3 Years into the new era how would you judge the Lavin hire?

I liked the hire 3 years ago and I am not displeased with the choice.  I would have voted "Incomplete" if the choice was available given the missing year

Quote from: we are sju on June 04, 2013, 01:11:45 PM

More sizzle than steak.
Full of sound and fury signifying nothing.

There was a time when there was no sizzle.  We weren't even percolating.

Yea, at least we have the summer to use our imagination.

Year 1. I swear that will go down as one of my favorite as a season ticket holder. Better than I ever could have imagined. Ending sucked but with DJ going down we got screwed on seeding and then we obviously got clobbered. Luckily I was in Ireland so I could drown my sorrows.

Year 2. Freaking sucked. Rumors Rumors Rumors. But those kids busted their asses and the few times we won it felt so good. My biggest fear was Lavin not coming back and I still remember the post msg game thing when Coach expressed extreme confidence to someone on this board that we would get Karr and Obepka and this was when it was thought no way were they coming ( I think it was Karr to Kansas and Obepka to Cincy ) at the time.

Ended on a ridiculously high not.

Year 3. Misery. It was like a high school girlfriend. You loved her then didnt get laid then you got laid  and then see a future together and get dumped. Wait this isnt therapy. lol

Bottom line is I think Lavin is the best thing to happen to our program since Fran. I get crazy depressed as a fan during games ( asked Paultzman and Gman ) but that's life. F&ck I get crazy at work when the stock market goes down but I survive so I should get past this.

We live and we all die by St John's.

Long winded answer as usual by me is I would judge Lavin not by on just the last 3 years but the future and I honestly dont think another coach could bring us into the future and be as successful as Lavin.

So for me on that basis it's home run

Year 1. I swear that will go down as one of my favorite as a season ticket holder. Better than I ever could have imagined. Ending sucked but with DJ going down we got screwed on seeding and then we obviously got clobbered. Luckily I was in Ireland so I could drown my sorrows.

Year 2. Freaking sucked. Rumors Rumors Rumors. But those kids busted their asses and the few times we won it felt so good. My biggest fear was Lavin not coming back and I still remember the post msg game thing when Coach expressed extreme confidence to someone on this board that we would get Karr and Obepka and this was when it was thought no way were they coming ( I think it was Karr to Kansas and Obepka to Cincy ) at the time.

Ended on a ridiculously high not.

Year 3. Misery. It was like a high school girlfriend. You loved her then didnt get laid then you got laid  and then see a future together and get dumped. Wait this isnt therapy. lol

Bottom line is I think Lavin is the best thing to happen to our program since Fran. I get crazy depressed as a fan during games ( asked Paultzman and Gman ) but that's life. F&ck I get crazy at work when the stock market goes down but I survive so I should get past this.

We live and we all die by St John's.

Long winded answer as usual by me is I would judge Lavin not by on just the last 3 years but the future and I honestly dont think another coach could bring us into the future and be as successful as Lavin.

So for me on that basis it's home run

Enjoyed that MJM!

 My money is on Bobre on the "failure" vote..

 Good thread Desco... Actually surprised at the results.  I agree with it but didn't think it would be so one sided

 Good post MJM

I think the results just go to show that when we argue on here it's usually over shades of gray.   Even the most pessimistic posters think it was generally a good decision to hire coach Lavin.   

I think the results just go to show that when we argue on here it's usually over shades of gray.   Even the most pessimistic posters think it was generally a good decision to hire coach Lavin.   

Good point & nice job Desco!

I think the hire was a good one. It showed a genuine interest in success. While coach's illness can't be ignored, I think we can all agree that there will come a time where a "learning" season needs to lead into a winning one.

Last season, we were 8-6 in the BE, and on pace to make the NCAA tournament. I think in order to keep our momentum w recruiting, and with general interest in the program, we must take the next step forward.

Coach's body of work at St.John's could draw comparisons to Jay Wright if we spend the season in the top 25, and make some noise in the BE, and in MM. However, another collapse like this past year, and the coaching similarities combined with the hype will draw Brian Mahoney comparisons.

I think a better poll would be to ask which direction coach heads in?

I think the hire was a good one. It showed a genuine interest in success. While coach's illness can't be ignored, I think we can all agree that there will come a time where a "learning" season needs to lead into a winning one.

Last season, we were 8-6 in the BE, and on pace to make the NCAA tournament. I think in order to keep our momentum w recruiting, and with general interest in the program, we must take the next step forward.

Coach's body of work at St.John's could draw comparisons to Jay Wright if we spend the season in the top 25, and make some noise in the BE, and in MM. However, another collapse like this past year, and the coaching similarities combined with the hype will draw Brian Mahoney comparisons.

I think a better poll would be to ask which direction coach heads in?

Nice post Poison.

I think the hire was a good one. It showed a genuine interest in success. While coach's illness can't be ignored, I think we can all agree that there will come a time where a "learning" season needs to lead into a winning one.

Last season, we were 8-6 in the BE, and on pace to make the NCAA tournament. I think in order to keep our momentum w recruiting, and with general interest in the program, we must take the next step forward.

Coach's body of work at St.John's could draw comparisons to Jay Wright if we spend the season in the top 25, and make some noise in the BE, and in MM. However, another collapse like this past year, and the coaching similarities combined with the hype will draw Brian Mahoney comparisons.

I think a better poll would be to ask which direction coach heads in?

totally reasonable

Quote from: Poison on June 05, 2013, 08:07:17 AM

I think the hire was a good one. It showed a genuine interest in success. While coach's illness can't be ignored, I think we can all agree that there will come a time where a "learning" season needs to lead into a winning one.

Last season, we were 8-6 in the BE, and on pace to make the NCAA tournament. I think in order to keep our momentum w recruiting, and with general interest in the program, we must take the next step forward.

Coach's body of work at St.John's could draw comparisons to Jay Wright if we spend the season in the top 25, and make some noise in the BE, and in MM. However, another collapse like this past year, and the coaching similarities combined with the hype will draw Brian Mahoney comparisons.

I think a better poll would be to ask which direction coach heads in?

totally reasonable

Which direction he heads in is difficult to exactly predict, but he has a resume' of success at his prior destination regardless of how ucla fans felt about it.  It seems Lavin is building up our talent level in the same direction.  We have a pretty stacked roster.  If Lavin continues his current recruiting trends in recruiting, it looks like we will be looking forward to landing top 100 kids pretty consistently, then I think they success we are all hoping for will follow. 

Lavin-1st 3 seasons
1 NCAA tourney game
1 NIT appearance
1 missed season

Jarvis
1 Elite 8
1 2nd round NCAA
1 under .500 season

Mahoney
1 second round NCAA
2 terrible seasons

Fran
1 under .500 season
1 NCAA tourney game
 Fired

If you judge according to what he has done so far he is behind Jarvis and on Fran, Mahoney level. So basically it does not tell us much.

You cannot judge what he has done so far in comparison to Jarvis etc because he started so much further behind then they did. Anyone who doesn't think so has a short memory of how close this program was to extinction under Norm. And yet one more victory here or there and Norm would've been given another 5 year run. All that angst thanks to people like oldfan and US congress among others, who have disappeared the last 3 years.

Quote from: we are sju on June 04, 2013, 04:35:36 PM

Lavin-1st 3 seasons
1 NCAA tourney game
1 NIT appearance
1 missed season

Jarvis
1 Elite 8
1 2nd round NCAA
1 under .500 season

Mahoney
1 second round NCAA
2 terrible seasons

Fran
1 under .500 season
1 NCAA tourney game
 Fired

If you judge according to what he has done so far he is behind Jarvis and on Fran, Mahoney level. So basically it does not tell us much.

You cannot judge what he has done so far in comparison to Jarvis etc because he started so much further behind then they did. Anyone who doesn't think so has a short memory of how close this program was to extinction under Norm. And yet one more victory here or there and Norm would've been given another 5 year run. All that angst thanks to people like oldfan and US congress among others, who have disappeared the last 3 years.

Great point.  Lavin has had to resurrect the program and then make it successful, the other coaches listed just had to keep the ball rolling.  Two very different positions to be in.

That was also the Norm apologists argument BTW

Quote from: derk on June 05, 2013, 11:05:48 AM

Quote from: we are sju on June 04, 2013, 04:35:36 PM

Lavin-1st 3 seasons
1 NCAA tourney game
1 NIT appearance
1 missed season

Jarvis
1 Elite 8
1 2nd round NCAA
1 under .500 season

Mahoney
1 second round NCAA
2 terrible seasons

Fran
1 under .500 season
1 NCAA tourney game
 Fired

If you judge according to what he has done so far he is behind Jarvis and on Fran, Mahoney level. So basically it does not tell us much.

You cannot judge what he has done so far in comparison to Jarvis etc because he started so much further behind then they did. Anyone who doesn't think so has a short memory of how close this program was to extinction under Norm. And yet one more victory here or there and Norm would've been given another 5 year run. All that angst thanks to people like oldfan and US congress among others, who have disappeared the last 3 years.

Great point.  Lavin has had to resurrect the program and then make it successful, the other coaches listed just had to keep the ball rolling.  Two very different positions to be in.

Jarvis started w Frans players. Loaded ,full squad. MCD AAs etc. He faded out w time and nearly destroyed the program. Lavin is far superior than Jarvis and has the program on an upward trend.

My money is on Bobre on the "failure" vote..

 Good thread Desco... Actually surprised at the results.  I agree with it but didn't think it would be so one sided

I didn't vote because none of the choices seem to fit.  Certainly His tenure has been a mixed bag and this year's numbers should tell the story much better.  He gets high marks for recruiting and so so grades for coaching and roster/team management.  At this point I'd trade some of the pizzazz for some stability in the program.  I key in each day looking for good news but more often than not I see kids going elsewhere and question marks like the DLo mess.  As always I'll give it another year and hope Black Jesus is the real deal.  I'd also like to see one or two 2014/5 kids express some real interest in SJU.  We'll see.

The first year was amazing.  The last two years were expected with such roster upheaval.  This coming season was always the season any rational fan expected for the tides to turn. Coach Lavin has continually cited to THIS coming season--even when he was hired. 

I am very excited.  I think we'll be a Sweet 16 caliber team and I think we'll be even better the following season in spite of the losses of Sanchez and GG.

Truthfully, I was expecting a better record the 2nd year, in spite of the roster turnover.  Of course, the coach not being at the helm, in my opinion, made things worst than the otherwise would have been.  Last year was also a bit of a disappointment.  I expected a bubble team the would just get in.  Instead, we were a bubble team most of the year that collapsed at the end. 

Nonetheless, I am extremely please with where Coach has us headed.  The recruiting has been phenomenal.  More roster stability and better performance on the court should get us where we belong in year 4.