The Daly Storm- They'll be Lovin' Lavin a Long Time [JohnnyJungle.com]

When St. John’s athletic director Chris Monasch made the decision to hire former UCLA coach Steve Lavin as the Red Storm’s newest leader this past March, there was more to the decision than just finding a marquee name to replace Norm Roberts, who had guided the Johnnies through six years marked by returning the integrity to a once-elite basketball program.

Lavin put Monasch’s vision on full display at his introductory press conference, and one could surmise that St. John’s had someone that wanted to be there and knew how to succeed in charge of the Red Storm program; a feeling that had been lacking on the corner of Union and Utopia since the 1990s, a decade that started under the great Lou Carnesecca and ended with Mike Jarvis guiding the Johnnies into the Elite Eight in 1999.


Steve Lavin was all smiles after being introduced as St. John's newest head coach. (Photo courtesy of redstormsports.com)

So what exactly does Lavin bring to the bench and the press room?

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I'd like to welcome our newest writer to the site Jaden Daly. Looking forward to reading more of his stuff.

Well done Mr. Daly.  Welcome aboard!

Nice write up Jaden.  I think the big point he hit on was the new hope that Lavin has brought to johnny fans.  I know this is true for myself and just reading the boards I can tell most others are just as pumped as me.

Nice write up Jaden.  I think the big point he hit on was the new hope that Lavin has brought to johnny fans.  I know this is true for myself and just reading the boards I can tell most others are just as pumped as me.

  Absolutely!  It's amazing what a difference a month or so can make.  The people that said the program could never be resurrected were so short-sided.  All it takes is the right coach.  I think (hope) we got the right one.

I could not agree more with the coach they picked and the staff.  I have not been this excited since I was in school watching them play from 96-2000

A minor correction  - there's a factual error in the report - Trevor Ariza never played for Coach Lavin.  Tho he WAS Steve's next to last recruit, Trevor played his one year of college ball (before jumping to the pros) during Ben Howland's  11-18 debut season with the Bruins in 2004.   The writer could have used Matt Barnes as an example, or Jason Kapono, or Earl Watson, or Ryan Hollins, or Dan Gadzuric as examples of guys who played for Coach Lavin and are still in the NBA, or listed Charles O'Bannon, JR Henderson, Toby Bailey, Jelani McCoy, Jerome Moiso, Dijon Thompson or Ced Bozeman as players who reached the NBA after playing for him, but are not still active in the League.  Also There are 3 players still active in pro ball with an outside chance of making the league - Mike Fey, Andre Patterson, and TJ Cummings have all been mid-double digit scorers in the NBDL, and could conceiveably make a roster.  Fey has been the final cut by the Lakers from their Pre-Season roster each of the last 2 years.