The stories could stretch for days, anecdotes that sound closer to fiction for anyone too young to have seen St. John’s at its peak.
In Chris Mullin’s first season as coach at St. John’s, the memories of his playing days have flooded back, none more enduring than the battles against Patrick Ewing and Georgetown.
It was 31 years ago, Jan. 26, that St. John’s went south and knocked off the defending national champions, making the Queens campus home to the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in 33 years. It was a little more than three decades ago, Feb. 27, that the top two teams in the country met in “The Sweater Game” at Madison Square Garden, the most recent night St. John’s was the nation’s top-ranked team. Less than two weeks later came a Big East final battle, followed by a matchup in the Final Four, the final game of Mullin’s college career.
Mullin remembers it all and remembers it fondly, even if it was “so long ago” that the coach hasn’t found reason to discuss the legendary rivalry with his players.
“For me, those four years they had huge meaning and they were always huge games,” Mullin said. “Back in the day, a lot of respect between our teams, a big time rivalry, great games, Hall of Fame coaches, Hall of Fame players.
“It was a big deal, but the kids don’t want to hear about that. If they want to hear about it, I’ll tell them, but I don’t really bring it up.”
It will be brought up in so many seats at the Garden on Wednesday night, when Mullin faces Georgetown for the first time since his final day in a St. John’s uniform.
Nevertheless, the first-year coach said the matchup doesn’t hold additional significance anymore, with the rivalry having withered since the days it stole the national — and New York — spotlight. It is different with John Thompson III on the sideline instead of his father, different with Lou Carnesecca in the crowd.
When Mullin now thinks about Georgetown (10-6, 3-1 Big East), he thinks about his players earning their own stories, about the Red Storm (7-10, 0-4) snapping a seven-game losing streak. St. John’s has been competitive in recent losses to Xavier, Providence and Marquette, but remains winless since the Dec. 13 upset of Syracuse.
From what he has witnessed over the past few weeks, Mullin said he is confident the results will soon change, a belief he makes sure to share with his team.
“They see the improvement that they’re making, but they also see the lapses in games and why we’re not coming out with those wins,” Mullin said. “We’re being realistic and up-front about what it’s gonna take to win. Every day, we’re preparing to win. In the meantime, we’re gonna have to deal with the results.
“They continue to work hard and when you give that kind of effort good things will happen and I think we’ll break through. They want to take the next step and I tell them they’re right there. I’ve been around winning and losing in my career. We’re getting better and we’re getting close.”