The two local Big East Conference teams have solid spots in the Big East Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll, with St. John’s University in Queens at No. 4 and Seton Hall University in New Jersey at No. 5. With recent men’s basketball graduate Zuby Ejiofor (now with the Atlanta Hawks) named the 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year by The EDU Ledger, Edward Kull, St. John’s director of athletics, is pleased that the university’s student-athletes are also committed to academics.
“At St. John’s we have our Vincentian mission where they’re doing community service,” said Kull at Big East Basketball Media Day, held last Thursday in Manhattan at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
“We’re creating young leaders of the future. Doing it in the classroom, in the community, and athletically is what our athletics department is focused on. This women’s basketball team is a good group with great chemistry,” he added.
Part of today’s collegiate landscape involves the opportunities around name, image, and likeness (NIL). The players all came impeccably styled for media day. St. John’s junior forward Sa’Mya Wyatt, who was named to the Preseason All-Big East Team, paired a Ralph Lauren sweater with a classic shirt, a contemporary patterned skirt, and loafers. “I wanted to pop a little bit, separate myself from the crowd, and still come very chic,” Wyatt said. Senior guard Brooke Moore said, “I feel this era is amazing for us as far as marketability and being able to show our personalities outside of basketball.”
Moore is thrilled by the expansion of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament to 76 teams. “I love it. There’s a bigger chance for us to get into the tournament,” she said. “That’s always a goal and motivation for us every season. It opens more opportunities for teams to get a chance to compete.”
Also relevant this year is that the NCAA has decided that all student-athletes have five years of eligibility. Many student-athletes want to remain for the NIL money. Female student-athletes also have their eyes on earning a graduate degree.
Anthony Bozzella, in his 14th year as Seton Hall head coach, said next year will be interesting. “It’s made recruiting look a little different,” he said. “There are going to be a lot more kids in the portal, but obviously we have a kid like Savannah Catalon (senior guard) who hopefully will take advantage of it and get her master’s at Seton Hall. Let’s see how it works. I still believe in recruiting freshmen. It’s important for your culture, for your development, and for sustainability of being successful.”
As always, Bozzella appreciates his hardworking players. “I literally go home from practice every day happy because I really enjoy coaching this group,” he said.
