St. John's HC Rick Pitino welcomes new recruit Handje Tamba with comparisons to former Tennessee standout 

Rick Pitino's frontcourt got stronger with the addition of Handje Tamba. The St. John's coach couldn't hide his delight as he welcomed the former Weber State center to his lineup through a post on X/Twitter on Tuesday.

Pitino praised the defense and work ethic of his newest big man, who started his college basketball career at Tennessee. Coincidentally, Pitino compared Handje to a former Volunteers standout when describing his attributes.

"Excited to have Hanje Tamba join our team," Pitino wrote. "Hard worker and terrific defensive player. Always wanted to have a Bobby Maze player. Incredible young man with an awesome work ethic!"

Bobby Maze played two seasons at Tennessee, suiting up for the Vols from 2008 to 2010. He helped Tennessee reach the Elite Eight for the first time in program history in 2010, averaging 9.4 points, 3.2 assists and 2.4 rebounds through 37 games in his senior year.

Maze contributed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, averaging 8.3 ppg, 4.0 apg, 1.8 rpg and 1.0 spg through four March Madness games. He recorded nine points and three assists in his final game for the Vols, a gut-wrenching 70-69 loss to Michigan State in the Elite Eight.

Recapping Handje Tamba's college basketball journey after sealing switch to Rick Pitino's St. John's

Handje Tamba's college basketball career hasn't gone according to plan since he joined Tennessee in 2021 as a promising high school prospect from Knoxville Catholic. He didn't appear in a single game for the Volunteers, transferring to Weber State after that redshirt season.

Tamba failed to impress in his two-season stint with the Wildcats. He averaged 1.6 ppg and 1.6 rpg through 31 games for Weber State in the 2022-23 season. His numbers showed no improvement in the 2023-24 season, averaging 1.8 ppg and 1.5 rpg through 25 games.

Tennessee forward Handje Tamba (#32) warming up before the start of the NCAA college basketball game against Kentucky in Knoxville on February 15, 2022. Photo: Imagn

Tamba moved to NAIA school Milligan ahead of the 2024-25 season to get more playing time. The Congo native got that with the Buffaloes and his numbers went up as a result, averaging 10.5 ppg and 8.9 rpg last season. He was efficient on the offensive end, shooting 50.4% from the floor.

Rick Pitino saw something with Tamba, handing him an opportunity to crack the St. John's lineup. His arrival comes after Vince Iwuchuwku and Khaman Maker exited the Red Storm through the transfer portal.