You can thank Norm for this year

S

SJU61982

Well-known member
 Bottom line,

Roberts was the one who decided to add two JC players to a roster that already had 7 juniors on it to begin with (although those JC players were a big part of what we did last year). I understand that he was trying to save his job that last season, but when it doesn't work out, this is what you are left with. A program that is rebuilding from scratch.

I know Lavin was trying to be classy last year, when he said all of those times that Norm left the program in good shape. That was probably true WRT last year's team, but it's clear now that Norm left the cupboard bare (the ineligible rulings did not help either, obviously).
 
 Bottom line,

Roberts was the one who decided to add two JC players to a roster that already had 7 juniors on it to begin with (although those JC players were a big part of what we did last year). I understand that he was trying to save his job that last season, but when it doesn't work out, this is what you are left with. A program that is rebuilding from scratch.

I know Lavin was trying to be classy last year, when he said all of those times that Norm left the program in good shape. That was probably true WRT last year's team, but it's clear now that Norm left the cupboard bare (the ineligible rulings did not help either, obviously).
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Norm Roberts needed to be fired after his FOURTH YEAR!
If you cannot rebuild a Big East level program in 4 years where just one decent player a year would have made a team competetitive, you would not be able to do it in 5, 6 or 7!
 
I agree with you 100% Although this is a new team, having 9 players graduate at once has put a rebuilding tag on this years team. Lavin has put together a great group of players. the talent level is as good as u would want in starting a team, but in this day and age of college athletics it is so hard to win with such young and un experienced players. To look at it another way, imagine a professional baseball team with 24 players who were in AAA the year before and 1 player who had about 100 ab the year before, as good as the players are they are going to struggle.

Roberts recruiting was odd at best and with so many players transfering out of the program, it has set us back a bit. But I have faith in Lavin, this team and all future players. It is fun to be a fan again.
 
i'd like to see roberts man up and shoulder some of the blame here since he took much of the credit for last year's turnaround.
 
 At the end of the day, when st johns is back as a perenial Top 20 program, the Roberts era will be a thing of the past. We will remember how well the seniors played in their final year and the rest may be an after thought. Lavin will have us on top again. It will take a couple of years, so enjoy the ride there!!!!
 
Am I in the twilight zone? Get over it. This is Lavin's second year. Norm is gone. I am a big Lavin fan but he recruited academic question marks. We have to live with it. This is a year we win maybe 10 games and learn and try and get to the tournament next year, 
 
i'd like to see roberts man up and shoulder some of the blame here since he took much of the credit for last year's turnaround.
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LOL I, usually do not get involved in the post-Norm discussions, but his particular comment was funny. I had actually forgot about him taking credit for last season's success. The "excuse-maker" would not take any blame for this season.
 
Am I in the twilight zone? Get over it. This is Lavin's second year. Norm is gone. I am a big Lavin fan but he recruited academic question marks. We have to live with it. This is a year we win maybe 10 games and learn and try and get to the tournament next year, 
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You really think we're only going to win 10 games this year? I think we'll win quite a few more than that. We're better than we played today just like we were better than that team that lost to Fordham last year. The difference is year is that it will take longer because we are young and we're real thin on the bench.
 
Father Harrington is to blame in hiring Norm instead of Bob Mckillop.
Norm should have been coaching Niagra No way any other BE school hires him as HC with his resume.
 
Am I in the twilight zone? Get over it. This is Lavin's second year. Norm is gone. I am a big Lavin fan but he recruited academic question marks. We have to live with it. This is a year we win maybe 10 games and learn and try and get to the tournament next year, 
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Your right on but at least these star players are wanting to play for STJ'S bec. Lavins the real deal!
 
 Bottom line,

Roberts was the one who decided to add two JC players to a roster that already had 7 juniors on it to begin with (although those JC players were a big part of what we did last year). I understand that he was trying to save his job that last season, but when it doesn't work out, this is what you are left with. A program that is rebuilding from scratch.

I know Lavin was trying to be classy last year, when he said all of those times that Norm left the program in good shape. That was probably true WRT last year's team, but it's clear now that Norm left the cupboard bare (the ineligible rulings did not help either, obviously).
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Can't be denied that Norm Roberts was awful for St. John's. However, no matter how you try and rationalize it, losing to Northeastern is not his fault. Steve Lavin and the coaching staff have been in place for over a year and a half now and are responsible for not showing up against a team we have no business losing to.

As a previous poster mentioned, we took some chances on academically questionable recruits and were burned for it. And now we are suffering the consequences because our team is getting outmuscled in the paint. If you're being out-rebounded 44-29 by Northeastern, you have a real problem. And the really disappointing part of this game is we all really thought this team would take a giant leap forward after playing better competition like Arizona and Texas A&M. Instead, it seems like they regressed in this game.

For the record, I really hope the staff hits the recruiting trail hard for some bulk. I'm aware most people are going to chalk this season up to youth and inexperience, but they are just way too small to compete on a nightly basis. This team desperately needs to add some 6'9" and 6'10" bodies in there to man the paint.
 
 You may be able to thank Northeastern for this year if other teams with two shooters and the patience to move the ball inside out and reverse it start to play to wear us out. At some point we had the will but not the legs.
 
Listen, this isn't a revelation in any way. A college program, more than professional sports requires transitional succession. This is because freshman are akin to rookies, and rarely could a professional sports team succeed with a complete roster of rookies.   By having a roster that would completely turn over after last season, Roberts was planning for one season at a time, by all means trying to save his own job. It's akin to Isaiah thomas trying to make the playoffs with the Knicks by taking on bad, bloated contracts. The hell with tomorrow, if you are fighting for your job today.

I hate revisiting Roberts, because these types of subjects to me remind me that he really wasn't so nice of a guy. Any competent guy would have had a long range view of the program, for his own good and for the good of the program. His attempt to grab credit was disgusting, given the fact that the idiotic press corps actually jumped on that bandwagon once he opened his delusional mouth. Worse than actually trying to grab creidt was that I really think he believed he would have had the same success had he been given one more season.

However, I won't blame Roberts per se for this season. He was merely grossly incompetent. Had he stayed, we would have had a roster filled with B players this year. Instead, we have a talent laden team, hampered by inexperience and a coach who has been ill. The most important thing is that Coach Lavin gets well. The team will get better, but that's secondary to Coach's health.
 
Well one bad loss and here we are blaming Norm Roberts again, what a surprise.

As an aside has anyone asked themselves if we would be a better team had Quincy Roberts and Dwayne Polee not decided to transfer? I know I certainly do and believe we would be vastly improved if both players had stayed and not feared increased competition.  
 
Polee was simply a superior athlete with little polish on his game. He actually got worse and not better as the season progressed. Watching how he could glide to the hoop and effortlessly elevate was a thing of beauty. His outside shot was hot and mostly cold, he is a horrendous ball handler for a 3, and his straight up defense was extremely weak. He gambled every single time on the passing lanes, and that resulted in the breakdown of our defense. By midseason, he was firmly planted on the bench during crunch time, with good reason. I think he saw the writing on the wall here with all the talent coming in, and knew he would have to fight for every minute. If he was resolute on improving all of the considerable weaknesses in his game, he would have stayed, improved and been a meaningful contributor. Instead, he bailed, in my opinion more disenchanted that he wasn't anointed last year than homesick. In the long run, we are better off without him, because I didn't see any signs of improvement, but many cracks in his game.

Well one bad loss and here we are blaming Norm Roberts again, what a surprise.

As an aside has anyone asked themselves if we would be a better team had Quincy Roberts and Dwayne Polee not decided to transfer? I know I certainly do and believe we would be vastly improved if both players had stayed and not feared increased competition.  
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Am I in the twilight zone? Get over it. This is Lavin's second year. Norm is gone. I am a big Lavin fan but he recruited academic question marks. We have to live with it. This is a year we win maybe 10 games and learn and try and get to the tournament next year, 
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They will have, at least, a .500 overall record come selection sunday...possibly better. Maybe they will not be a NCAA team, but I don't think this will be a losing season.
 
I woke up this morning, made some coffee, fired up a La Flor Dominicana, and dashed off An HiLaRiOuS ® post about how this loss was all Norm's fault. And here I find that you all have beat me to it. Kudos, this was hysterical, and when I say hysterical I mean that in the same way that the DSM IV does.

 
Polee was simply a superior athlete with little polish on his game. He actually got worse and not better as the season progressed. Watching how he could glide to the hoop and effortlessly elevate was a thing of beauty. His outside shot was hot and mostly cold, he is a horrendous ball handler for a 3, and his straight up defense was extremely weak. He gambled every single time on the passing lanes, and that resulted in the breakdown of our defense. By midseason, he was firmly planted on the bench during crunch time, with good reason. I think he saw the writing on the wall here with all the talent coming in, and knew he would have to fight for every minute. If he was resolute on improving all of the considerable weaknesses in his game, he would have stayed, improved and been a meaningful contributor. Instead, he bailed, in my opinion more disenchanted that he wasn't anointed last year than homesick. In the long run, we are better off without him, because I didn't see any signs of improvement, but many cracks in his game.

Your description of Polee sums up just about every single player on our roster....a great athlete, but not a great basketball player.
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