{"id":51454,"date":"2023-07-04T08:00:32","date_gmt":"2023-07-04T12:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=51454"},"modified":"2023-07-03T14:13:39","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T18:13:39","slug":"st-johns-basketball-is-revitalized","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2023\/07\/04\/st-johns-basketball-is-revitalized\/","title":{"rendered":"St. John&#8217;s Basketball is Revitalized"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In a time of college coaches seeing changes, St.John&#8217;s is a program seemingly heading in the right direction. With the hiring of\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Rick-Pitino\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Rick Pitino<\/span><\/strong><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, there is a sense of excitement for the Red Storm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">St.John&#8217;s Basketball is Revitalized<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It has been a while since St.John&#8217;s saw relevancy since the Chris Mullin era in the 1980s. Nevertheless, the recruiting and transfer additions have allowed St. John&#8217;s to look like a solid program next season.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Impactful Transfers\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A few players headline the transfers for St.John&#8217;s, along with a couple of Iona players, a big from Kansas, and shooter <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/vmikeydets.com\/sports\/mens-basketball\/roster\/sean-conway\/6808\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sean Conway<\/span><\/strong><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0from VMI.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Jordan Dingle\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Dingle was a former dominant player at Penn. He is coming off an incredible Junior season. He\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/pennathletics.com\/sports\/mens-basketball\/roster\/jordan-dingle\/19847\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">won<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Ivy League Player of the Year and Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year. Dingle was also second in the country in scoring.\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/4593351\/jordan-dingle\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Averaging 23.4 points<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0per game, Dingle is an elite shot-maker.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In terms of helping St.John&#8217;s, Dingle excels at scoring at the basket.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Shooting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1BCiqWMFl-4\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">58% at the rim<\/a> during his Junior season,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Dingle can score getting to the basket, and he has deep range. Jordan is a three-level scorer who can also make good decisions,\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/ncaab\/players\/153343\/?fr=yhssrp_catchall\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0averaging 2.3 assists<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. He will help add elite shot-making for the Red Storm and propel their offense this season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Daniss Jenkins\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A transfer that followed Pitino to St.John&#8217;s from Iona, Jenkins is a good scoring guard coming into Queens. Jenkins\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5107199\/daniss-jenkins\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">averaged<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a015.6 points and 4.9 assists while shooting 36.1% from three. His\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">assist rate was the highest in the MAAC and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/story\/_\/id\/36187812\/daniss-jenkins-follows-rick-pitino-st-john-transfer\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Top 50<\/a> in the NCAA<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Jenkins was\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">an All-Mac Selection with 9<a href=\"https:\/\/redstormsports.com\/news\/2023\/4\/14\/mens-basketball-st-johns-signs-graduate-transfer-daniss-jenkins\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">64 career points<\/a><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0heading into his Graduate season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In terms of helping St.John&#8217;s, Jenkins played under Pitino at Iona. He knows the demands Pitino places on his players. Additionally, Daniss brings a major scoring threat from the guard position. Jenkins scores at the basket and from the perimeter effectively. He will help add meaningful scoring to the Red Storm this season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">RJ Luis\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Luis had a terrific campaign for the Umass Minuteman this past season. RJ\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amny.com\/sports\/st-johns-active-in-the-2023-transfer-portal\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0this past season. Additionally, Luis\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/_\/id\/5106035\/rj-luis\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">averaged 11.5 points while shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.5% from three.<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Luis scores a lot at the rim or from the mid-post. He\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2_LFDJBA9Fw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">shot 55% at the basket last season, and on defense, he had a 2.9% steal rate<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In terms of helping St.John&#8217;s, Luis aids in many areas for the Red Storm. First, he helps them defensively. Luis is 6&#8217;7&#8221; and has good length, allowing him to disrupt opposing perimeter players and generate turnovers. Secondly, he helps add in a slashing department as he is excellent at getting to the basket.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Glenn Taylor Jr.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The former Oregon State Beaver is another excellent slashing guard for the Red Storm. Taylor\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/ncaab\/players\/162823\/?fr=yhssrp_catchall\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">averaged 11.6 points in Corvallis<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0this past season. He made\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/player\/stats\/_\/id\/4833075\/glenn-taylor-jr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">93 of his 113 field goal attempts\u00a0<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">from getting to the basket or the midrange. Taylor Jr. adds a lot of scoring in the paint for the Red Storm. He was also in the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=me_zxWZzjuI\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">77th percentile in catch-and-shoot jumpers<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, so he has a versatile skillset.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In terms of helping St.John&#8217;s, Taylor Jr. adds a lot of offensive value, as he scores well in the pick-and-roll. Glenn makes solid decisions in the half-court and will be another good slashing guard for the Red Storm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The First Year<\/span><\/h3>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Brady Dunlap\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Dunlap is a Four-Star prospect that St.John&#8217;s was able to land in recruiting. Dunlap is on the rise after graduating from Harvard-Westlake, CA, where he <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/redstormsports.com\/sports\/mens-basketball\/roster\/brady-dunlap\/5107\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">averaged 17 points per game<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. He is\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/college-sports\/basketball\/recruiting\/player\/_\/id\/243555\/brady-dunlap\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">ranked 83rd in the ESPN 100<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> for the Class of 2023. He is an excellent shooter and has great size at 6&#8217;7&#8221;. Therefore, the Red Storm gets a tall shooter that can help expand the spacing on offense with Conway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Simeon Wilcher\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A later addition to the Red Storm, 4-star prospect<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/247sports.com\/Player\/Simeon-Wilcher-46097928\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Simeon Wilcher<\/span><\/strong><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0will also be a member of St.John&#8217;s this season. A top-30 prospect in the 2023 class from Roselle Catholic, NJ, Wilcher\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mens-college-basketball\/story\/_\/id\/37808633\/recruit-simeon-wilcher-decommits-north-carolina\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">de-committed from UNC<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> and is now a member of the Red Storm. At Roselle, he\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.basketballinsiders.com\/news\/simeon-wilcher-what-the-ex-unc-commit-brings-to-rick-pitinos-st-johns-red-storm\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">averaged 15.4 points a game and 5.6 assists and helped Roselle to a 17-0 state tournament run<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Regarding his skillset, Wilcher is a twitchy, explosive guard who excels in transition and isolation situations. He will be excellent this season in the Big East.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a time of college coaches seeing changes, St.John&#8217;s is a program seemingly heading in the right direction. With the hiring of\u00a0Rick Pitino, there is a sense of excitement for the Red Storm.\u00a0 St.John&#8217;s Basketball is Revitalized It has been a while since St.John&#8217;s saw relevancy since the Chris Mullin era in the 1980s. Nevertheless, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4688,"featured_media":51473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608],"tags":[4447,1242],"class_list":["post-51454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","tag-big-east-basketball","tag-rick-pitino"],"modified_by":"Zach Kircher","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4688"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}