I don't want to mischaracterize what you're saying, but it sounds to me like you're suggesting that the top basketball programs are a closed clubhouse, no new members allowed, regardless of the $ and resources invested in the program and lasting success is dumb luck. Put another way, if a school is not a traditional basketball power and assuming its administration is serious about becoming a regular Sweet 16 contender, what would need to be done to make that a reality if money and fan interest are non-factors? I guess the analogy to my line of thinking is the recent success LSU has had in moving up academically to the top tier of universities, which is a tremendous turnaround from where LSU was when I was a freshman in the late 90s. Will LSU ever be able to compete with the Harvards, MITs, or Yales of the world in terms of resources, money or top-quality students? Probably not, but the recent administrations were not content to keep LSU a #1 party school. Instead of resigned to being a 3rd tier school, they engaged in aggressive fundraising, increased admission standards and further prioritized teaching and research. That has translated into results. Apples and oranges? Maybe, but it demonstrates how a fundamental shift in mentality can bring about success.
not exactly. if the $ was there then the program would always have a top coach (or atleast have a substandard one only briefly) and usually top facilities (the very top ones dont seem to need it to lure recruits, fans---which is the reason to have them). without the $ then it is largely luck. and when you do hit the jackpot, there is a good chance the coach leaves and you need to hit the jackpot again. the $ will not be there without a steady and large fanbase or a T Boone Pickens/Phil Knight alumnus. apples to oranges because basketball success is largely dependent on one person
We have a basketball team? :wave: The only time after the Dale Brown era, that has got my attention is when they have had a superstar player. Swift, Baby Shaq, Bass etc.... if they do not have someone worth watching, I really have lost all interest. I watched in the 80's when Dale could motivate his grandmother to go out and play, and put up 20 points. Until we get a real coach, not saying the new one is'nt, I really do not care about college basketball until March Madness. Even then it is more to bet on the brackets. I have seen some posts saying that Brady was a good coach????? Please that is like saying that Dinardo should never have been fired. We have the money for a basketball program. Give me a big name basketball coach, and I will start caring again. I would even pay for a premium package to watch the team.
That's exactly right. What I meant was relative to fan support for other sports. As horrible as the 80s and early-mid 90s LSU football teams were, Tiger Stadium was always packed on Saturday nights, and a lot of that has to do with the football and tailgating culture in Louisiana. However, other posters are correct when they say that fan support for basketball at LSU has been fragile in recent years. The basketball culture that you see in the ACC and Big East just doesn't exist here, that would normally see a packed PMAC even in bad seasons. Even our Final Four team in 2005-06 didn't generate much interest. Some people like myself feel that fan apathy had more to do with Brady's well-documented inconsistency and that his attitude/recruiting/retention problems compounded the situation, while others feel he was never given a fair shot. And to be fair, he walked into a horrible situation in the aftermath of NCAA sanctions and had unbelievable injury problems last year. However, I don't buy the idea that our fans are somehow programmed to not be strong basketball fans, but we need a consistently well-performing program for that to happen, and we never had that under Brady.
I'd say the AD has a big say since he's the guy making the hire. It still comes back to your ambition and goals for the program. Do you want to make enough money to break even or be marginally profitable, or do you want to take a risk and make a more significant investment that may or may not generate significant long-term returns?
i pretty much agree with you except for "others feel he was never given a fair shot". ive never heard of anyone that thought that way. 10 yrs, sanctions and all, is definitely a fair shot.
He had his shot. My beef is with the vast majority of fans who wanted him gone from the day he arrived on campus. Even our FF appearances were in spite of him according to your average LSU fan.
This part I'll agree with you. Some fans continue to think that getting to the FF in '06 had nothing to do with the coach, just the players. But, Brady's inconsistency and coaching lapses did cost him in the end. As someone put it earlier, it'll be interesting to see what long-term Trent can do. I do agree Trent will have less "lows" and more stability year over year. But, can he recruit well enough to have that high of the FF? I am getting concerned that his recruiting philosophies may not land the lottery picks that Brady/Butch did. Certainly not anything more than a hunch, b/c Trent has not been able to recruit at LSU that long yet. But, he wasn't able to hold TMG and Morgan. He's been in some battles this year and gotten some traction, but I worry a little bit about Trent's ability to flat out recruit the best of the best. Don't get me wrong, I think folks view him as a very solid, trustworthy coach. But, how is he really going to stack up against many of the big programs/big coaches recruiting at LSU? That's the real test, and it begins with 2010...
i hope this turns out to be true. i prefer my coach to go after good ballplayers that want to be in school and will stay for 4 yrs. do not go after kendrick perkins, stanley roberts, stromile swift, shawnson johnson. if a tyrus thomas comes out of nowhere, then so be it. the team will always have plenty of seniors and a full roster. they will be skilled, disciplined and savvy. they will be fewer blocked shots and dunks, though, so i dont know if pmac attendance would be high.
PMAC attendance is only high for big SEC games and high-ranked teams. Other than that, basketball attendance is not something to brag about.
