QUEENS, N.Y. – St. John’s center Joel Soriano starred at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (P.I.T.) in Virginia over the weekend, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
Soriano became the first St. John’s player to earn the recognition since D’Angelo Harrison was named to the P.I.T. All-Tournament Team in 2015.
The Yonkers, N.Y., native averaged 17.3 points per game, shooting 53.8 percent (21-39 FG) from the floor in three contests playing for the Portsmouth Sports Club. Soriano also dominated the glass and pulled down 12.7 rebounds per game. St. John’s leading rebounder last season grabbed more than half of his boards on the offensive glass, posting 6.6 offensive rebounds per contest.
Soriano began the tournament with a 28-point, 12-rebound double-double in an 85-79 setback to Jani-King on Thursday. The 6-foot-11 center knocked down 11 of his 16 shots, including a 3-pointer, while shooting 5-of-7 from the charity stripe.
The 2023 BIG EAST Most Improved Player followed with 15 points shooting 7-for-14 from the field to go with 13 boards against Norfolk Sports Club on Friday. Soriano finished the tournament with nine points and 13 rebounds, including a tournament-high eight offensive boards, in an 80-76 win over K&D Rounds on Saturday.
Established in 1953, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament welcomed 64 of the best college seniors across the nation to compete before representatives of National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises as well as international scouts.
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