Lavin's PR Blitz...

Lavin gets  a recruiting mulligan for next year's class. I don't think it is feasible that he is going to get any of his primary targets at this point. For next year he really just needs to add some serviceable players and the team will be fine if everyone comes back. Lavin coming back for the season and a NCAA berth, recruiting will pick up again.

This was meant to be sarcastic. Right?

This was meant to be sarcastic. Right?

NO! I thought the school should have had a better strategy for Lavin's absence but no matter what he was in a bad situation recruiting wise. Fill out the roster, no one leaves and personally I am satisfied.

Hey, Its an election year.

His opponents are going negative and he can't stay quiet.

Lavin is a media darling and these others are little trolls.

Use the largest platform and get your message out.

Lavin gets  a recruiting mulligan for next year's class. I don't think it is feasible that he is going to get any of his primary targets at this point. For next year he really just needs to add some serviceable players and the team will be fine if everyone comes back. Lavin coming back for the season and a NCAA berth, recruiting will pick up again.

I'm sorry but St Johns is all out of Mulligans.  At some point the interests of the program have to be considered.  The school is now paying pretty big bucks for a coach.  I'm very concerned about his health but either he gets it done or he doesn't.  We just aren't in a position to have another losing year if things don't work out by May and 1 or 2 people leave for one reason or another. Corporations have varying policies concerning sickness but I've never seen any that aren't finite at some point.  I wish Steve well but my main concern is SJU.

Quote from: we are sju on February 24, 2012, 02:49:28 PM

Lavin gets  a recruiting mulligan for next year's class. I don't think it is feasible that he is going to get any of his primary targets at this point. For next year he really just needs to add some serviceable players and the team will be fine if everyone comes back. Lavin coming back for the season and a NCAA berth, recruiting will pick up again.

I'm sorry but St Johns is all out of Mulligans.  At some point the interests of the program have to be considered.  The school is now paying pretty big bucks for a coach.  I'm very concerned about his health but either he gets it done or he doesn't.  We just aren't in a position to have another losing year if things don't work out by May and 1 or 2 people leave for one reason or another. Corporations have varying policies concerning sickness but I've never seen any that aren't finite at some point.  I wish Steve well but my main concern is SJU.

  What happened before Lavin got here should have no bearing on what happens when he is here. You seem to have an awfully short leash for a coach with Lavin's track record, especially after how patient this University was with Norm before.

 Lets look at what Lavin has done in less than 2 years.

 Took a group of underachieving seniors to the tournament last year, when they hadn't sniffed it under previous regime.
 They beat a bunch of top ranked teams and had the garden rocking again
 Signed the 3rd ranked recruiting class last year, having to replace an entire roster.
 He had the unfortunate luck of getting Cancer.

 And you want his feet held to the fire already?  Give me a break.

  What happened before Lavin got here should have no bearing on what happens when he is here. You seem to have an awfully short leash for a coach with Lavin's track record, especially after how patient this University was with Norm before.

 Lets look at what Lavin has done in less than 2 years.

 Took a group of underachieving seniors to the tournament last year, when they hadn't sniffed it under previous regime.
 They beat a bunch of top ranked teams and had the garden rocking again
 Signed the 3rd ranked recruiting class last year, having to replace an entire roster.
 He had the unfortunate luck of getting Cancer.

 And you want his feet held to the fire already?  Give me a break.

This here is wisdom.

What happened before Lavin got here should have no bearing on what happens when he is here. You seem to have an awfully short leash for a coach with Lavin's track record, especially after how patient this University was with Norm before.

 Lets look at what Lavin has done in less than 2 years.

 Took a group of underachieving seniors to the tournament last year, when they hadn't sniffed it under previous regime.
 They beat a bunch of top ranked teams and had the garden rocking again
 Signed the 3rd ranked recruiting class last year, having to replace an entire roster.
 He had the unfortunate luck of getting Cancer.

 And you want his feet held to the fire already?  Give me a break.

Bobre wants to pop some Cialis and sit naked in an outdoor tub watching the sunset with Mark Jackson.

Mark didn't get the gig here, and he never will, so now Bobre acts like a pissy little girl toward Lavin.

Bobre ALWAYS has an agenda. I don't think he's ever had a post that didn't have one.

Quote from: Tiznow on February 23, 2012, 10:48:31 PM

Seems that he wants to spread the word about prostate cancer hitting younger men and the importance of early detection.
Perhaps he is using his platform to get the word out about something more important than hoops.

Fair point and that's a commendable goal.  And I don't doubt that coach wants to use his position to increase cancer awareness.  It's one of the ways we know what a kind of high character person he is. 

I don't mean to be nefarious, but I think there's more to it than that.  Because he can do that throughout the year, and probably will.   He didn't need to invite all the beat writers over his house Monday and then do 6 interviews in two days to discuss prostate awareness.   Maybe I'm wrong but it sounds like he realized opposing coaches are beating his recruits over the head with these false "rumors" and it's having an effect on his recruits.   My only criticism is that that was pretty foreseeable and he should've come out and said something pre-emptively much earlier.   If the rumors were having an effect on the fans on our message board... clearly they were also effecting recruits.   This was predictable and he should've nipped it in the bud earlier.

desco,  it is prostate cancer awareness week.  Lavin has well versed statements on this topic throughout each of the interviews I heard.  He feels strongly about using his position as a prominent coach to stress early detection.  He knows how beatable the disease can be if it is detected in early stages and he knows the demographic on these programs.

I agree with you that there are other benefits of doing the interviews, but I believe that this is his primary purpose at this current time.   

His illness and recovery is moving behind him.  He is more than three months out from the surgery and is feeling really good right now - in some ways , better than he has ever felt.  When he looks back in few years it will be a window of time for him - just as the rough waters his program is going through will be a blip when we look back in few years.

Quote from: boo3 on February 24, 2012, 04:10:35 PM

What happened before Lavin got here should have no bearing on what happens when he is here. You seem to have an awfully short leash for a coach with Lavin's track record, especially after how patient this University was with Norm before.

 Lets look at what Lavin has done in less than 2 years.

 Took a group of underachieving seniors to the tournament last year, when they hadn't sniffed it under previous regime.
 They beat a bunch of top ranked teams and had the garden rocking again
 Signed the 3rd ranked recruiting class last year, having to replace an entire roster.
 He had the unfortunate luck of getting Cancer.

 And you want his feet held to the fire already?  Give me a break.

Bobre wants to pop some Cialis and sit naked in an outdoor tub watching the sunset with Mark Jackson.

Mark didn't get the gig here, and he never will, so now Bobre acts like a pissy little girl toward Lavin.

Bobre ALWAYS has an agenda. I don't think he's ever had a post that didn't have one.

The Mark Jackson ship sailed long ago and all I care about is SJU's return to consistent success.  I invite you to go through all my posts and find something that was off base or non-factual.  I don't make crap up like you do.  I also don't insult people unless they do it to me first.  The facts regarding Lavin are that he took another coaches' players to the NCAAs.  That counts a Hell of a lot less than building a team from scratch.  Then his first big deal recruit walks and his number 3 recruiting class goes down the tubes for various stupid reasons and we wind up playing with five freshmen starting while he spent the entire year either on the road or in the sky box.  At this point we have nothing to show for all the travel and D Lo Harrison has done more recruiting than Lavin has.  I don't give a crap about his track record from seven years ago and would remind you that he was fired from his last position.  That counts too you know.  It's not as if Lavin has this long standing relationship with SJU.  He's coached here for barely over a year.  I remember when Brian Mahoney was brutally thrown out after winning coach of the year and recruiting two top ten players after a 16 year relationship with SJU.  Who's agenda was that?
I try to make it a point to post things I can back up with facts. In this case I'll just say you're a complete Ahole and leave it at that.

Bobre:

Taking another coaches players matters a lot less if you're succeeding Calipari...or Coach K...or Boeheim...or Calhoun...etc.  When you are taking NORM ROBERTS' players and having them play the best ball St. John's has played in a decade, that probably deserves MORE credit than taking his own players, who are more talented than Norm's ever were.

No reasonable individual was EXPECTING a NCAA tourney appearance this year.  Yes, we were all hoping for it if all had come, but when you have to fill 9 spots and your goal is a championship and a final four, you have to take risks.  Some of the risks clearly did not turn out, but let's not forget the man has dealt with prostate cancer recovery all year.

If Lavin is back next year, this team will make the NCAA tourney.  I don't care if we fill the rest of the roster with Jakarr, Obekpa, etc. or if we fill it with 5 guys of Greene/Godsgift's caliber, the foundation is already set for this team to be very good next year with Harkless and D'Angelo leading the charge.  If the recruits dont come for next season, no big deal.  If Lavin has consistently done ONE thing successful in his entire career, it's been recruiting.  I'll give him a reprieve if 18 yr olds get scared and dont committ while he's not game coaching.  They'll come in bunches next year when he's back on the sidelines (and personally, I do think we get a couple really damn good ones for next year...and already have in Branch).

You want facts?  Lavin has coached us for 1 season and we made the NCAA tourney with a bunch of guys, many of which, talentwise, should probably never have had the roles they did on a Big East team.  Lavin got the best NY recruit in a LONG time to stay home, and that player is projected to be a lottery pick next year.  He recruited 2 of the top 7 scoring frosh int he nation.   Stick to the facts and you'll be just fine.

Brian Mahoney was worse than Norm Roberts. How can anyone in their right mind defend his performance?
He won 15 games with a roster loaded with NBA talent and top rated recruits. It was completely obvious that he had no control of his program.

Bobre:

Taking another coaches players matters a lot less if you're succeeding Calipari...or Coach K...or Boeheim...or Calhoun...etc.  When you are taking NORM ROBERTS' players and having them play the best ball St. John's has played in a decade, that probably deserves MORE credit than taking his own players, who are more talented than Norm's ever were.

No reasonable individual was EXPECTING a NCAA tourney appearance this year.  Yes, we were all hoping for it if all had come, but when you have to fill 9 spots and your goal is a championship and a final four, you have to take risks.  Some of the risks clearly did not turn out, but let's not forget the man has dealt with prostate cancer recovery all year.

If Lavin is back next year, this team will make the NCAA tourney.  I don't care if we fill the rest of the roster with Jakarr, Obekpa, etc. or if we fill it with 5 guys of Greene/Godsgift's caliber, the foundation is already set for this team to be very good next year with Harkless and D'Angelo leading the charge.  If the recruits dont come for next season, no big deal.  If Lavin has consistently done ONE thing successful in his entire career, it's been recruiting.  I'll give him a reprieve if 18 yr olds get scared and dont committ while he's not game coaching.  They'll come in bunches next year when he's back on the sidelines (and personally, I do think we get a couple really damn good ones for next year...and already have in Branch).

You want facts?  Lavin has coached us for 1 season and we made the NCAA tourney with a bunch of guys, many of which, talentwise, should probably never have had the roles they did on a Big East team.  Lavin got the best NY recruit in a LONG time to stay home, and that player is projected to be a lottery pick next year.  He recruited 2 of the top 7 scoring frosh int he nation.   Stick to the facts and you'll be just fine.

Great post Kid!  As for Mahoney, I agree with Poison 100%.  He was an awful coach notwithstanding his standing and loyalty with SJU.  He made Norm look good, as Roberts was given the unfair assignment of restoring a once great program from the crapper courtesy of the dump that Jarvis took on our school.  Mahoney inherited a great program, tons of momentum and recruits, and took the air right out of the place.  I was in SJU when Mahoney took over, and his ineptitude was palatable.  You could actually feel the confidence and prestige of the program leak out with each year Mahoney was coach. 

Our prestige was swallowed by an Anteater.

Quote from: Tha Kid on February 27, 2012, 01:19:04 PM

Bobre:

Taking another coaches players matters a lot less if you're succeeding Calipari...or Coach K...or Boeheim...or Calhoun...etc.  When you are taking NORM ROBERTS' players and having them play the best ball St. John's has played in a decade, that probably deserves MORE credit than taking his own players, who are more talented than Norm's ever were.

No reasonable individual was EXPECTING a NCAA tourney appearance this year.  Yes, we were all hoping for it if all had come, but when you have to fill 9 spots and your goal is a championship and a final four, you have to take risks.  Some of the risks clearly did not turn out, but let's not forget the man has dealt with prostate cancer recovery all year.

If Lavin is back next year, this team will make the NCAA tourney.  I don't care if we fill the rest of the roster with Jakarr, Obekpa, etc. or if we fill it with 5 guys of Greene/Godsgift's caliber, the foundation is already set for this team to be very good next year with Harkless and D'Angelo leading the charge.  If the recruits dont come for next season, no big deal.  If Lavin has consistently done ONE thing successful in his entire career, it's been recruiting.  I'll give him a reprieve if 18 yr olds get scared and dont committ while he's not game coaching.  They'll come in bunches next year when he's back on the sidelines (and personally, I do think we get a couple really damn good ones for next year...and already have in Branch).

You want facts?  Lavin has coached us for 1 season and we made the NCAA tourney with a bunch of guys, many of which, talentwise, should probably never have had the roles they did on a Big East team.  Lavin got the best NY recruit in a LONG time to stay home, and that player is projected to be a lottery pick next year.  He recruited 2 of the top 7 scoring frosh int he nation.   Stick to the facts and you'll be just fine.

Great post Kid!  As for Mahoney, I agree with Poison 100%.  He was an awful coach notwithstanding his standing and loyalty with SJU.  He made Norm look good, as Roberts was given the unfair assignment of restoring a once great program from the crapper courtesy of the dump that Jarvis took on our school.  Mahoney inherited a great program, tons of momentum and recruits, and took the air right out of the place.  I was in SJU when Mahoney took over, and his ineptitude was palatable.  You could actually feel the confidence and prestige of the program leak out with each year Mahoney was coach.

Mahoney was coach of the year, then recruited the national number one and seven recruits and was thrown out the door with a record not all that different from this year's team.  I'm not saying he deserved better or had any coaching ability whatsoever but clearly SJU's standards have changed.  What's also changed drastically is the investment we now make in the program.  I fully understand the devastating misfortune Steve has gone through but that doesn't explain what I consider to be quite a few bad personnel decisions along the way.  I know he can do no wrong to some here but that's not the way I see it.  Sorry about that but for what we're now spending I'd like to see a perrenial winning team with a chance to make the dance each year. We had that once running on a shoestring.  I'm just tired of the drama and speculation and the absence of the buzz we had early on.  To me the outlook is precarious and we've been indredibly lucky with injuries all year.  I'm happy to wait till May to reassess things but even the most andent Lavinite has to be concerned. One final word about Brian.  The things that were being said about him before he was ousted aren't all that different from what the UCLA fans were saying 7-8 years ago. 

Bobre, if we ousted Lavin after our best year and recruiting class in over a decade, due to one bad season where he was out with prostate cancer, please tell me what great coach in his right mind would ever want to work for St. John's.  Sure shows a lot of loyalty, doesn't it?

Bobre, if we ousted Lavin after our best year and recruiting class in over a decade, due to one bad season where he was out with prostate cancer, please tell me what great coach in his right mind would ever want to work for St. John's.  Sure shows a lot of loyalty, doesn't it?

Never said he should be ousted.  All I object to is the deification that's gone on.  Steve's a good coach who happened to get sick.  He's far from perfect though and some of his mistakes and mishaps stand out to me.  Others have chosen to ignore them or explain them away and that's not doing the program much good.  I'll wait till May to see what happens but I hope the six man team is a thing of the past.

Quote from: LJSA on February 24, 2012, 05:16:20 PM

Quote from: boo3 on February 24, 2012, 04:10:35 PM

What happened before Lavin got here should have no bearing on what happens when he is here. You seem to have an awfully short leash for a coach with Lavin's track record, especially after how patient this University was with Norm before.

 Lets look at what Lavin has done in less than 2 years.

 Took a group of underachieving seniors to the tournament last year, when they hadn't sniffed it under previous regime.
 They beat a bunch of top ranked teams and had the garden rocking again
 Signed the 3rd ranked recruiting class last year, having to replace an entire roster.
 He had the unfortunate luck of getting Cancer.

 And you want his feet held to the fire already?  Give me a break.

Bobre wants to pop some Cialis and sit naked in an outdoor tub watching the sunset with Mark Jackson.

Mark didn't get the gig here, and he never will, so now Bobre acts like a pissy little girl toward Lavin.

Bobre ALWAYS has an agenda. I don't think he's ever had a post that didn't have one.

At this point we have nothing to show for all the travel and D Lo Harrison has done more recruiting than Lavin has. 

With all do respect, if you believe that then you really have no clue what your talking about

Any talk of ousting Lavin is absurd.  Personally, I was ready to give him a lifetime contract after last season.  A six seed, dropping top 25 foes on a weekly basis, restoring excitemt to the Garden we haven't seen in a decade, and the #2 recruiting class the first year on the job...wow!
How anyone could publicly doubt Lavin's recruiting with his personality and his track record is beyond
me. He will deliver yet again, and after this season he will be able to recruit with his eyes closed as the team's success will do it for him.

Any talk of ousting Lavin is absurd.  Personally, I was ready to give him a lifetime contract after last season.  A six seed, dropping top 25 foes on a weekly basis, restoring excitemt to the Garden we haven't seen in a decade, and the #2 recruiting class the first year on the job...wow!
How anyone could publicly doubt Lavin's recruiting with his personality and his track record is beyond
me. He will deliver yet again, and after this season he will be able to recruit with his eyes closed as the team's success will do it for him.

I still am ready to give him a lifetime contract. The fact that we may just win 8 BE games with a 6 man rotation is amazing, and shows you just how good the recruits we have are. We are starting 5 Freshman! Just imagine when all these guys are juniors and seniors with a full bench.

Quote from: Marillac on February 29, 2012, 12:52:42 PM

Any talk of ousting Lavin is absurd.  Personally, I was ready to give him a lifetime contract after last season.  A six seed, dropping top 25 foes on a weekly basis, restoring excitemt to the Garden we haven't seen in a decade, and the #2 recruiting class the first year on the job...wow!
How anyone could publicly doubt Lavin's recruiting with his personality and his track record is beyond
me. He will deliver yet again, and after this season he will be able to recruit with his eyes closed as the team's success will do it for him.

Just imagine when all these guys are juniors and seniors with a full bench.

We'll probably never know because Moe, if not D'Angelo as well, will not be with us for their junior or senior years, which places an even greater premium on Lavin's value as a master recruiter.