Rick Pitino built a roster good enough to dominate the Big East. But if St. John’s is going to take over college basketball, the Red Storm must capitalize on the momentum of a historic season that ended Saturday with a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to an Arkansas program with deeper pockets.

The next step for the Red Storm isn’t just about finding more outside shooting. It’s about raising the money to attract the talent Pitino needs to take the next step in 2025-26. 

By no means has St. John’s operated from a position of poverty through two seasons. After all, Pitino brought in one of the most sought-after transfers in the sport, Kadary Richmond, last year.

However, while they may have a healthy budget by Big East standards, they aren’t among the top spenders in college basketball. Pitino described his leading scorers, RJ Luis and Zuby Ejiofor, as “very low-paid players” this month.

“I think there’s a lot of misrepresentations about NIL,” Pitino stated post-Big East Tournament title match. “NIL didn’t get us this team.”

To compete, they must not only find quality players but also ensure adequate NIL funding. Pitino understands that an exceptional coach can’t solely rely on talent acquisition without proper funding to support it.