Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball: Building each program’s Mount Rushmore

By Brian Foley

KEYSTONE, SD - OCTOBER 01: Mount Rushmore National Memorial towers over the South Dakota landscape on October 1, 2013 near Keystone, South Dakota. Mount Rushmore and all other national parks were closed today after congress failed to pass a temporary funding bill, forcing about 800,000 federal workers off the job. A bulletin issued by the Department of Interior states, 'Effective immediately upon a lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service will take all necessary steps to close and secure national park facilities and grounds in order to suspend all activities ...Day use visitors will be instructed to leave the park immediately...' (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
KEYSTONE, SD - OCTOBER 01: Mount Rushmore National Memorial towers over the South Dakota landscape on October 1, 2013 near Keystone, South Dakota. Mount Rushmore and all other national parks were closed today after congress failed to pass a temporary funding bill, forcing about 800,000 federal workers off the job. A bulletin issued by the Department of Interior states, 'Effective immediately upon a lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service will take all necessary steps to close and secure national park facilities and grounds in order to suspend all activities ...Day use visitors will be instructed to leave the park immediately...' (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 7: Head coach Chris Mullin of the St. John’s Red Storm looks on in the first half against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 7, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The St. John’s Red Storm defeated the Villanova Wildcats 79-75. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 7: Head coach Chris Mullin of the St. John’s Red Storm looks on in the first half against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 7, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The St. John’s Red Storm defeated the Villanova Wildcats 79-75. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Mount Johnnie

St. John’s History: 2 Final Fours, 4 Elite Eights, 3 Sweet 16’s

HC Lou Carnesecca (1965-70, 1973-92)
Record: 526-200 (.725 winning percentage), 18 NCAA Tournament appearances

When St. John’s is constructing their version of Mount Rushmore, Carnesecca’s engraving better include his signature sweater. On the court, the Johnnies qualified for the NCAA Tournament or NIT every year during the Carnesecca era, including a Final Four run in 1985.

G Mark Jackson (1983-87)
Stats: 10.1 points, 5.6 assists, 1.3 steals

Jackson played a secondary role during his first two seasons as Chris Mullin carried the Johnnies to a Final Four. But with Mullin gone, Jackson stepped up, leading the country in assists as a junior, and then posting nearly 19 points per game with second-team All-America honors as a senior. Jackson is still St. John’s all-time assists leader. He was also named an NBA All-Star in 1989 with his hometown New York Knicks.

F Chris Mullin (1981-85), HC (2015-)
Stats: 19.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals
Record: 38-60 (.389 winning percentage), 0 NCAA Tournament appearances

Even as the reformed Big East consistently sends six or seven teams to the NCAA Tournament, St. John’s Mullin and Georgetown’s Ewing represent the heyday of the conference. Mullin is still the only player in Big East history to win three conference Player of the Year awards (he shared two of them with Ewing). He was also a consensus first and second-team All-American, and the catalyst for St. John’s Sweet 16 and Final Four runs. Mullin’s head coaching tenure has not gone nearly as well in Queens, but it will never tarnish his excellent playing career with the Johnnies.

F Malik Sealy (1988-92)
Stats: 18.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals

Sealy was a walking bucket as soon as he arrived on his campus. St. John’s won the NIT championship in Sealy’s freshman year, and then advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the next three seasons. He finished first-team All-Big East in both 1991 and 1992, and was a consensus second-team All-American in 1992. Sealy led St. John’s to the Elite Eight as a junior, which was also the last time the Johnnies made it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. He is second in St. John’s history in all-time scoring, just 38 points behind Mullin.

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