What is the real reason that Gods Gift is redshirting?

For now yes, sad isn't it? Well that and maybe the coaches get their heads out of their arse

Next season is a big year for Lavin! If Harrison and or Sampson don't return for any reason we will have a huge problem no matter who else Lavin might bring in. It is imperative that those two are both back next season. And assuming they are back, there is no way we should not be a tourney team next season. Anything less and then Lavin would have to take a huge hit.

Next season is a big year for Lavin! If Harrison and or Sampson don't return for any reason we will have a huge problem no matter who else Lavin might bring in. It is imperative that those two are both back next season. And assuming they are back, there is no way we should not be a tourney team next season. Anything less and then Lavin would have to take a huge hit.

Sorry, but I think there's a very good chance Jakarr is gone.  Remember, he's already been "delayed" one year by having to do a fifth prep year.   And I think if D'lo finishes in the top 10 scorers in the country, he'll be gone as well (he's currently #11).   Both COULD stay, but I personally think the odds favor them leaving.   Rysheed and Jermaine would be a nice set of replacements, tho. 

Quote from: we are sju on January 02, 2013, 10:46:31 AM

Next season is a big year for Lavin! If Harrison and or Sampson don't return for any reason we will have a huge problem no matter who else Lavin might bring in. It is imperative that those two are both back next season. And assuming they are back, there is no way we should not be a tourney team next season. Anything less and then Lavin would have to take a huge hit.

Sorry, but I think there's a very good chance Jakarr is gone.  Remember, he's already been "delayed" one year by having to do a fifth prep year.   And I think if D'lo finishes in the top 10 scorers in the country, he'll be gone as well (he's currently #11).   Both COULD stay, but I personally think the odds favor them leaving.   Rysheed and Jermaine would be a nice set of replacements, tho. 

No they wouldnt.  More new faces.  More youngest team blah blah blah.  We need consistency and becoming a revolving door is not the answer.

* Am I still a cheerleader WASJU?

We would be back to square one. The only way you keep losing good frosh and replacing them with other frosh is if you are getting Hamburger all americans. Losing one of your best players from 13 -16 win teams then repacing that player with a similar player will eventually get you fired. First of all I do not think Sampson is ready and is not as good as Harkless was. Secondly if he is drafted in the first round, then something is wrong in that we are losing kids to the pros yet stink?

In other words what Moose posted.
Happy Big Guy

I personally think everyone will be back. Of course we could lose some of the guys who may not be in the rotation next year (Felix, Marco, Jones) or even a Dom or Amir leaving for some reason. Some stability will go a long way towards a possible sweet 16 next year.

We are unquestionably in a better position than we were 4 years ago.

As far as who is leaving, staying, etc, I think history has shown us that we won't have any idea until March.  It was not until the Duke game last year, I believe, that people first speculated that Harkless might go pro.  Lots of ball left to determine that, and even then it is contingent upon various other factors (one's personal situation, the strength of the draft, etc).

We are unquestionably in a better position than we were 4 years ago.

As far as who is leaving, staying, etc, I think history has shown us that we won't have any idea until March.  It was not until the Duke game last year, I believe, that people first speculated that Harkless might go pro.  Lots of ball left to determine that, and even then it is contingent upon various other factors (one's personal situation, the strength of the draft, etc).

Before conference play started Moe was projected as a top ten pick on nbadraft.net (6th I think) for this years draft. Conference play accelerated that to a year earlier exit. JaKarr has yet to recieve that attention and is not listed on either this years or next years mock draft.

I really really hope he stays, but I would say that the chances he leaves or as great or greater than him staying.

Ya Sampson has been dominant. Surprised he didn't go pro mid year

Ya Sampson has been dominant. Surprised he didn't go pro mid year

David Laury > Karr

Quote from: Marco Baldi on January 02, 2013, 12:01:18 PM

Ya Sampson has been dominant. Surprised he didn't go pro mid year

David Laury > Karr

Looks that way

Quote from: we are sju on January 02, 2013, 10:46:31 AM

Next season is a big year for Lavin! If Harrison and or Sampson don't return for any reason we will have a huge problem no matter who else Lavin might bring in. It is imperative that those two are both back next season. And assuming they are back, there is no way we should not be a tourney team next season. Anything less and then Lavin would have to take a huge hit.

Sorry, but I think there's a very good chance Jakarr is gone.  Remember, he's already been "delayed" one year by having to do a fifth prep year.   And I think if D'lo finishes in the top 10 scorers in the country, he'll be gone as well (he's currently #11).   Both COULD stay, but I personally think the odds favor them leaving.   Rysheed and Jermaine would be a nice set of replacements, tho. 

Big scoring stats has never seem to be enough to draw attention from the NBA.

Quote from: we are sju on January 02, 2013, 10:46:31 AM

Next season is a big year for Lavin! If Harrison and or Sampson don't return for any reason we will have a huge problem no matter who else Lavin might bring in. It is imperative that those two are both back next season. And assuming they are back, there is no way we should not be a tourney team next season. Anything less and then Lavin would have to take a huge hit.

Sorry, but I think there's a very good chance Jakarr is gone.  Remember, he's already been "delayed" one year by having to do a fifth prep year.   And I think if D'lo finishes in the top 10 scorers in the country, he'll be gone as well (he's currently #11).   Both COULD stay, but I personally think the odds favor them leaving.   Rysheed and Jermaine would be a nice set of replacements, tho. 

Wash rinse repeat. This is a terrible recipe for success. IMO DLo will never play in the league, and I don't see Jakarr getting drafted at all. He's a tweener. Harkless could face the basket. He could pass, he could rebound. Sampson has too few skills to play in the NBA. Maybe one day, but not one soon.

Quote from: we are sju on January 02, 2013, 10:17:07 AM

To answer your question, I would like us to be able to get back to 20 wins annual NCAA appearances with a Elite 8 mixed in every 10 years or so. In other words back to the Louie years.  I am easily placated. I think Lavin can attain that. Don't you?

Pretty low expectations.  But also I think those expectations would enrage the majority of the 'fans' here who think we are or should be among the elite teams in the nation.

And why shouldn't fans expect as such from a coaching staff that gets paid elite dollars, and game tickets that cost an "elite" amount of money?

Quote from: crgreen on January 02, 2013, 11:00:48 AM

Quote from: we are sju on January 02, 2013, 10:46:31 AM

Next season is a big year for Lavin! If Harrison and or Sampson don't return for any reason we will have a huge problem no matter who else Lavin might bring in. It is imperative that those two are both back next season. And assuming they are back, there is no way we should not be a tourney team next season. Anything less and then Lavin would have to take a huge hit.

Sorry, but I think there's a very good chance Jakarr is gone.  Remember, he's already been "delayed" one year by having to do a fifth prep year.   And I think if D'lo finishes in the top 10 scorers in the country, he'll be gone as well (he's currently #11).   Both COULD stay, but I personally think the odds favor them leaving.   Rysheed and Jermaine would be a nice set of replacements, tho. 

Wash rinse repeat. This is a terrible recipe for success. IMO DLo will never play in the league, and I don't see Jakarr getting drafted at all. He's a tweener. Harkless could face the basket. He could pass, he could rebound. Sampson has too few skills to play in the NBA. Maybe one day, but not one soon.

Agree completely with you moe/JaKarr analysis.

In your perfect world what do you want from Lavin and the St Johns basketball department?

Another final four appearance.

Wash rinse repeat. This is a terrible recipe for success. IMO DLo will never play in the league, and I don't see Jakarr getting drafted at all. He's a tweener. Harkless could face the basket. He could pass, he could rebound. Sampson has too few skills to play in the NBA. Maybe one day, but not one soon.

Y'all would say the same about Moe this time last year.
Then Providence came in and, well, that was that.

I didn't think Moe was ready for the NBA, and was wrong, and it has been a great situation for him to get the kind of playing time he is getting.  It has been a perfect storm for him.  NBA scouts seemed to recognize that he had the undergirding there to develop fast.  While Sampson's production has been good against non-BE teams, I think he'll find things a bit more challenging -- with some room for continued growth in college -- when he goes up against bigger and stronger opponents.  I'm not much of a scout, and maybe this comment will reveal it, but I think his shot is too flat and that will be a problem against longer defenders at the next level.  That is a big developmental issue that could take a year or more to work on to get prepared for the NBA.  I see Harrison as sort of on the cusp of the NBA.  He isn't a true point, is a little small, but I think one of the biggest issues in his game is that he isn't quick and explosive enough.  He can develop that too, but I think it could take all 4 years.

Quote from: LJSA on January 02, 2013, 07:57:30 AM

Quote from: Linda Mirabella on January 01, 2013, 09:46:13 PM

If Lavin is the recruiter that everyone touts him to be, getting a solid contributor from the 13 class or the Junior College ranks shouldn't be an issue should it?  What happened to ll the confidence we had in coach Lavins recruiting skills. I just can't believe it's an all or nothing deal regarding Gods Gift.

Good big men are hard to find on a consistent basis unless your name is Self, Barnes, Izzo, K, Williams, Calipari, Donovan, Calhoun, or Few. There may be some others, but after that, it's a battle against hundreds of other programs.

Hopefully we land Lawrence and keep everyone else. Sampson, Lawrence, Obekpa, GGA, Pointer, and Garrett sounds like a decent front court to me.

Self, Barnes, Izzo, etc.  Hmmmm,  it was not too long ago that many on this site put Coach Lavin's recruiting prowess right in there with the big boys.  What's the matter fellas, is your confidence in his ability to recruit diminishing? You see, you can't have it both ways.  Either you believe that Lavin is a great recruiter, will rectify the situation and the Gift situation will become a non issue or you believe that coach Lavin is not as good as first advertised and can't recruit with the big boys, and all the assinine comments about me being Baldi's wife or Bobby Gonzalez 's sister won't change that fact. .

  From everyone's comments here, I have to  wonder that if Lawrence is as good as advertised and coach Lavin was really confident in getting him, why would the Gift situation be so important. Now I understand that many have said that Lawrence is a small forward in a power forwards body but I am sure that at 6'9, he can certainly be taught to contribute in the rebounding department.

If you'll wish to argue my points, I welcome that , but can we please keep the idiotic commens to a minimum?  Thanks

The guys I named also have household name schools behind them. We don't as of yet; we haven't been a household name in years. I put Lavin right up there in terms of recruiting, but when it comes to big men, there are only so many to go around, and the big-name schools usually get first pick. I'm confident Lavin will eventually reel in a stud 7-footer, but that will be a few years down the road. But with the pieces he can bring in otherwise, we can be successful with a 6'9" kid manning the middle. Which is why I was happy with Sanchez.

Poor Sanchez, he has been built up soooo much, that if he is ever eligible there is no way he lives up to the hype by most of you!