http://w3.nbebasketball.com/index.php/2008-2009-big-east-preview-hot-seat-coaches/NINE LIVES FOR NORM
Norm Roberts of St. John’s
All of a sudden, the seat beneath Norm Roberts has cooled just a bit. Even though his team has not played a game since closing out his third campaign in four seasons without a trip to the Big East Tournament, Roberts has signed a new rollover contract and has benefited from some positive perception with a recent recruiting score off the court.
It really came as a surprise to many last year when not only did Norm Roberts survive the season, but a vote of confidence with a new contract was added on top of it. While the chances for success with last year’s Redstorm squad was slim, it was due to previous errors and failures in recruiting that put the Redstorm in a position to have eight freshman on the roster. The attrition that has impacted St. John’s in the last four years has reached epidemic status, even this spring two more players transferred from the program and, during the uncertainty of his job status, it had been a year since a recruit had pledged to the program.
Now, with new administrative assistants Kimani Young (arrest for possessing 96 lbs of pot aside) and Oswald Cross, St. John’s seems to have a little pep in their step. The recent verbal commitment from Omari Lawrence seems to have other area players from the fertile New York City area giving SJU a longer look from the class of 2009 and 2010.
If Roberts can survive the last four years, which has also included dwindling attendance and fewer games at Madison Square Garden, then maybe they are willing to give him a little longer to play out the string with his now sophomore class and see if the recruiting turns around. The life line can not be indefinite, and there are definitely plenty wanting to pull the plug, but the man who is a son of a former NYC police officer continues to hang on