No team in the Big East has worked the transfer portal harder this offseason than Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm.
With the additions of North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson, Arizona State transfer Joson Sanon, Providence transfer Bryce Hopkins, and Stanford transfer Oziyah Sellers, Pitino has engineered a near-complete overhaul in Queens, signaling a bold push to maintain Big East dominance. But for all the buzz around the Red Storm’s aggressive transformation, not everyone is convinced it’s enough.
CBS Sports analyst Gary Parrish, in particular, isn’t ready to crown them just yet. In his latest rankings, Parrish ranked St. John’s fourth, which is not far behind, but crucially, still trailing their Big East rival: the UConn Huskies, who sit comfortably at No. 3.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS: The 2025-26 @CBSSports preseason Top 25 And 1 has been updated to reflect recent developments.
Version 8
1. Houston
2. Purdue
3. UConn
4. St. John’s
5. BYU
6. Texas Tech
7. Michigan
8. UCLA
9. Arizona
10. Kentuckyhttps://t.co/6ykaFcl65q— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) April 21, 2025
The reason? Continuity and a Huskies recruiting class that matches St. John’s in terms of firepower.
While Pitino’s squad brings in a tidal wave of new faces, UConn counters with a core that knows how to win together. The Huskies return four of their top seven scorers from last season in Solo Ball, Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed, and Jaylin Stewart, all part of a team that went 24-11 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Taking that foundation and adding in a potent recruiting class featuring Georgia’s Silas Demary Jr., Dayton’s Malachi Smith, and five-star freshman Braylon Mullins, it’s clear that the Huskies aren’t just reloading. Instead, they’re leveling up to challenge St. John’s, the defending Big East champions.
Pitino’s gamble is clear: win now through the portal. But for Parrish, and undoubtedly UConn head coach Dan Hurley and the Huskies faithful, it takes more than splashy transfers to build a dynasty. Until the Red Storm proves they can mold this talent into triumph, the greatest challenger for the Big East crown still sits in Storrs.
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