Rick Pitino faced a significant roster setback on Saturday

Rick Pitino has transformed the St. John’s Red Storm into a Big East powerhouse, leading them to a Big East Tournament title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season. After a first-round win over Omaha and a second-round loss to Arkansas, Pitino decided to reshape the team through the transfer portal.

One of the standout offseason additions was former blue-chip prospect Joson Sanon, who committed to St. John’s after leaving Arizona State following his freshman year. Sanon, a five-star recruit ranked as the No. 5 shooting guard and No. 25 overall player in the nation by 247Sports Composite, was highly regarded as one of the best incoming sophomores. He had received offers from top programs like Alabama, Arizona, and Indiana before choosing Arizona State.

During his freshman season at Arizona State, Sanon averaged 11.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game, playing a key role for the Sun Devils in the Big 12 under head coach Bobby Hurley. However, NBA analyst Jonathan Wasserman recently reported that Sanon has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, leaving Pitino with the challenge of filling the gap left by a highly touted player who had been expected to be a major contributor for St. John’s.