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MBK: Jarvis Signs On To Coach Florida Atlantic
May 27, 2008
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
BOCA RATON, Fla.(AP) Mike Jarvis found a home in Boca Raton four years ago. Now, he's got a job to with it.
Jarvis was introduced Tuesday as the men's basketball coach at Florida Atlantic, returning to run a program for the first time since St. John's fired him six games into the 2003-04 season.
University trustees still must formally approve the hiring, a process that now seems little more than a formality. Jarvis' four-year deal almost certainly will become official Wednesday.
``This is our town,'' said Jarvis, who has worked as a columnist and commentator since departing from St. John's. ``This is going to be our story.''
At FAU, Jarvis - who bought and moved into a Boca Raton home in 2004 and will have about a 10-minute commute to work - will replace Rex Walters, who left after two seasons to take over at San Francisco. The Owls were 15-18 last season, 8-10 in the Sun Belt Conference, and should have five of their top six scorers back for Jarvis' debut campaign.
``No one has wanted to get back into coaching more than me,'' Jarvis said.
And once again, the Owls have made a splashy hire.
A school that already has Howard Schnellenberger coaching football - his Owls won the Sun Belt and were the only team from the pigskin-crazed Sunshine State to win a bowl game last season - and hired former North Carolina coach Matt Doherty to lead the basketball program three years ago now can add Jarvis to its marquee lineup.
``I am convinced it was a matter of time before he landed somewhere back in the big game,'' FAU president Frank Brogan said. ``We are glad that that big game now includes Florida Atlantic University.''
Jarvis has reached the NCAA tournament at all three of his previous stops: Boston University, George Washington and St. John's, which he guided within one game of the Final Four in his first season there, 1998-99.
It was all downhill after that, and the fall not only cost him that job, it probably kept him from getting others, including past openings at FAU. He interviewed for the job that went to Doherty in 2005.
Under Jarvis, the Red Storm won only one more NCAA tournament game after his first season and had several players get into trouble both on and off the court. Plus, St. John's was ultimately placed on two years' probation because a member of the basketball staff - not one of Jarvis' assistant coaches, however - made improper payments to a player during Jarvis' tenure in Queens.
``It was something I had to get comfortable with,'' said FAU athletic director Craig Angelos, who vetted Jarvis with dozens of phone calls and interviews with people who know him and have worked with him. ``Over time, I came to have a real comfort level that we can go forward and move past this.''
That probation ended earlier this month. Coincidentally, Jarvis has now found his way back into coaching.
If Jarvis is going to take another team to the NCAAs, he'll likely have to overcome quite a rebuilding challenge.
Since moving to Division I, the Owls are 148-280, with only three winning seasons in the last 11 years. And Florida Atlantic has been to the NCAAs just once, in 2002.
``We're going to be playing in the dance,'' Jarvis said. ``I don't know when. I'm not making those promises. But I am promising you that before very long, we're going to be having a party here.''
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Transfers figure to make impact next season
By Bob McClellan, Rivals.com College Basketball Editor
May 28, 2008
The 2008-09 transfer class doesn’t appear to have anyone who will make the kind of impact players such as Devan Downey, Tyler Smith and Robert Vaden made this past season.
Then again, you never know. The reason some of these faces are in new places is because they believed they didn’t get enough of an opportunity. With more minutes, perhaps they’ll have the kind of impact of Downey and Smith, both first-team All-SEC players.
Some mid-major schools are welcoming multiple high-major transfers. Georgia State coach Rod Barnes will have five players eligible this season from the likes of the ACC, Big East and SEC. And a few “Big Six” schools are bringing in former mid-major guys who want better competition.
We’ll reserve the right to name a top 10 list of impact transfers closer to the beginning of the season, once practices have begun and coaches have a better idea of who is ready to deliver. For now, though, here are some players (listed alphabetically) to keep in mind who have changed addresses for next season:
TRANSFERS TO WATCH
Denis Clemente, Kansas State (from Miami)
Clemente was a starter for the Hurricanes. He put together a solid sophomore season, averaging 9.8 points and 3.3 assists.
Kareem Cooper, UTEP (from Memphis)
Cooper, a 6-11, 290-pound behemoth, averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in just 10.8 minutes per game as a freshman with the Tigers.
Reginald Delk, Louisville (from Mississippi State)
Delk averaged 9.5 points two seasons ago for the Bulldogs, then transferred out along with his twin brother, Richard, who landed at Troy. Reginald is a 6-4 shooting guard with deep range.
Anthony Gurley, Massachusetts (from Wake Forest)
Gurley, a former Rivals.com four-star shooting guard prospect, averaged 6.4 points in just 14.5 minutes per game as a freshman in the ACC.
Xavier Hansbro, Georgia State (from Ole Miss)
Hansbro committed to play for Rod Barnes and the Rebels before Barnes was fired. The two are reunited at Georgia State, and the coach believes Hansbro, a 6-10 junior, could be a major force offensively.
Chris Lutz, Marshall (from Purdue)
Lutz, a 6-2 guard, was one of the top 3-point shooters in the country during his freshman season with the Boilermakers, knocking down 47.2 percent from long range.
Jamel McLean, Xavier (from Tulsa)
McLean, a 6-8 forward, averaged 6.0 points and was second on the Golden Hurricane at 4.8 rebounds per game in the 2006-07 season. He could start for the Musketeers.
Mike Mercer, South Florida (from Georgia)
Mercer, a 6-4 former Rivals.com five-star prospect, averaged 13.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists as a sophomore for the Bulldogs before being dismissed from the team before his junior season for failure to adhere to team standards and policies.
Magnum Rolle, Louisiana Tech (from LSU)
Another former Rivals.com five-star prospect, the 6-10 Rolle averaged 4.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks as a sophomore with the Tigers in 2006-07.
Sylvester Seay, Fresno State (from Arizona State)
The 6-9 forward will be counted on heavily by the Bulldogs. He played in only 38 games in two seasons with the Sun Devils, averaging 4.2 points.
Zaire Taylor, Missouri (from Delaware)
Taylor played in 14 games for the Blue Hens as a sophomore, averaging 10.3 points and 4.9 boards. He’s a 6-4 guard with great athleticism who can really defend. He also is a capable scorer, as evidenced by a 30-point outburst as a sophomore against Loyola (Md.).
Joe Trapani, Boston College (from Vermont)
The 6-8 forward averaged 11.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game his freshman season for the Catamounts, and he decided he wanted to play against higher-level competition. The Eagles beat out Providence and Michigan during the re-recruitment of Trapani.
Jamel White, Louisiana Tech (from Nebraska)
White, a 6-3 guard, averaged 9.3 points as a freshman for the Huskers and should start immediately.
Tre’Von Willis, UNLV (from Memphis)
Willis couldn’t find room in a crowded Tigers backcourt, averaging 2.6 points before leaving after his freshman season. The Rebels will make room for him.
Ryan Wright, Oklahoma (from UCLA)
Wright’s numbers (1.9 ppg, 1.2 rpg) in Westwood weren’t great, but the 6-9 forward did play on two Final Four teams. The Sooners believe he can contribute immediately.
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