I remember when Mahoney took over and he said something to the effect of we are doing the same things that we've always done and they're just not getting it. Rather than adapt to his players, he was insistent on staying the course because it had always worked in the past. I'm not trying to call him out 20 years later, but I think had he found a better way to teach, we might not have missed the NCAA tournament with a roster that included several NBA players.
For Chris Mullin, the game has always come so naturally to him. But I think as he's learning to coach, he needs to keep trying to find ways to get through to his team. This is the best shooting St.John's team I can remember seeing. They have talent. They may not have that enforcer in the paint, but every STJ team has played without a key missing ingredient.
If Yakwe and Ellison are struggling with defense, it's Mullin's job not just to work harder to communicate, but to communicate differently until he finds a technique that resonates.