The final four game vs. Indiana was never a collapse. First Macklin (the leading scorer) was hurt in the last game of the reg. and couldn't shoot the ball, in practice before the final four Howard Carter the second leading scorer hurt his shooting hand thumb. Between LSU leading scorers in 2 games they scored 8 points, when both had avg. 16 a game the whole season. It wasn't Inidana's defense as not one of the defenders covered Mac down low very well, it was his hurt hand. Brown had to go with Cookie down low and Martin up top as his main weapons both games. BTW I. Thomas should have had 4 fouls by half time, the ref blow the last two calls before half time, even Thomas said this years later. Martin had Thomas covered all half and the two late calls put Martin in foul trouble and he had to back off in the second half, which opened up the middle to drives. I was at the game, and saw the game turn on those two calls, if in the second half the Big "E" isn't in foul trouble, Thomas can't drive and feed the ball and the game would have went to the wire. Also in the second half Knight knew Carter was hurt and backed off defending him to double team down low on Cook and Mac's rebounding. If this game would have been played the week before Mac got hurt, and Carter it wouldn't have been close, LSU would have walked into the final game, but beating NC with Wood and Worthy would have been a hard fought battle.
Ah tigger1.... Its all comming back to me now. Kinda like "this is it" by Kenny Loggins!! If someone doesn't understand, then they didn't live it.:lsup:
Loyola-Marymount Chris Jackson was amazing. He couldn't miss. I was exhausted at the end of the game and I was just watching it in the stands. Best LSU game ever.
