What your saying is the coach has little effect on players improving, playing well together, winning in a hostile environment, against an all time successful coach. Sorry that makes no sense. This team is going to continue to win and the head coach will be a big part of that.
Today's not the day to fight this battle, but needless to say I disagree pretty strongly. They're a strong group of kids who fight hard. Things haven't come easy to them.
But they generally win despite their coach, not because of him.
If I'm going to give Lavin credit it will be for not letting the wheels completely fall off. I think there were times last season, and certainly in the off-season, when it would have been very easy for the team to lose all confidence. But they didn't.
Call that the cheerleader in him, the salesman.. whatever it is, he does have a way it seems to keep the team thinking positively. And he deserves credit for that. I also specifically remember at times last season when Obekpa was nearly useless and couldn't do a thing right. Coach kept talking to him, and gave him confidence, and eventually he turned things around.
Maybe that positivity paid off in a hostile environment yesterday. Maybe he kept them loose.