Babacar Sane's Status With St. John's Remains Uncertain Ahead of Legal Hearing

St. John's forward Babacar Sane is awaiting a crucial legal decision regarding his eligibility to play this season. A hearing is scheduled for November 9th in Queens Supreme Court, which will address an injunction against the NCAA. Sane was initially deemed ineligible but was granted a temporary restraining order.

In the team's exhibition opener against Drexel, Sane showcased his potential, scoring 17 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing out two assists in an 81-52 victory. The 6-foot-8 forward made three three-pointers and demonstrated physicality and perimeter shooting. He also made a notable defensive play, racing downcourt to block a layup attempt.

The NCAA's contention is that Sane's prior signing of an Exhibit 10 contract with the Utah Jazz in August 2024 disqualifies him from collegiate play. Sane's legal team argues that the NCAA has cleared other players with similar or greater professional experience, noting that his contract was short-term, lasted only six weeks, and did not involve attending training camp with the Jazz. His former G-League teammates, London Johnson and Thierry Darlan, are cited as examples of players with comparable professional experience who have been cleared by the NCAA.

Quinn Ellis, a EuroLeague point guard, has been cleared by the NCAA to play for St. John's. In the exhibition game, Ellis focused on playmaking, recording six rebounds, six assists, and four steals, in addition to scoring three points from the free-throw line. Ian Jackson, a natural shooting guard, is reportedly seeing time at point guard as a backup to Ellis. Jackson scored 10 points, with three assists and two steals, despite missing all his three-point attempts.

Coach Rick Pitino acknowledged that turnovers were an issue during the exhibition game, with the team committing 19. He attributed this to the team's newness and the process of players learning to play together, noting similar early-season struggles with turnovers last year. Defensive rebounding also presented a challenge, as Drexel secured 14 offensive rebounds. Keyshawn Hall, a transfer wing, was also utilized to initiate offense, similar to Dillon Mitchell's role last season.