(Mens) Basketball Wrap-Up Thread

typical bangwagon with no clue. This season has nothing to do with Brady. Johnson could have gone out and gotten a couple of players but decided not to. I dont blame him for this decision hes looking for the long run not short time. However to blame Brady is ignorant and shows your lack of knowledge of basketball. The reason we went 11/20 this year is b.c we lost 5 players as seniors who are all in the NBA now + Graham being kicked off + losing Alex for the season.

 

We only had one scholarship player I believe. Wasn't that because of APR troubles that Johnson inherited from the Brady regime?

And there's nothing wrong with hard core football fans jumping on the bandwagon in losing seasons because they love LSU...that's what LSU hoops fans should want. :tigereye:.

 

You may be right, but I hope you're wrong. Look I don't disagree with you... someone will have to step up. But, I guess the case I'd make is that there is really a very fine line between winning and losing sometimes. I think that this year we had several fairly close games where an injury, a missed shot, etc. would have made a difference. You think of too, how sometime confidence and luck in a season can make a lot of difference. We lost to WSU on the road in a very close game, Utah by two, Spencer is hurt against ASU, lose to MSU on a last second 3. Some of those games can be turned with better depth, healthier players. And as we saw in 2006 (so so early season turning for a big run with closer games going the Tigers way) vs 2007 & 2008 (relatively talented teams but where the teams could not get a chemistry going), often times the season can be dictated by minor or subtle swings. More importantly, and I think this got over looked this season, Malcolm White will bring "balance" to this team. Folks sort of get hung up on well, we lose Tas and will White be an equivalent replacement. I'd make the case that having White is in some ways a better replacement, b/c it allows the team to play folks in their natural positions. White down low instantly brings an inside scoring presence that wasn't here this year. It allows Warren to play freer down low, gives an inside threat to a greater number of outside shooters. Tas' while certainly an improved all-round player, created a little bit of disruption on the team in terms of is he playing outside, inside, is he taking jumpshots when he may be more effective playing in Warren's spot? And, then, is Warren really a center? I think you're going see our offense spike up by at least 10 points a game, just because folks are playing in their more natural roles. White at center, Warren, Ludwig at PF, Harris, Derenbecker, 3, SG can be filed by Spencer, Turner, Dotson, and you've got point guards that can score, Stringer, Miller to go along with Bass. You've got scoring now from the PG and C positions, which will make the 3 and 4 spots more productive.

I think though it's probably rational to be tempered about next year. But, I'm most excited about what another offseason will do for a guy like Dennis Harris, Storm Warren, Eddie Ludwig, Aaron Dotson. Don't forget, the Tigers will have the full benefit now of the new Practice Facility next to PMAC, and I do expect to see some improvement from those guys if they put the time in and follow the Trent offseason plan. Moreover, I don't think you can underestimate the value of talented recruits. Yes, you never know if they'll all pan out. But SOMEONE in that group will surprise.

And, if all else, that's why I suppose you see Trent going after Sherrard Brantley. 6-2 JUCO SG from Florida that shoots 43% from 3 land. :wink:

 

For the record, there are lot of reasonable people who'd debate this with you (i.e., whether Brady's recruiting had a hand in this lack of depth). But, in any case, it's water under the bridge. Trent missed out on a recruit or two in 2009, and wanted to load up in 2010, and that's what we have to look forward to.

 

I think I'm more or less with you. I thought a 4th place finish in the SEC West was reasonable, being better than maybe 2 other SEC West rivals. A 6-8, 5-9 season would have been that. But, what I didn't anticipate was the injury bug. Not only did Farrer go down, but Spencer's wrist injury was a big deal. His shooting 30% from 3 land is a big loss when you consider he shot over 40% last year. Dotson wasn't 100%, and there's no way of knowing that going into the season.

Don't get me wrong. I was disappointed with the results this season. I expected more out of Trent and the team. But, the season could be defined as some games that got away... the Tigers weren't showing a lack of fight or improvement down the stretch. Winnable games at WSU, Utah, MSU, are games that hopefully will turn in LSU's favor next year, and I find that's usually the difference between a winning and losing season.

 

yes, but its very hard to cross that line. i should say, easy to become a decent team but hard to become a top one. ill be disappointed if next season they arent close to .500 in sec, but 12-4 is a long way off.

there are very few teams that always get blown out. i dont think the fact that this team had several close games is reason for optimism.

good point. we'll see. but its not that hard to guard two players even if they are inside and outside, unless they are stockton and malone. bass and dotson can be 6ft from a defender and still shoot only 25%. bottom line is at the very least a dependable third option will have to be there.

thats the big difference between this and last year. odds are much better that a contributor will arise because there is a larger pool

i think we got off easy. the three best players were out about 5% of their games. you never know how much more consistent bo would have been without the injury or how much better the team would have been with farrer, but most teams have similar losses (id guess most have more).

 

I think it's fair to have that perspective, and perhaps the best thing for Trent and his team is for everyone to NOT expect some great turn-around next year. But, I, as a lover of the game, am always intrigued by what actually makes a good season versus a bad one. Being a LSU fan has ingrained that in me, unfortunately. Wild swings from one season to the next. Is it talent? Is it "chemistry"? Is it coaching?

While you say it's "hard" to be a top team, just last year we were SEC champs. Just 4 years ago we were SEC champs and a FF team. Different players with the exception of Tas and Garrett. But, different coaches, different styles of play. BUT, similar results.

Looking at the stats of those seasons, here are the points, rebounds, Assist to TO, and shooting %s numbers for some select seasons:

2005-6 (Brady FF team): 73.9 ppg, 40.2 rpg, FG%: 46.5%, 3FG%: 32.4%; A2TO ratio: 1.0
2008-9 (Trent SEC C): 74.8 ppg, 39.0 rpg, FG%: 44.8%, 3FG%: 37.2%; A2TO ratio: 1.2

2007-8 (Brady's last year): 68.7 ppg, 35.7 rpg, FG% 42.9%, 3FG%: 32.2%; A2TO ratio: .83
2009-10 (Trent's 2nd year): 61.5 ppg, 35.9 rpg, FG%: 40.0%, 3FG%: 28.7%; A2TO ratio: .9

I guess I'd make the argument that often times it IS just a matter of a few baskets a game, a few rebounds a game, a few stops per game, a little bit better shooting per game. Just look at the fine line between perhaps Brady's best year, and the year that cost him his job. 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3% points, a few turnovers per game difference. Sure, this is perhaps a oversimplification of it, but you really see in hoops it's often times a few baskets at key times that keep runs from happening, or a few key stops or turnovers that lead to momentum shifts in games.

Clearly, you can look at this past Trent team and say, they did not shoot well. They also did not do the little things quite as well as his team two years ago did. They turned the ball over more, they rebounded less. It's still a matter though of about 5 or 6 buckets, 4 or 5 rebounds, and a few less turnovers per game.

So, why do we have reason to be optimistic? White is going to shore up the interior, get us more rebounds and give us better interior defense. Spencer is CLEARLY going to have to shoot better, for us to have a chance. But, my hope is his not having to feel the pressure of being the only perimeter scorer will make things flow better. Can we pick up 2 or 3 buckets more from a perimeter player like Stringer, Turner or Derenbecker? I'd say yes. Trent knew this squad was not the best shooting personnel for his system, so he went out and recruited 3 perimeter shooters. I'd say that was hardly a coincidence.

I'd still contend that this game is many times, just a matter of those handful of plays that go one way or the other. Here's to having those plays go LSU's way next year. :thumb: :geauxtige

 

Hey Tgernhornland,

Ya think Trent Johnson missed out on this recruit from New Orleans? This guy seems like one of coach Johnson's type of players...although not a prototypical one. This guy may make a great assistant coach somewhere.

Emerging from life's rubble, basketball player finds a place to excel | - NOLA.com

 

I agree, but it is not easy to get those extra few possessions to go your way.

you probably also have to consider the pace of the games. if ctj decides to go back to mostly m2m then 3 or 4 bucket deficit becomes 4 or 5.

the post will clearly be better and you can actually run an O through white. havent had that since davis. perhaps thatll be enough to take pressure off bo, but im worried that itll actually take another shooter to do that. his 3pt % was 10 pts higher with mthornton than without. like i said before, the good news is there are a lot of candidates for to take the pressure off--dotson, derenbecher, stringer, turner.

damn, it would be sweet if stringer could come in an run point and score a little. but im sure its too much to ask of a 3star. maybe he could come in and score 12 ppg but his assist to t.o. would largely negate it.

 

Kind of harsh when the man starts out by saying that he is not a real basketball fan....don't cha think?