Where has Lavin taken credit for Dom's improvement? It seems to me that he's just as shock as we are.
Rubin: "Yet all this success might be rooted in the very idea Pointer wouldn’t be there. After the poor junior campaign, Lavin discussed what it would take to get Pointer to reach his potential and slipped in the idea of redshirting this season. It was the only time the idea came up between them because Pointer responded by pouring himself into offseason training."
Horse's mouth:
“It was a challenge because in reality I knew Dom would not end up redshirting,” Lavin said. “But I wanted to send a message that if you’re not calibrated the right way and beginning to perform closer to your potential then a redshirt year is something we could look at. He went to work and has come back in the best condition of his career and has added various tools and skills that have elevated his play.”
Again, Pointer says he suggested redshirting. Lavin says he suggested it and it led to Pointer's improvement.
I'm no Lavin apologist but this seems like you're grasping at straws. Lavin doesn't assume blame for anything which I find aggravating, but that said, most coaches don't. If Coach K or Jim Calhoun said they made a mistake regarding strategy, it makes them seem more human.
If an average or in our case slightly above coach does that, it opens a door for every critic to raise their hand and agree wholeheartedly. I see why he doesn't do it, even though Id like him, too.
With Dom, who knows who's idea the redshirt was? That really doesn't matter to me. Dom gets most of the credit IMO for Dom's improvement. But that doesn't mean the coach gets none.
Lavin had no intention playing Dom at the 4, but he had too, and he got lucky. If he needs to sell that to public as an epiphany, it's fine with me because recruits are listening.