Life Before the Storm
Before joining the Red Storm, grad-transfer Arnaldo Toro played four years at The George Washington University in DC. In his senior season at GW, the Puerto Rico native posted 6.1 PPG and led his team in rebounding with 7.0 REB. The Toro signing could perhaps fix the rebounding woes of St. John’s from a season ago. Last season Toro pulled down 24 rebounds in a single game. TWENTY-FOUR REBOUNDS. He tied an A-10 record that night against American. He started in games all four years throughout his time at GW and in his junior season, he was averaging near a double-double before going down with an injury.
Toro is not a man of many flashy highlights. His scoring numbers and highlight reels don’t particularly stand out to the naked eye. However, what he contributes to any basketball team should never go unnoticed. He is a solid, hard-nosed player. He finishes around the rim, plays great defense, and crashes the glass like no other. He is the type of player that every team needs and that every coach loves.
What to Expect
Unfortunately, Toro will only have one season in Queens… but that doesn’t mean he won’t make his mark this season. What I’m expecting from this 6-foot-8, 250-pound beast this season is for him to play a decent amount of meaningful minutes to give the Johnnies the experience they need to win games. Toro understands what it is like to defend at the D-1 level. Although the A-10 is no Big East, Toro should be able to anchor the paint for the Red Storm this season whether it be as a starter or in spurts off the bench. I think Toro has a real shot to lead the team in rebounding this season, as he has already done at George Washington.
Toro is a player who is flying under the radar right now but I think it is only a matter of time before a lot of St. John’s fans will begin to appreciate the work he does.
Barstool St. John's 