Missing Lavin

A lot of credit is always given to Mike Dunlap for being the man behind the scenes with setting up the defense or being the x/o savant. Lavin is the "recruiting" coach in the public eye but I think he's missed more than people may realize.

The guys look tight out on the court, almost as if they're robots trying to run this set or that set, instead of just playing basketball. Sure being undermanned/undersized hurts too but I think Lavin brings confidence and he's a great motivator. Guys want to play for him, they want to do well for him, and he has a way of cooling them down.

If you remember there was a quote from Justin Burrell last year after the Pitt game where he said something to the effect that Lavin didn't say anything about basketball but just being in the moment at Madison Square Garden and how cool it was. The haters said Lavin doesn't know what he's talking about but in actuality he got his guys to perform by keeping them cool.

It's no insult to Mike Dunlap who is a key cog to this coaching staff but Lavin is needed.

What are your thoughts on the importance of Lavin on the bench to this team right now?

A lot of credit is always given to Mike Dunlap for being the man behind the scenes with setting up the defense or being the x/o savant. Lavin is the "recruiting" coach in the public eye but I think he's missed more than people may realize.

The guys look tight out on the court, almost as if they're robots trying to run this set or that set, instead of just playing basketball. Sure being undermanned/undersized hurts too but I think Lavin brings confidence and he's a great motivator. Guys want to play for him, they want to do well for him, and he has a way of cooling them down.

If you remember there was a quote from Justin Burrell last year after the Pitt game where he said something to the effect that Lavin didn't say anything about basketball but just being in the moment at Madison Square Garden and how cool it was. The haters said Lavin doesn't know what he's talking about but in actuality he got his guys to perform by keeping them cool.

It's no insult to Mike Dunlap who is a key cog to this coaching staff but Lavin is needed.

What are your thoughts on the importance of Lavin on the bench to this team right now?

I have been realizing the same.  Lavin's importance is readily apparent after watching this team without him.  I don't think we give enough credit to Lavin as a coach sometimes here.  Everybody assumes Dunlap does everything, but that is simply not true and Lavin has 5 Sweet 16's without Dunlap. He really is responsible for a lot of the offensive stuff, and we miss his creativity as well as his motivation out there.  His charisma is sorely missed and it was evidenced by the way his players have been playing without him.  He needs to bee out there soon,  not only for recruiting purposes, but this young team really, really needs him.

Dave, good question and one that could apply to most coaches or managers of a sports team.  How value is a coach to a team?  Too often we see how a bad coach fouls up a potentially good team.  What percent of winning or team chemistry is directly related to a coach.

We all saw the instant impact Coach Lavin had on our team last year.  Our success  last season was more than a whole bunch of seniors maturing.  I strongly doubt that Coach Roberts would have come close to the amount of wins Coach Lavin achieved.

I have met Coach Lavin a few times and was impressed with not only his personality, but his spirit.  And that spirit is contagious.

Lets face it, we were dealt a lousy hand right up front with the lost of the three talented recruits.  Combining that with basically all new players to super competitive college basketball did not give me a warm and cozy feeling for this year.  However, I thought Coach Lavin and his staff would optimize our talent.

When you lose a dynamic leader like Coach Lavin, particularly on game day, it is a tremendous lost.  When things are not going right, I am sure players would look to Coach Lavin for inspiration.  It is not there.

This was, and is, going to be a year of struggle and growth with or without Coach Lavin.  Would we have beat Northeastern and Detroit if Coach was on the bench?  None of us knows that, but Coach Lavin is a very powerful weapon on our bench.  And we need all the weapons at our disposal.

So, Dave, Coach Lavin is critical to our overall success, both on and off the court.  We need him back, but we need him fully recovered.

What are you talking about? We are doing just fine without him.

Our guys are lacking confidence right now in a big way, and not having Lavin on the bench is hurting the team more and more each game.  The swagger that guys like Nuri and Harrison NEED to play with is gone, and while Moe has been consistently good, he seems to lack the fire to take over certain parts of the game when the opportunity presents itself, and here is where Lavin makes the difference that Dunlap can't.   I also think Amir will add a much needed shot of confidence to the group WHEN he gets here this month(need to stay positive).

Our guys are lacking confidence right now in a big way, and not having Lavin on the bench is hurting the team more and more each game.  The swagger that guys like Nuri and Harrison NEED to play with is gone, and while Moe has been consistently good, he seems to lack the fire to take over certain parts of the game when the opportunity presents itself, and here is where Lavin makes the difference that Dunlap can't.   I also think Amir will add a much needed shot of confidence to the group WHEN he gets here this month(need to stay positive).

The stoic nature of Dunlap is striking when contrasted with Lavin.  Two very different types.  I venture to guess it is a big reason why Dunlap hasnt landed the big D1 job he has coveted.  We all ow how capable he is, but I certainly see more and more how valuable of an asset Lavin is on the bench.

Quote from: DFF6 on December 06, 2011, 09:49:10 AM

Our guys are lacking confidence right now in a big way, and not having Lavin on the bench is hurting the team more and more each game.  The swagger that guys like Nuri and Harrison NEED to play with is gone, and while Moe has been consistently good, he seems to lack the fire to take over certain parts of the game when the opportunity presents itself, and here is where Lavin makes the difference that Dunlap can't.   I also think Amir will add a much needed shot of confidence to the group WHEN he gets here this month(need to stay positive).

The stoic nature of Dunlap is striking when contrasted with Lavin.  Two very different types.  I venture to guess it is a big reason why Dunlap hasnt landed the big D1 job he has coveted.  We all ow how capable he is, but I certainly see more and more how valuable of an asset Lavin is on the bench.

Very true. A huge part of coaching also is the stuff off the court. Cultivating boosters...doing the chicken dinners, etc.  Lavin can really work a room. He has that natural personality...and his time at ESPN only helped.  I can't see Dunlap doing that kind of stuff very well.  If I was an AD at a big time program, that would be a real concern when it comes to hiring him as head coach.

Lavin can't coach part time...

If he is still that sick he needs to take a real leave of absence and come back when he is ready.

Lavin can't coach part time...

If he is still that sick he needs to take a real leave of absence and come back when he is ready.

Isn't that what he's doing now?

Evrytime he talk on the phone durin the game, he's talkin directly to recruits sayin I'm aight and I'll be back by the time you step on the court.

dunlop won two national championships without lavin in a division where the talent is basically equal.

this team has less talent than we thought.  it's not on dunlop.   

dunlop won two national championships without lavin in a division where the talent is basically equal.

this team has less talent than we thought.  it's not on dunlop.   

Dunlop makes tires, tennis shoes, and golf clubs but hasn't won 2 national championships.

Dunlap on the other hand has but it isn't so much of an insult to him as it is a compliment to Lavin. These players came here for Lav not him.

dunlop won two national championships without lavin in a division where the talent is basically equal.

this team has less talent than we thought.  it's not on dunlop.   

It's a team sport.  You don't just plug people in and win.  Did you watch the Heat last year.  How long did it take the superstars with a ton more talent and experience to click?

Quote from: newsman13 on December 06, 2011, 03:44:58 PM

dunlop won two national championships without lavin in a division where the talent is basically equal.

this team has less talent than we thought.  it's not on dunlop.   

It's a team sport.  You don't just plug people in and win.  Did you watch the Heat last year.  How long did it take the superstars with a ton more talent and experience to click?

Pretty much.  These young kids have talent and unfortunately, are going through growing pains.  We're also in an unfortunate situation where some folks are logging more minutes than they would, if we had a full roster or even a team with 2 or 3 guys who have some form of talent and experience.

I, recall thinking the '97'-98 team wasn't gonna make the NCAA Tournament as they didn't look too good in the early going.  Quite frankly, they looked bad in spots.  That particular team had experience, talent and depth.  It was a nice blend of experience and youth.  They eventually righted the ship and became a pretty, decent team.

I'm not saying the same thing is gonna happen with this bunch, as far as the NCAAs is concerned.  But, I wouldn't right them off at the moment.  I've watched sports for far too long to discount someone so, early in the season.  It could be one game that turns on the switch.

dunlop won two national championships without lavin in a division where the talent is basically equal.

this team has less talent than we thought.  it's not on dunlop.

FINALLY A POST WITH SOME THOUGHT TO IT!!!!

Guys, it's not less talent. They have one big man. Let me day it slower so that it sinks in. They have one big man.
On SU or Uconn, GG would be a PF.

Mo Harkless is a 3. Pointer is an undersized 3.

Guys, it's not less talent. They have one big man. Let me day it slower so that it sinks in. They have one big man.
On SU or Uconn, GG would be a PF.

Mo Harkless is a 3. Pointer is an undersized 3.

Yup, they are one big man, two shooters, a real point guard and an inside presence.. power forward away from being competitive/

Guys, it's not less talent. They have one big man. Let me day it slower so that it sinks in. They have one big man.
On SU or Uconn, GG would be a PF.

Mo Harkless is a 3. Pointer is an undersized 3.

 A true center would help but the lack of a real pg, or an experienced combo guard even, to run the offense is what's hurting us most.   We need that guy that can be like a coach on the court, know when to push it, know what the staff wants, and knows when to start his penetration with enough time to get a shot off before the clock expires.  Greene's doing his best, but he's still learning the system along with everybody else.