By JAMES MADDEN
St. John’s has officially signed four additional newcomers to its program, per release.
On Monday, the Johnnies officially welcomes European wing Djordije Jovanovic, British guard Quinn Ellis, Senegalese forward Babacar Sane and Mercer transfer Kyle Cuffe Jr.
Jovanovic, a native of Montenegro, most recently played for Montenegrin club KK Buducnost VOLI, where he averaged 5.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in team’s run to the National Cup of Montenegro. Prior to his time playing in his home country, Jovanovic played two seasons for the Ontario Clippers, the G-League affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers, from 2022-24. In the two seasons, he appeared in 44 games and averaged 5.8 points per game.
“Djordije is very experienced from his time in the G-League and in Montenegro in running the type of offenses we run,” said Rick Pitino in the release. “We are very excited to have him join our frontcourt.”
St. John’s has also landed British guard Quinn Ellis, who was highly coveted during this spring’s recruiting cycle. Ellis is a native of England and played this past season for Olimpia Milano in Italy, averaging 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 35 appearances for the team, which he also started in 30 of. At 6-foot-5, Ellis shot 37.7% from three-point range and was named the MVP as he led Olimpia Milano to an Italian Basketball SuperCup title.
“Quinn is a great playmaker, he’s a great passer, has terrific size and is a strong shooter,” said Pitino. “He will come into his own, the ball will be in his hands and he will make everyone around him better.”
The Johnnies are also set to bring in Senegalese forward Babacar Sane. Sane, a 6-foot-8 forward, has played professionally in the United States, Germany and Senegal. He most recently played for MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in Germany, where he averaged 9.9 points and 3.8 rebounds, playing alongside former St. John’s guard Stef Smith. Prior to playing in Germany, Sane also spent multiple years playing in the NBA G-League. From 2022-25, Sane appeared in 76 G-League games for the Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz) and the Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves), averaging 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
“Babacar is a forward that can play multiple positions,” said Pitino. “I’ve heard wonderful things about him from my former player Gorgui Dieng. Assistant Coach Ricky Johns went to see him and we were extremely impressed with his athleticism.”
Finally, the Johnnies have also signed Mercer transfer Kyle Cuffe Jr. Cuffe, a native of Harlem, began his career at Kansas and Syracuse before transferring to Mercer for the 2025-26 season. The son of former St. John’s forward Kyle Cuffe, he appeared in 59 games for Syracuse over the course of two seasons, averaging 4.2 points per game for the Orange. After transferring to Mercer, Cuffe saw a slight increase in playing time, averaging 7.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game for the Bears.
“Kyle comes to us with great experience at Kansas, Syracuse, Mercer and now St. John’s” said Rick Pitino. “He will help solidify our great backcourt.”
In addition to the previously mentioned four additions, St. John’s is also set to welcome four-star Theo Edema, Serbian forward Lazar Stojkovic, Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman and Columbia transfer Avery Brown.
