St. John's basketball coach Steve Lavin says he has prostate cancer.
The 46-year-old coach says in a statement Friday he was diagnosed in September but was told he could delay treatment until after the season. He will undergo treatment in the coming weeks and says it will not affect his coaching.
Lavin turned around St. John's basketball in his first season. The Red Storm went 21-12 and tied for third in the Big East. They made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002, losing to Gonzaga in the second round.
Lavin inherited a roster with 10 seniors. After a rough start, St. John's won eight of nine with four of the wins over ranked teams.
The former UCLA coach was hired by St. John's in April after seven years at ESPN.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
