Bensalem's coach Mullin relies on family history

Bensalem boys' basketball coach John Mullin grew up in Brooklyn as one of four brothers related both by blood and by the game.

Chris, now 46 years old, became the most famous of the brood as a star at St. John's, a five-time NBA all-star with the Golden State Warriors and a member of two United States Olympic gold medal squads, including the famed 1992 "Dream Team."

Most recently, Chris Mullin was the vice president of basketball operations for the Warriors until his contract was not renewed in May 2009.

Roddy, 49, John, 43, and Terence, 39, meanwhile, completed an über-athletic family tree by becoming college-level players.

"You knew if you could hold pretty [well] in your own yard, you could hold your own by yourself," said John Mullin, who started all four seasons at Division-II Bridgeport University in Connecticut from the 1984-85 season through 1987-88. Roddy Mullin played at Siena, while Terence Mullin followed his older brother to St. John's.

Chris Mullin said that since John was the second-youngest of the boys that he caught a lot of their rough play.

"He had to be tough, and in turn developed the wonderful personality he has with patience, and he's such a giving guy," Chris Mullin said. "He's just a great man. But we definitely dished it out to him quite a bit."

John Mullin teaches special education at Bensalem and lives in Langhorne with his wife, Alexa, and four children: McKenna, 13, Johnny, 11, Brooke, 8, and Thomas, 6.

Mullin's Owls enter tomorrow's 12:15 p.m. showdown with Lower Merion in the Hakim Warrick/Philly.com/Rally Classic at Philadelphia University in good shape.

Bensalem (11-5) stayed afloat early in the Suburban One League National Conference by winning seven of nine games in their own yard in Bucks County. Now, Mullin said, unselfishness on offense and a new defensive strategy have contributed to Bensalem's eight-game winning streak through Thursday.

"We've had three or four kids hovering around double-figures," Mullin said. "And our assists recently have gone up."

Chris Mullin said he isn't surprised by his brother's success.

"It doesn't surprise me because he's always trying to help someone else, and he's got incredible patience," Chris Mullin said. "I think that's right down his alley, teaching and coaching."

Owls guard Nick Christian, a 6-foot-2 senior, averages a team-high 14 points per game, Mullin said. Christian shared the ball in a 58-51 road victory over Harry S. Truman on Tuesday, dishing eight assists and making seven steals to go along with his 13 points.

Christian, who Mullin said has received interest from West Point, is complemented by 5-10 senior guard Liam Kirgan, 6-3 junior small forward Ivan Flores, and 6-7 junior center Calvin Brown.

Brown mans the middle of a smothering 2-3 zone defense, which Mullin said he rarely implemented in previous seasons but did this year to "adapt to our personnel."

"We've been strictly man-to-man in the past, but this year we found our niche in the half court with our zone, because we're bigger," said Mullin, who learned the value of defensive size while playing with former Sixer Manute Bol while he and the 7-6 center were teammates at Bridgeport.

Lower Merion (14-5) should test Bensalem's zone. The Aces' guard-heavy offense is predicated on driving to the basket, collapsing defenses and kicking to open shooters along the perimeter.

"Bensalem is a very athletic, dangerous team that is doing some good things at the district level, and it's going to be a real challenge for us to stay with them," Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer said.

"We've seen a lot of 2-3 [zone] and a lot of man [defense], and hopefully we have the versatility to handle either one. But they have a very long team, and their 2-3 zone has a lot of length to it, which could potentially be a problem if we can't navigate it."

Senior 6-4 guard Alon Seltzer is the most dangerous from out deep, as he proved by sinking five three-pointers and scoring 19 points in a 52-41 loss to Reading at the Kobe Bryant/Rally/philly.com Classic on Jan. 23 at Archbishop Carroll.

Seltzer is joined by junior guard Matt McKenna, senior guard Oliver Cohen, junior forward Mike Buchwald and 6-5 senior forward Aaron Staley.

The Aces' outside shooting, of course, should be no strange challenge for Mullin.

The Owls' coach, who headed the program at his alma mater in Brooklyn, Xaverian High, before taking his post at Bensalem, grew up facing older brother Chris' famous left-handed jump shot, which went in at a 50.9 percent clip in the NBA.

"It built a lot of character," John Mullin said. "There were a lot of battles."

Though, when they were kids, every Mullin brother religiously practiced shooting in the backyard. So, before Chris rose to stardom, which of them had the best jump shot, way back when?

"The guy with the biggest bank account," said John, laughing.

Here is the schedule for tomorrow's Hakim Warrick/Philly.com/Rally Boys' Basketball Classic at Philadelphia University

Lower Merion vs. Bensalem, 12:15 p.m.

St. Anthony vs. Friends Central, 2 p.m.

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