Although he grew up only 11 miles from Carnesecca Arena, Jordan Dingle’s journey to St. John’s was not linear. From basketball camps with his dad, to private schools in the middle-of-nowhere New Jersey and even into the Ivy League, the senior guard has been surrounded by this game his entire life.  

Before committing to St. John’s in May, Dingle had a unique tie to head coach Rick Pitino. His father, Dana Dingle, played at UMass under John Calipari in 1996 when the team made it to the final four game against Kentucky. Kentucky beat UMass 81-74, and Rick Pitino hoisted up a national championship trophy two days later. 

Dingle’s father is the biggest role model in his life. He was the first person to put a basketball in his hands and taught him the fundamentals of the game while setting him up with the opportunity to play with the New York Lightning, his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Program. 

As Pitino was putting together his new team, Dingle went through the motions of the NBA draft process following a stellar year at the University of Pennsylvania. Flying to places like Salt Lake City and Denver, the New Yorker found himself in an experience that was “a huge amount of fun.” With the opportunity to think about the future and all of its possibilities, Dingle’s approach to the season was to be a contributor. 

“When I saw all the players that St. John’s got and obviously playing for Coach Rick Pitino, I thought that I needed to improve on my game a lot so as to not disappoint them,” he told The Torch at St. John’s Media Day in October. 

As St. John’s narrowly hangs onto a NCAA tournament berth, credit to one too many second-half collapses late in the season, Dingle’s most recent performances (avg. 16.3 pts.) have proved to be an increasing asset late in the season. 

Ahead of the Feb. 28 win (82-59) against Butler, Dingle said that there is no secret to his work. 

“Everything just happens according to God’s will and God’s plan,” he told the press before the game. “I’m just grateful God is allowing me to play well.” 

In the past three games, Dingle has tallied 22 points at Georgetown, 18 against No. 12 Creighton, and nine at Butler. He also came up with three steals in the victory over Butler.  

“If it’s scoring, if it’s rebounding, if it’s assisting. I need to be the loudest voice.” 

Composure and intelligence is nothing new for Dingle. He competed at the prestigious Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey for two years under head coach Joe Mantegna. With the team, he won two (of the fifteen that Mantegna has won overall) Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) Championships. 

“I remember when I learned that Jordan’s morning routine at Blair (pre-breakfast) included early morning bodyweight calisthenics and reading the Wall Street Journal,” Mantegna told The Torch through email. “From the age of 17, he was always focused and mature beyond his years.” 

He brings a versatility to the Red Storm, something that Mantegna saw the moment he stepped on Blair Academy’s campus six years ago. 

“All the success he has had is a direct product of his willingness to pour into his game, his body and his intellectual growth,” Mantegna said. 

Reflecting on his time at Blair ahead of his new season with St. John’s, Dingle remarked that it was a necessary process in his growth as a player and a person. 

“They all did an amazing job pushing me and inspiring me to step out of my comfort zone to try things that I wasn’t forced to try earlier,” he said. “Playing for Coach Mantegna was the closest I’ve ever gotten to playing for someone like Coach Pitino in terms of their relative dominance.” 

With an opportunity to go dancing, every game counts for St. John’s in the last stretch of the season. With obvious struggles as of late, Dingle could be the key to a tournament run for the Red Storm, and is not going down without a fight. 

“We owe it to one another, [to] this coaching staff for trusting us to come here, and to Johnnies Nation for being so supportive to us all year, to go out fighting,” he said. “There’s no sense of quit on this team, regardless of what our record is.”

“I think the fact that we still have a chance to accomplish all of the goals we came here for is even more encouraging,” Dingle continued. 

St. John’s (17-12) will close out their regular season against DePaul on March 5 and Georgetown on March 9.