Last week, St. John’s shored up its starting backcourt by adding English pro Quinn Ellis to form a tandem with the returning Ian Jackson. Now, they are filling out their bench with an experienced lead guard who has decided to stay in New York City.
Columbia redshirt senior guard Avery Brown committed to St. John’s on Thursday evening. The news was first reported by Roger Rubin from Newsday.
The 6-foot-4 guard from Beacon Falls, Connecticut spent the last four years playing with the Lions, making 84 starts in 86 appearances. He averaged 10.0 points, 2.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals while shooting 37.6% from the field and 27.9% from deep.
“I wanted to put myself in a position to compete for championships, and be a part of the culture at St. John’s,” Brown told David Borges of CT Insider. “Every year, they’ve been elevating their program under Coach [Pitino].”
Brown took a medical redshirt in his senior year after only three games played. On November 10, Brown suffered multiple facial fractures in a collision with Jayden Ross during Columbia’s game versus UConn. He returned two weeks later for the Lions’ game against Longwood, but only logged nine minutes off the bench and was unable to play again.
There are obvious questions about whether Brown can play at this level of competition. In four career games against Big East opponents, Brown averages 8.2 points and 1.8 assists on 33.3% shooting. However, one of his best career games came against Villanova, as he scored 18 points (5-of-7 shooting) and dished three assists in the Lions’ 90-80 upset victory on November 6, 2024.
St. John’s now has ten players for the 2026-27 season, with five remaining scholarship slots to fill on next season’s roster. The Red Storm are hoping to beat out Gonzaga and add uber-talented Arizona State transfer Mor Massamba Diop, who begins a visit on Friday. The 7-foot-1 Senegalese center had 1.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks on 56.9% shooting for the Sun Devils last season.