Before you jump off....

So I watched the Nova game tonight and one comment that stood out was Jay Wright wants basketball players that can shoot, dribble, play multiple positions and want to win.  SJU is just all athletes.  Enough said.  It's OK b/c SJU is young and next year will be there year since they will be seniors.  Keep dreaming.  SJU will never be a dominant team unless they spend for a big name coach.  Lavin is not the answer.

All starts with the PG

All starts with the PG

All starts with the head coach.

Total conjecture - Lavin is trying to be Phil Jackson (no need for 20 posts on why he is not Phil Jackson). Looking to motivate the kids to practice hard by keeping the last 1 - 2 spots in the starting lineup as the carrot.  Problem is there has been NO positive effect.  The consequence has been an out of sync and thoroughly confused team from the start of the game creating a hole we cannot dig out of.  Logic would dictate that throwing 1 or 2 new guys into the starting lineup will not be accretive since they do not have the reps in practice as a unit.

Time for experimenting was Europe and early season out of conference. Enough !

So less then a month ago, after a 40 plus pt win over Fordham  and a few missed free throws away from a possible win over the number 2 team in country , now the staff are a bunch of clowns and players are dogs. ? Can we all relax and see if he can turn it around. The guy did take norms team to the tourney and I know everybody will say Dunlap was responsible but who brought him in?  Hate to break the news to some of you but we are not duke or Kentucky these players with the exception of maybe jakarr and Jordan wouldn't  play  at a top program.

Lavin is not a good coach. He is a very good recruiter and brought much needed credibility to the program. The problem is there is a big difference between being a poor coach and sand bagging a team. Lavin's stunt on Saturday was cartoonishly bad. I can live with bad coaching with everything else Lavin brings to the table. What he pulled Saturday however really had me questioning the direction of the program for the first time since he has been here.

So less then a month ago, after a 40 plus pt win over Fordham  and a few missed free throws away from a possible win over the number 2 team in country , now the staff are a bunch of clowns and players are dogs. ? Can we all relax and see if he can turn it around. The guy did take norms team to the tourney and I know everybody will say Dunlap was responsible but who brought him in?  Hate to break the news to some of you but we are not duke or Kentucky these players with the exception of maybe jakarr and Jordan wouldn't  play  at a top program.

Agreed, but what Lavin did right with bringing in a Dunlap when he first came to SJU, he made a bad decision not to replace him at the beginning of last year with a similar type of guy.  Maybe Whitesell is that guy, but this is his first year with a team that has spent the last 2 years with either Dunlap or Lavin as head coach.  IF Whitesell brings the same level of discipline and x and o game strategizing that Dunlap obviously did, then either Lavin is not letting him have the type of influence over the team that he gave Dunlap (more likely, IMO), or the team is just not buying into what Whitesell is trying to sell them.  Either way, it's pretty clear that Lavin's coaching strategy to date with this team has not maximized its potential.

Lavin is not a good coach. He is a very good recruiter and brought much needed credibility to the program. The problem is there is a big difference between being a poor coach and sand bagging a team. Lavin's stunt on Saturday was cartoonishly bad. I can live with bad coaching with everything else Lavin brings to the table. What he pulled Saturday however really had me questioning the direction of the program for the first time since he has been here.

Agree

after the last few games I cant understand how anyone could be sticking up for lavin. Guy is making plenty of money. Playing Syracuse close should not be the highlight of the season. That game was almost a month ago. We have gotten worse not better. Saturday was beyond em brassing.
When they practice half court offense during practice do they score? I can't believe they do.
Half court defense- They look lost- How complicated could it be? When you play zone you have an area. These guys are juniors playing the same defense since they have been here.

Calling kob. calling Choz. Can you guys weigh in on this using any inside info you may have or what your instincts tell you.