St. John's University Athletics

St. John’s Ranked No. 6 in USA Today Coaches Poll
10/22/2025 4:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Red Storm receives highest preseason rank in program history
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's men's basketball team was ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY Coaches Preseason Top 25 poll released on Wednesday afternoon.
The Red Storm garnered 690 points in the first edition of the poll, which marks its highest preseason ranking since USA TODAY began publishing the poll prior to the 1991-92 season. Led by Head Coach Rick Pitino, the Red Storm have now been ranked inside the top-10 of the coaches poll seven consecutive times.
The Johnnies were featured in the top-10 of final six USA TODAY Coaches polls, dating back to Feb. 3, 2025. The Red Storm reached as high as No. 5 on March 10, its highest in placement in the poll since the final edition at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season, when St. John's reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.
The Red Storm's loaded schedule features seven games against opponents ranked in the USA TODAY Coaches Preseason Top 25 poll. St. John's will face No. 4/4 Connecticut and No. 23/23 Creighton twice in BIG EAST play. Additionally, the Johnnies have pivotal non-conference matchups against No. 9/9 Kentucky (Dec. 20), No. 15/16 Alabama (Nov. 8) and No. 16/18 Iowa State (Nov. 24).
On Tuesday, the Red Storm landed atop the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches poll, selected to repeat as regular season champions after last year's record-tying 18-2 conference mark. St. John's had five players selected to the all-league teams, believed to be the highest number of players from a single team to receive preseason honors in BIG EAST history. Zuby Ejiofor was named BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year after logging 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during his breakout junior campaign.
On Oct. 13, St. John's received its highest Associated Press Preseason ranking in program history landing at No. 5. The Johnnies surpassed the previous all-time best of No. 7 set by the 1984-85 team coached by Lou Carnesecca that went onto the Final Four.
Madison Square Garden plans are still available for purchase. This package secures your seat for all 12 games this season at MSG, including nine BIG EAST tilts and three non-conference games. The Red Storm will make its debut in "The Mecca" on Saturday when it faces No. 7/7 Michigan in the Bad Boy Mowers Series – New York at Madison Square Garden for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
The Red Storm garnered 690 points in the first edition of the poll, which marks its highest preseason ranking since USA TODAY began publishing the poll prior to the 1991-92 season. Led by Head Coach Rick Pitino, the Red Storm have now been ranked inside the top-10 of the coaches poll seven consecutive times.
The Johnnies were featured in the top-10 of final six USA TODAY Coaches polls, dating back to Feb. 3, 2025. The Red Storm reached as high as No. 5 on March 10, its highest in placement in the poll since the final edition at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season, when St. John's reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.
The Red Storm's loaded schedule features seven games against opponents ranked in the USA TODAY Coaches Preseason Top 25 poll. St. John's will face No. 4/4 Connecticut and No. 23/23 Creighton twice in BIG EAST play. Additionally, the Johnnies have pivotal non-conference matchups against No. 9/9 Kentucky (Dec. 20), No. 15/16 Alabama (Nov. 8) and No. 16/18 Iowa State (Nov. 24).
On Tuesday, the Red Storm landed atop the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches poll, selected to repeat as regular season champions after last year's record-tying 18-2 conference mark. St. John's had five players selected to the all-league teams, believed to be the highest number of players from a single team to receive preseason honors in BIG EAST history. Zuby Ejiofor was named BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year after logging 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during his breakout junior campaign.
On Oct. 13, St. John's received its highest Associated Press Preseason ranking in program history landing at No. 5. The Johnnies surpassed the previous all-time best of No. 7 set by the 1984-85 team coached by Lou Carnesecca that went onto the Final Four.
Madison Square Garden plans are still available for purchase. This package secures your seat for all 12 games this season at MSG, including nine BIG EAST tilts and three non-conference games. The Red Storm will make its debut in "The Mecca" on Saturday when it faces No. 7/7 Michigan in the Bad Boy Mowers Series – New York at Madison Square Garden for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Players Mentioned
St. John's Basketball vs Towson Press Conference 10.18.2025
Saturday, October 18
St. John's Men's Basketball vs Towson Exhibition 10.18.2025
Saturday, October 18
Coach Pitino Campus Media Day 10.16.2025
Thursday, October 16
St. John's Madison Square Garden Scrimmage Media Availability 10.8.25
Wednesday, October 08