Mullin lands key big man

Chris Mullin couldn’t have scripted a better first five days as St. John’s coach, or a better first Monday on the job.

Less than a week into his tenure, he has already secured three player commitments and filled two of three spots on his coaching staff, both highlevel recruiters with significant northeast ties to carry out his vision of keeping the best local players home.

On Monday, Mullin landed 6foot11 center Yankuba Sima, a threestar recruit who was being recruited by Maryland, Arizona, Louisville and Baylor, and later in the day, St. John’s announced the addition of Mullin’s good friend and ace recruiter Barry “Slice” Rohrssen to his staff as the Red Storm’s associate head coach. Rohrssen, who spent five years as the Manhattan College head coach and left Kentucky to come home, joins Matt Abdelmassih, who was also announced on Monday, but was known to be in the fold as early as last Tuesday. Rohrssen and Mullin both attended Xaverian High School in Brooklyn.

“This opportunity is a blessing,” Rohrssen, who is believed to have received a sixyear deal that mirrors Mullin’s, said in a statement. “It is with both pride and pleasure to be back home in the great city of New York.”

As soon as Mullin and Abdelmassih came aboard, they made Sima a priority, seeing promise in the big man who came to America from Spain in September, splitting the year at Arlington Country Day School and Elev8 Sports Institute in Florida. A source said Sima’s academics are “fine.”

“He has great upside,” one Division I coach familiar with Sima said.