Right. A team like CC has been intact with good chemistry, and in the second game, a team like LSU who is in big-time rebuilding mode with multiple new starters, is just not there yet. They need a few games to start building chemistry. A loss will hopefully fuel fire, and by the 5th to 7th game, they are starting to gel and play motivated and get a little streak going. This is a nearly completely new LSU team this year w/several new starters. One can only hope and stay positive.
We got killed on the boards. I think things will get better as time goes on. I'm still pretty excited about this season.
Glad to see the voice of reason coming through, guys. It's the second game of the season, with a freshman PG starting, among other new guys. I am terribly hesitant to make this sound like a broken record, though, and "youth" can't be an excuse. But, here's the silver lining. Yes, this is a decent Coastal Carolina team that went far in the NIT last year. They also had some new players, but this was a packed road house, and fundamental team, playing against a LSU team that while more talented, let's be frank "needs to learn how to win." That's the only thing I see as being the X factor this year. Where's the leadership, discipline and hunger to win going to come from this season? Hickey--the point guard, but a kid's that had played all of 1 game as of last night? Turner? A quiet sophomore who's a good player, but someone that has to lead by example? Hamilton? A RS Junior with experience, but much like White last year--his first year in a LSU uniform? Storm Warren? Frankly, here's why this guy is on the court--he played a good game last night and needs to assert himself vocally on this team--get guys motivated, hungry, playing hard and defending and rebounding. That's his suit and he needs to amp it up like T-Train did on the 2006-7 teams. Here's the other silver lining. I saw this team go up last night, lose the lead and frankly in last year's team, you might just simply see the team fold. I was pleased with the comeback rally. And even though it was a loss still (and shouldn't have been if this team figured out to keep the pressure on the opponent's throat) there was some fight here early in the season and the ability to play and make this close. The other silver lining is this... after essentially shooting their way to a win against NSU, this team shot a pretty dismal 35% from the field and 26% from 3 land. Call it being on the road or just having an off night, but you have to assume we can shoot it better than that on average. The more troubling thing of course was the rebounding. If your shot is off, you have to go at it even harder on defense and on the boards--that's the maturity and ability to amp it up in otherways and something that I look for guys like Hamilton, O'Bryant and Warren to take to heart, as well as guys like Turner, White, Ludwig and Isaac when they get on the court. To be outrebounded by these guys was a matter of effort and better positioning--but things that can and must be corrected. If LSU doesn't lose the battle in the glass, despite the poor shooting night, LSU wins. This team does need a little bit of time to gel and well, no better time to do it than the present--4 games on the road, now on to the Charleston Classic. This reminds me of some of the Preseason NIT that LSU played in NY a few years back... an early time to really find out what this team can do early in the season. That year LSU sort of was overmatched by a UConn team and let a ASU team beat them up in the second half. I'd like to see LSU get a couple of wins this time around to get some confidence going. Acheivable in this field if the Tigers are smart and play hard. :geaux::bball::geauxtige:LSU231:
Hey guys, I had a chance to go to the game last night. Great game for us, obviously, but y'all shouldn't be too disappointed - your guys should have a pretty good year. Your team is very talented. Once they've had some time to build that "winning chemistry" like another poster mentioned, I'm sure they will do great things in the SEC. I do have to say, one of your guys did kick one of ours in the head after he knocked him down onto the floor. That wasn't very cool, but it is what it is. Even some of his own teammates were giving him the "WTF?" look after he did it. Other than that, it was a great game - we'll be rooting for you the rest of the way this season (unless we happen to meet again in the postseason, of course). Feel free to come visit us over at http://www.coastalfans.com - GO CHANTS! :grin:
Hmm, sounds like he's been hanging around one of our QBs too much. I hope you're right. Thanks for the post and good luck, as well.
Not to flame our posters, but some of this "fire the coach" stuff and the sky is falling stuff on other boards is already killing me. I understand that the loss to a non-BCS school stuff is perhaps off-putting to the LSU football fan, but let's just keep things in perspective. Long Beach St vs. Pittsburgh - Recap - November 16, 2011 - College Basketball - SI.com Pitt gets upset by Long Beach State (at home). Vanderbilt (predicted top 2 in the SEC) already loses to Cleveland State (at home no less). Miss St loses to Elon (where is Elon?). UCLA loses to Loyola Marymount. Duke barely gets by Belmont. Let's not put too much into the early season games as though the season's over folks. Let's also not lose sight of the fact that this is a very different team than last year, personnel wise. That said, I'll be watching the Tigers play Big 10 mid-pack team, Northwestern today! ESPNU at around 2 p.m.! :geaux::LSU231:
I don't think you would see that type of talk if we weren't coming off 2 horrid seasons. That being said, I agree it is premature to write this season off. At the Nicholls game it was apparant that we are a more talented team. The question will be how quickly this team gels and learns how to win. I think talent alone gets us 5-7 SEC wins. I don't know what the upper limit is, but I think it is heading in the right direction.
We will never be able to compete with top programs for the program changing blue chippers. Our goal should be to be competitive with everybody in the conference except Kentucky, because we'll never be at that level. It is what it is. The PMAC can be fun and exciting, but we have to know our place.
