Hoops Recruiting (2007-2008)

One more thing, as far as Brady goes. One of the issues with him continues to be lack of fan support for the program. Everyone knows that LSU, Baton Rouge, the admin, the fans etc. have more of a football orientation than basketball. But Dale Brown came in and built the support level up quite a bit. You can debate the reasons why, but Brady hasn't done that. Skip made it a point of focus a couple of years ago, and it has gone downhill since.

I was able to attend the LSU-Wash game last weekend, first game I've seen in the PMAC since leaving BR years ago. The PMAC looked nice, and I could see most of it since there were so few people covering up the seats. The friends I went with (who have season tickets) said it was the best attended game they'd seen this year even with the students being out - and the PMAC was over half empty. Ouch. It is really sad to see this state of affairs with LSU hoops.

 

First off, I'm trying real hard not to get into the fire Brady vs not... trying real hard to wait until the end of the season. Alot of what was said above certainly are fair characterizations of how the Brady era has gone. Erase two very good seasons (and let's be fair, how many SEC teams have ever gone the final four? Count a few... Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas, MSU and LSU?) and Brady's teams have always struggled in some form or fashion. My quick take is the guy is a decent coach and recruiter, smart enough to hire some good assistants, and one we got in perhaps the darkest times of LSU basketball. We had no choices really then, perhaps we do now. I still continue to question LSU's current commitment to the sport, and honestly, still have doubts whether the timing of Skip's retirement and a decent recruiting class coming in and bad luck for injuries this year, will buy CJB another year. And, then, who knows, with a true big in the middle next year, a healthier squad and a ton more experience, this team is a NCAA team next year.... Of course, that's the optimistic view.

Then, I come across this ESPN article from Andy Katz. Interesting read just because it really shows the ebb and flow of college hoops. A few years ago the SEC was the surprise conference of the hoops season. Now, we've got only a few SEC schools really even with the "resume" to get into the tournament. So, the question becomes, if Brady's doing such a bad job, are the rest of the SEC coaches also deserving of the can? We are talking about Rick Stansbury, Mark Gottfriend, Jeff Lebo, Dave Odom, Billy G. and Shelton---some of which still haven't been in the post season. Many of whom are dealing with "injuries" and "player issues" and "lack of depth". I guess it may be just that all SEC schools are "bad" this year and may argue generally about where hoops stands at many of the schools in the SEC. As long as you succeed in football, not a lot else matters. I wish it weren't so, but it is.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=3176760

 

TGer, thoughtful stuff as usual and some nice points in there. Some of those coaches you mention are probably getting near the end of their ropes (Lebo, maybe Odom), some have had enough success to earn a little patience (Stansbury), and Gillispie is basically rebuilding UK. (Probably put Felton in that category too since UGA was on pretty serious probation.) Some of those guys might be gone at schools in conferences with higher hoops profiles... so yeah, the SEC overall is not the most hard core hoop supporting conference in the land.

Two points about that, though. One, even Duke fires its football coach now and then. :grin: More seriously... to me, it just highlights even more that Florida is a model we should look to. (And lookee who our new system prez is!) Sure, they've got one of the biggest budgets in the country but that's a school which had very little hoops tradition before Billy D created it, very similar to the Spurrier effect.

It's no secret that the college hoops world today is ultra competitive, and in the era of one 'n done it's harder than ever to sustain a top 10 or even top 20 team every year. But I recall the stamp on LSU football for years being "talented but underachieving", "a sleeping giant" until a few people in the right place had the determination to change things and not accept that status quo. It can be done with LSU hoops too. Hopefully Lombardi will be a guy who can help push for the right people starting with the new AD soon.

 

Look, I hear you man. After another NC in football last night :milesmic: :grin: , emulating Florida would be nice--I would LOVE a national championship in hoops more than anything. Believe me, I was raised on Dale Brown hoops, and love LSU basketball.

With the eve of Brady's '08 SEC schedule about to start, and the football season officially over, I suppose it's an interesting time to post about the future of LSU hoops. As I mentioned some time before, Brady is one of those coaches that is bashed every year, and at least in past years, he's surprised folks with a late season push that gets him into the post season... I'm hoping that this can occur, but not particularly optimistic.

But, here's where I've been with Brady for a long time. I've defended him b/c he was our coach, and he's taken us to the Sweet 16 in the middle of our probation, and he took us to the final four a few years back. No matter what folks say, that's a difficult feat only achievable with players and coaching too. Has LSU underachieved in basketball? Yes, certainly last year. Probably this year, but for the fact that we've got several key injuries. The last few years are definitely erasing some of the good will from two years ago, and there will be some hard decisions that the new AD will have.

IF LSU decides to go after the next Billy D, I'm certainly supportive. The question will be is the next Billy D out there and will he come to LSU? Does this AD want to and can this AD hire the next Billy D? Are they willing to do so financially, emotionally, etc.? If so, let's do it. I remember posting a few years back that in order to turn LSU into a dominant program, you either hire a big name and drop the big bucks, or you take a gamble and hire the next mid-major coach and hope for the best. At the time, I threw out hiring Tim Floyd--NBA experience, LA ties. You can see what it would have taken to get him--USC, new arena and big bucks. We saw that LSU took that approach with the womens' program--go after a hall of fame coach, albeit a guy maybe that you can't ride for another decade. But, will they have the budget after $3.4M to Miles, PM, Van, etc., to do that for mens' hoops?

You can also take the mid-major route or young coach. That's what Tennessee, Ole Miss and Arkansas, to name a few, did. It seems to have worked out for them (to be fair, still early for Pelphry). That's also what Auburn (Lebo-UNC ties), Michigan (Amaker--Duke ties), and others did--those haven't gone so well. So, it's often a more complex question than just let's make a change. Because what change is this AD prepared to make? I'm in favor of a change, if it's going to lead to positive results. :thumb: But, is it as simple as saying let's go get the next Billy D. If so, let's just go hire Anthony Grant! :hihi:

In the meantime, I'm still watching LSU hoops and hoping they win the next one.

:geaux: :geauxtige :bball:

 

look at what UF did. they took a guy with a decent record (.600 win %) at Marshall. wasnt like he was on the fast-track.

my question is---IF lsu wants to put in big bucks, do we have anyone that knows how to pick a good bball coach? what? is skip gonna call dale for advice? hed probably recommend tony robbins or joel osteen.

i say get the best recruiter you can get and hope for the best.

 

with tas and QT there is no telling what the record would be. it may not be any different, but i'd guess itd be 10-3 at the worst. that would turn a poor rebounding team into a good/great one (with qt, tas and mt being good/great rebounders for their positions). you'd have QT at 5, AR at 4, TM at 3, MT at 2 and GT at 1. that leaves you with a decent young 1 (BS), two explosive offensive options (CM and TMartin) on the bench.

without the two best rebounders the team is toast. experience in the backcourt is the only thing there. that may be enough if there was one scrappy/experienced post guy there (ala lazare, bridgewater). but there isnt one so they are toast. really. and i dont care who the coach is---billy D could not get this team a winning SEC record.

im actually gonna stick up for cjb here (well, sort of). he's a good (above avg SEC) x's and o's coach. he's an avg SEC recruiter. his downfall is management. granted, it is very difficult now in college bball to have all the tools for a competitive team every year, but even so he's done a poor job at it.

that being said, its still poor form to get rid of cjb after/during a year when he loses 3 1/2 players.

 

Men's Basketball Drops SEC Opener to State, 61-39
WOW!!!!!! -22PTS

 

http://www.4shotsports.com

Read about Dennis Harris of Mundy Mills High School Maybe player of the year............. Go to the part of the page where you see Herny co.

Good Job!! Dennis...........

 

lombardi hired donovan

 

so.

i dont get it. are you saying LSU has a lombardi or doesnt have a lombardi?