"Most talented roster in college basketball resides in Queens": Analyst lauds Rick Pitino's squad following massive transfer portal haul

Rick Pitino's St. John's Red Storm had a great transfer portal and recruited some exceptional talents. While they did lose a couple of important players, the additions have been remarkable.

St John's picked up seven players, including names like former Providence forward Bryce Hopkins, high-scoring guard Ian Jackson from North Carolina and Cincinnati wing forward Dillon Mitchell, to name a few.

CBS Sports' College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein lauded the work done by St John's during the transfer portal. He felt that the Red Storm were brilliant with their new player additions and feels that they are among the best college basketball teams currently. Here's what he said on Wednesday in a video on X:

"The one program that has usurped the transfer portal, that has been St John's. They up until last year didn't win NCAA Tournament game. St John's up until last year had not won Big East title since 1985. They, up until last year, hadn't won a Big East Tournament title since 2000."

Rothstein believes that St John's 2025 roster is far superior to last year's team:

"You are now looking at a transfer portal class that equivalently the best in college basketball. Does that mean St John's will be the best team in the sport next season? We don't know that yet, we don't know how Rick Pitino will mould the clay with this group. (Timestamp 1:21)

"But when you are looking at a roster right now in college basketball. Man for man, player for player, equivalently now, without hesitation the most talented roster in college basketball resides in Queens."

It will be interesting to see how Rick Pitino guides his young, talented stars at St John's. Whenever there is a transfer portal overhaul, the players must work hard to build team chemistry, an integral part of the sport.

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Rick Pitino's St John's had one of the best rosters in college basketball last season

The Red Storm were a great unit even last season as they topped the Big East with an 18-2 regular season record. They also backed it up by winning the Big East Tournament, their fourth title and first since 2000.

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament Second Round-Arkansas at St. Johns - Source: Imagn

Rick Pitino's men defeated Marquette in the semifinals and Creighton in the title clash. Therefore, fans expected them to make a deep run in March Madness, but they were left disappointed as they crashed out early from the NCAA Tournament.

They registered a comprehensive win over Omaha in the first round before going down fighting against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the second. It was an upset of all sorts as Arkansas was seeded much lower than the second-seeded St John's.

That said, with some new talent added, Rick Pitino will look to start the campaign with renewed zeal as they aim to win the National Championship.