Xavier game

[JohnnyFan]

Just looked at the schedule. We will need to win 4 of the next 6 to be in position for an NCAA selection.

It is possible if we play well. These next six games should furnish a final verdict on Lavin. He can wait until February, I am not.

 

[ipd200]

I agree but it appeared to me that it was intended for Pointer to be running the point as he was looking to the bench for a play and then running the offense from the point position.

 

[Mean Gene]

Just looked at the schedule. We will need to win 4 of the next 6 to be in position for an NCAA selection.

It is possible if we play well. These next six games should furnish a final verdict on Lavin. He can wait until February, I am not.

I agree James but I think we need to win the next 5 in row.

 

[MJDinkins]

Just looked at the schedule. We will need to win 4 of the next 6 to be in position for an NCAA selection.

It is possible if we play well. These next six games should furnish a final verdict on Lavin. He can wait until February, I am not.

I agree James but I think we need to win the next 5 in row.

4-1 or 5-0.... They won't dig themselves a hole, if one of those two scenarios plays out.

 

[Section3]

I would just roll with pointer, sampson and sanchez as our forwards/centers. Obekpa would get occasional minutes but right now he's hurting more than helping. His block shots are fools gold.

Obekpa is one of our keys so I don't agree that he should assume a lesser role...in fact I think the staff needs to define his offensive role to be an offensive rebounder who gets garbage goals...

 

[Marillac]

They don't need to go 4-1, 5-0, or 6-0. They need 11-12 total conference wins and maybe one in the tournament to get a bid. Let's not go crazy just yet. They can lose to Georgetown and the panic button still wouldn't need to be hit.

Syracuse and Wisconsin are tied for #2 in the RPI. Xavier is now #24. Georgetown is #38. We are #45. Nova is #5. I don't think some you understand how strong our SOS will be by season's end...heck, after the Nova game we are probably in the top ten.

 

[SJU1512]

Just looked at the schedule. We will need to win 4 of the next 6 to be in position for an NCAA selection.

It is possible if we play well. These next six games should furnish a final verdict on Lavin. He can wait until February, I am not.

I agree James but I think we need to win the next 5 in row.

4-1 or 5-0.... They won't dig themselves a hole, if one of those two scenarios plays out.

I think we just need to start by getting one of the next 2. Not just to avoid a 0-3 start, but to pick up our first win of any substance and get that monkey off our back. Don't want to go to the end of January waiting for the next opportunity, split here and give us a little breathing room.

 

[SJUISBACK]

Oh hell yeah, Carnesecca and Keady even at their age would probably coach better then Lavin.
I don`t think Carnesecca said he`d like to coach some where again, while Keady has.

What if Lavin (yes a great recruiter), because of crappy coaching doesn`t win at SJU. Would he be any better then Norm?
It would be the same results right.
Yeah Beast you`re a funny guy or trying to be, but in all seriousness even at their age they probably would coach better then lavin.
Even X fans says that Lavin is the worst coach that they have seen this year.

 

[SJUISBACK]

And I don`t disagree with all that Redmannorth.
My only question is with Lavin, could we win with him as our coach?

 

[Moose]

Oh hell yeah, Carnesecca and Keady even at their age would probably coach better then Lavin.
I don`t think Carnesecca said he`d like to coach some where again, while Keady has.

What if Lavin (yes a great recruiter), because of crappy coaching doesn`t win at SJU. Would he be any better then Norm?
It would be the same results right.
Yeah Beast you`re a funny guy or trying to be, but in all seriousness even at their age they probably would coach better then lavin.
Even X fans says that Lavin is the worst coach that they have seen this year.

Um. Keady said what?

 

[Class of 72]

This game was a failure by committee. The things that continue to irk me however are the many faces of Steve Lavin in that he cannot get a simple lineup organized against an opponent this season and he has been the only Xavier opposing coach to concede the point guard match up at jump ball. WTF? No PG for many key moments in the game?
I am sensing a Jykell and Hyde personality disorder that seems to be getting worse. Lavin begins many games wearing glasses and then the other Lavin appears without glasses. He spends 20 minutes at half time planning the defense and offense and then after 38 seconds of the second half he calls a time out that seemingly served no purpose as SJ proceeded to play worse.
Jakarr Sampson and Obekpa look more lost each game and the offense looks like improvised bloopers. I was originally worried that SJ had not signed any bigs to replace Gift and Sanchez but both have been so soft and Obekpa so lost that I suspect next year Lavin will start 4 guards and Sampson and just concede the middle.
The disappearance of Branch and Chris as meaningful contributors and the activation, starting, then then designated bench warmer in Felix Balamou leads me to think Lavin is suffering some deep decision-making issues. My only recommendation is that all the assistants and coach Keady initiate an intervention before our beloved wizard self destructs.
We will all know when that has occurred when he starts Balamou, Hooper, Gift, Bourgault and Harrison.

 

[JackofVirginia]

I'm more calm now. Tough loss, but the silver lining is that Jordan continues to flash his brilliance. He looked like the best player on the floor--saying a lot with Christon in there--for a few stretches and he can really drive at will. He is also relentless going after the ball and that reminds me of the types of guys we had on the 98-2000 teams. He needs to get some assists going when he draws the help D and he also needs to get his shot going--which I think will come when he gets in a scoring rhythm and gains confidence.

Xavier is legit. They are a top 15 program over the last 15 years...no doubting that. They also have a great home court advantage and it was definitely felt in the second half. Stainbrook is the most coordinated big--and I do mean big--man that I've seen in years. I felt like I was watching my uncle play me as a kid. He straight-up outmuscled Obekpa like I've never seen before. CO is usually our most sturdy option in terms of not getting backed down in the post. Stainbrook has a future with the Globetrotters for sure...or if they ever remake Teenwolf.

The thing that gets me the most upset is all the one-and-dones on offense. Sanchez and Sampson are both capable offensive rebounders and they need to be closer to the basket. Sampson could be unstoppable on the offensive glass. We're never going to be a good shooting team, so cleaning the offensive glass is a must. We need to be dominant on that end. That is what the 98-2000 teams did so well. They got a ton of easy shots all game and a lot of those were second or third chance points. They missed 54 shots and only grabbed 15 offensive rebounds--outside of Jordan, most just bounced out to us. And the lack of offensive rebounding makes it so puzzling why they got beat back down the court the entire second half whenever Jordan drove. 1 offensive rebound out of Dom in 20 minutes and that makes him just about useless.

The other thing that gets me going is how guys are not forced to play to their strengths and avoid glaring weaknesses. Let's be honest, Dom, Sanchez, and Sampson should not be handling the ball 20 feet from the basket. Ever. They should just swing it and move. After three dribbles Dom and Sampson are out of control and turnovers waiting to happen. I'd let Sanchez drive if he has space or after a shot-fake in the right matchup, but he needs to pick his battles wisely. Sampson needs to realize that he has to be a good college PF before he can be a great overall player. If they haven't already, sit him down and show him tape of Hakim Warrick. I don't think Warrick even attempted a three until his senior year and I can't remember him ever driving wildly from 20-25 feet. Warrick got the ball in the mid to high post, faced up bigger defenders, and used his elite first step and no more than two dribbles to score at will. When Samson does that, he just looks elite and if he misses the shot, it should give us a good chance to get an offensive rebound because the help D will have to leave the weak side rim. Warrick, like Sampson, was also a freak show in transition. I'll take that all day from Sampson, and they are very similar players from size, to physical talent, to skill sets.

Branch played five minutes? WTF? He had a team-leading three assists and plays solid defense. I just don't get this. Balamou only got five and crashed the offensive glass harder in those five minutes than anyone not named Jordan although he was not credited with a rebound.

This team just needs an identity. It has to include tough as nails defensive pressure and relentless offensive rebounding.

Accepting your premises, do you have confidence this staff can/will execute that plan. I am holding off on assessing staff fully until the end of season, but frankly my confidence is waning. We have had ample time to evidence some stability and consistency, but I just don't see where Lav is going with this team. Thanks.

I believe that 3 1/2 years is a large enough sample to evaluate Coach Lavin's performance at St John's
To me, Coach Lavin has been exactly as advertised before he arrived here
He seems to be a great guy, extremely charismatic, very good with the media, a wonderful "face" for the program and an excellent recruiter
However, his skills are less than satisfactory when it comes to the technical end of the job
Lavin is not proficient at the "x's and o's" , does not develop and coordinate talent well and is not a good bench coach
If I remember correctly, Lavin originally signed a 5 year contract
Since we are halfway through year 4, you would think that a decision about his future status would be made at the end of this season
As good a recruiter as Lavin is, it would be very hard to get high profile kids to come here if you are a lame duck coach
It will be interesting to see what happens this spring, especially if (heaven forbid), we don't make the NCAA's this year

If we don't make the NCAA playoffs with this talented team then it will be time to start thinking at least about a change. Let's face it Lavin probably won't stay beyond his contract expiration time. Doing his own self analysis he has to know he is a better TV analyst then a coach. I'm still seeing poor substitutions, lack of offensive and defensive patterns. What I don't understand is why hasn't he learned from Keady, surely he must seek his advice.

 

[SJUISBACK]

Oh hell yeah, Carnesecca and Keady even at their age would probably coach better then Lavin.
I don`t think Carnesecca said he`d like to coach some where again, while Keady has.

What if Lavin (yes a great recruiter), because of crappy coaching doesn`t win at SJU. Would he be any better then Norm?
It would be the same results right.
Yeah Beast you`re a funny guy or trying to be, but in all seriousness even at their age they probably would coach better then lavin.
Even X fans says that Lavin is the worst coach that they have seen this year.

Um. Keady said what?

I seen a quote by Keady: "Yeah I`d definitely would like to coach somewhere again, if it would be ok with Lavin."

 

[dee]

Oh hell yeah, Carnesecca and Keady even at their age would probably coach better then Lavin.
I don`t think Carnesecca said he`d like to coach some where again, while Keady has.

What if Lavin (yes a great recruiter), because of crappy coaching doesn`t win at SJU. Would he be any better then Norm?
It would be the same results right.
Yeah Beast you`re a funny guy or trying to be, but in all seriousness even at their age they probably would coach better then lavin.
Even X fans says that Lavin is the worst coach that they have seen this year.

Um. Keady said what?

I seen a quote by Keady: "Yeah I`d definitely would like to coach somewhere again, if it would be ok with Lavin."

If Keady said that, let's make him the coach with Lavin as his recruiter and have a bobble head doll day for Keady.

 

[paultzman]

Oh hell yeah, Carnesecca and Keady even at their age would probably coach better then Lavin.
I don`t think Carnesecca said he`d like to coach some where again, while Keady has.

What if Lavin (yes a great recruiter), because of crappy coaching doesn`t win at SJU. Would he be any better then Norm?
It would be the same results right.
Yeah Beast you`re a funny guy or trying to be, but in all seriousness even at their age they probably would coach better then lavin.
Even X fans says that Lavin is the worst coach that they have seen this year.

Um. Keady said what?

I seen a quote by Keady: "Yeah I`d definitely would like to coach somewhere again, if it would be ok with Lavin."

Said in jest at time of entering HOF after a few shots of Makers Mark.

 

[beast of the east]

Oh hell yeah, Carnesecca and Keady even at their age would probably coach better then Lavin.
I don`t think Carnesecca said he`d like to coach some where again, while Keady has.

What if Lavin (yes a great recruiter), because of crappy coaching doesn`t win at SJU. Would he be any better then Norm?
It would be the same results right.
Yeah Beast you`re a funny guy or trying to be, but in all seriousness even at their age they probably would coach better then lavin.
Even X fans says that Lavin is the worst coach that they have seen this year.

Um. Keady said what?

I seen a quote by Keady: "Yeah I`d definitely would like to coach somewhere again, if it would be ok with Lavin."

If Keady said that, let's make him the coach with Lavin as his recruiter and have a bobble head doll day for Keady.

Do you realize that Coach Keady will be 77 this May? Who would be his assistant, Al LoBalbo?

 

[salty dog]

Oh hell yeah, Carnesecca and Keady even at their age would probably coach better then Lavin.
I don`t think Carnesecca said he`d like to coach some where again, while Keady has.

What if Lavin (yes a great recruiter), because of crappy coaching doesn`t win at SJU. Would he be any better then Norm?
It would be the same results right.
Yeah Beast you`re a funny guy or trying to be, but in all seriousness even at their age they probably would coach better then lavin.
Even X fans says that Lavin is the worst coach that they have seen this year.

Um. Keady said what?

I seen a quote by Keady: "Yeah I`d definitely would like to coach somewhere again, if it would be ok with Lavin."

If Keady said that, let's make him the coach with Lavin as his recruiter and have a bobble head doll day for Keady.

Do you realize that Coach Keady will be 77 this May? Who would be his assistant, Al LoBalbo?

Well it won't be Johnny Orr.

 

[MJDinkins]

Oh hell yeah, Carnesecca and Keady even at their age would probably coach better then Lavin.
I don`t think Carnesecca said he`d like to coach some where again, while Keady has.

What if Lavin (yes a great recruiter), because of crappy coaching doesn`t win at SJU. Would he be any better then Norm?
It would be the same results right.
Yeah Beast you`re a funny guy or trying to be, but in all seriousness even at their age they probably would coach better then lavin.
Even X fans says that Lavin is the worst coach that they have seen this year.

Um. Keady said what?

I seen a quote by Keady: "Yeah I`d definitely would like to coach somewhere again, if it would be ok with Lavin."

If Keady said that, let's make him the coach with Lavin as his recruiter and have a bobble head doll day for Keady.

Do you realize that Coach Keady will be 77 this May? Who would be his assistant, Al LoBalbo?

Ha!

You've gotten off some good ones the past couple of days, Beast.

 

[getliquid]

Xavier did not score for over 13minutes! (that's combining 1st and 2nd half)

 

[Moose]

Oh hell yeah, Carnesecca and Keady even at their age would probably coach better then Lavin.
I don`t think Carnesecca said he`d like to coach some where again, while Keady has.

What if Lavin (yes a great recruiter), because of crappy coaching doesn`t win at SJU. Would he be any better then Norm?
It would be the same results right.
Yeah Beast you`re a funny guy or trying to be, but in all seriousness even at their age they probably would coach better then lavin.
Even X fans says that Lavin is the worst coach that they have seen this year.

Um. Keady said what?

I seen a quote by Keady: "Yeah I`d definitely would like to coach somewhere again, if it would be ok with Lavin."

Not happening. He had to be saying it in jest.