Pat McKenzie was on the team the last time St. John's won an MIAC title.  SJU athletics photo by Sean Donohue

Pat McKenzie is a St. John’s guy through and through.

But a 51-year tenure as men’s basketball coach might be too lofty a goal.

“I got too late of a start,” McKenzie laughed. “I don’t see 51 in my future. No chance of that. But it is a great spot. People have a tendency to stick around here.”

His predecessor certainly did.

Jim Smith became Minnesota’s all-time college basketball wins leader in 51 years coaching the Johnnies, compiling a record of 786-556.

McKenzie was around for 193 of those wins in some fashion. He was a point guard from 2000-04, averaging 6.7 minutes on SJU’s last conference championship team in 2001 and leading the MIAC in assists his senior season.

After two seasons of director of basketball operations, he returned to St. John’s as an assistant coach, a role, among others, he held the last nine seasons.

Obviously, Smith had an influence on him.

“I learned a great deal from him over the course of time, both playing and working for him,” McKenzie said. “I think the biggest lesson that I’ve taken away from him is sort of the big picture, and kind of always keeping in mind what this thing is really about.

“And it’s about more than just winning games. Certainly that’s a big part of it, but the impact you can have and treating people the right way. Those things always come first.”

McKenzie’s familiarity with the program helped smooth the transition, in particular with the current players.

That takes some of the pressure off replacing a local staple, though there are still challenges like time management any assistant has when he or she takes over a program.

“As an assistant, you’re getting guys ready and trying to help them develop. You’re still doing that as a head coach and yet, ultimately, now I’m the guy deciding, well, you get in or you don’t,” McKenzie said, also noting time management has been an adjustment. “That dynamic changes a little bit, but like I said earlier, this is a great group and I’m fortunate this is the group I get to have for my first run-around.”

It’s clear St. John’s (14-5, 9-5) is one of the most talented teams in the league, with four players averaging double figures in scoring.

Senior guards Alex Schmitt (18.4) and Mitchell Kuck (16.8) lead the way, each having topped 1,000 career points earlier this season.

Improvement at the other end of the floor is how the Johnnies – currently in a three-way tie for second, four games behind St. Thomas – can reach their full potential.

“We still have to ratchet it up defensively,” McKenzie said. “I’m not sure we’re where we need to be. We’ve shown flashes of being a good defensive team, but to me, that’s the one area where if we can develop a little more consistency, we can become a much tougher out.”

SJU has six conference games remaining, though only two come against teams with winning MIAC records.

One of those is rival St. Thomas on Monday. The Tommies have separated themselves from the pack, but haven’t been dominant, recently only beating last-place Macalester by six.

That shows other coaches nothing is a guarantee in the league. Five teams behind UST have five losses, and even with that pack three games up on the rest for the conference tournament spots, it would be unwise to write anyone off.

“This year, in particular, there’s probably as small a gap between No. 1 and No. 11,” McKenzie said. “I think that just goes to show the balance. I don’t know how good the league is on a national scale, but I know within our own conference, there’s not a huge margin between 1 and 11. I think just any night, you’re gonna have your hands full.”

That could still be the case in 2066, for all we know. But if McKenzie is still in the business by then – hey, medical technology is advancing – the main reason probably won’t be the competition.

“Our players,” said McKenzie, when asked what the most enjoyable part is of working at St. John’s.

“They’re guys you’d want to hang out with outside of basketball. That, without a question, is the best part of the job, are the guys that we get to work with. That probably sounds cliché, but it’s true.”

When this year’s MIAC tournament rolls around, McKenzie might use another cliché with his team: Defense wins championships.

No. 1 goes down

Tuesday was an upset special kind of night in Walla Walla.

After the Whitworth women knocked off No. 21 Whitman 55-52, the Whitworth men’s undefeated season became history, thanks to their archrival.

No. 20 Whitman took down the Pirates at home Tuesday night, never trailing in an 87-71 triumph.

The Missionaries opened the second half on a 13-0 run to go up 52-34. Whitworth, which shot 36.3 percent, could only cut the lead to 10 after that.

Northwest Conference leading scorer Tim Howell poured in 28 points for up-tempo Whitman (17-3, 9-2), now one game behind the Pirates (19-1, 10-1) in the league standings.

"I give all the credit to my teammates, they push me in every day in practice." Howell told the school’s athletics website. "I love this game and I want to help my teammates any way I can, if that means scoring, assists, rebounds, whatever it is I try to do it."

These teams’ first meeting this season resulted in a 95-89 Whitworth victory Jan. 5.

No offense to the rest of the NWC, but I’ll take a Battle of the Whits rubber match in the conference tournament title game Feb. 27, please.

Major key

A University of Dubuque record 2,622 people piled into the renovated Stoltz Sports Center last Wednesday for the latest edition of the Key City rivalry.

Dubuque fans were treated to two phenomenal individual performances to mark the occasion.

Emily Brinker went off for 41 points, including a buzzer beater that sent the game to overtime, before Loras pulled away for an 80-74 victory.

Then Andre Norris had 34 points and 15 boards in an 81-66 UD victory that began a big week for the Spartans. Dubuque bested Simpson on Saturday to take full control of first place in the Iowa Conference, one game up on the Duhawks and Storm.

“What a great crowd and a great environment for a college basketball game," UD coach Robbie Sieverding said in the school’s news release.