00:00This is Eye of the Storm, the St. John's video series presented by the New York Post.
00:05It's Big East Media Day, another edition of Eye of the Storm.
00:08I am back with my guy Zach Braziller, our fantastic St. John's writer here at the New York Post.
00:13Zach, I know you were excited because basketball is almost back at Media Day.
00:18We got to talk to the players. We heard from Rick Pitino.
00:22What was your major takeaway, number one here on Media Day?
00:25I mean, he's confident the entire team is going to be eligible.
00:31That's, I mean, there's really, right now at St. John's, that's all that matters is who's going to be eligible,
00:36who isn't.
00:37Look, they got two really good players internationally, Quinn Ellis, Babacar Sane.
00:43They went and they brought in two fifth-year transfers, Reed Bailey and Keyshawn Hall.
00:50Now to those that haven't been following, in June, the NCAA announced a new eligibility rule, which gave you five
00:56years to play five seasons.
00:58They decided not to grandfather it in for the high school class of 2022.
01:02So basically, last year, seniors don't get the extra year, but juniors, freshmen, and sophomores do.
01:07So now you've had a bunch of lawsuits for players saying, well, why does my class left out, but the
01:16other three aren't?
01:18So right now, Reed Bailey is eligible.
01:21He's part of a lawsuit in California.
01:25Keyshawn Hall, who's a big-time transfer from Auburn, averaged 18 a game, is technically not eligible.
01:31He's in a case in Ohio that won an injunction, but the NCAA appealed it, so we're waiting to see
01:36what the appeal is going to be.
01:39Then we have Quinn Ellis, who the NCAA hasn't ruled on.
01:41He's coming from the EuroLeague, and Babacar Sane is in court.
01:45He won a temporary restraining order, so he's eligible right now.
01:49Well, there's a lot going on.
01:50There's a lot going on.
01:51Look, from everything I've heard, Rick Quino said today, it's the most talented team, if everyone's eligible,
01:58St. John's has had since he's been here, which says a lot.
02:02Which says a lot, and you asked him that about how he felt about the talent.
02:05This is a St. John's team pick number two in the preseason poll in the Big East.
02:09When you look at this roster and the talent, it's one thing to hear Rick Pitino say,
02:13but when you look at this roster and the success that St. John's has had the last couple of years,
02:17how good do you think this team can be if everybody is eligible?
02:19Yeah, I mean, look, Lynn Ellis comes for the EuroLeague, one of the best leagues in the world.
02:23He's a terrific point guard.
02:25He's 6'5".
02:25You know, they brought in the Baylor transfer, Tunde Yasufu.
02:29He was a potential late first-round pick.
02:32The NBA decided to come back to school.
02:34He's a big-time scoring wing.
02:36Ian Jackson, Ruben Prayer back.
02:38Yep.
02:39I had mentioned Kishon Hall earlier.
02:41Yeah, look, I think it's a team that has, if everyone is eligible,
02:46has legitimate Final Four expectations and hopes.
02:50We've got to see who's eligible.
02:52Who is it?
02:52The NCAA, to me, this is, it's not just St. John's.
02:57You have schools all over who have roster uncertainty.
03:00The NCAA, not grandfathering in the last year's seniors.
03:04I still don't quite understand why.
03:07If you're going to give an extra year to three of the classes last year,
03:09why not all of them?
03:11And then the whole thing with the international players,
03:13like there's a reason St. John's went out and got Ellis and Sonnet.
03:16In recent years, the NCAA has let in all these international guys,
03:20let in G League guys, and then in May they have new guidance.
03:24And so now you're seeing some international guys getting cleared.
03:27It's internally there's optimism Quinn Ellis will be fine.
03:31I know there is confidence.
03:33Rip Patino said it too.
03:34He thinks everyone's going to be eligible.
03:35I know there's internal confidence that in the end everyone's going to be eligible.
03:39Got to wait and see.
03:40You got to wait and see.
03:41I do want to go back to something you said because you said if this team,
03:45everybody is eligible with all the talent they have, Final Four potential.
03:48Those are words St. John's fans have not heard in quite some time.
03:52You're giving some hope to the St. John's fans here
03:54with them possibly being a Final Four team.
03:56But with that being said, Rip Patino told us today where his team is right now
04:00and the non-conference schedule they have to go to,
04:02he knows they're not at the level he wants them to be.
04:05We saw that last year.
04:07How much time do you think he could take for this team to get to that level?
04:09I think this team will, I think that the development and cohesion
04:15will be a little quicker because they are older.
04:19Quinn Ellis is 23.
04:21Boba Karsane is 23.
04:23Keyshawn Hall is 23.
04:25So they have older guys that I think is going to kind of help speed the process.
04:31And like they're coming from Europe where it's a new team every year.
04:33Right.
04:34I think part of Rip Patino today was kind of playing down.
04:39Expectations will be, I think so?
04:40Okay.
04:40Like I don't think this is going to be a case of it's mid-January,
04:44like when's this team going to get going?
04:47I think they're incredibly talented if everyone's eligible.
04:50I think the backcourt between Ian Jackson, Quinn Ellis,
04:53and Tumbe Yusefou has the chance to be one of the best backcourts in the country.
05:00You know, Boba Karsane I've heard great things about.
05:05Yeah, I mean, like I said, to me it's all about just who's eligible.
05:10You know, if they can get everyone, I think they have a chance to be fantastic.
05:13So whenever you look at teams in college basketball,
05:17leadership is something fans are going to talk about.
05:18Who'd they lose from the previous year?
05:20Obviously, Zuby Yusefou, a guy, major leader, big, huge part of this program,
05:24and they lose him.
05:26Who do you think can step up into that leadership role,
05:28maybe as a captain or just a vocal leader for this team this year,
05:32or even leading on the court by example?
05:34Who's that guy?
05:34Yeah, St. John's going to vote on Captains Monday.
05:39Rick Patino expects Ian Jackson to be one of them.
05:41He's, you know, really, it sounds like he's grown up a little bit, you know,
05:46that he decided he wanted to return even though last year didn't go
05:49according to plan for him personally.
05:51And, you know, he's really done all the right things.
05:54So I think Ian's one guy that maybe Quinn Ellis, I know he's 23.
05:58You know, he's not from here, he's from Great Britain, but he's a guy,
06:02you always want your point card to be vocal.
06:04And it's, you know, it's got to kind of work itself out.
06:08Yeah, that's, I don't think there's any doubt.
06:10That's a major question.
06:11They had great leadership last year.
06:13Yep.
06:14And now it's, you know, who's going to lead them this year?
06:18You know, and that's kind of something that has to happen organically.
06:22That's, you know, obviously a challenge when you have different rosters every year.
06:27And, you know, Zuby's second year, he kind of was becoming a leader.
06:32And then last year he was really a great leader and kind of still had led this great culture they
06:37had.
06:37And, yeah, it's definitely a valid question of who's going to, you know, kind of step into that role.
06:43And it's probably going to be multiple guys.
06:45I don't think it's necessarily one guy who you're going to say is going to be the leader.
06:48It's going to be multiple.
06:49I'll be definitely interested to see who they vote on Monday as captives.
06:53Yeah, I'll be interested to see that.
06:54And then talking to Ian Jackson a bit, you and I spoke to him both.
06:57And, you know, he's talked about how he's grown.
06:59He feels like he's grown.
07:00I do get that sense of what you said, Zach, that there's a sense of more maturity with him.
07:04And the guy is from New York who understands the situation here at St. John's.
07:08I guess the last thing for me that I will ask you, when you look at the situation with St.
07:11John's,
07:12and I know you're excited about the exhibition season, the non-conference season,
07:15I know you're going to be taking some good trips.
07:17We know that'll happen.
07:18Zach is always taking a trip.
07:19Vegas, man.
07:19Vegas again this year?
07:21Well, yeah, it's a three-year contract.
07:23Oh, I forgot about that.
07:24But this year, it's...
07:25See, look at the excitement on your face.
07:26Well, this year they're going to play during Thanksgiving,
07:28which means the wife is going to have that Thanksgiving with her parents and my parents.
07:33So you're not contributing at all?
07:35I'll probably be on the couch after Vegas for a night or so.
07:38You deserve it.
07:38You work hard.
07:40But before we get to Zach and the trips,
07:41when you look at the exhibition season and we get into the non-conference season,
07:45particularly this exhibition season before we even start the games account,
07:48what will you be really keeping your eye on with this team
07:51is how they start to develop before the games get real.
07:55Yeah, everything.
07:56Because it's so new.
07:58So much change, right?
07:59Right, right.
08:00Like, it's so different.
08:02I mean, I can't wait to see Quinn Ellis.
08:05I can't wait to see Baba Karsane, Keyshawn Hall.
08:08Like, all these guys that we've only really heard about.
08:12It's going to be fascinating to see.
08:14You know, first is Drexel.
08:15And then they get, I believe, Rucker...
08:19I forget if Texas and Ruckers, which is the second or the third,
08:23but Texas is obviously the game.
08:24Texas had a huge offseason.
08:26They're a top-ten team.
08:28They're loaded.
08:29It's kind of maybe a little similar to last year where St. John's played a Michigan team
08:33that ended up winning a national championship,
08:35to where I think that could be revealing of where the team is.
08:38And I think it's great that college basketball now does these three exhibitions,
08:42and it, you know, especially when you have all this turnover,
08:44so you really get a chance to kind of see teams and see players.
08:48But, yeah, no, it's going to be fascinating.
08:51Let's just hope the eligibility stuff are up.
08:53So, I bet.
08:54Yeah, we'd like to know.
08:55We'd like to know.
08:56Who knows with NCAA?
08:57You never know.
08:58We'd like to know, and I'm sure the fans would like to know who's going to be on this team,
09:01how good they could be.
09:02St. John's picked second in the Big East preseason poll today here at Big East Media Day.
09:06That's going to do it for here on Eye of the Storm.
09:08That is my guy, Zach Rosillo, who's going to be doing nothing on Thanksgiving,
09:11but he'll need the rest by then.
09:13I'm Dexter Henry.
09:14We'll catch you next time.
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