I agree that TJ is going to make LSU a Top 25 program. But, keeping in mind that I'm part of the peanut gallery when it comes to basketball knowledge... One part of me was telling me that we looked horrible out there. In the local newspaper this morning, our performance was described as "ugly," "miserable" etc. It looked like our guys were just a bunch of guys playing street ball with no coach. I was trying to read TJ's body language when the camera was on him to see what the problem was... has he just lost control of this team? Did the team just say "forget the coach, he doesn't know what he is doing... let's just do it our way?" Or was it (esp. based on his body language late in the game) more like TJ thinking: "These players are just uncoachable, they don't listen or learn." Even after we made that run to get within one at the end of the game, it still looked like TJ was thinking "this team has no chance of winning." However, I was encouraged by how the announcers said that "Trent Johnson told us that his players are trying as hard as they can." I mean it was (still is) a tough situation, we were 0-7 in SEC play (now 0-8), we had lost 10 of our last 11 (now 11 of our last 12)... and here were are at home hanging with #14 Tennessee... it could have been our players just got too excited (or "desperate" as the announcers said) and so all the coaching they got just went out the window. Of course, all but two of our guys are underclassmen, so they are still pretty much green. But TJ is still sticking up for them. In the paper this morning he said: Tigers guard Bo Spencer was double teamed near the LSU bench and flipped the ball to Tasmin Mitchell about three feet beyond the 3-point line. Mitchell said he got a good look at the basket but his shot hit the back inside of the rim with eight seconds left and Tennessee rebounded. ... Said LSU Coach Trent Johnson: "We knew they were going to double-team Bo. Bo was supposed to turn back to Taz, which he did. It's just that Taz was too deep. You can't fault the execution. ????????????? However, the other part of me loved the game. It was great to hang with the #14 team all the way to the end... the crowd was into it, the student section was rocking... the band was playing... it was a good game to watch. And it was great to see Bo get 25 points.
What is pretty clear to me is that we are quite short on talent, but Johnson has some not so good players playing tough defense. I really think we see a marked turnaround next year, and call me crazy, but I say we win Saturday.
i dont buy it. certainly theyd be much better, middle of the pack SEC with a shot at ncaa, but no way top 15 without better guard play hell, last years team wasnt top 15 (ok they were for one week) he's said so much as he doesnt worry too much about the offensive end and there's no use in bashing the kids crazy. uk 78-42
Crazier things have happened. :geauxtige Although this isn't the same comparison being that UK, along with KU, is the most talented team in the country... I did see a 7-14 Univ of San Francisco team upset #13 Gonzaga at San Francisco last week... it was a team getting up to play the #1 team in their conference and the USF guy got red-hot and was dropping threes all over the place.
Folks, this is the price we pay for giving Brady the boot. Many of us knew it was coming and were willing to accept it. CTJ's recruiting philosophy is a little bit too much on the other extreme from coaches like Brady for my taste, but will pay out much better long-term dividends.
well the offense is atrocious, we all know that, but this team isn't bad defensively. 59 points isn't too much to give up to tennessee?
you have to remember that the SEC is a lot better than last season too. not to trivialize what LSU did last season, of course.
