LSU Men's Basketball - 2013-14

The NIT it is. Wonder what chance we have to host a round?

 

I can't remember an lsu team with such different personalities.

 

So, for the first time since I moved out here to the Bay almost 35 years ago an LSU men's team is playing the Bay. Tix are but $10, but I just can't get hyped about the Not Interested Tournament. Plus the fact that it's a school night and crappy parking + the 70 mile round trip from my house doesn't sound fun. PLUS the fact it'll be on TV anyway.

 

this game is all about the future of lsu bball. sit obryant unless he says he'll stay.

 

Fuck that noise. Play to win the game. The future will log minutes, and play better with JOB getting double teamed.

 

Haven't posted in a while, and frankly, post UGA game, I've been a little underwhelmed with LSU basketball. Have to say it was a little bit of a let down. Then, in the SECtourney, was happy to see the Bama win and somewhat unsurprised but yet tiny bit bitter with how LSU folded against the Cats. Not sure a tourney birth was really up for grabs without a deep, deep run in the SECT and winning it, but with ONLY 3 teams getting into the NCAAT, frankly, it probably would have taken a win of it all. That said, the other two close to sniffing the birth, Arkansas, Mizzou, and UGA didn't do themselves any favors in the SECT and the match-ups could have gone LSU's way. I really feel like if LSU had beat UGA in the last game of the season and made it to the final of the SECT, they would have gotten strong consideration. Oh well.

That said, I'm coming around to getting fired up about the NIT. Look, yes, it's the almost in tourney. But, when you look at progressions of improving teams and programs, they almost always go through the NIT. Go back and look at LSU history and see where our program took that 2-4 year improvement path, and there's always been a NIT in there. You look also at the powers that be in the SEC, and the NCAA is sending an implicit message to the SEC. Your teams (and there are many of you) are not quite good enough... prove yourself in the NIT. So, many of our brethren, including Missouri, Georgia, and Arkansas, are there--some folks like Alabama and Ole Miss, who arguably have "decent" SEC programs, wish they were there. You also look at the squads that didn't make the NCAAT and make the NIT. SMU with the HOF coach, Larry Brown, along with basketball powers like Georgetown, Florida State, St. Mary's, St. Johns, Clemson, are included in the field. Good coaches, and good programs, are in the field--in short, this still amounts to tournament play and an avenue for this program to continue to play and improve. We hopefully are looking at this opportunity for more coaching, player development, and perhaps most importantly, creating a hunger and experience level in your players for next year. I look ironically at Virginia, with relative new comer coach, Tony Bennett (who by the way was rumored for the LSU job), who took his Cavaliers from a NIT quarterfinal last year to a one seed and an ACC championship this year. So, before the nega-Tigers poo-poo this step in the right direction for this program, let's not underestimate the value of the NIT.

Which brings me now to the USF Dons. A team coached by a very revered Bay Area product and former Kansas standout Rex Walters. This USF team finished third in their conference behind BYU and Gonzaga. Matching up with them at home will no doubt be a challenge for the underdog Tigers. Their team is loaded with big guards and three point shooters, who frankly, give LSU fits. I'll be watching for whether our perimeter defense has improved and whether our now "experienced" players can create offensive efficiency, and playing smart to exploit our advantage, our inside presence and more athletic presence generally. Win this game and it's a nice testament to how this team has adapted later in this season. Lose the game and it may be a wake up call to talented freshman and incoming transfers/signees that nothing comes easy in college basketball and they have to work to get to the ultimate prize next year. ESPNU and ESPN3 tonight.

As an aside, it's interesting despite 7 SEC teams in postseason play, that the overshadowing news in SEC hoops seems to be Auburn's hiring of Bruce Pearl. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...deal-auburn-tigers-starts-22-million-annually
Auburn makes a statement paying their basketball coach $2.2M per. I think it's only a matter of time before the SEC is back at that 5 or 6 teams getting in level where they should be.

 

Thanks for the excellent summaries during the season. I agree that there is a benefit to playing in the NIT. While I'll watch the game tonight, I can't force myself to be care much about it and have given up on any excitement for this season (unless maybe if they make it to NYC).

I will once again be really excited about next year's team with the returning and incoming talent. Hopefully, this string of being disappointed every year with the basketball program will finally end. I saw some good things with this year's team but expected much more. I can't put my finger on what they were missing. Perhaps interior defense, which I thought would be a strength with our size.

 

I watched it also. Good game at times.