Afternoon Rumble: an ex-assistant hired, Harrison awarded, new recruiting target

Chris Mullin could have been a huge star for Notre Dame?

What might have been: Family wanted Chris Mullin at Notre Dame - Notre Dame Insider: Mens

"If Notre Dame had put the fullcourt press on him, that’s where he would have gone," said Xaverian Brothers (N.Y.) High School coach Jack Alesi, who coached Mullin in grade school and high school. "His family always hoped he would go to Notre Dame."

Irish coach Digger Phelps remembers meeting with Mullin after a high school game at Madison Square Garden. Recruiting an Irish-Catholic kid from Brooklyn to Notre Dame would have been a no-brainer. Except….

"Word was that he was all set to go to St. John’s," Phelps recalled last week. "We never heard anything about Chris wanting to go to Notre Dame. He was going to St. John’s."

Well, geez, Notre Dame Insider, that was not worth our time.

• Former St. John's assistant coach Tony Chiles - who managed St. John's recruiting efforts for Steve Lavin - has been hired by Fordham's new coach Jeff Neubauer.
• D`Angelo Harrison picked up some awards at St. John's 69th Annual Athletic Awards Celebration.

#SJUAwards15 pic.twitter.com/bJCIeyYi0q

— Dangelo Harrison (@DangeloHarrison) May 5, 2015

• St. John's offered Philadelphia guard Tony Carr. Carr is a tall guard who is ranked in the top-50 by Scout.com and has offers from Maryland, Indiana, Temple and Pittsburgh.

Not-quite St. John's news

• Former St. John's commit Jevon Thomas continues his hoop journey, transferring from Kansas State to Seton Hall. He'll sit out for the year.

  Kansas State basketball transfer Jevon Thomas headed to Seton Hall | The Kansas City Star

  K-State basketball coach Bruce Weber suggested Thomas second-guessed his decision to transfer, saying he asked about returning after announcing his exit plans. But by then it was too late to reverse course.

  "He has worked diligently to succeed in our program both athletically and academically," Weber said when Thomas announced his transfer. "He has made tremendous strides during his time at K-State, but he’s come to the decision he wants to be closer to home. We wish him the best as he moves forward in his college career."

• Three players have transferred from South Carolina - including Brooklyn-bred freshman Shamiek Sheppard, who barely played for Frank Martin's squad.

• You can't flush Isiah Thomas from Madison Square Garden, apparently. He's been hired as president of the NY Liberty. Why? Why? Who knows.