in this thread i will post updates on players that stay and go, transfers, punishments, and where exactly they will hang the title banners. i also will update with my imagined rosters and starting lineups during the offseason. look forward to it. first order of business should be have ja morant call the players he wants to keep, tell those fellas how well his coach did, turning him from unknown high school unranked zero to NBA MVP candidate. thats a narrative that sells. will boot up be kept as a slogan? we shall see.
Like the hire. Seems like a solid guy with a good background in this part of the country. Having coached what a lot of people now consider the most exciting player in the NBA in Ja Morant can only help in recruiting. I also like the fact that he clearly has an eye for spotting talent and also developing their skill sets once they arrive on campus. You can't have consistent success at a mid-major without being able to spot a few players that are flying under the radar, but still have a high ceiling for development!
i watch a lot of interviews with recruits. one thing they always do is talk about their favorite NBA player role model. and they also talk about how wade is sending players to the league. when mcmahon says he wants to put kids on the ja morant path, kids will listen. for sure. morant is adored by young fans. kids should be fired up to come.
Interesting strategy. Relies on the notion that a players' loyalty is more to his coach than to his school. I'm sure its the case for many; does Ja fit the bill?
i think its the case for 90% of the players are there for a coach not the school. none of these guys on LSU are even from LA. just mays and edwards. they are here because of wade. they have said as much. thats why marvel allen and julian philips decomitted. yohan traore has not, to my knowledge. last year we had a local star player jalen cook. he moved on and played awesome for tulane. but wade had built this program on kids from very far away, naz reid and tremont waters from the northeast, eason is from seattle/LA. gaines is from GA, pinson and willaims are chicago guys. etc etc maybe shareef for obvious reasons is inclined to stay. who knows. the new guy will have to re-recruit the whole roster. which i guess is not abnormal in the transfer era.
I guessed one right back on the 11th! Didn't post another coach's name. I think this will prove to be a great hire, given time & sanctions etc. http://www.tigerfan.com/posts/1958621/ Wade fired on the 12th Just got Lucky
“It was essential for us to hire a coach with a winning standard of performance, as well as the consistency and character to elevate our men’s basketball program to new heights,” Woodward said. “Matt is exactly what we were looking for. His vision for our program and his values as a leader align perfectly with ours as an institution, and he has a proven track record of identifying talent, developing student-athletes, and building championship basketball programs. We are excited to welcome, Matt, Mary, and their three children to Baton Rouge, and we are ready to work together to write the next championship chapter for LSU Basketball.” “I want to thank President Tate, Scott Woodward, and Stephanie Rempe for the incredible opportunity to be the next head basketball coach at LSU,” McMahon said. “My family and I are extremely excited to join the Baton Rouge community and lead the LSU Basketball program forward. I look forward to building relationships with our current players and recruiting elite student-athletes to LSU, and I’m excited to join the best athletic department – and the most iconic brand – in all of college sports. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, and I cannot wait to get to work.” https://www.google.com/amp/s/247spo...cMahon-Scott-Woodward-comments-184949774/Amp/
i hope he retains nickleberry, who the recruits like. and i like him too he seems like a fine fellow who is bad at coaching but good at player relations. it may be they want to shed all remnants of the wade regime. hope not.
Kids these days are all about what is hot now and Ja is clearly a huge draw for these young recruits. He may have gone to another college, but the guy who took a chance on him and a big reason Ja is in the league currently is clearly because of McMahon. Without McMahon giving him an opportunity, Ja might be bagging groceries at the local Publix or stocking shelves at Walmart. When I was growing up, everyone wanted to be Bird, Jordan or Magic, and now it's all about Ja and his incredible dunks and passes. He's fun to watch for sure. These days with NIL and the transfer portal, coaches have to use every advantage they can to land a player. How about attending an LSU practice and Ja is on the sideline watching? It would impress me for sure. Off the subject a little bit, but how does a player with Ja's skills go basically unrecruited out of high school?
