So, not to rub salt into the wound, but perhaps LSU and Les Mile's boneheaded and flat performance against Ole Miss is the perfect Segway to.... it's time to get excited about a LSU sport other than Football. For the nega-Tigers out there ready to jump off the bandwagon, why not jump on another one? LSU enters the 2013-14 in basketball, with both men's and women's teams, with some very quiet fanfare .... The Bayou Midnight Madness failed to get much pub. SEC Media days got very little pub. And practices with CJJ and staff have been going on with little fanfare. What did get some pub this week was top 5 2015 recruit Ben Simmons committing to the Tigers, and rightfully so. But, LSU being picked in the top 4-5 in the SEC by most pre-season polls, ahead of Alabama, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Missouri and others who have historically been ahead of LSU in recent years, has picked up little fanfare. The outlook for men's hoops is probably as high as it's been this year as it has been since 2008-9 when Trent Johnson took over with a senior laden year that WON the SEC. A unique mixture of core returning Juniors and seniors, plus a very talented signing class, not only sets the stage for a run at a NCAA tourney bid (and one that has alluded LSU for recent history) but also more importantly sets the stage for a foundation of good teams... the consistency that LSU die-hard fans have been pining for, well, forever. Players like Jordan Mickey, Darcy Malone, Tim Quarterman but also Keith Hornsby, signees like Elbert Robinson, Ben Simmons, makes me hopeful that LSU is no longer a one-season up and one season down kind of team, but returns us to an era where there's Kentucky, and then LSU, in the SEC. Watch out Les Miles, you may soon no longer be the big man on campus, especially if you keep LSU underperforming in games like last night. I for one cannot wait for the hoops season to start. Coach Johnny Jones and Johnny O' at SEC Media days: http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticl...166&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209284506&DB_OEM_ID=5200 Use this thread to start talking 2013-14 hoops (outside recruiting) ....
Latest outlook after some weeks of practice.... http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticl...166&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209289955&DB_OEM_ID=5200
I'm quite excited for this season to get underway. On paper we're trending in a very positive direction. I'll be waiting anxiously to see if they can back it up on the hardwood.
Johnny Jones has done an outstanding job of recruiting. With a couple of seniors and juniors to go along with a top 5-7 recruiting class I look for us to get back to the dance and make some noise. Welcome home Johnny. Pistol Pete, Shaq, Chris Jackson, Rudy Macklin, Greg Cook, Ethan Martin, Howard "Hi-C" Carter, Derrick Martin , Don Redden, Ricky Blanton,...man I could go on all day. It would be awesome to see JJ get us back on the national stage.
[quote="WestCoastTiger, post: 1360720, member: 1700" Johnny. Pistol Pete, Shaq, Chris Jackson, Rudy Macklin, Greg Cook, Ethan Martin, Howard "Hi-C" Carter, Derrick Martin , Don Redden, Ricky Blanton[/quote] Those were some fun times watching those teams. I never thought Trent was going to get us there from day 1. Feel pretty good about Johnny getting it done.
Yeah, I can't say that we're quite there yet, but certainly, players ultimately make basketball teams, and Johnny Jones is making headway. When you think about the days of Chris Jackson, Shaq and Stanley Roberts, you're talking about All-Americans and First-round, if not lottery NBA picks, so if you're really comparing, the best player on this team this year is still Johnny O'Bryant, who likely if he has a good season is a borderline late first rounder, early second kind of pick? I guess my point is that even though this team is picked 4th, CJJ is still playing with Trent Johnson recruits from a JOB, Hickey and Stringer perspective. All solid players with a chance for All-SEC sort of recognition, but not NBA lottery picks. I think my expectations for this team are finish in the top 4-5 of a potentially deeper SEC and get a NCAA Tourney bid, for the first time since the SEC championship year. What will make this a more surprising season is the play of Jarrell Martin, and guys like Jordan Mickey and Quarterman. What this team is, is deep and versatile. CJJ won't have a team that can't match up against another SEC team, he can play big, he can play small, he can press and throw bodies at teams---BUT, does he still have the horses to win based upon talent against the likes of UK, which is stacked, and a team like UF or Tennessee, which have most of their players back too? I guess I'm saying that I'm not quite ready to put this team back in the level of SEC ball where they are one of the favorites to win the SEC. That said, I think if Jarrell has an All-SEC sort of coming out party, and we can get quality shooting from Stringer, Morgan, Coleman and solid depth relief from Quarterman, I think we'll have a good chance of getting a NCAA bid and making some noise, certainly a Sweet 16 kind of finish if we're playing well--much like Trent's team in 2008-9 which won with an experienced team that played good defense and utilized Marcus Thornton. I think the interesting thing though is what is in store down the road. If you assume that JOB and Andre Stringer departing this team next year, do you like the POTENTIAL of mostly CJJ recruits? I think a guy like Elbert Robinson, paired along side a Darcy Malone, plus guys like Hickey as a Sr, Hornsby at SG, Jordan Mickey, I think is pretty intriguing. We're likely an impact sort of top 20 SG/SF scorer away from being in that top 2-3 in the SEC in years to come. Enter Ben Simmons, who along side Robinson, is potentially a more NBA lottery type of frontline, than O'Bryant and Martin. What we haven't also had is a true scorer who could just go out and get you 20 a game, in a while, and that's sort of what can take you from a one or two and done sort of team, and a team that goes to the final four. With all of the positive momentum recruiting wise, which is certainly the best it's been in the last eight or so years, we have a ways to go before we can call it a second coming of glory days of LSU recruiting in that Shaq, CJ era. It IS however more reminiscent of those '81-84 teams, where you had a nice collection of balanced talent. It could very well swing with another late signee in the Spring or fall 2014, where some scorers get added to this mix, though. I WILL also say, however, I have some faith that the balance of this coaching staff, with technicians like Leonard, to go along with recruiters like Patrick and McCray, are a very nice support system to these "solid" recruiting classes. I will be very interested in seeing the chemistry formed and the systems run now that LSU has this depth. The number of players that play and the rotations are very interestingly endless here. CJJ has been pretty upbeat about practices and the chemistry so far, so I'm very excited about the possibilities. I see there being some clear talent advantages against much of LSU's schedule which is something that could not be said in a long while, but when LSU matches up against key teams, their youth, ability to play disruptive defense and experience will still be tested.
I am excited about the upcoming season. I am couting down to the opener. I just wish Hornsby was eligible this year, havingone more weapon would really help, an that guy has some serious bounce.
Yeah, agreed. The Bayou Madness footage surprised me. I mean I knew the guy had a nice stroke, but I didn't expect the athleticism. Some of the comparisons to Rex Chapman are a little much, but the kid was in the finals opposite J Martin in the dunk contest! I just think that folks underestimate, as good as the two played last year, the affect of having Stringer and Hickey (and both sub 5'11") in your backcourt. One guy sub 6' is fine, but you've got to have a guy that's 6'3+" at your shooting guard if you can. McRae lit us up in the game late in the season when we really needed to knock off Tennessee. I don't have any doubts about the LSU frontline in years to come, but who is our "go to guard" going to be? Hard to say. Right now it's Hickey, Stringer, then, maybe Quarterman or Malik Morgan? Morgan, I hope, shows us something this year with an additional year to season and get stronger. A Hickey/Quarterman comboed with Hornsby/Morgan will be very interesting. Also, in 2015's class there are some serious LA guard prospects... Here's the latest from CJJ: http://lsu.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1567626 Monday's hoops presser....
Reports are that Coach Jones may start 3 freshman..Martin, Mickey and Quarterman... If Hickey is coming off the bench... http://louisianastate.scout.com/2/1341651.html
Man! I havent been the excited about LSU basketball since the final four season... TigerNhorned I value your in depth game analysis and I hope your ready for this season cause I get the feeling we will have a few good games to talk about... I really wanted to wait til after this season to fully say the Johnny Jones was a home run hire but man Coach JJ was a home run hire. It seems as if he eat, sleeps and even dreams LSU basketball...