St. John’s unlocked a new lineup approach — why it should be blueprint going forward

For weeks, we have waited for this St. John’s team to establish an identity. To show us what they could lean on what separates them from others.

I believe the Johnnies found it in Tuesday’s encouraging win: a big, versatile lineup.

For the first time since the second game of the season, coach Rick Pitino started Dillon Mitchell, Bryce Hopkins and Zuby Ejiofor together. He also used his two centers, Ejiofor and Ruben Prey, in the same lineup.

The result was arguably the best St. John’s performance of the season, a thorough 84-70 win at Butler.