Way too much focus on this season

 Not true at all. What recruits see is plenty of PT in the big east. They know this team is all freshmen. We aren't going to have 10 wins btw. We will get better and have a LOt of games ahead of us. We'll win ig East games as well when we have Amir helping with depth.

the thing is we heard that 4 years ago when norm was bringing in his heralded group. coker was going to be a monster, boothe the quickest guard in the big east, kennedy leaving early for the nba blah blah blah. im not comparing lavins recruits to norms but i think i speak for alot of posters that we're tired of reading about how great all these recruits are and there all monsters, can shoot the lights out, great rebounders and then when we see them its like, are these the same people everyone was raving about? and im not speaking to you specifically.
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the thing is we heard that 4 years ago when norm was bringing in his heralded group. coker was going to be a monster, boothe the quickest guard in the big east, kennedy leaving early for the nba blah blah blah. im not comparing lavins recruits to norms but i think i speak for alot of posters that we're tired of reading about how great all these recruits are and there all monsters, can shoot the lights out, great rebounders and then when we see them its like, are these the same people everyone was raving about? and im not speaking to you specifically.
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You do realize that its sports. And it happens everywhere with many teams. You do know that back in the day we would overhype under the radar kids in hopes they would turn us around. And now there will unfortunately be highly ranked kids who don't pan out. It happens. Thats sports.
 
Before someone blows a gasket, everyone has to remember that college basketball is not Major League Baseball. You don't sign some free agents, mix in some young players, add a few veterans nearing the end of their careers, and win one world series before disbanding the team the following year. Building a successful program is a process. If you were to start from scratch, you begin with a strong coaching staff, the allure of a major market and major basketball conference, and add a talented, athletic recruiting class that will be the nucleus for 4 seasons. In his first real recruiting class, coach Lavin already has one near certain NBA talent in homegrown Moe Harkless. We have just started to scratch the surface of Sir Dom's talent. Even with the holes in their games, every other player out there looks better than anyone Norm brought in at this stage of their careers. What's better is they all play hard despite being asked to play out of position or beyond the minutes they are ready for. I call that a pretty good start.

I'm not worried about wins and losses this year. Anyone who thought this would be a breakout year, with 1/3 of the recruiting class missing, was not facing reality. I'll start to worry if no one of impact signs for next season. If we get 2 out of three from the group of Pelle, Gathers and Sampson, it's the rest of the Big East that should be worried come next season. No reason to think the staff can't add another good recruiting class. So stop being concerned about wins and losses as if everyone here bet the over. Watch for individual and team improvement, and pray that coach stays cancer free and continues his recovery. Unlike the Norm years, which were pure damage control, SJU basketball is on the rise, big time. Even a losing record this season can't change that.
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Here's the issue. Let's say you are right and this is truly a throwaway season. How are you going to convince top talent to come to a school that (a) won 10 games this year (b) whose coach has been sickly the entire year? Are you telling me that Sampson, Pelle, Gathers, and others are going to ignore these facts when signing time comes around? Part of the allure around St. John's last year was they were the "new" team with Lavin at the helm. They were pulling off upsets left and right. Now, we are losing to Northeastern and Detroit. Very few recruits are going to look at last night's score and say, "Man, I wanna join that team next year." They aren't going to want to come into a situation with a weak supporting cast. And like it or not, that's what the current group looks like. Outside of Harkless, there really has not been one player who had played on an average level.
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The (a) doesn't matter. Players will come for the opportunity to get better under a 5 star coaching staff. Since the team lacks depth, then playing time, another concern for prospective recruits, is a guarantee. Lavin signed some of these players before they knew what the record would be for the team last year. Just doesn't add up that the record should matter that much. Recruits are looking to the future, not to last season's record. If so, then 1985-1986 should have been our best recruiting years. I can't recall who we signed.
Point (b) is a much bigger factor. Although you never know what is real vs. what's spin, it makes sense that coach came back too sign and just needs to builds his stamina.
As for this being a throw away year, I can't agree. Any time you are getting major minutes for highly recruited freshman under the guidance of a great staff, it's not a throw away year. Especially under adverse conditions.
 
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