Steve Lavin described St. John’s as a sleeping giant when he was hired three years ago.
In large part to Lavin’s work developing the Red Storm brand with his “Hammer to Rock” mantra, it isn’t sleeping anymore.
Lavin has made the program relevant on a national scale – from his ability to lure top recruits to getting the Red Storm back to the NCAA Tournament in his first season – and again immensely popular locally.
“Now that St. John’s has tasted it and New York has tasted it, they’re back,” said Digger Phelps, the former Notre Dame coach and current college basketball analyst for ESPN. “Look at where they were four years ago and where they are now. Why? Talent and recruiting and coaching that gets it done -- and big wins.”
“They’ve been waiting for something like this to happen. Lavin came in to the right place at the right time.”
He added: “When the challenge came to him to go to St. John’s, he jumped all over it.”
There is a significant buzz for Friday night's Red Storm Tip-Off, as the program was one of eight schools with its Midnight Madness event nationally broadcast on ESPN3. The event is expected to draw a swarm of top area coaches and players, from highly recruited Queens native Jermaine Lawrence of Pope John Paul XXIII (N.J.) to Lincoln phenom Isaiah Whitehead and many more.
Even after a down second year for Lavin, in which his undermanned and young team went just 13-19 and he was limited to four games on the bench because of prostate cancer surgery, the program is expected to take a major leap forward.
That’s a nod to the fine recruiting work done by Lavin and his staff, notably assistants Rico Hines and Tony Chiles. They brought in an eight-man recruiting class, ranked high nationally, to complement returning contributors Phil Greene, D’Angelo Harrison, Amir Garrett and God’sgift Achiuwa.
“I’ve always said you need to do three things to be successful: recruit, recruit, recruit, and everything falls into place,” Phelps joked. “It comes down to his ability to recruit.”
The newcomers are led by New England Preparatory School Athletic Council AAA Player of the Year and National Prep Championship Tournament MVP JaKarr Sampson of Brewster Academy, shot-blocking dynamo Chris Obekpa of Nigeria via Our Savior New American on Long Island and JUCO transfer Orlando Sanchez of Monroe College -- a trio of forwards who should turn last year’s weakness inside into a great strength.
“The personnel is at a place where we can be on equal footing with our competition,” Lavin said. “Depending on the day, it’s someone different that jumps out.”
Lavin’s health issues actually worked in St. John’s favor as he was on the recruiting trail while his competitors were coaching. The biggest fish was Sampson, a versatile 6-foot-8 forward from Akron, Ohio who was supposed to be in Queens last year but didn’t pass the NCAA Clearinghouse. Lavin beat out Baylor, Kansas, Florida and Providence for Sampson’s services.
This group, which Lavin has said is the deepest he’s ever coached, feels it is primed to open eyes around the country, to dispute the notion they are too young to win.
“Eventually, everyone will see how good we are when the season comes,” said Greene, a talented combo guard who averaged nearly eight points per game last year. “I think we’ve been overlooked. But our play will do the talking.”
zbraziller@nypost.com
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