Checking In with LSU Hoops (2012-13): Schedule is Out!

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So, obviously, everyone's hyped about the football season and the seemingly typical pre-season drama in Tigertown with yesterday's news. But, the recent release of this year's LSU mens hoops schedule in some ways perhaps signals the dawn of an even more significant time for LSU hoops. Another attempt to revive a once proud and dominant LSU basketball program, this time by one of its own... Johnny Jones.

While in the past, I've written fairly in-depth outlines of my thoughts on the coming season, I'll choose this time to just impart some random thoughts. Afterall, optimism is customary with a new coach in a new era. It was the same way with Trent before he won the 2008-9 SEC Championship. Despite some "softness" in his recruiting his first year, he took a veteran team and coached them up to new heights. Ultimately recruiting sort of did him in, after 4 years.

Enter Johnny Jones, who came in with some fire and brimstone and excitement that the program had not seen for a while. And, I believe the sentiment on the board and other boards was certainly ... "finally". Well, where do we stand some time later? I give Jones a A- for doing probably his more important job... building a staff. Pulling together a staff of Robert Kirby, David Patrick, Charlie Leonard and Tom Kelsey shows a diversity of staff from various eras in Jones' coaching life and to me provides some broader, national and international reach, than it ever had. Losing Forrest who was a big Texas recruiter might have been a blow, and David Patrick is less proven as a coach. However, Kirby is the big land here. Building a staff is a very underappreciated part of college basketball, but likely one of the biggest long-term indicator of how you'll do. The staff recruits and coaches every bit as much if not more than the HC. Given some of the new NCAA rules on recruiting and coaching in the summer, what I'll be interested to see is what has this staff done with these guys this summer.

Recruiting. Here is likely where Jones and his predecessor draw so many comparisons. Jones seemed to be everywhere... Trent, nowhere. Yes, I would caution board mongers from jumping on the bandwagon. Be cognizant of what is fire, smoke and a smoke screen. Yes, LSU is actively out there but unless your smoke turns to fire and then it turns into a signing, the recruiting is just that, recruiting. So far, we've seen Jones pull two rabbits out of the hat... Calvin Godfrey (who's rumored to be having issues with getting to LSU?) and Corban Collins. He's lost Ralston Turner and he hasn't signed any bigs, after going after various fish. If Godfrey falls through, our team would have added some backcourt depth, which is certainly a good thing, but not significantly upgraded the talent given that we've lost Hamilton and Turner. I'm optimistic that we've added some good players, and are on the hunt for others, but this will still be a trying year, where Jones' new style of ball, his coaching, and continued need to sign not just more "middling" players, but truly "impact" players will be under the microscope. If there's any real judge of the success of his tenure, it will be how these current kids are molded, and how they look in a new system--will they improve? Will a guy like Johnny O' Bryant become a dominant force this year, or will teams be able to neutralize him, especially if a guy like Hickey or Stringer, aren't able to get their shots to fall? The play of guys like Coleman, Ludwig, Courtney (and improvement of same), in addition to new kids like Morgan, Hammink and Collins will be so key in determining the snowball effect of Jones on the program. Recruits have certainly come to LSU with more "unofficial" visits... but what is it going to take to get them to sign with LSU? That's still the question with guys like Jerrell Martin, Damien Jones, Victor Craig. Whether it's Trent or Jones, there are still some questions about LSU as a basketball program. Something on the court has to change.

So, that brings me to the schedule. With the new SEC format of 18 games, with 5 home and homes, and 8 then some rotating games, I like the format, but let's not kid ourselves, the league is tougher. LSU gets lumped into a new section as Miss St, Texas A&M, Missouri, South Carolina, and Alabama, who they play twice. They lose Auburn and Ole Miss as home and homes. Wow. Now, Miss St is rebuilding for sure. But, Texas A&M and Missouri from the Big 12 are frankly tough series and the SEC gains probably more in basketball than they do in football in that deal. Alabama I think is going to come back to reality a little bit with Grant's recent recruiting and player defections and the like, but Devonte Pollard plus a relatively young team, still adds up to a tough home and home. South Carolina is a surprise for me--and well, not too threatening under Darrin Horn. Different story now with Frank Martin, who you know is a good coach. Throw in the Floridas, Vanderbilts, and Kentuckys that LSU still has to play, and well, that SEC schedule has now become even more brutal. I wouldn't necessarily get your hopes up this season (particularly if we lose a Godfrey or aren't able to bring in meaningful reinforcements)--and then, we're back to the same place that Trent was... trying to build a program despite ultimate success on the courts. Will fans show up despite mediocre, or non-winning results? Will the fans support a hopefully competitive team, fun to watch team, despite a .500 record in the SEC? That all remains to be seen, and part of the job for Jones and staff to embrace.

I'm still optimistic and can't wait until the tip off. The schedule allows LSU a slight tune up with the typical slate of cream puffs, but that slate is shortened. Away games at Marquette also line up the tough SEC slate. To me it still comes down to coaching (i.e., can we see some fight and improvement in player development despite what may be an up and down season) and recruiting. Until I see a kid like Martin or Jones or Craig commit to the Tigers, unlike Ricardo Gathers who chose to go elsewhere--LSU will not be back to the point where it was. As we know, that's certainly not a given these days, and fans need to support the program regardless in these building years of Johnny Jones.

 

Finally! I have been waiting for you to post some basketball stuff! Thanks, man.

 

Good insight !!

 

Good stuff, as always. Realistically I'm not expecting a .500 SEC record. I'm looking to see how players improve as individuals, and how the team improves as a whole, over the course of a season. How much of the sloppy play, shot selection, turnovers, boards, etc. gets cleaned up? How well will they adapt to a new system? All interesting things to watch.

Johnny's going to get his honeymoon period. I hope he makes the most of it.

 

But the real acid test for Jones is recruiting in the long run.

 

A famous economist once said that in the long run, we're all dead.

 

We hope it's the long run.

 

I think there is some decent talent there. A few bounces the right way and they will be competitive. I'm optimistic without being overly. I realize where we have to go from here...but I'll enjoy watching as I always have.

 

http://www.thesportsbank.net/college-bball/96-lsu-tigers-college-basketball-111-in-111/

Ranked #96....
Glad to see you back tigernhornedland!

 

Kind of interesting that we are ahead of USCe, Georgia, and Auburn in this particular ranking. As young, inexperienced, and unknown as we are, are those teams really worse, lol?