Rick Pitino is double-dipping on older European talent with plenty of professional experience. Days after bringing in 23-year-old English point guard Quinn Ellis, St. John’s landed Montenegrin wing Djordije Jovanović, who is set to turn 23 next month. The news was first reported by Zach Braziller of the New York Post.
Hailing from Montenegro’s capital city, Podgorica, the 6-foot-7 forward played for his hometown club KK Budućnost over the last two years, primarily operating as an off-ball shooter
who drains shots with a rainbow-like arc and can play above the basket with ferocity. He’s averaging 4.9 points and 1.7 rebounds, while shooting 43.1% shooting and 38.6% from deep with Budućnost in Adriatic League play this season.
Last summer, Jovanović was called up to Montenegro’s national team for EuroBasket 2025, averaging 6.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game on 44.4% shooting across five group-phase matches. His best performance in the tournament came in Montenegro’s loss to Lithuania when he joined longtime NBA veteran Nikola Vucevic as two of the three Montenegrin players to score in double-figures, recording 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists off the bench.
When Jovanović steps on the court as a member of the Red Storm, it won’t be the first time he’s played stateside. He played two seasons in the G-League with the Ontario Clippers, averaging 5.7 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 30.7% from three.
For all of their high-tempo offensive explosiveness, St. John’s has lacked consistent perimeter scoring in recent years. Jovanović could help solve that with his ability to shoot off the catch and on the move, and he also brings good size for the necessary defensive support in Rick Pitino’s system.
Jovanović becomes the Red Storm’s sixth scholarship player on the 2026-27 roster, joining fellow newcomer Quinn Ellis and returners Ian Jackson, Ruben Prey, Fotis Konstantinidis, and Casper Pohto. As the transfer portal closes to new entrants on Tuesday, the Johnnies must get moving to fill their remaining nine vacant spots. Although Robert Morris transfer DeSean Goode committed to Miami following a visit to St. John’s, they are still in the mix for players like Mor Massamba Diop from Arizona State, Moustapha Thiam from Cincinnati, and Mouhamed Dioubate from Kentucky.
