As anticipation grows for the debut of Rick Pitino and the new look Red Storm Men’s Basketball team, St. John’s University launched a pre-season docuseries titled “Rising Storm.” Much like HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” the series will bring fans inside the team’s training camp and allow them to get to know some of this year’s new faces in brief four minute episodes.

The series’ first episode, titled “The Transfer Effect,” focused on three of the 12 new faces the Red Storm brought in through the transfer portal. Jordan Dingle, Sean Conway and Nahiem Alleyne all sat down to give details on what led them to Queens.

One thing that remained constant throughout the episode was Pitino’s influence on the transfer’s decisions. All three players interviewed attributed the opportunity to play under the legendary coach as a major draw to the University. 

Alleyne, who previously played with defending NCAA champion UConn, gave insight on his decision. 

“The reason I came to St. John’s was to play under a legendary coach, Coach Pitino, to learn from the best, play with a great group of guys that are going to bring this program back up,” Alleyne said. 

Having a young talent like Alleyne transfer to a rival school after winning a championship speaks volumes. This time last year, the University struggled to land serious talent in the transfer portal. Now equipped with a Hall of Fame coach and strong NIL opportunities, the Red Storm have become a consensus top 25 team in ESPN’s “way too early” rankings.

University of Pennsylvania transfer Jordan Dingle has a large part in that ranking. The senior guard from Valley Stream, NY, was the second highest scorer in all of college basketball last year. 

Dingle is no stranger to St. John’s University. 

“When I was nine years old playing AAU basketball, we used to practice in Taffner [Field House],” he said. “I’ve been around St. John’s for a very long time and unfortunately they haven’t been as great as they could have been, and I think that being a part of their rise back to the top is something that would be very special.”

Not only is the opportunity to play for Pitino a massive draw in itself, but playing under the bright lights of New York City is what stuck out to senior Virginia Military Institute transfer Sean Conway. 

“I was trying to find the situation that made the most sense for me,” Conway said. “So having the opportunity to play in New York was something I feel like I could never pass up.”

As the first season under Rick Pitino starts to get underway, St. John’s will have the chance to prove why they will be a powerhouse not only in the transfer portal, but in college basketball going forward. 

Episode two of “Rising Storm” premieres today on Youtube, Twitter and Instagram.