St. John's vs Syracuse game thread: Lavin not with team, Southerland back

First and foremost, our condolences to Steve Lavin and his family on the passing of his father, Albert "Cap" Lavin, the city of San Francisco's legendary coach. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

"Strength and depth, those are the two things that come to mind," Steve said, referring to his father. "There's a depth, a gravitas and then a strong will, an inner strength that distinguishes him.

"And then what balances that is the charisma, the sense of humor and a spirit of gratitude that lights up a room."

"He was such an effective teacher.... He was able to take the subjects of philosophy or existentialist thinking or poetry, some of the classics, and make (them) relevant and real and connected with the common touch."

Lavin will not be with the team, and Rico Hines will coach in his place.

Also, James Southerland - the Syracuse sixth man and another long wing scorer - returns for the Orange, after being cleared in an eligibility hearing on Friday.

Our game preview: St. John's vs Syracuse preview: can the Johnnies take one upstate?