Wow, second bad game in a row. Tigers lose to SC in overtime. We need some outside shooters for sure. gonna be facing a zone every nite till we start making some outside shoots.
In a word "disappointed". Just read a article quoting JJ as saying the Tigers lack toughness and he is disappointed in JOB's performance so far this season. I do think he has underperformed but I'm not sure he is gonna get any better. He keeps trying to do things he can't do & can't play a game without fouling out. There needs to be some major coaching done with this kid & fast or LSU is gonna have problems winning many if any SEC games. Comments?
the coaching philosophy is stupid. maybe its the way to go get the most out of a personnel set, but not long term. hustling is not the same as playing good basketball.
I've been relatively quiet here... 0-4 in SEC play will do that to you. I'm fairly certain most people didn't expect that when the schedule there includes Auburn, USC, and GA. To my credit, I called early that teams like Tennessee would falter and USC would surprise, and that's what's happened. That said, here are my comments. First off, yes, 0-4 is 0-4. But, if there's a silver lining they've been close loses for the most part. USC was a toss up, and GA was as well. Auburn certainly was a winnable game. UF beat us handily (as they probably should have), but it was close in the first half and then the game got away from us. We've said before and I'll say it again. This coaching style AND the personnel lends itself to at times to vulnerabilities... particularly if the team doesn't shoot well. The team is predicated on guards being able to create tempo and pick up the pace and hit threes. That leads to more long shots and more turnovers, and in turn leads to lower field goal percentage, and more runs. If you look at the tape, the downslide can be summed up with, LSU playing a more athletic SEC schedule has shot worse, turned the ball over more. They interestingly have still rebounded ok. But, their defense (allowing the other team to shoot better than them) and our inability to keep up the same 3 point shooting % (and of course note more teams have played zone on LSU forcing outside shots) has led to lower scoring outputs. Add in that the LSU players are getting back to their early season FT shooting % (i.e., bad) and it's led to close games going against them. What I will say is that JOB actually is doing better... the UGA game was sort of a break out for him, 16 points 14 boards, but again, too many turnovers (5). I wouldn't necessarily blame the system, it comes down as it always does to execution. We saw a Trent Johnson disciple, Mark Fox, get turnovers against Johnny Jones, slow down the tempo, keep the score close and then in the end, they come up with the shots. It's pretty simple. Execute better and you win. Jones' style is still fun and exciting, but in order to win they have to cut down on turnovers (their assist to turnover ratio has been upside down), continue to rebound, and they have to hit some shots. Jones and staff have to coach here, yes, by motivating, keeping the kids playing hard, but also finding a way to break the zone, find shots in transition, and easier points. With Carmouche, Stringer and Hickey launching a ton of threes, if they aren't hitting 35-40% on those, it's a long evening. You have to also balance this with inside play... the other thing I'll mention is that generally speaking the other SEC team has averaged considerably more FTs than LSU. In the USC and UGA game, that disparity was pronounced. It may be a combination of the other teams having big men to pound it down low, but it's also getting to hoop instead of settling for jumpshots. Of course, when LSU gets fouled, they aren't hitting their free throws, so they sort of hedge to the outside shots. Players have got to do better on the line. In short, protect the ball better, work to get better shots at the basket, and if the shots start falling, we'll have some chances for Ws. Now, interestingly, folks looking at the program (like recruits, e.g., Keith Frazier) see a system that is 0-4. It is an up and down system that is generally spreading the ball around a lot. No guy is getting all of the touches, and unlike a Trent Johnson system where 2 maybe 3 guys are the focal point of the offense, here, we have everyone getting a chance. You also see the upside of a bigger mobiles, like Mickey and Martin, who can slash to the basket and perhaps pick up those close in shots/free throws (who are 3"s taller than Shavon Coleman, who has suddenly become less of a factor) in this system and you like what's coming and what may be missing. Stringer and Hickey have really thrived, but still need to learn to create for the teammates as opposed to just launching 3s behind a high pick. But, it's encouraging with guys like Stringer/Hickey getting more confidence and developing in this system. That said, of course, it'd be nice to have that 6'4-6'6" scorer who could in an iso just plain score (hopefully that is Frazier watching)--I've noticed that Malik Morgan has recently shown some initiative. Harder when that's your 5'11"/5'9" guard. It'll be interesting to watch what improves against A&M tonight. They are a well coached team by Kennedy who won't give you anything... and they just beat UK. Let's hope for a surprise here.
Way to prove me wrong Shavon. Way to geaux Tigers! Nice to get in the W column against a pretty decent team. Tigers win 58-54 after being down big in the first half. I like the fight in this team and CJJ. We may lose this year, but we are team that fights back. And, you got to like it. Congrats Tigers!
It reminds me of Dale Brown's first year...."The Hustlers" (1972) On my bookshelf is a book about basketball by Doug Saylor and another one by Dale Brown. Doug came to my restaurant and gave me that copy. I got to speak to Dale Brown in the dining room of the restaurant when a retired High School coach who knew Coach Brown called him up and put me on the phone with him. Doug was one of the original "hustlers" and his book is called Hoop Life. Dale's book is called Dale Brown's memoirs from LSU basketball.
Nice to get that first conference win. I was worried when the Tigers were down 19-5 in the early stages. Hope this propels a winning streak.
Tigers get a moral victory by almost upsetting the Kentucky Wildcats in Rupp. Down to a basket in the remaining seconds of the game, and a lot of anxious UK fans (over 24K to be exact) in the arena. We call it a moral victory, but certainly it's a loss nonetheless. But, as I think about some of the UK experiences over the last decade from Brady, to Trent, to now, and I can't often remember when LSU has played truly respectable at Rupp. I seem to recall far more 10+ (or worse) point losses, than nail biters at the end. So, needless to say, the future is bright and LSU hoops fans have to be taking away some positive vibes from a close loss. But, here's what we can learn from the game. First, off, I won't necessarily blame the shooting... LSU shot somewhat poorly from 2 point land, but hit 40% from three and hit 80% of their FTs. To the contrary, I think LSU shot well for their style of play--they get steals and they launch 3s in transition, so when you hit 40% from 3 ball land, you can't complain. LSU also got their turnovers manageable... 13 assists to 10 TOs, while forcing UK into 16 TOs to their 7 assists. So, all of the things we talked about above... limiting turnovers, hitting shots, hitting FTs, came to fruition on the road in a hostile environment--so KUDOS to the team for that. The only truly meaninful stat is rebounding--LSU got outrebounded 39 to 26. And, other than 12 rebounds from JOB--let's also say another 2012-13 and career defining moment for Johnny--no other Tiger had over 4 rebounds. They were able to neutralize Shavon Coleman on the boards. We often forget that being a fast break team also is largely dependent on rebounding--getting the board and having the upcourt outlet is key to getting the break going. LSU has been forcing tempo more with a full court press on made shots, but often you can start it also with defensive boards. Here is where sometimes size and strength can just get you. Piero was a non-factor (not entirely sure what CJJ saw that kept Piero down to only 4 minutes) and our guard heavy line up had a hard time containing Noel and Poythress. It is also a point of reflection and optimism. We could have had Calvin Godfrey, we also have Odoh, Martin and Mickey coming in next year. Now... as you look towards what may be the meat of LSU's schedule... they have 12 games left against noone named UK or FLA. They have a challenge certainly with Missouri this week, but that's a game at the PMAC and Mizzou got schlacked by Florida--so I'm hoping for a close game regardless of the outcome. Mizzou has good guards and some size but not two big McDAAs on the block. Then you have a lot of the Mississippis (1 good, 1 bad), Alabama (toss ups), Vanderbilt (down), Arkansas (mysterious), USC again, Tennessee (down), etc. In short, I'm looking at the last 10-12 games of the season here as THE season for the Tigers. Win a majority of these games and you can say that LSU has probably reached (maybe surpassed slightly) it's potential for CJJ's first season (and that's sort of finishing with that 6-12 or 7-11 SEC mark). If we surprise here and get on a run, that's more of a .500 record and a birth to the NIT, potentially. What LSU has to do is put it all together... get the tempo disrupting defense going, keep JOB on the trajectory that he's going, while keeping turnovers low, hit their shots more consistently, while also being aggressive and taking the ball to the basket and hit their free throws. Find that rhythm and this team can win some games. Coach JJones and staff have to find that rhythm too--they seem to be motivating the team, now can they bottle it up and put all the pieces together at the most critical stretch this season? As often is the case in sports seasons, I judge a coach by his trending over a season, as opposed to simply Ws and Ls. I hope the PMAC will be rockin' for Wednesday's game against Missouri--first time SEC joinee coming to the PMAC, when they're arguably the "basketball school" from the former Big12. Also remember, LSU recruited Pressey, their talented point guard as well. Rock the PMAC, Tiger Fans!
