St. John's drops in early rankings after Donnie Freeman's injury

St. John's basketball team has fallen to No. 17 in the CBS Sports preseason Top 25 And 1 following the season-ending injury of Donnie Freeman. Freeman, a transfer from Syracuse, suffered a torn Achilles during a workout and has already undergone surgery. Coach Rick Pitino expressed optimism about Freeman's recovery in a social media post. The injury comes as a major setback, with Freeman expected to be a key player for the Red Storm next season after averaging 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds at Syracuse. Meanwhile, Florida remains the top team in the rankings, returning six of its top seven scorers from last season's successful campaign.

• 9:29 PMCBS Sports — College basketball rankings: Donnie Freeman's injury knocks St. John's down in early Top 25 And 1