St. John's Men's Basketball Targets Two Power-Conference Transfers

Rick Pitino and his staff are actively recruiting two four-star transfers from Kansas State and Kentucky.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 10:38pm

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A cubist-style painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes and planes in shades of orange, blue, and green, capturing the dynamic movement and energy of a college basketball game.St. John's aggressively pursues top transfer talent to reload its roster for a Big East title push.Omaha Today

The St. John's men's basketball team is moving quickly in the offseason transfer portal, scheduling campus visits with two high-profile targets - former Kansas State guard Abdi Bashir Jr. and former Kentucky forward Mouhamed Dioubate. Both players are ranked as four-star transfers by 247Sports and have experience playing in the tri-state area.

Why it matters

St. John's is looking to reload its roster after the 2025-26 season, with six scholarship vacancies to fill. Head coach Rick Pitino is targeting these two transfers to bolster the Red Storm's backcourt and frontcourt, as they aim to build on last season's success and compete for a Big East title.

The details

Abdi Bashir Jr. is a sharpshooting guard who spent his first two seasons at Monmouth before transferring to Kansas State, where he averaged 13.2 points per game as a junior before a season-ending injury. Mouhamed Dioubate is a Queens native who played at Flushing's John Bowne High School before transferring to Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. At Kentucky, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 8.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.

  • The offseason transfer portal opened on Tuesday, April 8, 2026.
  • Bashir and Dioubate are expected to visit the St. John's campus early next week.

The players

Abdi Bashir Jr.

A four-star guard who spent his first two seasons at Monmouth before transferring to Kansas State, where he averaged 13.2 points per game as a junior before a season-ending injury.

Mouhamed Dioubate

A four-star forward from Queens, New York, who played at Flushing's John Bowne High School before transferring to Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. He averaged 8.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game at Kentucky.

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What they’re saying

“Rick Pitino and his staff are hitting the ground running after the portal opened on Tuesday”

— Thomas Cavanagh, Author

What’s next

St. John's is also linked to other transfer targets, including Georgetown guard KJ Lewis, Arizona State center Mor Massamba Diop, and Kansas center Flory Bidunga, who won the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award last season.

The takeaway

St. John's is being proactive in the transfer portal, targeting high-profile players to fill key roster needs and build on their success from the 2025-26 season. The additions of Bashir and Dioubate would provide an immediate boost to the Red Storm's backcourt and frontcourt, as they aim to compete for a Big East title in the upcoming season.