St. John’s added to its frontcourt on Wednesday, landing 6-foot-11 center Handje Tamba from Milligan College, an NAIA school located in Tennessee.
“Excited to have Hange Tamba join our team,” St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino said. “He’s a hard worker and a terrific defensive player. I always wanted to have a Bobby Maze player. Incredible young man with an awesome work ethic.”
Tamba played his AAU ball for B. Maze Elite, which former University of Tennessee point founded guard Bobby Maze.
Last season, Tamba won the 2024-25 Appalachian Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 10.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game at Milligan. It was his lone season with the school after beginning his college career at the University of Tennessee, where he redshirted during his lone season before transferring to Weber State from 2022 to 2024.
Tamba started 30 of 32 games for Milligan last season, guiding the Buffaloes to a 22-10 overall record. He was an all-league first team selection, broke the school’s record in blocks per game (1.7 bpg), and ranked second in the conference in rebounding.
His addition comes shortly after junior center Vincent Iwuchukwu transferred from St. John’s to Georgetown, ensuring the Red Storm keeps a domineering presence down low for the 2025-26 season.
Pitino’s squad was built on its defensive acumen and ability to control the boards, which Tamba will surely do alongside Providence transfer Bryce Hopkins. However, the Queens school has done extensive work to address its weaknesses in the transfer portal and build on its best season in 40 years.
St. John’s most notably handed North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson to supplement the loss of Big East Player of the Year, RJ Luis. He also added European sharpshooter Imran Suljanovic alongside Cincinnati’s Dillon Mitchell and Stanford’s Oziyah Sellers.
