Norm gets a bad rap. He took over a program in disarray after a year in which players were thrown off the team and a walkon was starting. What kid is going to want to come to a program in that state? It took him a few years but he eventually recruited some good second tier kids and developed them. Unfortunately he was fired a Lavin benefited. I was impatient as anyone but in retrospect he was in an impossible condition.
He inherited Showtime (ranked top 25 as a recruit by some) and Hamilton (ranked top 75) going into their soph years!!!! Both went on to make all Big East. He was also gifted his best recruit from his high school teammate and landed and misused Cedric Jackson who went on to make the NBA.
He was 24-84 at Queens College. 24-84!!!!!!!!
His Big East Record with that massive junior class of Hardy, Brownlee, DJ, Horne, et al finished 6-12...again, as JUNIORS with 5th year senior Anthony Mason Jr. As sophs they were 6-12. As freshmen they were 5-13. There was no improvement. No hope. Dark times.