St. John’s breaks through in the NBA draft, landing picks for Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins

St. John’s checked a major long-term box in the NBA draft, snapping a 14-year stretch without a first-round pick and turning that breakthrough into an event that reached deeper into the program’s draft day footprint. According to Yahoo Sports, Zuby Ejiofor was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 23rd overall pick, marking the school’s first first-round selection since its prior stretch of draft fortune ended.

The timing mattered for a program that had spent years recruiting and developing with the hope that its pipeline to the NBA would eventually turn into a higher-visibility draft moment. A first-round selection is not only a career marker for the player, it is also a report to recruits that the path from Queens to the league can land on the biggest stage, with teams willing to pay premium attention to development and upside.

With St. John’s already in the conversation for its first-round breakthrough, the day did not stop there. Yahoo Sports reported that Dillon Mitchell was taken by the Boston Celtics with the 40th overall selection, positioning him as part of a Celtics draft class that, by the simple fact of the pick location, suggests the organization saw a clear developmental fit alongside its current roster-building priorities.

St. John’s draft results also included a third former Red Storm player, Bryce Hopkins, who was reported by Yahoo Sports as being selected after the Ejiofor and Mitchell picks were announced. While the Yahoo Sports report confirms that Hopkins was drafted, it does not specify the overall slot in the information provided here, leaving that detail to be clarified through official NBA transaction records.

From a team-building perspective, the two separate draft destinations illustrate the range of roles different organizations expect from prospects. The Hawks’ first-round selection places Ejiofor immediately within a clearer spotlight, while a second-round pick such as Mitchell’s 40th selection typically comes with a different timeline, often centered on fit, skill refinement, and gaining NBA minutes when opportunities open.

For St. John’s, the implications go beyond any single draft slot. The Red Storm’s ability to place multiple players into the NBA draft on one day reinforces the program’s recruiting narrative and strengthens its credibility in player development, even as the real work shifts to what comes next: how quickly these players transition to NBA strength, pace, and role expectations.

What to watch next is how each franchise uses these picks. Ejiofor’s path may be tied to how the Hawks allocate minutes and development attention to complement their rotation. Mitchell’s trajectory will likely be shaped by the Celtics’ development plan for prospects, where consistent progress can convert draft value into regular-season opportunities. Hopkins’ situation, too, will become clearer once the NBA’s official draft records are matched to the teams and roles involved. Until then, the safest takeaway is that St. John’s has re-established draft relevance with multiple selections, including a first-round moment that ends a long drought.