LFBall makes a great point in his most recent post: where is Coach Norm Roberts' extension? Is St. John's actually just waiting for someone else to take the job after next season, allowing the coach to finish out his supposedly "rollover" contract?
If so, they should just let the man go now and get a new coach if they don't think he can turn it around. If not, they need to hammer out some kind of deal; at the very least, one with many out clauses just to help recruiting and build a sense of stability.
If the administration wants Norm to finish out the contract and plan to let him go, what if he's moderately successful? Then they have crippled recruiting for a full (and fairly well stocked) 2009, and 2010 as well.
Lame duck coaches do no one much good. Attendance and season tickets will be low, interest in the program will be apathetic without some resolution. And if Coach Roberts does not achieve, say, at least an NIT berth (which I hope is criteria for keeping him, unless the administration has made up their minds), the next coach will have an Anthony Mason Jr. sized scoring hole in the team.