Rick Pitino touts Ian Jackson as award candidate, lauds Quinn Ellis’ star potential as St. John’s roster comes together

Even head coach Rick Pitino wasn’t sure what Ian Jackson would decide.

A former five-star recruit from the Bronx, Jackson endured an uneven first season at St. John’s, often being asked to play point guard — rather than at his natural shooting guard — to help fill the Red Storm’s deficiency at the position.

By the end of the year, the 6-5 Jackson was out of the starting lineup, coming off the bench for the final 10 games.

So when Pitino met with Jackson after the season, he told the forthcoming junior, “I don’t blame you if you want to move on to another place.”

Jackson’s response surprised Pitino.

“He just said, ‘Coach, I’m all in with you. I’m all in with St. John’s.’ To me, that speaks volumes of his character,” Pitino said Monday.

Jackson is poised to fill a larger role for a new-look St. John’s roster that returns only three rotation players — along with center Ruben Prey and guard Lefteris Liotopoulos — from last season’s Big East-winning team.

After averaging 9.4 points per game in 2025-26, Jackson is set to be Red Storm’s starting shooting guard, now equipped with a point-guard skill set that Pitino believes will benefit him as he returns to his natural position.

“Ian Jackson is probably the only player on last year’s squad that did not play up to his potential, and that’s 100% my fault. I totally played him out of position,” Pitino said.

“He is going to have an unbelievable year this year. I think he’ll be in the running to win [Big East] Player of the Year, our third one in a row, because he’s going to play his natural position.”

Jackson helps headline a 2026-27 roster that has added eight new players, including 6-10 junior forward Donnie Freeman, who transferred from Syracuse after averaging 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season.

St. John’s also added four international standouts with considerable experience, most notably Quinn Ellis, a 6-5 point guard from England who has played professionally in the EuroLeague.

Ellis is set to start alongside Jackson in the Red Storm’s backcourt.

“You never know, but if he’s not a star, I’d be very disappointed,” Pitino said of Ellis.

“He’s a great playmaker, a great passer, terrific size, good shooter. He’s gonna come into his own because the ball is going to be in his hands. He’s going to make people better.”

There’s also Babacar Sane, a 6-8 forward from Senegal, and Djordije Jovanovic, a 6-6 forward from Montenegro, who both played in the NBA’s G-League.

Lazar Stojkovic, a 7-1 center from Serbia, is only 18 but has played professionally in the Serbia KLS League.

Those three and Ellis all competed for their respective national teams, too.

“We did a fabulous job of looking for guys that fit our PHD: our passion, our hunger and our drive,” Pitino said.

“We don’t care where they’re from, what country they’re from. We’re just looking for athletes that fit our culture. … We think we put together a great group of guys that fit our style. It’s not so much [about] style of play as it is culture, a work ethic.”

Rounding out the St. John’s backcourt are Avery Brown, a starter throughout his four years at Columbia, and Kyle Cuffe Jr., a Mercer transfer whose father — Kyle Cuffe — played at St. John’s from 2000-04.

The younger Cuffe previously played at Kansas and Syracuse as well.

They help provide depth in a position group that lost Dylan Darling, a part-time starter and an NCAA Tournament hero last season, who transferred to Grand Canyon University.

“That was more of a financial situation,” Pitino said of the fan-favorite Darling’s departure.

“We have a [salary] cap now that we’ve got to follow with [revenue] share, and we could not pay certain players. We’re really happy for Dylan. He’s a tremendous young man who will always be dear to our hearts.”

And this week, St. John’s made a rare high-school addition in Theo Edema, a 6-11 center and four-star prospect from Cushing Academy in Massachusetts, who is reclassifying after his junior year to play for the Johnnies next season.

Edema, whom 247Sports ranked as a top-50 recruit, and Stojkovic are part of the mix at center, where Prey is likely positioned to be the starter.

The 6-10 Prey was blocked on the depth chart by star forward/center Zuby Ejiofor the past two years, and while his production (4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game) was modest, he showed flashes late last season.

“[Prey is] gonna compete, but I would say he deserves that,” Pitino said of the starting center job.

“I don’t think he’s gonna be Zuby Ejiofor, but I think he’s going to be an outstanding basketball player who has paid his dues. I think he’s going to be a good shot-blocker, a good rebounder. He has improved his jump shot immensely. … He’s a very good defensive player that can switch 1 through 5. We expect big things from Ruben.”

St. John’s faces the tall task of replacing four full-time starters in Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins, Dillon Mitchell and Oziyah Sellers. Ejiofor, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, led the team in scoring, rebounds, assists and blocks.

The Johnnies have two more roster spots available, so Pitino is still looking to add.

But Pitino is bullish on next season’s roster, calling the newcomers a “big-time class” and saying he believes this team could compete in the Big East as currently constructed.

“All of these guys are super excited to be part of St. John’s and what we’re building,” Pitino said. “We’re coming off back-to-back championships in the Big East. We want to go for a three-peat.”