VILLANOVA, Pa. — Two minutes and 42 seconds into Tuesday's win over Butler, Chris Ledlum appeared.
He needed a short break as he was adjusting a sprained ankle.
Rick Pitino could have swerved in several directions.
There was Glen Taylor Jr., who started 12 games and played a key role as one of the team's top defenders.
He also had the option of going small and bringing in veteran guard Nahiem Alleyne.
Or go big and bring in power forward Drissa Traore.
Pitino chose a completely different path.
He called up rarely used freshman Brady Dunlap. Dunlap had not played in the previous four games and had totaled 18 points on the year.
For Pitino, it was a no-brainer.
Dunlap, an elite shooter, performed exceptionally well in skill sessions and practices to earn the opportunity.
“We have a lot of confidence in him,” the Hall of Fame coach said. “We were going to start him in this game, but Ledlum was ready. Even if Ledlum wasn't ready, he was starting because of what he did in practice. ”
The 6-foot-7 Californian showed why with an incredible performance.
He scored 13 points, 10 of which came in a strong first half, helping St. John's defeat Butler.
He sank three 3-pointers and looked much more confident than he otherwise would have been.
He defended well and was aggressive, logging a season-high 28 minutes.
Dunlap managed to maintain his confidence even as he struggled to see the court.
What helped him was that fellow four-star recruit Simeon Wilcher, a freshman, was going through the exact same situation. He was trying to carve out a role for himself on a veteran team.
They do their best to keep each other's spirits high.
Another factor was that he was more prepared to watch than play this season.
When he decided to transfer to St. John's Dunlap, the son of longtime Division I assistant coach Jeff Dunlap, he did so knowing his role as a freshman would be inconsequential.
Development will be more important this winter.
“I didn’t come into this program expecting many minutes,” he said. “I wanted to do as well as possible this year. At the same time, I want to always be ready. [Pitino] He calls my name. We don't want to go into this game unprepared. ”
It's unclear where Dunlap will go next.
St. John's could certainly use his shooting ability — the team shoots just 34.1 percent from beyond the arc — and now that they're playing more zone. Now, the thin-lined freshman won't be exposed as easily on the defensive end.
Additionally, Ledlum is questionable for Saturday's game against Villanova due to a sprained ankle, which could mean an even bigger role for Dunlap.
Pitino joked that Dunlap believes in himself so much that he thinks he's Jerry West when he's on the floor.
Coaches like that despite his slim build, he's not afraid to make contact.
If he can build on his performance against Butler, he could become a fixture in the rotation.
“He's going to develop into a great player,” Pitino said. “I'm not going to say he's going to be Chris Mullin, but he's going to be a great scorer like Chris Mullin at St. John's. He's only a freshman, but he's going to be a great player. ”
