Roger Rubin: St. John's Dillon Mitchell has become unexpected problem solver
St. John's forward Dillon Mitchell reacts after scoring a basket and drawing a foul on Butler guard Evan Haywood in the second half of a Big East men’s basketball game at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
A lot was expected from this St. John’s team before the season began, and with good reason. The Red Storm brought back Zuby Ejiofor, an All-Big East first teamer who would be named the preseason Player of the Year. They brought in a crop of players that was considered the top-ranked transfer class in the nation. And, of course, all that would be at the disposal of Rick Pitino, fresh off being named the National Coach of the Year.
But probably no one expected to get the version of Dillon Mitchell we are seeing right now.
Mitchell might be the biggest reason St. John’s has turned a corner after a disappointing trip through the non-conference portion of its schedule saw it fall in the national rankings from the preseason No. 5 team to unranked and a crushing home loss to Providence in its third conference game. After 12 games coming off the bench, Pitino returned Mitchell to the starting lineup, launching a winning streak that has returned it to the national rankings.
The 25th-ranked Red Storm overwhelmed Butler in a 92-70 Big East victory before 14,361 at the Garden Wednesday to run the win streak to seven. Mitchell was the catalyst in a 20-6 start and finished the game with 14 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, three blocked shots and no turnovers while doing much of the ballhandling. In his 36 minutes on the court, St. John’s (16-5, 9-1) outscored Butler by 24 points.
Mitchell was only one in a constellation of Storm stars. Ian Jackson had 18 points and made three three-pointers, two late in the first half, as St. John’s restored a lead that had been cut to five to a 43-29 halftime edge. Ejiofor had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. Joson Sanon had 13 points off the bench, shooting 5-for-7 and making all three of his three-point attempts.
Michael Ajayi had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs (13-8, 4-6).
“I’m having so much fun watching Dillon Mitchell play,” Pitino said. “I don’t think I’ve said that too many times in my 52 years [coaching] of having fun watching a person play. Whether it’s him coming down as a point forward and attacking the basket or making a great pass or throwing into Zuby and him cutting to get open — he really knows how to play. It’s not like having another point guard on the floor. It’s like having another coach on the floor.”
Mitchell’s April commitment didn’t bring the big splash of one-time Big East first-teamer Bryce Hopkins coming from Providence or the NBA-level talents of Jackson and Sanon arriving from North Carolina and Arizona State, respectively.
He was a superior athlete and a great rebounder and defender — valuable assets to Pitino — but was offensively challenged. Mitchell has become so much more than what was imagined. His leadership earned him an in-season promotion to tri-captain. And his move to the starting lineup addressed early-season issues with ballhandling and playmaking.
Then, Jackson was still getting his legs under him when he was converted to point guard from shooting guard and Idaho State transfer Dylan Darling hadn’t adjusted yet to the Big East.
“Because we didn’t have a true point guard starting, he’s evolved much more than we anticipated,” Pitino said. “It’s obvious that when he’s on the court, we’re a much better basketball team at all phases of the game — defense, offense, rebounding, shot blocking — and it’s great. That’s what happens when you have all these new players. You experiment, you come to a conclusion and, right now, we’re a good basketball team because of his presence on the court.”
In the seven-game winning streak he is averaging 11.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
“It’s more so just playing freely and just playing to our strengths — that’s the biggest thing,” Mitchell said. “And [there’s] being able to handle the ball a little bit and help with our guards. We have such great scorers on the perimeter and inside, so being able to take some pressure off of them and make plays for [everyone] to get shots that we need them to be shooting.”
Even right at the dawn of the season, Mitchell had said he felt such a good fit with Pitino’s system that he wished he’d come to St. John’s sooner. But even then, he probably couldn’t have foreseen the essential role he’s had in putting the Storm on the ascent.
“It changed a lot,” Ejiofor said of Mitchell joining the starting lineup. “A versatile player, able to do a little bit of everything, just a really gritty guy. He gets it done on both sides of the ball . . . Just a great player.”
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.
