Steve Lavin.
Steve Lavin, who had prostate cancer surgery back on October 6, missed the first game of St. John’s season, returned to the bench for the next four, then missed two more last week. And Lavin now tells ESPN that he won’t return to the bench again until he’s regained the necessary stamina. Said the Red Storm coach: “It became clear that presently I have not recovered enough from surgery to lead the team through the toil of a game.” Lavin said that while lower-stress activities such as taking notes at practice or watching a prospect in a high-school game aren’t too taxing, “it’s the game coaching that presents the biggest challenge” at this stage in his recuperation. St. John’s next plays on Thursday night, at No. 1 Kentucky. [ESPN]