The race for the final St. John’s roster spot is on as the courts and NCAA still try and sort through the escalated 5-for-5 ruling but Rick Pitino and his coaching staff are not wasting any time.
After the Johnnies had a spot freed up by the academic ineligibility by freshman Gildas Gimenez, the pieces quickly came together that there might be a reunion with standout forward Dillon Mitchell, who was the No. 40 overall selection in the NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics.
However, Mitchell fits into all of the rules and regulations regarding a return to college basketball, specifically that he has not signed an NBA contract yet. But the Red Storm are also looking into other players that could be granted another year of eligibility including Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall.
Hall, a 6-foot-7 forward, was thought to have finished his college career spending four years with four different schools but he entered the transfer portal in April with the hopes that he would be able to find another season in his college career.
The native of Cleveland, Ohio started his college basketball journey at UNLV before finishing at George Mason, UFC, and Auburn. He posted a career-high 19.3 points per game with the Tigers last season while also posting 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest. He is a career 45.0-percent shooter from the floor and 37.1-percent from 3-point range.
In a game against St. John's in November, Hall went for 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in an Auburn victory.
Kentucky, Houston, USC, Indiana, Kansas, Gonzaga, SMU, LSU, Providence, and UCF have also been in contact with Keyshawn Hall, according to multiple reports.
While St. John’s is trying to find a talented player to join its roster, it is also looking for a replacement for Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman after he ruptured his Achillies during a non-contact drill in an offseason workout and has been ruled out for the season.
The Johnnies added Hungarian forward Zsombor Maronka to its roster in the wake of Freeman’s injury but are still looking for a player with experience and production in college basketball.
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