One-On-One With Coach Lavin (Pt. 2) [Rivals.com]

http://stjohns.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1086218

Some excerpts.  There a bit more stuff on Lavin talking about criticisms of his coaching and his history and the transition, pretty good stuff:

..."There's no magic wand when a team is in transition," says Lavin, and he understands that it takes time for the team to come together. "You establish trust with your actions and deeds," said Lavin. "If you can't get it done in 45 days you can't get it done in 90 days. It will be incremental. It's a process."

As far as which year will be the most challenging year, Lavin says that it's the second year due to the number of players that will have graduated from the team and the influx of underclassmen. "We'll be so young and beginning new without the upperclassmen."

To fill the void, Lavin says he will be open to looking at JUCO players and beyond. "We'd be open to Junior College (players) and also if there's a four year transfer before we start next year--In his fourth year but third year eligibility. That would be one way of offsetting our youth"

Coach Lavin says he's looking for a specific type of team and says that his current team has it deficiencies. "(We have a) lack of shooting other than Hardy--Lack of free-throw shooting-Lack of size and lack of a big point guard." Lavin says that he likes Malik Boothe and Malik Stith as a combined package. "I think those two are solid at this level but they don't have the size that we're going up against in this league."

Because of the lack of the big guard, the big post player and the lack of shooting, Lavin says that this is why he is looking for an up-tempo game next season. "The lack of the big guard. The lack of the big post player and the lack of shooting--all three of those are neutralized, to a certain degree, if you can create kinda like the Missouri and Tennessee tempo." Lavin says that he wants to avoid a methodical grind-'em-out type of game because it favors the big post players and dominant guards that the Red Storm is currently lacking, according to Lavin.

Of the current Red Storm players, when asked which players have surprised him the most so far, Lavin responded by saying, "Hardy is very intriguing. I knew he was a good shooter but he has more dimensions to his game and he has the chance to have a special senior season."

Lavin also made note of some of the other Red Storm players, saying, "Obviously D.J. (Kennedy) is the big leader. He's the lead dog. He's the papa bear. And I think Paris (Horne) is a great leader--an ambassador and a statesman for the program and a very capable player as well. I think Boothe is a tough (player) and kinda reminds me of Cameron Dollar. Stith is gonna surprise people with his development and work ethic. He's training like a Green Beret or a Navy seal. Quincy Roberts) could surprise people too with his work ethic in the off season."

What does he mean we can't shoot? Apparently he didn't see the Louisville game.

Nice vote of confidence for a few players, especially Stith

Lavin mentioned that we have small guards for this league which is absolutely true.  Stith and boothe look like munchkins on the court.  However, they can be affective if they play smart and get the bigs involved.

My question is, Mack is one of the top guards in the country for the class of 2011 does lavin recruit him or does he go after big guards like wall?

What does he mean we can't shoot? Apparently he didn't see the Louisville game.

Apparently he has watched some tape of the team for the previous few years.

Lavin mentioned that we have small guards for this league which is absolutely true.  Stith and boothe look like munchkins on the court.  However, they can be affective if they play smart and get the bigs involved.

My question is, Mack is one of the top guards in the country for the class of 2011 does lavin recruit him or does he go after big guards like wall?

PMG:
It seems to me that the decision to recruit Mack has to do with whether or not coach Lavin wants to continue with the style of play he suggested in the interview for this year’s team into the future. I think he’s correct that the team’s best chance to win is to play the kind of game that Missouri or Tennessee play; which means a pressure defense designed to offset poor shooting by creating transition baskets. It also means using more zone pressure and trapping rather than man to man pressure which I think makes teams less vulnerable to cutting and penetration than they might be in man to man sets.  Remember also, as far as Mack is concerned that even though teams use that approach to emphasis speed and hide shooting and size weaknesses it’s a system that can take advantage of a three point shooter because some of the best three point opportunities for teams at any level come in transition. And it’s a skill Mack is VERY good at. My guess is that if he finds success with this team playing that style, he’ll build future St. John’s teams that way. It’s a style that utilizes the long athletic kids he likes and emphasizes guard play which is a trademark of basketball in the northeast.

I think Paris (Horne) is a great leader--an ambassador and a statesman for the program and a very capable player as well.

Talk about damning with faint praise. Hardy is an intriguing multi dimensional player with a chance to be special, whereas PH is a great ambassador and merely a capable player. Sounds like Hardy starts and Horne is now 7th or 8th in the rotation. 

I really like what I see here.  Hardy is way more than a shooter.  He looked unstoppable at times off the bounce, but that was not something that he or the staff focused on.  He is just a flatout scorer. 

I also love seeing good things about Stith.  He did almost nothing to impress me last season, but that freshman to soph year can be such an incredible jump for kids that are willing to put in the work.  He´s a winner--both in N.C. and in prep--and we need him to be able to give us 15 solid minutes per game.  It´s kind of scarey that he didn´t hit a single three last year, but this is a new season coming up.

Does anyone have access to espn insider. I am trying to read the newest post about lavin recruinting efforts but dont have it. would it be possible to post on here. thanks

Does anyone have access to espn insider. I am trying to read the newest post about lavin recruinting efforts but dont have it. would it be possible to post on here. thanks

im an insider if you want to give me the adress to the article

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/features/rumors#2093

Probably talking about his west coast connections.

yeah its called lavin extending recruiting reach. if someone could just cut and pate it here i would appreciate it. if you deem it even worth reading. thanks

some parts of the short piece.

-Now that St. John's has been announced as one of the competing teams in the field of the 2010 Great Alaska Shootout, will Lavin try to mine the nation's largest state for basketball talent? As it turns out, he's already started. The Johnnies are one of several teams going after ESPNU Super 60 point guard recruit Derrick Wilson, an Anchorage native and a member of the Class of 2011.

-While, as we've written before, Lavin's fate will likely be tied to his ability to recruit and win with New York City prospects, adding an Alaskan and a Parisian to go with his Californian could make for an impressive -- and diverse -- pool of talent over the next two seasons.

(wilson plays prep ball in conneticut)

Thanks!