WHO IS TO BLAME?

Now admitedly I am not a big Lavin fan. We have certainly had worse coaches in my lifetime. Definitely had two better and arguably a third. From the little I have been told about this Jordan issue, it certainly seems that Jordan needed to be punished in some way. 
Where you can start to question Lavin is this:

He suspended his best player

His 2nd best player is currently being punished with his starting job taken away and is reportedly on the verge of transfering, which would not only cripple this season, would basically be a death blow to the next couple years.

His third best player refused to enter a game and was on verge of transferring.

Even seemingly mild mannered Phil Greene was rumored to be transfering last season.

Dom Pointer might be the dirtiest player in the country.

Now all of that and I didn't even get into all of the transfering out of lesser players and ineligibility issues.

Now granted I don't follow other schools as closely, but this seems to be an awful lot of issues with players.

My main problem with Lavin was his actual coaching. But now he seems to have an issue with his players. Is this a case of the type of kids he is forced to recruit. Did the time away from coaching rob Lavin of his tolerance of immature kids? Little bit of both? 

Finally seeing the light Wasju

I feel like its mutal blame between the kids and Lavin. I don't usually like to blame teenagers but sometimes they do act out like babies.

Obekpa last season wouldn't play in the Big East Tourney or the NIT? Why? Who acts like that? But he came back this year with a great attitude. 

Harrison was suspended when the team was trying to make a postseason run. Who wouldn't have transferred? But the dude saw something and got help. Now he's the best leader St John's has had in forever.

Sometimes players have to look at themselves but also coaches have to realize if players will respond. Jordan might not be able to respond to a sixth man role. Even though he played 33 minutes against Syracuse. His name wasn't in the top five listed on the sheets. Sometimes that matters most to people.

I am sure some of the blame falls on the kids. My only question is why so many issues with the kids?

I am sure some of the blame falls on the kids. My only question is why so many issues with the kids?

Hormones? Money? Girls (Rysheed)? Handlers? I really don't know. Which is why I think its a little bit of both. Some people can't handle it, some handle it and become better.

To stop the flood of IM's, I don't know anything specific RE Jordan. Two independent people just told me the kid needs to grow up and has to act accordingly. Basically both people absolved Lavin for this particular instance.

BTW I could care less about next year and it really sucks that we are ranked and playing well and we have to speculate about this nonsense!!!!!!! Hopefully both sides rectify whatever is going on and we get through this season, make the tourney and maybe even win a game or two.

Who is to blame? for what?  The great start to the season?  I think the blame should be shared equally between Baldi, Desco and Mullin...

The rumor started by a non Baldi poster that Jordan is transfering 2nd semester, which would be a kind of big deal.

Ok, blame you too....a little less than the others.

Jordan is not transferring. Can't we stop this negative nonsense and enjoy the season. 

I didn't tweet anything, In fact I never tweeted anything in my life. From what I hear the Jordan / Lavin thing was not even really that big of a deal. First I heard of a possible transfer was in the what is wrong with Jordan thread. So if you want to complain about rumors, you would have to go on Redmen and yell at that Tom from Simsbury guy. He posts there correct? Isn't he that guy Maven called a crumbcake? No? Different guy?

But now he seems to have an issue with his players. Is this a case of the type of kids he is forced to recruit. Did the time away from coaching rob Lavin of his tolerance of immature kids? Little bit of both?

I hate to keep back to the psychology of it all, but: Lavin flamed out spectacularly at UCLA, the highest profile job in college basketball. He was lampooned by UCLA fans, which lampooning in retrospect was evidently entirely justified. He then went to ESPN where he hung around with Dick Vitale and all the other failed coaches clapping each other on the back about how much they know about basketball. He then comes to SJU, which has a storied basketball tradition - as much as I hate all that glory days nonsense, it's true. And other than winning with the other guys players and some early recruiting success, he hasn't done much of anything. If he fails here, it's over for him: he'll never get another job and will have been exposed as a complete buffoon.

What all the drama does - which he creates, wittingly or unwittingly - is excuse his failure. We didn't make the tournament one year because he suspended Harrison for Harrison's own good. We didn't make the tournament last year because the delicate genius couldn't figure out which were his best six players. He tells the press that Adonis is too fat to run up and down the court, for his own good. And now it's Jordan, the victim of tough love, because there are more important things than winning.

There have been lots of SJU players with issues. Mullin was a drunk. Walter Berry was a prima donna. Jayson Williams is a psychopath. Kevin Williams wasn't far from one. Shariff Fordham was a crack dealer, Willie Shaw and Marcus Hatten were junkies, Alan Seiden was a degenerate gambler and Sonny Dove and a bunch of other players were implicated in point shaving. That's off the top of my head. There has never been a coach in my lifetime who aired his laundry in public like this. Not even Mike Jarvis, rape victim. Who humiliates his players and then piously claims it's for their own good. Part of that probably has to do with social media and the 24 hour news cycle. But alot of it has to do with Lavin. He's allegedly the grown up.

No...they will never stop.  We all pay too much attention to their nonsense.  The best we can hope for is they go back to attacking Coach Lavin and his staff.

Jordan is not transferring. Can't we stop this negative nonsense and enjoy the season.

Even if it doesn't actually happen, it's not "nonsense".    At the very least, Rysheed was considering it.
Again, that doesn't surprise me.    In the end I think he stays here, but talking about a disgruntled player's relationship with the program is not "nonsense".

Also, I don't think I ever answered the question in the title of this thread..

I blame no one but Rysheed for how he acts off the court.  

For dressing down in a manner that disrespects his position and the university, and for referring to robin hood in his post game comments after our biggest win in years... for these, and many other things, I blame Lavin.

Fun, while I think there could be something to your theory, it certainly was more plausible the last couple of seasons as opposed to the current one. Why sandbag a potential good year. See my theory regarding Lavin was we make the tourney and he rides off into the Sunset as a conquering hero. He would not be wrong either. He gets another job if he wants one. If this season goes down the tubes, he gots some splannin to do if he ever wants another coaching job.

Fun, while I think there could be something to your theory, it certainly was more plausible the last couple of seasons as opposed to the current one. Why sandbag a potential good year

Neurosis is not always evident to the neurotic and people sabotage themselves all the time. Defense mechanisms arise subconsciously to protect the conscious mind from reality. I expect he probably doesn't even realize he's doing it. He does not seem to me at all introspective.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Lavin go back to California after a successful year. No doubt he relishes the idea of himself as the conquering hero.

Also, I don't think I ever answered the question in the title of this thread.. I blame no one but Rysheed for how he acts off the court. For dressing down in a manner that disrespects his position and the university, and for referring to robin hood in his post game comments after our biggest win in years... for these, and many other things, I blame Lavin.

I agree with you on the robin hood comment but how do you know the university is ok with how he dresses? I wouldn't dress that way but he does. Huggins where's a windbreaker at West Virginia, that's disrespectful.

Now admitedly I am not a big Lavin fan. We have certainly had worse coaches in my lifetime. Definitely had two better and arguably a third. From the little I have been told about this Jordan issue, it certainly seems that Jordan needed to be punished in some way. Where you can start to question Lavin is this: He suspended his best player His 2nd best player is currently being punished with his starting job taken away and is reportedly on the verge of transfering, which would not only cripple this season, would basically be a death blow to the next couple years. His third best player refused to enter a game and was on verge of transferring. Even seemingly mild mannered Phil Greene was rumored to be transfering last season. Dom Pointer might be the dirtiest player in the country. Now all of that and I didn't even get into all of the transfering out of lesser players and ineligibility issues. Now granted I don't follow other schools as closely, but this seems to be an awful lot of issues with players. My main problem with Lavin was his actual coaching. But now he seems to have an issue with his players. Is this a case of the type of kids he is forced to recruit. Did the time away from coaching rob Lavin of his tolerance of immature kids? Little bit of both?

Don't worry about it.  If we beat Fordham, we'll be ranked approximately 20th in the entire nation.  Relax and enjoy!

Willie Shaw and Marcus Hatten were junkies

What???