Convenient observation, but not true. Garrett and Terry Martin outplayed Taurean Green and Billy Humphrey in our Florida win. Garrett outplayed Acie Law in our win over TA&M. The guards played well in close losses to Tennessee (reg season) and others where the big men let us down. I'll give you that they've been inconsistent. But let's not just ignore the times they've played well and then all of the sudden blame the guards for everything.

Ok, don't get into a recruiting throwdown with me... :lol: Garrett Temple was probably an unranked 3 star guy, but Terry Martin was a top 60 recruit coming out of high school (4 star), and Dameon Mason was a top 40 guy (4 star). Ben Voogd was a 2 star guy (I argued we shouldn't have signed him, but I've been patient). Tack Minor was probably the highest ranked guard (also a top 40, 4 star guy). Ole Miss on the other hand? Abernathy (no stars), Sanders, and Doyne (no stars) were all "NR" (unrated) guards according to Rivals. Sanders was a 3 star (Juco)... but, they're also all seniors. My point? It could be that LSU actually "recruited" better guards, but Ole Miss guards played better tonight because they're more experienced and just played harder and better.

Now, I've lamented about Brady's track record recruiting guards as much as the next guy, but I don't think that this in itself results in this loss.

Not really, you can have really highly ranked players who don't play well. Just like you can have Duke lose to NCState yesterday. Duke's players are all "ranked" better as compared to NCSt. It doesnt mean that in the game of college basketball hungrier, more experienced players can't beat more talented less motivated players.

My point is that yes, we have a "talented" team on paper... hence we were ranked to challenge for the SEC West. But, it just didn't happen for us this season. I would argue that this year our downfall is due to perhaps lack of chemistry, lack of experience playing together, perhaps a less than great job of molding and coaching and creating a system for his players by Brady's staff, and at some level, perhaps the "mix" of personnel just wasn't quite right. But the blame, if we're going to hand it out, like it is in every sport should go all over the place.

this certainly is a valid argument... I've wondered myself how well Brady's staff "develops" guards (as opposed to forwards). Certainly they've graduated NBA level forwards and centers (ok, that might be "developed") but is it a chicken and the egg thing b/c they have never signed a lottery pick level guard. Tack, Brady's most celebrated guard recruit, was a bust b/c he was a knuckle head. But, to be fair to Brady, it's not like he's ever signed a McD AA guard and "failed" to develop him. I guess I may argue this issue a little differently--I would say that Brady may not have created an offensive scheme played at LSU that has encouraged highly rated guards to take a gamble on his system, and in turn, he hasn't recruited and sent on to the NBA guards.

I think you can start to judge him a little more critically now b/c in the past few years, he's brought in two guard transfers that were a little more decorated (Martin and Mason). We'll see how they improve and how much Brady and staff create a more balanced scheme. Martin is a sophomore. Temple, I think actually may be a VERY interesting case for the Brady staff in a few years. I will actually say that with him the staff took a risk, signed him as a unranked 3 star guy, and Temple when he's playing well, looks like a guy that could play in the NBA (tall athletic, can guard, but needs to shoot better and work on his ball handling). And, he's only a sophomore, so we'll see if he gets better.

But, what are you and people missing? The game of basketball is one where there's unpredictability on any given night. How does George Mason beat UConn? How does Kansas lose to Oral Roberts this year, or UNC lose to Gonzaga? Less talented players can beat more talented players on any given night, if they're hotter or more motivated--and it's more than just coaching. Ole Miss's guards played harder and better last night and took it to us. A 9% shooting spell didn't hurt. Doyne had scored a total of 12 points in the last two meetings against LSU--so, Ole Miss didn't exactly "develop" him better overnight, in fact LSU's guards probably outplayed him the last two outings. He just made a statement last night and Ole Miss's guards had the better game.

Just so you can have your answer to this, LSU did recruit Martin out of high school. He was considering LSU, but when the "legendary" Bobby Knight, the man that "develops guards" so well, came a knocking, Martin claims that he had to look into T.Tech. He went and committed. He got homesick after a year (probably got a little disillusioned with Knight, big surprise) and then wanted to come home. When he reopened looking, LSU won a "recruiting" battle between them and the ULM where Martin was from. So, you can say what you want about whether this is an indication of whether Brady can recruit, but I'd call that recruiting.

As for Mason, my understanding there was that Mason wasn't pleased at Marquette for various reasons. He was friends with Brandon Bass and other LSU players from their high school AAU circuits and LSU actually got in "late" recruiting him. He was considering one or two other school more in the midwest (where he's from) seriously, but made the trip to Baton Rouge and signed with us. Mason, unlike Martin, probably did not consider LSU right out of high school, but did later.

If you're point is that these were "luck" lands, I guess I'd say perhaps they were perhaps they weren't. It doesn't take away the recruiting efforts of the staff. As for Brady's track record recruiting guards, I'd certainly agree with you that it hasn't been stellar (he's had to settle for a fair number of "reaches" like Voogd, Whipple, Farrer, but let's not forget that he did sign some "well regarded" guards, Darrell Mitchell, Tack Minor, Lamont Roland, Torris Bright, Antonio Hudson), but my point before is recruiting alone is not the reason for the loss last night.

I would agree that LSU's ability to recruit guards has got to improve, but there are some signs perhaps that times are changing. Brady got a commitment out of '09 PG Tommy Mason Griffin, and he's getting serious consideration from the likes of Marcus Thornton, Donnell Beverly, Willie Warren, Ray Shipman, J'Covan Brown and others. I've said that Brady will be judged on his recruiting and coaching these next couple of years, and should be. If we land Donnell Beverly or Marcus Thornton, by all accounts, his recruiting class in '07 will have been a success (I agree with another poster that probably Garrett Green's spot should have been filled with a guard to begin with, but Randolph, QThornton and DJ Wright are all solid pick ups).

There are no more excuses, and he had good momentum from a final four trip last year. He and the team squandered that this year, and I'm not forgiving him for that.

Who do they play next? Or, are they out of the tournament.:helmet:

I never said that Brady can't recruit.
I think he is weak at recruiting guards and shouldn't recruit problem players.
Look at what happened at the end of Minor and Lloreda's last season.
We sure could've used a point guard down the stretch this year.
We also see a lot of guards leave the state and play elsewhere and we get
someone from Oregon? Doesn't make sense.
If your going to get a 2 star you go all the way to Oregon!:lol:

Five well regarded guards in ten years, not bad!:hihi:
agreed

I agree.

Disagree, there will always be excuses IMHO.

In closing let me say thank you for answering my questions.
I do consider it somewhat lucky these players transferred in, can't imagine how much worse we'd be if they weren't here, maybe no win season in the SEC this year?
I do think it was luck but I would also realize it could be recruiting?
All I'm saying is that you can't rely on recruiting one guard every 3 years.
Not saying it is the case but sure seems like it.
Also pointing out that we could've used a true point guard this year especially
once Tack left,(problem athlete with reputation as such, recruiting judgement).
We always seem to be a guard or two short every year including last year
and yet no one can fix the problem.

I agree somewhat with all of your posts such as players tired, etc but I also think there are some recruiting issues with guards since
we don't ever seem to have enough to get us over the hump.
We lost more than one game last night this season, teams liked to press us and we turned over the ball because we had no true point
guard or ball handler who could handle the hot potato!

someone finally answered my questions so Thank You!

When is the NIT field announced? Is it carried live on TV?

I'm just soooo excited about the possibility of playing in the NIT. I'm getting my bracket ready.

i hope they turn it down.