The phrase “point forward” brings a grin to Dillon Mitchell’s face, a nostalgic nod to his high school days at Montverde Academy, a renowned institution in Florida. As the regular season approaches, this role is becoming increasingly significant in his contributions to St. John’s.

Standing at 6-foot-8, Mitchell has embraced the opportunity to handle the ball more frequently. Whether it’s kickstarting a fast break following a defensive rebound or managing the pressure as he brings the ball up the court, he’s become an integral part of initiating the offense and feels at ease in this capacity.

“I’ve always felt confident in this aspect of my game, and the coaching staff appreciates it,” Mitchell shared during a fan meet-and-greet event at an Applebee’s near campus on Monday. He continued, “It’s always come naturally to me, although I haven’t focused much on it during my college career because previous teams didn’t require it. But with our fast-paced style, when I rebound, they encourage me to advance the ball myself.”

Mitchell’s versatility was on full display during the first exhibition against Towson, where he helped revitalize fifth-ranked St. John’s after a sluggish start. He showcased even more prowess in Saturday’s nail-biting overtime loss to preseason No. 7 Michigan, where he tallied 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds over 31 minutes. His unique blend of size and athleticism makes him a challenging matchup—too imposing for a guard and too dynamic for a traditional forward.

In the first exhibition against Towson, Mitchell sparked fifth-ranked St. John’s after a slow start. He was even better in Saturday’s overtime loss to preseason No. 7 Michigan, producing 13 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes. He’s too big for a guard and too athletic for a forward.

There was one play in which Mitchell caught a rebound in traffic and took off the other way, weaving through traffic. He wound up missing the layup. It was impressive nonetheless. The highlight: Two big dunks that brought the crowd to its feet, one over Michigan All-American forward Yaxel Lendeborg.

“Mind-blowing. Two huge plays to get the crowd hyped,” teammate Zuby Ejiofor said. “I’ve said this previously, he’s kind of the X factor of this team. We’re looking forward to seeing a lot more of those [dunks] the rest of the year. He’s one person that Johnnies Nation is really going to love.

“He’s really smart with the way he attacks and the way he’s able to get other guys open as well.”

A McDonald’s All-American and five-star recruit coming out of Montverde, Mitchell has bounced around. He spent two seasons at Texas, one at Cincinnati and is now finishing up at St. John’s. Last winter, he enjoyed the best season of his career, averaging 9.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals.

This may end up being the perfect system for him, because the up-tempo, pressing style accentuates his strengths as an athletically gifted forward with ballhandling skills who plays above the rim.

“There’s no better way I would want to end my college career, than being here for St. John’s playing for Coach Rick Pitino,” Mitchell said. “There’s no better way I would want to end my college career. I wish I came here earlier, to tell you the truth.

“Just the fit, just the culture, the environment and honestly the development, getting better every day in practice, playing with elite guys every day in practice. It just gets you better.”

Showcasing an ability to handle the ball and initiate offense should only help Mitchell when it’s time to move up to the next level. The more things a player does well, the better. But that’s not something he’s concerned with.

“It’s good for me, but the biggest thing if I want to get there, is we gotta win,” he said. “And that’s something Coach P has preached and talked to us seniors about. We have to be leaders and we have to help our team win.”