The Big Apple’s Big Three

Pierce, Allen and Garnett. Wade, James and Bosh. Even Jordan, Pippen and Rodman if you want to go back further in history. One thing remains the same, each trio has either won or contended for a championship. This past spring, New York-area college basketball took on a troika of its own within the Big East coaching fraternity; and although each head coach is at a different program, all have made a positive impact in their first season on the bench. As the Big East tournament draws closer, two of these three coaches will lead their teams into battle later today against one another, with the third awaiting today’s winner. Before the opening tip, let’s take a moment to evaluate each coach and their rookie campaigns, starting with the man in charge of initiating a renaissance that has captured nationwide attention.

St. John’s

Almost anyone who even remotely paid attention to Red Storm basketball expected Steve Lavin to return the boys from Queens into a contender after predecessor Norm Roberts spent the prior six seasons restoring a damaged image after the program’s infamous low point in Pittsburgh. However, what hardly anyone expected from Lavin was the ability to turn the Johnnies around so soon. After surprising nonconference losses to St. Bonaventure and Fordham, the Storm went on a tear with wins in the Holiday Festival and each of their first three Big East games; but the success didn’t stop there. St. John’s ended a run where they had lost five of their last six with a resounding upset of reigning national champion Duke at a sold-out Madison Square Garden; and took down fellow Top 25 opponents Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Villanova on the way to the school’s first ranking since 2000, when every current Johnny was still in elementary school. Lavin has credited the success to “putting hammer to rock” and going about methodically taking care of business, while getting players he will only have this year to buy into a new system and unite for a common goal. Lavin’s philosophy has produced breakout seasons from first team all-Big East guard Dwight Hardy, who was named the conference’s most improved player after switching to the point from shooting guard; as well as Justin Brownlee, a role player under Roberts that has blossomed into a starter and the Red Storm’s second-leading scorer. Justin Burrell also continued to show his versatility on his way to being named the Big East’s Sixth Man of the Year for a Red Storm squad that will make its long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.

Rutgers

Just as most envisioned better results from St. John’s after Steve Lavin rode a tidal wave of popularity and support to the corner of Union and Utopia, the general feeling around Piscataway was that Mike Rice would do the same after Fred Hill was suddenly dismissed this past April after four years at the helm of the Scarlet Knights. What Rice has done on the banks of the old Raritan after winning back-to-back Northeast Conference championships at Robert Morris has been nothing short of Herculean and unbelievable. Following the transfer of star guard Mike Rosario, Rice was left with just nine scholarship players this season, and was not expected to contend over the Big East portion of the schedule; but Rice, a great coach and even better person, has demonstrated an uncanny ability to continuously get so much out of so little from a team that has become the Rocky Balboa of the Big East. Rutgers only won five conference games, but one of them was an absolute stunner at home against Villanova, as senior forward Jonathan Mitchell won the game on a dramatic four-point play in the final seconds. As far as the games Rutgers didn’t win, a majority of them were close throughout; and the Scarlet Knights took Top 25 teams the likes of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and eventual ranked foe St. John’s to the limit. The future is only looking brighter in New Jersey, where Rice brings in a recruiting class just as stellar as the one Steve Lavin will welcome into Queens next season.

Seton Hall

Following the unceremonious end to the Bobby Gonzalez era, the general consensus was that Seton Hall was the most likely of the three local Big East schools to make the NCAA Tournament, despite hiring a young and relatively unknown Kevin Willard as coach after three years at Iona. With stars Jeremy Hazell, Herb Pope and Jeff Robinson all passing on the NBA Draft to return to South Orange, all the pieces were in place for the Pirates to return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2006. Unfortunately, fate intervened more frequently than Brett Favre retirements. Hazell broke his wrist early in the season and was shot on Christmas night in an attempted robbery while recovering, guards Keon Lawrence and Jamel Jackson were thrown off the team; and reserve Ferrakohn Hall transferred to Memphis, forcing freshman Fuquan Edwin into the starting lineup in his rookie campaign. Nonetheless, the Pirates soldiered on despite a thin bench to finish 7-11 in the Big East, with two dominating victories over St. John’s and Marquette to close out the season. If Pope and Robinson return for their senior seasons, Willard still has everyone except Hazell coming back next year for another shot at redemption in the Garden State.

In Conclusion

It appears that St. John’s is clearly the short-term winner when you compare what all three local Big East schools have done on paper this season, and the Johnnies are just as dominating a victor in the media as well, getting far more coverage and headlines than both of the New Jersey programs combined.  However, Rutgers has shown they have done more than just turn the corner, and a matchup between the Scarlet Knights and red Storm will definitely be a desired ticket in the year to come at any arena the two face off in. Not to be left out, Seton Hall has shown that they are in the mix as well; and in the world of New York-area college basketball, any and all fights are settled on the court.  This year, to the relief of the fans, it all plays out on the hardwood at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” as one school faces its bitter intrastate rival with the hometown heroes waiting in the wings the following day.  Three schools, two teams, one winner.  It doesn’t get much better than this.