By ADAM ZAGORIA
St. John’s coach Rick Pitino continued to internationalize his roster with the addition of 6-foot-7 forward Babacar Sane of Senegal.
Sane spent this past season with Riesen Ludwigsburg of the Basketball Bundesliga. Internationally, he plays for the Senegal national team.
He spent two seasons in the NBA G League, averaging 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 2024-25.
“Elite athlete and defender,” one NBA executive told ZAGSBLOG.
Said a second NBA scout: “High Motor, athletic and tough. Has the ability to rebound in traffic and get out in transition. Will be a great physical addition.”
“Physically, he should be playing in the NBA,” a third NBA scout told the New York Post. “He’s more than skilled to be able to play [in the NBA]. He’s every bit of 6-foot-8, he’s built like a tight end. He can run, he can jump, he shoots it better than OK.”
St. John’s will have 11 players from nine countries next season. They previously added three international players in British point guard Quinn Ellis, 18-year-old 7-footer Lazar Stojkovićof Serbia and 6-foot-8 Đorđije Jovanović of Montenegro, as well as Syracuse transfer forward Donnie Freeman.
St. John’s lost Dylan Darling, Joson Sanon and Kelvin Odih to the portal and will return guard Lefty Liotopoulos, wing Ian Jackson and big man Ruben Prey.
Pitino will address the media on a Zoom call next week about his new players.
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