Zach B Article on Lav & Local HS Coaches
- Thread starter paultzman
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Avon Barksdale
Member
Ex-SJU coach lavin alienated the local HS coaches, which will hopefully make the new coach look like a hero to the HS coaches when he gets acclimated with them.
The argument that ex-SJU Coach Lavin didn't need to recruit NYC because the talent is down doesn't give him a pass for ignoring the HS basketball community in the area. We always need strong ties with the local schools and even in down years we should still be recruiting the areas best players because try can still contribute here.
Zach this is getting pathetic. The dude is gone you got your wish now shut up about it
Couldnt agree more. Its warped logic, especially when the coach is plucking walk-ons and unknowns from around the country and the globe in order to fill his roster. The two times I was in the gym with Lavin-at last year's CHSAA championship and this year's triple header at CTK-he arrived late, said hello to no one, sat far up in stands by himself, and spent most of the time looking down and texting.
You know what is sad and downright pathetic about Arbitello, though? The fact that he would limit his kid's choices because of a personal disagreement he had with a coach that didn't involve the kid whatsoever. He needs to really go over his priorities and understand what his role is as a basketball coach, adviser, and mentor. He should help his kids go to the best situation possible even if it went against his preferences. HIS preferences don't matter.
Rawle could blow out a knee, just have an awful season or fail to qualify and one day beg to be a part of a program like St. John's. What about the 10-11 kids he coaches every year that would do anything to even be noticed by St. John's? Just selfish and immature of him to burn bridges like that.
Zach has shown us all his true colors. He knows who to run to to get the negative quotes he needs to help his ego. Less than an hour after Lav is let go he tweets new Arbitello quotes. If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.
To the best of my knowledge, Lavin showed his face at CTK once in the time he was here. That was at this year's tripleheader. I'm not so sure he ever even saw ADR play while he was at CTK. How the hell is he going to recruit Rawle if he doesn't make an appearance? And assuming for a second that he was persona non grata at CTK, please explain to me why he didn't show his face at any other gym. What is he persona non grata at every HS gym in NY and NJ?
RedStormRising
Well-known member
What a stupid article. It was trying to burn Lavin for not recruiting locally. But, than had to put the truth out there. There was only 1 MCDAA in the 5 years Lavin was coach and he his HS coach rode him to a job at SHU. Additionally, it said when there was talent in the pool Lav offered schollies.
So basically the article was saying 2 things...
1. Lav went after and in a lot of cases successfully recruited a better player than the local crop
and
2. These HS coaches want their ass kissed so they can vicariously live out their dreams through young people that actually have talent.
And to the board that says they want a national power... Guess what you're going to have to recruit nationally.
Guess how many UK players come from Lexington. Then guess how many points they've scored between them.
So basically the article was saying 2 things...
1. Lav went after and in a lot of cases successfully recruited a better player than the local crop
and
2. These HS coaches want their ass kissed so they can vicariously live out their dreams through young people that actually have talent.
And to the board that says they want a national power... Guess what you're going to have to recruit nationally.
Guess how many UK players come from Lexington. Then guess how many points they've scored between them.
Avon and his dad -- or maybe it was just his dad -- were big supporters of Mike Jarvis ... the same Mike Jarvis whom virtually every local HS coached thought of (and despised) as being pompous, aloof, arrogant and obnoxious.One once told me, "His attitude was 'Don't call me, I'll call you.' " Another said he was never once invited to come on campus, something taken for granted under previous coaches. So please, let those who live in glass houses ... Lavin may have been preoccupied, or distracted, or whatever, but he was never obnoxious or uncordial.
How many city kids have been better than what Lav hauled in? Even Louie missed most of the cream of the crop in New York annually. Lavin got the top city kid to come out during his entire tenure (Harkless). He got the top city kid in 2014 that was available without a coach package deal.
Lavin could have certainly done a better job in NYC--and that is a big reason why I want Mullin or Bobby Hurley--but let's face it: if Lavin's job depended on recruiting NYC talent, he would have been screwed even if he got 75% of the best players (which no SJU coach has ever done). The infrastructure of NYC hoops has crumbled.
You can't survive at St. John's only recruiting city kids. Half of them want to get out and see something new. Norm only saw the downside to this. At least Lavin, perhaps as an outsider himself, understood the converse must be true as well. Kids from around the country and the world wanted to come to New York.