Steve Lavin has scored big time on the recruiting trails. He’s still looking to score his first win as the new coach at St. John’s.
The Lavin era opened early this morning with a 76-71 loss at St. Mary’s with the former UCLA coach picking up a rare technical foul.
Midway through the first half, Lavin, looking dapper in a navy suit, white shirt and red tie, went ballistic after D. J. Kennedy took an elbow to the chin.
A foul was called, but no technical. Lavin, 46, who was called for three technical fouls in his seven seasons at UCLA, got his first in his first game with St. John’s.
Welcome back, Coach Lav. Welcome back.
Lavin spent the last seven seasons at ESPN after a seven-year coaching career at storied UCLA, where he went 145-78. He’s already brought in a stellar recruiting class, ranked second in the nation, but he’ll have to wait until Wednesday night’s home game against Columbia to see if he can get his first victory.
Lavin started true freshman Dwyane Polee Jr. along with seniors Malik Boothe, Dwight Hardy, Justin Brownlee and D.J. Kennedy. He played a matchup zone defense and St. John’s played with the level of intensity instilled by former coach Norm Roberts.
Unfortunately for the Red Storm they also suffered their notorious offensive lulls, which turn wins into losses. St. John’s scored just nine points in the first 15 minutes and 35 seconds of the second half, as St. Mary’s opened a 53-40 lead.
“We wanted to open with this sort of tough matchup, where you get a report card and you can really get to work,” Lavin said after the game. “I liked our competitiveness and cohesiveness. Execution is where we struggled. We labored to score for some key stretches and allowed them to make some big shots.”
Kennedy ended the horrific drought with a basket but it was his first of the game. The team’s leading scorer last season seemed passive and unsure of when to step up. He finished with nine points.
The Red Storm (0-1) got as close as the final score but it was in scramble time. They were forced out of the zone and then into full court pressure which St. Mary’s dissected.
Polee, who finished with a team-high 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting, was the Red Storm’s liveliest body. Boothe added 15. Clint Steindl had a game-high 22 on 7-of-10 shooting on 3’s to lead St. Mary’s.
“We like our basketball team and there are things we can do as a coaching staff to work on some things offensively, and clean up some things defensively with our zone and press,” said Lavin. “We have a couple of key stretches to look at where they did a nice job getting the ball into the high post, and then fanning it out so Steindl could hit some daggers.”
Polee gave St. John’s an early 23-20 lead on a steal and fullcourt highlight-reel dunk. That’s when the intensity of a first game under a new coach returning home for his opener leaked out for St. John’s. Justin Burrell was called for an intentional foul to halt the run.
Polee, who came to St. John’s with the reputation of being an electric athlete, showed it again with another steal and fullcourt drive that he capped with a nifty reverse.
The Red Storm made a stop on defense but when Kennedy took an inadvertent elbow to the jaw and a foul but no technical was called on St. Mary’s, Lavin officially returned to coaching: He was called for a technical foul.
Assistant coach and Lavin mentor, Gene Keady, reached over from the first row of seats to put a steadying hand on Lavin who was still making an elbow gesture to the refs. St. John’s legend Chris Mullin shared a laugh with Lavin’s parents, Cappy and Mary, behind the St. John’s bench.
St. John’s held a 31-28 lead at the half. Polee had nine points, three rebounds and two steals. If the six players Lavin have signed for next season are as dynamic and poised as Polee, well, it’s Red Storm rising.
One thing Lavin has not been able to do is solve the Red Storm’s offensive woes. A five-minute scoreless span to open the second half allowed St. Mary’s to take a 34-31 lead.
Paris Horne, a significant player last season, got little time until the end. Center Dele Coker did not play.
“We expected this to be a tough environment,” Lavin said , “one that gave us something to work with in terms of evaluating where our team is right now, and one that will prepare us for Big East play.”