A Lord of Flatbush is hoping to be King of Queens again.
That was part of former Xaverian and St. John’s hoops star Chris Mullin’s message when he became the Red Storm’s new head men’s basketball coach last week. His answer each time he was asked about returning the Red Storm to its 1980s glory under coach Lou Carnesecca was simple: “That’s why I’m here.”
Mullin’s return brought together members of the program’s past behind the goal of improving its future. More than a dozen former basketball alumni turned out for the press conference, including Walter Berry, Felipe Lopez, and Boo Harvey, among others.
“I want to get it where coach had it, and then hand it off to someone else so we have consistency and it keeps growing, so we don’t have droughts,” Mullin said.
St. John’s was a winning program again during Steve Lavin’s five years at coach, which included two 20-win seasons and two NCAA tournament berths.
Mullin recapturing that glory starts with making sure the Red Storm dominates the local recruiting landscape again.
“I guarantee you, will see me in the public school gyms, the Catholic school gyms, the AAU gyms all over New York City,” said Mullin, who won a state Federation title with the Clippers in 1981. “You don’t have to tell me where they are. I played in all of them. I know the back doors, if not, I know the janitor in the gym. I’ll get there.”
The recruiting push started with hiring fellow Brooklyn native Matt Abdelmassih away from Iowa State. The former St. John’s manager under Norm Roberts got right to work with Mullin. They have already offered scholarships to Christ the King star and Canarsie native Rawle Alkins, Stepinac’s Jordan Tucker, and former Kennedy wing Bashir Ahmed, among others, and are working to connect with Lavin recruits Cheick Diallo and Brandon Sampson.
“We don’t want to have the kids leave the city,” Abdelmassih said. “We want the kids to leave New Jersey. We want them to come to St. John’s. We want the kids to come to the Big East powerhouse we know that it should be.”
Mullin will bring his legendary work ethic as a player to his coaching. Lopez remembers Mullin when he was in the NBA coming back to St. John’s to workout, and Lopez believes his drive will inspire Mullin’s future players.
“If I was a player for him, I’d be well-dedicated, and made sure I am the hardest worker in order to show I have what it takes to not only raise the level of the school, but my own level too,” Lopez said.
Mullin wants to get St. John’s back to the level it was when he was still wearing a No. 20 red and white jersey. His presence has people hopeful and confident his vision can become a reality.
“It’s going to be beautiful,” Berry said. “I think a lot of people are going to want to come back and be around this situation now, because it is going to remind them of the glory days.”
