In Year One, Steve Lavin Has St. John's Thinking Of NCAA Tourney

Did anyone see this coming?

When St. John’s hired Steve Lavin to run the men’s basketball program last March, New Yorkers were happy just to see a big-name coach wanting the job.

There were no expectations for this year. Everyone figured it would take three or four years for the Red Storm to make the NCAA tournament.

This year was considered a success after Lavin had a great recruiting class from California and New York.  No one cared about the team’s on-the-court performance this year. With all of nine seniors graduating after this season, it was hard to generate interest with those guys not winning in the last few years.

Well, it turns out what those seniors needed was good coaching. Lavin has gotten the most out of a flawed roster, and it’s good enough for St. John’s to win 14 games this season.

The Red Storm achieved another signature win last night at the Garden. They celebrated a 89-72 romp over 10th-ranked Connecticut. This should solidify their chances of participating in March Madness.

It’s crazy to say that, but it’s true. St. John’s defeated great teams this year, including victories against Duke, West Virginia and Georgetown. This feat will impress the committee when it comes to inviting teams to the tournament.

Last night was as good as it gets for this program. After the Huskies celebrating victories at the Red Storm’s expense during the Norm Roberts era, it was going to be different this time around.

The Huskies thought they would take the Red Storm for granted and get a victory, but that approach hurt them.

The Red Storm put out a gritty effort in the first half. They struggled to score in the paint, but hit their outside shots. It was their defense that set the tone, preventing layups and scoring transitional points as a result.

It was good enough for the Storm to take a 35-31 lead at halftime.

When things go wrong, Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun likes to whine to the refs. He figures his team would get calls, and it would give them the edge.

Calhoun played the role of the ref by motioning a traveling sign after St. John’s scored a basket. Then, Calhoun received a technical after Malik Boothe hit a three-pointer to end the first half.

Sometimes, a technical can fire a team up. Calhoun wanted to provide a spark for his team, as they looked flat.

It turned out St. John’s benefited from Calhoun’s outburst. They shot two free throws to start the second half on the technical, and they went on a 13-4 run after that.

That run set the stage for a blowout. St. John’s dunked often, and they forced Connecticut to miss more shots.

The biggest lead of the night came when St. John’s took a 63-49 lead. From there, the Huskies’ spirit died. There was not going to be a comeback.

Who knew the home team would come out like gangbusters to start the second half? With the way they played in the first half, it was a matter of time until the Huskies figured it out in the second half. They had their go-to guy in Kemba Walker.

On that night, it wasn’t the case. It was Dwight Hardy that took charge for St. John’s by scoring 33 points. He outplayed Walker, who only scored a measly 15 points last night.

When one looks at what took place last night, it seems like everything is going right for Lavin and his team this year.

They find a guy who steps up on a given night. They make plays on defense. They create magic moments by going on runs.

St. John’s is not an impressive team. They are tough to watch when they can’t score. They have gone through a lull several times this year, but they still find a way.

They are living right. That’s the best way to describe this program.

It’s hard to believe this is going to end now. This team is destined to get to the tournament. If St. John’s was going to fold, they would have done so already.

This team has it in them to win several more games, and they can get some more upsets. They will go on a run in the Big East tournament next month at the Garden.

From there, they can do damage in the NCAA tournament. They seem to rise up against tougher competition by playing well and winning those games.

Their success comes down to expecting to win. Lavin changed the culture of this team. There is structure, accountability and organization in this program. That was not the case under Roberts.

It’s refreshing to see the Red Storm play quality basketball. They are playing defense, and they do a good job with ball movement on offense.

Guys seem to know what they are doing as a result of good coaching.

Guys know if they don’t play hard, they will be benched. Lavin is not afraid to play his underclassmen in a game.

The new regime has certainly changed the outlook of this team, and it is coming together with victories.

It turns out Lavin may have been underestimated when it came to coaching.

He has delivered the goods with what has gone on this season. A tournament berth will validate his work.