The boys from Brooklyn are hoping to bring an extra spark to Queens this basketball season.
Two-time Hall of Famer Chris Mullin — who got his hoops start at Xaverian — is back on the sidelines for his second season as St. John’s head coach and, this season, he’ll get a little bit of hometown help.
Mullin focused his offseason pursuits on bringing in local talent, and the crown jewel of that recruiting class is former Jefferson star Shamorie Ponds. Together, the two Brooklynites are hoping to bring the Red Storm back to the program’s former glory.
“He’s got a nice instinct for the game, a natural feel,” Mullin said of Ponds’ on-court ability. “He’s got a really easy-going personality and I think he kind of plays that way. He lets the game come to him.”
Ponds impressed the Red Storm coaching staff throughout the preseason, and his talent was awarded earlier this month when he was named the Big East preseason freshman of the year. Mullin, however, is confident that the accolades won’t go to his freshman guard’s head.
Of course, there’s plenty of reason for Ponds to feel confident heading into the season. The guard racked up more than 2,000 points during his career at Jefferson and averaged 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists as a senior. He led the Orange Wave to a New York State Federation championship last season and was named to the 2016 Jordan Brand All-American Team.
Jefferson can make things happen on the court, the key, however, is translating that talent to the college game — and Mullin is certain Ponds can do that.
“He can move to different positions, and he really picks it up quick, shuffling lineups and he’s fine,” Mullin said. “So I think his instinct and his personality are pretty similar, he kind of figures it out pretty quickly. He’s gifted.”
Ponds won’t be alone in the back court this season. Mullin hopes to team up the Brooklyn native with sophomore Federico Mussini and red-shirt freshman Marcus LoVett. The second-year coach also expects each of his guards to score — after all, Mullin’s mind was always focused on the basket when he played, and that approach hasn’t changed now that he’s on the sidelines.
“You want to get the ball up the floor and keep your turnovers down, and I like an attacking offense,” Mullin said. “I like to be aggressive and take good shots and the right shots for the right person.”
Mullin is determined to do his alma mater proud this season, and a year after winning just one Big East game, the former Red Storm star believes in his team more than ever.
There will, undoubtedly, be bumps in the road, but both Mullin and Ponds are ready to weather them — and hopefully sink a few baskets along the way.
“We all know freshman have to develop. That’s what we’re paid to do — develop them,” Mullin said. “[But] like I tell them each and every day, ‘It’s not so much what we talk about, but what we go out and do.’ ”
