mayhem, but there was a devastating injury to key addition Donnie Freeman that ended his season before it began, international signings galore—a couple of whom couldn’t join the program—multiple fifth-year signings right before the semester began, and legal matters bleeding into the regular season.
Yet, one day before preseason play began, the Johnnies received
news they’d been waiting for all summer. Projected starting point guard Quinn Ellis was fully cleared to play in the entire 2026-27 season. He, along with Babacar Sane, Keyshawn Hall, and Reed Bailey, will be eligible for Wednesday’s exhibition.
This doesn’t mean St. John’s is finished with judicial affairs, as Sane, Hall, and Bailey still need full clearance. Still, Wednesday will mark the first time this season the Red Storm can take the court they’re used to and showcase what many expect to be one of the most talented rosters in college basketball.
Welcome to the thread for Wednesday night’s preseason opener vs. Drexel. Please be respectful in the comment section and do not share any illegal streams of the game.
You can follow updates on this game on Rumble in the Garden’s official X account (formerly Twitter) at @rumbleSBN or on Rumble in the Garden’s Bluesky account at rumbleinthegarden.bsky.social. Make sure to check out our game recap and analysis after the game.
You can also follow tonight’s game thread using the new SB Nation mobile app. For more information, tap the link here.
Game information
Who: St. John’s Red Storm vs. Drexel Dragons
When: Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
Where: Carnesecca Arena, Queens, New York
TV: ESPN+
Radio: ESPN New York 880 / 1050
Series History: St. John’s leads all-time series, 3-0. The Red Storm trounced the Dragons in their last competitive meeting on December 27, 1997, by a score of 75-46.
Injury news
There is no injury news for Wednesday’s exhibition versus Drexel.
What to watch for
Captain Jack: It’s no longer just a nickname for Ian Jackson; he is now one of the Red Storm’s locker room leaders. Jackson opted not to enter the transfer portal after struggling to play point guard in his sophomore year at St. John’s, and stayed home to develop further at his natural two-guard position. The possibilities are limitless for Jackson, and he wants to show the basketball world he can live up to his prized high school pedigree.
Yes’ to That: Back in June, star Baylor freshman Tounde Yessoufou decided at the eleventh hour to withdraw from the NBA draft and return to college basketball for one more season, choosing to transfer to St. John’s. The 2025 McDonald’s All-American is looking to sharpen his game and solidify his draft stock under the guidance of Rick Pitino. Wednesday will be the first time we see how aggressive he will be alongside fellow ball-dominant scorers Ian Jackson and Keyshawn Hall.
In It to Quinn It: The Johnnies have one of the country’s top point guards in Quinn Ellis, arguably the team’s most important player, who has already shown he can hack it in the second-best professional basketball league in the world. It will be interesting to see how the British triggerman gets his scoring-minded teammates involved, and what kind of pick-and-roll rapport he can build with Ruben Prey.
Prey’s Time to Shine: After two years as Zuby Ejiofor’s understudy, Ruben Prey is ready to take the starting center job. The 6-foot-10 big hopes to prove he can anchor the Red Storm frontcourt and become one of the Big East’s best big men. The Portuguese big man averaged 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds while backing up Ejiofor last year. Coincidentally, Ejiofor also put up 4.3 points per game as a sophomore before breaking out in his junior year.
Pregame links
- St. John’s got great news Tuesday in two eligibility cases. Quinn Ellis was fully cleared to play for the 2026-27 season, and Keyshawn Hall was allowed to keep his temporary restraining order, keeping the Auburn transfer eligible until his next hearing.
- Red Storm men’s basketball sold 600+ season tickets following the encouraging news of Ellis and Sane’s eligibility.
- The Johnnies enter the season at 23rd in KenPom preseason ratings. This is the lowest KenPom ranking the Johnnies have had at the start of a season since Rick Pitino’s first year in charge, when they began at 60th.
- St. John’s signed a jersey patch sponsorship deal with AlumniFi. The men’s basketball team will take the court with a corporate sponsor for the first time on Wednesday night.
- LSU coach Will Wade announced that the Tigers aren’t rostering former Johnnies star R.J. Luis in adherence to the SEC’s rules on former professional players competing.
