Theo Edema was pressed into motion Sunday against one of the greatest facilities in the nation, and the freshman carried out higher than anyone could have expected.
With beginning massive man Ruben Prey in foul bother, Edema logged 12 minutes. He shined, notching 4 factors, seven rebounds (4 offensive), a block and a steal in St. John’s 84-74 win over Texas in the Red Storm’s exhibition finale.
The 6-foot-11, 255-pound Edema held his own against 7-foot Longhorns heart Matas Vokietaitis.
“He was big down the stretch, he wouldn’t let them get back in the game with offensive rebounds,” coach Rick Pitino said.
A four-star prospect, Edema dedicated to St. John’s in May, selecting the Johnnies over Maryland, BYU and Stanford. He was supposed to be a highschool senior this 12 months but reclassified to attend faculty early. Edema could become a key half of the second unit.
“He played amazing. I’m a big fan of his game,” Tounde Yessoufou said. “His energy. You can tell he affects the game in many different types of ways. He got some good blocks, he was a dog on defense. That’s something we really, really need.”
St. John’s Red Storm heart Theo Edema (23) dunks previous Texas Longhorns ahead Marcus Spears Jr. (31) and guard Amari Evans (1) in the second half of a sport at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Quinn Ellis ended three preseason video games with three turnovers in 116 minutes.
He also has 22 assists. Pitino heaped reward on his level guard after he tallied 4 factors, seven assists, three rebounds and no turnovers in 34 minutes against Texas.
“Quinn dominated the game without scoring and Ian [Jackson] benefits so much. That’s a terrific backcourt. I thought Quinn dominated the game today, got the ball moving and got everyone involved in the game,” Pitino said. “On this basketball staff, Quinn is so key, because everyone desires to rating, and Quinn doesn’t actually care about that.
“He cares about winning, he cares about doing the right things, he cares about playing good defense. He’s really a great point guard to have with this basketball team.”
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