what's the deal with this guy...the advocate reported this AM he is a candidate? i am pretty confident he is similar to his pops and run the offense/defense where scores are like 40 to 30 each game. is this the case? If so, is he really a guy that will build excitement into LSU program? I know this much, my season tickets will be cancelled because i don't want to pay for a chair to sleep in.
His teams play some of the best team defense in the country. I know Roy Williams called him earlier this year to let a former player of his go out there and watch a practice because he wants to be a coach...so he has the respect of his peers. His offenses are boring but a lot of that has to do with having average talent and he feels that is the best way to win. I still wonder what his teams would look like with more talent, but I bet the general philosophy would be the same -- then again there are many flashy teams with less talent so I assume what you see now is what you would be getting, just like his father. I do not think he would bring an immediate excitement to program, sort of like Miles. However, he would win some games and most people would probably love him.
Ok, if we're really going to talk basketball, there are a few things we need to be clear on. Tony Bennett borrows some things from his dad, namely tough good halfcourt d. He adds more offensive flexibility to his game relying on various additional offensive sets than his dad, though, and if you watch his teams they're fairly offensively "sound". He relies on both post and guards in his offense, and so I think he actually would bring a more balanced attack to tiger town. Does his disciplined offense, relying on smart decision making and passing sit well with an athletic (and at times undisciplined) LSU team tho? A couple of stats (from ESPN) worth noting as well: WSU averaged 66.4 points per game this season, with a 1.35 points per shot (measure of offense efficiency). Not something in the 50s or 40s. LSU? 68.7 ppg on 1.18 pps :dis:. Curiously, all of the LSU "frontrunning" coaches' teams? USC (Floyd): 69 ppg on 1.33 pps. VCU (Grant): 67.4 ppg on 1.26 pps. Actually very similar numbers to Bennett. LSU has honed in on defensive minded coaches that just don't wow you with their offense (sound familiar? See LSU women in final four :thumb. At the same time, what's a clear trend in recent years is that the eventual men's champion and final four regulars have shown the ability to score and play slow when forced to and fast when they want to. UNC averages 89.2 ppg on 1.36 pps. Kansas averages 80.6 ppg on 1.39 pps and Memphis averages 80.3 ppg on 1.31 pps. UCLA our defensive contingent, averages 73.8 ppg on 1.34 pps. If that was our measuring stick perhaps Travis Ford does deserve a second look.... UMass comes in at 81.5 ppg on 1.30 pps (they btw just beat Billy D and Florida in the NIT--pitino disciple beats pitino disciple). Let the debate continue!!! LSU IS A BASKETBALL SCHOOL. ANOTHER FINAL FOUR (GOOD THING WE CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR THE WOMEN TOO). :geauxtige
