Borzello: Positive Article/Opinion about Coach and the squad

Jeff Borzello wrote a positive piece on Coach Lavin and the program being in good shape - provided Coach Lavin stays here.  I don't have much concern about Coach's committment to the program, so here's to his good health and steady progress to recovery.  I hope Coach comes back only when he's ready.


http://eye-on-college-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/34216876

"While people have been saying for weeks he might not return to coach this season"

"There have been rumors tying him to other head coaching jobs or going back to television, but St. John’s is not concerned about him leaving the program."

Think Borzello is making that up?   Because let's be honest, if there were rumors Lav was leaving for another program or headed back to TV.. they probably would've originated here.

"There have been rumors tying him to other head coaching jobs or going back to television, but St. John’s is not concerned about him leaving the program."

Think Borzello is making that up?   Because let's be honest, if there were rumors Lav was leaving for another program or headed back to TV.. they probably would've originated here.

Just another thing to help us on the recruiting trail.  If he were to leave for another school, after collecting a millon and half dollars from the school that has shown nothing but patience with his recovery,
I would definitely put him ahead of Jarvis in the Hall of Shame.  However, I just don't see him in that light.

This is all good on the surface but the fact remains we have nobody, NOBODY signed for next season while facing the possibility of Moe turning pro (not saying he's ready, but we've seen kids jump prematurely before.)

It's all about momentum.  Right now, we have it going in the wrong direction, BUT, if Coach Lavin hits a recruiting homerun soon (picking up transfer Jamal Branch would, IMHO, constitute a homerun), then the momentum will shift back in the right direction.  We still have a ton of upside with this young team.  By adding a few more quality building block players in 2012, we are right back on track towards being a top 25 program.  Rome wasn't built in a day, and no one should have expected that the resurrection of this program back to national prominence would be a one or two year process.

This is all good on the surface but the fact remains we have nobody, NOBODY signed for next season while facing the possibility of Moe turning pro (not saying he's ready, but we've seen kids jump prematurely before.)

You do know that there are two signing periods, right?

The time to complain about no signees is after the spring, not in the first week of January.

Quote from: IllWill on January 06, 2012, 03:07:02 PM

This is all good on the surface but the fact remains we have nobody, NOBODY signed for next season while facing the possibility of Moe turning pro (not saying he's ready, but we've seen kids jump prematurely before.)

You do know that there are two signing periods, right?

The time to complain about no signees is after the spring, not in the first week of January.

  It always time to complain for some people.( cleans my rose-colored glasses)

Quote from: IllWill on January 06, 2012, 03:07:02 PM

This is all good on the surface but the fact remains we have nobody, NOBODY signed for next season while facing the possibility of Moe turning pro (not saying he's ready, but we've seen kids jump prematurely before.)

You do know that there are two signing periods, right?

The time to complain about no signees is after the spring, not in the first week of January.

Exactly. Look what Coach was able to accomplish the spring signing period when he was first hired and that was after being away from the recruiting scene for seven years.

Quote from: IllWill on January 06, 2012, 03:07:02 PM

This is all good on the surface but the fact remains we have nobody, NOBODY signed for next season while facing the possibility of Moe turning pro (not saying he's ready, but we've seen kids jump prematurely before.)

You do know that there are two signing periods, right?

The time to complain about no signees is after the spring, not in the first week of January.

 

Most kids sign during the first period...I realize there are alot of useful recruits still out there, but the fact remains we have nobody signed.  The two kids we had signed, decommitted.

I'm sure Lavin will recruit players, the question remains who the players will be and if they are big east calibur. 

Quote from: LJSA on January 06, 2012, 05:27:52 PM

Quote from: IllWill on January 06, 2012, 03:07:02 PM

This is all good on the surface but the fact remains we have nobody, NOBODY signed for next season while facing the possibility of Moe turning pro (not saying he's ready, but we've seen kids jump prematurely before.)

You do know that there are two signing periods, right?

The time to complain about no signees is after the spring, not in the first week of January.

  It always time to complain for some people.( cleans my rose-colored glasses)

How dare I complain about a 7-7 team that has already had two kids transfer, two kids declared ineligible and two recruits decommitt (am i missing anything?.)   

Quote from: LJSA on January 06, 2012, 05:27:52 PM

Quote from: IllWill on January 06, 2012, 03:07:02 PM

This is all good on the surface but the fact remains we have nobody, NOBODY signed for next season while facing the possibility of Moe turning pro (not saying he's ready, but we've seen kids jump prematurely before.)

You do know that there are two signing periods, right?

The time to complain about no signees is after the spring, not in the first week of January.

Exactly. Look what Coach was able to accomplish the spring signing period when he was first hired and that was after being away from the recruiting scene for seven years.

Lets be honest: outside of DeAngelo and Moe, what exactly has Lavin done in recruiting that is really THAT impressive?

In the one year Lavin's been here he's gotten commitments from 13 recruits,  7 of them have rescinded their association with St Johns in one way or another.

Lets be honest: Getting Moe and D'Angelo is the best thing that's happened to this program past 10 years.

Everyone got spoiled in a year. Team signs best class since early 90's and a few dropped off. You're still left with Moe, D'Angelo, Pointer, Garrett, Gift and Green (both way better than I thought they'd be)

How many guys did Norm get to sign early? Malik Boothe? Omari Lawrence?

You complain about Rico decommiting when 4 years ago Mookie Jones wouldn't even sniff St. John's. So lets calm down and realize that the program has made strides but Rome isn't built in a day or in this case 1 year.

Lets be honest: Getting Moe and D'Angelo is the best thing that's happened to this program past 10 years.

Everyone got spoiled in a year. Team signs best class since early 90's and a few dropped off. You're still left with Moe, D'Angelo, Pointer, Garrett, Gift and Green (both way better than I thought they'd be)

How many guys did Norm get to sign early? Malik Boothe? Omari Lawrence?

You complain about Rico decommiting when 4 years ago Mookie Jones wouldn't even sniff St. John's. So lets calm down and realize that the program has made strides but Rome isn't built in a day or in this case 1 year.

  Amen!

Lets be honest: Getting Moe and D'Angelo is the best thing that's happened to this program past 10 years.

Id say last season was the best thing that's happened to this program in 10 years...but recruiting wise, agreed

Everyone got spoiled in a year. Team signs best class since early 90's and a few dropped off. You're still left with Moe, D'Angelo, Pointer, Garrett, Gift and Green (both way better than I thought they'd be)

Jury is still out on Pointer, Garrett, Gift and Green

How many guys did Norm get to sign early? Malik Boothe? Omari Lawrence?

Most coaches will look good compared to Norm.  A prius looks like a lexus when compared to a PT Cruiser. 

So lets calm down and realize that the program has made strides but Rome isn't built in a day or in this case 1 year.

Rome wasn't built in a day but it can be destroyed in seconds.  What happens if DeAngelo transfers and Moe goes pro (ultimate pessimism here, but would anyone really be surprised if that happened?)

Quote from: Dave on January 06, 2012, 07:55:10 PM

Lets be honest: Getting Moe and D'Angelo is the best thing that's happened to this program past 10 years.

Everyone got spoiled in a year. Team signs best class since early 90's and a few dropped off. You're still left with Moe, D'Angelo, Pointer, Garrett, Gift and Green (both way better than I thought they'd be)

How many guys did Norm get to sign early? Malik Boothe? Omari Lawrence?

You complain about Rico decommiting when 4 years ago Mookie Jones wouldn't even sniff St. John's. So lets calm down and realize that the program has made strides but Rome isn't built in a day or in this case 1 year.

  Amen!

Poor Mookie. Im guessing he regrets the hell out of not sniffing St Johns

 Pointer, Garret, Greene , and Gift are all going to be solid BE players.  You can't see that @ Ill Will?   Really?  Or do expect them to all be superstars?  All BE first teamers? 

Could you be more negative?

 

Pointer, Garret, Greene , and Gift are all going to be solid BE players.  You can't see that @ Ill Will?   Really?  Or do expect them to all be superstars?  All BE first teamers? 

Could you be more negative?

 

He's a troll. He's being more subtle about it than the other trolls on the board, but a troll nonetheless.

Lets be honest: Getting Moe and D'Angelo is the best thing that's happened to this program past 10 years.

Everyone got spoiled in a year. Team signs best class since early 90's and a few dropped off. You're still left with Moe, D'Angelo, Pointer, Garrett, Gift and Green (both way better than I thought they'd be)

How many guys did Norm get to sign early? Malik Boothe? Omari Lawrence?

You complain about Rico decommiting when 4 years ago Mookie Jones wouldn't even sniff St. John's. So lets calm down and realize that the program has made strides but Rome isn't built in a day or in this case 1 year.

My complaint isn't that we're not signing Rico, it's that he along with half the players Lavin has recruited, has decommited, or transferred.
There's a difference.

I'm not blaming Lavin and staff for not recruiting great talent; we all know SJU hasn't been a favorite destination for recruits over the past decade. 
And if he couldn't convince a top recruit to choose us, there'd be no shame in that.  What I'm starting to criticize Lavin and staff for is the ridiculous volatility.  If a player didn't want to come here - that would be one thing, but we're having players verbal, sign letters of intent, and in some cases join the team in uniform before deciding to leave the program... all at an alarming rate.

That's a lot of volatility since last June. 

Is it simply the case that Lavin asks for a verbal very early in the recruiting process?  Or gets commitments and says he'll worry about academics later, even if it means an eventual publicized decomitment?   

Pointer, Garret, Greene , and Gift are all going to be solid BE players.  You can't see that @ Ill Will?   Really?  Or do expect them to all be superstars?  All BE first teamers? 

Could you be more negative?

I watched Justin Burrell look like an all-big east calibur player his freshman year, and then fade into almost obvlivion.  There are no guarantees that any of those players will blossom into really good players.  Gift has been non-existent against the better competition this season (sans the kentucky game, which was a blowout anyways.)  Pointer seems like he'll be a solid glue guy, but his game his incredibly flawed right now.  Phil Green has talent but right now he's a backup PG on a good team.  Garrett has looked pretty bad thus far, but that's to be expected I guess with him just coming on. 

There's a difference between being a solid player, and a difference maker.  I can't say that any of those guys will DEFINITELY be difference makers.