COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Luke Healy grew up knowing all about Saint John's University. His grandfather, Mike Healy '64, made sure of that.

"He introduced me to Saint John's," Luke recalls fondly. "He's Mr. Saint John's. He talked about this place all the time."

Mike Healy went on to a long financial career at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, S.D., and was named Outstanding Healthcare Officer in the U.S. by Modern Healthcare magazine in 1995. He even had a day named in his honor in South Dakota before his retirement in 2009.

But his ties to his alma mater remained strong. In 2014, he received one of SJU's Alumni Achievement Awards.

"He lives down in Yankton, but he'd come up to Hudson (Wis.) when I was growing up and he'd take us to an SJU football game every year," Luke Healy recalls.

"That was always so much fun. I can remember playing catch with my younger brothers behind the bleachers on the far side of the field. I always loved the atmosphere here."

But when it came time to choose his own college path, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Healy opted to play college basketball at Division II Sioux Falls (S.D.). He played in 14 games for the Cougars as a freshman during the 2021-22 season, averaging 4.3 points per contest.

Yet he said it didn't feel like the right fit. And when he made the decision to transfer, there was really only one place he looked.

"I wanted to go somewhere a little closer to home and to find a place where I felt most comfortable," Healy said. "I'd gotten to know (SJU head coach) Pat (McKenzie) during the recruiting process when I was in high school, and I really liked his approach to things. So deciding to come to Saint John's was a pretty easy choice."

Despite battling injury, Healy immediately worked his way into the Johnnies' rotation as a sophomore, appearing in 19 games and starting five. But his role has expanded this season. He has seen action in each of the team's first 14 games and is averaging 15.1 minutes and 5.8 points per contest.

"He's had a great year," McKenzie said. "Last year was his first in the program and he was dealing with an injury. But now he's gotten accustomed to what we're doing and you can see that starting to show through."

Perhaps Healy's biggest highlight came in SJU's MIAC opener on Nov. 21 at defending conference champion Carleton.

With the game tied and time running out, he caught an inbound pass and dribbled the length-of-the-court to hit a left-handed layup that lifted the Johnnies to a 74-72 victory. The win was the second of what turned out to be eight-in-a-row after an 0-2 start.

"That was really a big win for us," Healy said. "We lost to (Carleton) three times a year ago, so it was good to come out on top against them. And it was our first conference game. You want to start building momentum and it seems like we've been rolling since then."

Like his grandfather, Healy has chosen to major in accounting at SJU – giving the two plenty to talk about at family gatherings.

"It's funny because it's been 60 years, but it seems like there are a lot of things that haven't changed since he was here," Healy said. "He lived in Tommy Hall and he's told me stories about what that was like. It's cool to be able to experience some of the same places and traditions he did."

Healy also works in the Institutional Advancement office at SJU and enjoys golfing and hiking in his free time.

But basketball is his first love and he hopes to continue playing a big role as the Johnnies make the turn into the second half of their conference schedule. After winning 83-67 at Bethel Wednesday night, SJU is now 9-0 in MIAC play, 11-3 overall and in first place in the conference standings.

The Johnnies play host to second-place Gustavus Adolphus (8-5, 7-1 MIAC) in a big matchup at 7 p.m. Monday in Sexton Arena.

"Our goal is to continue to win and see how far we can go," Healy said. "We got a pretty good test when we played Mount Union (Ohio) down in Florida (on Dec. 20). They were ranked (No. 13) in the nation and we held our own (in a 76-65 loss). 

"But it showed us the level we have to reach to compete against teams like that. That's what we're working toward."