The leader of the St. John’s college basketball program, Steve Lavin, says he has prostate cancer. The 46-year-old coach released a statement Friday saying the diagnosis came in September, but he was told that he could delay his treatment for the disease until after the season was completed.
Treatment will commence in the coming weeks and it should not affect his coaching, or take time away from the sidelines. The former UCLA coach was hired by St. John’s in April after seven years as an analyst at ESPN.
By Paul M. Banks
Lav turned around the SJU program during his first season. The Red Storm finished 21-12 and tied for third in the Big East. They made their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002, losing to Gonzaga in the second round.
Lavin inherited a roster with 10 seniors, but also hauled in an impressive recruiting class for next season. After some concerning losses to some questionable mid-majors, St. John’s won eight of nine with four wins over ranked teams; including Duke.
But for now basketball takes a back seat to personal health in this story. All of us here at TSB wish him a speedy recovery.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest webzine. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
He does a regular guest spot each week for Chicagoland Sports Radio.com You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank
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