NY Post: Red Storm Lavin Life

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/red_storm_lavin_life_Y22F7UR5tlBhZ1MeoOofnO

Rick Pitino was raving at Big East Conference media day Wednesday about the job Steve Lavin has done breathing new life into the St. John’s basketball program.

Pitino said Lavin is the first St. John’s coach to recognize that times have changed since Lou Carnesecca could walk into any gym in the five boroughs and have an elite player swoon.


Nice article by Robbins but the "young team" mantra that Lavin continues to press with the media is getting old already.

Coach Lavin's efforts to manage expectations are very clear.

We've seen expectations go through the roof at St.Johns. Granted that was in 1994, but I'll never forget it. Managing expectations is a concept that should be practiced no matter what. There is no reason for Lavin to hype up freshman and jucos with zero experience. He has nothing to gain, and neither do they.

Let them surprise everyone, and the positive praise will follow-and it will be well deserved. Agree?

Let them surprise everyone, and the positive praise will follow-and it will be well deserved. Agree?

I don't disagree but the constant "young team" theme becomes a little much. EVERYONE now knows that Coach thinks his team is young and can expect growing pains.

I think the team is going to be much better then people think, especially if Sampson develops offensively a bit.

But PMG, this IS a young team. Even the guys who aren't literally young, are inexperienced at this level. Hasn't this been called the youngest team ever at St.John's?

Article notes Sanchez a senior? Mistake, conjecture or affirmation of recent rumors? Maybe I missed something.

looie always kept the expectations low.  then, again, he was usually right.

looie always kept the expectations low.  then, again, he was usually right.

Harsh

I don't disagree but the constant "young team" theme becomes a little much. EVERYONE now knows that Coach thinks his team is young and can expect growing pains.

I think the team is going to be much better then people think, especially if Sampson develops offensively a bit.

We know its a young team but most fairweather fans don't.  So why not get the message out there so everyone gets it that they are young?

Article notes Sanchez a senior? Mistake, conjecture or affirmation of recent rumors? Maybe I missed something.

It was said during Midnight Madness that he was a Sr.  For awhile I heard rumblings that he would only play a year.  Wasn't sure if it was because he would just leave due to his age or if he in fact only had a year. 

Quote from: paultzman on October 24, 2012, 08:22:01 AM

Article notes Sanchez a senior? Mistake, conjecture or affirmation of recent rumors? Maybe I missed something.

It was said during Midnight Madness that he was a Sr.  For awhile I heard rumblings that he would only play a year.  Wasn't sure if it was because he would just leave due to his age or if he in fact only had a year. 

If Sanchez is a Senior, maybe GG will be redshirted. Because if he isn't, we will only be left with Obekpa, Jones and Sampson upfront for next year. 

Quote from: Moose on October 24, 2012, 08:49:47 AM

Quote from: paultzman on October 24, 2012, 08:22:01 AM

Article notes Sanchez a senior? Mistake, conjecture or affirmation of recent rumors? Maybe I missed something.

It was said during Midnight Madness that he was a Sr.  For awhile I heard rumblings that he would only play a year.  Wasn't sure if it was because he would just leave due to his age or if he in fact only had a year. 

If Sanchez is a Senior, maybe GG will be redshirted. Because if he isn't, we will only be left with Obekpa, Jones and Sampson upfront for next year. 

I don't see GG getting red-shirted.  Not with 1 yr of eligibility left.

Also interesting to see Dom's quotes regarding Dunlap. 

Also interesting to see Dom's quotes regarding Dunlap. 

Very!

We knew the players had a rough time with his coaching style. That's not news. Still, it says a lot about your make up, if you quit. At least Stith stuck it out for 2/3 of the season. Lindsey was really a child about it.

I like the pre-season hype Chris Jones is getting.  I don't think he would say it if it were not true as the other players would see through the BS.  I also think this will serve as a wake up call to the returning players, reminding them it is not history that determines PT but what you have done for me lately.

We knew the players had a rough time with his coaching style. That's not news. Still, it says a lot about your make up, if you quit. At least Stith stuck it out for 2/3 of the season. Lindsey was really a child about it.

We knew he was hard but I guess I figured we'd never hear about it from the guys still here. 

Also interesting to see Dom's quotes regarding Dunlap. 

I don't think he said anything most of us already didn't know. Dunlap and Lavin have very different styles. It takes a special type of player to really thrive under a coaching style like Dunlap's. You have to be willing to take the criticism and use it as motivation and sadly many people don't react well to that style. I for one would have loved to play for a guy like Dunlap and his tough love attitude. I think the balance of Lavin and Dunlap was great, but the player's really seem to rally around Steve and hopefully there will be no malcontents this year.

Interesting to read Pitino's remarks about the revival of the program. He gives a transparent implication that if we'd had Mr. Ripole, and an admin without it's fingers up it's ass 5 - 10 years ago, he would've been very willing to listen to our offers.

Quote from: Moose on October 24, 2012, 09:20:45 AM

Also interesting to see Dom's quotes regarding Dunlap. 

I don't think he said anything most of us already didn't know. Dunlap and Lavin have very different styles. It takes a special type of player to really thrive under a coaching style like Dunlap's. You have to be willing to take the criticism and use it as motivation and sadly many people don't react well to that style. I for one would have loved to play for a guy like Dunlap and his tough love attitude. I think the balance of Lavin and Dunlap was great, but the player's really seem to rally around Steve and hopefully there will be no malcontents this year.

Agreed the yin and the yang approach worked.  But with Lav not around its clear Dunlap on the court as Dom said wasn't that great.  Off the court it seems like they loved the preparation element but on the court is where you needed Lavin's coddling a bit.  Like I said I was just surprised to see the current guys come out with it.  I figured everyone who was left was like you and wanted to and thrived playing under that type of personality.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/red_storm_lavin_life_Y22F7UR5tlBhZ1MeoOofnO

Rick Pitino was raving at Big East Conference media day Wednesday about the job Steve Lavin has done breathing new life into the St. John’s basketball program.

Pitino said Lavin is the first St. John’s coach to recognize that times have changed since Lou Carnesecca could walk into any gym in the five boroughs and have an elite player swoon.


Nice article by Robbins but the "young team" mantra that Lavin continues to press with the media is getting old already.

Coach Lavin's efforts to manage expectations are very clear.

It's funny, go look at the rosters of Jarvis and Roberts.  Plenty of players from OUTSIDE the metro area.  Focus on NY or not focusing enough on NY was not the real problem.  The real problem was having a coach who could get the A players whether they be from NY or anywhere in the country to come to SJU instead of settling for the B and C or even worse regardless of where in the country they resided.

We have a coach now that can do that.  So while Coach Pitino discusses recruiting philosophy I think the bigger issue was coaching personality.  You have to have the coach, period.