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Rick Pitino had upgraded St. John’s perimeter shooting, and now he has landed a defensive and rebounding weapon to pair with those offensive upgrades.
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Dillon Mitchell, an elite athlete and former five-star high school prospect, is coming to Queens, the Cincinnati transfer told The Post on Wednesday morning.
The 6-foot-8 jumping-jack of a forward from Tampa, Fla. is a significant addition as St. John’s looks to remain elite defensively while improving on the other end of the floor. Mitchell is an offensive rebounding dynamo, lob threat and versatile defender who can guard every position on the floor.
“It was specifically about development and getting put into the right system around the right group of people who are going to push me, make me uncomfortable and just help me get to that next level,” Mitchell told The Post. “One thing that stood out on my visit, when I sat down with [assistant coach Steve Masiello] and Coach Pitino, they just talked about my weaknesses. That was the biggest thing. I’ve been on visits before and they just show you your strengths and show you all these highlights plays you make and how you can fit into their system. Them noticing my weaknesses and communicating how they can help me get better with my weaknesses, that was the main thing I was looking at. It was all about the development plan Coach Pitino has.”