St. John’s men’s basketball 2026-27 player preview: Reed Bailey

On August 18, St. John’s announced the signing of 6-foot-10 forward Reed Bailey, coming from Indiana. Entering his fifth collegiate season, Bailey now looks to put the 2025-26 season behind him and rediscover the form that made him one of the more intriguing players in the transfer portal.

Bailey posted 8.3 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 57% from the field last season at Indiana. After playing in a system that didn’t maximize his strengths and being asked to play out of position, Bailey could have a much higher ceiling with the Johnnies.

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The former three-star recruit comes from an athletic family. His father, Nathan, played basketball at Navy and Pittsburgh, while his mother, Linda, played volleyball at Pittsburgh. His siblings also competed collegiately across basketball and volleyball. Coming from Harvard, Massachusetts, Bailey wasn’t heavily recruited, which ultimately led him to Davidson.

Bailey started all 97 games he played during his three seasons at Davidson. In those three seasons, Bailey was named Atlantic-10 Most Improved Player and First-Team All-Atlantic-10 after the 2024-2025 season. With this proven track record, Bailey became one of the premier transfer recruits, ranking 63rd in the portal, right behind future national champion Elliot Cadeau. Indiana ultimately landed Bailey, attracted by his combination of length, fluidity in transition, and ability to consistently threaten defenses around the paint. Within the Wildcats’ offense, Bailey was used primarily as a power forward, working off the ball and serving as an off-ball screener.

Between all the high screens and low block movement, Bailey found himself open a lot, where he was fed his points. But Bailey isn’t solely an off-ball player. There were plenty of instances where he received the ball at the top of the key and became the focal point of the offense, initiating the possession himself.

At 6-foot-10, Bailey has very fluid movements where he moves like a small-ball forward. He’s not a…

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Publish date : 2026-08-28 18:43:00

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