It’s clear how Rick Pitino wants to build next season’s roster: bring in established, ready-to-compete players with multiple years of professional experience in Europe, made possible by the NCAA’s recent, relaxed interpretation of player eligibility for non-NBA pros. His latest addition fits the mold to a tee.
First reported by the New York Post’s Zach Braziller, Senegalese forward Babacar Sane is committing to St. John’s. Sane becomes the Red Storm’s fourth international commit with professional experience, and the third such commit who will be 23 years or older when the season tips off in November.
The 6-foot-8 forward began his career in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and has already spent three years stateside in the NBA G-League, where he recorded 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Sane entered the 2024 NBA Draft out of G-League Ignite, but went undrafted. He then joined Tunisian club US Monastir for a brief stint last spring, before most recently playing for top-level German club Riesen Ludwigsburg, where he teamed up alongside former Red Storm guard Stef Smith. Through 29 league games this season, Sane is posting 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game on 48.1% shooting and 34.8% from three.
For the Senegalese senior national team, Sane averaged 7.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists across 16 games in FIBA World Cup and AfroBasket qualifiers.
Sane brings great positional size, eye-popping athleticism, and a penchant to attack the rim with authority to the Johnnies. His physical tools allow him to be a defensive factor, and while he’s not a knockdown shooter, his outside jumper is good enough to benefit the Red Storm’s spacing.
St. John’s now has eleven scholarship players on next season’s roster after securing Sane’s commitment. Earlier this spring, the Johnnies added English point guard Quinn Ellis, Montenegrin wing Djordije Jovanović, and Serbian center Lazar Stojković. Out of the transfer portal, they also added forward Donnie Freeman from Syracuse and point guard Avery Brown from Columbia.