St. John’s Notebook: September 2012

By Jason Schott – A Daly Dose of Hoops Contributor - @JESchott19

ST. JOHN’S HOSTS DRIBBLE FOR THE CURE ON SEPTEMBER 22^ND

St. John’s will be hosting the second-annual “Dribble For The Cure” event, in support of the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, on Saturday, September 22nd from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is on campus, and it is a run/walk event in which everyone dribbles a basketball.

St. John’s legendary basketball coach Lou Carnesecca will be joined by a fellow legend, former baseball coach Jack Kaiser, for the event. Carnesecca said, “St. John’s has always been about giving back. This is an important cause, created by a St. John’s legend in Al McGuire, to help young people who have been affected by this terrible disease.”

St. John’s Men’s Basketball Coach Steve Lavin said of the event, “St. John’s Basketball is proud to be associated with the Dribble for the Cure event on St. John’s campus. This is a special day that will both raise funds for cancer research and create greater awareness for the importance of developing a cure for pediatric cancer.”

Lavin will be joined by Women’s Basketball Coach Joe Tartamella for the event, and it was announced last week that New York Knicks legend John Starks will also be on hand for the event.

LAVIN COMPLETES COACHING STAFF

St. John’s Head Coach Steve Lavin announced that Darrick Martin has joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach, replacing Mike Dunlap, who took the head coaching job with the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats during the summer.



Darrick Martin while he played for the Toronto Raptors.



Martin played at point guard for 13 seasons in the NBA. and worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves the past two seasons as an assistant coach and player development specialist. He is the third coach with NBA experience on the staff, as Rico Hines was with the Golden State Warriors from 2005-06 to 2009-10 and special assistant Gene Keady coached with the Toronto Raptors in the 2005-06 season.

Martin said, “I am really excited for the opportunity to work with Coach Lavin, our staff and student-athletes. There is a huge comfort level for me, having played for Coach Lavin and knowing Rico Hines coming in. I have met the staff and I am looking forward to working with this talented roster, and helping the student-athletes develop on and off the court.”

Lavin said of Martin, “I have known Darrick personally for more than 20 years, and our staff is pleased he has chosen to become a member of the Johnnies basketball family. With our current team being one of the youngest in school history, the timing is ideal for Darrick to join forces with our staff to assist in our efforts to return St. John’s to college basketball prominence.”

Martin also got an endorsement from Earvin “Magic” Johnson, a five-time NBA World Champion, three-time NBA MVP, 1992 Dream Team Olympic Gold Medalist, and a friend and mentor to Martin. “Darrick has a great basketball mind and is an excellent student and teacher of the game. He’s a bona fide gym rat who is dedicated to achieving greatness. If any student-athletes are serious about hitting it hard and improving their game, Darrick Martin is their man!” said Johnson.

Lavin also announced that assistant coaches Rico Hines and Tony Chiles have been promoted within the coaching staff.

Hines and Chiles joined the staff when Lavin took over in 2010, and were a big part of helping the team reach the NCAA Tournament in 2011.

Lavin said, “Coach Hines and Coach Chiles are clearly deserving of this promotion. From the outset of my tenure at St. John’s, these two talented coaches have been tirelessly working alongside me, and their contributions have been vital to our efforts as we diligently work toward putting the Johnnies in position to be a consistent winner.”