The big four of Quinn Ellis, Ian Jackson, Tounde Yessoufou and Keyshawn Hall garnered most of the preseason headlines, justifiably so. That quartet is among the best in the country, and three of them were selected to preseason watch lists.
But for St. John’s to have the kind of season it is hoping for, others will need to emerge.
The Post takes a look at three under-the-radar players to keep an eye on:
Babacar Sane
The initial plan was to rotate Sane, Yessoufou and Hall in two spots in the starting rotation. But Sane came off the bench in the last two exhibition games and has settled into a sixth-man role. He is a gifted athlete at 6-foot-7, able to score inside and out, but coach Rick Pitino has been vocal about the Senegalese forward’s need to learn the game and improve his shot selection. He has the strength and physicality to be a small-ball five, but he also has a long way to go in terms of refining his game. In the summer, alums visited for a few days of pickup games and raved about Sane’s two-way ability. His potential is through the proverbial roof. But there are basic fundamentals he has to learn to have a larger role.
