If we don't make the ncaa tourny...

[usguard]

IF he signs a monster recruiting class then yes resign him for a couple years. I don't see that happening if we perform poorly on the court.

IMO if he signs a monster class they let him coach next year and see what he does. If he does nothing, then they don't renew him. I so badly want Sampson, Daughty and hopefully Diallo and some other kids here for next year, that I'm willing to suffer through the pain of watching Lavin coach for one more year.

Monte, what's the odds of him getting a studded freshmen class into the ncaa?
If co and rj doesn't return, then he'll be relying on freshmen to save his job (and it's not uk where they get 4 or 5 top 10 kids.), so he might say: "Yeah I'm recruiting a real good class, and my future is going to rely on those inexperienced kids."
What if he tells those recruits that he isn't getting an extension, so he won't be returning to coach his final year. So he could force an extension. Would the new AD then give it to him or hold out?

With a new coach, we"ll have to wait atleast 3 years. Giving Lavin a 2 year extension, we might be real good by March of next year. Which is the only reason I say give him two more year.
I really don't want to wait atleast 3 more years.
Even make Lavin rehire Dunhap, if he's willing to return.

Lavin has a contract. and he should honor that contract. He should tell every recruit that he will definitely be here next year and that he plans on being here beyond next year. If he tries to force an extension by threatening to sabotage his own recruiting class, then he'd really be shooting himself in the foot on many different levels. I'd like to think he wouldn't do that, if for no other reason than for his own sake.

I hope you're right, but he might say: "why let my future be based on what freshmen do.

Here's the deal monte:
Give him a 2 year extension, which is 3 altogether. Give him two years instead of what you're saying which is one year. That would give him two years with his recruits, aren't college kids better in their second year then their first year anyway?
Then forget how good he recruits after the 15 class, bottom line is you better win or you go, it's that simple.

I hear what you're saying oldschool, I just think that 6 years is more than enough time to prove whether or not you've got the program headed in the right direction. If we finish this year strong, and if he brings in a strong class for next year, and if we start next year strong, then maybe the school starts a dialogue with him about a 2 year(not more) extension. Even if he leaves at the end of his contract(next year), at least the cupboard won't be completely bare for the new coach. Just my opinion.

I think that's a reasonable strategy Monte, but what do you do if he half-achieves?
If we don't make the tournament, but he signs an OK, but not great class, (say, sampson, Doughty freeman and lovett) what do you do then?

I think that would be better than an ok class Give him until the end of his contract and evaluate. Aside from his neg he has been a good representative of the school

 

[monte]

Even if Lavin signs a "pretty good" class this year, assuming that Jordan and/or Obekpa leave after this season, what are the expectations for next season? NCAA tournament? Not realistic. So what do you do with Lavin?

IMO, the cupboard is pretty bare after this season. At this point in Lavin's tenure, we should be reloading every year. However, we will be in a rebuilding mode not reloading next year. More like starting all over again. We have made the NCAA tournament once during his regime and probably won't make it for the next couple of years at least. This is a huge disappointment. I, for one, certainly expected better results. When hired, he said that one of his goals was to balance the classes. Another huge failure. Our classes are not balanced by year nor by position.

When he was hired, there was a lot of optimism about the future of our program. I wonder how many of us share that optimism about the program today. Admittedly, I was opposed to his hiring in the first place. Looking at what he has/has not accomplished in five years, I believe that my concerns have been validated. IMO. he should go back to ESPN, where he does a great job, and we should bring in a new coach to sort out this mess once again.

Mediocrity for St John's basketball is not OK in my book. That's what we have gotten in five years with no reason to believe that things will significantly improve in the foreseeable future. We should be a perennial NCAA caliber team every year. It hasn't (and won't) happen year in and year out on Lavin's watch. Let's part friends after this season and move on.

Don't disagree with anything you're saying, but if he's let go this year we he will have to be paid(even a buy out will be costly) and we may not be able to field a team next year. IMO two very good reasons, from a business perspective(as opposed to from a fan perspective), to keep him around for one more year.

 

[redfazed]

If we don't make the NCAA tourney this year, I'm not sure Lavin will want to stick around. Yes, he is making $2 million a year. But next year, he will be facing the fan's derision on an almost nightly basis. I'm not sure a guy with his ego can take that. How much can he make at ESPN? Maybe he'll offer to bail and get SJU to make up the difference in salary for the last year.

And by the way, if he leaves at the end of this year, he's got a bunch of face-saving excuses. Jordan's a head case, Obekpa's a head case, etc....

 

[monte]

If we don't make the NCAA tourney this year, I'm not sure Lavin will want to stick around. Yes, he is making $2 million a year. But next year, he will be facing the fan's derision on an almost nightly basis. I'm not sure a guy with his ego can take that. How much can he make at ESPN? Maybe he'll offer to bail and get SJU to make up the difference in salary for the last year.

And by the way, if he leaves at the end of this year, he's got a bunch of face-saving excuses. Jordan's a head case, Obekpa's a head case, etc....

Yes, but a guy with his ego may also feel the need to stick around one more year, especially if CO and/or Jordan stay, in an effort to silence the naysayers.

 

[redfazed]

If we don't make the NCAA tourney this year, I'm not sure Lavin will want to stick around. Yes, he is making $2 million a year. But next year, he will be facing the fan's derision on an almost nightly basis. I'm not sure a guy with his ego can take that. How much can he make at ESPN? Maybe he'll offer to bail and get SJU to make up the difference in salary for the last year.

And by the way, if he leaves at the end of this year, he's got a bunch of face-saving excuses. Jordan's a head case, Obekpa's a head case, etc....

Yes, but a guy with his ego may also feel the need to stick around one more year, especially if CO and/or Jordan stay, in an effort to silence the naysayers.

If he can't silence the naysayers with this year's senior-laden roster, and if he couldn't do it with last year's roster (aka the "most talented team in the Big East") there's no way he can do it next year. And I bet he knows it.

 

[monte]

If we don't make the NCAA tourney this year, I'm not sure Lavin will want to stick around. Yes, he is making $2 million a year. But next year, he will be facing the fan's derision on an almost nightly basis. I'm not sure a guy with his ego can take that. How much can he make at ESPN? Maybe he'll offer to bail and get SJU to make up the difference in salary for the last year.

And by the way, if he leaves at the end of this year, he's got a bunch of face-saving excuses. Jordan's a head case, Obekpa's a head case, etc....

Yes, but a guy with his ego may also feel the need to stick around one more year, especially if CO and/or Jordan stay, in an effort to silence the naysayers.

If he can't silence the naysayers with this year's senior-laden roster, and if he couldn't do it with last year's roster (aka the "most talented team in the Big East") there's no way he can do it next year. And I bet he knows it.

I don't think he will, I'm just not so sure that he's accepted that yet.

 

[beast of the east]

If we don't make the NCAA tourney this year, I'm not sure Lavin will want to stick around. Yes, he is making $2 million a year. But next year, he will be facing the fan's derision on an almost nightly basis. I'm not sure a guy with his ego can take that. How much can he make at ESPN? Maybe he'll offer to bail and get SJU to make up the difference in salary for the last year.

And by the way, if he leaves at the end of this year, he's got a bunch of face-saving excuses. Jordan's a head case, Obekpa's a head case, etc....

Yes, but a guy with his ego may also feel the need to stick around one more year, especially if CO and/or Jordan stay, in an effort to silence the naysayers.

If he can't silence the naysayers with this year's senior-laden roster, and if he couldn't do it with last year's roster (aka the "most talented team in the Big East") there's no way he can do it next year. And I bet he knows it.

I'm thinking that some of our hardcore naysayers wouldn't be silenced even if we landed in the sweet 16 or beyond this year.

 

[doodyny33]

Even if Lavin signs a "pretty good" class this year, assuming that Jordan and/or Obekpa leave after this season, what are the expectations for next season? NCAA tournament? Not realistic. So what do you do with Lavin?

IMO, the cupboard is pretty bare after this season. At this point in Lavin's tenure, we should be reloading every year. However, we will be in a rebuilding mode not reloading next year. More like starting all over again. We have made the NCAA tournament once during his regime and probably won't make it for the next couple of years at least. This is a huge disappointment. I, for one, certainly expected better results. When hired, he said that one of his goals was to balance the classes. Another huge failure. Our classes are not balanced by year nor by position.

When he was hired, there was a lot of optimism about the future of our program. I wonder how many of us share that optimism about the program today. Admittedly, I was opposed to his hiring in the first place. Looking at what he has/has not accomplished in five years, I believe that my concerns have been validated. IMO. he should go back to ESPN, where he does a great job, and we should bring in a new coach to sort out this mess once again.

Mediocrity for St John's basketball is not OK in my book. That's what we have gotten in five years with no reason to believe that things will significantly improve in the foreseeable future. We should be a perennial NCAA caliber team every year. It hasn't (and won't) happen year in and year out on Lavin's watch. Let's part friends after this season and move on.

Personally, I doubt it happens. IMO, the more likely scenario is he'll have another 1 or 2 years added onto his existing contract.

 

[Jack Williams]

In my opinion, for us to make the tourney, we need more scoring options. Myles Stewart needs to be thrown in there, maybe he is a little lost on defense at times, but he needs to be put in the game.

Here I wanted to write a 2nd paragraph about another player that come in and provide scoring, but then i realize there is nobody.

Also, at the end of regulation in the nfl playoffs last night, Aaron Rodgers ran for a first down and couldn't even make it down the field with that calf. And he injured it a month ago.

24 hours ago I was very confident about this team. Terrible loss to DePaul and a Harrison injury that worries me. Marquette barely lost to Xavier at Xavier, it isn't going to be easy. Still rooting but... So many kicks in the nuts I can't even breathe right now