Coaching Conversation
- Thread starter RIP_Malik_Sealy
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JackofVirginia
Active member
Talk about poor coaching, how about Wright not continuing to feed the low post. First of all, someone has to tell our team to front the low post; too many easy layups.
Class of 72
Active member
Is that why Lavin praised him pre-season and was impressed enough to start him?
Class of 72
Active member
There is a difference between volume and noise. But have no fear, I am considering registering on BigEastBoards and keeping Fun company. We share many of the same sarcastic views.
Besides, some of the younger fans use Twitter and Facebook as their social network.....I have my fellow old farts here on redmen to keep my IPhone buzzing. LOL!
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
I agree with the low BB IQ's and am willing to accept that maybe there is a question regarding the conditioning of some of the players. They had a huge amount of time off since the Asheville game and looked spent in the OT. What I disagree with is the statement that we have highly skilled players. We have highly athletic players. We also have players with one skill, or 1/2 a skill. No one is well rounded. Look at the roster. Who does more than one thing well. Harrison is a great scorer. Obekpa blocks shots. Greene has a nice teardrop, which is a partial skill, although he is an improving shooter. Sampson has the most potential to develop multiple skills, but is not there yet. No need to go over the rest of the roster. Very athletic players that need to work on various issues. The player with the multiple skills is sitting in NCAA never never land.
I am probably the most vocal Jones detractor, but I think there is a good chance he could have been effective against Pinkston if he was given the sole instruction to bang with. I dislike Jones because of his slow feet, but Pinkston was just moving our guys out of the way and not killing us with quickness.
beast of the east
Active member
I totally understand the frustrations of all of the faithful.
Let's recall a few important things. Some coaches are great tacticians and great teachers - John Wooden was quick to dismiss any notion that he was exceptional, pointing out that there were hundreds if not thousands of better coaches that toiled in obscure high school or even church gyms, guys you never heard of who understood the game better than he.
Lavin understands his own limitations. Let's all remember is that Lavin, in negotiating his SJU contract, actually left money on the table with the provision it be spent on assembling a dream staff of assistants, Dunlap included.
Before you guys continue to fry him, know that he has immediately resurrected our program and attracted top 100 talent. Given some success here, I firmly believe that will accelerate to top 50 talent, maybe top 25, or top 10.
If he isn't the greatest Xs and Os coach, he is quite firmly a presence on the sidelines that Dunlap is not. On a very good team this will count mightily.
When you get down to it, how good a coach is Calipari? No one has ever accused him of being a great tactician, and without his silver tongue, he would be quite ordinary on the sidelines without +++ talent he is able to attract. Lavin is probably a better coach, and may prove to be nearly as good a recruiter.
If we create a groundswell of contempt, it will do our program no good. Be patient, and remember the gigantic hole this program was in just a few years ago.
Let's recall a few important things. Some coaches are great tacticians and great teachers - John Wooden was quick to dismiss any notion that he was exceptional, pointing out that there were hundreds if not thousands of better coaches that toiled in obscure high school or even church gyms, guys you never heard of who understood the game better than he.
Lavin understands his own limitations. Let's all remember is that Lavin, in negotiating his SJU contract, actually left money on the table with the provision it be spent on assembling a dream staff of assistants, Dunlap included.
Before you guys continue to fry him, know that he has immediately resurrected our program and attracted top 100 talent. Given some success here, I firmly believe that will accelerate to top 50 talent, maybe top 25, or top 10.
If he isn't the greatest Xs and Os coach, he is quite firmly a presence on the sidelines that Dunlap is not. On a very good team this will count mightily.
When you get down to it, how good a coach is Calipari? No one has ever accused him of being a great tactician, and without his silver tongue, he would be quite ordinary on the sidelines without +++ talent he is able to attract. Lavin is probably a better coach, and may prove to be nearly as good a recruiter.
If we create a groundswell of contempt, it will do our program no good. Be patient, and remember the gigantic hole this program was in just a few years ago.
Beast, you are absolutely 100% right. This program was a dead dog before Lavin got here. The last time we had even a sniff of top 100 talent coming here was with Artest, Barkley and Cooke - which was 10+ years ago. Omar Cooke just turned 30! The last time this program was consistently good was during the Reagan administration. That's a long time ago.
Talent is the lifeblood of a program - and Lavin knows how to bring that in. He had to start a roster from scratch last season. So he's about 13 games into season 2 of his new roster. Posters on this board are not exactly giving him a long leash.
Let me ask you this: 3 years ago, before a new coach was hired - if this fan board interviewed a prospective coach, and that prospective coach proposed to this board, saying: "Hey, please give me some patience: I have to turn the entire roster over after year 1 after, but the team will still make the NCAAs in year 1 - just to give you a sniff of success. In year two - in my first year with a new roster - because I have zero returning talent - I will not be able to fill my roster this late in the recruiting game, but I'll put a guy in the NBA in the middle of the 1st round and we will show some flashes in our play.
In year 2 of my team with a new roster we'll still have a pretty tough year again, but the roster will be more fully filled out. But we won't be 100% filled out. As proof that we are making progress, we'll have the nation's #6 scorer, we'll have the nation's #1 shot-blocker, and oh by the way, we'll have a Top 50 talent at small forward and point guard. It's still a rebuilding year, but I will put talent on the floor. During year 3, which is year two of my new roster, we also might able to land another Top 50 guard and a Top 25 big man in recruiting.
I will definitely make some mistakes along the way - but please accept me for what I am - I'm human - I am not infallible But I will try my darndest to return the glory here. I can't promise anything, but I will try like heck for you."
After what St. John's has been through the last 20 years, wouldn't every single poster sing up for the above? I would. We were absolutely left for dead, competing with the Rutgers and Seton Hall's of the world. Have things gone perfectly this season? No, of course not. Has Lavin perhaps erred in some personal decisions? Yes, but I would say that's he's made more good choices than bad choices. He's had to take some risks. Sometimes that pays off, sometimes risks come back to haunt you. He had to build this thing from scratch! He had nothing to work with! Zero, zippo, zilch!! Boarders on this site are whining that we are 8-5. But we've been seemingly 8-5, or the equivalent of that for most of the last 20 years. You should be used to it by now, so I'm not quite sure why everyone is so up in arms about our start.
This is like building a start-up company. Give the CEO and his executives some time to grow it. It takes time to nurture your little baby.
RIP_Malik_Sealy
New member
Well said BOE. With that said - are the coaches we have "assisting" our head coach capable of bringing this team to the "next" level? I know Rico Hines is a "player development guru", but can he coach? I know Darrick Martin had a successful career as a professional basketball player, but can he coach? What input does Gene Keady really have? Also, what exactly does Mo Hicks do? Does anyone notice any of the staff getting in Lavin's ear during the game to make any adjustments, etc?
Class of 72
Active member
I bought my tickets to watch Sampson, Harrison, Branch, Sanchez and Gift. Two of those players I paid to see are not on the team. They were supposedly on the team when I purchased my tickets and were practicing. It is a classic bait and switch by Lavin........he dangles the first five I mentioned and then tries to sell us a lesser product in Jones for the same price.