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 in May and had 16 different workouts.
At the start of the process, most mock drafts projected him to either go in the 50s or not get selected.
That changed in recent weeks, and he went early in the second round.
Bryce Hopkins of the St. John’s Red Storm reacts during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 27, 2026 in Washington, DC JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The 6-6 Hopkins, meanwhile, was seen as a long shot to get picked at the start of the process. But he earned an invite to the main combine after a strong showing in the G-League combine.
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He was terrific late in the year for the Johnnies, averaging 18.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and made 13-for-20 3-point attempts in the Big East Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
Hopkins looked like his explosive pre-torn ALC self in March, and he left an impression on the Nuggets to hear his name called.
