St. John's gets commitment from wing Djordije Jovanovic, source says
St. John's coach Rick Pitino looks on prior to a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament on March 27, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Credit: Getty Images/Emilee Chinn
St. John’s quest to replace the experience lost from the 2025-26 roster continued on Saturday as the Red Storm landed a commitment from Djordije Jovanovic, a 6-7 wing from Montenegro who has played in the NBA’s G League and professionally in Europe.
Jovanovic’s two G League seasons were with the Ontario Clippers. G League players who have not signed any kind of NBA contract and have not used up their college eligibility are eligible to play.
The Red Storm got a commitment Tuesday from British point guard Quinn Ellis, 23, who had been playing in the EuroLeague. Jovanovic, who will turn 23 next month, played for Buducnost VODI this past season, averaged 4.9 points and shot 39% from three-point range, according to basketball-reference.com.
St. John’s has been pursuing Jovanovic’s commitment for more than a month, according to a source familiar with his recruiting. “He’s a tough player and has experience going against better competition than most of what you find in college,” the source added.
The Red Storm (30-7) lost four starters who were in their final year of college eligibility. Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins, Dillon Mitchell and Oziyah Sellers scored 66% of the team’s points in its six postseason games.
Since Rick Pitino and his staff came on before the 2023-24 season, they’ve stuck with a philosophy that older players are the fastest route to being competitive. The four players who will return from last season’s team — Ian Jackson, Ruben Prey, Casper Pohto and Fotis Konstantinidis — will be juniors and sophomores.
St. John’s could be hosting more than a handful of players from Europe and the NCAA transfer portal in the coming week, likely including 7-1 Massamba Diop of Arizona State. Diop and Moustapha Thaim, one of five potential transfers who visited last week, are rated the two best centers currently in the portal.
Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman, a 6-9 forward who averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds, might be a possibility for the Red Storm, according to a report in the Lexington Herald-Leader. He is reported to have visited Kentucky and recently canceled a visit to UConn.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
