St. John’s coach Steve Lavin expects to round out his staff this week by announcing the additions of former Rice High School coach Mo Hicks and former Arizona and Oregon assistant coach Mike Dunlap.
Dunlap is considered one of the best X’s-and-O’s assistants in college basketball. He compiled a 248-50 record as head coach at Division II Metro State, winning national titles in 2000 and 2002.
As reported in The Post, Hicks agonized over leaving Rice, where he has embraced the school’s mission of helping teenagers from economically and socially challenging situations grow into mature young men.
Hicks and former Columbia star Tony Chiles, who already is on the staff, combine to give St. John’s a formidable recruiting presence in the metropolitan area.
And Rico Hines, a former assistant at UCLA who emerged as one of the top player development coaches in the NBA, gives Lavin a staff tailored to attract top-flight prep talent. If the staff’s plan works, St. John’s could surge to the top third of the Big East.