St. John's freshman Brady Dunlap making a splash
Brady Dunlap of St. John's takes a free throw against Villanova during an NCAA men's basketball game on Saturday at Villanova. Credit: St. John's
VILLANOVA, Pa. — There was a moment during the second half of St. John’s big win at Villanova on Saturday when the contest could have gone either way. Brady Dunlap seized it for the Red Storm and put them back on course for a significant 81-71 Big East win.
The Wildcats had cut a big deficit to seven on Mark Armstrong's tip-in, and a sullen sellout crowd had come alive. Then RJ Luis found Dunlap outside the three-point arc and the blue-chip freshman drained the shot to take the crowd’s oxygen.
And when the fans found it again late, Dunlap got a pass in the corner from Nahiem Alleyne for another three-pointer that essentially slammed the door on the Wildcats.
“It’s one of the best feelings ever. You work in the offseasons, you wake up early in the mornings to hit that shot right there,” Dunlap said. “[Alleyne] has hit the mid-range shot a ton of times, but he trusted to give me the ball in the corner. And I am so appreciative for him just trusting the freshman to take that shot and make it.”
Dunlap is the Red Storm's most recent revelation. Before this past week, he had played in only eight of 13 games, scored just 18 points and hadn’t gotten into three straight contests. In Wednesday’s win over Butler, he came off the bench for a breakout 13-point performance in which he shot 5-for-7. With Chris Ledlum sidelined with an ankle injury Saturday, he got his first career start and came through with 15 points and 5-for-8 shooting, including three three-pointers.
“It’s a dream come true just to start at this level,” Dunlap said. “To hear my name called was a special moment for me, but I had to get out of my own way. It’s not about me — it’s about the team. I just went out there and did all I could to help get us a win.”
Dunlap never got down when he wasn’t playing because he didn’t expect much playing time on a veteran team. He had been committed to Notre Dame but reopened his recruiting after then-coach Mike Brey exited, and he picked St. John’s to be developed by Rick Pitino. His arrival is timely, because St. John’s hasn’t shot as well as expected and his forte is shooting.
“In practice, I don’t think he misses,” Daniss Jenkins said. “I’m just happy he is bringing it to the game . . . we believe in him.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
