Malik Stith Withdraws From Basketball Team, Will Remain As Student Assistant

Our fanbase can just be ridiculous sometimes.  Every little thing and a huge faction acts like the Titanic is sinking.  I wish Malik well.  We don't know what drove him to this.  He's not getting minutes now and he sees Jamal Branch killling it in practice and Lavin going after a ton of recruits--it's clear he wasn't going to see the court next season.  You gotta feel for a kid in that situation.

The truth is that we can replace him with a more talented JUCO rather easily.  Right down the street at Monro CC, Davon Marshall...sharp-shooter. 

Want to throw away the season? Let the a$$holes at St.John's refund everyone's money. F all of them. Greedy bastards.

I get that in the long term, Stith leaving the team is a positive, but I wish he made this decision before the season started.  As unproductive as he has been at times,  he was the most experienced player on the team, and some of the guys on the team, like Greene, really looked up to Stith based on what I have read.  He seems like a great kid with a terrific attitude, so this decision definitely shocked me, but I suppose there's more to the story that makes better sense of this situation.  In any event, I wish him well, and I hope our even thinner team can pull itself together and finish out the season strong. 

Our fanbase can just be ridiculous sometimes.  Every little thing and a huge faction acts like the Titanic is sinking.  I wish Malik well.  We don't know what drove him to this.  He's not getting minutes now and he sees Jamal Branch killling it in practice and Lavin going after a ton of recruits--it's clear he wasn't going to see the court next season.  You gotta feel for a kid in that situation.

The truth is that we can replace him with a more talented JUCO rather easily.  Right down the street at Monro CC, Davon Marshall...sharp-shooter. 

2 guys quitting in season with a 7 man rotation?  Thats pretty bad, even I cant spin that to something positive

Quote from: Marillac on February 09, 2012, 12:42:47 AM

Our fanbase can just be ridiculous sometimes.  Every little thing and a huge faction acts like the Titanic is sinking.  I wish Malik well.  We don't know what drove him to this.  He's not getting minutes now and he sees Jamal Branch killling it in practice and Lavin going after a ton of recruits--it's clear he wasn't going to see the court next season.  You gotta feel for a kid in that situation.

The truth is that we can replace him with a more talented JUCO rather easily.  Right down the street at Monro CC, Davon Marshall...sharp-shooter. 

Want to throw away the season? Let the a$$holes at St.John's refund everyone's money. F all of them. Greedy bastards.

Throw away what season?  What the hell did you expect this year?  The goal was never to win a few extra games this year...it is to win a national championship in 2014 and 2015.  I predicted 13 wins this season and I still hold to that number.  I'd rather lose by 30 with freshman than by a point with upperclassmen. 

Poison, relax brother.  This core is SENSATIONAL.  There is nothing more valuable in college basketball than experience.  These aren't a group of no-names playing these minutes for us.  This a group of top 75 RSCI talent! 

Dunlap is laying the foundation.  My only concern is that these kids don't jump ship right now, because the lessons Dunlap is instiling in them won't become apparent until next season. Winning cures all ills. 

People familiar with the Hempstead, L.I., product said he is considering a transfer to Division II C.W. Post, where former St. John’s assistant Chris Casey is now head coach. They also indicated that his relationship with assistant coach Mike Dunlap, who is handling game coaching while head coach Steve Lavin recuperates from prostate cancer surgery, had deteriorated and played some role in his choice.


http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/st-john-suffers-setback-departure-malik-stith-hours-red-storm-lose-cincinnati-article-1.1019616

People familiar with the Hempstead, L.I., product said he is considering a transfer to Division II C.W. Post, where former St. John’s assistant Chris Casey is now head coach. They also indicated that his relationship with assistant coach Mike Dunlap, who is handling game coaching while head coach Steve Lavin recuperates from prostate cancer surgery, had deteriorated and played some role in his choice.


http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/st-john-suffers-setback-departure-malik-stith-hours-red-storm-lose-cincinnati-article-1.1019616

Roger Rubin is a fan of Baldi

He couldn't have hung on for one more month?

Have to be alarmed that the players are not liking Dunlap.

Have to be alarmed that the players are not liking Dunlap.

Wonder what the hell the recruits are thinking? Lavin needs to be back, asap. Enough is enough

Hurts losing less than 2 ppg for 15mpg this season, helps long term. He should have left with Omari but chose to ride it out. Unfortunate that things happen but in the end lets not make this out to be a bigger deal than it is.

Wish him the best and move on.

Well said Dave.  We aren't winning any NC's this year.  From what I saw yesterday, White can easily absorb Stith's minutes.  Stith has been a good citizen and kid for this team for a few years now.  We should stop worrying about the short term problems that this might cause ie. a month of play.  Overall, we have one more ship moving forward and a lot of recruiting for Lavin to do.  Regardless, our returning six are a fantastic core, but a lot of work to be done. 

Quote from: Moose on February 09, 2012, 06:04:10 AM

Have to be alarmed that the players are not liking Dunlap.

Wonder what the hell the recruits are thinking? Lavin needs to be back, asap. Enough is enough

Right on. Enough

Quote from: Dave on February 09, 2012, 12:03:52 AM

Hurts losing less than 2 ppg for 15mpg this season, helps long term. He should have left with Omari but chose to ride it out. Unfortunate that things happen but in the end lets not make this out to be a bigger deal than it is.

Wish him the best and move on.

Well said Dave.  We aren't winning any NC's this year.  From what I saw yesterday, White can easily absorb Stith's minutes.  Stith has been a good citizen and kid for this team for a few years now.  We should stop worrying about the short term problems that this might cause ie. a month of play.  Overall, we have one more ship moving forward and a lot of recruiting for Lavin to do.  Regardless, our returning six are a fantastic core, but a lot of work to be done. 

These 2 posts might be worse than some of the stuff I post.

Quote from: MCNPA on February 09, 2012, 07:44:08 AM

Quote from: Dave on February 09, 2012, 12:03:52 AM

Hurts losing less than 2 ppg for 15mpg this season, helps long term. He should have left with Omari but chose to ride it out. Unfortunate that things happen but in the end lets not make this out to be a bigger deal than it is.

Wish him the best and move on.

Well said Dave.  We aren't winning any NC's this year.  From what I saw yesterday, White can easily absorb Stith's minutes.  Stith has been a good citizen and kid for this team for a few years now.  We should stop worrying about the short term problems that this might cause ie. a month of play.  Overall, we have one more ship moving forward and a lot of recruiting for Lavin to do.  Regardless, our returning six are a fantastic core, but a lot of work to be done. 

These 2 posts might be worse than some of the stuff I post.

Baldi, people are making too much of a big deal out of this as being something greater than it is.  Yes we lost a kid who gave us a few minutes.  He averaged 2 ppg and was just a body to sub in to spell some of the guys.  It's not an indictment of the coach or some other type of sordid situation.  The drama about some bigger problem is absurd. 

What all this drama comes down to is that Lavin lost an entire team in one season and got cancer that same season.  Nothing more.  On every team there are issues with players.  Ours are compounded by trying to build an entire 13-man team in one season, something extremely difficult to do. 

I don't know why Stith isn't here any more, but it makes it more difficult for us for about a month and not longer.  We're still in rebuild-mode.  People don't like to accept it, but it's true.  Lavin could easily go out tomorrow and sign 6 warm bodies out of the PSAL and CHSAA.  I don't really think that is what he's trying to do here.

2 guys on a 7 man team quit midseason. All of a sudden, as a 2nd semester junior, Stith is having academic problems?

2 guys on a 7 man team quit midseason. All of a sudden, as a 2nd semester junior, Stith is having academic problems?

Nuri quit in favor of playing at Rider.  He didn't want do things in practice and chose a different direction.  I don't know Stith's reasons, academics etc?  If it was a bad environment, he wouldn't be staying on as a team assistant, would he?  No.  Stith can play a few more years somewhere else and it won't hurt SJU after next month at all. 

Quote from: Marco Baldi on February 09, 2012, 07:51:34 AM

Quote from: MCNPA on February 09, 2012, 07:44:08 AM

Quote from: Dave on February 09, 2012, 12:03:52 AM

Hurts losing less than 2 ppg for 15mpg this season, helps long term. He should have left with Omari but chose to ride it out. Unfortunate that things happen but in the end lets not make this out to be a bigger deal than it is.

Wish him the best and move on.

Well said Dave.  We aren't winning any NC's this year.  From what I saw yesterday, White can easily absorb Stith's minutes.  Stith has been a good citizen and kid for this team for a few years now.  We should stop worrying about the short term problems that this might cause ie. a month of play.  Overall, we have one more ship moving forward and a lot of recruiting for Lavin to do.  Regardless, our returning six are a fantastic core, but a lot of work to be done. 

These 2 posts might be worse than some of the stuff I post.

Baldi, people are making too much of a big deal out of this as being something greater than it is.  Yes we lost a kid who gave us a few minutes.  He averaged 2 ppg and was just a body to sub in to spell some of the guys.  It's not an indictment of the coach or some other type of sordid situation.  The drama about some bigger problem is absurd. 

What all this drama comes down to is that Lavin lost an entire team in one season and got cancer that same season.  Nothing more.  On every team there are issues with players.  Ours are compounded by trying to build an entire 13-man team in one season, something extremely difficult to do. 

I don't know why Stith isn't here any more, but it makes it more difficult for us for about a month and not longer.  We're still in rebuild-mode.  People don't like to accept it, but it's true.  Lavin could easily go out tomorrow and sign 6 warm bodies out of the PSAL and CHSAA.  I don't really think that is what he's trying to do here.

I dont want to beat the dead horse, cause its been addresed(sp) a billion times.  But having to replace the whole roster is this current staffs fault

2 guys on a 7 man team quit midseason. All of a sudden, as a 2nd semester junior, Stith is having academic problems?

This is really sickening. You could say that you like his work ethic, but there obviously wasn't anything to like about his game. There is a lot to be said for finishing what you start. This team wasn't going to break any doors down this year, but of they played hard you could at least get behind them for the season considering what coach is going through.

Dunlap has done an awful job in coach's absence. He will never coach D1 ball anywhere. These defections are on him.

Quote from: MCNPA on February 09, 2012, 08:08:49 AM

Quote from: Marco Baldi on February 09, 2012, 07:51:34 AM

Quote from: MCNPA on February 09, 2012, 07:44:08 AM

Quote from: Dave on February 09, 2012, 12:03:52 AM

Hurts losing less than 2 ppg for 15mpg this season, helps long term. He should have left with Omari but chose to ride it out. Unfortunate that things happen but in the end lets not make this out to be a bigger deal than it is.

Wish him the best and move on.

Well said Dave.  We aren't winning any NC's this year.  From what I saw yesterday, White can easily absorb Stith's minutes.  Stith has been a good citizen and kid for this team for a few years now.  We should stop worrying about the short term problems that this might cause ie. a month of play.  Overall, we have one more ship moving forward and a lot of recruiting for Lavin to do.  Regardless, our returning six are a fantastic core, but a lot of work to be done. 

These 2 posts might be worse than some of the stuff I post.

Baldi, people are making too much of a big deal out of this as being something greater than it is.  Yes we lost a kid who gave us a few minutes.  He averaged 2 ppg and was just a body to sub in to spell some of the guys.  It's not an indictment of the coach or some other type of sordid situation.  The drama about some bigger problem is absurd. 

What all this drama comes down to is that Lavin lost an entire team in one season and got cancer that same season.  Nothing more.  On every team there are issues with players.  Ours are compounded by trying to build an entire 13-man team in one season, something extremely difficult to do. 

I don't know why Stith isn't here any more, but it makes it more difficult for us for about a month and not longer.  We're still in rebuild-mode.  People don't like to accept it, but it's true.  Lavin could easily go out tomorrow and sign 6 warm bodies out of the PSAL and CHSAA.  I don't really think that is what he's trying to do here.

I dont want to beat the dead horse, cause its been addresed(sp) a billion times.  But having to replace the whole roster is this current staffs fault

How is having 12 open ships in one class their fault again Baldi?

Some of it is their fault. Ron Roberts and Quincy Roberts would help this group tremendously.

Quote from: Marco Baldi on February 09, 2012, 08:12:04 AM

2 guys on a 7 man team quit midseason. All of a sudden, as a 2nd semester junior, Stith is having academic problems?

This is really sickening. You could say that you like his work ethic, but there obviously wasn't anything to like about his game. There is a lot to be said for finishing what you start. This team wasn't going to break any doors down this year, but of they played hard you could at least get behind them for the season considering what coach is going through.

Dunlap has done an awful job in coach's absence. He will never coach D1 ball anywhere. These defections are on him.

I dont even know what to say anymore, but there is a big pink elephant in the room. What it comes down to, is this guy has to stop flying around the country and get on the bench. If anything, for the players that are here