Jeff GoodmanJeff Borzello
Chris Mullin turned down an NBA head coaching job with the Sacramento Kings back in December, later choosing to accept the task of taking his alma mater, St. John's, back to national prominence.
Mullin, 51, is the program's all-time leading scorer and also helped lead the Johnnies to the Final Four back in 1985.
However, much has changed since his playing days -- and turning the program into a national contender won't be easy. Here's a look at what Mullin inherits, how he will recruit and the program's overall outlook under his leadership.
What Mullin inherits
Shooting guard Rysheed Jordan averaged 14.1 points and 3.7 rebounds last season for the Johnnies. Icon Sportswire/AP Images
Mullin doesn't inherit much, but sometimes that's not altogether a negative.
The Red Storm will lose four seniors, including leading scorer D'Angelo Harrison. Sir'Dominic Pointer, Phil Greene IV and Jamal Branch are also gone. Defensive-minded big man Chris Obekpa hasn't made a final decision whether he'll be back, though it appears that the team's second-leading scorer from a year ago, Rysheed Jordan, will return.
Obekpa is a nice piece -- if he returns. He won't provide much in terms of offense, and he considered leaving a year ago. Jordan is the X-factor in a sense, largely because he's so talented, yet so enigmatic. He's struggled with off-the-court issues, but maybe Mullin and the new staff can help in that regard.
The key question is who else rounds out a roster that needs bodies. Thus far, the Johnnies have added Tennessee transfer Tariq Owens, who will have three years remaining after sitting out the 2015-16 season; Darien Williams, a junior college prospect who was committed to Iowa State; and 6-foot-11 Yankuba Sima, a three-star center who performed well at the European Championships last summer for Spain's U-18 team.
It could be a long first season for Mullin, but that was to be expected no matter who took over, since former coach Steve Lavin was leaving the cupboard close to bare.
How Mullin will recruit
Landing five-star recruit Cheick Diallo would be a huge addition for Mullin & Co. Mike DiNovo/USA TODAY Sports
Mullin's name will carry weight with the parents and coaches of high school prospects, but obviously that's not enough in recruiting. However, he's hit the ground running at St. John's, starting with the hire of assistant Matt Abdelmassih, who developed a reputation as one of the best transfer recruiters during his time at Iowa State. Mullin also convinced Barry "Slice" Rohrssen to leave Kentucky to come join the staff at St. John's.
While the third assistant spot is still open, Abdelmassih and Rohrssen bring enough to the table in terms of relationships and connections that the Red Storm aren't starting behind the eight ball. Plus, since Mullin came aboard, St. John's has already landed the three aforementioned transfers in addition to commit Samir Doughty from the incoming class.
While St. John's will continue to look for transfers to round out the roster for next season, there's been no secret regarding the Red Storm's biggest recruiting target: five-star power forward Cheick Diallo (No. 11) from nearby Our Savior New American (New York). St. John's has been among his five finalists for a long time, but the Red Storm weren't among the leaders until Abdelmassih and Rohrssen were hired. You see, Abdelmassih was the lead recruiter for Diallo at Iowa State and Rohrssen was the lead recruiter for Diallo at Kentucky (and previously, Pittsburgh). Will that be enough to make up ground on Kansas? The two sides met over the weekend, and a decision should be coming soon.
Moving forward, St. John's has already targeted a long list of players in 2016 and 2017 -- mostly guys in New York and New England, as well as No. 8-ranked junior Edrice Adebayo from North Carolina. If this were eight or 10 years ago, it would be imperative to lock down New York City in terms of prospects. While that's still going to be a goal for Mullin's staff -- and having two assistants with New York ties in Abdelmassih and Rohrssen will help -- there's not enough consistent talent coming out of the city to make it one-stop shopping when it comes to recruiting for St. John's. Expect them to hit the transfer market on a regular basis, as well as secure kids from New York's surrounding areas (e.g. New England, the mid-Atlantic, New Jersey, etc.). With that said, the school's biggest targets in 2016 will likely be AAU teammates Rawle Alkins (No. 28) and Mustapha Heron (No. 23). Alkins is a physical wing from nearby Christ the King (New York) whom Mullin, Abdelmassih and Rohrssen met with last Friday. Meanwhile, Heron recently decommitted from Pittsburgh -- where Rohrssen originally recruited him.
Mullin and St. John's have certainly come out swinging on the recruiting trail, hitting the transfer market and aiming high in their pursuit of high school prospects. Diallo will be a huge indicator for the Red Storm: If they are able to land him, it gives them a ton of momentum going forward.
Mullin's name recognition is there with parents and coaches -- and it will start growing with potential prospects.
The verdict
Can Mullin return the program to its past heights? AP Photo/G. Paul Burnett
St. John's is optimistic that the Mullin hire will follow the blueprint of Iowa State's decision to bring local hero Fred Hoiberg home to coach. Neither had any college coaching experience, and both were plucked from an NBA front office.
However, Iowa State and Hoiberg were fortunate for several reasons. Hoiberg inherited Melvin Ejim, who developed into one of the best players in the Big 12. He also added maligned transfer Royce White, who helped lead the Cyclones to the NCAA tourney in Hoiberg's second season, and identified Georges Niang as a rising star before anyone else.
Mullin will likely wind up following a similar blueprint: going the transfer route early and also mixing in local talent.
He's brought on two assistants with local ties in Abdelmassih and Rohrssen. Abdelmassih helped get White to Iowa State and was key in getting multiple transfers to move to Ames. Rohrssen was on the staff at Pittsburgh on two occasions, and spent last season with John Calipari at Kentucky. He left Lexington to return home to New York and help his friend and fellow Xaverian graduate, Mullin.
But this isn't an easy job.
There's a reason why no shortage of coaching candidates turned it down the last time it was open -- before it was offered to Steve Lavin. The talent in the area isn't what it it used to be, and it's not as though kids grow up dreaming of playing for the Johnnies these days. There's been little tradition over the last couple decades.
This isn't to say Mullin won't get it done, but it's not going to be easy -- and will take some of that Hoiberg luck.