St. John’s, Rick Pitino Turn Heads by Adding Past NBA Performer

Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm celebrates a 67-65 victory against the Kansas Jayhawks after the game in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. Getty

The St. John’s Red Storm produced three different NBA Draft picks in June. Unprecedented in program history, but shining a light on the impact of head coach Rick Pitino as a developer. Yet now, the Big East champs are adding a recent NBA performer.

Let alone one taking advantage of a new landmark injunction ruling.

St. John’s landed former Auburn Tigers forward and recent NBA rookie Keyshawn Hall, On3 college basketball insider Joe Tipton reported on Tuesday. Hall becomes a rare bounce back from the pros, going from undrafted rookie and NBA Summer League participant to pivoting back over to college. He last appeared with the Miami Heat during summer league action.

So Hall adds to a growing list of athletes launching a new, rare moment in collegiate sports.

How Keyshawn Hall Managed to Receive College Retry

Much like the NFL, even undrafted NBA rookies are earning a chance to go back to college.

Hall’s situation became granted through an injunction made in Ohio, On3 revealed. A judge granted him a fifth season of eligibility thanks to new NCAA rules allowing 2022 high school graduates to go back to school.

“However, the NCAA has since been granted a motion to stay the injunction, temporarily pausing the court’s decision. Therefore, Hall is currently ineligible,” Tipton adds.

So Hall must scale one more hurdle, “but he and his attorney are working through legal options in hopes of allowing him to play for the Johnnies this upcoming season” Tipton added.

St. John’s Addition Comes at Crucial Time

Assuming Hall is greenlit to play, his arrival becomes crucial for this aspiring Final Four contender.

St. John’s lost key transfer Donnie Freeman of Syracuse to a torn ACL during the offseason. Already the Red Storm lost valuable forward Zuby Ejiofor, who landed with the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

But the Queens Catholic school enters 2026-27 receiving skyrocketing expectations. St. John’s returned to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 1999 March Madness tournament. Former Red Storm guard Dylan Darling banked a running layup at the buzzer to upset Kansas in the second round.

Now expectations rise higher for the back-to-back Big East champs. St. John’s created a brand new “championship or bust” mindset through some notable offseason moves. Including landing another NBA talent, but one who dipped out of the draft before the deadline.

Keyshawn Hall can Form Wicked Tandem Here

Hall can form a fierce tandem with Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou. The same Yessoufou who came close to entering the 2026 NBA Draft himself.

The now former SEC standout Hall averaged 19.3 points per game playing for Auburn. He showed a nose for the glass too in collecting an average of 7.1 rebounds per game.

Hall even reportedly drew interest from Auburn’s SEC rival Kentucky. He also turned down opportunities to join USC and Gonzaga.

St. John’s will become his fifth college stop. He launched his college career at UNLV before transferring to George Mason. Then he shot hoops with UCF before landing at Auburn. So depending on his eligibility ruling, Hall will taste the Big East for the first time.

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