St. John’s has historic NBA draft as Dillon Mitchell, Bryce Hopkins get selected

Call it the Rick Pitino effect.

The NBA draft now matters for St. John’s.

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For the first time in the modern draft format, three Johnnies were selected. A day after Zuby Ejiofor ended St. John’s 14-year drought without a first-round pick, going to the Hawks with the 23rd overall selection, Dillon Mitchell was taken 40th by the Celtics and Bryce Hopkins went 49th to the Nuggets. It was the first time that three Pitino players were drafted in the same year since his 1996 Kentucky team.

“Rick Pitino knows the secret sauce, and Rick Pitino prepares his guys better than anybody else in college basketball for the pros,” associate head coach Steve Masiello said. “Those guys went in with the answer to the test. They knew to be in elite shape, their character as human beings is off the charts, their performance and workouts speaks for itself.

Dillon Mitchell of the St. John’s Red Storm dunks against the Connecticut Huskies in the first half at Madison Square Garden on February 06, 2026. Getty Images

“Three young men believed in a vision and came here and did the work. It’s a credit to their character and a credit to who they are.”

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The 6-foot-7 Mitchell is a gifted athlete and lockdown defender who played a major role in St. John’s repeating as Big East regular-season and postseason champions. He was used at times as a point forward, which helped raise draft stock. Versatility is his strong suit, the ability to play multiple positions and guard just about every spot on the floor. The lone issue is he is a non-shooter.

In his one season at St. John’s, he averaged 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals. He often raved about his experience in Queens, wishing he arrived earlier in his career. Mitchell impressed teams during the combine…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/st-john-historic-nba-draft-013333469.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-25 01:33:00

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