St. John's University Athletics
St. John’s Welcomes European Wing Djordije Jovanovic
5/18/2026 1:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Red Storm adds 6-foot-6 Montenegrin to 2026-27 roster
QUEENS, N.Y.– The St. John's men's basketball program officially welcomed 6-foot-6 Montenegrin wing Djordije Jovanovic (pronounced George-EE YO-vahn-UH-vich) on Monday.
Jovanovic, a 22-year old forward, arrives in Queens with a wealth of experience competing in the NBA G-League and the Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA), a regional league in Europe.
"Djordije is very experienced from his time in the G-League and in Montenegro in running the type of offenses we run," said Head Coach Rick Pitino. "We are very excited to have him join our frontcourt."
The wing currently plays KK Buducnost VOLI, a club located in Podogrica, Montenegro, competing in the ABA and the EuroCup. Jovanovic appeared in 24 games during the 2025-26 season, averaging 5.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 16.3 minutes of action. Jovanovic, alongside former collegiate star teammates Rasheed Sulaimon (Duke) and Yogi Ferrell (Indiana), led the squad to a National Cup of Montenegro title this season. In his first campaign with the club in 2024-25, Jovanovic added 5.4 points per contest on 38.7% shooting from 3-point range, while guiding Buducnost to its fifth straight Montenegrin National Championship.
No stranger to lacing up on United States soil, Jovanovic spent two seasons with the Ontario Clippers in the NBA G-League from 2022-24. The forward appeared in 44 contests across two seasons for the Los Angeles Clippers G-League affiliate, which relocated to San Diego before the 2024-25 campaign. In 2023, he joined the squad in February, making 12 appearances and one start to close the season, averaging 6.0 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. The following year, he played in 32 games, making eight starts and averaging 5.6 points to go along 2.4 rebounds per game. He shot 93.3% from the charity stripe and averaged 20.8 minutes per game.
Prior to his time in the Clippers organization, Jovanovic spent three seasons with KK Partizan, a club out of Belgrade, Serbia.
Additionally, the Montenegro native has represented his country on the international stage, playing in 11 contests for the senior national team and averaging 6.4 points per game. Jovanovic also participated in three European Championships as a member of the youth system, suiting up for the U-16 (2019) and U-20 (2022, '23) squads and logging 13.5 points per contest.
Jovanovic joins Avery Brown (Columbia), Donnie Freeman (Syracuse), fellow European standout Quinn Ellis and incoming Serbian freshman Lazar Stojkovic as the latest additions to the 2026-27 Red Storm men's basketball roster. The Johnnies are coming off their first Sweet 16 appearance in 27 years and won the outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship and tournament title for the second straight season. Place a deposit for season tickets by clicking here or support the Red Storm Legacy Investment Fund.
Jovanovic, a 22-year old forward, arrives in Queens with a wealth of experience competing in the NBA G-League and the Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA), a regional league in Europe.
"Djordije is very experienced from his time in the G-League and in Montenegro in running the type of offenses we run," said Head Coach Rick Pitino. "We are very excited to have him join our frontcourt."
The wing currently plays KK Buducnost VOLI, a club located in Podogrica, Montenegro, competing in the ABA and the EuroCup. Jovanovic appeared in 24 games during the 2025-26 season, averaging 5.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 16.3 minutes of action. Jovanovic, alongside former collegiate star teammates Rasheed Sulaimon (Duke) and Yogi Ferrell (Indiana), led the squad to a National Cup of Montenegro title this season. In his first campaign with the club in 2024-25, Jovanovic added 5.4 points per contest on 38.7% shooting from 3-point range, while guiding Buducnost to its fifth straight Montenegrin National Championship.
No stranger to lacing up on United States soil, Jovanovic spent two seasons with the Ontario Clippers in the NBA G-League from 2022-24. The forward appeared in 44 contests across two seasons for the Los Angeles Clippers G-League affiliate, which relocated to San Diego before the 2024-25 campaign. In 2023, he joined the squad in February, making 12 appearances and one start to close the season, averaging 6.0 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. The following year, he played in 32 games, making eight starts and averaging 5.6 points to go along 2.4 rebounds per game. He shot 93.3% from the charity stripe and averaged 20.8 minutes per game.
Prior to his time in the Clippers organization, Jovanovic spent three seasons with KK Partizan, a club out of Belgrade, Serbia.
Additionally, the Montenegro native has represented his country on the international stage, playing in 11 contests for the senior national team and averaging 6.4 points per game. Jovanovic also participated in three European Championships as a member of the youth system, suiting up for the U-16 (2019) and U-20 (2022, '23) squads and logging 13.5 points per contest.
Jovanovic joins Avery Brown (Columbia), Donnie Freeman (Syracuse), fellow European standout Quinn Ellis and incoming Serbian freshman Lazar Stojkovic as the latest additions to the 2026-27 Red Storm men's basketball roster. The Johnnies are coming off their first Sweet 16 appearance in 27 years and won the outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship and tournament title for the second straight season. Place a deposit for season tickets by clicking here or support the Red Storm Legacy Investment Fund.
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