STEVE ADORES: After missing most of last season following cancer surgery, Steve Lavin (above during Tuesday’s preseason exhibition) is back where he feels at home — pacing the sideline as coach of a potential-rich St. John’s team. (Paul J. Bereswill)
For a coach with a rather impressive résumé — seven NCAA Tournament appearances in nine seasons — Steve Lavin has more than his share of skeptics.
For example, at Big East Conference media day, a reporter sidled up and asked, “Who’s going to coach St. John’s this season?”
“Lavin,’’ replied this reporter. “He’s completely recovered from prostate cancer surgery.’’
“Right,’’ the fellow scribe said. “But now that Mike Dunlap is gone, who’s going to actually coach?’’
Ah, nothing like a cynical member of the media with a conspiracy theory.
Lavin hired Dunlap — considered one of the sharpest X’s-and-O’s coaches in all of basketball — to be his right-hand man. And when Lavin had to step away for most of last season, Dunlap coached a young and thin Red Storm squad to a respectable 13-19 record.
Michael Jordan was so impressed with Dunlap he hired him to coach the Charlotte Bobcats. Lavin, who coached the Red Storm to a 21-12 mark in his first season, is back in the first chair.
“I don’t know why some people might have that perception, and I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about that stuff because it’s a waste of energy,’’ Lavin told The Post.
“Basketball has been life 24/7 for the last 25 years. I don’t have any hobbies. We don’t have kids yet. For me it’s always about the next task. It’s about putting hammer to rock.’’
Lavin has a rock pile that could become the college hoops version of Mount Rushmore — or turn into a gravel pit.
He brings in as many as eight newcomers and returns just four players with experience, one of whom, center God’sgift Achiuwa, might redshirt.
His most experienced player, sophomore guard D’Angelo Harrison, is a scoring machine who is prone to, if not blowing a gasket, throwing a monkey wrench in the team’s transmission. Harrison was benched for the Red Storm’s second preseason game and the start of the first for a lack of accountability.
“We need D’Angelo to be locked in both mentally and physically for our team to reach its full potential,’’ Lavin acknowledged.
Lavin has a lot of options, especially up front and certainly if 6-foot-9 center Orlando Sanchez of the Dominican Republican gains eligibility. If not, Lavin has 6-foot-9 Chris Obekpa and 6-foot-8 JaKarr Sampson, who might be more athletic than one-and-done sensation Moe Harkless.
Guard Phil Greene is the rock of the backcourt and transfer Jamal Branch could be the best true point guard. The player that might surprise is forward Christian Jones, who has a smooth shot.
“I said in recent days to the team, ‘The single most important factor in determining if we have a good season is how quickly we mature,’ ” Lavin said. “By February, can we play like upperclassmen? That’s the million-dollar question.’’