When Mike Krzyzewski took the Duke job, it took him a little while to figure out how to recruit here. At first he swung for the fences and cast a wide net, most of whom he missed on. One of those was Chris Mullin, who chose St. John’s after a tremendous high school career first at Power Memorial, a school perhaps best known for producing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was then known as Lew Alcindor, then transferring to Xaverian High School for his final two years.
Mullin was a great player for the Johnnies, leading St. John’s to the 1985 Final Four, the year that the Big East put three teams in (the fourth team was Memphis State).
He was also on the overwhelming 1984 U.S. Olympic Basketball team along with Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Wayman Tisdale and others.
As a pro, Mullin played for the Golden State Warriors from 1985-1997 and then spent three years with the Indiana Pacers, where he was coached by one of his idols, Larry Bird.
Mullin was a great shooter, but he also had a tremendous instinct for the game. He was never hugely athletic, but his hand speed and intelligence made him a player to be feared.
In the modern game, Kon Knueppel has drawn comparisons to Mullin. Like Mullin, Knueppel is not overly quick, but his IQ and high skill level make him a formidable force for the Charlotte Hornets.
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