Predictions:

Quote from: Foad on November 08, 2013, 10:53:55 AM

One area I don't expect improvement in is coaching. Lavin was a dunce last year and will be a dunce this year and next and the year after that. That means that we'll see the same - and this is me giving him the benefit of the doubt - eccentric strategies, substitutions, and use of time outs that we've seen over the past several. Don't get me wrong, sad sack Saint John's is lucky to have Lavin as head coach, but he's an imbecile.

Interesting and well-thought-out critique.   On the coaching front, I think you've underestimated Hollywood to some degree.  Granted, no one will ever confuse him with a great teacher or game-manager, but I think he's been around the game long enough to identify what his team needs.  And, unlike most in his profession, he has a unique ability to connect with young men and their families, and to convince them to follow him to whatever campus he's coaching at.   It seems to me that two years ago coach looked at his team, even before Harkless departed, and identified that we had no point guard, no shooting, and lacked size.   Not everyone was immediately eligible, but he systematically went about answering those questions to the point where he now has a fully stocked cabinet at his disposal.   He brought in Branch and then jordan, signed Marco and Hooper, and answered the question of size with Obekpa and Sanchez.   
It's not a given that all coaches would be able to 1) identify the weaknesses in their program, or 2) be able to address those issues so comprehensively.

Secondly, I think we can expect an improvement in coaching because Lavin brought in Whitesell.   If you think back, when coach had a full compliment of players in 2010, he knew enough to have Dunlap by his side, and as a result he got that team to over-achieve. 
I think the same could be true this season, Lavin knows enough to know his limitations.  And, last season he wasn't getting the x's and o's help he needed to make the program successful.   Again, coach answered that weakness by upgrading a position in the off-season, in this case the assistant coach.

I give Lavin credit for not proverbially slamming his head against a wall, when something doesn't work he may not discuss it publicly, but he addresses it by bringing in new personnel.   It's my experience that most coaches believe they can fix everything themselves, they can coach the players to be better, they can do a better job recruiting, they can successfully change the game-plan themselves, etc.; and Lavin doesn't have that stubbornness.   

Funny that win predictions were all fairly close to where we finished but most felt that it would be enough to get us a bid.  One even prdicted 21 wins and a 7 seed.

Final-4:

Duke
Kentucky
St. Johns
Okla St

Quote from: uwsfan on August 30, 2013, 02:24:12 PM

Final-4:

Duke
Kentucky
St. Johns
Okla St

Final 4 for St. John's? Yikes!

Quote from: stjohnnie75 on April 09, 2014, 07:19:54 PM

Quote from: uwsfan on August 30, 2013, 02:24:12 PM

Final-4:

Duke
Kentucky
St. Johns
Okla St

Final 4 for St. John's? Yikes!

Yeah, thought Whitesell was the final ingredient to make the potential come together.
Turns out that Lavin is too much an empty suit to be helped by anything less than Dunlap caliber smarts.

big east coaches predicted a sixth place finish I believe, you predicted a final four. so much for your smarts.

You get laughed at for optimism here. Understood. As well you should. But no one deserves credit for constant pessimism, either. It doesn't make you smart to bet against the Cubs. It makes you an a hole, and useless.

Rothstein, ready to get on band wagon, without knowing who else we recruit. Ha

@JonRothstein: Chris Obekpa's return drastically changes St. John's outlook for 14-15. Red Storm may very well have best starting 5 in Big East. #sjubb

Rothstein, ready to get on band wagon, without knowing who else we recruit. Ha

@JonRothstein: Chris Obekpa's return drastically changes St. John's outlook for 14-15. Red Storm may very well have best starting 5 in Big East. #sjubb

It won't matter if they have the best starting 5 in the Big East. They had one of the top starting 5's in the Big East this past season and look what it got them.

I have serious reservations about this group ever living up to their potential if Lavin continues to employ the same style of coaching as he's done the past few years. I think it would take a severe system upgrade and coaching overhaul (in-game coaching) to get the most out of this group. I'm not sure that can happen UNLESS they bring in a great ass't bench coach.

Quote from: Johnny23 on April 18, 2014, 05:35:33 PM

It won't matter if they have the best starting 5 in the Big East. They had one of the top starting 5's in the Big East this past season and look what it got them.

I have serious reservations about this group ever living up to their potential if Lavin continues to employ the same style of coaching as he's done the past few years. I think it would take a severe system upgrade and coaching overhaul (in-game coaching) to get the most out of this group. I'm not sure that can happen UNLESS they bring in a great ass't bench coach.

Blasphemy!

Rothstein, ready to get on band wagon, without knowing who else we recruit. Ha

@JonRothstein: Chris Obekpa's return drastically changes St. John's outlook for 14-15. Red Storm may very well have best starting 5 in Big East. #sjubb

I was mad 0-1, more mad 0-3, furious 0-5. I got less mad 2-5, almost happy 5-5, by the end of the season I was feeling good. I wish we would have won against Providence. I think we also would have won the big east. The hate should have been here in January. The team played well down the stretch. I called lavin plenty of names. He deseved them. Then he started wining. He should get credit for that. Not because I love him, but because its fair. We have good players. He brought them here. He deserves credit for that.

I was mad 0-1, more mad 0-3, furious 0-5. I got less mad 2-5, almost happy 5-5, by the end of the season I was feeling good. I wish we would have won against Providence. I think we also would have won the big east. The hate should have been here in January. The team played well down the stretch. I called lavin plenty of names. He deseved them. Then he started wining. He should get credit for that. Not because I love him, but because its fair. We have good players. He brought them here. He deserves credit for that.

Quote from: TONYD3 on April 18, 2014, 11:55:59 PM

I was mad 0-1, more mad 0-3, furious 0-5. I got less mad 2-5, almost happy 5-5, by the end of the season I was feeling good. I wish we would have won against Providence. I think we also would have won the big east. The hate should have been here in January. The team played well down the stretch. I called lavin plenty of names. He deserved them. Then he started wining. He should get credit for that. Not because I love him, but because its fair. We have good players. He brought them here. He deserves credit for that.

Talk about setting the bar low. He brought them where? To a first round loss to Robert Morris in the NIT? With the talent this roster has Lavin vastly underachieved last year. As you heard every expert on the Big East last year, St John's was probably the most talented team in the league. Well if that was the case, then why didn't they make the NCAA? Coaching.