St. Johns’ season ended in heartbreak against Arkansas in a brutal offensive showing. Since then, the program has been active in the transfer portal. They added Bryce Hopkins and former top-25 recruit Joson Sanon early on in the portal. On Wednesday, they added another elite scoring transfer. Stanford guard Oziyah Sellers announced his commitment to St. John’s on Wednesday morning. What does Sellers bring to St. John’s? Have they added enough pieces to top this past season and advance to a Final Four? Let’s dive in.
NYC Let’s do it! #COMMITTED pic.twitter.com/Dp9ejp6wOa
— Oziyah Sellers (@OziyahSellers) April 16, 2025
St. John’s Adds Dynamic Stanford Guard Oziyah Sellers in Transfer Portal
What Does Oziyah Sellers Bring to St. John’s?
The former USC guard thrived in his first season with extensive minutes. Stanford impressed many in their ACC debut, finishing with 21 wins and an NIT berth. Star Maxime Raynaud led the way, but Sellers was an elite scoring option for the Cardinals. He averaged 13.7 points on 45.1% from the field and 40.1% from three. While his efficiency is important from all parts of the floor, St. John’s desperately needed some three-point shooting in the NCAA Tournament. Shooting was their biggest problem heading into the tournament, and it cost them there. Sellers’ elite three-point ability will help spread out the Red Storm offense, undoubtedly helping them fill in that void offensively.
Sellers won’t change St. John’s himself, but his scoring will be his main impact. He only averaged 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. However, he also averaged 1.1 turnovers per game. He may not have been playmaking constantly, but he showed an ability to avoid bad turnovers. Sellers also provides a clutch scoring option at the end of the game, shooting 89.7% from the free-throw line this past season. When games are on the line, send Sellers to the line to lock the game up.
Should St. John’s be Considered a Serious Title Contender?
Sanon averaged 11.9 points per game on 36.9% from three. Hopkins averaged 15.8 points on 36.4% from three in his last full season. St. John’s had a clear problem on the offensive end of the floor. All three of their transfer have addressed this need. The only question will be whether these three hold up their end of the bargain on the defensive end of the floor. St. John’s ranked second in KenPom’s defensive efficiency this past season. While adding offensive threats like Sellers is necessary for a team like St. John’s, they likely will lose defensive prowess.
Each Final Four team ranked in the top 10 of defensive efficiency. They all had elite offenses, but defenses continue to be a main staple of winning a national championship. Adding the offensive threats answers one question, but creates another. Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis transferred out in a shocking decision after being benched in the Round of 32 loss. St. John’s has lost too much to be a guaranteed national championship threat next season. Unless they add a proven defensive powerhouse, they will continue to face these doubting questions leading up to next season. For now, Oziyah Sellers adds another great player to St. John’s and Rick Pitino.
Photo credit: © Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
