Lavin in my opinion is not going anywhere!! He will continue to be our coach and will be granted a contract extension albeit without a raise! I believe that The new President, being a numbers guy will build more incentives into the contract rather than give him a raise that he certainly does not deserve! There is a new paradigm for success in today's game of college basketball, and I guess we all need to adjust our expectations to it!
Next Coach?
- Thread starter Knight
- Start date
I think Coach Lavin has improved a lot this year, especially recently.
Any thoughts that it may have taken him a while to get over his health issues and his father's passing? Hopefully, we will have better results than past years.
Any thoughts that it may have taken him a while to get over his health issues and his father's passing? Hopefully, we will have better results than past years.
JackofVirginia
Active member
On SNY's Daily News TV Show John Harper, sports columnist for the paper, had this to say about Lavin and St.John's. You watch them and they look like a tournament team, they could have won the game against Duke but then they lose to teams like Marquette. ( not really John but we know what he means) ) In five years he only took them to the tournament once and that was with Norm Roberts team. If he doesn't make the NCAA Tournament his time should be up.
Success always seems like it is just around the corner, doesn't it? The recruiting classes always have buzz, but there's always an issue. The record is always on the cusp of an NCAA bid, but never quite there. The team gels for a great win or a great run, and then the wheels fall off, or it only makes you ask why the same team didn't show up for an easier game (or three).
Just seems to me as though a Lavin program is all sizzle and no steak. You never get the sense of a foundation being laid, a program being built, an identity being created. IMHO that is the reason for the consistent inconsistency.
Just seems to me as though a Lavin program is all sizzle and no steak. You never get the sense of a foundation being laid, a program being built, an identity being created. IMHO that is the reason for the consistent inconsistency.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
Those dancing shoes better be Dorothy's Ruby Slippers. If not, we may never get back to Kansas, or wherever they are holding first round games this season. Lack of depth really showed last night. We are hobbling physically and seemed tired mentally. That's not on the players, but on the guy that forces them, by failing to recruit a more capable bench, to play hurt and out of position.
Ricky Smith
Member
Butler, Creighton, Xavier
beast of the east
Active member
Help me out here. Since you are applying an assessment of our team based on a bad loss, how do we beat Providence twice? Is Providence worse than us? Then how does Providence beat Georgetown twice? Is Georgetown that bad? But they just whipped us. Very confusing, huh?
Knight we are currently 17-9. At the same point last year we had the exact same record. The year before at the same point we were 16-10. As in past years on any given day we are capable of beating anyone, or losing to anyone. So how is it that that you feel that Lavin has improved a lot this year? Because as of this moment the results don't support that position. And results is what head coaches are judged on.
Class of 72
Active member
Butler, Creighton and Butler have been regular participants in the NCAA tourney. Two of them will likely get at-large bids this year once again.
The MAAC, your conference, will only send one team as usual because they are low major. If Iona gets upset in the MAAC tourney their games against the likes of Canisius College, Fairfield University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College will not get them an at-large bid. Iona's record is deceiving and laughable. Think of St. John's playing Niagara 18 times and St. John's would likely be 25-0.
Ricky Smith
Member
Butler, Creighton and Butler? I'm sure Lavin would schedule Niagara 8 times a Year if he could, but that's besides the point. You are on tilt
If he got us two elite 8s and a Final 4, I'd personally build a monument to Lavin.
I would literally quit my job for a year, move to Italy, and learn masonry as an apprentice to some master, come back and build Steve a statue like you wouldn't believe. It'd be magnificent!
And he could name TWO successors after he finishes. And I don't care if they are Jack and and Joe3.
But none of that is going to happen because he's not going to make the tournament, again. At which point he will agree with the school to go their separate ways.
Wish it weren't true marillac, but the writing is on the wall. I'll root otherwise, but I know I'm praying on a longshot.
PS, your son can help my (as yet unborn) son work on his ball handling in practice, I want him to play good defense so my son has a challenge every day in practice. Because my guy will be the starter, even if he's the underclassman. B)
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
Georgetown was a bad match-up for us. On the road, and too much size and too much athleticism. Plus we were hobbling. Obekpa looked in distress most of the game. One of the announcers mentioned that sometimes you can get away with playing small, and sometimes you can't. As for explaining the transitive law with teams, it doesn't apply to sports. That's why the bookies stay in business, even when they don't look to balance their action and live off of the vig. That's for all the losing gamblers that think that since Providence beat Georgetown and St. John's beat Providence, therefore SJU will be Georgetown.
As for the team, my point is simple. We needed more bulk up front this season. We can get away with it sometimes, but not against everyone. Foul trouble and injuries leave us without answers. Maybe Thomas and Adonis would have really helped. For a coach who will live and die primarily on who he can recruit, those needs should have been addressed. With eligible players.
If this is mid-major to you, sign me up:
Creighton
- 10 appearances in NCAA tournament since 1999
- 8 conference championships (came in 2nd first season in Big East)
- 2014 National Player of the Year, Doug McDermott
- Four All-Americans since 2003
- Top Ten in attendance last 20 years
- Multiple NBA draft picks: Rondy Bufor, Kyle Kover, Doug McDermott, and Athony Tolliver (undrafted but long NBA career)
Xavier
-12 appearances in NCAA tournament since 99
- 8 Conference championships since 98
- Elite 8 in 2004, 2008
- Sweet 16 in 2009,2010, 2012
- NCAA second round 2002, 2003, 2007
- Average over 10,000 fans per game last two decades
- Eight players in the NBA since 1998 (including all-star David West)
- 4 Wooden Finalists since 1998
- 7 All-American selections since 1998
Butler
-11 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1997
- 2 Final Fours and National Runner Ups since 2010
- Sweet 16 in 2003 and 2007
- 7 conference championships since 1997
- Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack drafted by NBA since 2010
- Four All-Americans since 2007
- Nine Academic All-Americans since 2005
- National Coach of the year 2007 - Todd Lickliter
- 4-1 all-time vs. SH, 14-16 v. Marquette