The St. John’s basketball team has another open spot on its roster after Montenegrin wing Djordije Jovanovic will not be making the journey to the United States following visa issues.
The news was made official on Instagram by his club team, Buducnost Podgorica, via Instagram on Wednesday.
“Djordije [Jovanovic], will be on the roster of Buducnost in the 2026-27 season,” the post said through translation.
“Djordije Jovanovic had an agreement with St. John’s University, where both the player and Buducnost would benefit. However, due to visa problems, Jovanovic could not travel to America, and he stayed in Podgorica and will spend the next season with the club, with which he has a contract,” it continued.
Jovanovic never arrived in Queens and did not participate in St. John’s offseason workouts. He is the second player to be removed from the projected Red Stom roster after Spanish freshman Gildas Gimenez was deemed academically ineligible.
British point guard Quinn Ellis, Serbian center Lazar Stojkovic, and Senegalese wing Babacar Sane have made it to campus and participated in the offseason workouts.
Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman has also been ruled out for the season after rupturing his Achillies in an offseason workout in late June.
“Djordije is very experienced from his time in the G-League and in Montenegro in running the type of offenses we run," Rick Pitino said in a statement at the time of Jovanovic’s signing with the Red Storm.
He projected as a 3-point specialist and high-level defender off the bench for the Johnnies this season. Jovanovic appeared in 24 games during the 2025-26 season in the ABA and Euro Cup and averaged 5.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in 16.3 minutes of action.
St. John’s has already landed Indiana transfer Reed Bailey this week, who was recently deemed eligible in the courts for another season of eligibility and remains connected to prized Auburn transfer Keyshawn Hall.
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