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Red Storm Watch: Is Steve Lavin Leading a Power Shift in the Big East?

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With the exception of Ed Cooley taking over for the fired Keno Davis at Providence, the whirlwind of the spring college coaching carousel missed the Big East in 2011.

That same invisible hand that was passed over with no effect this season shook the conference last season and has set the stage for a major power shift in the Big East.

Steve Lavin will be the head coach of one of the youngest teams in the nation in 2011-2012. (Photo: Icon/SMI Select)
The league is following the natural ebb and flow of teams dominating and rebuilding and, now, as the dust finally settles from the shakeout last season, the bigger picture is beginning to take shape.

From this dust, there are three distinct, relevant groups of coaches taking form in the Big East. First are the Legends, including Jim Calhoun at UConn and Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, who have been with their respective programs for long enough to cement their legacy as perennial powerhouses.

There is the established “Upper Middle Class” coaches, who have had success and are well-regarded, but not yet at Calhoun or Boeheim status. Among these are coaches like Mike Brey at Notre Dame, Jamie Dixon at Pittsburgh, and Jay Wright at Villanova.

The most interesting group, though, are the Movers and Shakers, the Up-and-Coming, revamped programs. Within this, we find Steve Lavin and St. John’s, Mike Rice and Rutgers, and Mick Cronin and Cincinnati. They may be on different trajectories on their way to the “Upper Middle Class,” but they are all headed in that direction.

Part of the reason why the Big East sent a record 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament this past season was because of the rise of these Movers and Shakers and the fall of higher orders. When Villanova limped through the end of the regular season and into the NCAA Tournament, teams like St. John’s and Cincinnati took advantage.

And this trend could continue.

How much longer will established names like Calhoun, Boeheim, and Pitino stick around? When they leave, will a replacement come in with the same recruiting prowess and coaching stature to keep the program at the same level? Even at programs like Pittsburgh, there could be instability. Jamie Dixon‘s name was reportedly floating around as a possible candidate to become the next head coach at Maryland a few weeks ago, which could dramatically change the landscape of the conference.

This is the point where other programs can make their way to the top.

While UConn’s sanctions will not turn out to be devastating (a loss of a scholarship for 3 years and a reduction in off-campus recruiting days), it still shines a negative light on the program.

St. John’s has taken advantage of this already, swooping in and getting a signature from Queens forward Maurice Harkless after he decommitted from Connecticut, following the announcement of the NCAA investigation that eventually led to the sanctions above.

This season, the Red Storm have a Top 3 recruiting class in the country, according to ESPN, a class that is brand new, aside from returning guard Malik Stith.

Absent from that same Top 25 are Notre Dame, Connecticut, and Villanova.

Syracuse, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Georgetown all maintain strongholds in the Top 15, and Rutgers sneaks in at No. 16.

Established programs like Rick Pitino and Louisville will have to keep pace with younger, up-and-coming programs in the Big East. (Photo: Icon/SMI Select)
Though a ranking in the Top 25 does not guarantee anything, it gives a solid outline of where certain teams are. The Big East will always bring in talent, as is evidence by Villanova’s strong, yet unranked incoming class, but, because there is so much talent, every small advantage could be the difference between being in the Tournament and not.

This coming season, Steve Lavin and St. John’s will try to follow the path to success that Marquette’s Buzz Williams is now enjoying.

Though the programs were at different points when their respective coaches took over, Williams brought his 2009-2010 Golden Eagles, a team that had lost their three stars in Jerel McNeal, Wes Matthews, and Dominic James, back to the NCAA Tournament when few expected it.

The Red Storm face a similar situation, after losing nine seniors to graduation and two players (Dwayne Polee II and Quincy Roberts) to transfer. Lavin could pull off the same surprise that Williams did, but he will have to do it with one of the youngest teams in the country.

An NCAA Tournament berth, even if there is a first round exit, would be a major victory for the Red Storm in 2011-2012, and it would keep them on track with Marquette’s three-year plan under Williams.

His Golden Eagles went to the Tournament in 2008-2009, his first season with a talented team (as did the Red Storm), surprised in his second season, and made the Sweet Sixteen this past season, his third with the team.

If St. John’s stays on that path, Lavin will keep the fanbase energized and pave a road for long-term success in Queens. So long as their recruiting presence stays as strong as it was this past year, the Red Storm can make a push toward the top of the conference.

Across the state line in New Jersey, it appears Rutgers is working on a plan similar to what Jay Wright built at Villanova.

It took Jay Wright three seasons before the Wildcats made their way to the NCAA Tournament, and Mike Rice could make that blueprint work for the Scarlet Knights.

Rice’s incoming class, at No. 16 in the country, is highlighted by extremely quick and talented local product Myles Mack, who could develop into a quality point guard on an NCAA Tournament team in the future.

Because the influx of talent isn’t as great as the flood to Lavin and St. John’s, Rutgers’ rebuilding curve will be longer, perhaps even longer than Wright at Villanova. But, Rice is a classy coach who is proving he can convince local talent to stay home, and that will benefit him in the long run.

Changes will not happen overnight. This shift does not mean Syracuse, Louisville, and Pittsburgh suddenly round out the bottom half and St. John’s, Rutgers, Cincinnati, and Marquette rule the top. Certain things must fall into places, with perhaps big-time retirements or departures, but the other pieces are in position and ready to attack.

It could take as long as three to five years, but expect to see some surprising teams fall and other surprises rise to the top of the nation’s most competitive conference.

The Big Apple’s Big Three

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Pierce, Allen and Garnett. Wade, James and Bosh. Even Jordan, Pippen and Rodman if you want to go back further in history. One thing remains the same, each trio has either won or contended for a championship. This past spring, New York-area college basketball took on a troika of its own within the Big East coaching fraternity; and although each head coach is at a different program, all have made a positive impact in their first season on the bench. As the Big East tournament draws closer, two of these three coaches will lead their teams into battle later today against one another, with the third awaiting today’s winner. Before the opening tip, let’s take a moment to evaluate each coach and their rookie campaigns, starting with the man in charge of initiating a renaissance that has captured nationwide attention.

St. John’s

Almost anyone who even remotely paid attention to Red Storm basketball expected Steve Lavin to return the boys from Queens into a contender after predecessor Norm Roberts spent the prior six seasons restoring a damaged image after the program’s infamous low point in Pittsburgh. However, what hardly anyone expected from Lavin was the ability to turn the Johnnies around so soon. After surprising nonconference losses to St. Bonaventure and Fordham, the Storm went on a tear with wins in the Holiday Festival and each of their first three Big East games; but the success didn’t stop there. St. John’s ended a run where they had lost five of their last six with a resounding upset of reigning national champion Duke at a sold-out Madison Square Garden; and took down fellow Top 25 opponents Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Villanova on the way to the school’s first ranking since 2000, when every current Johnny was still in elementary school. Lavin has credited the success to “putting hammer to rock” and going about methodically taking care of business, while getting players he will only have this year to buy into a new system and unite for a common goal. Lavin’s philosophy has produced breakout seasons from first team all-Big East guard Dwight Hardy, who was named the conference’s most improved player after switching to the point from shooting guard; as well as Justin Brownlee, a role player under Roberts that has blossomed into a starter and the Red Storm’s second-leading scorer. Justin Burrell also continued to show his versatility on his way to being named the Big East’s Sixth Man of the Year for a Red Storm squad that will make its long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.

Rutgers

Just as most envisioned better results from St. John’s after Steve Lavin rode a tidal wave of popularity and support to the corner of Union and Utopia, the general feeling around Piscataway was that Mike Rice would do the same after Fred Hill was suddenly dismissed this past April after four years at the helm of the Scarlet Knights. What Rice has done on the banks of the old Raritan after winning back-to-back Northeast Conference championships at Robert Morris has been nothing short of Herculean and unbelievable. Following the transfer of star guard Mike Rosario, Rice was left with just nine scholarship players this season, and was not expected to contend over the Big East portion of the schedule; but Rice, a great coach and even better person, has demonstrated an uncanny ability to continuously get so much out of so little from a team that has become the Rocky Balboa of the Big East. Rutgers only won five conference games, but one of them was an absolute stunner at home against Villanova, as senior forward Jonathan Mitchell won the game on a dramatic four-point play in the final seconds. As far as the games Rutgers didn’t win, a majority of them were close throughout; and the Scarlet Knights took Top 25 teams the likes of Pittsburgh, Syracuse and eventual ranked foe St. John’s to the limit. The future is only looking brighter in New Jersey, where Rice brings in a recruiting class just as stellar as the one Steve Lavin will welcome into Queens next season.

Seton Hall

Following the unceremonious end to the Bobby Gonzalez era, the general consensus was that Seton Hall was the most likely of the three local Big East schools to make the NCAA Tournament, despite hiring a young and relatively unknown Kevin Willard as coach after three years at Iona. With stars Jeremy Hazell, Herb Pope and Jeff Robinson all passing on the NBA Draft to return to South Orange, all the pieces were in place for the Pirates to return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2006. Unfortunately, fate intervened more frequently than Brett Favre retirements. Hazell broke his wrist early in the season and was shot on Christmas night in an attempted robbery while recovering, guards Keon Lawrence and Jamel Jackson were thrown off the team; and reserve Ferrakohn Hall transferred to Memphis, forcing freshman Fuquan Edwin into the starting lineup in his rookie campaign. Nonetheless, the Pirates soldiered on despite a thin bench to finish 7-11 in the Big East, with two dominating victories over St. John’s and Marquette to close out the season. If Pope and Robinson return for their senior seasons, Willard still has everyone except Hazell coming back next year for another shot at redemption in the Garden State.

In Conclusion

It appears that St. John’s is clearly the short-term winner when you compare what all three local Big East schools have done on paper this season, and the Johnnies are just as dominating a victor in the media as well, getting far more coverage and headlines than both of the New Jersey programs combined.  However, Rutgers has shown they have done more than just turn the corner, and a matchup between the Scarlet Knights and red Storm will definitely be a desired ticket in the year to come at any arena the two face off in. Not to be left out, Seton Hall has shown that they are in the mix as well; and in the world of New York-area college basketball, any and all fights are settled on the court.  This year, to the relief of the fans, it all plays out on the hardwood at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” as one school faces its bitter intrastate rival with the hometown heroes waiting in the wings the following day.  Three schools, two teams, one winner.  It doesn’t get much better than this.

Lavin A Johnny Rocket

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Steve Lavin, shown here with ESPN's John Anderson at Red Storm Tip-Off, was center of attention at Big East media day. (Photo courtesy of Jaden Daly)

When Steve Lavin replaced Norm Roberts at St. John’s seven months ago, anyone who was remotely affiliated with St. John’s basketball realized immediately that positive changes were in store. Yesterday morning’s Big East media day proved no exception to the recent status quo in Queens, as Lavin was surrounded by hundreds of reporters, radio personnel and various other media members at Madison Square Garden for well over an hour. In fact, Lavin’s massive popularity kept him at the St. John’s table for an extra twenty minutes after his radio and print media session ended; and although late for the TV portion of the event, the extroverted head coach continued to stop and engage anyone who came within his field of vision on the way up the stairs.

Although there were more than enough nuggets from Coach Lavin himself to fill this post, (I’ll have some of those in a future edition of the Daly Dribble) the comments provided to me from Lavin’s sideline counterparts were just as beneficial in shedding some light on the increased expectations the Johnnies are now seeing for themselves.

Villanova head coach Jay Wright and UConn’s Jim Calhoun were the first to herald St. John’s experience. Calhoun said it would “carry them a long way. Always has, always will,” while Wright said the Johnnies “know what it takes to win,” and thinks “they’ll be a very good team.”

Mike Brey, the Notre Dame coach whose Fighting Irish team has lost to St. John’s in each of the last two years, was somewhat relieved to be welcoming the Johnnies into the Joyce Center in South Bend. Brey praised Lavin’s arrival and said he “inherits a team of experienced guys,” and that “he’ll do a very good job.” Brey also stated what Red Storm fans feel to be obvious when he proclaimed that there was “new life around the program.” West Virginia head man Bob Huggins complimented Lavin’s past recruiting record, which was on full display this past weekend with newcomer Dwayne Polee, who has made quite an impact since coming to the Queens campus.

Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, whose Orange squad heads into the Garden to tip off against the Johnnies on January 12, praised Lavin’s experience as well. “I think Steve’s going to do a great job. He’s got a lot of veterans, which is going to help him.” Boeheim also commented on Lavin’s marquee status being able to draw fans into the “World’s Most Famous Arena,” a venue that usually serves as a de facto home game for Syracuse. “When we play St. John’s here, there probably won’t be so much orange,” said Boeheim after I reminded him that nearly every Syracuse game at the Garden provides a sea of orange as the backdrop in the stands.

The most interesting and brutally honest commentary came from Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who created somewhat of an added buzz when it was revealed that he was the one coach who picked the Johnnies first in the Big East preseason poll, a vote won by Pittsburgh. “I’m just trying to throw something against the wall and hope it sticks,” gushed Pitino, who gave the story more juice by saying he “made that pick before Steve (Lavin) came along, and now that he’s come along, I’m happy with my pick.” Pitino emphasized the talent, experience and style the Johnnies have employed over the years as the reasons behind his rather surprising vote, as well as the hunger on the team considering that no St. John’s player has made the NCAA Tournament.

Fellow Big East newcomer Kevin Willard of Seton Hall spoke of creating a culture with Lavin and Rutgers head man Mike Rice that could draw high school kids to the New York area and not have them leave.

Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin went through a situation in his first year with the Bearcats similar to what Lavin will experience next year, one where almost every player graduated.  Cronin did provide this great quote about Carnesecca Arena when I mentioned his team’s recent success there. “It takes the kids back to their high school days. It reminds them where they came from. It warms up pretty quick, but that doesn’t make it any easier to win,” stated the underrated Cronin, picked 12th in the Big East preseason poll.

Marquette coach Buzz Williams lauded Lavin as a “really good person” with great energy, calling his arrival a “perfect storm.” I’m not sure if there was any pun intended by Williams when he told me that, but fans of St. John’s are thinking the exact same thing.

Behind Every Great Coach…

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Shortly after the Big East tournament came to a close, two of the three local Big East programs (St. John’s and Seton Hall) had dismissed their head coaches, with fellow metro institution Rutgers following suit two months later when Fred Hill resigned.  Each of the three schools eventually hired new head coaches in a relatively quick fashion after announcing that the previous head men would not be back, and each has seen their own unique level of success.

The most experienced of the St. John's assistants, Mike Dunlap will be the on-court tactician of the trio. (Photo courtesy of redstormsports.com)
At his introductory press conference this past March, new St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin wanted to hire “talented, capable, hard-working and loyal assistant coaches.” Almost three months later, it is safe to say that the captain of the Johnnies’ ship has done exactly that; with three well-known men from different circles of the basketball world joining him on the Red Storm bench this season, as well as two equally recognizable individuals taking care of business at the office on the Queens campus.  Exactly what does each one bring forth to St. John’s?  You’ll find out here as Lavin’s staff is profiled extensively within this column.

Mike Dunlap– With the hiring of veteran Mike Dunlap, Coach Lavin brings even more depth and experience to an already well-rounded staff. A former assistant at Arizona and Oregon, Dunlap possesses the same Pac-10 ties Lavin has, and was also an assistant to Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl.  Moreover, Dunlap has experience at the head coaching level as well, with stints at Division II school Metropolitan State (Colo.) and the Adelaide 36ers in Australia to pad his vast resume.  Dunlap has also written several articles about basketball fundamentals that have been nationally published.

Tony Chiles– Was Lavin’s initial hire, being welcomed to the St. John’s family a week after Lavin was brought on board. A former assistant at Drexel before joining St. John’s, Chiles cut his teeth in the New York area while serving under former St. John’s head man Fran Fraschilla and Jeff Ruland at Manhattan and Iona, respectively.  Chiles has an extensive background with guards, player development and scouting reports, as noted in the press release that confirmed his hiring.

Rico Hines– A former player under Coach Lavin at UCLA, Rico Hines spent his last four years as an employee of the Golden State Warriors, working as a player development assistant under Don Nelson, the NBA’s all-time winningest coach.  Hines’ work has seen him mentor such stars as Stephen Curry, Anthony Morrow, Monta Ellis, and even fellow UCLA products and Lavin pupils Trevor Ariza and Baron Davis.  Hines was endorsed by Nelson shortly after his arrival at St. John’s as having done “an outstanding job developing our younger players,” and “matured into a great assistant coach.”  Hines will add nine seniors to the illustrious list of players that have grown under his watch, most notably D.J. Kennedy and Dwight Hardy, both of whom are regarded as potential members of the 2011 NBA draft class.

Maurice Hicks– Coach Lavin gave his staff a local feel with the hiring of Maurice “Moe” Hicks as his director of basketball operations.  Hicks is known throughout New York City for his success as the head coach at CHSAA powerhouse Rice High School, where he coached future Big East stars the likes of Andre Barrett, Edgar Sosa, and Kemba Walker before they went on to become stars at Seton Hall, Louisville, and UConn, respectively.  Before his five state championships at Rice, Hicks also won a PSAL title at Brandeis High School in Manhattan.  Hicks will replace former St. John’s player Billy Singleton in the office, and will schedule team travel, practices and supervise the assistant coaches among other things, while working closely with athletic director Chris Monasch as well.

Derrick Wrobel– Like Mike Dunlap and Coach Lavin as well, Derrick Wrobel is a product of the Pac-10, having spent the last four years at Cal, and comes to St. John’s in an administrative role.  The former basketball operations coordinator and director of external relations for the Golden Bears, Wrobel will handle student development, athletic compliance, and the administration of the Steve Lavin basketball camp as some of his many duties.  Lavin’s basketball camp will be held this August at Taffner Field House.

Now that each of the Red Storm’s new hires has been analyzed, let’s compare them to their metropolitan area counterparts, who also bring new members to the hardwood for the upcoming season.

Seton Hall-New Pirates head coach Kevin Willard didn’t go very far when he named his top assistant, tabbing former Pirate Shaheen Holloway to come to New Jersey with him as his associate head coach. Holloway spent the last three years as one of Willard’s assistants at Iona.  Willard also brought Dan McHale and Casey Stanley with him from New Rochelle, while bringing in Chris Pompey from New Mexico State to round out his staff.  Former Pirate player Grant Billmeier will work in the office alongside Stephen Sauers. Once the director of basketball operations under Bobby Gonzalez, Sauers will reprise his role under Willard.

Rutgers-New Scarlet Knights boss Mike Rice wasted little time assembling his staff after being hired last month, naming two assistants in former Hofstra deputy Van Macon, and David Cox, who remains in the Big East after serving under John Thompson III at Georgetown.  Rice just recently announced the hire of former NBA veteran Eric Murdock as the director of player development, enabling the New Jersey native to return to the Big East, where he played collegiately at Providence.

How Does Each Staff Rank?

Now that we’ve got you caught up on what Seton Hall and Rutgers have done during the offseason, it’s now time to take a look at how each staff sizes up against one another, and how each will be able to recruit for next season and the future.

1. St. John’s – St. John’s has really turned the corner with the hiring of the aforementioned individuals to join Steve Lavin in the head coach’s quest to return St. John’s to national prominence, and when compared to local and conference rivals Seton Hall and Rutgers, it can be argued that the Johnnies have the edge on the bench.  That’s not all, though, as Coach Lavin has displayed why he was lauded as an excellent recruiter with his signing of Los Angeles prep star Dwayne Polee, who was signed several weeks after Lavin came on board.  Frenchman Remi Barry is also continuing to weigh St. John’s heavily as he comes closer to making his decision.

2. Rutgers – Considering that Rice was able to get Jordan Goodman to give the Scarlet Knights a verbal for 2012 almost immediately after the coach left Robert Morris to go to Piscataway, Rutgers gets the nod over Seton Hall for the time being, as most of the Pirates’ recruits had committed before Bobby Gonzalez was unceremoniously axed.  Rice also has a reputation for being a relentless recruiter as well as a coach, something that will benefit the Scarlet Knights down the road as they look to move into the upper echelon of the Big East.

3. Seton Hall – Nothing against Kevin Willard, but as mentioned before, Seton Hall’s headlining newcomer (Paterson Catholic’s Fuquan Edwin) had committed before the 2009-10 season had even started, when Bobby Gonzalez did not have to worry about job security.  Willard did add Patrik Auda of the Czech Republic and Florida prep school standout Anali Okoloji, and while he believes that both will make an immediate impact, Seton Hall already has a talented core of players returning, led by guards Jeremy Hazell and Jordan Theodore, as well as forwards Herb Pope and Jeff Robinson.

While it has been noted that each of the three local programs have already seen their own unique success, the level of short-term improvement will vary between the schools, as each was in a different state before and after replacing its head coach.  Seton Hall made last year’s NIT, but was seen as a bubble team even with Willard leaving Iona.  It remains to be seen whether or not the Pirates can take the next step in postseason play.  Rutgers has been decimated throughout the offseason, as Mike Rosario and Patrick Jackson both transferred in the wake of Fred Hill’s resignation; and even though Mike Rice brings the promise of upward mobility within the Big East, Rutgers is still at least two years away from making waves as far as the postseason is concerned.  Finally, St. John’s was already poised for bigger and better things before falling to Memphis in the NIT, and the hire of Steve Lavin should be enough to return the Johnnies to the “Big Dance” for the first time since 2002.