“Would Be Pure Chaos”: Rick Pitino Shares Harsh St. John’s Reality as NCAA Eyes 5th-Year Eligibility

Now boasting over 5 decades of experience in the hoops circuit, Pitino’s voice is credible and needs to be heard. And if you read between the lines of his assessment, it makes even more sense. At this time in the offseason, when the transfer portal closes (April 21), most teams have chalked out their plans and subsequently brought in players accordingly.

On top of that, most teams have also concluded their recruiting classes to land top talent on their rosters. And, as the current era of college basketball demands, all of these players come with hefty NIL tags. As a result, with the majority of players signed at this point in the season, the NIL quotient for most teams is bleeding.

Now, if the senior players return for next season, it will be an extra load on top of that already exhausted NIL balance. This is the point that Pitino was trying to make in his assessment. It’s exactly the same in St. John’s case as well. The Red Storm reportedly spends around $10M on its men’s basketball program, which is quite a lucrative amount.

But even then, after their seniors departed following their 2025-26 season, Pitino has brought in several players through the portal. Donnie Freeman and Avery Brown are top talent that the Red Storm has landed. And quite naturally, these signings will take a toll on the program’s NIL balance.

On the surface, there’s no doubt Pitino will be happy to see his seniors return. After all, it isn’t every day that talents like Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins boss the court for a team at the same time. Furthermore, both these senior players combined to contribute over 29 points per game for the Red Storm in the 2025-26 season.

Big East Tournament – Championship Game Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John s Red Storm walks along the sideline during the BIG EAST Men s Basketball Tournament championship game against the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on March 14, 2026. New York United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xFedericoxTorresx originalFilename:torres-notitle260314_nppKA.jpg

But the fact is, at this point in the season, Rick Pitino and St. John’s just might not be able to afford these players’ returns as per his assessment. NABC Executive Director Chris Robinson has also shared his two cents on this. Robinson has urged the committee to respect the coaches’ perspective before reaching a consensus on this provision.

“However, this rapid shift requires diligent implementation, especially given the active recruiting and transfer cycles. Coach perspective is vital to any legislative reform,” Robinson had said. “As the NCAA expedites this review, the NABC urges that all stakeholders be brought to the table – coaches included – to identify potential unintended consequences and to ensure these generational changes are structured correctly.”

The fate of the 5-for-5 proposal and Rick Pitino’s approach towards the seniors if the proposal falls into place will be seen in the upcoming months. But from a basketball perspective, Pitino’s Red Storm might not even need their seniors to have another stellar season like 2025-26.

Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Looks Quite Daunting for Next Season Even Without Their Seniors

It won’t be wrong to say that Rick Pitino and St. John’s were in complete shambles in this offseason. As mentioned, they had already lost top seniors like Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins. Furthermore, one of their most formidable defensive player, Dylan Darling, hit the transfer portal. And has subsequently joined Grand Canyon.

But, as Pitino always does, he nailed the rebuilding phase through the portal. Donnie Freeman was one of the best additions for the Red Storm in the portal. Standing at 2.06m, Freeman brings physicality in the frontcourt, while also boasting guard-like skills. Given his height, it’s needless to say that he thrives on rebounds, boasting 7.5 rebounds per game in his two years at Syracuse.

Besides that, Freeman is also a formidable shooter, scoring 48.4% from the field in his collegiate career. On top of that, Pitino’s team also brought in Avery Brown, a Columbia Lions senior. Brown is a skilled two-way perimeter player with decent north of 37% shooting. He can link up well with Freeman on the court and fill the shoes of the Ejiofor-Hopkins duo.

According to reports, the Red Storm is also adding an international prospect, Quinn Ellis, to their roster. Ellis, a British point guard, has plenty of experience in the EuroLeague and the Lega Basket Serie A. As a result, Ellis, too, will be a vital addition to Pitino’s team for the next season.

All in all, the team looks quite stacked at the moment for the Red Storm. And even though they will always show interest in bringing back Ejiofor, the truth is they don’t need to force themselves on it at the moment. But even then, it will be interesting to see how Rick Pitino actually operates if the five-year eligibility actually gets a green light.