The dream of Dillon Mitchell returning to the St. John’s basketball program has ended, but the thought of a reunion was a thrilling two days for the Red Storm faithful.
Mitchell signed a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, which ends any possibility of him being allowed to return to college basketball based on the 5-for-5 ruling and subsequent legal litigation. Â
The No. 40 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was one of a handful of players not to sign their NBA contracts, leaving the door open for a possible return to the college ranks, and filling a major hole for the Johnnies.
St. John’s landed Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman this offseason in one of its biggest portal additions, but the 6-foot-9 forward ruptured his Achillies in late June during a non-contract drill in a workout. He has been ruled out for the season, and it allowed Rick Pitino to have another roster spot available to him this year.
Pitino filled what was believed to be his final two roster spots with freshman guard Gildas Gimenez and Hungarian forward Zsombor Maronka but it was recently reported by the New York Post that Gimenez was ruled academically ineligible and will not be on the Johnnies roster this winter.
One roster spot opening coincided with the idea that Dillon Mitchell could return to St. John’s. Mitchell did it all for the Red Storm last season, averaging 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
In the meantime, St. John’s has been publicly linked to Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall who is also trying to return to the sport in the 5-for-5 war.
If the players are able to win the legal battle against the NCAA and earn another year of eligibility, the Johnnies will likely be involved with several more players in hopes of filling its final roster spot with an impact player that will contribute immediately.
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