It’s been an offseason full of surprises, and now disappointments. As the search for the Zuby Ejiofor continues, St. John’s finds themselves in a very conflicting position. Massamba Diop, the top center transfer in the portal, officially committed to Gonzaga, first reported by Zach Braziller of the New York Post. 

The Red Storm and Bulldogs were both the two finalists for the top recruit, competing in a highly contested market for one of the best names available. Diop recently visited St. John’s on April 25, spending his afternoon at Madison Square Garden — giving Red Storm fans a sign of confidence over the weekend that they’d be landing their Ejiofor replacement. 

Instead, the Arizona State transfer will pack his bag and head to the West Coast. The Johnnies believed they were in a good position to land Diop, but it’s believed his agent, Jason Ranne, pushed for his client to choose Gonzaga, reported by Braziller. 

A nightmare situation for St. John’s, who as of right now will enter the 2026-27 season with Ruben Prey and Lazar Stojkovic. Other centers like Moustapha Thiam and Flory Bidunga are now off the board since the Red Storm waited for a decision from Diop, a 7-foot-2 center with true NBA potential. 

The portal is very slim, leaving Rick Pitino with one realistic option: the European market.

St. John’s has been active internationally this offseason, inking top point guard prospect Quinn Ellis to a deal that made him the team’s starting PG. The program envisioned a front-court with Diop mixed with Prey and top transfer Donnie Freeman in the wing spot, which will likely now be another hole. 

With six months until college basketball season ramps up, the Red Storm will have five open spots to fill, while still searching for a potential center and wing — along with guards that can make an impact from the bench.

In terms of Big East talent, UConn has improved, bringing back top freshman Braylon Mullins, while Providence and Xavier added several legit options to potentially compete.