re: LSU Basketball lands 7 footer

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Perfect replacement for Hunter Dean

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I think one of the biggest mistakes McMahon made last year was not realizing sooner Dean was probably a better option for THAT particular team than Baker. Or at least worthy of getting slightly more minutes.

Outside of a few games where Baker was hot shooting the ball, he didn't really fit what LSU, I guess, wanted to do. You can't want to be an "up-tempo" team, the waste half of the shot clock dumping it into post where if Baker took more than 3 dribbles it was likely a TO. It's also difficult to defend and rebound when you have a guy with bad hands and little explosiveness getting off the floor.

Dean may not have had the offensive bag Baker had, but he could rim run, catch, and provide a physical presence inside. This guy may be able to do that (to a lesser degree) as well. Perhaps the biggest negative I've seen in McMahon's coaching is his reluctance to deviate from whatever plan he has going into a game/season.

I get it. It's difficult in this era of CBB to fully know what you have going into a season when, often, 1/2 the roster or more are new. But at some point after 10 or so games you should start to get a feel for your team's strengths and weaknesses. I just think McMahon has struggled for getting a "feel" of his teams.

Fortunately, this will be the most players he's returned at LSU. So you hope that, plus now two years through an SEC gauntlet, will allow him to be more confident in adjustments and provide a better sense of what he has