Storm players happy to have Lavin on board
St. John's athletics directer Chris Monasch, right, holds a jersey to welcome the new St. John's men's coach Steve Lavin, center, and Lavin's wife, as he is introduced during an NCAA college basketball news conference at St. John's University. (March 31, 2010) Credit: AP
There was a genuine feeling of optimism resonating among St. John's players about new coach Steve Lavin.
None of them are old enough to remember Lavin during his coaching days at UCLA. But in this age of technology, all it took was a few minutes on the Internet to learn about Lavin.
"I was in my room in bed and I saw on ESPN they were interviewing him," junior forward Justin Burrell said Wednesday. "I looked him up and saw his credentials and accolades. I was excited when I saw the players he coached and helped get to the NBA."
Being a regular on ESPN's cluster of networks was also a key in helping sell Lavin. The new coach met with several members of the team briefly on Tuesday. He said Wednesday he plans to meet with the players individually over the next couple of weeks.
"I've seen him on TV so much, I kind of felt comfortable with him as soon as I met him," Burrell said.
For junior guard Paris Horne, it was a relief to finally have someone running the ship after nearly two weeks of speculation.
"A lot of us were unsure of what was going on," Horne said. "We were going to class and still working out, but no one knew anything . . . It was a little frustrating for us at times."
Horne, citing his ability to get along with any coach, said he didn't really have a preference. But he's happy to see someone with Lavin's background on the job.
"He's a cool guy. He's pretty funny and down to earth," Horne said. "He's kind of like coach [Norm] Roberts. It seems like you can talk to him about anything."
Junior guard Malik Boothe met with Lavin for a few minutes on Tuesday and said the team is sure to benefit from his background.
"I think anybody could've been a perfect fit for us, because we can adapt to any coach. But his success made this a good get for us," Boothe said. "He told me next year should be a very fun season for us."
Armed with a big-name coach, a senior-dominated roster and a fired up fan base is likely to add pressure to the team. But Horne said the team will be ready.
"It's going to set the bar high," Horne said. "But we're excited to have him and we want to get this show on the road."
